"August 1982, 6th"
It was finally Friday, and the bright sun was shining on Privet Drive. It was around 3 pm, and naturally, all the children of the neighborhood were playing outside, some with handmade kites, the youngest were just chasing each others, giggling and shouting very loudly. Minerva managed to sneak between the kids and headed to the small perfectly well-kept garden of 4 Privet Drive. She passed two young teenagers quarreling about a lost soccers ball, that, (from what she understood), had flew over the old senile woman's bush two blocks away.
« Go knock at her door, we need that ball back Paul ! Don't be a wimp ! » cried out the tallest one, blond-haired boy with two huge long front teeth that made him lisp slightly
« You know I can't » whined the other one, a rather plump boy, ginger and full of freckles « she is so weird, and almost deaf, it's a lost case… »
« You're just too scared of her, that's all »
« Go on then ! Why don't you do it yourself if it's that easy ! » he cried, pointing at the house violently
« I.. I'm allergic to cats, you know that ! And she has plenty of them »
Allergic to cats ? Funny he didn't back up when Minerva had moved between his legs two seconds ago. She sneered and walked away, impatient to see how much Harry had grown. She stoped at the same window as usual, and sat comfortably, her eyes fixed on the living room. Harry and Dudley were both here, in the middle of the carpet, surrounded by all kind of toys and plays. With that hot weather floating over England, Petunia seemed to have estimated it would be a clever idea to open all the windows (a better idea, according to her, than simply letting the kids enjoying these sunny days in the garden). Minerva automatically smiled at the left one, Harry had been two years old for 7 days now, he had grown up so much, and surprisingly, his hair had too, even if she would never had thought it would have been possible, since last time she saw him, his raven-black mass of untidy hair were already pretty voluminous for a baby of his age. « He has definitely inherited the Potter's capillarity »
She could see Petunia sitting on the couch close to the babies, she was attentively reading a gossip magazine, with the muggles Royal family in the front page. Harry, unlike his cousin, was very quiet when he played, he was scrutinizing a reduced-sized mini cooper, opening one by one the tiny doors and playing with the wheels. On the other hand, Dudley was smashing fiercely his figurines, to the point he eventually broke the man, his plastic head popping out of his neck. The kid groaned and threw the toy across the room, before his eyes fell on the blue car Harry was holding. In the blink of an eye, the large boy leaned forward his cousin and wrenched the toy out of Harry's hand, before he immediately sat back, triumphantly. To Minerva's surprise, Harry didn't cry, he did not even fought for his car, an unusual behavior for a toddler, and rather convenient for Dudley's selfishness. Realizing he would not have his car back, nor any other toys since Dudley had managed to keep all of them around him, ready to throw a tantrum if he dared to reach his treasure, Harry decided to find an other way to enjoy his afternoon. He gazed at the window, certainly dreaming of playing outside, and his bright green eyes met the tabby cat. Minerva hesitated to hide behind the curtains, but it was too late anyway, and Harry sparkling gaze was too precious to be ignored. He stood up with the help of his tiny hands, and drew near the window, a large smile on his face. He started to call the cat « Namoun » several times, extending his arms forward. Why Namoun? He used this name as if it was totally natural and obvious to call a cat like this… Namoun.. Namun.. Na… CINNAMON! It suddenly struck her, the Potter's cat was called Cinnamon! How could she had forget… She had always found this name rubbish and extremely common, but quit suitable since their cat had been ginger, sweet and… round. Harry finally reached the window, and seemed to wait for the cat to enter the room and play with him ; but Minerva didn't move, her gaze passing from him to Petunia. Harry giggled at the view of Minerva's moving eyes, and luckily, Petunia didn't think Harry's new area of interest was more important than her « How to be a perfect wife and mother, while remaining as beautiful and fresh as your twenties. » article. Nor did Dudley. He had not even realised that Harry had moved.
« Namoun! » Harry exclaimed vividly, trying desperately to reach the cat's paws with his two small chubby hands. Petunia didn't even dare to look up from her magazine, which allowed Minerva to slip discreetly into the room, but before she could jump to the floor, something happened. It happened very quickly. Petunia raised her eyes to her son, admiring him playing with the car, then it disappeared… « Pfou », just like magic ; the mini cooper reappeared in Harry's hands, he startled and recoiled suddenly, before falling backwards, right on his buttocks. Petunia let out a cry and jumped to her feet. Minerva immediately backed off and hide behind the window's floral curtain. She could hear Dudley's over-dramatic cries covering Petunia's rage, then as she slightly moved her head to see what was happening, she glimpsed the angry woman grabbing Harry's arm firmly, and punishing him in the corner of the room, face against the wall. Minerva was rattled and completely bewildered. Why? What was that overreaction? Petunia was aware Harry was a wizard, she was not unfamiliar with magic… Minerva could not understand why she had freaked out for nothing more than a small underage magic, coming from a two years-old toddler. And obviously, Harry was way too young to receive punishments of that sort, he couldn't stand still in front of that wall, and was constantly turning around, wriggling and excited about the extraordinary moment that had just occurred. He was incessantly casting an eye over the window and at the cat behind it, then he eventually started to run, a broad smile on his face, and tried to climb the wooden furniture installed under the window.
« Namoooun! »
Minerva didn't know what to do, she knew her presence was going to cause Harry some troubles, he was really enthusiastic about her, and would definitely not stay calm while she was here. Even though she was behind the curtain, the child was too stubborn to give up his intent to play with her. Once Petunia noticed Harry's disappearance, she immediately stood up, and instead of punishing him in the living room, she grabbed his arm again, and took him upstairs.
« If you're not able to stand still, you will be off to bed my boy! »
It was the first time Minerva heard the woman's anger. She sounded almost like her husband, but her voice was high-pitched, almost strident, and her teeth were completely clenched, so her mouth was barely opening when she lectured her nephew. Minerva quickly followed them from outside, jumping on the same spots, before sitting on the small bedroom windowsill. Harry was already in his cot, baffled and definitively not willing to sleep in this early afternoon. Minerva wanted to open the window, push the curtains and join him, but she felt like she had already got him in enough troubles for today. This whole situation was grotesque, and totally unfair, and who knew how many times this scenario had occurred in the past year… It was doubtlessly not the first time Harry had done underage magic, and not the last time either.
At around 6pm the same day, the big gray car parked in front of the garage, and the large, small man got out of the it with great difficulty, since the circumference of his stomach was as large as the car door. He grabbed his briefcase and slammed the door, groaning loudly. His wife was impatiently waiting for him, standing on the doormat. They briefly kissed and Petunia rushed to take his things and entered the house, followed by his tired husband. Minerva was already sitting comfortably, on the best spot, that allowed her to see almost all the ground floor.
« Where is my little Tyke ? » he asked as soon as he placed his wide bottom on the first chair he found. He didn't bother to cover his mouth as he started to yawn loudly. Petunia hurried to take his son who was watching for the third time a weird muggle cartoon (about three kittens, playing music in an Aristocrat family..) and brought him to his father.
« Hello my little Duddy » he said, kissing his cheeks with his slimy lips, the same way he could eat a huge chicken thigh. The toddler seemed very annoyed by this wet physical affection. He squirmed and wriggled in his father's arms, trying to get back to the living room, more particularly in front of the television. Vernon didn't even noticed his little wrestling and turned to his wife, his arms closed tightly around Dudley.
« Is the boy in his room ? » he asked severely.
« Well, yes. » She slowly put down the kettle full of hot water, and looked directly at him. « Speaking of Harry… »
« What! What has he done again that.. »
He didn't finish his sentence, certainly reluctant to use a pretty rude and inappropriate word to describe a baby.
« He used .. you know what, again » She waited her husband to stop cursing, and continued « he stole Dudley's toy, he made it disappear and it reappeared in his hands.. »
« AGAIN! » He finally let his son go (who hurried to the living room, as if his life depended on it), and looked up at his wife « It's been the third time Petunia ! Third time in only three weeks! »
« I know! »
her eyes were full of tears, « again » thought Minerva
« But I can't control him, I.. He can't even control it himself, he is not aware of anything, he is too young Vernon.. »
« I don't care what he is aware of, Petunia! You promised me there would be no magic coming from that little snot! » He paused to catch his breath, his face was now redder than the kettle. « You remember what I told you last time… about the orphanage. We have to sign the adoption form next week, so we have exactly seven days to change our mind about it, and I think it's the best thing we should do »
The adoption form ? What adoption form ? Minerva tried to remember what Dumbledore had told him about the adoption, but she could not remember of any form. This was probably a muggle procedure, something about the law and the gouvernement… In any case, if they had to sign that form to adopt Harry, they HAD to sign it! Petunia knew, she knew everything and wouldn't let Vernon get rid of the boy.
« Vernon, Honey, you know that we can't do that, we have to keep him, the neighbors have seen him, they know we have two children now.. what would they think if we abandoned him? »
« That's the problem yes! How many times I've told you to hide that kid! It would have been a piece of cake if nobody knew about his existence! »
Petunia sighed and sat desperately next to him.
« How are we supposed to hide a baby from the all neighbourhood… I can't leave him alone when you are at work, I have to go to the supermarket Vernon! Every four days, you know that! And we had to take him to the doctor when he caught a cold, we had to! »
« You're probably right.. Sorry » She was violently sobbing now, her husband tried to apologize for his tantrum, but she simply couln't stop.
« I'll cook dinner » she stood up, shaking from head to toes, and headed to the kitchen. Five minutes later, Vernon leaved his chair too, and joined her. Minerva followed.
« I know you are upset, but I want to talk about something else » he declared.
« Is it about Harry..? »
« Yes. And Dudley! » he retorted when she sighed again. « It's about their bedroom. I don't want them to sleep together anymore. I don't want Dudley to be in danger in a room shared with a magic freak, it's not safe! »
« I've thought about it too… »
Vernon seemed relieved she shared his vision, and took that opportunity to explain his plans :
« I am going to rearrange the cupboard, the one under the stairs you know. I will reorganize everything and maybe fix some things by tomorrow, and I will settle his cot in there. »
« The.. the cupboard? » Petunia seemed to be as bewildered as Minerva. « But we have an empty room upstairs, you know, right next to ours.. »
« He certainly doesn't deserve a room for himself Petunia, we should not make him feel he belongs to this family! It's not his home, and it will never be! »
« Yes.. but the cupboard..? Oh Vernon he is so young »
She turned away from him and focused the cutting of her carrots.
« I will make it habitable I promise, you'll see. »
…..
« The cupboard! At two years-old! » Ron exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table
« Two years-old or twenty years-old it's the same Ron, it's disgusting » moaned George.
« It's revolting… » added Tonks, her hair had turned from bright orange to dull grey.
« Well, everything is revolting with this family you know . It's only the beginning, what were you expecting coming from them? » McGonagall snapped, looking furtively at everyone around the table. « I will go now, I am exhausted, and I am not used to talking so much. » She noticed the looks of disappointment in their faces, but as soon she stood up, Remus and Mrs. Weasley hurried to help her, bringing her green coat and her pointed hat. She casted a last look at them, paused on Sirius who seemed devastated by what he had heard, and smiled softly
« I will continue next time, I'm just too tired for tonight »
As she leaved the room, she started to feel a ounce of guilt , as if she should not share all these private stories about Harry's life, while he was not even aware of them himself… But she remembered Sirius's face, the way he was captivated when she talked… He deserved to know, he was his godfather, and he had been deprived of his godson for so long… Maybe she will reveal these stories to Harry, one day, when everything would be over, when Harry has nothing more important to do or think than listening to an old woman, next to the fireplace with a hot cup of tea. She had shared so much with young Harry, he had trusted her, had confide in her as soon he had been able to speak. She would never forget that feeling, of being the most important companion of a child, of Harry.
Hi ! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! This is the last one where Harry is too young to know how to speak ;) Don't hesitate to comment! I would be happy to discuss my story with you
