Given the Choice

Beta Read by VStarTraveler

Minerva McGonagall sat on the brick wall in cat form watching the toddler sleeping on the steps. The child had been placed there by her boss and good friend. Said child had a sleeping charm and a warming charm placed on him that would only be broken once his aunt picked him up. The child looked peaceful as he slept, with no sign at all that he'd witnessed his parents murder only hours before. The only visible indicator of what happened was the fresh cut on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt, a cursed scar which couldn't be removed.

Fighting against the advice of the headmaster and her own common sense, she turned back into the woman she was and picked up the toddler and rung the doorbell. The breeze had a chill to it as she picked the child up, the chill affirming to herself that she was making the right decision. Her instincts would not let her leave a sleeping child out in the open. She stood listening for a couple of minutes, and when she heard no one stirring inside the house, she rung the doorbell again. She proceeded to do so several times, only stopping when she could hear someone had gotten up. That someone was walking down to the stairs complaining about who would be turning up at this ungodly hour of the morning.

The one who answered the door was a large man who didn't look impressed seeing her standing at his doorstep. He only opened the door a crack, peering at her with distrusting eyes. He was a handsome young man who was leaning towards the obese side of the scales.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? You better have a good reason for being here; if not, I will call the police," The man spoke to her in a low threatening tone. He was even less impressed when he took in her appearance. Minerva suspected that Petunia had never told him anything about the wizardry world based on how he reacted to her.

"I need to speak to Petunia Dursley, the matter is most important," Minerva said in a stern tone as if she was disciplining one of her students, remembering to use the young Evans girl's married name.

"Why would I let my wife talk to someone who looks like they just came from a Halloween party?" Petunia's husband demanded.

She didn't even get a chance to answer, and he was highly surprised when his wife pushed her way past him and looked through the door. The young woman's face paled, and she opened the door against her husband's judgment.

"I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name," Petunia greeted her. She was looking at the baby in Minerva's arms, which Vernon had ignored. "What happened to Lily? Is she alright?"

"I'm Minerva McGonagall," she replied, stepping into the house. "It's best if you're sitting down."

Petunia led the teacher to the sitting room with Vernon hovering over her, glaring at the strangely dressed woman his wife had just invited in. The toddler in her arms was still asleep; he would remain asleep until Petunia took him.

Minerva hated being the one to deliver this type of news. She'd done it many times over the years, informing students about relatives' deaths. This time was no different. With as gentle a tone as possible Minerva told Petunia that her sister Lily and brother-in-law James Potter were both dead and their son, her nephew Harry, being the only survivor.

"What happened, how did they die?" Petunia asked in a state of shock.

Minerva looked at Vernon and then back to Petunia before asking, "How much does your husband know?"

Petunia fidgeted. "Nothing. I was under the impression I couldn't tell him anything unless Dudley ended up being ..."

Minerva saw that wishful look on Petunia's face; she wanted her son to be a wizard. She'd heard from Lily how much Petunia hated magic, but from what she could see from actually meeting the young woman for herself, Petunia didn't hate magic – she hated that she didn't have magic. "Can I hold Harry?"

Minerva nodded and handed over the sleeping toddler who remained asleep even though the spell had now been broken and snuggled into his aunt's arms. Petunia gazed at the child sadly, her husband in the background fuming.

"He looks just like photos of my father when he was younger," Petunia noted, taking in his features. Everyone in the wizardry world was more familiar with the Potter family, and they saw James's likeness in young Harry. Petunia was seeing the resemblance to her own family and seeing the Evans woman in person, Minerva could see the family resemblance between the aunt and her nephew. "I never liked his father, James Potter. That boy, he was a horrid child who regularly made Lily cry and didn't improve much as he grew up. Lily used to write home about the pranks he used to pull on Severus."

"You know Severus Snape?" Minerva asked genuinely surprised. She knew that they'd grown up in the same town, but didn't think he'd associate with Muggles especially considering his friends and associates in his later high school years.

"We were neighbours growing up; he's still in contact with my parents," Petunia answered honestly.

Minivera nodded, no wonder why Dumbledore trusted the Death Eater spy. Severus knew Petunia's parent's location and possibly Petunia herself, yet they were all still safe. It would've been simple for Severus to hand them over to 'he-who-should-not-be-named' to get to Lily and Harry once he had his mind set on going after the Potter family.

"Professor Dumbledore had this note for you, I haven't read it for myself yet." Minerva handed over the sealed parchment envelope. "I'm afraid to say the headmaster is going a bit senile. He tried to convince me that the best course of action was to leave Harry on your doorstep, for you to find when you got up in the morning."

"Who goes around leaving babies on people's doorsteps?" Petunia fumed. "I wouldn't have liked that one bit."

"Petunia what's going on?" Her husband asked. He'd been sitting next to his wife, listening to the conversation he didn't fully understand.

"I can tell him?" Petunia confirmed. Minerva nodded.

Petunia stood up, still holding Harry. "Excuse us for a moment."

Minerva stayed seated as the young woman, and her husband left the room while Petunia explained to her husband what her sister really was and how she'd died. Mr. Dursley was fuming mad as his wife told him that magic was real.

The conversation did not remain private when Dursley raised his voice. "We are not raising your sister's freaky child. There's nothing to discuss; we're not taking him in."

"He's my nephew, I'm going to raise him whether you like it or not!" Petunia replied in a stern voice.

"What about Dudley's safety? Your sister was murdered! What happens if they come after her brat and our family gets hurt in the process? I don't want to risk my child for someone that isn't family."

"Vernon, Harry is my family," Petunia insisted. "He's just as much my family as Dudley is."

Vernon's outburst caused the toddler to burst out into screams. He was calling out for his mother who he would never see again.

"Be quiet you little brat! You have nothing to be screaming about!" Vernon shouted at the confused toddler.

Minerva stood. She could not allow this to continue. Dursley's shouts for quiet in turn woke Petunia's own son who was slightly older than Harry, who could be heard screaming upstairs.

"Make them quiet! What are the neighbours going to think?" Vernon said.

"Who cares about the neighbours! My sister is dead, and her son, my nephew, is never going to see them again. He is in a house with people he's only met on two other occasions. He has the right to be upset," Petunia tried to reason with her husband. "I need to attend to Dudley."

"I'm sorry, Pet," her husband apologised, stopping Petunia. "But what about Dudley, and you? I don't want my family to be hurt if whoever murdered your sister comes back to finish the job."

"You will find that you are already in danger just by being related to Lily." Minerva stepped through the door. She had been concerned when she heard the raised voices weren't stopping. "If you take Harry in, I will be able to give you as much magical protection as possible to keep your nephew and your family safe. Without Harry, I would not be able to protect you magically; our government is very strict about using magic near non-magical people.

"Why wasn't my sister saved using magic?" Petunia questioned with a cold tone.

"You sister and brother-in-law trusted the wrong person. We all did. None of us suspected that Sirius Black, James' best friend from childhood, would turn on them," Minerva explained.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Vernon asked.

"At the moment you don't. Over time I will show you that I am a trustworthy person. A person who only has the best interest of Harry in mind and that of your family," Minerva told them.

Petunia sat her husband down, handing over her nephew while she went and picked up her still screaming son. The young mother whispered soothingly as she walked down the stairs moments later with the toddler. Vernon looked like a fish out of water with the baby in his lap. Once Dudley was settled, they swapped children. Vernon still looked uneasy even with his own son.

Minerva had a long talk with Petunia and Vernon, demonstrating magic and explaining how it worked and why Harry's magic wouldn't be a danger to the family.

"What I want to know is, will you take Harry in? Will you raise him just like he was one of your own?" Minerva asked after she finished talking. "If you cannot honestly raise him as your son, I will find someone else to take him in."

Petunia looked at her husband, longing in her eyes.

"He's your family, Pet; I will leave the decision to you," Vernon sighed, defeated.

"I'll take him, I'll raise him as my own, as my son. I know that is what Lily would have wanted and my parents would agree. Harry will be a member of this family and take the Dursley family name."

Minerva smiled, she knew that Albus would not be happy that young Harry's family name was going to change. It would help protect him even further not having the Potter family name.

"Lily would be proud of you, Petunia," Minerva insisted, grabbing the young woman's hand and squeezing. She knew it was a hard decision for her to make.

"Lily would do the same if the situations were reversed," Petunia replied, returning a quick squeeze of her own.

Minerva left Petunia to mourn her sister. Vernon needed to get used to magic being real. Both needed to get used to the changed situation. She'd also left a means of magical communication for the Dursleys to ask questions or for help as Harry grew into his magic. She'd make sure to keep regular contact and monitor the situation more closely. Dumbledore would not like her interference. She felt it had been the right choice, especially considering Vernon's reaction when he first learnt magic was real.