Previously
Mrs Weasley waved to the Grangers and Harry, before grabbing Ron by the ear and dragging him inside.
"Well," Mr Granger said, "It looks like you two made a new friend."
Mr and Mrs Granger started to herd the children toward their car which was parked the next street over, causing Harry to take a good look around.
"Where are we, anyway?"
"Charing Cross Road. Downtown London." Mr Granger answered. "How did you get here if you don't know where we are?"
"I took a portkey from my house to the bank. It came as a part of my school letter."
"That's certainly convenient." Mrs Granger admired the versatility of magic and its uses. "Could it not get you back home again?"
"I don't know Mrs Granger. It didn't say anything about getting home again. But don't worry I'll catch the Undergrou…"
"You most certainly will not. We will be more than happy to drive you home. Hermione tells me you live in Surrey. That's not far out of our way and it will be not problem to drop you off."
Harry began to stutter protests but Hermione grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off toward the car.
The whole trip home Hermione was absorbed in retelling the occupants of the car all about their day.
"Its fascinating to see a culture that is completely dependent on magic. A lot of the stereo-types seem to be based on fact so there must have been some contact over the centuries. I wonder how they are able to keep themselves so secret? Oh I can't wait to start reading my books. I have so many questions. Maybe Ron can help too. Having a wizards point of view would be invaluable for when we get to Hogwarts. Or the Academy in your case. I won-"
"Hermione dear, you still have a month left of the summer holidays, remember our agreement? No more then two hours of school work a day during vacation. Besides your father and I were planing to take a trip to Cornwall for a couple of weeks."
"Yes Mum." Hermione sighed and seemed to pout for a second before asking Harry what he was going for the rest of summer. Not wanting to get in to the situation with the Dursley's Harry just spoke about reading his text books, writing to Ron and hanging out around the neighbourhood. Hermione seemed to accept that and demanded that he share anything he learnt from Ron with her.
The Grangers were driving through Little Whining and Harry gave them directions to his relatives house. When they got to Privet Drive Harry thanked the Grangers, said goodbye to Hermione and made to get out.
"Hold on a minute Harry." Mrs Granger said looking at the house. "There doesn't appear to be anyone home. Would you like us to wait until your aunt and uncle get home?"
"Its alright Mrs Granger. I have a key so I can let myself in. My relatives wont be home for a while."
"Harry I don't know that I'm very comfortable leaving you home alone for an unknown amount of time before your relatives get back. Are they at work? Where's your cousin?"
"Ah, no, Mrs Granger." Harry didn't know how to answer all these questions. "Actually, my relatives went on holiday. A couple of weeks ago."
Silence.
"WHAT!?" Mrs Granger turned around to look at Harry and he shrank back in his seat. "Are you telling me that you have been living on your own, in that house, for two weeks?" Hermione spluttered in outrage.
"Yes ma'am." Harrys voice was very small. Mrs Granger just looked at him trying to hide in the seat. She had assumed by the state of his clothing that his family was not well off, but the house was well tended and the neighbourhood at least middle class. Something was very wrong here.
"Alright Harry. I don't feel comfortable leaving you along here so why don't you go inside and grab everything you need for a sleepover. You can come home with us and we'll sort this out tomorrow."
"I don't want to cause any trouble Mrs Granger. Really I'm fine."
"Oh Harry, you're not any trouble at all. Don't you worry. Why don't I come with you. Help you with your things."
Harry was still trying to protest when Mrs Granger opened his door and helped him out of the car.
When they came back to the car Mrs Grangers lips were tightly pressed together, her nostrils were flaring and she had something clutched in her hand. Hermione knew this to mean she was extremely upset. Mrs Granger helped Harry load his things in the car before turning to her husband.
"I'm sure the children are hungry. Why don't we go out to a restaurant tonight. To celebrate their acceptance into school."
Mr Granger also recognised the warning signs and didn't argue. He took them to a fish and chip shop near their home.
Dinner started off tense. Harry was picking at his food, Mrs Granger was still angry about what she had seen in the Dursley house, Hermione was confused about what was happening to her friend and Mr Granger was anticipating trouble.
Eventually Mrs Granger noticed Harrys lack of appetite and made a point of getting him to relax and eat. Not an easy task, she found, when family, friends and home were all off limits to talk about. School was a safe topic but as he hadn't been to his new school yet there wasn't a lot to say.
Hermione sensing the trouble, broke in with tales from her own school and the rest of dinner passed in an almost enjoyable fashion.
It was getting quite late when the Grangers plus one made it back to their home. Hermione was nearly asleep in the back but Harry was too nervous to sleep.
"Harry, do you mind helping Hermione with her things." Mrs Granger asked. "Will and I need to have a discussion."
Harry knew what she wanted to talk about but knew there was no point in trying to stop her. He helped Hermione unload all her school supplies from the car, while her parents went inside. They took everything up to her room in silence but it seemed Hermione was just waiting to get him alone before she burst.
"Harry why were you living alone? Did your family really go on holiday with out you? Why was Mum so mad?"
Harry was very uncomfortable but was saved from answering by the arrival of Mr Granger.
"Harry why don't I show you where you'll be sleeping. Then you can clean up and get some rest. Don't forget to brush your teeth."
Hermione made to follow them out of the room but was intercepted by her mother.
"Hermione dear, I don't you bothering Harry about his relatives. Tomorrow we are going to alert the proper authorities and have make sure everything is handled properly."
"But Mum, what hap…"
"Anything else Harry will tell you when he choses to but I don't want you badgering him. Is that understood?"
Hermione knew not to cross her mother when she has that look in her eye. She wanted to help her friend, but would have to make do with the information she had.
That night at the Grangers it took a while for Harry to fall asleep. He hadn't wanted Mrs Granger to see where he slept. The look on her face when she had seen his cot in the cupboard under stairs would have been frightening if it had been directed at him. He had been so ashamed to let she see the state of his clothes, and she must have seen that because she calmed down some. While he was upstairs getting his toothbrush and comb from the bathroom, she wandered into the kitchen. Whatever she had seen in there must have set her off again because when he came down stairs she quickly ushered him outside, in a clipped voice.
He knew that the Dursleys leaving him was wrong but he had been happy with out them there. He had had almost total freedom.
He assumed that the Grangers where going to tell the authorities. And Hermione would want to know. Could he manage to tell them about his life? No one had ever paid attention to him before, it was strange to think that that was all going to change. Already had changed. This had been an interesting week.
The day in Diagon Alley began to run through his head. He thought back over the riot, meeting Ron, buying his owl, his wand, and the rest of his supplies. Suddenly remembering the book from the vault Harry scrambled out of bed to get his truck which was still shrunken in his pocket. Grabbing his backpack out of the trunk, he lifted out the leather covered book.
Again the feeling of home washed over him. He crawled back into bed and stared at the cover for a while, just feeling. He never noticed falling asleep.
When Hermione came in to wake him the next morning she found him curled up at the head of the bed cuddling the book like a teddy bear. She found this to be highly amusing as her own parents had found her in similar position all her life. She reached out to move the book to the bedside table when she felt the unexplainable urge not to. Confused she climbed up on the bed to get a better look.
Harry woke up from the best nights sleep he could ever remember to find Hermione kneeling over him on the bed staring at his book. Seeing him awake Hermione jumped off the bed in embarrassment.
"Harry what is that book?" She asked once she gained control over her blush. "Did you get that from the bookstore yesterday. I'd sware it didn't want me to touch it."
Harry put the book on the bed in front of him so she could get a better look. "No. I got it from my family vault." Harry ran his hands over the cover of the book, petting it absentmindedly.
"Well?" Hermione asked, "Are you going to open it?"
Harry nodded and carefully lifted the leather cover. As he did so he felt a wave of magic wash over him. He turned to Hermione to ask if she felt in too put she was already leaning over the book.
"Oh pooh." She sighed in disappointment. "It's in Latin. We can't read it."
"What? It can't be in Latin, I can read it fine."
"You can? How? What does it say?"
"Its my family Grimore. A complete history of the Potters." Harry eagerly started scanning the book, pulling it into his lap and flicking the pages. "It says it's tied to the family magic's, that everything is recorded. Maybe it has something on my parents." As soon as he said this they both gasped in shock as the book jumped out of his hands and pages started turning rapidly on their own. When it settled back into Harrys lap, they peered at the page about a third of the way through the book.
On the page was a moving photo of a young couple holding a new born baby. "Harry, is that…?" Harry just nodded, a suspicious lump in his throat.
"James and Lily Potter." Hermione breathed in wonder. "Wow you look a lot like him. And that must be you they're holding." Harry looked down at his mother. She smiled at him from the picture before turning and smiling at the baby. James had a huge proud grin on his face as he looked at his wife and child. "They must have loved you very much." Hermione told him.
He could only nod, unable to take his eyes off the picture.
He was interrupted in his contemplation by Mrs Granger calling them down for breakfast.
"Harry come on. You should show Mum and Dad that picture. Maybe…" Hermione started.
"No!" Harry said forcefully. Hermione looked a bit started by the abrupt denial. "I don't want anyone else to see the book. I don't know why. I don't mind you looking but no one else."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "That's alright Harry. Its probably part of the magic anyway. Like how it didn't want me touching it. It's your family's book so that must be why only you can read it."
That seemed to make the most sense and Harry carefully placed the book on the bed before Hermione dragged him down stairs.
It was a Monday and Mr Granger had already left for their practice. Mrs Granger was in the kitchen and had a huge amount of food spread out on the table. Harry looked at it all in shock. Hermione seemed surprised too.
"Mum, what's the occasion?"
"Well this is the first time you've had a friend over to stay the night," Mrs Granger smiled. "I just wanted to do something special."
Hermione just groaned and started bickering with her mother. Harry sat down at the table and grabbed some toast as he listened to mother and daughter argue.
"Harry is that all you are going to eat? Growing boys need a more balanced diet. Have some fruit." Now Harry understood the amount of food. She was trying to fatten him up. The completely irrational thought when through his head that he was glad she was not a witch and therefore not likely to shove him in her oven.
After breakfast Mrs Granger asked Hermione to leave to room while she talked to Harry.
"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday, and why you came home with us."
Harry interrupted her. "Mrs Granger I know that its not right that they left me behind, but I didn't really want to go and I can take care…"
Mrs Granger was shaking her head. "Harry you don't understand. What they did was illegal. Child abandonment. Your relatives are going to be facing legal charges when they return."
Harry started to get frantic. "But I'll be in so much trouble. My Uncle…" Mrs Granger interrupted again.
"No Harry you wont be in trouble. You have done absolutely nothing wrong. They are the ones going to be in trouble." Harry didn't seem convinced. She took his hands. "You haven't done anything wrong. I promise."
He just nodded. She gave his hands a squeeze and released them. "I have a friend of mine coming over later today. She's a social worker. Now I don't want to worry, Sharee and I have been friends since University and she's very nice. She's going to ask you some questions about your family and I want to you to answer truthfully." Mrs Granger looked him in the eye. "Harry it's very important you tell the truth. I will believe you, no matter what. Good. Now why don't you go find Hermione. I'm sure she's just bursting at the seams to know what's going on."
As he made his way upstairs, he thought over everything he had been told. He hadn't known it had been illegal for him to be on his own. The Dursleys had always told him he didn't matter and while he took everything the Dursleys said with some very large grains of salt, no one in or around Privet Drive had cared. Were they all wrong then?
Instead of going to find Hermione he went back to his own room and picked up his book. As he felt the books aura wash through him, a thought occurred.
The Dursleys must have known about magic and him being a wizard. They had always forcefully denied the existence of magic and had punished him severely for any behaviour or happening that they didn't understand. Anything that wasn't normal. Wasn't like them. It was the magic they hated.
His parents had fought and died fighting for freedom from a man bent on driving anything not magic out of the wizarding world. They would not be happy with what was happening to him at the hands of those muggles.
He smiled and hugged to book to his chest, having a strong suspicion on where these thoughts came from. He wanted his parent to be proud of him. If that meant fighting for freedom from the Dursleys then that's what he would do.
Auther Note:
What do you think of the book? I rather like thie idea. It comes from the TV series Charmed, so is you have seen something like it in other fics, please know that it wasn't intentional plagerisim.
I'm not going to go in to what happens to the Dursleys much. This story is about Harry and while the Dursleys did have a great effect on him, he is coming to realise that they were wrong and to divorce himself from them. They just wont be a part of his future, They will be punished but not by Harry. He has stopped caring about them.