Work Text:
Lily held her boy close to her, wanting to never let go. There was no point in talking to Petunia, she had tried. When Harry had met them in the hospital, Lily had been elated to see him, but her joy had been pricked with worry, why were his clothes so big? Did Petunia and her husband not have enough?
Her worries were quickly extinguished, turning into righteous anger, as Harry told them about his time with her sister; the cupboard under the stairs, doing everything around the house, how he knew he was not wanted.
But what troubled her the most was when Harry told them he didn’t know about magic. How could that be when Petunia knew about magic? Why had she lied and said they died in car accident caused by James, he would never drive a car or go on a muggle roadway.
(If Lily was being honest with herself, James probably could and had already gone off causing trouble on some muggle highway.)
After they had been dismissed and sent home, Lily and James had sent a letter to the Dursleys, demanding an explanation for why they treated Harry like some dirty stranger.
The reply she had gotten was not what she expected.
*****************
Lily
Here I thought, I would never have to hear from either you or those people again, now that you are awake but no, God forbid you leave me and my family in peace.
I found your son on my doorstep on the 1st of November, with some foolish letter that you and that husband of yours were in a coma. When I reached out to Dumbledore (because I knew he would be the idiot to leave a baby on a doorstep in November, most likely overnight) he told me that I HAD to care your son.
I asked him why he couldn’t give the boy to someone who actually wanted him, and the old man began a spiel of “mother’s love” and “how our shared blood would protect him” As if you were the only mother who ever sacrificed herself for her child, nonsense.
Anyway, without pay, I and my family took the boy and his freakishness in. We never wanted him here, but we did our best with what we had.
Next time, make a will that details what you want in case you die… Just in case your love saves the boy, again. And make sure it is bullet proof and can stand against a nonsensical old man with too much time on his hands.
Never contact us again.
Petunia.
*************
Lily and James had been dumbfounded, they went to Albus with the letter, demanding to know why he couldn’t wait until the Dursleys had woken up, why he couldn’t find a better fit for their son, or why he couldn’t have someone checking in on them to make sure they treated Harry right.
To which Albus had asked them, “Do you think it would have been wise to send him to stay with people who would let him get away with anything because he survived? Your sister already dislikes you and your family, having someone intrude on her space for your child would not have made things easier.”
Lily and James had tried to argue, but Albus had replied with. “You are here, and he is with you now. Matter closed.”
It had been like a slap. “How can you be so callous with a child’s life?” James had asked in disgust, Albus looked at the two of them then, as though he was looking into their souls. “Now you have a problem with me looking the other way?”
James clamped up at that, the words a sharp sting to his very core.
Albus sighed, “I did the best I could and will not apologise but I will apologise for the way I went about it. I truly am sorry for leaving your son like that, but the dangers surrounding him then… Petunia was the lesser of two evils.”
James and Lily left after that. Disturbed but in a morbid way, they understood.