Chapter Text
I don’t own the characters or anything from Harry Potter it all belong to J. K. Rowling. I don’t know what more to say. This is the first fanfic I’m posting. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: A flowers revenge
‘Petunia flowers are symbols of anger and resentment, but they are also a symbol of comfort and feeling good with someone.’
~I~
Petunia Dursley née Evans was old and dying. As she lay on her deathbed she regretted many things. Metaphorically speaking her regret could be described like snowflakes in a storm. In the beginning it had been few but before she knew it had already grown from a few snowflakes into a raging storm. A storm that had blocked her visage and driven her off-path. Lost and alone she had frozen to death this of course was just figuratively speaking and to understand this you have to know the history behind it.
Among the many things Petunia regretted some were less significant like not saying or doing things she should have or wanted to but didn’t. Then there were other more significant things she regretted more deeply. Things like the treatment of her young nephew and what she had raised her son to become. Some things were more complicated and only partially her fault, if they were her fault at all like the relationship with her sister.
Some of her regrets were not of her own doing like the things that had been taken from her. It still didn’t stop her heart from aching with all those regrets, so many things she would have liked to do differently.
Thinking back at her life all her mistakes, regrets and problems could be traced back to one source, magic.
Her story like so many others started with a child being born, not her nor her own child. But another child also with the name of a flower, her little sister Lily. Lily was beautiful, pure and compassionate very much like her name suggested. Petunia loved her sister deeply just like everyone that met her sister appeared to do. In the beginning she wasn’t jealous of her sister, Oh no, at first she had been willing to hand the world over to Lily if she had asked for it. Petunia wouldn’t have begrudged Lily anything and would have happily yielded all that her sister wanted. She took pride in her sister be it her beauty and talent just like their parents did.
Then like many stories came a boy and no it wasn’t love, it was more like hate. It had been an ordinary day like so many others before it yet this day was much more significant. It was the day when a certain dark haired and dark eyed boy saw Lily performing magic.
The boy had immediately attached himself to Lily like glue. Instantly intruding on their happy lives while filling Lily’s head with all sorts of things about magic while at the same time actively freezing Petunia out, after all she wasn’t magical like them.
Petunia hated it, she hated the rude boy that treated her like dirt and stole her sister away from her. After that boy had entered their lives all she ever heard from Lily was “magic this”, “magic that” and “Severus said”. She saw red and cracks started to form in the relationship between her and her sister.
When Lily got her letter from ’that’ school their parents had been so happy to have a witch in the family. They doted even more excessively than usual on Lily, seemingly forgetting all about Petunia.
Petunia wasn’t sure when it happened only that she somewhere along the way began to feel jealous of Lily. Her perfect sister that always got everything while she only got the scraps and always came second. She didn’t have magic, she wasn’t as beautiful, she didn’t have Lily’s intelligence and so on the list went. Of course she knew it was true but it didn’t stop her from feeling resentment.
She settled with the things she had and decided to not let the jealousy get the best of her, doing her best with the assets she had. Not that her sister could understand those feelings.
~II~
Then came that fateful day where her parents were killed in a raid by those dark wizards that attacked ordinary people. Lily had her damn magic and friends, unlike Petunia who had no one. Petunia didn’t have a good education making her unable to find any job that didn’t involve low wages that a person could barely survive on. It also would be a far shot from a happy life. Realizing her situation she knew that her life would become increasingly hard without her parents to rely on and only a small income to survive on.
Her future was bleak and with few options she hurried to find a man that was able to provide for her and a home, thus she married Vernon Dursley. Lily, the oh so ever perfect sister didn’t approve of Vernon. But how could she understand the feelings of Petunia that had tried her best which in this case was Vernon. If there had been anyone better Petunia would have immediately jumped the ship but there wasn’t.
Little perfect Lily that never had faced any setbacks refused to see things through her perspective. Lily was unable to understand that things couldn’t always go the way she wanted and loudly made a ruckus about Petunia’s relationship with Vernon causing the sisters to have a huge fight. Unlike Petunia that had to work desperately to stay afloat and marry a less than ideal man, Lily always got everything and anything she wanted didn’t have to worry about the future. It wasn’t as if Lily could or would help her either in the situation she was in. They belonged to two different worlds.
Petunia knew the relationship between them was close to reaching a breaking point but she still tried to repair their strained relationship by inviting Lily to her wedding. This had been a big mistake. Lily of course showed up on the arm of her own boyfriend James Potter with their friend Sirius Black in tow. Of course the two freakish men had to trash her big day by pulling off what they called a ‘prank’, destroying everything she had worked so hard for.
This of course made her own resentment grow into hatred. ‘Had truly asking for one day, only one day been too much’ was Petunia’s thoughts where she stood in her ruined wedding dress. The guests running around her screaming while hunted by some form of creature. The residue of what had been her wedding cake was everywhere from some odd explosion. That day she decided that she never wanted anything to do with that freakish thing called magic again.
Petunia officially broke of all contact with Lily and started a family with Vernon. She gave birth to a son that they named Dudley. Maybe she finally would have her happy life she thought as she looked at the face of her newborn son.
That was until she one morning found a baby on her doorstep. One more trouble her accursed sister brought and one that screamed and wrought havoc on her perfect life. She tried to give it away but the wizards always brought it back with warnings. What was so damn wrong with the damn orphanage. She even took the time to bring the child of that freak that ruined her wedding day all the way there and signed the papers. Unlike those freaks that just dumped a child on someone’s doorstep in the middle of the night without prior notice.
She and Vernon tried to have more children of their own with no success. Petunia had a feeling it was because of those freaks when no reason could be found to why she couldn’t have more children. She was ashamed to say that she took the resentment out on her nephew but she did, he was an unwanted part of their lives. Why did she have to take care of her sisters mistake. For a mistake was what that boy was otherwise her sister would still be alive. Like the letter explained it was because of the boy her sister and that freak was killed. She didn’t want to take care of something that might drag her and her beloved son towards that freakishness.
The boy wouldn’t remain anyway just like her sister he would leave for that other world most likely getting himself killed like her sister. She would gain nothing from raising it. Why couldn’t the freaks take care of their own. There was no way in hell she would believe all that bullshit about love and blood wards even if it just was for a second. She would later admit that yes she kept the boy in a cupboard and yes, she forced maybe to many chores on him. She might not always have feed him as much as she was supposed to but they never raised a hand against him or got physical with him in anyway. Vernon had wanted to, so did Marge but Petunia had at least some conscience and made sure that something like that never happened. There were however some things she couldn’t control like Marge’s awful dogs.
Petunia regretted her actions towards the boy he had after all been an innocent child and couldn’t be blamed for the misery that the other freaks caused them. Their treatment of the boy had been pure negligence and she had also knowingly spread bad rumors about him to cover it up and make sure that no one noticed it. She also turned a blind eye towards Dudley’s bad behavior and treatment of her nephew. Petunia would later feel ashamed of herself but at that point in time she had just been so damn angry at being forced into that world again and having to take on a responsibility that she never asked for and neither caused herself. It wasn’t as if the boy had come from her own womb and it didn’t help that he looked like that freak her sister married. It all just became to much, stuffing it in the cupboard and forgetting about it had at that time appeared like a good idea. Especially since Albus Dumbledore forbid them from moving making it hard for Vernon to get a promotion at work.
Then came the day that the boy went to the same freak school like her sister not that Vernon didn’t try to stop it. After came the war of those freaks and her family had been forced to relocated to Glasgow. Not long after they moved Vernon had become sick in diabetes a died on the operation table.
~III~
Dudley had married a nice woman he met in Glasgow but never really succeeded in losing weight, at an age of thirty three her Duddykins had a heart attack and died. His death revealed a severe case of child abuse.
The child in question being her own grandson Dev. Dudley had told her he had died in an accident five years prior at an age of four which obviously hadn’t been true. Instead Dudley had kept the child locked up in the cellar upon the discovery that the boy was magical.
The information Petunia had gotten from social services - after the investigation was done - together with the statements from Dudley’s wife in court drew a horrifying picture of what had come to pass.
From what she gathered Dudley upon discovering his son was magical had immediately shut the boy away from the world. Dudley had the proceeded to severely abuse the Dev throughout beatings and starvation at regular intervals. Having been raised to hate magic Dudley saw nothing wrong with his actions after all to him the magical where nothing but freaks. They only meant trouble and in his eyes were less worth than animals.
Dudley, like his father, was quick to temper, took out all his frustrations on Dev. Dev’s mother had also taken part in the gruesome abuse. What was even worse was that Dudley had ‘borrowed’ their son to others as Margaret put it. Petunia did not even dare to think what those men might have done to her grandson. Petunia was terrified that such a thing could have been allowed to happen. After much paperwork and interrogations that declared her uninvolved in the abuse she had gained the custody of her grandson.
A child suffered from multiple psychological problems from the abuse and trauma. That caused his magic to lash out in the form of accidental magic. It was during one of these occasions that petunia’s life would be changed irrevocably.
Flashback:
Petunia had broken down crying she was so tired and her grandson was a complete wreck. Dev was curled up on the street at her side screaming. All windows and lamps on the street had broken from his outburst and glass splinters littered the ground, things where everywhere from having flew outwards in an explosion of raw power with her and Dev at its center, Dev being the cause of it. Petunia didn’t know what to do to make it stop and could only cry in exhaustion. There simply was nothing she could do as she was unable to give up on Dev, he was all she had left and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him. Petunia could only resent the world and magic while she waited for the Aurors to arrive like she knew they would, for this wasn’t the first time something like this happened.
Looking at the crying woman one of the auror found some compassion for her. Searching around the pockets of his robe he pulled out a pen and a note book, scribbling something down on one of the pages he ripped it out and handed it to her.
Accepting the note Petunia read the name and phone number before looking up at the brown haired man inquiringly.
“He is one of the best therapists out there. He treated my cousin a few years back after a trauma that made him unable to use his magic correctly, maybe he can help you” the man said, giving her a friendly smile.
“T-thank you,” she said sincerely through her sobs.
A month later found her standing outside the address she had been given when she talked on the phone with dr. Garson.
Staring at the door of the building that looked normal but belonged to one of the wizards. She hesitated but feeling the small hand that she was holding within her own she became more determined to go through with it. There was also the fact that she already booked a time, with shaky legs she walked in her grandson pressed close to her side her hands turned sweaty but they still successfully entered.
The waiting room appeared scarily normal with a few leather couches and chairs that filled the small room. A stand with different papers and magazines stood in the corner not that she was in the mood for reading. Unable to remain still she nervously started fixing Dev’s hair and clothes in hope to give off a good impression.
A man in his late thirties entered the waiting room dressed in a white shirt, beige cardigan and brown trousers. “Mrs Dursley” He said with a calm voice.
“Yes” she said, standing up a little too fast.
“Hello I’m dr. Garson” he held out his hand which she hesitatingly took and shook.
“Come with me please” he said as he released her hand walking out of the waiting room with brisk steps. Petunia hurried after him with Dev’s hand in a close grip.
They were brought into an office a few corridors away. The walls had a few paintings that to Petunias fascination and horror moved. Sitting down in one of the chairs she carefully took in the furnishings of the room to see if there was anything else not normal.
Dr Garson had yet to sit down behind his desk and was instead observing the woman and child before him.
After awhile he took as seat eyes never leaving them “would you please tell me your story mrs Dursley before I talk with young Dev here” he said giving her grandson a small smile.
“I, I don’t know what to say” she stuttered
“Then start with your family, are you a muggle born or do you have any one else in your family with magic”
“Muggle born? Oh no I’m normal my sister however was a witch and I don’t think anyone else in my family have magic” she answered flustered by the unexpected question.
A frown appeared on Dr Garsons face “that’s not right I’m able to clearly see the magic cores of people that have it as I have an ability to see magic and it’s movement, mrs Dursley. This is one of the reasons why I’m so good at treating people who have problems with their magic or using it. You mrs Dursley have a fully functioning magical core only that it seemed to have been forcefully sealed by someone”
“W, what t,that is impossible” Petunia stammered, gripping the armrest of the chair so hard that her knuckles paled.
“So you’re unaware of this?” He said more a statement than a question.
“Yes, I, how can this be” she shook her head unable to grasp the implications of what it meant for her. The ringing in her ears and the swaying of the room made her feel as if she was on the way to fainting.
“Sealing someone’s core is a serious felony and it has huge repercussions, I would advise you to immediately report this to the magical law enforcement” he said seriously, a dark look overcoming his stoic face.
“Can it be unsealed?” she asked, desperately trying to grasp at the only straws she fundamentally could think of at the moment.
Turning his eyes at her he studied her closely his eyes glazing over slightly as he watched something she was unable to see “I’m sorry” he shook his head in denial “it’s been sealed far to long if it was twenty years ago it would have been no problem but your core have continued to be active all these years gathering magic from your surroundings growing larger it is a wonder in itself that you haven’t turned into an obscurus but removing it would definitely implode your core and kill you” he said deciding it was better to be blunt.
“As I understand Dev is your grandchild?” Dr. Garson said changing the topic.
“Yes” she answered not really listening stuck in the revelation that she could have been a witch but someone had taken it from her.
“Was your child a witch or wizard”
“No, he hated magic and abused Dev for being magical” she said distraught not willing to tell her own part in why her son had hated all that was ‘freakish’.
He nodded in understanding “if my guesses are to be believed I think your son to was a wizard but whoever sealed your core might also have sealed his. My advice is to look closely at those that have been in your and your family’s immediate presence that might not be there any longer as your grandson has not had the same fate as yours and your son”
One name echoed over and over in her head ‘Albus Dumbledore’ with rage unlike anything she ever felt before. He had not only taken her sister from her but also destroyed her life and indirectly that of her son and grandson’s lives.
Petunia’s mind kept walking in circles with the new found information going through everything she previously known she tried to make head and tale of the situation only to descend deeper into the chaos of her mind.
When the session of her grandson ended she was pulled to the side by dr. Garson to discuss Dev and what she could do to help his case. He also offered her treatment if she wanted it for the situation she now was finding herself in. She of course turned it down fearing that someone might find out about her past and her treatment of her own nephew but also her involvement in her son’s hate for all ‘unnatural’.
End of flashback
After a few months of sessions between dr. Garson and Dev, that for Petunia had passed by like in a fog she finally was able to come to term with all that had been stolen from her by the sealing Of her magic core. She finally gathered all of her courage and asked how to access the small magic community in Glasgow that she had heard rumors of.
The following years were spent with her raising Dev and integrating into the small magical community in Glasgow, where she came to learn of what could have been her life. Petunia worked hard to make sure that Dev would have all that she and Dudley never got to experience. She learned many things along the way like Herbology, wizarding culture, history and laws but also of goblin culture and customs. All the things she could possibly learn that didn’t involve direct use of magic and could help Dev; she would do her best to learn, both for herself and her grandson.
When Dev became eleven years old he got his letter just like Lily and her nephew, Petunia didn’t like the thought of Hogwarts and instead had Dev attend Durmstrang. She watched him leave on a magic ship to sail to his school in Bulgaria. The years passed by quickly and for her it was a happy time but like everything good it came to an end. It was a year after Dev’s graduation from Durmstrang that an owl delivered the message of Dev’s unfortunate death. Dev had been killed by a muggle when trying to save a muggleborn girl that was being abused by her father only to get shot by the girl’s father instead.
~IV~
Unable to stand the loss of her only grandson and the grief that came with it Petunia retired from the world. She closed herself off from everything in the outside world; she had no close relations except for that of her nephew and they were not on good terms. Which was more than understandable with their past. She knew she couldn’t amend their relationship but she still put him down in her will to inherit her small house and meager possessions. It would not soothe the past hurts or erase the past but she hoped it would count as something. Maybe he would understand her regret of past doings, maybe it gave some comfort and soothe some hurt feelings.
She felt that there no longer was a reason to live after burying her grandson. Both her son and grandson had come to pass before her leaving her cold and alone.
Death did not come fast; it came at it’s own time. Her body as if having felt that her mind was tired and the lack of will to continue started to deteriorate on a visible level. Most probably having to do with the strain from the sealed magical core. It did not come as a surprise as she already had been told it would affect her life expectancy.
The last two years of her life was spent tending to the passion of Herbology that she had evolved through the years while connecting to the magical community of Glasgow.
Two years after Dev’s passing she was on her own death bed her sealed magical core had finally taken its toll on her body and together with her grief made her body give up at an age of sixty seven.
She felt both old and tired as she lay on her bed all alone, knowing that her time had come. Just like the significance of the flower that was her namesake she too was filled with anger and resentment at the world and all that the world had taken from her. She also deeply regretted so many of her past actions and if she could turn back time she would change it all.
Like cracks on a mirror all regrets and all resentment built up like a wall of glass mirroring the seal of her core. As her heart stopped cracks formed on the wall that her regrets and resentment had formed but also on that of her long sealed core, that through all those years had been dormant yet continued to build up power. Her last breath left her lips like a sigh echoing all those emotions that she felt finally letting go. The wall sealing her magic core gave out and fell crumbling down releasing all the pent up magic of a lifetime at once exploding outward like a ripple. Petunia Dursley was dead but in another time and place another younger Petunia stumbled nearly tripping out her door and over the baby on her doorstep.