Chapter 12Molly+Minerva+Longbottom+Isis=Love?
/Yami to Hikari/
/Hikari to Yami/
/Yami to Yami/
'thoughts'
"speaking"
Paseltongue
Molly Weasley didn't like what she heard about Harry's home life from the twins and Ron.
She hadn't liked the undernourished look of the boy she had first met four years ago. She especially hadn't liked the ridiculously large clothes the boy had been in.
When the twins and Ron had taken the car to retrieve Harry second year, she had been furious to learn of his living conditions. Pranksters the twins very well may be, but they had been serious when they told her about Harry's room.
Later, after she'd had breakfast made and the boys came down, she had watched Harry. He had stared in wonder at all the food, but taken very little, and that what he did take, he hunched over as if to prevent someone from taking it away, and had practically inhaled the food. When he saw the boys get seconds without anyone commenting, he hand had snaked out quickly to grab some more food and make it disappear quickly. From how he ate, Molly gathered that he wasn't generally allowed to take seconds, and that all food was to be consumed quickly, less someone should get the idea to take it from him. Or be told that he wasn't allowed to eat. She attributed Harry's small size to the malnourishment he had obviously suffered from. That was when she asked the twins about his school supplies, they had both scowled and then George (or was it Fred?) proceeded to tell her about the little cupboard under the stairs where his trunk had been, and how there was proof that Harry had been forced to live in the cupboard when he was younger.
That was it, for her. She had fire-called Dumbledore once the children were outside and demanded that Harry be allowed to live with the Weasley's when he wasn't in school. Dumbledore refused, saying that it was for Harry's own protection that every summer he live with his relatives and that he would hear no more of this nonsense of taking Harry away from them. He would be generous this once and allow her to keep the boy until school started, but he was to live with the Dursleys until he said otherwise and that was final.
Minerva McGonagall was fond of Harry Potter and had been relieved that he wasn't as in love with pranks as his father and friends had been. She was even more relieved that he had shown up to his Sorting in one piece. She wasn't, however, happy with how thin and small he had looked, nor with how he shied away from being touched.
Naturally, she had assumed that her suspicions had been correct and that the Dursleys were abusive to the small boy in their care. She hadn't been pleased when she had gone by Privet Dr., only to find herself veering away no matter how hard she tried to get close. She had been furious when she found out that Dumbledore had put a ward up preventing anyone with more magic than a squib coming near Privet Drive. But she had also seen how it gave Harry protection.
Isis Ishtar sat quietly in her room, a cup of tea nestled in her hands as she contemplated the recent events. She smiled when she thought about Harri. He was a sweet boy, and she had no doubt that he'd be able to calm Marik and Malik when they were enraged. Which, of course, was a blessing.
She was happy that the twins (as she was beginning to think of them) finally had someone who could complete them. But she was also concerned for Harri. He was too small, too thin, too guarded for a boy his age.
She had seen how Bakura treated the boy, how careful he was. Had seen the lips compressed in anger, the narrow eyes filled with malice at something that Harri would mention in an offhand manner. She had seen the twins and Bakura with their heads together, talking softly, plotting something. She'd seen the speculative, calculating looks that they sent the Dursley's.
She knew that Marik and Malik had a great deal of anger within them. She knew that Bakura had been abused when he was younger, back in the time of the Pharaoh. She knew that once Marik and Malik found an outlet for their anger, they focused on it with a single-minded anger until either the target was gone or their anger wound down. She knew that Bakura could be the same, if he chose to.
She knew she couldn't, shouldn't interfere.
This was between the boys' and the Dursleys.
She knew, and worried. And prayed that they wouldn't get hurt.
Mrs. Longbottom wasn't sure what to make of her grandson anymore. Long had she despaired over his lack of accidental magic. She was relieved when Neville had received his Hogwarts acceptance letter, then had worried about how he would fare in his classes. Well, except Herbology. In that area, she had no concerns whatsoever. The boy truly had a talent with plants.
When he had written to tell her that he had been sorted into Gryffindor, she had been thrilled, and wasn't all that surprised to hear that Harry Potter was in his dorm.
She was, however, a bit concerned about the boy from what Neville had written. James Potter was not a shy boy, nor was his father or grandfather. Lily Evans, for all that she was Muggleborn, could hardly be called a shrinking violet. So that their son was shy, withdrawn, and clearly undernourished as well as small for his age, worried her.
Hogwarts was sentient. Not that many knew that, of course. It had been Salazar's idea, supported by Helga and Rowena. They had informed Godric only after the deed had been done, and were glad they had. He had protested and insisted that it was wrong and unnatural and that they were to undo it immediately.
They refused, naturally. The magic had been cast, and absorbed. They couldn't possibly undo what they had done.
Gryffindor was furious at the perceived betrayal, and the enchanting of the castle so as to make it sentient. He tried to remove the magic from her (for she was undeniably female to the other three founders) which failed spectacularly. Hogwarts was not pleased by this internal attack and retaliated in the only way she could: moving. When he was on the stairs, they moved away from where he needed to go. When he was in a rush to get somewhere, he would inexplicably trip over nothing. Hallways changed positions and doors wouldn't open for him. His rooms started to smell like they had been closed for centuries, which was impossible, seeing as they had just built Hogwarts. His rooms were always damp, and the floors cold, as was the air in his rooms.
Salazar was smug at the treatment Gryffindor was going through. It had been his idea to give her thought, and unknown to the other two founders; he had made sure that no one save Hogwarts herself could tamper with her defenses.
Rowena and Helga were disappointed in Gryffindor, and made it quietly, but nonetheless effectively, known.
And Hogwarts? Aside from aggravating Gryffindor, she was busy exploring every nook and cranny of the castle.
That was then, though. Things had changed over time (students and staff mostly).
