Chapter 18 – I want you to be my family

Harry awoke somewhere quiet and comfortable; someone had removed his shoes and glasses and he had curled up under a black and white duvet. He did not want to move from underneath the covers, he was rather warm and safe, the safest he had felt in ages. Thoughts filled his head with memories from the previous day. Worry overcame Harry, he had let someone in, his Uncle was going to come to school and kill him, he knew last time he said anything or showed any magical ability he ended up in his cupboard for a week.

"BOY! What on earth, we told you NEVER to mention your cupboard outside of the house! It is lucky it is the end of the year and we have built a bad reputation for you that we have been able to smooth it all over. YOU MUST BE PUNISHED STILL" next thing Harry knew was the worst beating of his life, it left a three-inch scar from his shoulder across his chest and waking up a week later.

Harry could not breathe again he was trapped in his cupboard, no way out, it was dark and scary, he tried to take deep breaths, but he couldn't. All of a sudden, he was ripped from the darkness and picked up softly. A hand rubbed his back softly and let him cry into their shoulder. "Easy now Harry, that's it well done"

"Sorry Gareth" Harry sobbed into the healer's shoulder. Gareth smiled; he was glad he could care for this young boy. However, he knew today is going to be hard on the child, but he was going to go out of his way to support him through it. But, the question loomed over him would Harry want to stay with him?

"Don't be sorry Harry, come on let's have breakfast, and we can talk about what we are doing today"

"What about lessons?" asked Harry hoping this would stop Gareth from going any further, he would rather he forgot about what happened the previous night.

"We will have time after we sort some things out okay?" Harry nodded getting more anxious every moment, so much his hands were shaking as he was attempting to eat his cereal with no success. Harry finally gave up after eating only two spoonful's and went to change his clothes. Gareth didn't say anything but only because there were more pressing issues. After they had finished Gareth guided Harry over to where they usually sat and started to talk to the young boy.

"We both know we have to talk about what happened yesterday, I need you to be brave, just like your mother and father were that night, I don't need details, all I need is a name and a few things they did. After that I can promise they will not hurt you ever again" Harry nodded, he trusted Gareth just about, Gareth had never let him down before and even helped him even though he was a freak. Gareth told him he was not a freak and always made sure he was okay and sent calming magic into him. It helped; no one liked him like that before. Sev came close, he took him to see mum and dad but no one was like Gareth it was as if he understood anything. Gareth promised he would be safe, and they wouldn't hurt him and if he stayed with Gareth after no one could hurt him. Gareth was a powerful wizard and the Dursleys do not like magic. So taking a deep breath Harry opened the door a little to his mind.

"Iii-t was my Uncle"

"What did he do to you?"

"He hit me, kicked me, threw me in my cupboard and didn't let me out until school"

"That's not right Harry, no one should ever have that happen, especially a child. You did not deserve that Harry; how often did it happen"

"Depends how good I did my work, if I managed to do it okay, I would get away with some bread and water and being put in my cupboard for the night. If I failed, he would hit me, if I was really bad" A memory consumed Harry:

He was sat on the kitchen chair taking his shoes off after being in the garden all day, he had dragged mud in the house and was going to clean it up. His uncle came home from work early, saw the mess and saw that no food had been started. "BOY! WHAT ON EARTH HAVE YOU DONE? MADE A MESS EH? AND ALL THAT HARD WORK YOUR AUNT DID, NOTHING ALL RUINED AND SPOILT BY A FUCKING BRAT!"

"Please Sir NO! NOT THAT, I promise I'll be good, promise!"

"Promising is not going to do anything this time" snarled uncle Vernon as he took off his belt and twisted it around his wrist. A fat hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck high onto the wall, the first hit was awful, and then every whip after got worse until he could no longer cry. Once that happened his uncle got tired and went upstairs leaving 7-year-old Harry potter, hurt and bleeding from welts on his back. 7-year-old Harry just got up, in pain, started food, and tried to do it good.

Next thing Harry knew he was crying into Gareth's shoulder and Gareth telling him "You are safe Harry, you are here with Gareth, safe at Hogwarts. That's it good lad deep breaths" Harry stayed like this for a while before calming down enough to sit on his own again.

"I am so sorry about that Gareth."

"It isn't your fault you had a flashback" Harry nodded his eyes drooping, he was obviously exhausted. "I think we will leave it there for a bit so you can get some rest however I have one thing to ask before I can give you some dreamless sleep ok?" Harry nodded wondering why Gareth was asking so quietly. "How would you feel about showing us the memory you just experienced instead of talking about it for now?"

"How can you do that? Who will see it?"

"Professor Dumbledore has something called a pensive which lets people enter memories and re-experience them from a spectators point of view. It would help us see what it was like for you without it hurting for you to tell us and would give real evidence to use against your uncle because I promise I will personally make sure they cannot come anywhere near you again. You will not be going back there this summer"

"Where will I go? Professor Dumbledore told me at the end of last year I couldn't stay here"

"You wouldn't stay at Hogwarts, I know this is a lot to take in right now but how would you feel about coming home with me and my fiancé?" Harry stared at Gareth for a moment before asking

"Fff-or real?" His eyes widening and tears filling his emerald eyes

"Yes, I mean it. We must sort a few things out with the headmaster first but if all goes to plan, you can come home to a proper home for Christmas?"

"You really mean it?" sobbed Harry "You want me? You want to keep me?"

"Yes Harry, I want you, we want you. In addition, I promise you if I did not want to do this, I would not. I am not going to lie to you, I never have and that stays okay" Harry didn't know what else to do, tears of happiness filled his eyes for the first time in his life and he practically jumped onto Gareth giving him the biggest hug he had ever given anyone. When Gareth gently but firmly hugged him back embracing the boys happiness as tears started to flow from his eyes too, Harry would be the perfect addition, caring, loving, helpful and once they work through what happened in his past he can help Harry be happy, properly happy.

The pair stayed like that for a while before wiping their eyes. "So, Harry to help you, could I have that memory. I promise only Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and I will see it for now, I will let you know if anything else happens is that okay? It is completely your choice, but I hope showing would be easier than telling your professors all over again?"

Harry nodded, he wasn't sure and everything was scary, but hadn't Gareth just promised that he would be safe and would not have to go back? Gareth does not lie. "How do I do it?"

"All you have to do is bring the memory to the front of your mind, try not to get engulfed by it but all I am going to do is place my wand at your temple and pull out the memory, you can then put it to the back of your mind again. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, what if I get stuck in it again?"

"Then I will be right here beside you to help" Harry nodded "After three then"

Harry didn't want to do it but he closed his eyes and brought the memory back to the front Uncle Vernon was back in front of him, but he wasn't alone this time Gareth was there he kept reminding himself. After the memory had finished, he could feel himself physically shaking and Gareth putting calming magic into him.

"Well done Harry, I've got everything now you did a great job." Harry looked at Gareth weakly and yawned, "Why dint you go and have a rest and afterwards we can go to the headmaster's office together. Everything we are doing we do together okay" Gareth repeated as he placed a blanket over Harry who was now dozing on the sofa.

Gareth could not believe Harry actually said yes, he was so excited he sent a partronus to his fiancé before mentally preparing himself to what he was going to see. He dreaded to imagine and Severus' reaction. He hoped Dumbledore would not find excuses though.

5.00 came around quite quickly, Harry had woken at 4 and the pair played a game of exploding snap to pass the time. At 5.00, they left the room of requirement and made their way to the headmaster's office. Gareth muttered the password to the gargoyle, which leapt aside and let the pair ascend the stairs behind it. The door to the office was open and the headmaster greeted them. Four plates surrounded his desk with some food.

"Ah just in time, I had the house elves save us some food, come take a seat and have a bite to eat. Harry played with his food only eating things here and there. Severus turned up a little later and ate his food in silence. The meal seemed to take a long while, the headmaster insisted on pudding even though he could tell the tension was at breaking point. Finally, after everything was cleared away they commenced their meeting.

"May I show you something from Harrys memories, it was a flashback he had today while we were talking, we thought instead of telling you everything, this memory shows everything you need against his relatives, this was when he was seven years old. If you do not mind can we borrow your pensive? Harry you don't need to come with us you can stay there"

Harry nodded glad he did not have to relive the memory for the third time that day as the adults crowded around the pensive. Gareth added the memory and one by one, they dunked their heads in.

*In the Pensive*

The three adults fell, fell and fell until they landed softly in a sparkling clean kitchen opening up to a beautiful conservatory. It was too clean, the floor had no dust or dirt, the surfaces were all wiped down and all the dishes stood sparkling in the cupboards.

"Are you sure this is the right one?" asked Dumbledore

"Be patient Albus" whispered Severus sharply

The three then heard the conservatory closing and a very small boy with shaggy black hair and emerald eyes placed down some newspaper and tried to pull a heavy chair towards him so he could sit and take his muddy old shoes off the small boy fell spattering mud over the clean kitchen. The boy looked like he was five years old, dirt covered his hands and he was carrying a big toolkit, which looked far too heavy for a young man let alone a child, but the boy managed it.

The boy carefully closed the door to outside and then took his shoes and socks off, they were both muddy, the boy's trousers were grass stained and ripped, his t-shirt wasn't much better. The young boys' arms were red with sunburn but it did not seem to bother the child. Who had stood up and was looking out the window inspecting his handiwork? The three adults observing looked out of the window and saw a newly constructed shed, it looked like the five-year-old boy in front of them had successfully built it and they had to admit it looked almost perfect.

The young boy was just about to pick up and clean his mess but a loud bang echoed around the house. Young Harry started to frantically clean and get some food onto the stove as fast as possible but it was too late. A fat man stumbled into the kitchen and looked at the mess in front of him. He then went for the small boy and successfully grabbed his prey. "BOY! WHAT ON EARTH HAVE YOU DONE? MADE A MESS EH? AND ALL THAT HARD WORK YOUR AUNT DID, NOTHING ALL RUINED AND SPOILT BY A FUCKING BRAT!"

The first blow made all three adults cringe; a fat hand gabbed the boy and placed him against the wall then a huge fist aimed for the boys stomach, then legs, then head. After that, he kicked the boy until he was gasping for air. The fat man then undid his belt and a frightened squeak and beg came from the young boy's mouth "Please Sir NO! NOT THAT, I promise I'll be good, promise!" it was too late the first whip could be heard and the noise repeated again and again until the small boy was battered, bruised, bleeding and broken on the floor.

After the fat man got tired, he gestured to the stove and the small boy picked himself up and started to cook in between cleaning up the now bloody kitchen. The cooking didn't take long and soon three people sat at the square table in the kitchen waiting for their food to be served. One was the fat man they saw earlier, a young boy sat next to him, almost as fat as his father then next sat a skinny long necked woman who had the look of disgust on her when she looked at the small boy.

"Tunney, how could you watch your nephew cook while bleeding and obviously hurt by your oaf of a husband?" asked Severus solemnly, he then went into a rage "ALBUS PERCIVIL WILFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE DID YOU NOT CHECK ON THE BOY, YOU SWORE TO PROTECT THEM, PROTECT HARRY. I HAVE KEPT MY END OF THE DEAL AND ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS NEGLECT HIM! HE WAS TREATED WORSE THAN THE WORST WIZARDS TREAT THEIR HOUSE ELVES!" Severus yelled and nearly broke down, Gareth stood between them shocked, and he did not think it was this bad. Oh, Harry he thought. Albus Dumbledore watched in silence, utterly disgusted by himself and his neglect.

The memory finished after Harry had finished the dishes and the downstairs was once again sparkling as of it had never been touched before. The boy had been thrown in a cupboard under the stairs with no food, no water, nothing with the whole family around him calling him 'freak' or 'worthless' were now watching TV as if it were normal.

*Memory Finished*

The three adults were then lifted out of the pensive. Harry watched as they lifted their heads out of the substance all looking pale, clammy and shocked. All three looked at Harry looking very sorry, Gareth gestured for Harry to come to him, which he did, and Gareth lifted him onto his lap and gently hugged the boy from behind and whispered

"You are so safe from any of that Harry, I will protect you, I promise they will not touch you. What they did was wrong, and you are so strong" A tear leaked from Gareth's eye, Harry turned himself around stood up and gently used his fingers to lift Gareth's chin up so he would look him in the eye. Harry then wiped the falling tears from Gareth's eyes and whispered

"You've done nothing wrong, you are protecting me and for that I thank you" Gareth couldn't take it anymore Harry had looked him in the eye for the first time ever so he gently hugged the boy as tight as he could and was so happy when Harry returned it.