A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. It is always nice to get them. So please send more. Harry Potter is not mine this is a story from a fan.


C 28 The truth is hard to swallow part 3.


At one forty-five the doors to the court room reopened. Minerva and Amelia stepped back in and were followed by Albus. Andrea also wanted to go on but was pulled back by Harry. "Harry what is it," she asked softly.

"I… I.. I don't want to go in" he whimpered a little.

Andrea bent down and took his cheeks into her hands. "Harry look at me".

Harry tried to pull his head away and to look at the ground but Andrea would not let him. "Harry, look at me," she said again with a little more force but not too much only enough to let him look up at her. "Harry, tell me, why don't you want to go in".

His little eyes went from left to right and up and down. "This is where I have to go back right. My uncle getting angry and that man telling me to go home, just like the man with the long beard told me to".

Andrea frowned and looked into the open door straight at Albus. She turned back and kissed Harry on the top of his head. "Harry, I don't know what the big man will say, but you are not going back. You know that other woman that was with Aunty Minerva".

Harry gazed into the court room and nodded as he looked at Amelia.

Andrea smiled, "well that woman is a police woman in the other world and she promised me that you will never go back, whatever that man says".

And there it was again the hope shining in his little eyes. It almost choked her up again but she kept it in. this was one promise she didn't want to break. "Let's go in Harry, I promise you it will all be alright" and she patted him on his shoulder as she guided him into the courtroom.

*#*

Minerva sat down next to Amelia but glanced over her shoulder. Andrea had been walking right behind her but something kept her from entering the courtroom. If she looked closely she could see the back of the head of her niece, suddenly she saw Andrea look around and gave a dirty look into the courtroom. However, she could not see at whom she threw that look.

It wasn't long after that that Andrea walked in with a frightened Harry in front of her. Minerva wanted to get up but saw her niece shaking her head. It made her wonder what had happened but she did sit back down with a little sigh. She did see Andrea giving a dirty look at Albus a look she didn't understand.

"All rise for Judge McDowell".

"Is he the owner of that fast food restaurant?" Minerva asked Amelia.

Amelia gave a chuckle. "That is McDonald's and you know it".

Minerva smiled, "Yes I do, but Andrea still thinks I Don't, and it is fun to do".

It was now that a door on the other side opened, which made Harry tense up. His little eyes were immediately looking for a way out but it was again the arm of Andrea who held him in his place.

"Harry it will all be alright just sit here, I will be next to you," Andrea told him softly.

Harry nodded a little as he buried himself deeper in her side as his eyes still drifted to the person's who had come through that door. It was an action that didn't escape Amelia and it was also an action that made her tap her pocket to see if the Portkey was still there.

"Order please" the judge called. He let his eyes drift to the other side and looked at the place where the Dursleys were sitting. "I see that you have been talking to your lawyer. Am I correct when I say that you first want to hear my verdict before you decide if you want to take this to court or not".

"I should wring his little neck for this" Vernon grumbled.

"Please calm down Mr. Dursley, it will only make things worse. Let's just hear what the Judge have to say before we make our decision. I already told you if we go to court you might see yourself end up in jail".

Vernon was still grumbling softly but kept his tongue.

It was now that the judge started to speak. "In the last two hours, I have been thinking hard about the things I have heard this morning. As I looked at the laws it frustrated me a little. You see the law is clear on the abuse of a child. However, there is no clear example of mental abuse".

The judge took a sip of his water and went on. "Now there is no law that says you do not have to show love to the child, this because no one can divine what is love because it is something different for every person". He took another sip of water. "The law, however, is very clear on two things. If there are no signs of abuse you have to look for other things. One is that the child has to be fed. The downside of that law is that it doesn't say how much. As you have fed Mr. Potter I can't convict you on that law.

The other thing is that there has to be a place for the child to sleep and call his own. The law talks about a room but it doesn't designate what is considered as a room. Now I myself do not see a cupboard as a room but the Law is clear.

Still, with the law on your side, it is clear that the three of you were abusing that boy. I came to this conclusion because of the money you received to take care of him".

Vernon jumped up with a jump that took ten seconds to happen and was about to start shouting when Amelia hit him with a silencing charm.

The judge gave her a nod of appreciation and went on. "Like I said I came to this conclusion because of the money you received. Eleven hundred pounds is not nothing. It was enough to feed him properly and to even buy him some neat clothes. Also taking into consideration that you made him work for his cost something that was easily covered by the eleven hundred pounds, while your own boy did nothing tells me that there is enough abuse going around. So with all of this knowledge, I will now make my verdict".

Again Vernon wanted to jump up but was held back by a sticking charm that was applied by Albus.

The Judge huffed a little but he still went on. "Marge Dursley, your license as a breeder will be withdrawn. You will get a ban for the rest of your life. It was clear to us that you are not breeding domestic dog but attack dogs. All your dogs will be going to a pond where they will be analyzed in their behavior. If they can rehabilitate they will if not well you know".

Marge Dursley was beside herself and wanted to attack the judge screaming "you will not touch my ripper".

She was brought down by a stunning hex of Minerva and carried off by six officers.

The judge nodded and went on again. Now for you Mr. and Misses Dursley, You both will lose the custody of Harry James Potter, you will never ever contact him again. Now as addition to this you will also pay back the amount of 58000 Pounds. That money had been given to you, to take care of Mr. Potter. It is clear that you two didn't do that, therefore, you will both pay that amount before the end of the year. In this year you will both follow parenting classes because of the abuse you gave to Mr. Potter, you were giving the reverse abuse to your own son. Your son will be placed in foster care for three months while you take these classes. After the three months, you will get your son back. Then you will all remain under observation by the child welfare for three years. If you succeed we will leave you alone if not you will lose your son. That is my verdict".

Vernon was shouting without any sound because he was silent's by a spell. Petunia was crying for her son as she hugged him for the last time.

It was after ten minutes that Harry stood next to Andrea and looked up at here. "I don't have to go back now".

"No Harry, You don't have to go back ever again".


A/N: This was it again for this time, see you all in the next chapter.

Gr. Winmau.