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My Dearest Harry ,
By the time you read this, I am gone—or perhaps I’ll be sitting beside you, watching you roll your eyes at your silly old mum for writing such a letter. Either way, I wanted to put some thoughts down, just in case I don’t get the chance to say them later. If I’m not there, I need you to promise me something: you have to live. Don’t let grief or anger hold you back from all the things I’d want for you. See the world, laugh until your sides hurt, love deeply and without fear. And if you ever feel lost or lonely, know that I am always with you—in your heart, in the way you smile, in every sunset and quiet moment. Writing these words feels dangerous, like tempting fate, but I’d rather that than risk never getting to say them. We’re living through dark times, and though I’ll do everything in my power to keep us all safe, I’ve learnt enough to know that nothing is ever certain.
First and foremost, I want you to know how deeply loved you are. From the moment I held you in my arms, I knew you were the best thing I’d ever done. Even now, as I write this, I can picture your smile, that mischievous little grin of yours, and it fills me with hope. You’ve always had a way of lighting up even the darkest days. Life can be cruel sometimes, my darling. I won’t sugar-coat it. The world is not always kind, and people are not always good. But you, my love—you have the strength to rise above it. Never let anyone make you feel small or unworthy, because you are more precious than all the stars in the sky. I want you to be brave, and I want you to be kind. Kindness is a far greater strength than people give it credit for, and it has a way of weaving itself back to you when you need it most.
I hope this letter will bring you comfort during confusing or hard times. I also want it to give you a sense of where you come from—a connection to our family, even if I’m not there to tell you in person. If there is one thing that is easy to find, it’s information about your father’s family, so I won’t go into that here. My maiden name was Evans, and my family were ordinary Muggles—no magical history, no famous ancestors. Just a bunch of the most brave, loving and hardworking people you could ever meet.
Firstly, you come from strong and brave Englishmen, with the odd Welsh and Scottish thrown in there. They’re tough and dour, and they’re more likely to fight you than hug you. Most of them had a hardscrabble life. On my father’s side, your great-grandparents were the first of us who lived in Cokeworth, which was a large town back then. I grew up there, and by then it was significantly smaller. They, Mary and William “Billy” Evens, had a small piece of land, nothing fancy, but they made it a home. Cokeworth, when I was growing up, had rows of identical brick houses and a grimy riverbank littered with rubbish, though if you squinted hard enough, you could see the beauty in it. Your great-grandfather ran a large mill with a towering chimney. It’s still standing, though it’s long out of use. The work dried up eventually, as it often does, and life was hard for your grandparents. I can’t tell you much about my dad’s parents, Frank Evans and Sophie Hall, as he was born out of wedlock, and they were more or less out of the picture. But I can tell you about my Dad.
My father’s name was George Evans, and he was handsome, charming and athletic. My father worked in a factory, and he scraped by financially. However, if you walked down the street with him you stopped six times while he talked to people. It’s a joke in the family that Dad never knew a stranger. He taught me that everybody has something to teach you and something to tell you that’s interesting. I happen to think that life is very fun. But I also think that you create an interesting life by learning and looking for interesting things. And believe me, there was objectively nothing to explore in Cokeworth when I was little, but the flowers still grew, and the people were worth knowing. This, I got from him. I hope you will take this with you as well. My father also displayed a strength at the end of his life that I admired. He and Mum died only two years and a bit ago, from illness. They both knew it was coming, and I don’t think I have ever felt closer to them than I have this year. I want to believe that we’ll make it out, but here I am writing to you anyway. I hope I will be as strong as he was. I hope you can be proud of me, Harry.
My grandparents, my mother’s parents, were both very hard-working. My grandfather, Laurie Evans, was tall and imposing, handsome and stern. We get our eyes from him, first mum and then you and me. My grandmother, Beatrice Evans, was tough as nails with a wicked sense of humour. My cousins—My Uncle Rowan and Aunt Edith’s children, Poppy, Violet and Flora. You’ve never met them, they all died a while ago in a housefire. Aunt Poppy was visiting at the time—, were a bit afraid of them, but I was never intimidated. I snuggled up to my grandfather while he settled down after work, reading something or other, and I hugged my grandmother. She was the youngest of six and the only girl, expected to shoulder all the household work. Once, when faced with a pot of dried-up oatmeal she was expected to clean, she kicked it all over the kitchen. We laughed about it, but I’m sure it wasn’t so funny at the time. My grandparents had three children, my Aunt Poppy and Uncle Rowan—twins, though they looked nothing alike—, and then there was my mother, Marigold.
My mother was sweet and kind, with a knack for bringing out the best in people. When she was happy, she’d sing and bake, and the whole house felt warm. She had the most beautiful blond hair and pale blue eyes, just like Petunia. I used to be quite jealous of that when I was younger, because when I was sorted into Gryffindor, having red hair was not as wonderful as my mother always claimed. I looked a fright for all seven years and wore the tie on my uniform as little as I felt I could get away with. I have learned to love it again now. One day when she and I went for a walk, she picked a flower and said, “I will plant this by the fence. I think it will grow,” and it grew as though it couldn’t bear to disappoint her. Plants and people, they all wanted to make Mum happy. Speaking of making Mum happy: there were no excuses for boredom. An Evans family joke is that you should never tell Mum you're bored. If you tell mum you’re bored, she’ll hand you a damp cloth and tell you to wash the baseboards. There’s always work to be done in the world and no need for boredom or self-pity. I think I shall be just like her in this with you.
I have an unwritten rule to tell you, and it’s that you don’t have to like all your family members, but you do have to love them and support them as best you can. My older sister Petunia and I love each other deeply, but we don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. However, regardless of every disagreement that we have had, I know that if you need help, then you can go to her, Harry, I promise. She lives with her husband Vernon Dursley and her son, Dudley. She is not your godmother, and that is because we are no longer close. But I know that if it was the other way around and Dudley needed me and James, nothing would stop us from loving and caring for that boy. I’m sure she will do the same for you.
I’ve learned that asking for help isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. It’s something I struggled with, and I hope you’ll be better at it than I was. Keep the family close, Harry, whether it’s blood relatives or the family you choose. Your dad’s brothers—Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew—are family to us, just as my friends from Hogwarts— Alice Longbottom, Mary MacDonald, Alice Fortescue, and so many others—are my sisters. Alice L even has a little boy, Neville, just your age. She is a great mum, and we’ve planned so many playdates for you two when this war is over. There are so many people who love you, Harry. Sirius and Alice are your godparents, and they are great people. I’d trust them with my life and with your dad’s life, and the greatest praise I could ever give another is that I trust them with you. Sirius is loyal to a fault and braver than anyone I know. Remus, quiet only by comparison, has wisdom and a hard-won kindness that you cannot find anywhere else. Peter is perhaps the most resilient man in England, he can find a solution to anything. Alice L and Alice F are so protective and supportive. Mary is wicked clever and she’s going to be the next minister, I just know it.
You are so lucky to have them, and I cannot wait to hear all about the people that will become your family as you grow. Mummy loves you, Daddy loves you, and our entire strange family will be there to catch you when you stumble. You will be alright, my love. I will always be proud of you.
Remember this: you are my greatest joy, my finest achievement, and the reason I’ve fought as hard as I have.
With all my love, always and until the very end,
Mum