A/N: Thank you so much for all of the favorites and follows! It makes me so happy that people like this story. Sorry this one is a bit late. The chapter felt slow and therefore my writing was slow, but it will pick up soon! Enjoy!
CHAPTER FOUR
Carlisle was the last of the family to arrive home. He wanted to know what had happened with Harry, but he restrained himself from bursting through the door like a crazy man. Instead he gave his wife a chaste kiss on the lips and a hug, breathing in her scent to chase away the blood and horrors of the hospital. Then he went upstairs to put his bag in his office and take off his tie. Only then did he allow himself to meet his family in the large living area.
Esme had truly gone all out with the living room in this house, and despite there being more than ten people gathered, if they had wanted to sit down everyone would be able to find a spot and not feel claustrophobic. Carlisle sat down on the love seat with Esme. Alice, Jasper and Edward seemed too tense to sit down. Emmet, reading their energy, was also standing, his hand resting on Rosalie's shoulder. Bella, of course, stood with Edward, so the only other people sitting were Renesmee, Jacob, and his pack.
"We got the details from Jacob, so we're all caught up. And we agree that his scent is strange for a human." Leah started the impromptu meeting, hovering as she always did on Jacob's right, the Beta position. She still didn't like how the vampires smelled and preferred to stay away from them if she could help it, but she had grown more comfortable with the Cullens over the past few years. Her younger brother, Seth, was as comfortable as always. Quil and Embry, while at first had taken after Leah, had quickly warmed up to the vampires and were just as at ease as Seth. Carlisle debated on asking when they had gone near enough to Harry to catch his scent but decided it wasn't useful for the discussion. The point was that something was special about Harry, and now they were here to find out what, and how the afternoon with the Child Protection Services went.
"I have never smelled anything like it. However it did take concentration to pick out that specific scent among the other humans, and so it is possible I have walked by similar people and just never noticed," Carlisle explained.
"Oh, there are others." Edward said.
"Others?" Bella asked him.
"Yes. We were there watching Harry, as you all know, to see how the appointment with the CPS went and it did not go well." Edward said.
"Is Harry okay?" Esme asked worriedly. Carlisle felt affection for his wife spread through his body. She had yet to meet the boy but she was already concerned for his safety.
"He's fine. For now. We couldn't see what was happening but...it was weird." If the situation hadn't become so serious Carlisle would have been seriously amused to hear Edward use a word like weird in a room full of vampires, shape-shifting werewolves, and his half immortal daughter. But as Edward explained what he and Alice could make out of the scene that had played out, Carlisle understood the use of the word.
Apparently after Petunia Dursley had kicked them out, the CPS employees had been brought into Arabella Figg's house. She had left them in the living room, where they sat discussing the questions they wanted to ask her about Harry. She went into the kitchen, opened a drawer, and pulled out a crystal. She tapped it three times and said a strange word in Latin. A few seconds later, a strange man in long robes, half-moon spectacles, and a truly magnificent beard appeared with a sharp crack. His name was Albus Dumbledore, and he was a wizard.
There were immediate outcries at this, but as Edward was not known for pulling practical jokes, the group settled down to hear the rest of the story. Edward said Arabella told Dumbledore about CPS arriving. He inquired as to who placed the call, but she did not know. Then he asked about Harry, and she assured him he was still safe. Then he drew a long stick out of his pocket and advanced into the living room.
"I could feel him reading their minds. They weren't entirely aware of what was going on, but I've read enough minds to know what he was doing."
"And what was he thinking?" Jasper asked.
"That's just it. It was shielded. I couldn't read his mind." Gasps echoed around the room.
"Like me?" Bella asked.
"No, it felt different. Like….like your's is a bubble that can spread and stretch, and his is a wall." Edward explained.
"I also couldn't see his future clearly." Alice added. "It was sort of like looking at Renesmee's future. It's all clouded and gives me a headache, but I got glimpses. They were...strange."
"What did he want?" Carlisle asked.
"He wanted to know who called CPS. Luckily, they didn't have that information, and CPS doesn't because you gave them an anonymous tip. That's probably the only reason he isn't here right now." Edward answered.
"Then what happened?" Jacob asked impatiently.
"Well, he….he wiped their minds of ever hearing about Harry Potter. And I bet he went and did it to the agency as well." Edward said.
"He what?!" Was the general response.
"So that's why you did that." At everyone's look of confusion, Jasper elaborated. "He went up to them after they left Arabella's house and asked who Harry Potter was. They had no idea who he was talking about."
"That's it. We're not touching this with a ten foot pole. Or any pole. A guy who can erase minds?" Leah snapped.
"But what about Harry?" Esme asked worriedly.
"Esme, I hate this as much as you do. But our family comes first. We have no defense against this. This could not only risk exposure, but our lives." Rosalie argued.
"What if we did?" Bella asked quietly. All heads turned towards her. If she was still human she would have blushed pink, but she continued. "We know my shield protects against mental attacks, and Edward said this is a kind of mental attack."
"Vampiric mental attacks, love." Edward corrected gently. "We have no way of knowing...no SAFE way of knowing," He corrected after seeing his wife's face, "if that would work."
"Harry is being hurt and there are people preventing us from helping him!" Bella snapped. "Surely we should at least try?" The Cullens and the pack began clamoring. Most people wanted to drop the whole thing entirely. They had gone to CPS and it hadn't worked out. Seth, Esme, Renesmee and Bella were all for just taking him away and dealing with the consequences after. Edward, Jacob and Jasper were completely against it. Rosalie wanted to find some other way to help Harry, maybe from the shadows. Emmett suggested just blackmailing the Dursley's into giving Harry a better life. Alice and Carlisle were sort of in the middle, trying to come up with the best solution.
"This is possibly a whole other world we are reaching." Carlisle cautioned. "I want to help Harry as much as anyone, but this is uncharted territory we are walking in to."
"Which is why we shouldn't even walk into it!" Jasper snapped. His frustration suddenly filled the room and the tension rose exponentially before he squashed it down forcefully.
"We have someone else to consider. The Volturi." Alice pointed out. She continued over the sound of the Packs growls. "If we do see them again, and they see our thoughts, they'll know what we know about this world. And what do you think Aro will do?"
"He'll find the nearest wizard he can and turn him." Edward predicted.
"And then we might have a full-scale war on our hands." Carlisle said darkly. The room was quiet.
"If Carlisle hadn't wanted us to investigate in the first place - "Rosalie started with a hiss, but Emmett cut her off. "Babe, he smelled Harry. That would have been enough for Aro to send people to investigate anyway. It's no one's fault." Rosalie huffed and crossed her arms.
"Well, I don't know about anyone else but the Volturi aren't exactly a welcoming committee I'd like to send to these wizards." Seth pointed out.
"What would we even say? 'Hey we discovered you guys and also there's a vampire high council who will want to control and kill you guys and also I'm a werewolf?" Jacob asked sarcastically.
"Eloquent as always." Edward muttered.
"We also have Harry's safety to consider. Why is he with his family? Why won't they give him a better home?" Esme added.
"It's possible they know about wizards and that is why he is placed with them." Carlisle reasoned.
"But aren't there any other families he could be put with?" Bella protested.
"Wizarding tradition?" Emmett suggested.
"No. There was something….off about the whole situation." Edward frowned. "Whoever Harry is, he is special. Arabella knew that much."
"Too many questions, not enough answers." Alice sighed.
"We need a solution that prevents a war between these wizards and us without exposing us or hurting anyone."
"We need to test if my shield works." Bella suggested.
"I am not risking your mind being wiped, or possibly used against the rest of the family." At the mention of the risk to the whole family, Bella quieted.
"We need information." Jasper said. "But we have no way of getting it!"
"Yes we do." Carlisle said slowly. He looked over at Edward, who was picking up his line of thinking.
"There's no way she would tell us anything. You saw her." Edward snorted.
"Petunia?" Esme asked, reading his mind almost as well as Edward.
"Yes, Petunia." Carlisle said. "She and her husband obviously know Harry is a wizard, or suspect it. Otherwise, why would they take care of him and not just drop him off at some orphanage?"
"Maybe she doesn't know why she does it and this Dumbledore is influencing them somehow." Jacob suggested.
"Again, we don't know." Jasper said, irritated.
"Then we have to ask." Carlisle pointed out.
"Wait, so we're really going over to these bastard people's house and just talking?" Jacob asked incredulously. Edward shook his head. "Once again, your joke plan somehow ends up being the best one."
"Hey, he's a lot smarter than he looks." Renesmee spoke up teasingly.
"Hey, I look smart!" Jacob protested.
"Do we agree to talk to the Dursley's and get as much information as we can?" Carlisle asked the group. No one looked particularly happy with the solution, but no one could come up with a better idea, and moved on to planning what to say and possible responses to what they hear. It was well past dark before they concluded the conversation. It was decided that while Harry and Dudley were at school and Vernon was at work, Carlisle, Edward and Bella would visit the Dursleys. Leah argued for a while that someone from the pack should go, but there was the concern that if there was a mind altering wizard that could get past Bella's shield out there, one pack member being affected may affect them all. Leah acquiesced with some grumbling, and the pack went back to their dorms. The Cullens went their separate ways and quietly waited for the school day to start. Alice left with a teasing comment to take notes for Bella, as this was technically her first time in college and would need the help. Alice's good mood lightened the tension considerably, as she would have seen if something disastrous happening. Still, the future wasn't set, and Carlisle could see concern in his wife's eyes.
"Be careful." Esme said worriedly, straightening his tie.
"I've faced down far worse foes than Petunia Dursley." Carlisle assured her. Esme gave him a 'Look' and Carlisle chuckled softly. He grasped her hands in his and planted a light kiss on them. "I'll be careful." He promised, and he felt her relax slightly.
He walked to his car where Bella and Edward were waiting for him.
"Ready?" He asked them. The couple nodded, and together they drove to Number Four, Privet Drive.
A/N: Bit of a cliffhanger. How do you think this confrontation will go? Will Albus find out? Poll on my bio on what House Carlisle belongs in! (Literally haven't edited by bio since I was like 12 don't just me lol)
Please review to let me know what you think!