Reading Harry Potter

Chapter 2

Before Alice began, Sirius interrupted,

"Who is this letter by?"

"Your sister" said Alice, looking at Lily in confusion.

16th June, 1985.

Dear Diary,

Dudley's 5th Birthday is in a week. I have been shopping and have got everything he has asked for and I just hope he doesn't ask for anything more as we are a bit short on money this month. Vernons business has not been doing too well this month, well actually the past few months, and I am rather worried that he might have to sell it off. He is very proud of his business and when he has a good day he is ever so cheery when he comes home, but today wasn't one so immediatly he retired to the couch and ordered me to get him a drink.

Dudley has been playing up again recently and I can't handle him on my own. I'm actaully looking forward to a bit of peace to myself when he starts school. And then finally Harry will be out of the house for longer periods of time too. He might not be as loud as Dudley but I can't deal with having him around giving what he is. Looking at me with her eyes and asking so many questions that I can't answer and don't even want to think about. I knew we should have kept that letter that came with him but Vernon was quick to burn it in the fire and would have left him out on the street if I hadn't said it would attract unwanted attention.

Harry doesn't belong here and I don't know what to do with him. He comes from a whole other world, one that I want to forget. I just hope that when the time comes he will go off to that school and maybe they will keep him. I wanted nothing to do with my sister as soon as all that freaky stuff happened and I want nothing to do with anything else related to it.

But he's just a child and I couldn't allow Vernon to pack him off to an orphanage. I know he will have to go to that school and he might not have been able to if we had sent him away. I don't know how it all works. He does remind me of her though. And as much as I pretend I never knew her, that I never had a sister, I do miss her. I do miss Lily.

Petunia

"So she doesn't really hate me then?" asked Lily, smiling slightly even though there was tears running down her face. James hugged as tightly and squeezed her hand.

"I feel sorry for her having to deal with Dudley and Vernon, they sound delightful!" commented Emmeline, smirking slightly.

"Me too, she doesn't seem to have got the life she always hoped for," said Alice, remembering the times she had met Lily's sister during their school years. She had always thought of herself as being above Lily and Alice, sticking her nose in the air and avoiding them at all costs. Even when she first brought Vernon around the house she still acted above them, showing him off to her parents even though at the time he still wasn't Prince Charming.

"As long as she starts to look after my godson, I couldn't care left who she is stuck with," said Sirius looking annoyed at the proceedings.

"Will I continue?" asked Alice, to which she recieved a round of nods.

18th July, 1985 

To Albus Dumbledore, 

As Harry is nearing his 5th birthday I am pleased to inform you he has been enrolled in the local school and is greatly looking forward to it.  He stayed with me yesterday while his Aunt, Uncle and cousin visited a friend and told me about how he has greatly enjoyed reading the book you sent me to give to him last week and that he has finished it already. He said he can't wait to learn to read so that he can look at more than the pictures.