Secrets She Kept » Harry Potter

Part 48

When Petunia left earth, her soul travelled elsewhere. She was one of the few people who had been blessed with a second chance at life and she did not want to waste it, in a different form on a new plane of existence.

She landed in the middle of a vast forest where no creature stirred – except for a small bird that flew overhead, singing its heart out. A smile appeared on her face as she took in her new surroundings. There was a small pond to the left side of the path ahead and an ancient tree in front of her. The sun shone brightly through the leaves of the giant trees and Petunia could feel a gentle breeze against her skin. The air smelled sweet but fresh. She took a glimpse of her reflection in the small pond and found herself surprised by how beautiful she looked. Her hair was long and thick, flowing down to her shoulders and she saw a light shimmering within it. The water around her reflected her features – round-faced with big blue eyes. Her skin had turned much softer as the years had vanished from her body.

Her expression was confused. She knew what she should look like but the reflection did not match her memory. She tried looking at herself again, this time focusing on her mind. It felt much clearer than before; she could think more clearly now. She knew the last time she had looked at her reflection in the mirror it showed the wrinkles on her face and her hair was still extremely short due to the chemo she had endured. But she could see no such signs here. This was her true appearance, her appearance when she was much later.

Petunia held her blonde hair which had returned in slight waves and smiled happily at her reflection. She walked towards the pond and dipped her hand into the cool water. She closed her eyes and savoured the sensation. Feeling refreshed, she opened her eyes and saw a small frog sitting on the edge of the pond, staring back at her. She stared at him for a while; he seemed so calm and content. He reminded her of someone.

She sat next to the pond and rested her head on her arms as she thought about her past experiences. It all came rushing back to her, making her reminisce fondly. She remembered the smiles on her children's faces and the happiness she had once felt in their presence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft chirp coming from somewhere behind her. Looking up, she saw an owl perched on a branch above her head. She couldn't help but stare at his striking eyes. He was beautiful. She almost didn't notice the young figure standing there in a long white gown. She immediately stood up, shocked as she noticed the familiar features.

The long red hair, the striking green eyes and the perfect complexion on her pale face. Petunia gasped as she recognised the person in front of her. " Lily..." Petunia asked, gasping for her breath.

"Yes," Lily replied quietly. They both looked at each other curiously. Petunia's eyes started tearing up as she ran forward to embrace her sister. Lily hugged back quickly. "'Thank you." She spoke softly.

Petunia pulled away from her sister and looked at her. " You have nothing to thank me for, I made your life miserable." Petunia retorted.

Lily shrugged. " You saved Harry from a life of pain and abuse." She spoke simply. "I know it wasn't easy for him to be left on your doorstep, that was a selfish decision on Dumbledore's part-"

Lily was cut off by her older sister. "I made the best of the opportunity to try to make up for my mistakes once I finally realised how much of a monster Vernon was," Petunia stated.

Lily nodded, understanding her older sister's intentions. "But why are you here? " Lily had only been keeping an eye on the earthside regarding her son, not her older sister who had her own life. "You aren't due to arrive here for at least another decade or two."

Petunia looked confused by that statement. "Cancer." That's when Petunia's mind made sense of the place she had ended up in. This was the afterlife.

" I'm sorry," Lily answered into the silence.