Afterlife

Today

It was today. Today was the day. Harry would receive his letter.

The red stamp would be pulled back and Harry would finally be welcomed back to the wizarding world, an oblivious hero in a new world. He may have done them a huge favour as a baby, not that he was aware, but at a great cost, and Harry had no idea what he had done, what he was, what his parents were, that even such a world existed.

James and Lily watched together in anticipation as Harry crept out of his makeshift bedroom. That cupboard had been the start of many one-way shoutings at Vernon Dursley. When he passed through, the parents of the saviour of the Wizarding world would definitely need a word, or two, or three, about the treatment of their only son.

It was Harry who went to the door, who picked up the letters, flicking through them diligently, stopping at the last one. Harry walked slower as he read it. A letter. A letter for him!

"Harry, take that letter to your cupboard," Lily whispered to the boy. Harry didn't follow this instruction, instead trudging back into the kitchen and handing the other letters to Vernon. Dudley however decided he would, of course, tell on Harry - a cousin's nature.

"The little snitch," James sat up as Dudley informed his Dad of Harry's letter.

Vernon eventually took the letter, read it, then glanced at Harry in fear.

"He's not going to let him go," Lily whispered sadly, "He said it right from the beginning, he hated us, why would he let him go?"

A few days later, Vernon had demanded them to flee the house.

"That fat son of his is quite right," James scoffed, "He's going insane! The owls will follow, and if not the owls then Dumbledore himself! We've had him down from birth and I'll be damned if he isn't going to the best school in the world!"

And indeed, who did follow up on Harry Potter but Hagrid? The half-giant had stormed through the house right on Harry's 11th Birthday, given Dudley a pigtail and fled with Harry.

James and Lily smiled at each other.

It may not have worked out the way they had wanted it to, but Harry was going to Hogwarts whether Vernon Dursley wanted him to or not.