Written for

Hogwarts assignment 11 - Notable Witches and Wizards - Task #4: Write about someone being so opposed to something that they hurt or kill a member of their family.

Writing Club -

Showtime - 9- (relationship) mother

Days of the Month - Write about a familial reunion

Sophie's Shelf - Write about an adult bullying a child

1000 - Cold Vengeance

Cold Vengeance

Lily didn't die. Instead she went into a coma. Now she's awake and she's coming for her son.

Warning: Murder

Briefest mention of WolfStar

"Get that blasted freak locked away," a man shouted. Though he wasn't overly loud, Lily could hear every word. She flicked her wand, removing the spell she had been using to listen in on the house. She had been doing it for a week now and each time that man raised his voice at her son, she felt a rush of anger.

But she had no choice but to leave him there. She had nowhere to go with him and Sirius was in prison. She had left him there so she could go in search of Remus, though had returned just to try and get a peek at him. So far she had failed to lay eyes on him, but she knew he was behind that door

It took time to find Remus. Less time to drag him out from where he was hiding - guilt always worked and where Lily would rarely resort to that in the past, this new Lily who had woken in search of her son would do anything she needed.

Remus had explained that he had been told to stay away. That the Dursleys had been reluctant to keep Harry unless there were no magical influences in his life and that made Lily's blood boil. She had made a will with James. They had listed the people who were supposed to look after Harry. Sirius, Remus, Alice.

Sirius was wrongfully imprisoned and second on Lily's list, but her son came first.

She walked away from the house, Remus moving quietly at her side as they did. It had been only an hour since Lily arrived at his house, insisting he come with her and he still wasn't sure on the details of what had happened that night. Lily was giving him time to adjust to her coming out of her coma, but knew the questions were coming.

From their spot down the street, Lily watched Vernon lead the way to the car, Petunia and Dudley quickly following. She stared at the scene for a long time, the car driving away.

Her son wasn't with them. Where was he?

"Come on," she murmured, walking over to the house and quickly unlocking the door with a simple twirl of her wand. The lock clicked open and Lily walked into the house. "I'll go and find his room," Lily said, disappearing upstairs.

She threw the first door open, glancing around it. Toys littered the room but it didn't feel like Harry's room. She continue to the next door, but quickly determined it was the master bedroom. The next was the bathroom and her eyes landed on the last.

She opened the door, expecting to see a small boy with black hair and green eyes. Perhaps confused, perhaps remembering her and ready to run into her arms.

He wasn't there. It wasn't his room either. A big picture of Dudley and Petunia hung on the wall and Lily slowly turned back to the first bedroom.

She must have been mistaken. The first was his and perhaps in her haste, she had missed him. She walked back over and glanced around.

"Down here," Remus called, his voice sounding off. Something was wrong. She turned and rushed down the stairs, freezing in the hall where Remus was standing by a cupboard door.

"You were looking in the wrong place for his room," Remus murmured, his eyes fixed inside of the cupboard.

Lily felt sick to her stomach as she moved to stand next to Remus. Surely her sister wouldn't have put her son in a cupboard. There were enough bedrooms in the house. But her fears were confirmed as her eyes fell on her son, the small boy who was staring at them in horror, curled up on a small mattress in the bottom of the cupboard.

Her gaze moved around, taking in the broken toys and the folded clothes which she could already tell were too big for him. The t-shirt he was wearing drowned him.

"Harry, I'm your mummy," Lily said, finally dropping to her knees. "I'm here to take you home. Would you like that? To come with me? To have your own room again?"

"Mummy?" Harry repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "Aunty Petunia said my mummy is dead."

"Not dead. I was just… I wasn't well. I was sleeping for a very long time, but I'm awake now," she said, keeping her voice soft.

Harry's gaze moved to Remus. "Are you my dad?"

"This is Uncle Remus, your dad's friend. He was supposed to look after you instead of Aunt Petunia. Now, come here." She extended her hand.

"Uncle Vernon will be mad if I come out," Harry said, shuffling further away.

"Harry, I'll deal with him," Remus began.

"No. I'll deal with him," Lily replied, with a smile. "Harry, do you like ice-cream?"

"Dudley does. He eats it but I don't have any."

Lily sighed. It was going to be an effort to get her son out of that cupboard by choice. She couldn't help but wonder how Vernon had terrified her son so much that he was scared to set foot outside of it.

...oOo...

Lily watched as Harry nibbled on one of the biscuits, scared of getting in trouble. Her poor boy was so small and thin and the smile on her lips was only to keep him at ease. Inside, she was picturing a hundred ways to get revenge.

Remus straightened next to her and Lily knew that he had heard the car outside. She calmly poured them both another cup of tea, glancing at Harry's cup to ensure he still had a drink. Minutes later, they heard the sound of the doors unlocking. Harry was ready to bolt, but Remus reached for him, pulling him over to them. Harry pulled away, ducking into a tiny gap between the armchair and the sofa.

Remus glanced down at the small space. "Maybe it's best he stays there," he suggested mildly. "I'll bring him out if he gets too upset."

"Thank you, Remus."

"The cupboard is open! You said you locked it," Vernon shouted. "Do I have to do everything myself?"

Lily turned her head to Remus, her lips turning down. Remus hadn't said the cupboard was locked. He didn't meet her gaze. Lily knew he kept quiet to protect her, but she didn't want protecting when it came to her son.

"Boy. Get here now," Vernon roared.

"Stay there," Remus murmured, dropping his arm down the space and ruffling Harry's hair. "We're here to keep you safe."

Petunia rushed in, scared, glancing around for Harry. Her gaze moved to the sofa and her mouth dropped open.

"Petunia. Tea?" Lily offered politely. She flicked her wand, amused at the horrified look on her sister's face as the teapot lifted and poured into one of the empty cups that had been set out.

"Dudley, upstairs now," Petunia insisted. "Go and play a game."

"The boy needs…" Vernon trailed off as he walked in, looking at the two people on the sofa. "You."

"Good afternoon, Vernon. I haven't seen you in… years, I believe. Though it doesn't really feel that long for me. I've poured tea, please sit."

He made to argue, but a force pulled him over to the armchair. Petunia rushed to sit down before the wand was pointed at her.

"Petunia, control your sister!"

"Petunia, still a spoon and a half of sugar?" Lily asked, as the spoon began to work on its own. "Now, let me introduce Remus. He's one of James' best friends. I don't recall if you've met him before."

Remus gave a shake of his head.

"Well, better late than never. Now. The time is getting on and we don't want to be here too late. After all, it's a full moon."

"What does that mean?" Vernon demanded, from where he was stuck to the armchair. His face was red and he looked ready to hurt them. But he couldn't move.

"Oh. Remus is a werewolf. He'll transform soon," Lily explained. "So let's make this quick. My son was living in your cupboard. Why not a bedroom?"

Her wand twirled idly between her fingers, Vernon and Petunia both following the movement. "Let's try again. How often do you feed Harry?"

Silence followed once more, though Petunia looked ashamed at the questions, her gaze moving to her hands. "I'm sorry," came a whisper. "I…" she trailed off when Vernon looked at her.

"Your last chance. Why was my son locked away whilst you all headed for a nice day out?"

"Because he did magic," Vernon snapped. "He's a freak like the rest of you and he needs it stamped down before he ends up like you."

"Well, when we saw you leave earlier, we spent the day getting Harry out of his cupboard and giving him some nice treats we found in your house. Then I checked his mind, looking at his memories. A trick my best friend taught me a few years ago. I know everything that's happened in this house." She set her cup down and smiled. "Drink your tea, Vernon."

Her wand came out again and she quickly cast her spell to make the teapot pour out some tea into the last cup.

The cup floated over to Vernon and he grabbed it, staring at Lily as he did so. "You should be thanking us for taking in that little unnatural devil's spawn," he snapped, before bringing the cup to his lips.

Lily smiled as he drunk the tea, his face twisting in disgust as he swallowed it down.

"You'll be rewarded for how you treated my son," she said. "Remus, did you put the poison in his cup?"

"A few drops," Remus insisted. "That's all it needs to stop his heart."

"You should be thanking me," Lily said, as Vernon stared in horror, trying to free himself from the chair. "If I hadn't done this now, my husband's other friend is in prison. He'll be freed soon enough and he would have come after you. Sirius doesn't show the mercy I do and your death would have lasted days."

"Lily, no," Petunia begged.

"In reality, it should be your son that I harm so you could truly learn a lesson," Lily explained. "But I could never sink as low as the both of you and harm a child." She stood up from the chair as Vernon began to choke on the poison. "Remus, if you could make sure Harry doesn't see or hear this?"

Remus nodded once more, murmuring a spell. He scooped up a dazed, sleepy looking Harry and leaned Harry's head against his shoulder. Harry let out a wide yawn before his eyes fluttered shut

"Goodbye, Petunia," Lily said as Vernon gasped for air, falling from the chair to the floor as Lily released the spell holding him in place.

"Lily!" Petunia cried, falling to the floor beside her husband. As her knees hit the floor, Vernon's body stilled.

"Now, let's go and get Sirius back. I'm going to need you both now more than ever."

"Sirius… but…"

"Peter was the secret keeper," Lily explained softly. "He's next on the list. But first we'll get your boyfriend out of prison, shall we? Also, me and Harry need somewhere to live."

"You can both stay at mine. We'll work something out," Remus insisted.

1897 words

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