Harry walked back into the room, the young girl clutched close to him. He ran he hand up and down her back, bouncing her softly and whispering tenderly to her. He sat down on the chair and placed the girl on his knee.
He reached out and carefully wiped the tears away. "Tell me where you hurt yourself Bella." Bella pointed to her knee; where there was a large graze forming. "No where else?" She shook her head, her brown curls shaking as she did so.
Harry stood up again, and walked quickly into the kitchen leaving the small girl on the chair.
Dumbledore studied the little child. She had brown curls falling just past her shoulders, and large green eyes, identical to Harry's. She had a green on with little white socks and black shiny shoes. Her thumb was back in her mouth, with the other behind covering her nose, her eyes watching the Headmaster and the old witch beside him.
Harry walked back into the room, carrying a damp cloth in his hand.
"Upsie daisy Bells." He said as he lifted up her and back onto his lap and he sat down. He placed the cloth on her knee, "Leave in on there for a minute sweetie, okay?"
She nodded her head.
"Harry." Dumbledore said, getting Harry's attention back to him. "You cannot stay here. I will not allow it. Could you not leave her with your Aunt and Uncle?"
Harry laughed bitterly, "And let her go through what I went through? I think not Headmaster. They are tolerable of her at the moment, unlike how they were with me. She does not bother them; I do everything for her and have even let me keep that climbing frame out the back for her to go on. But that is all. They would never, and I mean never, look after her. And even if you got them too, I would not trust them to not do the same to her as they did to me."
"Surely Harry it wasn't that bad, I mean – "
"I slept in a cupboard for the first ten years that I lived here, only moving to the smallest bedroom because they thought you were watching them. They hate wizards, and it's highly unlikely that Bella is a squib. I almost positive she's done accidental magic, though only her mother would know about that."
"Would I be correct in saying that – "
"Bellatrix is her mother? Yes sir you are."
"I'm sorry for your loss Harry."
Harry sat in silence, watching his little girl fiddle with the cloth on her knee.
"I'm not leaving her." Harry stated, staring defiantly at the Headmaster. "She's just lost one parent, and I'm not going to have her lose me as well."
"Well I suppose that only leaves one solution then Harry. You'll have to bring her to Hogwarts."
"You'll…you'd…let me take her to Hogwarts with me?" Harry said, looking shocked.
"If that's the only way to get you back there, and you're obviously not going to leave her, then she will also come with you."
"Daddy, no more!" Bella said pointing to her knee.
"One more minute Bella."
"No!"
"Bella, don't start. Leave it on for one more minute, just to help clean it and then I'll put a plaster on it."
"Daddy!" She whined.
"Bella, I'm talking!" Harry warned, looking down at the young girl. Seeing she wasn't going to protest again, he looked back towards the Headmaster. "Where will I stay though, I doubt the guys are going to want a young child in the room. Especially if she's ill and won't sleep the night, and she does get up very early." Harry asked carefully, watching the Headmaster, scared of him withdrawing his offer.
"A special room can be set up for you, like one of the teacher's suites."
"Well I'm going to need to pack, so when are you going to collect me? There are lots of Bella's things in that room in boxes, I had to sneak into Bellatrix's house at the beginning of the holidays and collect it all."
"Harry we are taking you back now." Professor McGonagall said, speaking up for the first time.
"But I won't be able to pack it all and – "
"Harry, we are wizards, we can pack up everything with just a wave of our wands!" Dumbledore added with a smile.
Harry blushed, embarrassed. "Oh I forgot, since I can't do magic yet out of school."
"Not a problem. I'll help you pack."
"Bella, will you stay down here with Professor McGonagall and be a good girl?" Harry said as he stood up.
"Daddy! Knee!" She demanded pointing too the large cloth draped over he knee.
"Which one do you want Bella?"
"P'incess!"
Harry chuckled and walked out the room to return a minute later with a large pink plaster with pictures of princesses on. He placed it the graze and placed a kiss on top of it.
"There you go my princess, all better!" Harry said, ruffling her hair as he stood up. She pouted at him and rushed her hands up to flatten her hair with a cry of 'daddy'. "She's just like her mother." He said with a smile. "My room's upstairs Professor, come with me."
Harry led Dumbledore up to his room and opened the door. There were 3 large boxes stacked in the corner. Beside the dirty torn mattress that Harry slept on, was the wooden cot with pink lining.
Harry began pulling things out as Dumbledore shrunk the boxes and placed them in a small velvet pouch he had conjured.
"How old is she Harry?" Dumbledore said as he shrank the cot down.
"28 months." Harry replied as he placed his few precious items on the bed.
Dumbledore looked shocked at this, yet the look quickly faded and he said nothing.
"Is this everything?"
"Yes, except for Bella's toys downstairs and her climbing frame. Oh I think her drinking cup's downstairs."
There was a loud shriek from downstairs followed by a squeal of laughter.
"Oh God, what's she done now?" Harry said as Dumbledore shrunk Harry's possessions and placed them in the pouch and then handed it to him.
Harry quickly ran down the stairs and found it hard not to laugh at what he saw. Bella was rolling on the floor emitting squeals of laughter while McGonagall stood in front of the large mirror with an expression of shock on her face. Her hair was a vivid green while her robes had shrunk meaning they only covered half of her back and changed all different colours. Harry heard Dumbledore laughing and quickly walked over to the small girl. He lifted her up above his head so she was looking down at him.
"Bella Maia Potter! What do you think you've done to poor Professor McGonagall?" Harry said, trying to keep a straight face.
Bella calmed down quickly and looked down at her daddy.
"She as'ed what my fav'rite colour was. So I showed her!"
"You like lots of colours do you Bella?" Dumbledore asked, coming up to stand behind Harry.
"Uhuh, but my fav'rites green! Like Daddy's eyes!" She said, pointing at them.
"Well Bella, that's not exactly my eye colour is it!" Harry said, pointing to the elderly multi-coloured witch. "Undo it."
"I dunno how." Bella muttered.
"It's ok child, I can do it." Dumbledore said, and with a wave of his wand Professor McGonagall's robes and hair returned to normal.
"Well least that does prove that she's a witch!" Harry said, smiling at both Professors. "Oh Dumbledore sir, her toys are all in that corner there and the climbing frame is outside. I'll go and fetch her drinking cup."
Dumbledore shrank down the remaining items and Harry returned with the cup. He passed the professor the pouch and once everything was in it he returned it to his pocket.
"What is you doing?" Bella asked quietly
"He's doing magic Bella. Now I know you've seen Mummy do it, but maybe not like that." Harry explained as he lifted the little girl onto his hip. "Right now, off to Hogwarts." He said with a smile to his two Professors.
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