If it wasn't for Tsuna, Harry wouldn't be anywhere near the Sawada residence. But as much as he hated being there, he loved his cubs far greater. So he couldn't help but sigh because the things he did for his cubs.

He took a calming breath before knocking on the door. It immediately opened to reveal a harried-looking Sawada Nana. (And it took all his willpower not to give her a sneer worthy of Snape.)

"Good evening, Sawada-san," he said politely, even though this woman deserved none of his respect. But he promised Tsuna that he wouldn't hurt her unnecessarily and he intended to keep his promise. "I am Ryuujin Hari. Tsuna-kun had a rough day and he's currently resting at my house."

"Good evening, Ryuujin-san," she said with a small bow before giving him a small smile. "Thank you for letting my son rest at your house, but I believe that he would recover better in his home."

"He is," he said bluntly and she glared at him.

"Are you holding my son hostage? I should report you for kidnapping my son!" she said, angry.

Harry raised his brow as he answered, "Kidnapping means taking someone unwilling. And I assure you, Tsuna-kun did not protest." But then, Tsuna didn't know how to protest even though he was unwilling. (But he was getting better, no thanks to her.)

"As for holding him hostage - that implies that I want something from you. And to be honest, I don't want anything from you," he continued, not letting her reply. "I only came here to inform you of Tsuna-kun's condition because he asked me to. Now that I have said my piece, I'm going back to ensure Tsuna-kun gets the rest he needs." And without further ado, he turned away from her.

Before he could even take a step, she held onto his arm, spluttering, "I- you- I- Give me back my son!" Her eyes were narrowed in anger and her grip was strong.

But her strength was nothing compared to Harry's, so with a sudden pull, his arm from her grasp with a snarl, "I suggest you refrain from touching me again."

"And why should I allow him to come back here?" he asked as he tucked away his anger and rage at the woman. Unlike Nana, he couldn't afford to let his anger take over. His magic and flames were volatile and were controlled by his resolve - his intent. And at the moment, he had every intention of hurting her. And he cannot.

"He is my son! He belongs to me!" she screeched at him, but kept her distance, heeding his warning.

"Tsuna-kun is a human being. Being your son does not mean he is your belonging," he replied calmly.

"That's not what I mean! He is the only one I have left!" she answered back, nearly shouting.

"Tsuna-kun is his own person. He cannot replace anyone, much less your husband."

"Stop twisting my words! You're making it sound like I don't love him!"

"Do you?" Harry asked, curious because all signs point to no.

"Do I what?" her ire was temporarily gone because of her confusion at Harry's non sequitur.

"Do you love him?" he asked again.

"Yes! I love my son. I love Tsuna," she heaved as she angrily glared at him. Crossing her arms, she added, "And how will you twist my words now?"

"If you love him so much, then why is he bullied? Why does he have bad grades? Why does he have difficulty interacting with people? Why does he show the signs of a neglected child?" he asked and took some vindictive pride when she flinched.

Many could simply claim that Tsuna was naturally meek, not that he was made to be meek because of his situation. They could also say that Tsuna was just dumb and so his grades were bad. They could add that he was just shy that's why he has difficulty interacting with people.

Teddy knew there was something wrong, but he thought that bullying and abuse were the reason for Tsuna's temperament. But Harry knew better, the real problem started from Tsuna's own house - his own family. It all started with neglect.

Harry was glad that he was the only one who confronted Nana about Tsuna's situation.

It would be difficult to explain to his cubs (especially Teddy) on how he could recognize the signs of a neglected child since he rarely shared about his childhood and always ensured that his own cubs were never experienced what he has been through.

Unfortunately, he arrived far too late for Tsuna, who has been neglected for far longer than Harry, who was able to escape to Hogwarts for most of the year as soon as he turned eleven.

But now he was there, he would ensure that Tsuna would come out stronger and wouldn't let his childhood hold him back. (Like it held Harry back, even until now.)

"Why are you so interested in my son?" she asked softly, breaking the silence.

"Because he is a wonderful child, filled with potential waiting to be unleashed. Because he is a kind child, whose first instinct is to protect others before himself, which is both a noble and stupid thing," he said, watching as her eyes widened as if he was describing someone else.

"But- Tsuna-kun? He-" and Harry could see the resemblance now. Tsuna looked like his mother when she was flustered and lost (which was unfortunately his default expression). "When did you become so interested in him?"

"When my son called me to help him tutor Tsuna-kun."

"Your son is tutoring my son?" she repeated and Harry nodded. "But I didn't hire any tutor."

"From what I understand, your husband did."

Nana gaped at Harry, who simply stared back at her as she collected her thoughts.

"It seems we have a lot to talk about," she said before hesitating. Then she seemed to make up her mind when she nodded and gestured to Harry, "Please come in."

Truthfully, he wanted to say no and go home. He wanted to sleep because he has only slept for about three hours in the past two and a half days because of Tsuna's condition. He wanted to make sure all his cubs were all right, even Hayato despite his caustic personality towards him.

But he also wanted to understand how could she have neglected Tsuna when she claimed to love him so.

So he entered the house, saying, "Please, excuse me." As he took off his shoes, he scanned the rest of the house like a curious observer but with a critical eye.

It was clean, meticulously so; but there were signs that it was lived in by at least one person. And then he saw the pictures of when Tsuna was younger.

He couldn't help but smile at how adorable he was, like a kitten or an owl chick since his hair was so puffy and his big brown eyes were so big and bright as if they were almost shining with a light of their own.

But then he noted that there were no pictures of when he was older. And there was only one picture with the complete family, at least what Harry assumed to be the complete Sawada family. It looked like it was taken years back, when Tsuna was around five. (Or maybe a bit older? It was really hard to tell with Tsuna's size. He was just too tiny, even without the lack of sustenance.)

She led him to the dining table and gestured him to sit down on one end of the table.

"Would you like some tea?" she offered, playing the role of the gracious host. And so Harry had to play the gracious guest in return.

"Yes please. Thank you very much," he answered even though he would have preferred coffee at the moment. He needed something with more caffeine to help him stay up and more bitterness to match his mood. But most of all, the real reason he drank coffee was because it was a reminder that he needed to be at the top of his game because he can't afford to be otherwise.

When she returned to the table, she offered him green tea, before sitting on the opposite end. He took a sip, reveling in the stinging pain of the heat.

"So my husband hired your son to tutor my son?" she asked as she tightly held onto her cup.

Harry nodded as he put down his own cup.

"Why?"

"You do know what he does for a living, right?" he asked her with a searching gaze.

She pressed her lips before answering, "He's a construction worker." And Harry could recognize (from his own experience) the signs of a practiced lie.

"Is he?" he asked evenly.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

"Is he?" he pressed again and she seemed to hesitate before answering.

"Yes."

Harry shook his head at her insistence. "You and I both know you're lying. So I suggest you answer my question truthfully: Is he?"

"...no," she answered, soft and quiet.

"So do you know what he does for a living?"

"He...he's doing something dangerous," she answered, not looking at Harry. "Something most likely illegal. Like a gang. Or the yakuza," she mumbled and it was only thanks to his enhanced senses that he could still hear what she's saying.

"He's in the mafia," he said. "He's the head of the CEDEF, the Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia, which is Italian for External Advisors of the Family. It is a branch of the Vongola Famiglia, which is the biggest and strongest mafia family in the world," he elaborated, a consolation prize for her honesty. (But he had a feeling that she didn't see it that way and he didn't care because he was spiteful like that.)

She paled at the news before taking a deep breath, as if to reassure herself. But it obviously failed miserably as she still shook before she spoke up, "And what is your son, his tutor, supposed to teach Tsuna?"

"On how to be a mafia boss."

"I... I disapprove of this," she said, gaining back her ire and her confidence.

"Your opinion is neither wanted nor needed," he said flatly and she rose in anger.

"How dare you! This is my son who is going to lead the mafia! A criminal organization! And you're telling me I have no say in my son's - who is only thirteen, mind you! - life?" she said, her palms on the table as she glared at him. He only stared at her blankly in return.

"Yes."

"How dare you-" she started, loud and angry, before Harry interrupted her with an even tone.

"I'm telling you that you have no say in his life because of how you've treated him all these years. What have you done to help him? Defend him from bullies, both students and adults? Do you even feed him? I mean, have you seen how thin and unhealthy he is?"

She turned away from him as he spoke. When Harry stopped, letting her say her own piece, she only said, "I try."

"Well," he scoffed as he tried even harder to clamp down his own anger. "It's obviously not enough."

"It's hard!" she yelled back at him, slamming her hands on the table.

"That's not an excuse!" he answered back, standing up as well.

(And it was moments like these that he hated not growing older because that meant he was not getting taller. And he wanted to stare down at this stupid foolish woman instead of glaring up at her.)

"It's your son who's suffering the consequences of your inadequacy!"

And he felt his glasses were skewed, most likely from when he suddenly stood up, which explained why she suddenly flinched and backed down because there was something with his glowing green eyes that scared most people. (At the moment, he appreciated its effects.)

"I don't know what to do," she said brokenly as she sat back down with her head in her hands. Harry just stared at her unsympathetically as he fixed his shades before sitting back down.

"I tried to encourage him to get good grades," she started mumbling in her hands. "It worked for a while but it failed anyway."

"How did you encourage him?" he asked not unkindly.

"I told him that if he got good grades, Papa will come home."

"And did your husband know of your promise?"

She looked up, sad and broken at the same time (looking so much like Tsuna that he almost felt sorry for her). "Yes. But he couldn't find the time."

(And then he completely lost the urge to feel sorry.)

"So why did you promise that in the first place?"

"Because that's what Tsuna asked for," she answered confusedly.

Harry sighed in irritation as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Did you suggest that to him?" he asked, annoyed.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked as she looked up, confused.

"Everything," he sighed irritably as he drank his still hot tea (thanks to the heating charm) to cool his frayed temper. "Tsuna asked it for you."

"What do you mean?"

And his mind's eye, he saw another boy who would do anything to please the people around him, even sacrificing his life for the greater good. "Tsuna has a habit of putting others before himself. Why else do you think he's so easily bullied?"

"Because he cares too much?" she asked, shocked at his words. "He's cares too much of others that's why he's bullied?"

"Basically, yes."

"And that's wrong? To care for others?"

"Only because there's no one to make sure that he isn't used," he explained, remembering a bespectacled child who was trained to be a weapon because he was so malleable thanks to the neglect he was put through. "Which is what you should be doing, but you're not."

"And you think you can do a better job?" she asked disbelievingly.

"I know I can. I know I am," he answered confidently.

"And how do you know that?" her tone accusing but he was unaffected.

"Because I see his confidence and self-esteem growing."

"And how do you know that?" she asked again.

"Because I'm there for him," he looked at her, confident and assured.

"So am I," she asserted and Harry gave her a raised brow.

"Really?' When was the last time he has talked to you about anything?" he asked, skeptical.

"I..." she trailed off, hesitating.

"Do you even know he's joined the boxing club?" he continued and she looked at him in surprise.

"Really? He hasn't told me anything."

"I wonder why," he commented blandly.

"I try!" she said forcefully. "But every time I approach him, he avoids me," she explained, which baffled Harry because that went against Tsuna's nature. Tsuna craved for human interactions, even if it came from his bullies (why else would he put up with them?), from what Harry has observed (and knew from experience).

"Since when?" he asked.

"Since...I don't remember anymore. He's been doing it for years," she answered tiredly.

"Could it be..." he trailed off, trying to think of why Tsuna would go to such extremes, unless, "You avoided him first?" She flinched at his words but didn't deny his words. "I'm right, aren't I?" he breathed out.

"I didn't know how to help him when he first came home black and blue," she suddenly said, explaining her side. "I mean, I patched him up, but... I don't know what to do afterwards."

"So you left him," his tone was cold and flat. She winced (much to Harry's vindictive pleasure).

"Not for long," she protested and he shook his head.

"But long enough to leave an impression that you're uncomfortable with the idea that your son is being bullied," he said, his anger building up.

"And you mean to tell me you wouldn't be?!" she accused him and he stood up, taking off his shades.

"So what if I'm uncomfortable?" he said and she curled into herself as his eyes blazed with restrained anger. "But I would never leave my child when I know that they need me." Not like what you did hung in the air, unspoken but heard anyway.

She refused to look at him in the eye, either in fear or in shame, which gave him vindictive delight.

"Tsuna will be coming back when he's well enough and not a moment earlier. And he will stay at my place when he needs to," he stated and he knew she wouldn't argue back.

"Why would you let him come back here if you think I'm a horrible parent?" she asked sadly, as if holding back a sob.

"One, I don't think you're a horrible parent. I know you're a horrible parent. And two, because Tsuna would insist on returning to this place and I am hard-pressed to deny my children anything."

Only then she finally looked at him, broken brown eyes (Tsuna's eyes) stared into his blazing green eyes.

"Yes." And with that, he left.

Speaking from Experience - end.

okay. i don't know. lacks description but i want this up now so i can sleep. sorry. will probably edit when i have the time.

i'm also sorry that i haven't replied to your reviews. i'll get to in a few hours, after i get some sleep into me.

and note that nana isn't really evil or anything like that. because i don't think everyone is evil in the world, it's just some people make bad choices and don't correct them, which is what she did. she's not really a bad person, she's just not a very good parent.

to Grayfia, thank you again for your review and i'm glad you enjoyed it. and as for harry being reborn's bitch, well i only thought of it because of the interlude. i mean i did write it, so i might as well use it. and yeah, you guessed right that iemitsu was sort of involve in the conversation. x3

to KK, thanks for your review. and i take all my reviewers' comments seriously, especially when it involves the characters. x3 and well, the whole point of this story is to show tsuna's development slowly because some things take time to heal, like neglect. as for gokudera and shamal, gokudera is in a room in the house while shamal left, but these details aren't really plot-relevant yet so i didn't really have to put them in the story. as for ginny, lily, and albus...they're around. at least ginny and albus severus is. lily, i'm not sure, most likely not.

to Jeah, thanks for your review and i'm glad you're enjoying it. this story is updated regularly so i hope that's soon enough for you.

and to those who might notice or care, this fic almost has 300 reviews which means the next interlude will be up. it'll be posted sometime this week because i still need to fix it up, but it's planned.

and finally, thanks for taking time to read this fic and hopefully you'll leave behind a review.