Chapter two

The son who did (not) grow up well

Matthew

Immediately after he got out he went to the fire place. He took a handful of floo powder, stepped in it and said:"Diagon Ally." Then he was consumed by green flames.

On his way he had time to think. He hated his family. He didn't remember his father, he died when he was little. Mother was constantly scolding him, it all got worse when he got to Gryffindor. She locked him in the basement for whole holiday and fed him once a day. The only person she adored and was saint for her was Sebastian. His older brother disgusted him. He hated all muggle. He remembered very well how their neighbour came for salt. Sebastian was screaming and two day later Matt discovered that he was in a hospital. They said he was attacked. Matthew could guess by whom. Mother's husband was okay but who knew how long he is going to live. Her husbands tended to die young.

When he arrived he went to Flourish and Blotts for books. And there she was. Lily Potter. The girl for whom the boys were fighting. Mostly about nonsense like who is going to carry her books or whom she helps with homework. Even when they were in fourth year there were seventh-years who were lovingly watching her. But Matt knew she didn't like it. They all were interested in her because she was the daughter of Harry Potter. Matt liked her from a different reason. She was nice, helpful and smart. Also pretty. Today she was wearing jeans and white blouse. Her long red hair were braided over her shoulder and her hazel brown hair were looking into a book. To Matt, she was perfect.

But of course he never had the courage to talk to her. The reason was that she would refuse him. The rest of his family was known for hating muggle wizards. And Lily's best friend is one. Matt liked them but people always putted him into one bag. He was fed up with that. And every time he looked at her she looked away.

Next to her were sitting her cousin Hugo and Grace. Matt stopped looking at them and went to the shop assistant. He gave him his list of books and when he got them he returned to street. After a moment somebody ran out from the shop after him.

"Matt," sounded behind him. He turned around and there stood Lily.

"You lost this in the shop," she smiled at him and handed him a photo. His father was in it. It was the only photo of him he had found at home.

"Thank you Lily."

She looked away. Like always. "Well. It was nice to see you again." With that words she ran away. Matt went his own way.

He bought some ingredients to potions and other things he needed to school. In Leaky Cauldron he persuaded Mrs. Longbottom to sell him few eggs. Then he went straight home.

There he was welcomed by their house elf Tammy. Well, their, Matt didn't give her orders. It seemed cruel to him. He had even tried to give her a piece of clothes but it always had ended up miserably. He went to his room. It was in the attic. Not that they didn't have enough place at home but it suited him. He didn't have to see Sebastian all day.

The walls were covered with old blue-green wall paper, which was peeling down. The holes were hidden behind Quiddich posters. He took his new book and started reading.

In half an hour he heard knocking. "Comm in," he said without looking up from his book. Inside came Tammy with a tray. She wore her usual clothes, bed spread which was made into toga. Two big brown eyes were staring from her wrinkled face. In her arms she had a tray with cookies and tea pot.

"Would Master like tea and cookies? Tammy just made them," asked she and putted the tray on the table.

"Gladly," he answered and took one. "They are delicious. Do you know where are others?"

The Elf thought: "The Misters had gone away with Master Sebastian after breakfast and Master Huxley is in his study. Do you wish anything else Master?"

"No, thanks for cookies. You can go." The Elf smiled and disappeared with a loud puff.

Matt looked on the watches. It was half past eleven. It was unusual because mother and Sebastian never stayed out for a long time. Sebastian had been supposed to go to work but he was too lazy. He stayed at home all day and complained about muggle neighbours. Mother didn't have to work. She had inherited quit a lot from her late husbands. It was a mystery that she hadn't had a cell in Azkaban yet. But she knew how to make it seem like an accident. Nobody could know that in a bottle where usually is flu potion will be a Drought of Living Death which every wizard family uses for mouse traps. Everybody were sorry for her. Matt wanted to say something but he was afraid of getting flu too. Instead he regularly looked trough the house for murder evidence. He found a blind that would probably serve as a guillotine. Mother hated broken stuff.

They appeared when he was eating lunch. They wore black capes and looked like as if they won a lottery.

Matt took Sebastian's wand and with words: "You forgot this," gave it to him. To his utter disbelieve he broke it in two and threw the remains to the fireplace

"I have a new one, better. I won't need this any more."

"And close your mouth before you catch flies," his mother scolded him.

Larry choose this moment as his arrival. "Good afternoon family, how was your day." Larry was a stocky man of a small frame. His round head was covered by hair the colour of copper. His smile revealed that he had a missing tooth. All was ended by cocoa brown eyes. Matt liked him the best from mother's husbands. He was funny and he didn't despise Matt.

Mother threw Larry an angry look and marched out of the room. Sebastian quickly followed.

Matt heard as he whispered: "We will get rid of you." Or it could be something else. Larry hadn't notice and invited Matt for a chess game. Well, one but it took time till dinner. Sebastian and mother disappeared. Maybe they were plotting another "accident."

Matt remembered very well his father's death. He had been eleven. Few months till going to Hogwarts. Matt had found him under the stairs in a pool of blood, which had been leaking from a wound on his head. His last word had been: "Aurelia." Matt silly though that he is calling her lovingly. Than he had breathed out for the last time.

Since that time his mother had been cruel to him. She had hit him and he had been grounded for every stupidity. It was even worse when he had gotten to Gryffindor. When he had returned for holidays he couldn't go out and owll anyone. Not that he had someone to send letters to.

He had talked to classmates sometimes but they though that he was weird. Sometimes his surname had helped because it was different than his family. Sometimes people got two and two together. Sebastian got several punishments at Hogwarts but they couldn't expel him. He had been a prefect and a Head Boy and he had nearly all Outstanding in his N.E.W.T. It had been disappointment that he hadn't gone somewhere after school. He had been even offered a place at the Ministry. He had refused. Matt knew what he is going to do. He wanted to be an auror. He got needed marks in O.W.L. and nothing was stopping him. Well, only mother who gave him nice slap after she found out.

The game was ended when Larry's Queen started hitting Matt's King. Larry laughed: "Finally it is Larry two, Matt thirty seven. You look distracted today."

Matt smiled nervously. "I will go packing," he told his stepfather and went to attic.

He opened his trunk there and started to fill it with his things. When he finally found his cauldron it was half past eleven. He set his alarm clock and crawled to bed. He was out before you could say Pigmy puff.