What If… Harry Potter

Primrose Potter was playing on the floor when a loud smash happened in the front room. She was too young to know what it was, besides a loud sound that startled her and made her cry.

“Lily! Take Prim and GO! It's HIM!” James Potter yelled.

Lily ran to her crying baby girl and picked her up in her arms. “Shh! It's okay. Everything will be okay.” She said and ran up the stairs of the small cottage. She had already tried to apparate and nothing happened. Her emergency portkey didn't work, either. She barrelled through the slightly open door of the nursery and slammed it behind her.

Lily's eyes roamed across the room and saw that there was no escape. She had hated that the small house barely had any windows in most of the rooms and she was paying for it now. She put her little girl into the crib and dropped to her knees as she opened the bottom drawer of the dresser.

“It's okay, Prim.” Lily said and pulled out the protection spell she had been working on. It was only mostly finished and her calculations were incomplete. “I can do this.”

Primrose, not knowing what her mother was saying, only heard the calm in her voice and settled down. Lily quickly wrote out the last of the spell and did the calculations in her head and added the answers to the arithmancy equations. Even when she heard the light thumps of feet on the stairs, she didn't panic. She took out her wand and did the proper motions as she started to chant.

She knew she didn't have much time and she rushed to get that last swish in to complete the spell and pointed her wand at her daughter's forehead. A flash of light showed her that it applied and Lily jumped to her feet as the nursery door slammed open.

“Step aside, you foolish girl.” Voldemort's voice said from the cloaked figure as he raised his wand.

Lily didn't raise her own wand in defense because she knew it had to be a willing sacrifice. “Never! You have to kill me to get to my daughter!”

Voldemort huffed and then smiled. “Very well. Avada Kedavra!”

Lily closed her eyes and let the light hit her without trying to dodge. She felt sorrow and regret as well as vindication. Her ploy had worked and her lifeless body dropped to the floor as her sacrifice powered the protection spell.

“Severus chose poorly.” Voldemort said and stepped over the dead woman's body to stare at the baby in the crib. “Now, for the child.” He said and raised his wand again. He paused, because the child stood at the side of the crib, her emerald eyes and messy black hair prominent in her features. He could almost feel the defiance in her. “It's too bad I have to remove you. Your parents were fools to defy me.”

Primrose stared into the dark red eyes of the creature, too young to feel the hate she should feel.

“Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort spat and there was a bright flash of light.

*KABOOOOOM!*

Voldemort's body exploded from his wand backwards. The magical backlash took out half of the wall behind him and part of the cottage's roof. All of the wards fell, including the Fidelus Charm that hid the cottage from view and the temporary anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards Voldemort had erected. Little baby Primrose fell backwards into the crib, unconscious, with a telltale lightning bolt scar on her forehead.

“Master!” Peter Pettegrew exclaimed as he ran into the cottage and saw the wreckage. “Oh, no. Oh, no! I need to get out of here!”

Peter grabbed his master's wand from the floor in front of the crib, surprised there wasn't any blood on it, and tucked it into his robes before he transformed into his rat form. He snuck over to the corner of the room as set of footsteps ran up the stairs.

“NOOO!” Severus Snape yelled at the carnage in the nursery. “Lily!” He exclaimed and went to her, dropped to his knees, and picked up her body. Tears came to his eyes and he cradled her lifeless body tenderly and rocked back and forth as he let his grief overwhelm his common sense. He stayed there for several minutes before he heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs. He eased Lily back to the floor and apparated away.

“NOOO!” Sirius yelled as he saw the destruction in the room. He ran over to Lily's body and touched her. “She's dead!”

“Blimey!” Hagrid said as he entered the room. “We need ta get little Prim ta Dumbledore.”

“No, I... I'm her godfather. I'll get her out of here.” Sirius said and stood.

“What about Peter?” Hagrid asked.

Sirius growled. “I'll kill him!” He spat and ran out of the room. He paused and came back in. “Take my bike! Prim can't handle apparition that young!”

Hagrid nodded and Sirius ran down the stairs and out of sight. “Come on, little one.” He said and carefully wrapped Primrose into a swaddling blanket, then picked her up in a large hand. He left the ruined house and didn't notice the rat scurrying behind him making his escape.

*

“You can't be serious, Albus.” Minerva McGonagall said as the old man put the baby basket onto the front step of Number Four, Privet Drive. “I've been watching them all day and they are the worst type of muggles!”

“It's all right, Minerva.” Albus said and put a thick letter in the basket. “The child will be safest with her family.”

Hagrid let out a great sob and used an old tablecloth for a handkerchief.

“There, there, Hagrid. It's not really goodbye.” Albus said.

The three odd looking figures retreated down the street and left the fifteen month old baby girl all alone on the front step on a cold November night.

*

The next morning, Petunia opened the front door to put out the empty milk bottles and froze at the sight of a baby basket. Her eyes bulged at the thin little face and the dark hair that were so much like her own. Her eyes darted around the neighbourhood and saw that no one else was up, so she picked up the basket and took it inside to put it on the kitchen table.

That jostled the letter and she plucked it up and opened it. She read it quickly and her face changed from worry to a scowl. She read it again and made her hands into fists as she crumpled the letter up.

“That old bastard! My sister dies and all he gives me is a few words and asks me to raise another child?” Petunia spat and started to pace the room. “What am I going to do? How do I tell Vernon?”

There was a thump from upstairs and Petunia panicked. She took the basket and went to the cupboard under the stairs and put it inside. She covered it with the old blanket there, hopefully to muffle the child if it woke up before she could break the news to her husband. She shut the door and closed the little vent, then went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

Petunia fed her husband and sent him off to work before she went upstairs to take care of her son. She did it quickly and efficiently before bringing him downstairs to play in the living room. She went to the cupboard under the stairs and brought out the baby basket from inside, then dug the child out to see the baby already had shoulder-length black hair.

“Primrose.” Petunia whispered as she gazed into the bright emerald eyes of the baby.

“Ma.” Primrose said Petunia's heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“Primrose.” Petunia said in a normal voice, unsure of what she was doing.

“Ma.” Primrose responded, to Petunia's surprise.

“Primrose. Primrose. Primrose.” Petunia repeated.

“Ma ma ma!” Primrose said and giggled with a baby laugh and waved her arms happily.

Petunia was shocked. She knew that babies could understand a few things at a year old and did baby talk for a while after that; but, having a fifteen month old child respond to her name like that was unheard of, by her anyway. Her mind whirled through the different possibilities as she cradled the baby to her chest. She started rocking the child automatically and Primrose calmed down immediately.

“You... like that, do you?” Petunia asked, surprised that the child responded so quickly to her, because Dudley was a lot more rambunctious and took forever to calm down.

The baby just blinked her eyes and stared up at her.

“I think... I think things are going to be okay.” Petunia said and went into the living room. “Dudders, I want to introduce you to your cousin... no, your sister. This is your sister, Primrose.” She said and put the baby girl into the playpen with her son. “Play nice.”

Dudley reached out and touched the girl's forehead. “Owie.”

“Owie.” Primrose said.

Petunia sat on the couch for several minutes and watched them interact. Neither had seen another child before and soon they were babbling in baby talk as if they were life-long friends catching up. She had to smile as Primrose gave her Dudders a hug, then they played with the toys in the pen.

“Yes, things are going to be okay.” Petunia said with a nod.

*

It was Primrose's eleventh birthday and she had a great big party. All of her friends and Dudley's friends had been invited and the yard was packed with kids and parents having a great time.

“I can't believe she's eleven already!” Petunia said with a laugh as she stood off to the side of the yard and observed the shenanigans of her children. “She's even growing like a weed, just like Duddikins!”

“You've been the best mother for the both of them, Pet.” Vernon complimented her and she blushed.

“Someone's angling for a happy night tonight.” Petunia purred and Vernon couldn't help his laugh.

“Excuse me.” A man's snarling voice interrupted them.

Petunia turned her head to glare at the man and saw who it was. “YOU!”

“Yes, me.” Severus spat. “I came here for...”

Vernon's fist slammed into the other man's face and dropped him to the ground. “You were not invited.”

Severus Snape's face throbbed in pain. He had never been hit like that before and was shocked that anyone would strike him.

“That old bastard swore that none of your kind would ever darken our doorstep.” Petunia said and stepped close to the man on the ground. “We responded to your letter and refused.”

Severus started to recover his bearings and dug his wand out of his robes.

Petunia wasn't stupid and stomped on the man's hand before he could raise it. The snapping of wood seemed excessively loud. “None of that nonsense is allowed here.” She sneered. “Statute of Secrecy, I believe it's called.”

Severus' face showed shock as both Petunia and Vernon smiled predatory smiles.

“What will your Ministry say when we report you coming here, to a muggle neighbourhood, and waving that thing around in front of so many witnesses?” Vernon asked, which made Severus pale. “Now, pick yourself up and take yourself away from here. If anyone else like you shows up, you will be treated like the criminals you are.”

Severus sat up and reached for his broken wand.

“Leave the evidence.” Petunia said and kept her foot on one of the parts. “My husband wasn't giving an idle threat. We are reporting you.”

Severus' eyes widened and he wasn't sure what to say.

“Have fun travelling the normal way.” Vernon said and grabbed Severus by the shoulder of his robes and easily lifted the man to his feet. “Perhaps you'll get far enough away that they can't catch you.”

Severus had a worried look on his face for a moment, schooled his features, and walked away.

“My hero.” Petunia whispered as she turned to hug her husband and gave him a searing kiss.

“Mom! Dad!” Primrose exclaimed as she ran over to them and held up a game cartridge. “Look what Dudley got me! He bought it all by himself from his allowance!”

Vernon and Petunia laughed at their children. The boy was Vernon's spitting image and the girl was Petunia's. They even had their hair styled the same way.

“Dudders, you were supposed to wait until later for presents.” Petunia said and gave her son a hug.

“I didn't want her to wait anymore.” Dudley said, his face red from embarrassment.

“He's the best!” Primrose said and hugged her brother. “We're staying up all night playing it, too!”

Vernon and Petunia exchanged looks and realized that they could have that quiet night they teased each other about earlier.

“Make sure you shut the door of the game room and keep it that way.” Vernon said and both kids gasped.

“YOU MEAN IT?!?” Primrose and Dudley yelled together and Vernon nodded. “YAAAY!” They yelled and took off running to tell their friends.

“Do you think we spoil them too much?” Petunia asked and hugged her husband.

“Not at all. With the stipend we've been getting since she was a little girl, the one you arranged from their bank, we've saved up so much that we can go on that trip abroad you've always wanted. We don't even have to touch their college funds.” Vernon said, proud of himself.

Petunia let out a squeal of delight and kissed her husband passionately. “I love you so much!”

Vernon let out a laugh. “Anything for you, Pet.”

The two happy parents stayed where they were and kept watching over the party, with pride in how they raised both of their children.