The Vow And its Consequences
Chapter 5
Shocking Information
Petunia was glad to have bumped into a good friend, her headache was gone, and she felt better about everything. Then again it might have something to do with her being a little tipsy. She'd been speaking to Sarah sharing her story with her old friend. How she'd gone off to London, taking up a typing job, how she'd met Vernon who was surprisingly at one point, lived in Cokeworth too before moving to London. She went over their engagement, and how romantic 'Her Vernon' had been when he proposed. How they'd moved to Privet Drive and had her little sweet-tums Dudley. Sarah said nothing about Lily for that Petunia was thankful. She doubted the girl would believe her if she said Lily had been a drunk, getting in a car crash. No Lily had been smart, and everyone in Cokeworth new that. It made her hate this small town even more, and she couldn't wait to go home. Turns out Sarah had married young, had a child of her own before divorcing and coming home. Her little girl was with her grandparents, as she house hunted, she had just signed out of the hotel before bumping into Petunia and planned on staying with her parents now that they were back from their holiday.
They soon parted ways; Sarah had to get back to her seven year old daughter after all. Petunia had called Dudley and Piers in; she noticed they were a little pale and shaken. She was about to ask them what happened, when she caught sight of Harry. Her jaw fell, before a curl of repugnance appeared on her face. "Boy!" hissed Petunia furiously, grabbing him by the collar and bodily dragging him up to the rooms. She was glad nobody was around, her face was pasty white. She couldn't let anyone see the freak like that! Blood was running down his face at an alarming rate. She didn't even feel a pull of sympathy for the whimpers coming from him, or the tears running down her nephews face. She was just furious that he dare show his face like that, especially here! She couldn't just put him in his cupboard and leave him.
"M'sorry, sorry," whimpered Harry knowing he was in big trouble, he knew without a doubt if they were back home, he'd have already been thrown in his cupboard. Petunia inserted the card into the slot and bodily dragged Harry through the rooms and flung him into the bathroom.
"Clean yourself up you useless good for nothing freak!" snarled Petunia throwing him the towel before walking out.
"Mum?" questioned Dudley his eyes were wide, normally he was happy to see Harry thrown about. Right now he just felt scared, by the man and the way his mum was snarling. He was after all only five years old, and thanks to Petunia and Vernon, who were trying to be 'Normal' were what people would call 'Monsters'. What kind of mother let her son see her treat a child her son's age so despicably?
"Go play sweetie, I'll order some nice hamburgers from room service for you both," soothed Petunia smiling comfortingly at her son. Her eyes were still dark as her thoughts were still on the freak. She knew she wasn't going to be able to take the freak with them tonight. Or any other night, that dent in his head would raise questions to why it hadn't been seen to by a doctor. She was seething, the freak ruined everything all the time, and the boy deserved everything he got in her opinion. Her eyes narrowed in satisfaction just wait until Vernon got here. He would put the boy in his place, she would, but she hated touching the freak. She spoke on the phone briefly before putting it down, glaring at the bathroom door, waiting on the boy coming out again.
"Room service!" someone called as they knocked on the door, bringing Petunia out of her thoughts. She quickly answered, giving him a tip before she closed the door on him. She went through to the bedroom and handed her son and Piers the food. Piers was less enthusiastic she noticed. Perhaps she shouldn't have gotten so physical with Potter while he was around. Who knows what he would end up telling his parents, a hundred explanations rushed through her head as she left the room sitting down with her own dinner. Dudley knew better than to open his mouth, she'd made sure of it. Chocolate was a good motivator to have against her son.
Harry fell with a thump, against the bath as Petunia slammed the door behind her. His vision was impaired no only by the blood but the dizziness was making him see double. He must have sat there for what seemed like an hour, but in reality it was only ten minutes. Harry hoisted himself up of the floor, grabbing hold of the sink and bath as the world span around him. It was bad; even Harry's young mind realized this. He had bumped his head a lot over the years. Either being pushed or shoved, or out right thrown - especially into his cupboard.
Harry turned the tap on, wetting the towel that had been thrown at him. Squinting at the mirror, he winced at the state of himself. He couldn't see properly, but what was evident was a lot of blood and a huge blooming bruise spreading across nearly half his face. Delicately, he began wiping away the dried blood, as new oozing liquid replaced it. Agony flared through him as he wiped at the wound, but he had no more tears to cry. After cleaning his face a few times the blood seemed to stop, much to Harry's relief.
His mind drifted back to the man, he realized now of course that he had been talking to Dudley, threatening Dudley. He had made Dudley scared! He'd made him run, nobody had done that before. His little mind found the entire thing amusing; his green eyes were dull as he continued to think of the strange encounter. The man, when he wasn't talking scary had been very kind. He regretted running, it would have been so nice to stay and listen to him talk. Little one, he recalled was what he'd been called. Nobody in his life had ever spoken so nicely to him, never mind with such a name. Little one surrounded his mind, echoing in the man's voice as a small smile appeared on his face. He would never forget his voice, or the words he'd spoken. Harry would make sure of that, he was so tired he just wanted to lie down and sleep. He knew he couldn't though; Petunia would kill him if he did. It was a good thing or Harry wouldn't have woken up. A wound as severe as his would have ensured that.
Harry had no idea at that very minute the man he was thinking about…was worried and thinking about him too. Even if he had known, in his current mind set he would not have believed it. Harry didn't believe anyone could love him. His life, such as it was; was all he knew.
Harry finally ventured from the safety of the bathroom, leaving the bloodied towel in the bin. Knowing better than to leave it in the sink, Petunia hated anything out of place. He should know he was the one having to tidy up after them.
"You are staying here boy!" snarled Petunia, as she gathered her purse and handbag, making sure the things she needed was in there. She realized the boys still had her mobile phone. Patricia had called earlier, wanting to speak to Piers and she'd forgotten about it. She could only hope they hadn't run up a large bill on it. "Boy's get ready to go!" she said in her normal over cheerful voice.
"Yes ma'am." said Harry leaning against the wall as the world began to distort.
"Ready mum!" yelled Dudley cheerfully obviously over what had happened to him.
Piers came out too, still ominously quiet, he'd been genuinely frightened by the man and the way Petunia had been. There was a difference between him and Dudley hurting the boy, than seeing an adult bodily dragging him across the room. He realized that if she could do it to the boy, she could do it to him.
"Then lets go," beamed Petunia, inwardly though she was worried about Vernon. She had not been able to get a hold of him. Not on his mobile phone, not at the house and not at Grunnings were her husband worked. She began to wonder why he wasn't getting in touch, and just what the hell he could be doing. Having an affair, injured, hurt or dead whirled through her mind.
Severus entered his small, shabby but comfortable home, he had the money to move he just didn't care to. He was alone, and he always planned on being that way. Spinners end was a perfect location for one such as himself. Not many lived in the area anymore; those that did were around his age. His mind wasn't on his food he was currently putting away. It was on the small three year old he'd seen just a few short hours ago. The head wound had looked particularly bad, if it wasn't seen to well…he dreaded to think what would happen. He might not like children in general, but he would never wish them harm. He would never turn a blind eye to their suffering either.
Shaking off his thoughts, he began preparing himself a meal trying and failing to forget about him for now. Unfortunately the food tasted like ash, his conscience was getting the better of him he realized. Pushing it away, huffing in exasperation, he stood up determined to get to the bottom of it. That way he'd know for sure and he could disappear back down to his potions. What still got to him was the magic, the feeling of it; the child was going to be extremely powerful. He wouldn't be surprised if he was already displaying accidental magic. Not that for a three year old it was unusual, but by his reckoning it was powerful accidental magic not just summoning things like children did at that age.
It was the prefect time of day to nose around; it was going on seven o'clock. The area was clouded in darkness; his wand fell into his hand with one swift movement. He then activated the beacon, which would lead him towards the tracking charm he'd placed on the child. He hoped he was wrong; he did not want to have to remove a child from its parents. As Head of Slytherin he knew that removing them was sometimes worse than the abuse. They believed they'd been dumped, that they weren't wanted; some preferred the abuse to being outright abandoned. It was a sad reality, and one that Severus was all too familiar with. He (and the head of houses at Hogwarts) was used to dealing with abuse in a child eleven and up, not such a tender age of three.
The beacon pulled him in the right direction; if he went in the wrong direction he'd feel cold. He knew he was on the right path, since he could feel the warm glow (heat) of the spell. He was surprised it didn't lead him far, more so when it appeared the child was in a hotel. Which meant he might not even be from Cokeworth, following the spell he frowned, as he tried to decipher where the child came from with his accent. To be frank the child had sounded too terrified, and he'd only spoken one word.
He stooped abruptly outside the room the child was obviously in, taking a note of the door number he ventured back down the stairs. Making his way to the receptionist he demanded in his usual teacher voice, "Who are the people staying in room seventy five?" it booked no disagreement. He thought about stunning her or compelling her to do what he needed.
"-I can't tell you sir," stuttered the poor woman, almost shaking, completely intimidated by the man before her.
Severus glared at her, but this was purely for show, he already had the information he needed. Her mind was an open book, and he had not even had to delve too far. People had been calling the reception complaining about the noise coming from the room. The Dursley's, it was not a name familiar to him. It wasn't a Wizarding family either, nor a Muggle born families name he knew. Being a teacher so long he knew each and every name of his students.
Now he wondered what to do, become invisible and observe the family? Or did he just cast a diagnostic spell? That would tell him everything he needed to know. He sneered at the woman before turning and leaving. He stood outside the hotel wondering what to do, his mind made up he went back home. He would need to prepare, in his rush to come here he had not brought anything with him. It wasn't often Severus Snape, potions prodigy, youngest potions Master ever, went anywhere without his beloved Potions.
There we go so will severus observe the family all day? or will he go back and perform the diagnosis spell then find out he belongs to petunia? then joins the dots then explode in her face? will he hurt her? or just turn dudley into a pig? transfigure them all into something? heck theres no much i can think thats not already been done to them over the years... :P or will he just threaten her and remove harry from his care? last chance for good or bad malfoys or at least doing what they have to do and aware dumbledore's a manipulative bastard...and will harry go there to get better? R&R PLEASE!