And I'm back! Woohoo! Big thank you to whomever found my inspiration and sent it back to me. I actually have found the ability to write and to do it properly. No more staring at the screen expecting it to magically form words. Well at least not for now anyway…off to write before my inspiration flees in terror again.
First things first a quick note for those of you who are not aware and a reminder for those who have forgotten. Harry was born in 1980 and went to Hogwarts in 1991. I just wanted to clarify this for when you see some of the dates I put in through the first part of this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
By Rosa241
Jennet POV:
"Mrs Figg you may well be my new favourite person." I muttered as I gaze at the series of diaries in front of me. From what Abby told me it would seem like the woman, at least on first glance, was nothing more than a nosey old busy body. But once you got down to it she appeared to be a kind woman who simply wanted to do the right thing. She may well be a busy body but right now I'm glad she was. Truth be told if she weren't a squib then she'd have been taken more seriously years ago. Shaking those thoughts out of my head I focus on the page in front of me. That's an argument for another day.
June 20th 1987
That poor boy.
I don't know who that woman thinks that she's kidding. I know first hand that raising children is expensive but with the way that couple flaunt her husbands job I know they're not struggling. Everyone round here seems to think she's a saint for 'taking in' her sisters 'problem' child. Poor Harry's not a problem child although I wouldn't blame him if he turned into one.
I saw him today walking down the street with his Aunt. The clothes he's wearing are clearly hand me downs. The sheer size of them! They're practically hanging off of the boy they're so big. Obviously they belong to that lump Dudley…they expect me to believe they can't afford to buy the boy clothes that fit?
He didn't even matter enough to buy the boy a set of proper fitting clothes. How could they? Perhaps they thought he should be grateful they clothed him at all. I've never actually met either of them of course but from what I've read so far and what I've heard from Abby I don't think I want to. Not quite sure I'd be able to contain myself if I did. Sighing I turn the page and continue to read, making notes as I do. Many may think that Figg woman was nothing more than a batty old woman but she's far more with it than the Dursleys counted on.
September 19th 1987
He was here again tonight whilst his Aunt and Uncle took that boy out. No doubt they're taking him somewhere fun to spoil him rotten whilst they forget about their nephew altogether. It burns me up that they do this. Drop him off here instead of spending time with him. I almost wanted to tell her no, to tell her that I was too busy but one look at the pleading glance from poor Harry stopped me.
Why would that boy rather spend his evening with an old woman instead of out with his family?
Her question had me thinking and I find myself unable to come up with an answer. At least not an answer that I'd want to think about in too much detail. Not yet.
Time and time again one thing keeps coming back to me, one thing that I can't escape. They just seem to be able to put him to one side and forget all about him. What was it Abby had written in her report?
In fact, if I didn't already know differently, I would swear that there was only the one child living in that house. It appears to me that there is no obvious evidence of his existence.
No obvious evidence…
It's like they just want the entire world to forget all about the fact that the boy is even there. Like they just don't want him but…
If that were true. If they really didn't want him then why agree to take him in? Why take Harry in the first place?
With more questions floating round my brain I plough on through the diaries.
July 31st 1988
His birthday.
It's his birthday.
On his own birthday they send him over here…that woman…those people…
And why? Because of that precious little lump of hers.
Dudley.
In all my years I've never met a child that I honestly could not find anything positive about. There is goodness in every child deep down but not in him. There is nothing good in him.
Their precious lump was apparently sick and they didn't want poor Harry to catch the stomach bug on his birthday. Ever the caring Aunt Petunia. The lad wasn't sick! I know it. I watched that house whenever I got the chance once I'd put Harry to sleep in the spare room. Now my eyes aren't what they used to be but I swear I saw that lump gobbling down an ice cream.
Sick?
Sick and he's eating ice cream.
Those people.
They abandoned him on his birthday. After everything I've read and discovered so far I don't know why this still shocks me but it does. It was the lads birthday. His 8th birthday and instead of having a party or even a birthday tea he spent the night with an elderly neighbour. Did he get a birthday that year? Was he even allowed to celebrate it? Has he ever celebrated his birthday?
When Minerva had come to me I'd sincerely hoped that she was mistaken. That this was simply a case of kids exaggerating and that everything would be fine. I didn't want to believe this. Instead it's turned into one of the biggest cases I've had in years. What is wrong with those people that they could treat a child that way?
Feeling the frustration and fury beginning to overtake me I snap the diary shut. I've read enough. I'll come back to them in the morning when I've calmed down but now, in this moment I've read enough. Shaking my head I move to place the diary in the box with the others when something falls out. At first I figure it for a page, these books aren't exactly new but upon closer inspection it turns out to be a letter. As I read the words in front of me I can feel my temper rising far beyond my control and I barely reach the end before I'm storming out of the door letter in hand.
How could you?
Arthur POV:
Watching them out there it's hard to believe that Bill and Charlie are so grown up. They've moved out now and gotten jobs, gotten on with their own lives but looking at them I'd believe they were teenagers. From what I'd seen Fred had started it by dumping snow down his twins back, who'd responded by throwing a large snowball at his attacker. Unfortunately for George his trouble making counter part dodged and the ball had hit Charlie instead. War had then begun.
It would seem that Bill, Fred and Ron had teamed up against Charlie, George and Harry. Ginny it appeared was having a great time being the referee, although from the looks of it she was trying to help out Charlie's team instead of playing fair. They were all having a fun and smiling. The only one not out there was Percy.
Unlike his siblings Percy had elected not to join them and had quickly made his way inside once the snowball fight had broken out. Much like his mother Percy hated the cold weather with a passion. Whilst Molly just hated the house being so cold Percy had always been susceptible to colds and coughs. It was last year he'd ended up with a horrendous cough that had taken weeks before it had cleared up. This year he was perfectly healthy and had every intention of staying that way. Currently he was in the kitchen with his mother helping her with lunch.
Thinking about Percy has my mind dragging itself back to the meeting with Jennett two days ago.
Despite knowing that Harry was here, that he was with us and safe, my heart still ached at what I'd discovered. From Percy's letter Molly and I had both gathered that he wasn't fond of them but never would I have thought that things were this bad. If everything he'd said yesterday was true, which I didn't doubt it was, then it was almost as if he hated them.
It seems like he's scared of them.
I don't think they've actually sent him any letters.
They'd make him go back to that cupboard.
It was the last point that had Molly losing it last night. Tears had pooled in her eyes and it had taken everything I had not to allow her to go over to that house. If I could I would've followed her and confronted Harry's so called Aunt and Uncle in a heartbeat. Only the knowledge that Jennett was onto it was what had eventually stopped my wife. Despite her misgivings about the Ministry she couldn't deny that when Jennett got her teeth in she wasn't letting go until the problem was solved.
Watching the lad out there smiling it's almost easy to forget all about it.
Almost.
Sirius POV:
"Well how would we go about it? We can't exactly just turn up." Remus shakes his head and I know what he's getting back to.
"Why don't we speak to Dumbledore, see if we can get his opinion." I know that he's right, I know that he is, but I just don't know if I can do it. Going to Dumbledore means going back to Hogwarts. For years I'd wished to be able to walk back through those doors a free man but that had been merely a dream. Now it was a reality and I don't think I'm ready. We could of course send a letter to Molly and Arthur but we don't know them and they don't know us. They've no reason to allow it.
"You're right of course. We'll go and see him in the morning." As fearful as I was of going back through those doors the prospect of being able to see my Godson was too great to ignore. James had once made me promise to take care of Harry should anything happen to him. I lost my mind when he and Lily had died, it was foolish to confront Pettigrew. I should have dragged him off to the ministry, shouldn't have given him the chance to flee.
A sharp knock on the door interrupts my self loathing and I quickly move to answer it. Remus is looking more healthy than when I first saw him but he's still fragile. The transformations have been so hard on him and it's taken it's toll. There were only a handful of people that I would have expected to be on the other side of that door. The small blond haired woman whose face I do not know was not one of them.
"Sirius Black I presume." She says without a hint of fear on her face. Even though the world knows I'm innocent many I've come across since my release still look at me as though I'm a murderer.
"Yes?" Feeling the wand in my left hand gives me a little confidence.
"My name is Abigail Montgomary, I'm from the ministry. May I come in?" The ministry? What do the ministry want with me?
"What exactly do you want with me?" After spending all those years locked away for something I didn't do because of the ministry I don't think anyone could argue against my being wary. Her hand darts inside her coat and my grip on my wand tightens. Thankfully she pulls out what appears to be a badge rather than her own wand.
Thank Merlin.
"Let me start again. My name is Abigail Montgomary and I work for the child protection department at the ministry." Child protection? Don't tell me that they're considering me a risk? What if this is about Remus? He did say that he gets visits. Before I can open my mouth to protest she continues. "I'm here to talk to you about Harry Potter. May I come in?"
Harry…
And I'll leave it at that! Yes I know I'm awful.
So what was in the letter that tipped poor Jennett over the edge? Who was it from? And more importantly, how long until you find out?
Until next time,
Bye x