A/N: Thank you all for the reviews.
Harry Potter is not mine; this is a story from a fan.

A Helping hand.

C11 The gathering of evidence.

It had been on a Wednesday night that Andrea received the letter from her aunt. She wasn't really happy with the letter but it did proof to her that the abuse was of a personal nature and not a financial one. The eleven hundred pounds were the same as most people would make in a month.

Now five hundred galleons may seem a lot in the Muggle world in the magical world it had the same value as hundred pounds so it wasn't that much. It did tell her that the Potters were very well off but not extremely rich.

With this new information, she made her way over to Harry who was already sitting at his spot next to the fence. It had been a whole week and his leg was healing properly. It had been the only thing that had given her a little smile for the rest of that week.

At the start of the week, she had set out to do what she had been planning to do for a couple of weeks now. But with every answer she got, the more she hated her decision to do what she had set out to do.

So while she made her way to Harry, her earlier conversations she had with him at the start of the week, had taken a whole other meaning after she had read the letter the night before.

Flashback Monday morning.

Like every school day she sat down next to Harry and gave him a hug, he was longing for. "Harry, there are some things I was wondering about. So if you don't mind I want to ask you some questions".

The moment she said the words she could see that Harry became very anxious by what she said. "Harry, please don't worry. You do not have to answer me if you don't want to. But I would really like it if you do. Now by doing this, I want to help you with everything you want".

Just like the last time she saw Harry looking at her with hope in his eyes, hope that was again replaced by doubt only it was less doubt than she had seen before. It was after a minute she heard "okay" in a very soft whisper.

The okay was all she wanted to hear but it also made it very hard for her because she knew that she had a lot of things she wanted to know, that would make it very difficult for Harry. With a heavy sigh she asked "Harry could you tell me why you are wearing those clothes".

Harry looked down at the ground before he said. "I already am too expensive for them to give me good clothes. I have to be glad about what I get because they feed me and put a roof over my head".

Andrea didn't know why she gasped again because if she would have been honest, it should not have surprised her that he said the thing he said. So she wanted to tell him that it didn't sound right to her but somehow she had started something and Harry really started to talk and was spilling more than he wanted to spill.

"They said that I already get more than I deserved and because of that I have to work for everything".

Andrea could not stop herself and ask. "What kind of jobs do you have to do for them, but also what is it you do during the day".

Harry looked up to the sky and started to tell her about his jobs and also what his day was like. In the meanwhile, Andrea was adding them up in her mind. "Well in the morning I have to make breakfast for all of them. Then I have to eat by myself because they don't want me sitting with them. So when they start to eat their breakfast I have to go to school".

As Andrea heard what Harry said she understood why Harry was always an hour early at school then all the others? It wasn't because he wanted to, but because they made him.

Harry had been oblivious to the battle that was raging inside of Andrea and went on with his little story. "When I get home I have to do all kind of other jobs like cleaning, gardening, washing the car. After that, I have to make Dinner".

"Dinner, all by yourself".

"Well I used to help but this year I have to cook it all by myself".

"Harry, if you cook the Dinner, am I right by thinking you are also eating it with them".

Harry again looked up at her like she had just told him something that was unthinkable in his book. "No, I have to stay in my hmmm until they are done".

"But when do you eat," Andrea asked with a lot of disbelieve in her voice. She got an answer but it wasn't the answer she thought she would get.

"I get to eat whatever is leftover and most of the time it's only the vegetables. After that, I have to do the dishes and clean the kitchen before I have to go back into my cupboard". It was at that point that Harry slammed both of his hands over his mouth. With fear written all over his face and in his eyes, he was starting to look for a way out.

"Harry, please calm down. It will be a secret between the both of us and I will tell no one about it".

End Flashback on Monday morning.

That Monday morning she had been so shocked that she didn't ask another question for the rest of the week. One reason had been that she was literally too scared of what she would hear. And the other reason was the fear she had seen on the face of Harry. That fear had told her that he would need the remainder of the week to recover from his fears.

Slowly she sat down next to him with the letter in her pocket. With her arms outstretched and a little separated, she didn't have to wait long for Harry to fling himself into her arms.

He had done this for the last three days in a row. Ever sins he told her about his living arrangement he had started to cling to her more and more.

Flashback Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning she went over to Harry like she had done for the last four weeks and took him into a gentle hug. Only this time he didn't just hug her back he squeezed her so hard that it seemed like he was afraid of something. Afraid that she would leave him or that she would not help him anymore.

"Harry, I wasn't going to ask you anything today but there is one thing I really would like to know".

It was clear that Harry didn't really want to answer her but he nodded anyway.

"Harry, the only thing I want to know, and this will also remain our secret. Why did you say my cupboard"?

Harry right away buried his head into her shoulder out of shame. "It is the cupboard under the stairs and it is my bedroom" he mumbled.

Andrea didn't ask or tell him anything ells. Inwardly she was beside herself and very conflicted. Here in her arms was the Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the hero of the wizarding world. As she kissed him on his head she didn't know that she had sealed and settled the fate of the rest of her life.

End Flashback of Tuesday morning.

With the letter still in her pocket, she took Harry by the hand and pulled him along into the school. On her desk, she had a couple of sandwiches that she had made especially for him.

As she sat down behind her desk she looked at the way he nibbled on a sandwich. He took very small bites while his face lids up from the flavors he tasted. It ones more proved to her that he was neglected to the extreme.

While she gave him a little smile she knew that next week would be the week she would ask him about the scars on his body. It was clear to her that they weren't from beatings or things like that. But it still made her wonder what they were.

A/N: This was it again at this time, until next time.
Gr Winmau.