A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews and interest! As requested, here is the second chapter. Reviews are love!
CHAPTER TWO
Carlisle spent the day thinking about the strange boy named Harry Potter, with his strange scar and even stranger ability/possible abilities. He was eager to go home and share his findings with his wife and family. Edward and Bella had been book shopping (the only kind of shopping Bella really enjoyed) and agreed to pick him up after work so he wouldn't have to walk home. He couldn't risk using vampiric speed in a crowded area and he wasn't willing to walk at a human pace and waste any hours.
Edward and Bella arrived right on time, and luckily there were no cases he had to stay longer for. Bella politely got out of the car and sat in the backseat, leaving him up front with Edward. He had already told her this was completely unnecessary, but she argued that if Edward tried to make Charlie or Renee sit in the back it would be rude, and so she would always do the same for him and Esme.
"Didn't want to take the scenic route today?" Bella asked.
"No." He said, and then explained what he had seen. Edward would hear his thoughts anyway, and Bella had the most recent first hand human experience in the Cullen family and may be able to provide some insights. They agreed that it had to be investigated.
"Can you imagine what the Volturi would do to a human who showed such potential as a human?" Edward asked darkly. Carlisle hadn't even considered the Volturi, so caught up in his own curiosity and concern for the boy, which this new line of thought did not help alleviate.
"All the more reason to find out more about him." Carlisle said, already preparing how he would go about investigating Harry's life.
"This is so like you Carlisle," Bella commented fondly.
"What do you mean?" He asked, slightly confused.
"Well, I think this is sort of your power." When Edward also looked confused, Bella elaborated. "You just have a power for finding people who need you. I mean you're a doctor first of all. You happened to have Edward as a patient just as you were wanting companionship and his mother somehow knew what you were or suspected. You met Esme when she was a little girl, and then again when she jumped off that cliff. Jasper and Alice needed a non-violent home and they managed to find you, the only vegan vampire in existence. You happened to be in the same city as Rosalie to save her just in time, and in turn managed to save Emmet just in time. Edward and I needed to meet and without you that never would have happened. Plus the Denali's and pretty much every other person or vampire you meet." Bella explained. "Now this little boy who has some kind of teleportation ability and a possibly abusive family meets a doctor who is also a vampire and won't be freaked out by it as much." Carlisle just sort of stared at her, bemused. "I mean, I'm sure Eleazar would have told you if it was an actual power but its just sort of a theory I have." She rambled.
"I never really thought about that." He said thoughtfully. Bella and Edward started at him incredulously before Edward shook his head. "You are far too humble Carlisle." To which Carlisle had no reply.
They made it home quickly and Carlisle braced himself for the arguments that were sure to come. Jasper was the most prominent negative voice, urging the family to consider their own safety. Esme was all for helping the child, and while Rosalie was concerned about their family safety she also was in agreement that if Carlisle could do something to help, he should. Emmett agreed with Rosalie, though he did suggest Carlisle do something more permanent to Harry's aunt and uncle if his suspicions proved correct and Alice was excited to help in any way. Jasper reluctantly agreed after voicing Edward's previous comment about the Volturi. Jacob didn't really care as long as Renesmee was safe and Renesmee was very curious about the boy's abilities. There were theories and thoughts thrown around, but finally everyone was agreed.
"I will learn more about Harry and his family and discover more about these incidents he mentioned. If he is abused, I will contact child services and then we can keep an eye on him from afar." Carlisle decided. As he finished speaking, Alice let out a sudden growl. Vampires didn't really jump, but they did look startled at fun, spunky Alice actually sounding like, well, a vampire.
"The keep him locked in a cupboard." She hissed. Her hiss was immediately echoed by the rest of the family. Most of them had lived a long time, and had seen many horrors, including horrors done to children. In the interest of anonymity they had restricted themselves to only helping those that wouldn't risk exposing them, but that didn't lessen their feelings towards the innocent. Rosalie and Esme especially looked particularly unhappy.
"Be careful, Carlisle. We can't save everyone." Jasper warned, his calming influence sweeping through the room. Carlisle nodded. Jasper's concern was well-founded. With Harry's abilities, it was quite possible he would be missed if Carlisle just took him away (which is what he wanted to do as soon as he heard Alice). He would do this legally and carefully, to protect both Harry and his family. He wasn't sure why he was so invested in this boy in particular. He wanted to tell himself it was just because of the dangers from the Volturri, but he knew it was something more. The boy drew him, just as Edward had when he first chose to change him. Edward raised an eyebrow at him and he knew he was thinking about what Bella had said.
Maybe I do have a power, Carlisle thought at him, a hint of amusement in his mind. Edward rolled his eyes.
"What else did you see Alice?" Bella asked curiously.
"Carlisle visits them tonight." She glanced at her adoptive father. "He'll tell us what he sees." Carlisle had been planning on to find out where Harry lives and visit them to see the aftermath of today, and simply nodded.
"I'll let you know then." He said. He decided it was dark enough to risk a run, as he didn't want his car seen and traced back to him. He got to the school and noted that the doors were locked. He circled around until he found an unlocked window and slipped inside. He despised this sort of activity, but this was the quickest way to find where Harry lived. He found the classroom that had Harry's scent most strongly in it. Luckily, his teacher seemed quite organized and it only took a minute to find Harry's address in his file. He put everything back the way it was and ran to Harry's house. It was late by now, around nine o clock. Harry's cousin, Dudley, was in the first bedroom Carlisle checked. His room was a disaster of barely used toys. He was sitting at a computer screen, clicking frantically with his mouse. Carlisle went to the next bedroom and frowned. His eyes could make out a room full of broken toys, some that seemed to be from Dudley's toddler days and others that were more recent. The only other bedroom was obviously the parent's room, with a king sized bed, a pretty vanity and a large wardrobe.
He went to check the living room, careful to keep out of sight and saw Harry aunt and uncle for the first time. The uncle was quite large, with a thick mustache and an expensive suit. His wife sat near him, wearing a pretty yellow dress. She was thin and tall, with a surprisingly long neck. He could smell Harry and his strange electric scent in the house, but he could not see him. He remembered Alice's vision of Harry in the cupboard and his expression darkened. He spent the next hour watching the aunt and uncle interact. They seemed like stereotypical upper class people. The aunt was a housewife who spied on her neighbors and liked to gossip. The uncle worked at a business called "Grunnings" and seemed to be high up the chain of command.
After they went to bed, Carlisle debated whether he should wait here or go back home. His musings were interrupted when he heard the creak of a door open. From his position by the window he couldn't see into the hallway, but he did hear the sound of a child's breathing more clearly. There was a pause as the breath stopped, and then the slow steps of bare feet. A head of messy black hair poked into the room, and after a breath of relief the breathing started. Carlisle watched with morbid fascination as the boy expertly rooted through the kitchen for food that wouldn't be missed. A few scraps from the trash can were quickly shoved in his mouth and then he hurried back to what Carlisle assumed was the cupboard Alice had mentioned. Rage filled him, and his lips pulled back in an automatic snarl. He squashed the urge quickly, but he couldn't find it in him to regret the reaction. They may not be completely starving him, but with how fat his cousin and uncle were they could surely spare him more food. Carlisle circled the house a few times, and finally found a place in front of the house where he could see the cupboard under the stairs. His senses confirmed that's where Harry was sleeping, and his anger rose. They kept a room full of broken toys but kept their nephew in a cupboard?
Carlisle waited until morning, frozen in his hiding spot, and watched the family's morning routine. Aunt Petunia, as Carlisle learned her name was, banged on the door to wake Harry up. Harry was out in about a minute, dressed again in clothes that were far too big for him. Harry immediately went to making breakfast as his Aunt went upstairs to do her makeup. He served everyone but himself, and then went about cleaning all of the dishes, taking out the trash, and wiping down the counters. Orders were barked at him and he was only addressed as "boy". It was a wonder he had been able to tell Carlisle his name with how he was addressed at home.
"Remember you may not have lunch at school today because of your….incident." Vernon said with a sneer. "Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry responded politely.
"And you will not have dinner tonight because you ripped your pants. We go to great lengths to keep you fed and clothed and it was very disrespectful of you to treat your clothes like that." Aunt Petunia added sternly.
Carlisle was on the edge of storming in there and snatching Harry away. He hated not being able to do something. Part of the reason he hated being a vampire was that while he could use his vampiric abilities to help people, the need to stay in secret restricted this ability. He loved helping others and he hated that sometimes he couldn't. The safety of my family comes first. He reminded himself firmly. He found himself thinking of Esme, and her dead baby boy. What if she had died, like Harry's parents, and found out her son was being treated like Harry? The thought made him feel ill.
The family plus Harry (for Carlisle refused to count him as part of this family) finished getting ready and headed out for the day. Carlisle did not work at the hospital today, and he hurried home as quickly as he could, making sure to use his speed only when he was out of sight of any humans. He had enough evidence to voice his concerns to child services and hopefully find Harry a better home. Then maybe Carlisle could find the answer to Harry's strange teleportation ability.
A/N: What do you guys think? What do you want to see? I'll try to make updates weekly but there was such a huge response to the first chapter I just had to post another one! Please review :)
-Hatakefire