Harry stared at the ceiling of the room. For the hundredth time, he looked over at the clock. The trial of Sirius had started five minutes ago. He folded his hands behind his head, leaning back on top of his bed. How long does one of these trials take? Would he get a notification? Would they floo him? Unlikely but he hoped not. The Dursleys would flip when suddenly the fire turned green. Maybe he would get an owl, but that could take till tomorrow. Harry already was extremely nervous, thinking back and forth on this.
He got up, turning to the mirror, same old Harry you would guess. His eyes had deep bags under them, he hadn't slept last night at all. He wouldn't sleep tonight too if there was no information about it. Maybe he should write to Hermione or Ron. Harry flopped down at the table, pulling up a parchment, setting the quill to paper, and sat there. What should he write? What would there be? And what if he needed to make a quick answer to whatever letter came if one would come and Hedwig was gone? No, he couldn't write a letter right now. There were too many whats and ifs. Harry got up again, opening Hedwig's cage. The white owl opened one of her eyes, giving off a clearly annoyed hoot for the disturbance.
"Sorry, I think you are low on water." That was only half true, the bowl was still half full.
He took out the water bowl, left the room and refilled in the bath next door. He walked quietly, having never unlearned the lessons of his youth. He knew Uncle Vernon didn't like him using the sink for filling this but he didn't want to go downstairs to use the garden hose. That would mean walking through the living room and Uncle Vernon would likely gloat at the fact he couldn't attend the trial. He had always been this way not only denying Harry all he could but also making fun of his misery.
Harry hoped so much for Sirius to win his trial but all his life there had always come something good only to be taken away from him. Like to his fifth birthday, when he got a bike but Vernon said nothing and just grinned before turning around giving it to Dudley instead. There had been other moments like that all the time. Aunt Petunia didn't gloat on his misery like her husband but she just stood by letting it happen. Also, she had never been warm to Harry, never had stopped her husband when he had yelled at Harry, hadn't stopped him when he swung his fist at the boy or had argued when Vernon punished him. The only ever time, she had shown something of a heart had been when around Christmas when he had been nine, Vernon had made him sleep in the garden for breaking a lamp. She had, late at night come down, pulling the shaking boy inside and ushered him under the stairs. The next day she told Vernon she did it because of the neighbours.
Harry returned to his room, thinking about the fact that the nicest thing she had ever done for him was letting him into the house again. He had hit many phases. There had been the time when he just wished they would die. Any foster home would be better than this. Then there had been the times he wished the police would take them but he had never EVER had the guts to pick up the phone and call, in fear what would happen if he didn't get out. That has all been years ago. Now he knew he just had to bear it. Ever since he had come to Hogwarts, it had dulled down a bit. The first year there has been their fear of his magic until Dobby showed up. Then the year after that it had just been an annoyance. They just pretended he wasn't there most of the time. This year got worse a bit like Uncle Vernon gained some backbone back or something. More chores and Vernon had taken a swing at him once. It wasn't great but he would survive. Just four more summers and he would be out of here. The only thing he promised himself, if he EVER EVER had the same situation, for him caring for a child, he would make it absolutely clear that he or she was loved. It would not matter if it were Ron's or Hermione's or hell even Malfoy's. No child should endure this loveless life.
He placed the water bowl back and petted Hedwig shortly until she ruffled her feathers and turned her back at him. Obviously, he was interfering with her nap time. Harry wished he would be able to sleep. He looked at the clock. Eight minutes since the start of the trial and Harry groaned.
"Harry!" The cold and shrieking voice of his aunt cut through the floor, making him flinch slightly. While she at least didn't call him boy like his uncle her tone wasn't really nicer. Harry sighed and made his way down quickly. He knew better than calling back. Quietly he made his way to the kitchen where his aunt was making dinner. The only reason he wasn't down there doing it was...well he really doesn't know why but he would never argue about that.
"You called Aunt Petunia?"
She turned her head ever so slightly, looking at him. She squinted her eyes ever so slightly, looking him up and down.
"Yes. Today is this trial you were talking about a few days back, is that correct?" She kept stirring the pot slowly looking into it without turning to Harry again. He frowned slightly. What was this all about?
"Uhm yes, it is. It began about ten minutes ago."
She nodded once to herself, kept stirring the soup or whatever it was. A moment of silence, only the clicking of the spoon on the metal of the pot. She added some spices. Harry was about to say something when she continued talking.
"How long will this take?"
Harry shrugged a little.
"I honestly don't know. Mine was short about ten minutes but that was something small, while this...well, it is bigger." Petunia hummed a little.
"How much bigger?" Harry who was way more confused than anything again shrugged.
"I don't know. Something like uhmm...stealing a candy bar to mass murder?" His aunt for a moment stopped stirring in the pot. Then she resumed.
"Mmmhmmm. And he is your godfather?"
Harry nodded and after a moment realised his aunt didn't see it.
"Yes, my godfather, Sirius Black." Now his aunt stopped stirring again, turning her head. She had a strange look in her eyes.
"Met him twice. Strange man, rather uncultivated. He alienated Vernon on the wedding of your people." Harry bit his tongue. He hated her calling mom and dad his people like he wasn't allowed to have parents. Also, she never said her parent's names when she could avoid it. Also, he was pretty sure uncle Vernon had been his horrible self, but he couldn't say that.
"I don't know, I have only met him once short up until now. He had been on the run for the last year and in prison since my birth."
His aunt turned back to the pot to be continued to be stirred. She then looked at the wall in front of her and Harry almost got the feeling she was taking a breath. Did her hands shake slightly?
"Do you think he did it?"
Harry blinked once. He had NEVER been asked for his opinion on anything before in this home. He couldn't remember at all. It confused the hell out of him. What was this all about?
"The murder orrrrr..." He left it hanging in the room. His aunt shook her head, she made hair almost not moving.
"No you dumb boy, the thing with your people." Silence followed the statement, but Harry took a deep breath.
"No, I have seen the man who has done it and Professor Dumbledore said he is innocent." Again his aunt made a humming noise. This was by far the strangest conversation he had ever had with his aunt.
"Aunt Petunia what is thi-"
His aunt put down the spoon and turned.
"Go find Duds and tell him dinner is ready. He is out with his friends." She picked up the towel and rubbed her hands.
"But I-" She stopped next to him, her eyes squinting into his, staring.
"Did you understand or do I need to talk to Vernon about this?" Harry blinked back, then deflated a bit.
"No Aunt Petunia. I will find him." She nodded and left the kitchen. Harry turned and made his way outside.
It was a warm summer day, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing ever so slightly. There was no cloud in the sky. There were a few people outside, moving the lawns and all. No one looked his way. Just the criminal nephew of the Dursley family, that was what he is to them. The troubled kid who had been mentally unstable. He walked down the road, towards a playground nearby. At least he knew where Dudley was most of the time. He saw him pretty quick, surprisingly he was alone. Carefully he made his way over. His cousin was sitting on the swings, just looking out. He could be thinking but Harry found the thought of Dudley Dursley deep in thoughts kind of wrong. Then the much larger boy rose his head.
"What do YOU want?" He spat out, squinting at Harry with his small eyes while rising from the swing. He had about two heads on Harry and weighed maybe double. Harry felt the comforting presence of his wand in his back pocket. While getting into problems for underaged casting was bad, get beaten up by Dudley was worse.
"Aunt Petunia send me, Dinner is ready." The other boy squinted at him like he expected a scam. Harry almost laughed inside. How could he scam him if no one would listen to him anyway?
"How long have you been standing there? Wanna gloat huh?" Harry frowned slightly and shook his head.
"I just came up here. Walked right over." The mood swung a little. He felt slightly cold. Dudley stepped closer.
"Oh, so you did not watch me huh? You..." Dudley's voice trailed off while Harry felt a shiver down his neck. The bright sky suddenly felt a lot less bright, more dull and grey. The noise of the cars suddenly was away, far away. Harry's cousin looked around, before turning back.
"What did you do? That is you STOP IT!" He yelled at him. Harry raised his hands.
"That's not me, look no wand. You know I can't do magic without it." He hissed at his cousin. That wasn't a hundred per cent true but his cousin didn't know that. He shook a little.
"Then what is going on? I will tell Dad!" He exclaimed angrily. Anger had always been his go-to option whenever Dudley didn't know what to do next.
Harry looked around, only for his cousin to grab him by the shoulder and force him to look at him. Harry felt his core crunch and there was these far away cries that came closer.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Screamed Dudley, shaking Harry. He tried to look around, searching.
"I Dudley I..." Then he stopped when he saw a levitating creature, with blowing black ropes over the wraith-like figure. It was at the entrance of the playground.
He pushed Dudley back, pulling his wand at the same time. "Dudley get behind me!" His cousin didn't move, staring at the wraith. He raised his finger slowly, shacking.
"W-What i-is t-that?" He stammered out. The cries of a woman, Harry knew were his mothers cries, became louder.
"Dudley get behind me!" He yelled at his cousin, stepping in front of him. The dementor slowly hovered closer, the cold sweat on his neck getting thicker.
"What is that Harry?" Dudley cried out, frozen to the place in fear. Harry turned his head, looking at his oldest nemesis, the bully who had made his life hell for thirteen years who had beaten him up more times he could have counted, the boy who got all while he got none.
"Whatever you do, whatever happens next...LISTEN TO ME...DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" Harry's yell brought a little bit of understanding in the pig-like eyes and he clasped his hands over his mouth. Harry turned back. Well, this was going to shit. The screams got louder, he couldn't almost hear anything else anymore, just a pleading and crying. A small tear formed in the corner of his eye, while he tried to push past it, tried to drag himself through these horrible fears and images. Green flashes covered his sight. He searched and searched and suddenly there it was.
This moment, the last year where he had been with Ron and Hermione, just sitting at Black Lake, after a long week of school, just Happy to be together. He remembered it all. The smell of the grass, Ron's laughter about some prank his brothers played on Malfoy, Hermione's eye-roll about it, but she couldn't turn down the little smile as well. His best friends in the world.
"Expecto Patronum!" He yelled and white light burst out of his wand. A stag, strong and majestic burst out of the tip of his wand, crashing into the hooded creature. It rammed it with its antlers making the dark monster scream and howl while scrambling backwards. The hooded wraith fled from the playground scrambling to the sky and just disappeared. Harry let go a long-held breath, while the screams and the flashing turned less. He lowered his wand. He heard a scramble behind him when Dudley fell to the ground. Harry turned, lowering his wand. His cousin looked up at him, scared. Harry thought he might have peed himself.
"W-What was that?" Harry turned to look in the direction, shaking his head.
"Dudley, I don't think-"
"WHAT WAS THAT?" The Dursley boy screamed shaking rapidly.
"That was a Dementor. A foul creature living off the fear of humans."
Dudley looked up at him, tears and fear widespread in his eyes. Harry didn't feel any better than him at all. He was shaking and his heartbeat fast, rapidly.
"W-Will it come back?" Harry shook his head looking again in the way he had done before. The sky was bright again and besides the feeling of dread and terror deep in his core, there was no sign of one of the vilest creatures in the world, being at this place before.
"I don't think so, but we should go home now." Held out his hand, helping Dudley to his feet. His cousin stood unstably, so Harry wrapped his arm over his shoulder, supporting him. He pocketed his wand.
"Don't put that away! What if it comes back?" Dudley's fearful voice was close to Harry's ear. Would this be the other situation, he would be surprised for his cousin's demand. Now he just did as he asked. While they walked their way back, slowly, carefully, Harry talked, the whole time, telling him to think of the happiest moments in his life, about all the fun he ever had, all good that happened to him, while thinking of things like their own triumph at the house cups in the last three years, getting a spell right at the first try, playing Quidditch and lot's more, trying to fight the ice fingers gripped around his centre. Dudley didn't say a single word the whole way, only looking over his shoulder quite a few times. Finally, they made their way up Privet Drive Four, Harry pushing open the door.
"Help!" He called out, Dudley finally losing the control of his feet stumbling to the floor.