Wanted: Love
Ch11: Wizard Court
Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand back to Hogwarts. They had stayed out on the grass for well over an hour, just sitting and talking. Hermione had tried coaxing Harry into telling her what had made him almost kill himself but he refused to talk about it, saying that he would tell her later, when the time was right. She didn't pursue the topic, though, even when Harry had made her promise not to tell anyone about what happened that night. She had agreed on the condition that if he ever tried to kill himself again then she would tell and get him help. Other than that, they had just become closer. They strolled into the Great Hall, the Ball still going strong. As people caught glimpses of them they stared. Whether this was because of the way they looked (AN: They were fighting out there, remember?) or because no one had ever seen the two best friends in such closeness before they didn't know, nor did they care. They walked out into the dance floor just as a slow dance came on. Hermione laid her head on Harry shoulder and sighed contentedly.
"I love you, Harry." she whispered into his ear. Harry pulled her a little closer in response but before they knew it, the song was over and they were intercepted by Ron, Lavender, Sirius, Remus, and Professor Whims.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Ron asked smirking. Harry and Hermione broke apart, though their hands remained intertwined.
"So you decided to come after all, Harry?" asked Whims as she smiled whimsically. Harry nodded and smiled at his new girlfriend, "Well, Hermione can be quite persuasive. "
"Yeah, what exactly were you two doing out there? You're both a mess. What happened to your cheek, Hermione?" asked Lavender. Harry grip on Hermione's hand suddenly tightened he found himself forgetting to breathe. They both couldn't think of anything to say and were quite for some time and Ron's face grew a smile.
"Oh, I get it. Shame, shame, you two!" said Ron, elbowing Harry then chiding his fingers. The two blushed and Hermione looked disapprovingly at him, "Honestly, Ron! What do you take us for?"
"*Sure*, Hermione." said Ron, winking at her.
Lavender shoved him and laughed, "So, are you two finally together or not?" They both blushed and held up their hands.
"It's about time, too." said Remus, "Half the school's been making bets on how long it would take for you two to get together."
_~_~_~_~
The next day Harry was sitting in the bleachers of the Quidditch field, staring blankly forward. He knew what day it was and he also knew what was going to happen. He had less than half an hour before he had to be at his uncle and aunt's trial and he was busy thinking about what the notice had said.
'You are free to bring anyone who might serve as a comfort to you.' Harry repeated in his mind.
He snorted at the thought of it. Why would he want to bring anyone with him? They would find out soon enough and he wanted to post pone their sympathies as long as possible.
"Damn Fudge." Harry said quietly to himself.
It was his fault that this was happening. He wasn't even aware that it was possible to force someone's memories out of their head. He had gotten the impression from Dumbledore last year that it was personal preference that unlocked the door to the Pensieve, apparently not. Harry put his head in his hands. In less than two hours his life would be ruined. Perhaps he should have killed himself the night before. Hermione couldn't have really meant it when she said that she loved him. He must have hit her too hard during their struggle. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He sat there in silence for a moment, just staring at it. Sure, he had promised to not kill himself but it was only delaying the inevitable. Eventually Voldemort would get him. He had already almost succeeded twice that year. Harry sighed. Why life had chosen to be so harsh to him was beyond comprehension. . .at least to Harry anyway.
He fiddled with his wand for a moment and thought heavily but before he could come up with any major decision, "Hey, Harry!"
Hermione was walking up to him with a bright smile on her face. Harry put on a half-hearted smile and put away his wand before it was seen, "Hi, Hermione."
She sat next to him, "What are you doing up here? Everyone's been looking for you."
"Nothing much, just thinking." he said.
"Oh, well you mind if I think with you?" she asked.
"Go ahead." said Harry, shrugging. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"This is fun." Hermione observed, breaking the silence.
"Mm." said Harry. Hermione looked at him, "What's wrong, Harry?"
Harry shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Hermione wasn't so easily deceived, however.
She turned to him and took his hand, "Harry, don't you think I know better by now? Something's bothering you. Now what is it?"
Harry was quiet for a long time before finally speaking, ". . .Hermione, did you really mean it yesterday?"
"Of course I did! Do you really think I would joke around about something like that?" she asked, sounding a little hurt.
Harry shook his head furiously, "No, just forget about it."
"Come on, let's go. Sirius, Remus, and Professor Dumbledore are looking for you." said Hermione standing up and holding out her hand.
Harry took her hand, "I'm not surprised. I might as well get it over with."
"Get what over?" asked Hermione as they started to walk.
"Nothing." said Harry.
Hermione gave him a smile, "Tell me later than, okay?" Harry nodded as they reached the Quidditch field. Hermione pulled him to a stop, grabbed the front of his robes and kissed him.
"I do love you, Harry." she said as they broke apart. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her. All of a sudden, there was a loud cat-calling whistle. The two separated and saw the Weasleys, Lavender, Remus, Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Whims standing several feet away. Sirius was the one who had whistled and was being told off by Whims at the moment for "disturbing the peace" as she put it.
Harry smirked at them and drew into Hermione again who laughed and playfully pushed him back, "Not now, Harry." Hermione pulled on Harry's hand and the two walked over to their friends.
"Ready, Harry?" asked Dumbledore taking out the portkey. Harry looked around the group but quickly lowered his gaze, not wanting to look back into their eyes.
"Harry?" asked Sirius. He didn't want them all to go but knew better than to ask them to stay, for they never would. So instead, he just reached out and touched the portkey.
He landed roughly but managed to stay on his feet. As he steadied himself, he took a look around. Not that he had expected to, but he didn't recognize the place. In front of him was a pair of large oak doors to a humongous building. He took in a deep breath and was about to take a step forward when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dumbledore's determined face staring straight ahead. He wasn't the only one to have followed, though. Everyone that had been on the Quidditch field was standing behind him. Ron, Hermione, and Lavender were gaping at the building.
"What are we doing here?" asked Lavender. But before anyone could answer, there was a sudden, loud bustle of clicking and flashes of light. Harry had to shield his eyes and he was sure that the others were doing the same thing.
"Mr. Potter, a word if you don't mind."
"Mr. Potter, what exactly is the trial about?"
"Mr. Potter--"
It seemed out of no where that all these witches and wizards appeared and started to bombard him with pictures and questions.
Harry felt someone brush past him and grab his hand, pulling him through the crowd, "Out of the way!" Harry squinted and saw Sirius pulling him along, accompanied by Remus and Whims. The rest of the group followed closely behind and they eventually all made it into the building from which the paparazzi were banned.
They all breathed a sigh of relief and Ron turned around to stare at the door, "What was *that* about?"
"Harry, I'm beginning to get the feeling that you're not telling us something." said Hermione, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Harry started to walk, "Let's just get this over with."
"Harry! Just the person I've been looking for!" exclaimed Fudge, walking up to him.
Harry didn't bother to repress the scowl that was forming upon his lips, "What do you want?"
"Goodness, one might think you would want to save that look for the court room." said Fudge which gained curious glances from his friends but Fudge made no recognition of them and continued, "Could I have a quick word?" Harry looked around to the group of his friends.
Sirius, Remus, and Whims were all glaring at Fudge with the utmost hatred, which Harry was only too glad to second, "I'd rather not."
"Wonderful! Now it won't be but a minute. Why don't the rest of you go ahead and get your seats. We'll be in soon." said Fudge as he gripped Harry by the shoulders and steered him away before he could protest.
Once they had reached a private corner Fudge released Harry who turned around, looking anything but pleased, "What?"
"Now, now, no need to be so huffy. I have a proposition to make you." said Fudge, brushing off his robes.
Harry lost a small bit of his hostility to curiosity, "What kind of proposition?"
Fudge bent down to Harry's level, which wasn't very necessary as he was only a few inches higher than him, "After a rather. . .interesting conversation with Mr.'s Black, Lupin, and Ms Whims, I have come to the decision that if you go along with the prosecution than we won't use the Pensieve."
Harry arms, which had been crossed, dropped to the side and he felt his mouth fall open. He had to blink a few times to reassure himself that he hadn't been hearing things. He knew there was no way to get out of everyone finding out about his beatings but it would be a hell of a lot better to just tell them than to let them see.
"Y-you're serious?" he asked, still disbelieving his ears.
Fudge nodded, "Your friends can be quite persuasive."
Despite the still very severe gravity of the situation, Harry felt a smile creep onto his face, though he still forced it down, "Deal."
As the two entered the court room, Fudge went off to sit in his seat as his friends beckoned him over.
"What'd Fudge want?" asked Ron as Harry sat down.
"Nothing much." he answered in a tone that clearly stated that the subject was closed. But when his back was turned, Harry leaned over to Sirius, Remus, and Whims.
"Thank you." he mouthed. They nodded in understanding as the proceedings got under way.
"Bring in the accused." said a wizard whom Harry didn't recognize. Several wizards who were standing by the door left momentarily and reentered with Harry's aunt and uncle. Harry was quite pleased to say that both of them looked positively terrified. His friends appeared completely bewildered as to what was going on but before any of them could say anything. . .
"What's the meaning of this!? Why are we here!?" raged Vernon. Vernon and Petunia were pushed into their chairs and the wizards went back to their post at the door.
"You and your wife, Mr. Dursley, are charged abusing of your nephew, Harry Potter." said the wizard that Harry didn't know.
Not that it really mattered; however, for at the moment, Harry was quite preoccupied with trying to ignore the gasps and stares he was receiving from just about everyone in the room as well as keep an emotionless face. It was more difficult than he had anticipated, though. Ron, who was sitting two seats down from him, was leaning forward out of his seat, staring at Harry for a few seconds then turning to glare at the Dursleys and then back again. Lavender was doing the same only she sat right next to him on the right side so she didn't need to lean forward. Hermione, in Harry's opinion at least, was the hardest to ignore. Her hand, which had been on his, gripped so tightly that Harry wondered whether his circulation was suffering. And although Harry wasn't looking, he was certain that tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Harry," she whispered in a very hurt voice, "Why didn't you tell us?"
Harry kept his eyes forward as the wizard continued, "Do you plead innocent or guilty?"
Vernon shot up, "What has that boy been saying now!? He's been nothing but trouble since the day we got him! Where is he!?" One of the wizards who had brought him in had to force him back into his seat. Once he was quiet again the wizard, whom Harry now believed to be the head judge, asked the question over.
"Of course not! We never touched a hair on his head!" shouted Petunia. Harry felt his eyes narrowing at her. How could she possibly be related to someone like his mother?
"Very well, we shall have to see. Arthur and Molly Weasley, would you be kind enough to come forward. Instantly, Ron swiveled around to look at his parents who were making their way to the front.
"Would you mind recollecting the events that you encountered while on your trip to pick up Mr. Potter for school?" the wizard asked.
"Certainly," said Mrs. Weasley as she and her husband launched into a detailed account of what had happened during their trip to the Dursleys. Harry's friends were hugging their sides in silent laughter when they got to the part about Vernon's hair but quickly lost their smiles when the discussion jumped up to the part about Harry's room.
"Complete and utter rubbish!" shouted Vernon as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came to a close on their tale.
"Like hell it is! You left Harry for dead! Didn't even have the courtesy to file a missing persons report! I saw his room, I know what you did you sick bastard!" Mr. Weasley flared. Harry had never seen him this angry before and when combined with the death glares his wife was giving to the Dursleys the two were a deadly force.
"I did nothing he didn't deserve! Go check the room! It's spotless!" cried Vernon, his red face taking on a nasty shade of purple as he sprayed spit as he spoke.
"Now it is! Even you're not stupid enough to leave it like it was! You good for nothing asshole!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. Harry felt his mouth drop open. Never, not once in all the time he had known her had he heard Mrs. Weasley utter a foul word and here she was shouting it for the whole court room to hear.
"Go mum!" Ron shouted as he jumped up with his fist in the air. Lavender had to grab his arm and pull him back down before the proceedings could continue; though it still took a while to calm down the adult Weasleys and Vernon. Once peace was restored the wizard in charge stood up.
"Arabella Figg." he stated as Harry's long time neighbor stood up gracefully and hurried forward. Though as she passed his row, she turned to Harry and nodded.
What she meant by this Harry wasn't sure but as she reached the front of the room she smiled feebly at the wizard, "Go ahead, Wallace."
The wizard squirmed at the use of his name, "Right then, Arabella. You were put in charge of keeping an eye on Harry before he attended Hogwarts. Can you tell us some of the things that you noticed over the years?"
Arabella nodded, "Vernon and Petunia often left Harry at my home while they took their son, Dudley, out for the day. For a young boy he was always unusually quiet. Sometimes he would come to visit me with a few cuts and bruises. I never suspected a thing outside that Dudley had probably been picking on him again. Even that time when he was six. I found him walking around town in the pouring rain without even an umbrella. Soaked to the bone he was. I took him back to my house and when I took his clothes off to dry them I noticed quite a few injuries on his body. . ."
She went on to describe several more incidences where she had found Harry's body in a sorry state. Harry lowered his face through it all. He couldn't stand the looks he was receiving from just about everyone in the room. Ron had given up on glaring at the Dursleys and now spent his entire time staring at Harry with his mouth open. He was certain that there would be a rather loud conversation between the two of them in the near future. Remus and Whims were busy trying to keep Sirius in his seat and quiet but found their hands full with the fight he was putting up. Eventually, Arabella came to a close of her tales. Harry finally raised his head, face bright red, just in time to see his uncle jump up and start yelling again.
"Preposterous!" he shouted, "Absolute nonsense!"
"You would do well to keep quiet, Mr. Dursley." warned Wallace.
"You have no proof of what she's saying!" Vernon bellowed as Arabella went back to her seat.
"Three people's word to one, the odds aren't for you." said Wallace.
"It's a conspiracy! And he's leading it, isn't he!? Where are you boy!? I know you're here!" Vernon raged, his eyes searching the crowd.
"Yes, perhaps you're right. It would be best to have him testify. Mr. Potter, would you come up here?" Wallace asked. Instantly, Harry felt every eye in the room turn to him. He felt very diminutive under their gaze but refused to falter.
He was about to stand up when Hermione leaned over to his ear and whispered, "Be strong, Harry. It'll be okay." Harry very seriously doubted that things would be "okay" but he didn't want to worry her and nodded in acknowledgement. He slowly made his way to the front of the court room.
"Now, Harry, did your aunt and uncle ever hurt you in any way?" asked Wallace. Harry had to fight down the urge to deny it.
He forced himself to remember the deal he had made with Fudge and after a brief glance in his direction Harry took a deep breath, "Yes."
"Could you be a bit more specific?" Wallace asked. Harry could feel his cheeks heat up but wasn't sure if he was blushing or not; he prayed to God that he wasn't. Trying to get his mind off the eyes all focused on him, Harry tried to think of what they wanted to hear. Did they want him to describe an example? If not, than what else. Harry was having serious doubts as to whether or not he would be able to bring himself to talk of one of his beatings, especially with all those eyes drilling into him.
"About what, exactly?" Harry asked after a solid minute of pure silence.
"How did he hurt you?" Wallace asked.
"It depends." said Harry.
"On what?" Wallace questioned.
"On how mad or drunk he is." said Harry. There was a sudden out break of people's voices as they heard this and Vernon shot up. (AN: Wondering why Petunia's so quite? Well, she knows about wizard proceedings and knows it's best to keep your mouth shut. . .Or at least that's what I say)
"Lies! All of it! I've never been drunk in my life! You nasty little bastard!" he shouted. Harry, who was used to his uncle's insults, remained solemn faced, his friends, however, were quite the opposite.
"Shove it, you fat asshole, and do everyone a favor!" Ron shouted as he launched up.
The entire court room burst out into a crazy mess of yelling. Harry remained silent through the entire thing as Wallace tried frantically to reinstall order. People seemed too worked up to be silenced, however, and it took a full twenty minutes to get peace again and when they did Wallace turned back to Harry who was busy fiddling with the end of his robe sleeve.
"Now, Harry, what did your uncle beat you with?" Wallace asked.
Harry was beginning to wonder if it was really necessary to ask all these questions, "It varies, normally the metal end of leather belt or his fists." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see his friends all looking extremely tense.
"Where would he hit you?" asked Wallace. Harry thought this was a ridiculously stupid question. Why would it matter where he was hit?
"My back most often." he said.
The witch next to him leaned over to Wallace and whispered in his ear who nodded and turned to Harry, "The council wishes to see some proof. Could we see your back?"
Harry had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Testifying was one thing but no one ever said he would have to show physical proof. He wasn't the only one thinking this. Dumbledore had to restrain all of his friends from interrupting the proceedings. Harry hesitated a minute. Surely this was in invasion of his privacy. He looked towards his friends and Sirius, who just finished a rather strained conversation with Dumbledore, looked like his mind was ripping in two different directions but never the less he slowly nodded his head. Disappointed that he wasn't going to be getting any help in persuading the council out of it, he turned around and lifted the robes that were covering his back.
Madame Pomfrey had managed to get rid of most of the scars but the older and deep ones remained and still took up a good portion of the skin. Harry squeezed his eyes closed as he heard the gasps of the people in the room.
"What does that prove!? I know that boy gets into a lot of trouble at that school of his! I bet that's where those are from!?" suggested Vernon. There was a murmur of agreement from the council. It was by now well known in the wizard world of Harry's misadventures in Hogwarts and it made sense to them that he would have quite a few injuries to go along with them. Vernon was smiling smugly at obviously starting to change their opinions.
"Do you have anything to say, Harry?" asked Wallace. Harry said nothing; he was still trying to recover from the embarrassment of revealing his back.
Wallace looked grim for a minute before picking up his gravel, "Very well. If you don't have anything to counter prove them then I have no choice but to set them free."
All of Harry friends looked murderously at the council. How could they be buying anything that a Dursley said? Just before the gravel hit the table, however, someone spoke up.
"Wait!" shouted Fudge, standing up. The entire court room froze as the Minister of Magic strode forward quite confidently. His footsteps echoed off the walls as all the eyes in the room watched him, none more cautiously than Harry. He had a nasty feeling what was going to happen next and was prepared to do anything necessary to stop it.
When Fudge finally reached the front of the room he faced the council, "There is a way to see the truth."
The council looked interested as did the rest of the room, but before they could ask how, Harry spoke up, "Don't you dare! You promised you wouldn't!"
The room looked shocked at Harry's sudden outburst but Fudge smiled weakly at him, "I never expected them not to convict them. Surely you don't wish them to go free, Harry."
"I should have known better than to trust a scum wipe like you." Harry said quietly yet deadly. Everyone in the room had their mouth hanging open; no one had *ever*, in all the years that the Ministry was in control, dared to insult the Minister right in front of him.
Fudge cleared his throat and addressed the council again, "Mr. Potter has given---"
"Like hell I gave it to you! You stole it!" shouted Harry. The wizard guard behind him took a step forward as to be close enough to take control if Harry made any sudden movements; which Harry thought was really weird as it was more likely for Sirius to do something dangerous than him. All Harry was intent on doing was destroying the Pensieve before anyone else could see it.
Fudge looked taken back but pushed it aside and waved his wand. Instantly, Harry's Pensieve appeared in front of the council with an odd looking contraption next to it.
"Pensieve?" asked Wallace. Fudge nodded and the court room's occupants resettled into their seats with interest. Harry couldn't contain himself anymore. He lunged forward and was almost at the Pensieve when someone grabbed him from behind.
Not caring who it was he thrashed against the firm grip, "Let me go!"
In response the grip on his arms grew tighter and Harry began to loose feeling in them, looking furiously up at his capture he noticed it was the wizard guard who had been watching him closely. His friends were all immediately on their feet as well and had to be restrained by the other wizard guards in the room. Vernon and Petunia seemed to notice something important was happening and looked from face to face, searching for an answer. All Vernon's ranting and raving, however, was drowned out by the shouting of the other people in the room.
"You have no fucking right to show them!" Harry was shouting.
Sirius and Ron were both bellowing in sentences of pure profanity but this time no one bothered to correct them. The wizard holding Harry was having difficulty controlling him now and cast several calming spells but they didn't seem to be doing any good. The court room was in complete chaos and it seemed as though they might have to postpone the trial until people could calm down until Fudge did something that simultaneously shut everyone up. Apparently the object next to the Pensieve was a projector. One of Harry's older memories was playing on the wall and everyone, except Harry who was staring humiliated at the floor, was watching open mouthed at scene.
_~_~_~_~
A seven year old Harry laid breathing heavily on the cot in the cupboard. He had made the mistake earlier that day of daring to get higher grades on his report card than Dudley and Vernon and Petunia had been outraged. Harry knew better than to show off his grades as he always got higher marks than his cousin who never studied, but Dudley had snatched it out of his hand and whined to his parents. They had been angrier than Harry could ever remember for "showing off" his grades to Dudley. So to "teach him a lesson" Vernon had used the belt on him for thirty straight minutes before he passed out. When he finally woke up several hours later, he was locked in the cupboard. Just by the draft he felt by the small breeze of wind circulating through the vent, Harry knew he was bleeding immensely. He supposed that after he had lost consciousness his uncle beat him further.
Harry sighed but winced at the pain radiating from his chest. His lips grew thin at the thought of his ribs being broken but brushed aside the idea as absurd. His uncle wasn't fool enough to break anything and even if he was he was too cheap towards his nephew to take him to the hospital. Harry tried to sit up but fell back down from lack of strength and pain. As he landed on the bed his head bumped against the wooden wall and he let out a moan. He had to get up though, if his aunt or uncle came to wake him up and he was still laying down there would be trouble and Harry doubted that he would be able to take much more at the moment.
Just as he managed to work himself into a working position the door opened and Petunia stood there tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well?" she asked.
"Well what?" Harry asked, wincing after he realized what he had said. His aunt hated him asking questions of any sort. As Harry started to relieve his eyes he felt a sharp sting snap across the face. He brought his hand up to his cheek and knew that a handprint had begun to form.
"No asking questions!" she snapped, "Now did you weed the garden or not?" Harry blinked, he didn't remember ever being told to weed the garden, and even if he had he wouldn't have been able to. After all, the door to his cupboard had been locked. When he told his aunt this she slapped him again and then grabbed him by the ear before dragging him out back and knocking him to the ground in front of the garden.
"Now don't even think about coming back in until every weed had been pulled from the root and the *back* yard mowed. Don't even think about going around front looking like that." she said before turning around and walking back into the house.
Harry slowly pulled the weeds out of the ground, stopping occasionally to catch his breath which had become ragged from the undoubtedly bruised ribs. When he went to take out the mower he found it rather difficult to push it along the ground without swerving slightly to the side as he kept nodding off. By the time he was finished to the best of his ability he put the mower away and was about to reenter the house when Vernon stormed outside.
"How dare you, boy! You can't even mow the lawn correctly! Look at what you did!" he shouted as he grabbed Harry roughly around the neck and pointed his head downward to the crooked lines in the grass which was rather painful as he had a crick in his neck that he had yet to undo. Harry said nothing, though; instead he just waited for his uncle's punishment. He wouldn't really mind no meals for a week, at the moment he wasn't really hungry. Doing Dudley's homework also wouldn't be too bad, it gave him extra practice. As a matter of fact, Harry really wouldn't mind anything as long as it wasn't a beating.
Later he would think that he should have known better. Vernon pushed Harry backwards after a good amount of time to look at the grass. Harry barely managed to keep his balance but he did and he looked up at his uncle who was advancing on him rather quickly. Once there, Vernon punched Harry in the stomach with such force that lost his glasses. When he landed on the ground, he brought one hand to his stomach and felt the other one around for his glasses. It wasn't until he heard a nasty crunching sound that he realized his uncle had smashed his glasses into many pieces.
"You don't really need these. Don't seem to help you much, do they?" he asked nastily. Harry said nothing, one reason being because he was still trying to catch his breath.
"Answer me boy!" ordered Vernon as he kicked Harry in the back.
As the shoe hit Harry's unprepared back he felt a sudden wave of nausea begin to overcome him. Before he could fight it down Harry hurled on the freshly cut grass. Vernon seemed livid with unsuppressed anger. His face turned a nasty shade of purple and he grabbed Harry by the neck and held him up before punching him across the face.
"How dare you ruin the yard even more!? You worthless piece of shit! Get up and clean this mess!" Vernon bellowed kicking Harry as hard as he could repeatedly.
With that he marched into the garden shed and came back out with a shovel in his hands. He brought it over to Harry who couldn't tell exactly what was happening, but also couldn't move in the least to protect himself. Vernon brought up the shovel and then slammed it down onto Harry's ribs. At the impact Harry gave a mighty whoop of a cough and felt something sticky run down his chin. Vernon brought up the shovel again and was about to bring it down when Petunia came out.
"Vernon," she called to him, "Deal with the boy later, Piers is here. It's time to go to the movies." Vernon snarled at his nephew for a moment before dropping the shovel on him and walking back into the house.
_~_~_~_~
The court room stood or sat in utter silence. No one could quite come to grips with the fact that all they were seeing was true. How could anyone treat anyone else like this? Especially a relative and particularly the Boy- Who-Lived. They were all so caught up in their thought that none noticed that one of their numbers had disappeared. It wasn't until Hermione glanced over in Harry direction that she noticed that he was no longer present. She hastily pointed this out to Ron and Lavender and the three quickly left the court room.
Author's Note: Super sorry! I didn't mean to make you wait that long but I've been sick lately and when I finally got back to school I had a junk load of homework and quizzes to make up! Promise it won't happen again. But anyway, I know what you're thinking. KILL FUDGE!!!! Yes, such an insensitive creep, ain't he? And no, I don't mean for this chapter to be a cliffhanger, sorry if you feel it is! And for those of you dying to see Dursley revenge. . .hahahaha! Next chapter! R&R to get it sooner!
VampireLover: Yes, I know. Thanks for the review!
Kristi: Thanks! I feel a lot better now. Bed rest and lots o' orange juice, that's always the cure! And thanks for the compliment! I, personally, don't like this chapter. I kinda felt rushed for numerous reasons and it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Particularly the end of the chapter. . .gotta fix that.
Joshua Eide: Thanks! I'm not really discouraged at all about this story. . .I kinda am about Home for the Holidays, though. Hmmm. . .I'm gonna go ahead and use that confidence for that story, okay? Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!
Purple Water: Yeah, in my story Fudge is feeling a little guilty b/c he blamed Harry for Voldemort's return. He's trying to make it up to him but he's doing it the wrong way! Stupid Fudge! Harry's friends know what's best for him, if not then shouldn't he at least listen to Harry himself? Goodness, I'm starting to sound like a reviewer. . .ugh. I'm just gonna go write some more. Maybe the answers will pop up on their own. . .Yes, well. . .about Harry telling Hermione. . .just read on. . .
Cricket: . . .::completely agrees:: Just call me if you need back up with that little mission of yours.
Celebony: Looking for some Dursley revenge? Ah, so many have asked and I'm very pleased to deliver! Read on my friend and enjoy! But as for Fudge. . .he's the Minister of Magic. . . they can't really hurt him, you know. Where's Harry? ::grins:: you'll see. . .I'm sorry, already! I didn't mean for that to be considered a cliffy. . .ugh. . .
Videl: Yes, yes, a lot of Dursley bashing coming. . .
Kat: I know, I love writing emotional chapters! They keep me on the edge of my seat as I write them! As for spacing between my chapters. . .I'm working on it. You can tell a difference between the beginning of my story and now. . .right? ::sigh:: just read my author's note. I have an announcement.
Aleema-Darkrose: Let's see. . .Fudge just used Harry's Pensieve after he promised he wouldn't, the entire wizarding world is going to know soon, and no one can give him anything but the sympathy he DOESN'T want. I wonder if he's going to do something crazy. . .hmm. . .Every hour? Really? Coolio! Thanks!
Laterose: Yes, I am sorry about Sirius' freedom scene. . .I was kinda rushed to update and didn't have time to make it as good as I want it. . .when I finish the stories I'm working on now, though, you can count on rewrites!
Moonlight: Yep, Fudge is a doody head, ain't he? I never liked his character so I love to make him out to be the bad guy! Pensieve is one of the most personal things a person can have, oooooooooooo, I HATE Fudge. . .anyone wanna join my Let's-Kill-Fudge-Club? That many, huh? As for what Harry's gonna do. . .
Ch11: Wizard Court
Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand back to Hogwarts. They had stayed out on the grass for well over an hour, just sitting and talking. Hermione had tried coaxing Harry into telling her what had made him almost kill himself but he refused to talk about it, saying that he would tell her later, when the time was right. She didn't pursue the topic, though, even when Harry had made her promise not to tell anyone about what happened that night. She had agreed on the condition that if he ever tried to kill himself again then she would tell and get him help. Other than that, they had just become closer. They strolled into the Great Hall, the Ball still going strong. As people caught glimpses of them they stared. Whether this was because of the way they looked (AN: They were fighting out there, remember?) or because no one had ever seen the two best friends in such closeness before they didn't know, nor did they care. They walked out into the dance floor just as a slow dance came on. Hermione laid her head on Harry shoulder and sighed contentedly.
"I love you, Harry." she whispered into his ear. Harry pulled her a little closer in response but before they knew it, the song was over and they were intercepted by Ron, Lavender, Sirius, Remus, and Professor Whims.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Ron asked smirking. Harry and Hermione broke apart, though their hands remained intertwined.
"So you decided to come after all, Harry?" asked Whims as she smiled whimsically. Harry nodded and smiled at his new girlfriend, "Well, Hermione can be quite persuasive. "
"Yeah, what exactly were you two doing out there? You're both a mess. What happened to your cheek, Hermione?" asked Lavender. Harry grip on Hermione's hand suddenly tightened he found himself forgetting to breathe. They both couldn't think of anything to say and were quite for some time and Ron's face grew a smile.
"Oh, I get it. Shame, shame, you two!" said Ron, elbowing Harry then chiding his fingers. The two blushed and Hermione looked disapprovingly at him, "Honestly, Ron! What do you take us for?"
"*Sure*, Hermione." said Ron, winking at her.
Lavender shoved him and laughed, "So, are you two finally together or not?" They both blushed and held up their hands.
"It's about time, too." said Remus, "Half the school's been making bets on how long it would take for you two to get together."
_~_~_~_~
The next day Harry was sitting in the bleachers of the Quidditch field, staring blankly forward. He knew what day it was and he also knew what was going to happen. He had less than half an hour before he had to be at his uncle and aunt's trial and he was busy thinking about what the notice had said.
'You are free to bring anyone who might serve as a comfort to you.' Harry repeated in his mind.
He snorted at the thought of it. Why would he want to bring anyone with him? They would find out soon enough and he wanted to post pone their sympathies as long as possible.
"Damn Fudge." Harry said quietly to himself.
It was his fault that this was happening. He wasn't even aware that it was possible to force someone's memories out of their head. He had gotten the impression from Dumbledore last year that it was personal preference that unlocked the door to the Pensieve, apparently not. Harry put his head in his hands. In less than two hours his life would be ruined. Perhaps he should have killed himself the night before. Hermione couldn't have really meant it when she said that she loved him. He must have hit her too hard during their struggle. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He sat there in silence for a moment, just staring at it. Sure, he had promised to not kill himself but it was only delaying the inevitable. Eventually Voldemort would get him. He had already almost succeeded twice that year. Harry sighed. Why life had chosen to be so harsh to him was beyond comprehension. . .at least to Harry anyway.
He fiddled with his wand for a moment and thought heavily but before he could come up with any major decision, "Hey, Harry!"
Hermione was walking up to him with a bright smile on her face. Harry put on a half-hearted smile and put away his wand before it was seen, "Hi, Hermione."
She sat next to him, "What are you doing up here? Everyone's been looking for you."
"Nothing much, just thinking." he said.
"Oh, well you mind if I think with you?" she asked.
"Go ahead." said Harry, shrugging. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"This is fun." Hermione observed, breaking the silence.
"Mm." said Harry. Hermione looked at him, "What's wrong, Harry?"
Harry shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Hermione wasn't so easily deceived, however.
She turned to him and took his hand, "Harry, don't you think I know better by now? Something's bothering you. Now what is it?"
Harry was quiet for a long time before finally speaking, ". . .Hermione, did you really mean it yesterday?"
"Of course I did! Do you really think I would joke around about something like that?" she asked, sounding a little hurt.
Harry shook his head furiously, "No, just forget about it."
"Come on, let's go. Sirius, Remus, and Professor Dumbledore are looking for you." said Hermione standing up and holding out her hand.
Harry took her hand, "I'm not surprised. I might as well get it over with."
"Get what over?" asked Hermione as they started to walk.
"Nothing." said Harry.
Hermione gave him a smile, "Tell me later than, okay?" Harry nodded as they reached the Quidditch field. Hermione pulled him to a stop, grabbed the front of his robes and kissed him.
"I do love you, Harry." she said as they broke apart. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her. All of a sudden, there was a loud cat-calling whistle. The two separated and saw the Weasleys, Lavender, Remus, Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Whims standing several feet away. Sirius was the one who had whistled and was being told off by Whims at the moment for "disturbing the peace" as she put it.
Harry smirked at them and drew into Hermione again who laughed and playfully pushed him back, "Not now, Harry." Hermione pulled on Harry's hand and the two walked over to their friends.
"Ready, Harry?" asked Dumbledore taking out the portkey. Harry looked around the group but quickly lowered his gaze, not wanting to look back into their eyes.
"Harry?" asked Sirius. He didn't want them all to go but knew better than to ask them to stay, for they never would. So instead, he just reached out and touched the portkey.
He landed roughly but managed to stay on his feet. As he steadied himself, he took a look around. Not that he had expected to, but he didn't recognize the place. In front of him was a pair of large oak doors to a humongous building. He took in a deep breath and was about to take a step forward when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dumbledore's determined face staring straight ahead. He wasn't the only one to have followed, though. Everyone that had been on the Quidditch field was standing behind him. Ron, Hermione, and Lavender were gaping at the building.
"What are we doing here?" asked Lavender. But before anyone could answer, there was a sudden, loud bustle of clicking and flashes of light. Harry had to shield his eyes and he was sure that the others were doing the same thing.
"Mr. Potter, a word if you don't mind."
"Mr. Potter, what exactly is the trial about?"
"Mr. Potter--"
It seemed out of no where that all these witches and wizards appeared and started to bombard him with pictures and questions.
Harry felt someone brush past him and grab his hand, pulling him through the crowd, "Out of the way!" Harry squinted and saw Sirius pulling him along, accompanied by Remus and Whims. The rest of the group followed closely behind and they eventually all made it into the building from which the paparazzi were banned.
They all breathed a sigh of relief and Ron turned around to stare at the door, "What was *that* about?"
"Harry, I'm beginning to get the feeling that you're not telling us something." said Hermione, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Harry started to walk, "Let's just get this over with."
"Harry! Just the person I've been looking for!" exclaimed Fudge, walking up to him.
Harry didn't bother to repress the scowl that was forming upon his lips, "What do you want?"
"Goodness, one might think you would want to save that look for the court room." said Fudge which gained curious glances from his friends but Fudge made no recognition of them and continued, "Could I have a quick word?" Harry looked around to the group of his friends.
Sirius, Remus, and Whims were all glaring at Fudge with the utmost hatred, which Harry was only too glad to second, "I'd rather not."
"Wonderful! Now it won't be but a minute. Why don't the rest of you go ahead and get your seats. We'll be in soon." said Fudge as he gripped Harry by the shoulders and steered him away before he could protest.
Once they had reached a private corner Fudge released Harry who turned around, looking anything but pleased, "What?"
"Now, now, no need to be so huffy. I have a proposition to make you." said Fudge, brushing off his robes.
Harry lost a small bit of his hostility to curiosity, "What kind of proposition?"
Fudge bent down to Harry's level, which wasn't very necessary as he was only a few inches higher than him, "After a rather. . .interesting conversation with Mr.'s Black, Lupin, and Ms Whims, I have come to the decision that if you go along with the prosecution than we won't use the Pensieve."
Harry arms, which had been crossed, dropped to the side and he felt his mouth fall open. He had to blink a few times to reassure himself that he hadn't been hearing things. He knew there was no way to get out of everyone finding out about his beatings but it would be a hell of a lot better to just tell them than to let them see.
"Y-you're serious?" he asked, still disbelieving his ears.
Fudge nodded, "Your friends can be quite persuasive."
Despite the still very severe gravity of the situation, Harry felt a smile creep onto his face, though he still forced it down, "Deal."
As the two entered the court room, Fudge went off to sit in his seat as his friends beckoned him over.
"What'd Fudge want?" asked Ron as Harry sat down.
"Nothing much." he answered in a tone that clearly stated that the subject was closed. But when his back was turned, Harry leaned over to Sirius, Remus, and Whims.
"Thank you." he mouthed. They nodded in understanding as the proceedings got under way.
"Bring in the accused." said a wizard whom Harry didn't recognize. Several wizards who were standing by the door left momentarily and reentered with Harry's aunt and uncle. Harry was quite pleased to say that both of them looked positively terrified. His friends appeared completely bewildered as to what was going on but before any of them could say anything. . .
"What's the meaning of this!? Why are we here!?" raged Vernon. Vernon and Petunia were pushed into their chairs and the wizards went back to their post at the door.
"You and your wife, Mr. Dursley, are charged abusing of your nephew, Harry Potter." said the wizard that Harry didn't know.
Not that it really mattered; however, for at the moment, Harry was quite preoccupied with trying to ignore the gasps and stares he was receiving from just about everyone in the room as well as keep an emotionless face. It was more difficult than he had anticipated, though. Ron, who was sitting two seats down from him, was leaning forward out of his seat, staring at Harry for a few seconds then turning to glare at the Dursleys and then back again. Lavender was doing the same only she sat right next to him on the right side so she didn't need to lean forward. Hermione, in Harry's opinion at least, was the hardest to ignore. Her hand, which had been on his, gripped so tightly that Harry wondered whether his circulation was suffering. And although Harry wasn't looking, he was certain that tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Harry," she whispered in a very hurt voice, "Why didn't you tell us?"
Harry kept his eyes forward as the wizard continued, "Do you plead innocent or guilty?"
Vernon shot up, "What has that boy been saying now!? He's been nothing but trouble since the day we got him! Where is he!?" One of the wizards who had brought him in had to force him back into his seat. Once he was quiet again the wizard, whom Harry now believed to be the head judge, asked the question over.
"Of course not! We never touched a hair on his head!" shouted Petunia. Harry felt his eyes narrowing at her. How could she possibly be related to someone like his mother?
"Very well, we shall have to see. Arthur and Molly Weasley, would you be kind enough to come forward. Instantly, Ron swiveled around to look at his parents who were making their way to the front.
"Would you mind recollecting the events that you encountered while on your trip to pick up Mr. Potter for school?" the wizard asked.
"Certainly," said Mrs. Weasley as she and her husband launched into a detailed account of what had happened during their trip to the Dursleys. Harry's friends were hugging their sides in silent laughter when they got to the part about Vernon's hair but quickly lost their smiles when the discussion jumped up to the part about Harry's room.
"Complete and utter rubbish!" shouted Vernon as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came to a close on their tale.
"Like hell it is! You left Harry for dead! Didn't even have the courtesy to file a missing persons report! I saw his room, I know what you did you sick bastard!" Mr. Weasley flared. Harry had never seen him this angry before and when combined with the death glares his wife was giving to the Dursleys the two were a deadly force.
"I did nothing he didn't deserve! Go check the room! It's spotless!" cried Vernon, his red face taking on a nasty shade of purple as he sprayed spit as he spoke.
"Now it is! Even you're not stupid enough to leave it like it was! You good for nothing asshole!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. Harry felt his mouth drop open. Never, not once in all the time he had known her had he heard Mrs. Weasley utter a foul word and here she was shouting it for the whole court room to hear.
"Go mum!" Ron shouted as he jumped up with his fist in the air. Lavender had to grab his arm and pull him back down before the proceedings could continue; though it still took a while to calm down the adult Weasleys and Vernon. Once peace was restored the wizard in charge stood up.
"Arabella Figg." he stated as Harry's long time neighbor stood up gracefully and hurried forward. Though as she passed his row, she turned to Harry and nodded.
What she meant by this Harry wasn't sure but as she reached the front of the room she smiled feebly at the wizard, "Go ahead, Wallace."
The wizard squirmed at the use of his name, "Right then, Arabella. You were put in charge of keeping an eye on Harry before he attended Hogwarts. Can you tell us some of the things that you noticed over the years?"
Arabella nodded, "Vernon and Petunia often left Harry at my home while they took their son, Dudley, out for the day. For a young boy he was always unusually quiet. Sometimes he would come to visit me with a few cuts and bruises. I never suspected a thing outside that Dudley had probably been picking on him again. Even that time when he was six. I found him walking around town in the pouring rain without even an umbrella. Soaked to the bone he was. I took him back to my house and when I took his clothes off to dry them I noticed quite a few injuries on his body. . ."
She went on to describe several more incidences where she had found Harry's body in a sorry state. Harry lowered his face through it all. He couldn't stand the looks he was receiving from just about everyone in the room. Ron had given up on glaring at the Dursleys and now spent his entire time staring at Harry with his mouth open. He was certain that there would be a rather loud conversation between the two of them in the near future. Remus and Whims were busy trying to keep Sirius in his seat and quiet but found their hands full with the fight he was putting up. Eventually, Arabella came to a close of her tales. Harry finally raised his head, face bright red, just in time to see his uncle jump up and start yelling again.
"Preposterous!" he shouted, "Absolute nonsense!"
"You would do well to keep quiet, Mr. Dursley." warned Wallace.
"You have no proof of what she's saying!" Vernon bellowed as Arabella went back to her seat.
"Three people's word to one, the odds aren't for you." said Wallace.
"It's a conspiracy! And he's leading it, isn't he!? Where are you boy!? I know you're here!" Vernon raged, his eyes searching the crowd.
"Yes, perhaps you're right. It would be best to have him testify. Mr. Potter, would you come up here?" Wallace asked. Instantly, Harry felt every eye in the room turn to him. He felt very diminutive under their gaze but refused to falter.
He was about to stand up when Hermione leaned over to his ear and whispered, "Be strong, Harry. It'll be okay." Harry very seriously doubted that things would be "okay" but he didn't want to worry her and nodded in acknowledgement. He slowly made his way to the front of the court room.
"Now, Harry, did your aunt and uncle ever hurt you in any way?" asked Wallace. Harry had to fight down the urge to deny it.
He forced himself to remember the deal he had made with Fudge and after a brief glance in his direction Harry took a deep breath, "Yes."
"Could you be a bit more specific?" Wallace asked. Harry could feel his cheeks heat up but wasn't sure if he was blushing or not; he prayed to God that he wasn't. Trying to get his mind off the eyes all focused on him, Harry tried to think of what they wanted to hear. Did they want him to describe an example? If not, than what else. Harry was having serious doubts as to whether or not he would be able to bring himself to talk of one of his beatings, especially with all those eyes drilling into him.
"About what, exactly?" Harry asked after a solid minute of pure silence.
"How did he hurt you?" Wallace asked.
"It depends." said Harry.
"On what?" Wallace questioned.
"On how mad or drunk he is." said Harry. There was a sudden out break of people's voices as they heard this and Vernon shot up. (AN: Wondering why Petunia's so quite? Well, she knows about wizard proceedings and knows it's best to keep your mouth shut. . .Or at least that's what I say)
"Lies! All of it! I've never been drunk in my life! You nasty little bastard!" he shouted. Harry, who was used to his uncle's insults, remained solemn faced, his friends, however, were quite the opposite.
"Shove it, you fat asshole, and do everyone a favor!" Ron shouted as he launched up.
The entire court room burst out into a crazy mess of yelling. Harry remained silent through the entire thing as Wallace tried frantically to reinstall order. People seemed too worked up to be silenced, however, and it took a full twenty minutes to get peace again and when they did Wallace turned back to Harry who was busy fiddling with the end of his robe sleeve.
"Now, Harry, what did your uncle beat you with?" Wallace asked.
Harry was beginning to wonder if it was really necessary to ask all these questions, "It varies, normally the metal end of leather belt or his fists." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see his friends all looking extremely tense.
"Where would he hit you?" asked Wallace. Harry thought this was a ridiculously stupid question. Why would it matter where he was hit?
"My back most often." he said.
The witch next to him leaned over to Wallace and whispered in his ear who nodded and turned to Harry, "The council wishes to see some proof. Could we see your back?"
Harry had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Testifying was one thing but no one ever said he would have to show physical proof. He wasn't the only one thinking this. Dumbledore had to restrain all of his friends from interrupting the proceedings. Harry hesitated a minute. Surely this was in invasion of his privacy. He looked towards his friends and Sirius, who just finished a rather strained conversation with Dumbledore, looked like his mind was ripping in two different directions but never the less he slowly nodded his head. Disappointed that he wasn't going to be getting any help in persuading the council out of it, he turned around and lifted the robes that were covering his back.
Madame Pomfrey had managed to get rid of most of the scars but the older and deep ones remained and still took up a good portion of the skin. Harry squeezed his eyes closed as he heard the gasps of the people in the room.
"What does that prove!? I know that boy gets into a lot of trouble at that school of his! I bet that's where those are from!?" suggested Vernon. There was a murmur of agreement from the council. It was by now well known in the wizard world of Harry's misadventures in Hogwarts and it made sense to them that he would have quite a few injuries to go along with them. Vernon was smiling smugly at obviously starting to change their opinions.
"Do you have anything to say, Harry?" asked Wallace. Harry said nothing; he was still trying to recover from the embarrassment of revealing his back.
Wallace looked grim for a minute before picking up his gravel, "Very well. If you don't have anything to counter prove them then I have no choice but to set them free."
All of Harry friends looked murderously at the council. How could they be buying anything that a Dursley said? Just before the gravel hit the table, however, someone spoke up.
"Wait!" shouted Fudge, standing up. The entire court room froze as the Minister of Magic strode forward quite confidently. His footsteps echoed off the walls as all the eyes in the room watched him, none more cautiously than Harry. He had a nasty feeling what was going to happen next and was prepared to do anything necessary to stop it.
When Fudge finally reached the front of the room he faced the council, "There is a way to see the truth."
The council looked interested as did the rest of the room, but before they could ask how, Harry spoke up, "Don't you dare! You promised you wouldn't!"
The room looked shocked at Harry's sudden outburst but Fudge smiled weakly at him, "I never expected them not to convict them. Surely you don't wish them to go free, Harry."
"I should have known better than to trust a scum wipe like you." Harry said quietly yet deadly. Everyone in the room had their mouth hanging open; no one had *ever*, in all the years that the Ministry was in control, dared to insult the Minister right in front of him.
Fudge cleared his throat and addressed the council again, "Mr. Potter has given---"
"Like hell I gave it to you! You stole it!" shouted Harry. The wizard guard behind him took a step forward as to be close enough to take control if Harry made any sudden movements; which Harry thought was really weird as it was more likely for Sirius to do something dangerous than him. All Harry was intent on doing was destroying the Pensieve before anyone else could see it.
Fudge looked taken back but pushed it aside and waved his wand. Instantly, Harry's Pensieve appeared in front of the council with an odd looking contraption next to it.
"Pensieve?" asked Wallace. Fudge nodded and the court room's occupants resettled into their seats with interest. Harry couldn't contain himself anymore. He lunged forward and was almost at the Pensieve when someone grabbed him from behind.
Not caring who it was he thrashed against the firm grip, "Let me go!"
In response the grip on his arms grew tighter and Harry began to loose feeling in them, looking furiously up at his capture he noticed it was the wizard guard who had been watching him closely. His friends were all immediately on their feet as well and had to be restrained by the other wizard guards in the room. Vernon and Petunia seemed to notice something important was happening and looked from face to face, searching for an answer. All Vernon's ranting and raving, however, was drowned out by the shouting of the other people in the room.
"You have no fucking right to show them!" Harry was shouting.
Sirius and Ron were both bellowing in sentences of pure profanity but this time no one bothered to correct them. The wizard holding Harry was having difficulty controlling him now and cast several calming spells but they didn't seem to be doing any good. The court room was in complete chaos and it seemed as though they might have to postpone the trial until people could calm down until Fudge did something that simultaneously shut everyone up. Apparently the object next to the Pensieve was a projector. One of Harry's older memories was playing on the wall and everyone, except Harry who was staring humiliated at the floor, was watching open mouthed at scene.
_~_~_~_~
A seven year old Harry laid breathing heavily on the cot in the cupboard. He had made the mistake earlier that day of daring to get higher grades on his report card than Dudley and Vernon and Petunia had been outraged. Harry knew better than to show off his grades as he always got higher marks than his cousin who never studied, but Dudley had snatched it out of his hand and whined to his parents. They had been angrier than Harry could ever remember for "showing off" his grades to Dudley. So to "teach him a lesson" Vernon had used the belt on him for thirty straight minutes before he passed out. When he finally woke up several hours later, he was locked in the cupboard. Just by the draft he felt by the small breeze of wind circulating through the vent, Harry knew he was bleeding immensely. He supposed that after he had lost consciousness his uncle beat him further.
Harry sighed but winced at the pain radiating from his chest. His lips grew thin at the thought of his ribs being broken but brushed aside the idea as absurd. His uncle wasn't fool enough to break anything and even if he was he was too cheap towards his nephew to take him to the hospital. Harry tried to sit up but fell back down from lack of strength and pain. As he landed on the bed his head bumped against the wooden wall and he let out a moan. He had to get up though, if his aunt or uncle came to wake him up and he was still laying down there would be trouble and Harry doubted that he would be able to take much more at the moment.
Just as he managed to work himself into a working position the door opened and Petunia stood there tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well?" she asked.
"Well what?" Harry asked, wincing after he realized what he had said. His aunt hated him asking questions of any sort. As Harry started to relieve his eyes he felt a sharp sting snap across the face. He brought his hand up to his cheek and knew that a handprint had begun to form.
"No asking questions!" she snapped, "Now did you weed the garden or not?" Harry blinked, he didn't remember ever being told to weed the garden, and even if he had he wouldn't have been able to. After all, the door to his cupboard had been locked. When he told his aunt this she slapped him again and then grabbed him by the ear before dragging him out back and knocking him to the ground in front of the garden.
"Now don't even think about coming back in until every weed had been pulled from the root and the *back* yard mowed. Don't even think about going around front looking like that." she said before turning around and walking back into the house.
Harry slowly pulled the weeds out of the ground, stopping occasionally to catch his breath which had become ragged from the undoubtedly bruised ribs. When he went to take out the mower he found it rather difficult to push it along the ground without swerving slightly to the side as he kept nodding off. By the time he was finished to the best of his ability he put the mower away and was about to reenter the house when Vernon stormed outside.
"How dare you, boy! You can't even mow the lawn correctly! Look at what you did!" he shouted as he grabbed Harry roughly around the neck and pointed his head downward to the crooked lines in the grass which was rather painful as he had a crick in his neck that he had yet to undo. Harry said nothing, though; instead he just waited for his uncle's punishment. He wouldn't really mind no meals for a week, at the moment he wasn't really hungry. Doing Dudley's homework also wouldn't be too bad, it gave him extra practice. As a matter of fact, Harry really wouldn't mind anything as long as it wasn't a beating.
Later he would think that he should have known better. Vernon pushed Harry backwards after a good amount of time to look at the grass. Harry barely managed to keep his balance but he did and he looked up at his uncle who was advancing on him rather quickly. Once there, Vernon punched Harry in the stomach with such force that lost his glasses. When he landed on the ground, he brought one hand to his stomach and felt the other one around for his glasses. It wasn't until he heard a nasty crunching sound that he realized his uncle had smashed his glasses into many pieces.
"You don't really need these. Don't seem to help you much, do they?" he asked nastily. Harry said nothing, one reason being because he was still trying to catch his breath.
"Answer me boy!" ordered Vernon as he kicked Harry in the back.
As the shoe hit Harry's unprepared back he felt a sudden wave of nausea begin to overcome him. Before he could fight it down Harry hurled on the freshly cut grass. Vernon seemed livid with unsuppressed anger. His face turned a nasty shade of purple and he grabbed Harry by the neck and held him up before punching him across the face.
"How dare you ruin the yard even more!? You worthless piece of shit! Get up and clean this mess!" Vernon bellowed kicking Harry as hard as he could repeatedly.
With that he marched into the garden shed and came back out with a shovel in his hands. He brought it over to Harry who couldn't tell exactly what was happening, but also couldn't move in the least to protect himself. Vernon brought up the shovel and then slammed it down onto Harry's ribs. At the impact Harry gave a mighty whoop of a cough and felt something sticky run down his chin. Vernon brought up the shovel again and was about to bring it down when Petunia came out.
"Vernon," she called to him, "Deal with the boy later, Piers is here. It's time to go to the movies." Vernon snarled at his nephew for a moment before dropping the shovel on him and walking back into the house.
_~_~_~_~
The court room stood or sat in utter silence. No one could quite come to grips with the fact that all they were seeing was true. How could anyone treat anyone else like this? Especially a relative and particularly the Boy- Who-Lived. They were all so caught up in their thought that none noticed that one of their numbers had disappeared. It wasn't until Hermione glanced over in Harry direction that she noticed that he was no longer present. She hastily pointed this out to Ron and Lavender and the three quickly left the court room.
Author's Note: Super sorry! I didn't mean to make you wait that long but I've been sick lately and when I finally got back to school I had a junk load of homework and quizzes to make up! Promise it won't happen again. But anyway, I know what you're thinking. KILL FUDGE!!!! Yes, such an insensitive creep, ain't he? And no, I don't mean for this chapter to be a cliffhanger, sorry if you feel it is! And for those of you dying to see Dursley revenge. . .hahahaha! Next chapter! R&R to get it sooner!
VampireLover: Yes, I know. Thanks for the review!
Kristi: Thanks! I feel a lot better now. Bed rest and lots o' orange juice, that's always the cure! And thanks for the compliment! I, personally, don't like this chapter. I kinda felt rushed for numerous reasons and it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Particularly the end of the chapter. . .gotta fix that.
Joshua Eide: Thanks! I'm not really discouraged at all about this story. . .I kinda am about Home for the Holidays, though. Hmmm. . .I'm gonna go ahead and use that confidence for that story, okay? Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!
Purple Water: Yeah, in my story Fudge is feeling a little guilty b/c he blamed Harry for Voldemort's return. He's trying to make it up to him but he's doing it the wrong way! Stupid Fudge! Harry's friends know what's best for him, if not then shouldn't he at least listen to Harry himself? Goodness, I'm starting to sound like a reviewer. . .ugh. I'm just gonna go write some more. Maybe the answers will pop up on their own. . .Yes, well. . .about Harry telling Hermione. . .just read on. . .
Cricket: . . .::completely agrees:: Just call me if you need back up with that little mission of yours.
Celebony: Looking for some Dursley revenge? Ah, so many have asked and I'm very pleased to deliver! Read on my friend and enjoy! But as for Fudge. . .he's the Minister of Magic. . . they can't really hurt him, you know. Where's Harry? ::grins:: you'll see. . .I'm sorry, already! I didn't mean for that to be considered a cliffy. . .ugh. . .
Videl: Yes, yes, a lot of Dursley bashing coming. . .
Kat: I know, I love writing emotional chapters! They keep me on the edge of my seat as I write them! As for spacing between my chapters. . .I'm working on it. You can tell a difference between the beginning of my story and now. . .right? ::sigh:: just read my author's note. I have an announcement.
Aleema-Darkrose: Let's see. . .Fudge just used Harry's Pensieve after he promised he wouldn't, the entire wizarding world is going to know soon, and no one can give him anything but the sympathy he DOESN'T want. I wonder if he's going to do something crazy. . .hmm. . .Every hour? Really? Coolio! Thanks!
Laterose: Yes, I am sorry about Sirius' freedom scene. . .I was kinda rushed to update and didn't have time to make it as good as I want it. . .when I finish the stories I'm working on now, though, you can count on rewrites!
Moonlight: Yep, Fudge is a doody head, ain't he? I never liked his character so I love to make him out to be the bad guy! Pensieve is one of the most personal things a person can have, oooooooooooo, I HATE Fudge. . .anyone wanna join my Let's-Kill-Fudge-Club? That many, huh? As for what Harry's gonna do. . .