Chapter 14: Promises
Helen didn't dare to try anything against the unnamed professor who had her wrist gripped so tightly it was painful. She knew only that her family was nearby, not exactly where they were, and she had no desire to get herself punished, even if that punishment would be avenged later.
Better to avoid it altogether.
So she did nothing as she was half-dragged along the main corridor, up the stairs, and down the hallway to the same door she had seen earlier. The professor knocked, and a moment later, the Headmaster answered.
"Ah, Professor Docson, thank you. Miss Dursley, do come in."
The woman stalked away down the hall, and Helen thought of her family and walked into the room with her head high and her face calm.
Show them no fear, her Aunt Hermione had always said. If you let them see you're scared, they've won the first round already.
Of course, you'll probably be scared, her Uncle Ron had always added, but that's normal. Everyone gets scared. Gryffindors just don't let it show.
"Miss Dursley. I must say, your father warned me that you were something of a troublemaker, but I had no idea you would begin so soon. Poisoning your dorm mates, trying to frighten the other girls with obviously untrue and fantastical tales – tell me, Miss Dursley, do you believe in magic?"
Behind the headmaster, her grandmum suddenly materialized, winked at her, and melted back into the drab wallpaper.
Helen grinned. She could say anything she wanted, now.
"What exactly is so funny, Miss Dursley?"
"Well, sir, for starters, you have my name wrong."
"I have your name wrong." If the headmaster's voice had been any flatter, it would have been delicious with maple syrup and butter.
"Yes, sir. I'm Helen Potter, not Helen Dursley. And I do believe in magic. I know it's real, because I'm a witch, and so is my mum and my sisters, and my dad and my brothers are wizards."
"Really, now." The Headmaster turned over a few sheets of paper, perused a line or two of text, and looked up at Helen. "Miss Dursley, we have a way of dealing with liars here at Goldenrod which I doubt you will enjoy. It is swift and usually quite effective. Because you are new and don't know the rules yet, I will give you one chance to tell me the truth."
"I am telling the truth, sir."
"Come, now, Miss Dursley. I have your information sheet here on my desk, and it clearly states that you have only one brother, the same age as yourself, and no sisters. Obviously, you are lying about having other siblings. I don't even need to go into how ridiculous this whole idea of magic is. One last chance."
Helen met the headmaster's gaze frankly and said nothing.
After about fifteen seconds, Headmaster Lutch looked away.
There was a small noise from the back of the room that sounded suspiciously like a stifled "Yes!"
"Very well, Miss Dursley." He emphasized the hateful name, refusing to look at Helen, directing his eyes instead to the sticks in the corner. "You will come here and lie on my desk, on your stomach, and you will not move until I say you may."
"Go on," her grandmum's voice whispered in Helen's ear. "He won't lay a finger on you."
Confidently, Helen did as she was told.
"We will begin with three," the Headmaster said, swinging the switch back and forth through the air, as if he enjoyed the whistling sound it made. "If you still persist in these lies, we will continue until you do not."
He slapped the floor with the stick. Despite herself, Helen flinched, and the Headmaster gave a slow and nasty laugh. "You will be fun to break, won't you."
He swung the switch high in the air and brought it whistling down.
Or tried to.
Halfway there, his arm was caught by a hand that had hauled six determined boys and one headstrong girl out of every sort of trouble known to wizardkind, and then let them have it, but good, afterwards. To say, therefore, that Molly Weasley had a grip of steel would have been overestimating steel.
Of course, the Headmaster was confused at this, and more so by the fact that he couldn't see her. All he knew was that something had stopped him from striking Helen, and so he tried to wrench his arm free to have another go at her.
What he accomplished was throwing himself off balance, allowing Helen's grandmum to shove him across the room into the wall.
As he recovered himself, the hidden occupants of the room revealed themselves.
Helen rolled over, sat up, and grinned at his horrified face.
"Told you so," she said.
"No one threatens to break my granddaughter and gets away with it," said Molly, shaking her wand in the Headmaster's face. "No one."
"Threats are rather barbaric, aren't they?" said Penelope, examining the dirty windows and shaking her head. "I prefer promises, myself."
"Agreed," said Alicia. She was looking through the Headmaster's papers – the ones Helen wasn't sitting on – while Angelina investigated the drawers of the desk. "Helen, love, you're in the way."
Helen smiled at her aunt and slipped off the desk.
"So here's our promise to you," said Angelina, looking over the desk at the quivering man against the opposite wall. "If you hurt Helen at all, in any way, you answer to us."
"And we are not without power," Hermione said absently, peering intently at the wallpaper. "This design is horrid. Papyrum Muralis Emendum!"
She waved her wand around the room, and the wallpaper turned bright red with gold lions splashed across it.
"No, no, 'Ermione," said Fleur. "Let me, I 'ave an idea..." She gestured with her own wand, and the walls were suddenly covered in sky-blue paper with stars all over it.
"I rather liked the first one," said Minerva, and lazily flicked her wand, restoring Hermione's colors to the room. Fleur rolled her eyes and muttered something in French that sounded impolite.
"Helen, come here," said Ginny.
Helen ran to her mum's side and collected her hug. Then Ginny faced the Headmaster, who was shaking worse than ever. "My name is Ginevra Potter, and this child is my daughter. My husband and I will be coming to claim her tomorrow. If she is harmed in any way, we will do whatever we see fit to redress that harm. This is your only warning. Have a nice day."
She kissed Helen and Disapparated. The other women stroked Helen's hair or embraced her briefly before they too left.
Helen was alone in the room with the Headmaster, who appeared to be trying to get through the wall by pushing it down with his back.
"May I go, sir?"
"What? Oh, yes, yes, go..."
She went, but stopped at the door when Lutch said, in what was attempting to be a stern tone, "Miss Dursley."
She looked back at him. "Yes, sir?"
"None of this ever happened."
"Of course not, sir."
Helen made her way back to her dormitory grinning like a Cheshire kneazle.
There was a note waiting on her bed.
Helen,
Don't be frightened tonight if you hear screaming. We're going to have a little fun. Did you happen to notice it's full moon?
We'll have you out of there by tomorrow, love, never fear.
Dad
Helen giggled happily. There was only one reason for her dad to mention the moon.
Grandpa Remus must be with them. This will be great.
The only way it could be better is if the Dursleys were here...
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"How much farther is it, love?"
"Only about five minutes. They can't possibly know exactly where it is. It's still conceivable that we could beat them there."
"Dad, why did I have to come? I don't care about Helen."
"Quiet, Chester," snapped Marcie.
Dudley kept his eyes on the road. His nose hurt, but he didn't let that distract him.
I made a vow. My daughter will not be a witch.
I made a promise.
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(A/N: SURPRISE! Early update!
If you're really nice and review lots and lots for me, I might even give you another chapter on Saturday. Please notice, though, that this fic is beginning to end...
There may be sequels, but I want to do some work on Resonance first. And I need your opinion. Would a "Helen Potter at Hogwarts" series be fun to read, not fun to read, what?
Please review and let me know. If you think of something else you want to say, my e-mail is posted.
JeanieBeanie33: Because he's an idiot, of course! A bowling ball? I love it! May I use it, please?
Kraeg001: Sigh. I don't like killing off characters either, but it's a war... some people are obviously going to die. Thanks for the invite.
athenakitty: Thanks for the idea. Keep reading, you'll see.
harryp123, Gyre, Queen of the Jungle, bewitched: Thanks!
Until Saturday, then... and I really mean it this time...)