The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

Ch. 1 A day at the park

    After Elodie had turned nine, Minerva reached out to the Dursleys. She wanted to build a connection, give them a chance to know their niece, and give Harry the chance to meet his sister. Though Vernon would have nothing to do with it, Petunia sent an owl to Minerva and they arranged a meeting. While living in Hogsmeade at the time, Minerva took Elodie to a park in London near Privet Drive. Elodie sat in the sand building castles with her back to Minerva who was sitting on a nearby bench when Petunia approached.
    "I must admit, I was beginning to question whether or not your presence would be made. Perhaps your mind had changed," Minerva stated as Petunia was behind her.
    "Quite frankly I was questioning it myself," Petunia said as she took her seat on the same bench as Minerva. "I told my family I was heading to the post office, said it was urgent and seeing as tomorrow's Sunday..."
    They both sat and stared at the little girl, using her imagination to entertain herself in the otherwise empty park. Petunia couldn't see her face, but she noticed she had the same tea colored hair as she did, the same her sister had in her youth.
    "Does she know why you've brought her here? I assume you don't reside in Surrey, or any part of London for that matter," Petunia asked, breaking the silence.
    "Only that we are enjoying a peaceful day out. She wanted to go to the bookstore near our home, but we both agreed it was too beautiful of a day to let pass," Minerva answered. "We live in Godric's Hollow, near the former potter house. You should know, I will answer all the questions you may have, you simply only need to ask them".
    There was a moment of silence while Minerva's offer hung in the air. Petunia had hundreds of questions, but which to ask first fell short on her.
    "What is she like? Elodie?" Petunia finally asked, her voice almost a whisper.
    "Are you asking me if she's a witch, or are you asking about the type of person she is appearing to be?" Minerva asked for clarification, though she was certain she knew the answers.
    "Oh please, do not have such doubt in me Minerva. They would not have sent her to live with you if she wasn't going to be a witch," Petunia stated, becoming defensive.
    "And they should have sent me the boy as well, Petunia," Minerva declared, becoming equally defensive.
     The pair had become so enamored in their conversation they did not notice Elodie had halted making her sand castle and made her way over to them.
    "What's wrong Mimi," the little girl said, placing her tiny hand on Minerva's, "it's okay, don't be mad," she continued. Then she slightly hid behind Minerva's cloak with a slight giggle as she made eye contact with a shocked Petunia.
    "It's alright dear," Minerva told her as she stroked her hair and moved her over so she was no longer hidden. "Now Elodie, this is a friend of mine. What do we say?" She told the girl, encouraging her so she would not be so shy.
    Remembering her manners she lightly took the woman's hand to shake it. "Hello Petunia, it's lovely to meet you," She said, locking eyes with a frozen Petunia. "Mimi can I go play on the Mary-go-round while you talk to aunt Petunia?" She asked with her sweet voice ringing like tiny bells.
    "Yes, but not too fast my dear," Minerva said as Elodie ran off giggling.
    "How did she..." Petunia began as she was almost mortified by what had just happened.
    "To answer your earlier statement, yes, she is a witch, perhaps omniscient even. Quite frankly I would not be surprised if she is to be the most powerful witch we may ever see," Minerva said, still defensive of the child.
    "She looks..." still at a loss of words, Petunia could not form complete dialect as she was having trouble processing.
    "I know. Everyday, more and more," She began, knowing what was on the woman's mind. "Lily and James were my students, you know. And believe me, if she had walked into my classroom on her first day of classes, I would have believed it was Lily's double," she looked at Petunia, who was still processing. "Her eyes especially. There is however a lot of James in her. He was very bright as well, a bit of a trouble maker, though she's so shy I don't expect that to be an issue anytime soon,"
    "This was a mistake," She was finally able to piece together. "I swore, my husband and I, we swore to have nothing to do with any of this," she spat.
    "Regardless, if not for you, that child deserves to know who her family is, as well as her brother. Yet here you are, surely there must be a reason for which you chose to know her? Or shall we add it up to blinde curiosity?" Minerva said scolding the woman
    "Strained as the relationship may have been, that is still my sister's child. How exactly does she know of me?" Petunia asked
    "She knows of Harry too, but not of your family or of the conditions you subject him to," Minerva informed her, hinting greatly at knowing about the boy under the stairs. "Not yet anyway, not that she would tell me if she did. I told you, she's omniscient, I admit I never truly believed full heartedly in the art of divination, but if anyone was to convince me, she's the one," Minerva informed her.
    "I always wanted a daughter you know, but after..." Petunia informed her. "I can't promise you to make this a regular meeting," Petunia started.
    "That was never my intention," Minerva told her, almost confused.
    They both listened on to Elodie as she filled the air with her giggling joy spinning on the merry-go-round. She let it slow down, turned her body and planted her feet firmly on the ground before standing and running back over to complete her sand castle. This time though she had been facing the chatting women, every so often she would look up at them, almost as if she was analyzing them, or even looking into them, beyond them.
    "Curious isn't she?" Petunia noticed.
    "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Minerva said.
Petunia pinched her nose, the way one would if they were fighting off a migraine. She was contemplating what her next decision would be.
    "Is it too much to ask..." Petunia began, her thought not fully finished.
    "All you need do is ask dear," Minerva told her.
    "Will you write to me? Send me photos of her? I would send you photos of Harry as well," Petunia asked, knowing it wasn't much of an offer, but she didn't know what else she could do.
    "I presume you will not want them to meet just yet?" Minerva said, it wasn't a question.
    "For now, this has to be enough," Petunia said broken-heartedly, knowing that it would never change. She looked over at Elodie who sat up from the sand, dusted her overalls off and walked over to them
    "Mimi, can we please go to the book store now?" She asked Minerva knowing they were finished here. Minerva nodded with a smile on her face, turning Elodie's attention to Petunia.
    "Can Harry come?" She asked, surprising both of them slightly.
    "Not today, sweet girl," Petunia said and she tucked a strand of hair behind Elodie's ear as she released a giggle.
    Minerva stood and grabbed the girls hand as they turned to walk away, "I'll await your owl," Minerva said before they aspirated away, leaving Petunia to think about the secret she just agreed to.