[who] Petunia Evans [what] Revelations and a bit of a breakdown [when] Friday afternoon [where] The hall of records [status] Complete [rating] PGish
Being in the records room every day was starting to get to Petunia Evans. Supposedly, if one was to truly believe all of the things that were said about this village, beyond the door that was behind her desk lied a room that held files on every person in the village. It told their past, their present and their future. Day after day, she sat at her desk, playing secretary for a records keeper they didn't even have. Frankly, Petunia thought it was stupid to have her there when they didn't even have a records keeper, but she didn't have anything else to do, did she?
It took nearly three weeks for her curiosity to finally get the better of her. She wondered what her future held. Did she have a good life with Vernon? She had to know. She had been instructed to ask either Minerva or Morgana to locate the files, if someone asked for one, so she had gone in search of one of the woman. It was Morgana that she had found and, as politely as Petunia could manage, requested her assistance with retrieving her file. Once it was in her hands? She made herself a cup of tea, sat back down at her desk and flipped the file open.
Petunia skimmed the first twentyish years. She knew what happened then. The closer she got to her wedding day, however, the slower she started to read. She lazily stirred her tea as she read. She married Vernon. They lived in a nice little house, and a few years into their marriage, they had a son named ... Dudley? Not a name she ever thought she would name a future child, but she could live with it, she supposed. The rest of her life, however? She was not prepared for the words that leapt out at her from the pages.
Lily dead. Murdered in cold blood by the crazed wizard she was trying to help protect the world from. She kept reading, and was surprised to say the least when she learned that she was charged with the care of her nephew. Of all the people he could have been brought to, why her? Surely Lily and James had friends, or family, who would have been better suited. Of course, it was all made clear when the file went on to explain why she had to be the one. Her sister's sacrifice, and the magical protection that would be placed upon the family.
Her tea was completely forgotten as she became more and more invested in the reading of her future. The words that littered the page brought a sick feeling to her stomach. She had let her son and her husband act horribly towards her nephew. Even she was horrible to her own nephew. Verbal and mental abuse. Neglect. Her future son was a spoiled rotten child, the likes of which Petunia never thought she would ever have. Did she suddenly stop believing in discipline? Had the feud between her sister and herself escalate so far within a few short years that she would treat her nephew that horribly? Of course, Petunia reminded herself that she was the one who banned Lily from being a part of her own wedding, which went against every promise and dream she'd had when she was younger. Her sister had been so important to her, and now? Her sister had died believing that she hated her.
Petunia wiped the tears from her face; tears she hadn't even realized were falling. She'd made it as far as Harry's eleventh birthday before she just couldn't read anymore. She felt sick; she was a terrible person. Petunia pulled the journal she'd been given up on her arrival out of the drawer where she had placed it after assuming her position as the records secretary. She hadn't bothered using the thing since her first day in the village. Now? It was the only way she knew that she could get a message to her sister. She needed to try and make things right.