Disclaimer: If I ever claim to own Harry Potter, you have license to shoot
me, for I would be lying.
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Aunt Petunia stepped back from Harry and gazed at him tearfully. She had no idea who the man at the bottom of the stairs was, but she had some idea as to why he would be there. Until she had found out about the return of Lord Voldemort last summer, Aunt Petunia had never paid attention to her sister's son, except to scorn or to punish him. All that had changed a year ago.
Now she stood, staring down at the man in the foyer, who lay, unmoving, upon the floor. Aunt Petunia took a deep breath and let it slowly, pondering on how to remedy the situation. She knew from past experience that an owl from the Ministry of Magic would be arriving soon for Harry. The whole family knew that Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school.
"Harry." she began hesitantly. The boy did not meet her gaze, but continued to stare at the figure downstairs. Aunt Petunia swallowed nervously, wondering what she could possibly say to her nephew.
"I had to do it," Harry said flatly. He finally looked up, and into her eyes. Aunt Petunia stared back at his cold, vacant eyes, and saw in them what she had guessed earlier.
The man laying on the floor had come to take her nephew away. He had come to take Harry to Lord Voldemort.
As Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to respond, a rapping on the window drew both their gazes to the expected messenger owl. Harry opened the window, and the owl flew inside, stopping to perch on the young wizard's outstretched arm. Harry took the envelope it held in its beak, and the owl took off with a flutter of wings. Undisturbed by this seemingly strange incident, Harry closed the window and proceeded to open the envelope.
"What does it say?" Aunt Petunia said, after Harry had scanned the letter quickly.
"That I violated the Decree of Underage Magic through the use of the Body-Bind spell, which, under normal circumstances, would mean I'm expelled. However, since this has happened before, they want me to undergo another trial." Harry paused here, lowering the letter. He met Aunt Petunia's concerned gaze with a grim smile.
"This isn't good. I have a record." Harry trailed off, turning to gaze at the man again.
"But this time, I have proof."
Aunt Petunia nodded, biting her lip. "Yes, but Harry. who is he?"
Harry looked back at her. She could see the resentment and suppressed anger in his eyes. "He's the man who betrayed my parents. He's the one who told Voldemort where they were." A lump formed in his throat, and tears came to his eyes. "His name is Peter Pettigrew. His nickname is Wormtail." Harry gazed up at his aunt, whose eyes were soft and understanding.
"He was their Secret-Keeper! They trusted him! He was supposed to be their friend, and he told Voldemort where they were hiding!" The anger in his eyes flared up as he lunged for the stairs. "I want to kill him!"
"Harry, no!" Aunt Petunia exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with fear. Harry's shoulders slumped, and he didn't fight her.
"The charm should hold until morning. I'll send an owl to Ron. Tell him what happened. His dad will know what to do." Harry walked in the direction of his room, leaving Aunt Petunia staring at Wormtail. The moonlight reflected in the man's open, glassy eyes. She shuddered, and turned to follow Harry back to bed.
"Vernon isn't going to like this." she murmured under her breath, as she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
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Aunt Petunia stepped back from Harry and gazed at him tearfully. She had no idea who the man at the bottom of the stairs was, but she had some idea as to why he would be there. Until she had found out about the return of Lord Voldemort last summer, Aunt Petunia had never paid attention to her sister's son, except to scorn or to punish him. All that had changed a year ago.
Now she stood, staring down at the man in the foyer, who lay, unmoving, upon the floor. Aunt Petunia took a deep breath and let it slowly, pondering on how to remedy the situation. She knew from past experience that an owl from the Ministry of Magic would be arriving soon for Harry. The whole family knew that Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school.
"Harry." she began hesitantly. The boy did not meet her gaze, but continued to stare at the figure downstairs. Aunt Petunia swallowed nervously, wondering what she could possibly say to her nephew.
"I had to do it," Harry said flatly. He finally looked up, and into her eyes. Aunt Petunia stared back at his cold, vacant eyes, and saw in them what she had guessed earlier.
The man laying on the floor had come to take her nephew away. He had come to take Harry to Lord Voldemort.
As Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to respond, a rapping on the window drew both their gazes to the expected messenger owl. Harry opened the window, and the owl flew inside, stopping to perch on the young wizard's outstretched arm. Harry took the envelope it held in its beak, and the owl took off with a flutter of wings. Undisturbed by this seemingly strange incident, Harry closed the window and proceeded to open the envelope.
"What does it say?" Aunt Petunia said, after Harry had scanned the letter quickly.
"That I violated the Decree of Underage Magic through the use of the Body-Bind spell, which, under normal circumstances, would mean I'm expelled. However, since this has happened before, they want me to undergo another trial." Harry paused here, lowering the letter. He met Aunt Petunia's concerned gaze with a grim smile.
"This isn't good. I have a record." Harry trailed off, turning to gaze at the man again.
"But this time, I have proof."
Aunt Petunia nodded, biting her lip. "Yes, but Harry. who is he?"
Harry looked back at her. She could see the resentment and suppressed anger in his eyes. "He's the man who betrayed my parents. He's the one who told Voldemort where they were." A lump formed in his throat, and tears came to his eyes. "His name is Peter Pettigrew. His nickname is Wormtail." Harry gazed up at his aunt, whose eyes were soft and understanding.
"He was their Secret-Keeper! They trusted him! He was supposed to be their friend, and he told Voldemort where they were hiding!" The anger in his eyes flared up as he lunged for the stairs. "I want to kill him!"
"Harry, no!" Aunt Petunia exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with fear. Harry's shoulders slumped, and he didn't fight her.
"The charm should hold until morning. I'll send an owl to Ron. Tell him what happened. His dad will know what to do." Harry walked in the direction of his room, leaving Aunt Petunia staring at Wormtail. The moonlight reflected in the man's open, glassy eyes. She shuddered, and turned to follow Harry back to bed.
"Vernon isn't going to like this." she murmured under her breath, as she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.