The Evans Sisters (3)

After we returned to the dormitory, Petunia was still shaken. She spent the rest of the night complaining about how frightening the magical world was, and asking why I could still sleep soundly after going through something so exciting.

"Because I'm used to it," I answered calmly.

Judging by Petunia's expression, I couldn't help feeling that she now thought the magical world was no different from a rough neighborhood.

For the next few days, I took the Two-Way Mirror to class every day, letting Petunia see the bullying that went on at school and how the Slytherins ostracized ordinary wizards. She grew quiet, until Evan and his friends showed up.

"What, not following Severus around today?"

Ever since the winter holidays ended, I could clearly tell that the group had been getting involved with Dark Magic more and more often. Lily was deeply worried and often stopped Mulciber and the others from meeting, which made them very unhappy with her. That day, a professor had asked Snape to help with something, and almost as soon as class ended, the three of them cornered Lily and me in the corridor, looking for trouble.

"I could say the same to you." Naturally, Lily had no pleasant looks for the three of them. She snapped back at them.

"If you know what's good for you, stop bothering us, Mudblood." Evan pulled an exaggerated, comical face. "Muggles have no right to touch magic. You should all get out of Hogwarts!"

"You'd better say that in front of everyone," I kindly reminded him. "I believe you'd be in the ground before you got the chance."

Evan rolled his eyes at me, his expression darkening further.

"One day, all you Mudbloods will be wiped out, and that day is coming soon."

Lily's expression grew darker and darker as she listened. She didn't want to pay them any attention, so she took my hand and started to turn away. As I turned my head, I noticed Avery pulling out his wand. Without thinking, I hurriedly pulled Lily aside.

"Reducto!"

Almost the second after I pulled Lily away, the spell struck the ground behind her. Judging by Avery's current magical power, the Reducto Curse was completely useless, but he had used an offensive spell in a sneak attack. Once Lily realized what had happened, she was furious.

"Casting a spell at someone's back? How despicable." She pulled out her wand with a blank expression and pointed it straight at Avery's head. "Let me think. You wouldn't mind finding out what Reducto feels like on yourself, would you?"

At such a tense moment, I found myself thinking about something beside the point-why were these first-years casually using spells that weren't suited to their age? And why couldn't I use them without running out of stamina?!

[Lily/Snape romance event triggered. Normal options temporarily hidden]

[Lily has gotten into a conflict with Avery and his group...]

[1. Help Lily]

[2. Hurry and find Snape]

I really couldn't figure out what these options were supposed to accomplish. Leaving aside the fact that I had absolutely no interest in Snape, would anyone really abandon Lily at a time like this just to pursue him? And if I called Snape over and he saw that I'd left Lily alone in danger, wouldn't that bring the two of them closer together?

I quickly chose to help Lily, then took the wand from her hand and said earnestly, "Don't do anything rash. Have you forgotten what Professor McGonagall said about not using spells to fight?" As the others across from us smirked, I kicked one of them. "Besides, first-year spells feel like a breeze when they hit someone. Fists are better."

Under Lily's astonished gaze, I used the skills I'd practiced sparring with Sirius to knock all three of them to the ground. These three guys stayed up late all the time studying Dark Magic and never exercised; they were in terrible shape. Besides, girls developed faster than boys in their first year.

I quickly punched each of them in the stomach a few times, then pulled Lily away and made a clean getaway before their howling could bring a professor.

"Is this really going to be okay?" Lily was even more worried than before. "You've already been punished with cleaning the trophy room several times."

"They won't dare tell anyone." I was full of confidence. These little guys had done far too many bad things to count. At worst, we could hurt each other!

Only after returning to the dormitory did I remember that Petunia had been watching the whole time. But when I took out the mirror, I found her unusually quiet.

"Huh? Did the internet connection drop?" I picked up the Two-Way Mirror and shook it hard. When Petunia still didn't move, I started walking in circles, and soon I had her dizzy.

"What connection? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Petunia looked utterly distraught. "Don't tell me you're used to this too!"

"Actually, three-headed dogs aren't very common, but this sort of thing happens almost every day," I explained. "Today was pretty peaceful. Before this, we've fought badly enough to end up in the hospital several times."

Judging by Petunia's expression, I couldn't help feeling that she now thought the magical world was no different from hell.

"Speaking of which, what does 'mud...' mean?" It was a truly filthy word. Because the translation was too polite, it often failed to convey to people in China just how nasty it was. I could barely even translate it myself, because if I did, this sentence would most likely disappear. Petunia paused for a long while without saying the rest. "Why do they call you that?"

"Think of it as being a Black student accepted into a white school." Petunia seemed to understand much better. "Those people all come from wizarding families. Their parents are both wizards. Lily and I are different. Our parents are ordinary people."

"Just because your parents are ordinary people, they look down on you like that?" Petunia was indignant. "Those horrible people!" The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. "Why go to a place like that? You'd be better off at an ordinary school."

"If we want to change all this, more ordinary people need to get involved. Otherwise, the space they have to live in will keep getting smaller." I stroked the mirror, trying to comfort Petunia.

"Lily is more talented than anyone. I believe that one day she'll become a pillar of the magical world, and when that happens, the world will surely become a better place."

I was deeply dissatisfied with Lily's ending. She had wisdom and ability, yet she got married and had a child as soon as she graduated, became a housewife, and then died young to highlight other people's devotion. When I read the novel, I wanted to shout, "Isn't this a woman in a refrigerator?" Now that I'd actually come to the magical world, I had to make sure it didn't happen.

Petunia fell silent again, and I suddenly realized that what I'd said was rather cruel to her. Other people's perfect children were already enough to drive someone mad, let alone her own younger sister.

"Hmph. Lily's a freak who always likes making things difficult for herself anyway. Maybe when she runs into a wall, she'll realize things aren't that simple."

A very, very long time passed, so long that I thought Petunia was going to fall asleep, before she said those words.

For the first time in all these days, Petunia had said Lily's name.

"A magical world that awful really does suit someone like her. Good thing I'm not the one going." Petunia yawned and gave a gloating smile. "Next time she comes home, I'll have to ask her what it feels like to be ostracized."

As the Two-Way Mirror was switched off, I couldn't help pressing a hand to my forehead.

Petunia, tsunderes are out of fashion!

─────

[An aside]

★Notice★

Different actions and conversations in an unlocked main storyline will lead to different developments, and you can obtain any ending you want.

★Side quest reminder★

*Congratulations on unlocking Petunia's main storyline-[The Evans Sisters · 3]