Dear Mummy 11
Not mine, and I am not from England so please forgive any geographical errors.
Harry's life continued to improve. He started seeing a child psychologist and the effects were remarkable. The change was like flipping a switch. Harry was still polite and respectful but was often seen laughing and playing boisterously like a child his age should. There were still days where he would regress to his old fearful behaviour or flinch when voices were raised but these things were to be expected. Knowing that he could talk about the treatment he had received from his relatives, or anything else he wanted to talk about, without fear of reprisal was a relief to Harry and he was beginning to listen and understand when he was told that not everyone was like his Aunt and Uncle. Living without fear was a new experience for Harry but he was learning to enjoy life now.
Dudley was finding that his second week without his parents was worse than his first. At the Carlyon's house he had been asked to go with a policeman and when he had refused and started to throw another tantrum has been shocked that he had been dragged down the stairs and thrown into the backseat of a waiting police car. He had then been taken to a 'Youth Holding Facility' and upon arriving was promptly beaten by an older boy when he, Dudley, demanded the lolly the boy had been eating. 'Why isn't anyone doing what I tell them? Life would be better for everyone if they did.' Dudley thought that night as he lay on the small cot in his locked room.
Dudley tried to intimidate the other boys during his stay but as the youngest boy there he was firmly and repeatedly punished by the staff and beaten by the older boys.
"You just keep asking for it don't you, you fat freak!" said one of the boys as he beat Dudley for the second time that day. Dudley had deliberately knocked over his breakfast tray when he refused to share his bacon and then Dudley had hit him when the staff was not around. "None of us like you and we won't put up with your crap. Start to behave or it's gonna get worse kid."
After two weeks in the facility Dudley had to face the courts. Through the whole assault trial Dudley sat in his seat, loud mouthing, swearing at the witnesses, smirking whenever Aaron's injuries were mentioned and trying the patience of everyone who was there.
Eventually it was time for the verdict and sentencing. Judge Miller was known to be a tough judge when it came to youth crimes, but would bend over backwards to help those who truly seemed to want to be helped. Unfortunately, Dudley was not one of those children.
"Dudley Dursley, you have been found guilty of the aggravated assault and attempted manslaughter of Aaron Lukeson. You have shown no remorse for the pain you inflicted of that poor child, indeed, you seem proud of harming a much smaller child. STOP SMIRKING BOY! This is not a joke or something you should be proud of! Aaron is 7 years old and now faces a life of pain because of the severe internal injuries that you have inflicted upon him. He is now on the organ transplant waiting list for a new liver and kidneys as your beating has caused irreparable damage to them. He may die before he gets a donor and if he does you may very well be back here facing a murder charge! This is not a joke so stop sniggering.
"I have heard the evidence, I have read the psychological reports and have spoken to your foster carers and the workers at the youth holding centre. After seeing you and your behaviour here I can only come to one conclusion. You are a danger to yourself and to the community at large. As such, I am sentencing you to be a full time, boarding student at St Brutus' School for Incurable Criminal Boys until you reach the age of 18. You will spend the term time, weekends, all holidays and school breaks there. It will be court ordered that you will not be permitted to go on any school trips or outings at any time. After this time should you ever assault someone or be a part of any other crimes your record will be unsealed and because you will be a repeat offender you will be given the maximum sentence with no exceptions. Take him away."
*Bang* went the gavel.
At the same time as Dudley was taken to the youth facility, up in Yorkshire another Dursley was about to have a bad day.
Ever since Vernon had been arrested things had gone badly for Marge. She was no longer getting the weekly payments from her brother and with fewer people wanting bulldogs, 'They all want the prissy mongrel breeds' she thought, things were tight. And now a police car and animal control van pulled up outside her house. 'Now what?' she thought, watching an animal warden and a policeman talk as they walked up her path.
"Miss Marjorie Dursley? I am here to look into a report of a dangerous dog. I am afraid that several people have identified a dog in your possession called 'Ripper' as the culprit." The animal warden stated.
"What! My Ripper wouldn't hurt a fly! Who reported him?"
"I am sorry Ma'am, I cannot reveal that information."
"It was that Potter brat wasn't it? What has that little freak set my poor Ripper up for? He never liked my dogs!"
"Ma'am, I don't know who you are referring too but I am…"
"Ripper! Skitch!" At the command the dog lunged forward and bit the animal warden's leg.
The policeman quickly pulled out his truncheon and dealt several stunning blows on the attacking dog.
"What do you think you are doing?" Marge screeched trying to defend her dog, punching the policeman. "Leave my poor Ripper alone!"
Pulling out the leash he had in his pocket the warden tied the stunned dog to a nearby fence post and then watched as the locally notorious Miss Dursley was arrested.
"Call the RSPCA. Tell them it's an emergency vicious animal, animal cruelty and illegal puppy farm call out. They will need several people to handle this lot. Oh, and ask them to bring a gun or humane killer, they might need it. And tell them to make sure they have had all their shots too! Who knows what diseases these dogs might have." Called the warden to several neighbours as he bandaged his leg.
A week later Marge was in the docks awaiting the verdict of her trial. She could only think of her 'poor Ripper' who had been shot by the RSPCA when he attacked them as they tried to untie him from the fence.
Illegal puppy farming, cruelty to animals, owning an unregistered attack dog, having an unrestrained dangerous animal in her care, assault of a police officer and resisting arrest were the charges she faced.
The entire village had come to see the case and many had testified against her. Retired Colonel Fubster had taken the stand and Marge had sighed in relief. 'He will defend me and my dogs' she thought. Unfortunately for her he told of how she sent for him to kill unwanted pups, which he had quietly given to animal shelters, and how he had observed her setting her dogs on a young visitor to her house.
The verdict was swift and unanimous, guilty of all charges. Marge would not see the outside world for another 5 to 8 years.
TBC