The Vanishing Glass
June 1991
A boy lay in a cramped dark space asleep, his messy black hair was worse than usual, suddenly the light outside turned on.
“Up! Get up!” This was followed with repeated knocks on the door. “Now!” She landed one last smack to the door before moving on and walking into the living room.
“Well your sister is absolutely charming Evans.” James muttered, growing all the more anxious for the life his son will have led.
“Tuney…” Lily whispered as she glanced at the screen, showing the too small cupboard that held her little boy, her heart was breaking. How could her sister do this to her son? Marlene and Mary who were sitting either side of her wrapped her in a hug as tears slowly started falling down her face, by this point, everyone had crammed around the Slytherin table, with only Peter left seated at the red and gold table with Minerva keeping her eye on him.
Severus Snape was sat at the Slytherin table, and as he saw the cupboard, his heart stopped, how could Tuney have hurt her nephew?
Harry woke up and turned his bedroom light on, pushing a pair of glasses onto his face that were only held together with sellotape. A large overweight boy suddenly came bounding down the stairs, before stopping and going back up and jumping up and down on the staircase, right above where Harry was sitting in his cupboard.
“I hate him already. Why the hell are they making him sleep in a cupboard Lily?” James muttered angrily.
“Looks like Vernon, ugh they must have a child too. Don’t ask me about the cupboard Potter, it’s not like I get to live much longer than you.” Lily groaned.
“He looks so much like you James! Except his eyes…” Sirius cried, launching his arms around his best friend.
“Lily’s eyes.” Severus whined slightly, his eyes turning to his best friend, his heart feeling lighter knowing that Lily had forgiven him for his unbelievably cruel actions.
“Wake up, Cousin! We’re going to the zoo!”
“He looks like he belongs in a zoo.” Barty mumbled as Evan and Regulus looked at him with their eyebrows raised.
“Well he’s clearly not nice to his cousin and Harry is adorable! I just want to wrap him up in cuddles!” Barty pouted as everyone chuckled.
“Okay so I know you haven’t had him or anything yet but doesn’t Prongslet sound amazing!” Sirius laughed as Remus holding back a smirk smacked him round the back of the head.
Harry glanced up to see dust falling from the joints of the stairs as his cousin started laughing and ran the rest of the way down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. Harry attempted to leave his small cupboard, only for his fat cousin to push him back in before going into the kitchen to join his mother and father.
“I really really hate that kid.” James muttered angrily.
“Why’s Harry so small compared to that lump of lard…” Remus frowned
“Barty will you stop trying to fire spells at a fat muggle child who hasn’t even been born yet.” Evan muttered under his breath as Barty pouted back at him, wand twirling between his fingers.
“They need to be nice to Harry, he has nobody else… and they've been keeping him in a cupboard for how many years?!” Barty cried in outrage.
“Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!
“Happy Birthday, son.”
Petunia wrapped her son in a cuddle as they both laughed at something, as Harry made his way into the kitchen wearing clothes that were at least ten sizes too big for him.
“Ugh it's a muggle whale child’s birthday, this is not going to be pleasant.” Evan groaned.
“I would be excited that I have a nephew but he is positively hideous.” Lily exclaimed.
“His clothes don’t fit. Why don’t his clothes fit.” Sirius fretted tugging on his hair as he was beginning to realise that sometimes actions have very unpleasant consequences, especially for those he loved.
Petunia’s lip curled up in disgust as her eyes landed on her nephew.
“Why don’t you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.”
“Yes, Aunt Petunia.”
The small raven haired child slowly began working at the stove frying bacon, as the muggles sat around behind him, as if he wasn’t even there.
“They make him cook… he’s ten and he’s cooking…” Tears were running down James’ face as he realised what kind of life his poor future son would have to live.
“They’re fucking monsters.” Sirius growled, as Remus’ eyes flashed amber.
“Poor Harry… oh James why does your offspring have to be so damn cute…” Barty whined as everyone was slowly coming to terms with the fact that Barty definitely had a soft spot for young children.
“How dare she look at Harry like that! She has a whale for a child! Harry is positively perfect!” Regulus grumbled. Dumbledore was beginning to question just how much of his sanity he had lost when he placed Harry with these vile people.
“I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley’s special day.”
Harry was carefully plating up the bacon, not wanting to hurt himself by accident.
“Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!”
“Yes, Uncle Vernon.”
“Pfft! What kind of a name is Dudley!” Severus laughed.
“Why can’t that fat Walrus make his own damn coffee!” Remus seethed as Sirius nodded along beside him in agreement.
“I hope that kid has the worst birthday possible.” Pandora muttered as she crossed her arms, a scowl covering her face.
Petunia took Dudley into the next room where a massive pile of brightly wrapped presents were stacked up high, as they child stared at them.
“Oh great. The whales spoilt too while our fucking son is sleeping in a cupboard and wearing his cousins old clothes.” James seethed as Lily was crying uncontrollably at this point.
“No child needs that many presents…” Sirius shook his head, he might have been raised in the house of Black but even he knew what was over the top.
“If I ever lay eyes on Petunia and Vernon they’ll wish they were the ones that were bloody dead.” James seethed.
“Operation Dursley Death Club?” Evan volunteered as the Great Hall erupted into cheers of agreement.
“Aren’t they wonderful, darling?”
“How many are there?”
“Thirty six. Counted ‘em myself.”
“Thirty Six?! But last year… last year I had thirty seven!!”
“Err, yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year.”
“I don’t care how big they are!”
Petunia buzzed around her son trying to calm him down, as Harry stood in the doorway, rolling his eyes at the scene that was playing out before him.
“Oh, now, now, now. This is what we’re going to do, is that when we go out, we’re going to buy you two new presents! How’s that, pumpkin?”
“This is actually unreal… he threw a tantrum and now he’s being given more presents?!” Evan looked appalled.
“They won’t even make eye contact with Harry…” Barty cried in despair for the small raven child.
“Absolutely disgusting parenting.” Remus groaned again.
The family were seen outside their home heading towards their car, Dudley was clambering to get into the backseat as Petunia unlocked the car.
“This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Harry moved towards the car as his Uncle moved and stood in front of him, blocking his path.
“I’m warning you now, boy! Any funny business, any at all, and you are not going to have any meals for a week! Get in!”
“They… can’t…” James spluttered tears rolling down his cheeks as he slowly came to the understanding of why his son was so small.
“Taking food from a child isn’t punishment… It’s cruelty and Harry has always deserved better!” Barty cried, tears dripping from his eyes.
“Oh I hope he doesn’t do any accidental magic now…” Sirius groaned, why did he have to get himself locked up. Harry was suffering because of him.”
“Hang on… why couldn’t Remus take Harry?” Marlene questioned as everyones eyes drifted the scarred boy in front of them.
“Oh, he’s got a furry little problem… it was probably never even an option, though I can guess he tore himself apart over it for years.” James hummed as Remus’ eyes glared at him for mentioning his ‘furry little problem’ so publicly.
The family were walking through the reptile house at the zoo. Harry was staring through a glass tank at a large boa constrictor, his eyes lit up like he’d remember this moment for the rest of his life.
“Oh deer… he likes snakes” James shook his head, a playful smile on his face.
“Oh shush James, snakes are awesome! Look at me!” Regulus laughed.
“I’ll be so proud if he ends up in Slytherin.” Barty wiped a pretend tear out of his eye.
“Make it move.”
Vernon tapped on the glass that housed the large snake.
“Move!”
Dudley followed his fathers actions and tapped much harder on the glass tank, making his father cringe slightly.
“MOVE!”
“He’s asleep!”
“He’s boring.”
Dudley was led away to look at another enclosure leaving Harry alone with the snake.
“Lily your family is horrendous.” Marlene groaned as Lily nodded in agreement.
“Except Harry. Harry is a ray of sunshine.” Barty shot back.
“Why do I feel like he’s going to try and make friends with that snake?” Sirius laughed as James put his head in his hands.
“As long as he doesn’t use accidental magic it should be okay…” Lily comforted James.
“Sorry about him. He doesn’t understand what it’s like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you.”
The snake moved its head up and looked at Harry and blinked once.
“Can you… hear me?”
The snake nodded its head slowly.
“It’s just… I’ve never talked to a snake before. Do you… I mean… do you talk to people often?”
The snake shook its head.
“You’re from Burma, aren’t you? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?”
The snake turned it’s head towards a sign that read ‘Bred In Captivity.’
“I see. That’s me as well. I never knew my parents, either.”
Lily and James were openly sobbing as they heard their son talk about not knowing them.
“God, Jamie he has your dramatics! BRED IN CAPTIVITY!!” Sirius chuckled softly.
“So he’s a parselmouth? He can talk to snakes?!” Barty grinned, this added to his conclusion that Harry would definitely be a Slytherin.
“It’s quite common in wizards and witches who have indian heritage. I think my Grandfather, Charlus Potter, was a parselmouth.” James explained.
“Wait Charlus Potter… he married Dorea Black, didn’t he? Jamie we’re related!!!” Sirius cheered as everyone around them rolled their eyes.
“Sirius, you are your own cousin, I wouldn’t be so surprised that you’re related to every pureblooded family out there.” James groaned as Sirius pouted.
Dudley glanced over to see that the snake had now awoken and ran over to the glass tank, shoving Harry to the floor in the process.
“Mummy! Dad! Come here! You won’t believe what this snake is doing!”
Dudley put his hands on the glass of the tank, but as he had his back turned, Harry shot a harsh glare at him, and suddenly the glass wasn’t there and Dudley had fallen into the snake tank, letting out a loud scream. Harry started laughing quietly as the snake slithered out of the enclosure and stopped in front of Harry.
“Thanksss.”
“Anytime.”
The snake slithered off out of the exit.
“SNAKE!”
“What were you saying about hoping against accidental magic…” Evan sighed, although he couldn’t help laughing at what happened to the horrible cousin.
“Oh Harry…” James groaned
“That kid is so cool!” Barty grinned.
There were lots of people running throughout the snake enclosure and screaming as the snake made its bid for freedom. Dudley went to get out of the enclosure but to his horror the glass had been put back into place. The boy realised he was now trapped in the snake tank and began to pound his big fists against the glass.
“Mum! Mummy!!!”
Petunia glanced back and noticed him inside the snake tank and gasped horrified, quickly running back and putting her hands up on the glass in an attempt to calm her son.
“Mum, help! Help me!”
“My darling boy! How did you get in there?! How did you get in there!? Is there a snake?!”
Harry grinned and let out a small giggle, but Vernon noticed this and shot him a harsh glare, Harry’s smile once more falling off his face as he gulped, knowing that what happened next would not be good.
“I swear he better not lay a hand on my fucking dog son.” Sirius seethed as everyone around agreed.
“His cousin seemed right at home in the snake tank anyway.” Severus drawled out.
“How could I have left him with these people…” Albus cursed himself once more, no child should be punished for something they cannot control, it could send all their magic out of sync.
“James, I actually love your kid!” Barty whined as he held his sides from laughing.