Young and Helpless Chapter: Thirteen.
The three sat in the small simple black car which had been parked in the driveway of their new home, which they had moved into yesterday night around 7:00p.m. The three had spent hours unpacking and fixing up their rooms, and had gone to bed tired but relaxed. Now the tension was drowning the oxygen in the muggle car as they sped down the road.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Harry asked quietly, where he sat in between the two adults, his arms wrapped around Remus, as Sirius rubbed his hand in soothing circles on Harry's back.
"Don't worry, it'll work out. All you have to do is go up and answer all their questions truthfully. You've got to tell them what the Dursleys did to you, okay? They're there to help you, and we'll be watching from the sidelines." Remus answered softly and reassuringly.
"What are they going to do to them? Are they going to put the Dursleys in time out?" Harry asked.
"Well. I guess you can call it time out, but it's for a really long time in a yucky place." Sirius answered from Harry's right.
"Jail?" Harry asked innocently.
"Yes." Remus answered softly.
The three fell silent.
"All rise." A voice boomed from the front. Harry couldn't help but panic in the crowd. He was happy that Moony and Padfoot were there, but that didn't really help his racing heart. All the people here looked very mean.
He cuddled closer to Remus. Remus smiled softly at him, and ruffled his hair, but he was slightly paler then usual.
Harry zoned very quickly, ignoring all of the professional speeches. Only when the Dursleys were called to the stand, did Harry look up with panicked eyes.
"Mr. Vernon Dursley. Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" A tall blonde female asked.
"Yes."
Remus could feel Harry shuddering in his arms, and sighed. It'll all be over soon, he thought.
"Mr. Dursley, Harry Potter is your nephew, yes?"
"Yes. He was the son of my wife's sister." Vernon answered.
"And he was left in your care, when his parents died five years ago?"
"Yes." Vernon answered again in a monotone voice.
"Now tell me, did the boy ever do anything particularly offensive?"
"He did disrespect our family."
"How so?"
Mr. Dursley froze. He seemed to be thinking up an excuse, and Harry could see the wheels in his small brain turning.
"He would speak back to us; speak badly about his cousin, my son Dudley. Just recently, the parents of one of the children at his school came up to us, and told us one of our boys had threatened their son. My nephew immediately put the blame on my son, when it was him who had done."
Harry shook his head vigorously from where he sat, and buried his head into Remus' chest when Mr. Dursley's eyes flickered towards him momentarily.
"I see, and what proof did you have that it was, in fact, your nephew who had threatened Mr. Smith's son?"
Vernon fell silent, and turned white.
"I see. Now, how to you plea to the charges set on you of child abuse?"
"Innocent."
"So you've never touched the boy?"
"Not in a threatening way. No."
"In what ways have you touched the boy?"
"It depends on what you're implying."
"You touch the boy, how? Aggressively?"
"No mam, we love the boy and we treat him with much love and respect."
Harry shuddered. "No. That's a lie." He muttered softly into Remus' shirt.
"Thank You very much Mr. Vernon Dursley. You may be seated. Next I call Ms. Petunia Dursley to the stand."
Harry watched his aunt walk up to where his uncle had been moments ago.
"Ms. Petunia Dursley, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" The woman asked again.
"Yes." Petunia answered, in a very similar monotone voice as her husband.
"Mr. Harry Potter is related to you how?"
" He is my nephew, my sister's son."
"Why was he brought into your care?"
" My sister and her husband died in a car crash, and so we gained custody over him."
"Have you ever abused him in any way?"
"No."
Harry clung to Remus, as he shook his head slowly into Remus' shirt.
"Have you ever witnessed your husband touch him in any harmful way, or abuse him."
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
" And what would you define as ordinary?"
"Well, discipline. My husband would merrily shout at him once or twice for little things, but has never touched the boy."
"Their lying Remus, they're lying!" Harry mumbled. Remus sighed softly, and wrapped a comforting hand around Harry's shoulder.
"I see, and this incident with Mr. Smith's son. You believe it was your nephew?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Well, for one, Dudley had been home almost all week, sick from a cold, and had only left to go join up with his little friend, on the day before Mr. and Mrs. Smith had approached us. So he could not have possibly done it. But our nephew, had been going to school all week, and had also been coming home late. Plus, our Dudders wouldn't harm a fly."
"How do you plea?"
"I plea innocent." Petunia replied, before getting up, and making her way back to her seat.
"Next, I would like to call Harry Potter up to the stand as a special request, under such circumstances." She said, and her eyes darted to Harry, who turned ghostly white.
"Remus? What do they want? I don't want to go up there. They're there!" Harry muttered, shuddering against Remus. Sirius, who was sitting on Harry's other side, sighed, and gently prodded Harry's hand away from Remus, where they had been clinging throughout most of the trial.
"Come on Harry. These people are here to help you. They're just going to ask you questions. Please?" Sirius tried, in a gentle voice.
Tears began to well up in Harry's eyes.
"Come on pup, don't cry. You trust us right? We'll come with you if you want. Can you do this? For me?" Remus cooed, as he gently pulled Harry back, and stared him in the eye, with a pleading look.
Slowly, Harry nodded. He carefully pushed himself off of the bench, and followed Remus, up to the front, where they were stacking phone books on the chair where his aunt and uncle had been.
He sat on top of the phone books, and slowly cast his eyes over the crowd, ignoring his uncle and aunt's looks.
"Okay Harry. Do you promise to tell me the truth?" The blonde lady asked, as she slowly walked up to him, and got down on one knee.
"Okay." Harry answered softly.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are you uncle and aunt right?" She asked, getting up andleaning against the rail.
"Ya."
"Do you like them?"
"Sort of."
"Why sort of?" She asked.
"I got my clothes and food and stuff from them."
"I see. Now, was it you that hurt Michael Smith?" She asked again.
"No."
"Explain to me what happened." She said thoughtfully.
"Well, Dudley had been pretending to be sick, and he went over to his friend's house. I was coming home from school, late because I was helping the teacher wash the boards. When I got out, I went on the swings, because no one was there anymore, and I like the swings."
"Then I saw Dudley and his friend, they were coming out of a house, and Michael, was walking home alone. They started to chase Michael and make fun of his glasses, and his clothes, and then, Michael was running towards me, and I told Dudley to stop, but he wouldn't."
"Then, Dudley tried grabbing Michael's shirt, and he did, but it ripped off, and Michael fell down, at my feet, and Dudley ran away with his friend. I helped Michael home because he was hurt, and he only lived at the corner of the street. When I got there I told his parents everything and they told me thank you, and gave me some and some cookies as a thank you present, and then I went home." Harry said all of this very quickly and softly, but not a word went passed the blonde woman's ears.
"I see. Now, I know these questions are going to get harder, but I need to know the answers, Okay?" She said gently.
"Okay." He answered softly.
"Were your aunt and uncle ever mean to you?"
Harry wringed his fingers together, but slowly nodded.
"Did they beat you?"
His eye remained on his hands, and he studied a small scratch on his palm, feeling him heart beating faster and faster. He remained silent.
"Harry?" Remus whispered, when he realized Harry was avoiding the question. He could see Harry's face growing paler by the second.
Harry moved his head slowly to the side, and emerald met hazel. Remus smiled comfortingly towards Harry, and with a small nod, ushered Harry to answer the question.
"Yes." Harry answered slowly, as if trying to find the right word was difficult. He avoided looking at his aunt and uncle at all costs.
"Do you have proof?" The blonde woman asked, as she kneeled in front of him, giving him a look of pity.
Harry's eyebrow rose in question, and Remus stepped in.
"I have medical files with me." Remus said, pulling out a bunch of papers, and handing it to the woman.
"Yes, we are aware of that. We have the original file with us. I was implying more towards physical proof." She answered back at him, rising from where she had been kneeling.
"You mean Harry revealing his scars? Is that just in court?" Remus asked, letting his arms slowly fold across his chest.
"I merrily wanted to see physical proof and-." The woman began.
"Why do you need physical proof? Did you not just say you have the original file from the Hospital?" Remus snapped.
"I just thought that-."
"Thought what? That the hospital decided to make up the information! Or do you need to see his injuries for yourself for your own reference. You think a child of his age could make up something like child abuse! You sicken me." Remus spat, his face growing red.
"ORDER!" The judge's voice boomed loudly. The blonde lady immediately bowed her head, and Remus backed away, while Harry flinched. He was beginning to shake softly. Not now. Not this. Why now? Please let this be over soon. Please. I wanna go home. He pleaded to God.
"Ms. Versant, forcing a child to show you his scars is not part of your questioning. Only if he were to agree would it be alright. If he declines, I ask you to please leave the subject alone." The judge said loud and clear. Ms. Versant slowly nodded and turned to Harry.
"Will you let me see your injuries?" She asked.
Harry eyed the woman slowly, his heart pounding, as his fingers clung against the corner of his shirt. If I can go home, if I can be happy, I will. He thought, and then, with as much bravery as he possessed, he nodded, and gently tugged the material of his shirt up, just enough for the crowd to see his fading bruises, and the scar across his stomach.
There were a handful of gasps, and one lady, in her seventies, began to sob softly at the sight. Harry's hand shook slightly; as he pulled the shirt back down to cover his skin once more.
"That's all Harry, Thank You." Ms. Versant said finally, breaking the silence.
Pale and shaking, Harry slowly got up, and walked back to where Remus was leading the way. Remus seemed to be overwhelmed with shock and anger. Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius, who was walking beside him, and buried his face against Sirius' leg. Sirius, automatically picked him up, and Harry shifted, so his face was now buried against his chest.
The three sat down, waiting for the Jury to come up with a verdict. All the while, if you strained your ears hard enough, you could hear the broken, but relieved sobs of one six year old boy.
A/N: I'm going on Vacation from July 3rd to August 29th…. Until then, I'm going to try and get another chapter in. If not… then I swear I'll post lots as soon as I get back,
Hey… This was the longest chapter so far.
Enjoy. (I know nothing about court. Hopefully that was convincing enough.)
Bujiana