"All I know is what my mother, Linda, told me. She said her parents had divorced when she was about a year old, and she had moved to the US with my grandmother. Then, in 1982, I got a letter from my mother, telling her my grandfather had contacted her, telling her about Aunt Petunia and Aunt Lily. She told me that most likely, if I found them at all, I'd find them in Little Whinging in England. That's why I took the job here at Hogwarts. I was hoping I'd eventually be able to take a day or so to apparate there and find them."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I knew Lily quite well, actually. Everyone at this table did. Infact, Severus went to school with her. She went to Hogwarts, and was a very talented young Gryffindor. Very good with charms, if I remember correctly," he said. Beside him, McGonnegal nodded. "She was good at transfiguration, as well. And head girl, along with her boyfriend, who she later married. Quite unseperable their seventh year, those two. Lily was the only person who could pry James Potter away from his friends."
Sarah nearly choked at this. James Potter? Her Aunt Lily was Lily Potter? THE Lily Potter? Mother of Harry Potter? "You mean...." she started, glancing towards the Gryffindor table. Albus nodded. "If your information is correct, it would seem we can send Harry home to someone besides the Dursley's this summer, and I'm sure he'd like that very much," he said.
Down at the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George had all noticed the new librarian. They had been discussing her, wondering if the restricted section would be changed, wondering if new books would come in, wondering if she liked quidditch. Then they had noticed her seem to choke on her food. "I wonder if the new librarian is alright?" whispered Hermione. "I dunno. I think she looks like she just got some bad news," said Fred. "Or some very surprising news," George added. "She's looking this way, guys," Ron said.
"It's weird," Harry added. "She seems to be looking straight at me." He didn't notice that Ginny was doing the exact same, and had been all throughout the feast to this point. "Nah," said Fred. "She's probably trying to spot us out." George nodded. "Yeah. We overheard Professor Dumbledore warning her and the new Dark Arts professor about our pranks." "I don't see why, though," continued Fred. George got the last in. "We're perfect angels." Ron snorted. "Yeah, with horns holding up your halos," he muttered. Harry laughed, forgetting about the new librarian.
"Anyway, she looks like the perfect candidate," George said. "For what?" Ginny asked. "To try some of our new products on, of course," Fred replied. "You two aren't still on Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, are you?" Ron asked. "You know what Mum said." "What are you planning?" Harry asked, hoping to be a participant in these pranks. He wanted to be just like his father. "We'll never tell," the twins said, together. The other four knew they meant it. There was no use pushing for information when those two decided to keep silent.
Back at the head table, Sarah had just asked Dumbledore who the Dursleys were. "Petunia and Vernon. We had thought Petunia was Harry's only blood relative. We placed him there because of the safety he could only get from being with blood relatives. He hates it there, and there was quite a bit of trouble getting his letter to him, telling him he was a wizard. I'm afraid Petunia and Vernon tried to force the magic out of him, but we couldn't think of where else he'd be safe."
Sarah frowned. These Dursleys, her own aunt and uncle, sounded much like Karen, who also hated magic. In fact, Sarah had often suspected that her being a witch was the main reason Karen had often thought of her as a thorn in her side, scolding her and saying such cruel things while praising Toby. Sarah remembered, briefly, how she had at one time resented Toby, but come to love him and realize it after rescuing him from the Goblin King. It had been nine years ago, and it was still as fresh in her mind as if it had been yesterday.
Dumbledore glanced at Sarah, curiously, wondering if anything was wrong. "Sarah? Do you still want to seek out Petunia? She and Vernon live in Little Whinging. Perhaps you could get more information from Harry, and you could go to Hogsmead and apparate just outside the barriers around the house." Sarah nodded. "I think I'll wear muggle clothes, though. If they dislike magic as much as my step-mother, I'll need to act as muggle-like as possible." Although they'll know I'm not 'normal' when they see some of my friends, she added mentally.
So it was agreed. Dumbledore himself would watch over the library for her on Saturday while Sarah went to find the Dursleys.