A year in the life of Harry Potter

Chapter 25: August, 21

"It's all my fault!" Quentin sobbed. She and her parents were in Professor Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts, discussing what to do. "If hadn't been talking so much -"

"Quentin, calm down," Severus snapped, pacing back and forth. "Many things could have happned. Maybe he was kidnapped like you say, maybe he just ran away again."

"Why would he do that?" Lucy asked. Her husband looked at her with a pained expression, and she understood instantly. She gasped. "You haven't -"

Severus nodded. "He asked me."

"It's my fault!" Quentin wailed. "If I - If I hadn't told him -"

"Told him what?" Albus asked sharply, abruptly looking up at her. He had been sitting in his chair thinking the whole time.

"W-when Daddy gave me occlumency lessons," Quentin started, "he - he was one time not concentrating, and I entered his mind." She started sobbing again, tears streaming down her cheeks which were abnormally red. "I told Harry about what I saw then, and then on the way back from Holland he - he and I talked. About everything. That's - that's when he asked me if it could be possible that Daddy is partially responsible for his parents' death!"

"Oh my god," Lucy gasped. "We've gotta do something! What if he runs into some thugs in London on his way to find his friends?"

"His friends!" Severus exclaimed. "That's it! Maybe they know something!"

"Where do we sell all this stuff?" Harry asked, looking down on the t-shirt, three women scarfs and the pair of jeans he'd stolen.

"To a friend of ours who sells it to people," Andy answered. "With him we can earn up to double the price which we'd have paid for them if we hadn't stolen them."

Harry whistled. "So up to fifty pounds four the jeans alone."

"See?" Andy grinned, patting Harry's head. "Good at maths as well."

"So, where lives that friend of yours?"

"He doesn't live nowhere," Connor said. "He moves around all the time. One time he's there, and one time he's somewhere else."

"Then how do you know where to find him?" Harry asked irritated.

"We don't find him, he finds us,"Nigel replied.

"Which means?"

"We've gotta do no more than wait here for him," Otto explained.

They waited for over an hour before a beggar came towards them.

"What'ya got?" he asked.

Andy handed over a bag in which the stolen clothes were.

"This everything?"

"Yes."

"Who's that boy," the beggar asked harshly.

Suddenly there was a cry. "Harry!" a voice yelled.

Harry, Andy, Nigel, Otto, Connor, Riley and the beggar turned to look. Henry, Francis, Frederick and Emmett stood a hundred meters away from them.

"What the fuck?" Riley exclaimed. Before Harry could react he and the others had disappeared.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Henry yelled. "And with these people?"

"Why should it interest you?" Harry shouted.

"You know who these people actually are?" Francis hissed. "They are drug dealers! Shop lifters! Criminals!"

"Where are your guardians?" Frederick questioned.

"Or did you run away again?" Emmett mocked.

"It's none of your business," Harry sneered as he stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Henry snarled as he grabbed Harry's shoulder. "I think I've had enough of your stupid behaviour. You're coming with us. Your guardians are probably worried sick."

"I can take care of myself!" Harry shouted.

"Don't be foolish!" Emmett exclaimed. "You'll never survive in a city like London on your own! It's hard for us to get by, and we're four people!"

"Maybe it's because you beg for money," Harry hissed.

"And you think stealing is so much better?" Henry asked disbelievingly. "It's against the law."

"What do I care?"

"Sooner or later you'll get arrested, get a criminal record," Frederick said.

"Don't care."

"Don't be stupid," Francis said. "Once you got one of them you practically ruined your life."

"Well, you got one if you know it so good?" Harry asked cheekily.

"Why you little -" Francis shouted as he threw himself upon Harry and started beating him in the stomach and in the face.

"Stop it you two!" Henry yelled, trying to get the apart. Emmett and Frederick helped as much as they could. When they managed to get Francis off Harry the younger boy got up instantly, and, holding his bleeding nose and his hurting stomach, he stumbled away.