Chapter Four – Rescue
Downstairs three terrified Dursleys cowered on the couch not making a sound. Of course, there were a few very good reasons for their silence. One being that two very menacing wizards were prowling around the living room, another being that there were three more menacing looking wizards upstairs, and of course the most important reason being that a very annoyed Snape had used a silencing charm. Soft crying filtered down the stairs and every few minutes Snape and Remus would glare at the Dursleys. Finally there were footsteps on the stairs. Every eye in the room was fixed on the stairs.
Sirius looked mad enough to kill. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, Harry's trunk and owl cage in his hands, and pierced Vernon Dursley with his gaze. Slowly, loathing dripping from each word, Sirius growled, "If you ever, EVER, touch my godson again, I will kill you." One look into his eyes was all it took to convince Vernon and his face filled with terror. Behind him on the stairs Bill was supporting a sniffling Ginny and Dumbledore held a sleeping Harry gently in his arms.
As soon as she reached the bottom stair Ginny broke free from Bill's arm and launched herself at Vernon Dursley. "How could you? How could you try to kill your own nephew? Why? Why?" She punctuated every word with a kick or a punch and Vernon was much too stunned to move to stop her. Bill stepped forward and grabbed Ginny by the waist hauling her away from Vernon.
"Actually Miss Weasly, that is something I would like to know myself" Dumbledore's words were spoken softly and powerfully and, as always, they worked. Severus and Remus were staring at Harry's limp body in Dumbledore's arms. "Remove the silencing charm Remus. Now Mr. Dursley suppose you tell me exactly why I found your nephew in his bed, with blood all over his clothes, and obvious bruises and broken bones?"
Vernon was ashamed to say that he was afraid of this man, although he doubted that Dumbledore would be any less formidable if he wasn't a wizard. Still, Vernon wasn't one to let other people intimidate him, wizard or not, so he stepped right up to Dumbledore, and said quite possibly the stupidest words of his entire life. "Because he's a freak. He's never caused anything but trouble. He's trash. The no good son of a no good father and a no good whore. It's my job to teach him his place, and his place is certainly not anywhere near mine. He was meant to be used however I deemed fit, and I find him to make a wonderful punching bag. What are you going to do? Curse me? I'm a poor unarmed Muggle, I don't think that would go over well. So go ahead and take the trash out of my house and don't ever bring him back because next time he won't leave alive." Petunia and Dudley had both backed as far away from Vernon as they could while he was ranting because unlike Vernon they had been watching the faces of every one else in the group and if looks could kill Vernon would have been dead and buried by now. Sirius growled low in his throat, dropped Harry's things on the floor and started to launch himself at Vernon.
"Sirius." Dumbledore said softly with a shake of his head. It took all the willpower he possessed for Sirius to pick Harry's things up and return to his spot behind Dumbledore. "Well Mr. Dursley, thank you for your explanation. We will be taking Harry now, and not because he is trash, and not because you told us to, but because Harry is quite possibly one of the most loyal and selfless people I know and now realize what a disservice I have done to him by leaving him in your care all these years. You, Mr. Dursley, are not fit to call yourself a human. And once the rest of the wizarding world hears how you have treated THE Harry Potter, the boy to whom most of them owe their lives might I add, for all these years, I would watch my back. Since Harry has been living here with you there has been constant protection surrounding this house. No one could harm you while Harry was here. But once Harry leaves with us, you are unprotected and vulnerable. Let's just see how you like it shall we?" Not once during this speech did Dumbledore stutter, falter, or even blink. With a slight shake of his head Dumbledore slowly ushered all of them towards the door. He stopped at the door and turned around to face the Dursleys who had followed him to the door and said, "Oh yes and don't worry about Sirius," he saw the relief creeping across Vernon's face and added the last few lines, "Trust me, if you ever even try to harm this boy again, there won't be enough of you left when I'm finished for Sirius to harm." Vernon gulped, Petunia fainted, Dudley whimpered, and Dumbledore carried Harry out into the night.
The mood on the sidewalk beside the Ministry cars was solemn. Once outside Dumbledore had portkeyed Harry, still cradled gently in his arms, straight to St. Mungo's. He left behind two Ministry cars complete with drivers, five very stunned and silent wizards, and one sniffling teenage witch. Bewilderment shone on the face of each person. How could someone treat another human being so cruelly? And not only a human but also a family member? And to take it one step further not just a family member, but THE Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the savior of the wizarding world, how could anyone have been so cruel and heartless to him?
The small group of wizards stood on the edge of the street watching to make sure the Dursleys didn't try to leave before the Ministry officials arrived to arrest them. It was a very silent group that met the Aurors and Muggle affairs team members. Once the new group was pointed in the right direction Sirius climbed into the back seat of one car after setting Hedwig free and shrinking Harry's things so he could store them in his pocket, and Snape climbed into the front of the other. Bill and Remus looked at each other and then back at the cars. Bill climbed into the back seat of Snape's car and pulled Ginny in beside him making her lay across the seat pillowing her head on his lap. Remus climbed in beside Sirius and the drivers made their way towards St. Mungo's.
Ginny was curled up in the back seat of the car shivering intermittently and still sniffling now and then. Bill was just running his fingers through her hair softly, trying to be a strong big brother when secretly he himself was crying inside. Snape seemed to still be in shock, he was staring out the window and Bill would have sworn he saw a tear make its way down Snape's cheek. After ten minutes in silence, Bill decided that it was up to him to make the first move. "Professor?" he asked softly, "Do you think Harry's going to be ok?"
Snape jumped a little at the sound behind him and slowly turned to face Bill. He seemed to consider his answer very carefully and finally with a little sigh he said, "I don't know Mr. Weasly. We can only hope. And as you are no longer my student please feel free to address me as either Severus or Mr. Snape. Is Miss Weasly alright?"
If Snape hadn't been sitting in front of him Bill would have pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Snape had just okayed the use of his first name? He had asked about Ginny? This Harry incident must have him more upset than Bill had realized. "She's fine, uh Severus. Thank you for asking. She knew something was wrong when Harry didn't answer her letters. I guess she just had no clue how long or else she would have enlisted me help before this. I would say his condition was just a shock to her and that's what has her so emotional." Snape nodded and looked at the lightly sleeping Ginny with what Bill would have sworn was concern in his eyes. "But then I guess Harry's condition was a bit of a shock to all of us. I'm just glad Dumbledore handled it as well as he did."
Snape's eyes closed for a second at Bill's comment about Harry's condition being a shock. Of course it was a shock, how could anyone not be shocked by the appalling conditions the boy had been living in? Snape found that he was also fighting new emotions, well, maybe not new, but things he had never let himself or expected himself to feel towards Potter. Seeing the conditions the boy had lived in and knowing that those kinds of situations don't just happen overnight Snape was letting himself come to terms with the fact that even though he would have liked to believe it Mr. Harry Potter did not lead the spoiled charmed life that Snape had always accused him of. In fact, it seemed to him, that the life Potter lived outside of Hogwarts could barely be called a life at all. How could Harry live like this for all these years and not hate everyone and everything around him? How can he still laugh and play Quidditch and make friends? How did this treatment not totally break him? It was with these thoughts that Snape realized that not only was he now feeling regret and pity for Potter, but he was also feeling something that was dangerously close to respect. That couldn't be right though, he couldn't respect a Potter could he? Finally he just groaned, buried his face in his hands, and buried his mind in his thoughts trying to sort out all his feelings before he had to face Potter again.
In the other car Sirius was distraught, and Remus, though not in much better condition was trying to console him. "How Moony? How could I not realize that something was wrong? Bloody Hell, I'm his bleeding godfather and I didn't even know something was wrong. So tell me what bloody use am I?"
"It's not your fault. None of this is your fault, Sirius. You know how Harry is. He wouldn't have told us unless he thought that it was life threatening. He hates it when he knows that we are worrying about him. That's just how it is. Look on the bright side. Once he's out of the hospital you get to take him home. I mean, we were going to go get him later this week anyways. Now that you are cleared you will always know what is going on. But if you are going to be any help to him right now, you have to stop blaming yourself. Trust me, knowing Harry, he's going to be blaming himself more than enough for both of you ok?"
Sirius slowly turned his head and met his old friend's eyes. Tears were streaming down both of their cheeks as they thought of what could have happened if they had waited longer to come get Harry. Finally with a brief nod Sirius managed to say, "I'll try my friend, I'll try."
Remus smiled slowly, "Good, now all you have to worry about is what Bri is going to do to you when we get home and she finds out we were out rescuing her nephew and we left her behind." Laughing softly at the look on Sirius' face Remus grinned to himself.
Just then the car slowed to a stop. Everyone looked up at the doors of St. Mungo's and gasped softly at what they saw. Dumbledore was waiting outside for them. Bill finally whispered, "That can't be a good sign can it?"