Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter universe...or the actual universe come to think of it.
Christmas Wishes
The bell rang, indicating the end of the school day. A gaggle of young boys made a beeline for the classroom exit, all eager to get outside and play in the snow, all except one.
Harry Potter, a skinny, raven haired, seven year-old boy trudged slowly from his desk. For him, Christmas was the just the same as any other time of his miserable year, if possible worse. His heart kept bursting with jealously every time he thought of the huge mound of presents awaiting his cousin Dudley underneath their Christmas tree at home. He, of course, would be receiving nothing, other than the usual heap of chores which had become a part of his daily ritual at Privet Drive.
He seated himself on a bench in the playground and watched as many of the boys, including his cousin, engaged themselves in a massive snowball fight. Scowling, he resumed his bitter train of thought, oblivious to the pair of cerulean-blue eyes watching him from behind the school fence.
Albus Dumbledore had been watching Harry for several days now, and was becoming increasingly concerned by the fact that the young boy appeared very reclusive and seemed to have no friends at school. Deciding he needed to investigate further, Albus cautiously made his way towards the bench where Harry was sitting.
Harry looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and froze. Standing in front of him, was the most peculiar looking man he had ever seen. He had long silver hair and a beard, half moon spectacles, and was wearing a deep purple business suit.
"Hello there young man, would you mind if I sat here?"
The elder man's eccentric appearance seemed to have robbed Harry the ability to speak and he simply shook his head mutely.
"Thank you very much" said Dumbledore beaming. He sat down smartly on the bench, chuckling when he caught sight of Harry's bemused expression. They sat in a companionable silence, Dumbledore humming quietly to himself and Harry turning back to watch the snowball fight.
"They seem to be having fun" Dumbledore commented after a while, nodding to the boys. Harry couldn't seem to find a response to this and so maintained his silence. Dumbledore frowned slightly at this lack of response and decided to probe further.
"It seems strange that a young boy such as yourself is sitting here alone, when all your friends are playing in the snow" he said quietly.
"They're not my friends" Harry replied rather bluntly.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Dumbledore said sadly. He took in Harry's appearance; the boy was far too small for his age, pale and wearing clothes evidently too big for him, all signs of family neglect. And yet in his heart, the headmaster refused to believe it. He was desperate to find some scrap of happiness in Harry life, which would make his decision to leave the boy-who-lived at Private Drive 6 years ago, justifiable.
"I'm sure your family are doing something nice for Christmas though?" he asked, almost tentatively.
Harry did not answer; he was becoming more and more uncomfortable with this conversation. He knew he should leave, before he slipped up about his family life, and yet some part of him wanted confess everything to this old man.
Dumbledore seemed to sense Harry's internal conflict, for he asked no more personal questions and after a while got up from the table and bid Harry farewell.
Harry watched him go, feeling slightly regretful. He had never been able to muster the courage to speak of his ill treatment at Private Drive, part of him felt as though doing so would be betraying the Dursley's trust and no matter how horrible they were, Harry desperately needed a family, even if they did lock him in cupboards.
The next day Harry stopped at the park on his way home. Looking around, he was surprised to see the old man from the day before, sitting by one of the swings. Dumbledore looked up when he caught sight of Harry. "So we meet again" he said smiling.
"Who are you", almost immediately Harry realised how rude his question must have sounded, however Dumbledore merely chuckled.
"It was rather foolish of me not to introduce myself, my name is Albus Dumbledore, I am a teacher at a school a long way from here".
"Oh...right" was Harry's only response. He slumped down on one of the swings and began to rock back and forth absentmindedly. Dumbledore watched him for a few minutes, Harry looked troubled.
"Is something the matter?" Dumbledore inquired.
Harry looked up at him, for a moment Dumbledore thought he wouldn't answer, but then,
"Well ... it's just my cousin Dudley and I, we don't get along very well and today... we had a fight in the playground" Harry stopped for a moment, then looked up to Dumbledore desperately, "I didn't mean to... I swear... I".
"Calm down, dear boy" Dumbledore said, trying to sooth Harry who had become very agitated.
"Something happened, I don't know what, but Dudley's lips puffed up and turned blue" Harry hesitated, "and now uncle Vernon's going to..." he trailed off.
"What? What is he going to do?" said Dumbledore sharply.
"I...I have to go" said Harry, leaping up from the swing.
"Harry wait!" Dumbledore said standing up, but the young boy had already run out of the park. Dumbledore sat back down, his mind racing. Perhaps he was overreacting, but the old wizard was certain that he had seen a fleeting look of terror on Harry's face at the mention of his uncle. Surely nothing ...bad was happening to Harry? The headmaster decided to wait until he next saw Harry before making any decisions.
Harry did not appear at school the next morning, an omen which greatly worried Dumbledore. In fact, it was nearly three days later, when the young boy finally made an appearance, carrying out chores in the garden.
Dumbledore surveyed him closely, but to his surprise, Harry appeared perfectly healthy as he tidied the front lawn of the Dursley's home. Throughout the afternoon, the rain beat down mercilessly upon him, and the elder wizard wondered why nobody had come out to check on the boy. A sudden gust of wind blew open the Harry's shirt, and to his utmost horror, Dumbledore caught a glimpse of raw red whip marks across the young boy's chest.
He had been whipped?
He stood, frozen with shock, as the horrifying truth about Harry's home life unveiled
itself before him. Punished in the cruellest way for showing signs of magic, for something he couldn't control. Letting his head fall into his hands, Dumbledore realised he had made the gravest error of his life in leaving Harry with the Dursleys.
He had always expected them to treat Harry second to their own pampered son Dudley... but whipping him? This physical abuse was unacceptable and Dumbledore knew Harry could no longer stay there, regardless of the protection in place.
Without wasting another moment, Dumbledore made his way quickly towards the garden where Harry was working and the young boy, looked up enquiringly.
"Harry, I want you to be completely honest with me. Have you been hurt by somebody?"
Harry looked away quickly, his heart hammering inside his chest. How could this man possibly know? Dumbledore's hand gently manoeuvred Harry's face to his own and without even thinking what he was doing, Harry nodded.
"Who" said Dumbledore.
Harry mumbled something incoherent, not meeting Dumbledore's eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that Harry" Dumbledore said quietly.
"My uncle Vernon" replied Harry, a little louder.
"And how long has this been happening" said Dumbledore softly.
"Since Dudley's birthday last year. I made the cake explode by accident when he pushed me over, and now uncle Vernon hurts me every time something strange happens in the house".
Dumbledore straightened up and made his way to the front door, Harry watching nervously from the garden. He rapped on the door and Vernon Dursley opened it, stopping dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on Dumbledore. For several moments he seemed unable to speak, his mouth opening and closing silently.
"You!" he hissed finally, "what the devil are you doing here?"
"I have come to relieve you of the responsibility of looking after Harry; he will no longer be staying here" said Dumbledore
"You've got some nerve old man, dumping people on doorsteps, then taking them back when you see fit," sneered Vernon, "but go ahead, goodness knows he's been nothing more than a nuisance to us all these years".
"I never believed you capable of abusing children in such a way Vernon, evidently I was wrong" said Dumbledore with a hint of steel in his voice.
"I suppose the boy's been feeding you all sorts of lies about how he was treated here-"
"No Vernon," interjected Dumbledore firmly "It is you who is the liar, and one day you will be forced to repent for your wrongdoings, I will make sure of that" and with that, Dumbledore turned and marched from the house with a very stunned Harry in his wake.