Vernon and Petunia sat in silence, fearing the gazes of the three people before them. Albus was looking at them with an expression of betrayal. That didn't bother them.
What bothered them was the expressions of pure HATRED on the faces of the other two freaks.
They looked ready to murder them at any moment. Particularly the dark-haired man.
"...Why?" Dumbledore asked softly. "Why would you do such a thing to your nephew? Your family?"
"We…we didn't mean too-"
"LIER!"
Petunia tried to say only to be interrupted, by an enraged Minerva McGonagall. The transfiguration professor giving the Dursley's the meanest glare that it would make even the dark lord nervous. "You never cared for him!" she hissed at them.
"Minerva…" Dumbledore said softly.
"She's right," The other man said. His greasy hair slicked back and his pale face in a familiar scowl, only It looked more viscus to the two humans as he directed it at them. "It was wrong to send him to a family…that openly hated our kind." He said bluntly.
"Severus..." Dumbledore tried to reason.
"While I do put part of the blame on your shoulders, Albus, these two are to deal with the brunt of the blame."
"Blame for what?!" Vernon snapped. "We NEVER wanted the brat!" The man's eyes narrowed.
"I advise you mind your tongue."
"Why would you send him to us?! We hated him! His entire bloody family! They were freaks! All of you are freaks!"
"You're trying my patience."
"Why can't you all be like us common folk?! Why do you have to have that rubbish magic?! It's unnatural and wrong and you should be ashamed of it!"
"I'm warning you..."
"The boy was nothing more than a bloody worthless brat that couldn't even finish his chores correctly! Not that I expected anything from him! His father was a good for nothing delinquent, and his mother..."
"Don't. You. Dare."
"His mother was the worst of all! Making my wife feel inadequate, bringing that little spawn into this world...Lily Evans was a pathetic little WENCH, and that's all she'll EVER B-"
Severus snapped. As Vernon was finishing his sentence, the hook-nosed man sprung up in his seat, wand at the ready...
"CRUCIO!"
Vernon screamed in agonizing pain. It felt like every nerve every bone in his body was on fire. It was hell, and he fell to the ground writhing in pain.
"VERNON!" Petunia screamed distraught over her husband. She glared up at the hooked nosed man. "What did you do!?"
"Giving him a piece of what the child had no doubt suffered." He said in an even tone. His eyes cold, and so dark it sent shivers down the woman's spine making her shake like a leaf.
"Severus!" Albus exclaimed in shock. "What have you done?!"
"I gave the fat one a taste of his own medicine."
"That is an illegal curse, Severus. You could get into a lot of trouble for this." Minerva said sternly, not even bothered by the fat man's pain.
"...So be it." Severus replied calmly.
"You bastard! You freak bastard!" Petunia shouted enraged at the man, yet she was too terrified to do anything but scream.
Snape only scoffed, returning to his seat as if nothing happened. Minerva just shook her head lightly. Yet she did not disapprove of her colleges action. Surely if it wasn't him that stuck first, it would be her. Yet they came her to get answers, and as much as she wants to break every rule and end their pitiful lives, she needs to know what happened.
Clearing her throat to get the woman's attention. She leveled the muggle woman with a cold stare just as icy as Snapes own. "We know he's dead. There is nothing to do to bring him back, but you must answer to the crime of taking away the life of a child, your own family, and a hero to our people. Hate us all you like but in the end, you are going to be charged and HARD for the death of Harry James Potter." She said in a tone of ice.
Dumbledore looked down at the floor in shame. "...I blame myself just as much as I blame you two..." He said simply. "I was a fool to think you would be willing to cast aside your prejudice for the sake of your young relative."
"YOU CAN'T-"
"We. CAN. And we...WILL." Snape said firmly, glaring hatefully at Petunia. "I ALWAYS loathed you, Petunia. You always were nothing more than a catty, jealous brat, but now I understand that you're nothing short of an irredeemable MONSTER."
"HE WAS THE MONSTER!" the woman snapped.
Minerva could stand no more and hexed the woman making her fall unconscious next to her husband. "I pray that the dementors enjoy their feast upon you both." Her cold tone like ice.
Dumbledore just stared down at the two with deep sorrow and regret. He had caused this, if only he could have seen what they were all along. He could have prevented it all, if he would have just looked. Sighing deeply, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Minerva giving him a soft look.
The man felt truly old and it was a painful reminder. Sighing he shook his head and rose slowly to his feet. "Bind then, and we will return to the council to put them on trial." He ordered.
Both Snape and Minerva did so, lifting the two into the air. The older man watched them leave with the two before looking over the now dark house. The other child had been taken away to get help. Yet as the old man gazed into the darkness he sighed deeply. "Rest in Peace, Harry Potter." He spoke sorrowfully as he closed the door behind him.
Back in the spirit world, Aries was still consoling the little boy in her arms. It made sense...Some of the spirits had at one point been alive, and had been granted special access into the Spirit World upon death. These spirits had unfair circumstances around their demises, and the king had taken pity on them and allowed them into his domain.
But she'd never met an individual so utterly traumatzed by their death, much less a young child...
Said child was clinging tightly to the woolen clothes she wore, crying his little heart out. She was crying right along with him...This was just wrong...He didn't belong here...Not the way he came in...He was so young and sweet...He deserved to live his life...
But he couldn't, and that was the sad tragic truth. He had died and he could never return. She pulled him closer to herself, hoping to help him with his pain.
She gazed down at him and felt her heart clench at the pained expression on his sweet face. No such look should ever cross a child, especially once such as him. She wiped away the tears from his eyes with her thumb gently. He looked up at her his eyes bloodshot. She frowned down at him. "You poor thing." She spoke so softly.
Harry didn't understand why she was still being nice to him. He was dead, gone, never coming back. His uncle got what he wanted all along. He got rid of him. It left him broken and devastated. His only family, they didn't want him anymore. He felt so alone, and worthless. His eyes continued to shed tears as he looked up at the nice woman who was crying to. "W-Why are you crying?" he asked in a broken voice.
The woman smiled softly through her tears. "Because, sweetie...I...I don't like seeing you so sad and afraid...I...I know you're...n-not alive anymore...But it still makes me sad..." Harry covered his eyes.
"I WANNA be happy...But I...I...My...My uncle...He..." He buried his face in his hands as fresh tears started to fall.
"I know..." Aries breathed, rubbing his back. She didn't want to believe it...But this was basically confirmation. This boy was beaten to death, and now would never have the chance to grow up, all because of his own family.
She shook her head feeling her heart ache for what he must have gone through. Yet as she held him it she felt something…something welling up inside her. Not anger, not sadness, but something one would feel for a child…their own child.
The spirit hugged him closer her eyes shining with pure determination. To not only make his afterlife a million times better than his life, but to be there for him, to be his guide, his support and dare she say, his mother.
Her heart warmed at that making her smile lightly as she planted a soft kiss on the top of his head. "Shhh. Everything is going to be alright now." She said soothingly.
He stiffened slightly when he felt her lips on his head and looked up at her with puppy eyes. "R-Really...?" He squeaked out hopefully. She smiled sadly.
"Yes...It's okay. You're home...Safe and sound..." He gasped.
"H-Home...?" Aries tightened her hold on him, very upset by his broken demeanour. She understood what it was like to be abused...
"That's right. You'll live with me...Would you like that?"
He stared up at her with wide eyes not believing that she wanted him. "Y-You want me?" he asked timidly.
She smiled gently down at him. "Of course, I do." She said running her hand through his hair soothingly.
"B-But no one wants a freak." He said softly almost brokenly.
"None of that please. Be nice to yourself." She whispered.
"B-"
"No. Please...You have to be nice to yourself..."
"O-Okay." He said timidly with a nod feeling sad now that he upset her. He felt her kiss him again making his eyes grow wide.
"That's better." She said glad. She rocked him gently, and he then she decided to show him around his new home. Holding him more securely she rose to her feet. "Let me show you around your new home." She said shyly.
He nodded timidly but nuzzled into her feeling safe and warm. Maybe being here wasn't so bad. He thought as they walked out the door.
