Petunia Is Not a Muggle

Lily held the old spellbook in her hands and studied it, her fingertips brushing the yellowed, curling pages as she quietly read the obscure spells aloud, one after another. With each syllable, a tiny fragment of light appeared in the depths of her mind, scattered, clear and translucent.

She had no idea what the glowing fragments meant, but a gentle, instinctive prompting urged her to keep reading. Following that feeling, Lily read through the book page by page, reciting each line without pause. As each spell left her lips, another fragment of light appeared in her mind and fell into place, slowly forming a pattern.

By the time she had finished the entire spellbook, the tiny specks of light had formed a tenth of the complete pattern, a soft glow lingering deep in her consciousness. Lily's eyes instantly sparkled like stars.

Snape watched her quietly from beside her. Seeing how delighted she was by the book he had brought, he felt a quiet, secret satisfaction ripple through his gloomy, silent heart.

Sensing that the tension had fully eased, Lily turned to Petunia beside her with a gentle look and asked softly, "Petunia, would you like to have a look too?"

Petunia instinctively felt some resistance. Magic, wizards, Hogwarts—these were all unknown and unfamiliar to her, and her first instinct was to draw back. But the curiosity welling up inside her ultimately overcame her reluctance. She leaned forward slightly and looked through the mysterious spellbook alongside Lily.

The three sat quietly together beneath the tree, turning the pages in the evening breeze. They only finished when the setting sun sank toward the distant mountains and the glow of sunset painted the whole park red.

When it was time to part, Lily waved goodbye to Snape, then took Petunia's warm hand and walked home beside her. On the way, Petunia still couldn't put her concerns aside. "That Snape... he lives at Spinner's End. All sorts of people live there, and he doesn't look like a good person. You should spend less time alone with him from now on."

Lily quickly shook her head and earnestly defended her friend. "He just lives there, that's all. He's really nice, and he even brought his precious magic book especially to show me."

Petunia looked at the clear, innocent expression in her younger sister's eyes and ultimately said no more, forcing herself to suppress her doubts.

When they got home, Mrs. Evans had already prepared a steaming dinner, and the aroma filled the living room. The family gathered around the table in a warm, harmonious atmosphere. Lily eagerly shared the day's excitement. "Mum, Dad, Petunia and I met my good friend in the park today. His name is Severus Snape, and he brought a book of magic spells for me to see."

Her eyes curved with a smile as she spoke of the future she longed for. "I really can't wait. When I turn eleven, I'll get my Hogwarts letter and go to school in the wonderful wizarding world."

That simple expression of anticipation was like a thin needle, piercing the calm Petunia had forced herself to maintain.

The envy and bitterness that Lily had soothed and that had long since subsided all surged back at once, crowding Petunia's chest until she could hardly breathe. She was almost eleven, close to Lily's age, yet her world remained ordinary and dull, with no magic, no extraordinary adventures, and no distant, dazzling wizarding world waiting for her.

Why was Lily the only one with a special gift?

Had God abandoned her from the very beginning, while Lily alone was blessed?

As those feelings surged inside her, Lily seemed as excited as ever. She raised a hand and softly spoke a spell, and the empty cup and small silver spoon on the dining table rose into the air one after another. They circled and glided lightly, rising and falling in a gentle, graceful dance of magic, dreamlike and wondrous.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans watched without taking their eyes off them, instinctively raising their hands to applaud Lily in admiration.

The applause and laughter around her, and the singular light shining around Lily, completely shattered Petunia's last defenses.

She could no longer sit still. Hurt, jealousy, and resentment tangled together inside her, threatening to swallow her whole. She wanted only to flee this place, where everything filled her with envy, and hide in an empty room, concealing her distress and loneliness.

Amid the surge of overwhelming emotion, something strange suddenly happened.

Petunia gripped the tablecloth tightly, her eyes reddening as her emotions neared the breaking point. The next second, the white porcelain teacup full of warm water in front of her suddenly lifted off the table and hovered steadily in midair.

Petunia froze, her pupils contracting as she stared at the floating teacup. As her thoughts stirred and her gaze shifted gently from side to side, the cup obediently followed, gliding slowly, rising and falling with a docile grace.

Lily froze as well. The smile vanished from her face, and her eyes filled with incredulous shock.

This isn't right.

It's completely different from the original story I know.

Petunia Evans, who lived an ordinary life, resisted magic, and was filled with insecurity and regret, was a witch too!

After a brief moment of bewilderment, immense joy swept over Lily. Her first thought was that Petunia wouldn't have to stay in the Muggle world alone. They could finally go to Hogwarts together and would never have to face being separated.

Without regard for the dishes still on the table, she rushed over from the other end and wrapped her arms tightly around Petunia, who was still staring at the floating teacup. Her voice trembled with surprise and joy she couldn't contain. "Oh my goodness, Petunia! We can go to Hogwarts together! We'll never have to be apart again!"

The hurt, insecurity, and resentment Petunia had bottled up for so long all vanished. She hugged Lily tightly in return, her eyes growing warm. She had never been the one left outside the circle of the favored, abandoned by God. She was no different from Lily; she too possessed the magic that belonged only to witches and wizards.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans sat across the table, watching their two daughters embrace. Their faces were full of surprise and relief, and their hearts swelled with pride. Neither had imagined that both their little girls possessed such a wondrous gift.

Night fell, and the sisters squeezed into the same bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Petunia's birthday was at the end of July, just over ten days away. Her heart was full of burning anticipation, and every day she looked forward to an owl flying through the streets of their town to bring her an invitation to the wizarding world.

Lily was genuinely happy for her older sister, yet a quiet sadness spread through her heart. Petunia was a year older and would receive her letter and leave for Hogwarts first. For the whole year that followed, Lily alone would remain at the town's public primary school, without her sister by her side.