Chapter two
When Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, Harry kept getting the feeling he was being watched. Every time he looked around he noticed the girls from the quidditch team along with Fred, George and Lee staring at him. They would smile then go back to their breakfast. But Harry also caught Professor McGonagall watching him.
'You're not eating, Harry, is something wrong?' Hermione asked.
'Not really, but people keep staring at me, I can't figure out why.'
'Even after all this time some still stare at you because you're the-boy-who-lived. It could be just that Harry.'
'No, it's Fred, George, Lee, and the girls with them, also Professor McGonagall keeps staring at me.'
Hermione glanced up at the staff table to see her head of house was staring at Harry or at least she was staring towards them.
'I'm sure it's nothing, just eat, you need to eat more.'
'Yeah,' Harry sighed, he wondered if there was rumours going around about him again, like many times before.
Just as everyone was ready to leave the great hall for their first class, Professor McGonagall stopped beside Harry and his friends.
'Transfiguration has been cancelled this morning. You can either go to the library and read up on the next chapter of your book or return to your common room. Except you Mr. Potter, I need you to come with me.'
'But I haven't done anything.'
'You are not in trouble, I just need a word in private,' Minerva looked at Ron but also at the Weasley twins and their friends. She gave them a nod before she had Harry follow her.
'What was that about?' Hermione stared at Ron.
'Not here, we'll explain up in the dorm room,' Ron pulled Hermione out of the great hall but he nodded to his brothers.
Harry was nervous, he had no idea why his head of house wanted to see him and why she cancelled her classes.
Minerva gestured for Harry to go into her office, he did then stopped when he saw the other two people in the room.
'Everything is fine Mr. Potter, have a seat.'
Harry nervously sat down but he didn't look at anyone, 'Did I do something wrong?' he whispered.
'No, you have done nothing wrong Mr. Potter,' Minerva gestured to the two people beside her desk, 'This is Madam Amelia Bones, the head of the department of magical law enforcement. And this is senior auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt.'
Harry's head snapped up and stared at the two other people before he looked at McGonagall.
'He's okay, isn't he?'
'This has nothing to do with your godfather. Please do not worry, everything will be sorted out with Sirius.'
'He's innocent, please don't let him be kissed.'
'I have already removed that order, and will be working on this proof I've heard about. But that is for later, we are here about something quite disturbing that involves you.'
Minerva could see how nervous Harry was, 'Everything is fine Harry, and you don't need to be worried.'
'I received a letter from Professor McGonagall, after she received a visit from six students. I did some investigating and had two adults arrested, while the son was taken to a home for orphans.'
Harry's brow furrowed, 'What has that got to do with me?'
'We arrested Vernon and Petunia Dursley, for child abuse, child endangerment and child neglect, of you.'
'No, don't, nothing will work, they always get off and it makes it worse. Please, remove their memories so they won't remember this.'
'Harry, calm down,' Minerva knelt down in front of Harry, then made him look at her, 'We have enough evidence and people who are connected to our world that will make sure they are prosecuted. If for any reason they do get off, you will never set foot in that house again.'
'But Professor Dumbledore makes me return, he said I have no choice. He said if I didn't I would be betraying my mother's sacrifice.'
'No, he is betraying your mother's sacrifice by making you stay with them,' Minerva very gently put her hand on Harry's arm, 'Trust us, we are going to help you and make sure those people pay for what they did to you.'
Harry looked down at his lap, 'How did you find out?'
'Three students saw you go into the quidditch showers. They were worried about you so they used the hole in the wall to make sure you were okay.'
'They saw…' harry shook his head but continued to look down.
'Yes, they did, they spoke with three others, two of them were the twins, the other was Lee Jordon. Fred and George explained how they rescued you before your second year. I know you asked Ronald to keep this to yourself and he would have if I didn't tell him I knew what was going on. No child, magical or muggle should be placed in that type of environment. The moment Madam Bones found proof we began to work on where you will live.'
'Mr. Potter,' Amelia said kindly, when he looked up she gave him a smile, 'With this evidence I was able to get your parent's wills unsealed. What surprised me was not only was it stipulated that you were to never go to the Dursley's, I was named third by your parent's to be your guardian if anything happened to your godparent's.'
'Godparent's, I only know about…Sirius.'
'Alice Longbottom is your godmother,' Minerva said kindly.
'She's in St Mungo's, I found out, Neville doesn't let anyone know. So I really don't have to go back to them?'
'No, I give you that guarantee. They will do time in a muggle jail. Now about Professor Dumbledore, he was the one that sealed your parent's wills, yet he had no right. I also found out it was his decision to place you with your mother's muggle sister, against what their wills stated. He will be facing charges. All this will take some time but we wanted you to know that from this moment on, and until your godfather is cleared, anything that involves you will have to go through me. If for any reason your godfather is not cleared by the end of the school year then you will stay at Bones Manor with me and my niece.'
'Susan, she's nice,' Harry nodded, 'Thank you.'
'You're welcome. But now onto these scars, were they done by your aunt and uncle?'
Harry nodded, 'My uncle used a whip. Dudley would say I did something freaky when I didn't. He liked to get me in trouble.'
'They are being dealt with. Now since these scars were caused by muggle means, they can be healed until they will be completely gone. You would need to go to St Mungo's and remain in their care for at least four weeks. I spoke with the chief healer this morning, she is offering an oath not to release the information that you are there, that oath includes the staff that will be seeing you.'
'You mean I won't see them anymore?'
'No, as you know by your scar, ones done by dark magic and some light magic cannot be healed fully. But scars done through other means can be healed completely. Healer Jenkins has said you will be able to do your work, even practice spells as you will be confined to a private ward. They only ask that you speak with one of the medi-witches or medi-wizards so they can supervise you, in case you have trouble or cause some type of damage.'
'Um, okay, I would like to get rid of them. If I don't get up early enough to shower I sneak into the quidditch showers, so no one see's them. People will asked ask questions if they see them.'
'Yes, we know. Just so you feel confident that no one will find out this, we are placing the fidelius charm on the knowledge that you are in St Mungo's. As you know there are death eaters out there that could use this to…deal with you. Now you need to go pack your trunk. Do you know the charm to shrink it?'
'Yes Professor, Hermione showed me last week. What about Hedwig?'
'She can remain here, I'm sure your friends will look after her for you.'
Harry nodded then stood, 'Thanks,' he whispered then hurried from the room.
Harry slowly walked towards Gryffindor tower. He was hoping no one asked what he was doing, but he knew Ron and Hermione would want to know where he was going.
Harry stepped into the common room, he didn't see Ron or Hermione, but the twins, Lee and the girls from the quidditch team stared. They gave him a kindly smile, Harry nodded then hurried up the stairs to see his two friends sitting on his bed.
'Everything okay mate?'
'Yeah, it's okay, McGonagall and Madam Bones told me they had the Dursley's arrested. I can't tell you where, but I'm being sent somewhere for about four weeks.'
'Why didn't you tell me?' Hermione whispered.
'Whenever I told anyone it got back to them and it made it worse, so I learned to keep quiet. They told me Professor Dumbledore is being charged. I wasn't supposed to go to the Dursley's, he sealed their wills. But Madam Bones was named, after Sirius and my godmother. She's working on Sirius as well, I'm just not sure how, or how long it might take.'
'So where will you live?'
'With Madam Bones, until Sirius gets his name cleared. I have to pack, but can you both look after Hedwig, send her out occasionally with mail. She gets bored easily.'
'You know I can use Hedwig's help since I don't own an owl.'
'Thanks,' Harry packed his clothes then picked up his Firebolt, 'Ron, look after that, you can use it whenever you want, just don't wreck it on me.'
'As if,' Ron grinned as he grabbed the Firebolt, 'Don't worry mate, I'll treat it better than my wand, I'll even polish for you.'
'Hermione, keep the map on you, just in case, but please do not let any teacher see it.'
'Don't worry, I might like to follow rules Harry, but I've come to realise that there are some rules that should be broken, or at least bent.'
'Thanks, do you want to walk down with me?'
'Come on,' Ron put the broom in his wardrobe, locked it then placed a sealing charm on it. Harry shrunk his trunk then put it in his pocket.
'What are we going to say when we get asked where you are?'
'Just say I had to leave for a few weeks, and it's personal.'
'Okay, but before we go, how did Professor McGonagall find out?' Hermione asked.
'Angelina, Alicia and Katie, they followed me to the quidditch showers, there's a hole in the wall, they saw me. They spoke with Fred, George and Lee then went to McGonagall,' Harry shrugged.
Ron and Hermione finally realised where Harry used to disappear to. He would shower in the quidditch changing rooms so no one would see his scars.
