It was hard suddenly having two babies in the house, Petunia was thankful that at least Harry was smaller than Dudley because it meant they only had to buy a crib, nappies and food. As it was, the sudden increase in their expenses was unwelcome. Harry frightened her several times early on because he had a fear of open spaces and liked to hide in the cupboard under the stairs.
He was in general an easy going child, he didn't get angry and cry if Dudley took a toy he was playing with and despite being younger and smaller he was very steady on his feet which meant she seldom had to carry him. He was only difficult at night, being prone to night terrors as well as nightmares. Vernon resented the frequent disturbances during the night but agreed Harry was only a baby.
He ignored Harry's presence as much as possible. Petunia kept quiet about the times when Harry used accidental magic to entertain Dudley and himself during the day. Things went on smoothly until one morning when Harry was impatient for his turn in the high chair.
He summoned the food from Petunia's hand to the floor where he was sitting, and accidentally broke the dish. Vernon on seeing this scooped the boy from the floor and smacked his bottom five times. Harry wailing, retreated to the cupboard under the stairs. But Petunia always wondered how much of the conversation that followed Harry had heard and understood. Petunia's shock at Vernon's actions lasted until Harry had left the room.
"Vernon Dursley how dare you!"
"Pet. I won't have that freakish boy using it, to take Dudley's food and destroying things we've worked hard to pay for. From now on if he uses it, I say we punish him."
"I don't like him using it either, but he can't help it and he's a child. I'm sure he was just hungry and impatient. Breaking the dish was an accident, but it happens. Dudley has broken dishes too."
"The boy is a burden!"
"The boy is our nephew!"
"Control him or I will. I resent every penny we pay providing that freak with food and nappies. He could at least help you around here instead of taking advantage of us."
"He's only two and a half years old."
"We never asked for him, hell those bloody freaks left him on our doorstep because they didn't want the burden of caring for him either. I say again, control him Pet or I will."
After that day Harry always waited his turn and he did his best to be helpful to Petunia. He started toilet training a week later and mastered it within a month. She taught him how to dust low shelves for her and he helped put groceries away in the low cabinets and unloaded the silverware from the dishwasher. He also helped her sort and fold laundry.
When Harry was three things had mostly settled down. Although Harry still had bad dreams they were no longer a nightly occurrence. Vernon got a promotion to general sales manager and they had decided it was time to move to a larger home and to try for another baby. Petunia had managed to break Dudley of his habits of hitting everyone while trying and get his own way and of destroying everything he touched. But she couldn't get him to be considerate of Harry. She suspected it had more to do with the disdain Vernon held Harry in than anything else, and the fact it quietly pleased Vernon when Dudley was unkind to the smaller dark haired boy.
Everything was packed and they were waiting for the movers when there was a knock on the door. When they opened it, there stood an old man with a long ponytail and a longer beard, that was wearing a purple suit. "Hello Petunia, Vernon, boys."
Dudley said, "Are you the mover?"
"No I'm afraid not. In fact the movers aren't coming. I've had to cancel those arrangements."
"By what right! Who are you to say we can't move!" Vernon blustered.
The old man waved a stick. And Vernon seemed frozen. He waved it a little more then Vernon floated over to the sofa. "Petunia, I'm afraid you can't move away from Privet Drive. This is where the wards protecting Harry are; you move away from here and you move him and the rest of you into danger."
"But the contract on the new house, the-"
"I've canceled those as well, here is the earnest money back. The memories of you, all have been removed from all parties. No, no, it was no trouble. After all the most important thing is that you all stay safe."
"But we want to move, Vernon got a promotion. We need a larger house that is closer so we can entertain appropriately-"
"Petunia, I'm very sorry but for Harry to stay safe, you all have to stay here. It's only until he's seventeen."
"You! You're Albus Dumbledore!"
"That's right and you're doing marvelous at raising Harry." He waved his wand a few more times and then got back to his feet pointed his wand at Vernon and said oblivate then did the same to Dudley. "You've done a marvelous job packing your belongings so you can now repaint the house."
"What have you done to my husband?" Petunia snarled at the old man.
"I've given him a reason for having packed the house up. And I've set a mild compulsion spell into the ward structure so he will no longer desire to move. Good day, Petunia." He said with a smile before exiting the back door and after looking around to ensure no one was watching he disappeared.
Petunia almost cried as Vernon and Dudley insisted that they go shopping and refurbish Privet Drive. That evening Vernon said to her "Pet, I've been thinking. The boy still likes the cupboard under the stairs what if we cleaned it out, put what's there out in the shed, and made that his room. We could use the mattress from his crib, give him some hooks for his clothes. That way the smallest bedroom would be free to be a nursery."
A year later they were still trying for the baby they all wanted. The fertility specialists they had consulted couldn't find a thing wrong with either her or Vernon, and she was left wondering why they couldn't get pregnant. They had gotten Dudley despite birth control. Harry had been moved to the cupboard but was happy enough with the change. Additionally his night terrors had all but disappeared with the move. Harry now helped even more around the house and aside from an incident when he turned the preschool substitute teacher's wig blue there hadn't been much magic.
Vernon had had an angina attack and Petunia used it as an excuse to feed the whole family a much healthier diet and enforce an exercise regime on both Dudley and Vernon. Sweet talking Vernon, "I couldn't possibly be happy if anything happened to you and don't you want to see our fine strong son grow up? Besides if you exercise more you could maintain your handsome physique. I know I would love that and don't I take care of myself for you?" Wrapped around Petunia's finger Vernon had of course agreed.
In April of 1984, things changed. Harry had been completely focused on his painting at preschool when the teacher and Dudley and two other boys interrupted his attention and spoiled his painting and he got angry. A moment later they were stuck to the ceiling. The assistant teacher frantically called Petunia.
Elsewhere alarms were going off at the Ministry of Magic. The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad came along with Albus Dumbldore. Many things happened. The magic Harry did was reversed and the memories of those involved, but not Petunia, were modified. Albus decided that Harry's magic was strong enough to be a problem, so without even asking Petunia's permission he placed a binding on Harry's magic that would slowly disintegrate when he was ten so he would be able to access his magic when he was eleven and heading to Hogwarts.
"How are things going Petunia?" Albus Dumbledore asked.