Title:Legacy
Author: Shutsumon
Pairings: None yet. We'll see in the sequels.
Summary: How would Harry's life have been different if Petunia had acted like a Human being, if Dudley had been a wizard too and if Lily had left a legacy for her beloved son? Just another AU of book 1.

Beta Reader: Shippo. Thanks Shippo!

A/N: Yes, yes…. I know I have two other fics gathering dust while I write this generic mess. What can I say? Writer's Block sucks. Still, please review.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

LEGACY

Prologue

The Boy Who Was Left On The Doorstep

Petunia Dursley's shock at finding a baby on her doorstep lasted long enough for her to scream before she gathered her composure and realised what this must mean. This probably explained why Vernon was so flustered last night. Something must have alerted him to what was going on. And thinking of Vernon she heard him getting out of bed with thump to come and see what had upset her even as she picked up the letter and skimmed it. Her mind was working overtime as she tried to work out how on Earth she was going to persuade Vernon to let her take her nephew in. It wasn't going to be easy.

And Lily was dead … she just couldn't get her mind round that as she listened to Vernon clunk slowly across the landing towards the stairs. Her sister, whom she had only made up with mere weeks ago, was dead. Not that Vernon would care. She hadn't even dared tell him that she back on speaking terms with Lily. He'd probably never forgive her. And God only knew how he'd react if he knew why. She really, really hoped that she wouldn't have to tell him everything. There was a very good chance that he'd walk out on them all if she did.

"I'll call the police and tell them that someone has dumped a baby on our doorstep." Vernon had finally made it downstairs, taken in the scene and come to the correct conclusion. "They never need to know that he's related to us."

Petunia took a deep breath and picked the bundle Harry was wrapped in up. "No, Vernon, we'll keep him."

"But, Petunia dear, he's bound to turn out to be a freak like your sister."

"What lay between Lily and me was just that between her and me. Harry has nothing to do with it. He's my flesh and blood and I have a duty to take care of him." She turned to face her husband so that he could see the determination in her eyes. "He's staying."

"B-b-but, Petunia…" Vernon spluttered. "Be reasonable. We can't have a child like that around Dudders. What if he rubs off on him? Turns him into a freak?"

"Oh, I don't think that there's any danger of that. Wizards are born not made. That much I do know." Petunia told him honestly even as she suppressed a twinge of guilt for the secret she was hiding. More certain than ever she mustn't tell him about Dudley until she had to. She remembered all too vividly the night that she had seen their son summon his favourite toys back to him after she'd put them away. Vernon had been away on business … fortunately. Petunia had sat downstairs shaking after she finally got Dudley off to sleep and had cried for hours before she had, in a fit of desperation, contacted her sister for advice. Lily had come at once and set up wards about the house to keep a check on uncontrolled magic use in the house. She'd commented that she had no idea how their parents had coped without wards and told her some of the things she might expect and how to cope with them. It had been the start of putting a fragile relationship back together out of the horrible way they'd parted just after Petunia's marriage. No, she couldn't tell Vernon but perhaps she should try and prepare him for the inevitable. "If our Dudley was to turn out to be a wizard," she flinched as Vernon cringed at the word. "It will be because he's my son and I'm Lily's sister … not because of Harry." She rocked the infant who had been awaken by all the fuss and started to cry. "There, there… hush now." She cooed.

No son of mine will be a wizard!" Vernon bellowed and Petunia sighed to herself. He was in for the most awful shock when the letters came in a few years time if not before. She would just have to hope that his love for Dudley could break through his prejudice as it had with her. But as he continued to rant she doubted it. "If you're going to insist on that boy staying here then we'll just have to crush it out of him."

"And how do you intend to that?" Petunia decided that she really didn't like the sound of that.

"I don't know. Treat him like the freak he is, I guess." Vernon hissed. "But I do know he's not taking up my son's space. I'll clear out the cupboard under stairs. He can sleep there."

Petunia stared at him in horror. "And if one of the neighbours notices and calls Social Services about him? What are you going to tell them? That we were abusing him because he's a wizard and we were trying to crush it out of him? Somehow I doubt that that would go down too well. No, dear, he can have the box room."

"No!" Vernon turned even more purple in the face than usual. "How can you even suggest treating that thing like a child?"

"Because he is a child! The fact his parents were wizards does not change that. Anyway the neighbours don't know that he's a wizard do they? So how are you going to explain it to them?"

By this time Vernon had turned a very alarming shade of puce and for a moment Petunia feared that his heart might be giving out. He seemed to swell slightly as if he was about to bellow at her some more but then a resigned expression crossed his face.

"Alright, Petunia, dear. We'll do this your way." He said with obvious effort. "But we'll live to regret this. Mark my words." He glared at the child in her arms. "And don't expect me to be nice to the boy."

"I won't." She conceded that much with a nod, "Now where can I get a second cot at short notice?"

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