Chapter 68: Dumbledore's Plans for Custody
"When I was eight, I decided that if they punished me anyway for anything I could as well earn it by refusing to do what they wanted. They couldn't beat me too badly; otherwise it would have been noticed. Vernon made sure to only hit where my too big hand-me-downs from Dudley would cover it. So I stopped holding back. Dudley of course wailed at home when the report cards came and told I cheated to be the best in class.
I was punished, but I ignored it and kept excelling. I also started playing football. Being on the school team would mean more time away from the Dursleys and I didn't need their permission to be on a school team, only if I had wanted to join a private club. Mr Miller, the physical education teacher that was in charge of the football team, finally noticed that I was neglected. I didn't tell him about the beatings as the marks always disappeared over night. But he saw that I was underweight and too small for my age.
"From then on other teachers also looked closer and at school I was safe. The teachers watched in the canteen and punished Dudley for trying to ruin my food. I spent all my free time in the library or on the football field training. I became so good that I was a set part of the team that participated in matches against other primary schools during the great competitions of our area of England. I had decided that as the police, the muggle law enforcers, didn't take my anonymous letters serious, I needed to get out from the Dursleys on my own. I had heard about scholarships for secondary boarding schools that were given to the best students. So I worked on getting one of them and I succeeded. I was offered five of them and was trying to decide which one to attend to get to the top in society and earn as much money as possible when the Hogwarts letter came. I hoped that magical law enforcement could perhaps help me if the muggles couldn't. So I told Professor McGonagall that I had been beaten and given punishments for no reason by the Dursleys. She took me to St. Mungo's where I got the first medical examination of my life.
"Healer Ickings then did what I had hoped for. Getting me out from being under the Dursley's control. I was really afraid what they would do if they found out I knew about magic." Harry ended the story, shaking in Sirius arms.
He didn't know why he had told him all of that. He had kept it all to himself until now. He hadn't told anybody the whole story. Why did he tell a man he had just met again after ten years?
"Shh, it's okay, Prongslet, let it all out, it helps." Sirius said soothingly rubbing Harry's back while on the inside he was furious.
"Why did they do that to me?" Harry asked and tears spilled from his eyes.
He didn't want to cry. Crying never helped. It never made things better. Only doing things did that.
"Some people are simply like that. I didn't understand my parents' reasons either. You can only try to deal with it. There is nothing that can change the past. The only thing you can influence is the future." Sirius said rubbing circles on Harry's back, while he let the tears he had definitely bottled up for a long time fall.
"I only wanted to be left alone by them. When I realized that they didn't love me and never would, I only wanted to be left alone by them. Why couldn't they just let me be? Why did they have to beat me?" Harry cried.
Sirius realized that inside of this boy who appeared so strong and mature on the outside was still an eleven year old boy who had been forced to stand on his own feet far too early.
"That is over. You'll never have to return there. They will pay for what they did, I'll make sure of it, I promise." Sirius said.
....
On the other side of the door of the room Sirius and Harry were in Albus Dumbledore felt ten years older than before. He really had wronged Harry horribly. Hearing Harry tell Sirius all what had happened in his life brought home how much he had failed. He could have prevented that it got so bad. He should have reacted to the reports of Arabella in a different way, but he had been too stubborn to believe that there could be more going on than a certain amount of neglect and a lack of positive attention.
He had come here to talk to both how they wanted to arrange things now, but when he had opened the door a bit he had heard Sirius telling Harry about his home life. And then Harry had talked. Probably for the first time ever. He had known the boy had been beaten, but had not had the whole picture. He hadn't expected how long he had been beaten. And he shouldn't have just believed in Sirius' guilt. He had known him since he was eleven. Sirius had always been against the Dark Arts his family practiced. He should at least have talked to him, given him the chance to defend himself. But in his grief and anger about the loss of Lily and James he never did it.
He waited until he was sure Harry had got himself collected again and knocked on the door.
"Sirius, Harry? I wanted to talk to you about the arrangements for the future. While we will have to wait until the trial of the Dursleys is over in February to have the question of custody for Harry cleared, you have the strongest position, Sirius. Lily and James made you Harry's godfather therefore it's very probable that the court will give you custody if you both agree." Dumbledore said.
"I talked a bit about that with Harry, Professor Dumbledore, and we decided that the best thing would be if I could come to Hogwarts to visit over the Christmas holidays so we can get to know each other better. We will see if we can come to an agreement. I want to finally live up to my name as his godfather, but the final decision is his to make. I won't force him to do anything." Sirius said.
"That will be no problem. I'll arrange for you to get a room in the guest wing for the Christmas break. There is just one thing you should know, Severus Snape is working at Hogwarts as our Potions Professor. If I allow you to come over the holidays, I want you to promise to not act on your childish grudge against each other." Dumbledore demanded.
"If he promises to do the same, I'll promise to treat him neutrally. Don't ask me to like him, I'll never be able to do that. There is too much in our past for that." Sirius agreed.
"I think that will be enough for the moment. I guess you will be at St. Mungo's for the time being?" Dumbledore asked Sirius.
"Yes, I want to get back to normal as soon as I can. Getting over the malnourishment will take some time, but I'll work on it." Sirius said.
"I'll keep in contact and write you, Harry." Sirius promised.
"I'll write you too, Sirius." Harry answered.
Dumbledore led Harry towards the floo in the room and Harry left to Hogwarts. Dumbledore left the room, he needed to take care of some procedures, and Sirius went to get his things and hoped to not be mobbed again by the press.
....
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