Chapter 36
One evening after dinner, while everyone was lounging around in a small sitting room near Harry’s room that had become quite popular, Harry looked up from his drawing of a… something, and tapped his finger on Tom’s nearby leg.
‘Who bad man crazy hair? Why take me?’
Tom stared for a moment, trying to think. ‘His name is James Potter, and he is your biological father. He-‘
‘What? What father?’ Harry interjected.
‘Ah – biological means he… was your father when you were born.’ Tom’s cheeks reddened a little, glad he’d been able to think quickly enough to avoid an even more awkward conversation about the birds and the bees.
‘You dad now?’ Harry asked.
Tom cleared his throat, giving an awkward head wobble and trying to avoid a direct answer. ‘Er, he took you because…’ Tom trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
Lucius caught his eye, giving a slight headshake. Barty watched on silently, waiting for someone to decide whether or not to be honest with the boy.
Severus shrugged when Tom looked to him, unable to decide spur of the moment whether it would be better or worse for Harry to know the truth.
Carrick slid to the floor across from Harry while the others dithered. ‘Because there is a prophecy, Harry. Some people think it might be about you, but nobody can know for sure. Your – those people took you because they want you to fight for them, because they think you can win.’
Harry contemplated this for a while. ‘Why you bring me here? Want me to fight?’
Carrick glanced at Tom before answering. ‘I will be honest with you – I brought you for two reasons. Number one, because I knew who you were, and I thought it would make those other people mad and scared if they didn’t know where you were, and they couldn’t make you fight for them. And number two – probably the more important one – I brought you here because wherever you were living was bad, and I know what it’s like to live with bad people who hurt you. I wanted you to be safe, so I brought you here, to Tom’s house.’
Harry’s brow furrowed, and he looked away. Silence reigned as he processed.
‘You want me to fight, dad?’ Harry asked, face blank.
‘No, I do not want you to fight. You are a child, and children should not be made to fight, no matter the reason. If children are fighting, it is because adults have failed in some way.’ Tom replied.
Harry looked away again, thinking. ‘Why James and red hair lady not my dad and mum?’
At the blank looks he received, Harry tried again. ‘Why I live with bad people – more bad people?’
Severus shifted in his seat. ‘Are you asking why you did not live with your- with Pot- James and Lily? Why you lived with someone else?’
Harry nodded.
‘We are not entirely sure, Harry. We think perhaps they thought they were hiding you somewhere safe, so they could fight and you were protected. However, there hasn’t really been any fighting, and you clearly weren’t protected.’ Tom said, voice growing cold.
Harry’s shoulders tensed, but he signed anyway. ‘Mad at James and red lady? Not me?’
‘I’m not mad at you, Harry. I apologise if I frightened you. It makes me very angry when I think about you – or any other children – being treated poorly, as you were.’
‘Aunt and Uncle very bad. Cousin very mean. I hurt lots. Magic help and Father something help. Feels better. Make me something.’
Various expression met his comments, mostly angry or sad.
‘You lived with your aunt and uncle before, Harry?’ Severus asked suddenly. ‘Do you know their names?’
Harry shrugged.
‘Were they perhaps Aunt Petunia and Uncle… Vincent or something?’
Harry looked up in surprise. ‘Aunt, yes. Uncle wrong name.’
‘I don’t remember her husband’s name, but I remember Petunia. Miserable bit- er, woman. Hates magic. Married an absolute whale of a man.’
Harry nodded. ‘Fat man uncle, very bad, hurts me always.’
Before anyone could ask a follow up question, Barty stood abruptly.
‘Permission to go on a little trip, my Lord?’ he asked.
Tom blinked. ‘Where?’
‘Surrey – right, Carrick?’
Tom’s blank expression twisted into a smirk. ‘Leave no trace. Perhaps see if you can find any useful information first.’
Barty gave a shark-like grin, then strode briskly from the room.
‘Why does Barty always get such satisfying tasks?’ whined Lucius. ‘He didn’t even ask if any of us wanted to come with him!’