Convergence of Birth - REVISED
Author: Saavik
Disclaimer: There is no fee to read this. Therefore, the lawyers chasing me can go away.
Summary: Back story and missing scenes to Contemplations of Birth. Not full accounts, mostly just story elements from different POV's other than Severus'. This explains some of the events hinted at in Contemplations and Complications. AU starting directly after Book 5.
Pairings: Pre-everything
Warnings: Spoilers for Book Five big time. Mild Death Eater scenes
Chapter Two: Ad libitum
The Daily Prophet
August 1996 – Special Edition
A most shocking revelation has come to the attention of this reporter. The entire wizarding world is more than familiar with the story of the poor orphan Harry Potter and his miraculous fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His most recent harrowing battle within the Ministry of Magic building itself is testimony enough to the child's bravery. But one cannot help but wonder how all this violence is affecting his already taxed mind. This concern becomes fully realized when you look at his tragic home life.
Upon his parent's horrific deaths and his godfather's shocking false arrest and twelve year imprisonment, (Sirius Black was recently cleared of all wrong doing in the deaths of the Potters and several Muggles), young Harry was placed with his aunt (Muggle born Lily Evans' sister) Petunia Dursley, her husband Vernon, and their infant son Dudley. As terrible as growing up like a Muggle would be in and of itself, Harry faced an even more deplorable situation.
The Dursleys forced Harry to sleep in a broom cupboard for the first eleven years of his life. He never once was told of his heritage, of the truth of his abilities, or of his importance to the world. His Hogwart's letter was denied him to the point where a representative from the school itself was forced to break into the Muggles' vacation home and deliver the news. This representative was faced with violent opposition when he tried to give the letter to the young boy. The Dursleys then attempted to deny Mr. Potter his right to schooling. Only after Dudley Dursley was injured in the ensuing scuffle did the Muggles relent.
The young Potter heir never received a single proper birthday or Yule gift from his guardians. On most occasions, an old pair of socks or a toothpick was all he found underneath the wrapping paper. In fact, he was frequently starved for minor, meaningless infractions such as breathing too loudly or the normal instances of spontaneous magic common to children. When food was provided, he was forced to do manual labor in return for it. Even after hours of strenuous labor, the boy could expect nothing more than table scraps at best. His cousin, on the other hand, had two bedrooms and more food than he could possibly eat.
This reporter has to ask what other forms of abuse the boy hero of the wizarding world faced, and still faces, in his 'home'. How could Albus Dumbledore, the respected Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, and the Board of Governors allow this shocking abuse to continue unchecked? What damage has this torturous prison-like environment done to Harry Potter? Could this be the real cause of his instability reported during the Triwizard tournament nearly two years ago? It is surprising that the child is as stable as he is considering the appalling conditions that he has faced in his short life.
It is a widely understood fact that Dark witches and wizards are almost always born into abusive homes. New discoveries into the past of the so-called Dark Lord gives greater evidence of this. The similarities between He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Mr. Potter grow larger by the day. Both were orphaned, both raised in oppressive magic hostile environments, and both were forced by unfeeling school administrations to return to the Muggle world where they could not even acknowledge their true selves for months at a time. It should not shock the wizarding world that Harry Potter seems to be falling down the same path of darkness that the young You-Know-Who fell prey to. Perhaps Harry Potter would not be showing his current predisposition for the shadier side of magic had his childhood not been marred by the indignities he suffered at the hands of his so called relatives.
The truth may be a painful revelation for the wizarding world. No one wishes to hear about the abuse of a child, let alone harm to the Boy-Who-Lived. But it is the duty of this newspaper to report the facts no matter the uncomfortable issues surrounding them.
Accordingly, we call on the British Wizarding community to make their displeasure over this poor boy's treatment known. We call for the immediate prosecution of the Muggle Dursleys for abuse and neglect. We call for the immediate investigation into the circumstances that surround Mr. Potter's placement in their home and the subsequent lack of proper wizarding supervision. Most importantly, we demand that the victim of all this, young Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, be given extensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Perhaps it is not too late to save him from himself.
In closing, it is high time that the Ministry of Magic looked into legislation for the protection of our children. Let us insure that young Harry is the last of our kind ever to endure such treatment. Let us stop the cycle of darkness and put an end to fear before it can start with a new champion.
Yours in solemn truth,
Rita Skeeter