Two Strange Men at the Door
…Earlier that day…
Harry Potter was busy attending to the garden, courtesy to the Dursleys for not giving him any gloves, his hands were currently bleeding and scratched up. Not that it hurt too much, he’s far too used to it by now.
Vernon and Dudley Dursley were out doing something right now, Petunia didn’t pay attention, to wrapped up in a book she’s been reading lately.
Petunia can now be found spying on the neighbours from her kitchen window, letting her ‘freaky’ nephew do all the house and garden work.
She heard a knock at the door.
Huffing, she tried to ignore it. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the person didn’t go away. They continued knocking, harder and louder.
She puts her binoculars down, marching toward the door and yanking it open.
A man she vaguely recognises is standing there, with light brown hair, scars covering his face and wearing a sweat you’d typically find a grandfather wearing.
Along with another man that had platinum blond hair, silvery blue eyes and pale skin. She ignored him, focusing on the first man.
“You! You used to hang out with my sister!” She hisses, spitting out the word ‘sister’, glaring at him.
Both men frown, already unimpressed by her. “Hello. Yes, I’m Remus Lupin, and this is my friend Xenophilius Lovegood.” He introduces in a forced polite tone. “We’re here for Harry.”
“Stay here.” Petunia says, leaving the door open as she walks off, coming back a moment later with Harry, who’s clearly confused.
Seeing the state this boy is in, Remus scowls. Xenophilius is staring at her, jaw clenched. Petunia steps back a little. She didn’t want to anger these men, they were wizards, they could do freaky things that most definitely aren’t normal.
Remus turns to Harry with a fond smile. “Who are you?” A pant in his chest. He should‘ve known who he was. Remus was suppose to be around to raise him.
“You’ve grown up quite a bit from the last time I saw you. I’m Remus Lupin, this is my friend Xenophilius Lovegood. We were good friends of your parents.” Harry lights up at that, unable to stop the small smile that forms on his face.
“What happened to your hands?” They already have an idea but wants confirmation. “It was just an accident when I was out gardening.” It’s a lie, or partly a lie, they know it. It’s not like they could tell him the truth, Aunt Petunia is right there, she might decide to hit him.
It’s not like they’d believe him anyway, they’d probably just tell them that he’s lying or being dramatic.
Remus nods anyway, turning to glare at Petunia, who steps back a little further. “I need you to do something for me, could you grab your trunk out for me, and anything else you might own or want to keep?”
Unsure of what’s going on, Harry turns to his aunt, who swallows. She dashed off and up the stairs, coming back down, unlocking the little cupboard under the stairs.
Remus says nothing as he steps over the threshold, shrinking the trunk so it’s pocket sized.
“Is that all you want to keep?”
Remembering Hedwig in her cage in his ‘bedroom’, he quickly grabs her.
Both adults are starting to have a very hard time at not hexing the woman. With a swish of a wand, the cage unlocks.
She flies out, stretching her wings. Angrily swooping at one of the people who had locked her up and hurt her human.
Several seconds of this and Harry finally called her to stop. She screeched at Petunia one last time, flying over to Harry, resting on his shoulder, nuzzling and nipping at his ear affectionately.
Remus shrinks her cage, stuffing it into his pocket.
“I’m going to need you to hold onto me tightly, have you ever heard of apparation before?” Harry shakes his head.
“Apparation is like teleportation. Only you’d be doing side apparation. Since it would be your first time, it might make you feel a little sick, but you’ll be fine.”
“You’ll be fine, yeah?” Harry asks Hedwig. She spreads her wings wide, as if saying ‘yes!’.
Doing as he’s told, he wraps an arm around Remus’ waist. The next thing he knows, is feeling a pull followed by wanting to throw up and losing his balance.
Remus was there to help steady him, guiding him over to the little cottage several metres in front of them.
Unlocking the door, Harry walks in front of them, taking his shoes off, looking around the place, then looks up at the men who had rescued him.
Neither are unable to stop looking at the small figure in front of them. “I don’t get it?”
“Would you like some lunch, I don’t think those…people-“ Remus refrains from swearing, “-gave you lunch. Go sit on the couch, I’ll only be a minute.”
Harry sits at the edge of the couch, obviously uncomfortable in this new environment. A young girl with long blonde hair and light blue eyes is sitting near him. She gives a smile, trying to welcome him.
“Hello, I’m Luna Lovegood.” She introducers herself, a hand extended. “Harry Potter, nice to meet you.” He says back, shaking her hand. Xenophilius emailed at the two, sitting down on an armchair across from them.
“I’ve seen you in school, Ravenclaw right?”
“Yes, I still think you would have been better in Ravenclaw or Slytherin.” Remus came out with four plates and cups of tea floating behind him, looks like Harry will have to ask what she meant later.
“I didn’t know what kind of tea you liked, is peppermint fine?” He sets the plates and cups on the little coffee table in front of them. Sitting down in an armchair next to Xenophilius.
“Yes, thank you.”
“I know this must be a little strange and weird for you. I should’ve come to check on you years ago, but Dumbledore said he had put certain wards up in case someone had decided to come after you.” He explains, the guilt having eaten him up for years.
“Like the Dark Lord?” Remus shook his head. “No, a different man, Fenrir Greyback. So when we heard a rumour about child abuse. We decided to check it out, where we found you in too big clothes, hands bleeding and covered in dirt. We did the logical thing and took you away, blood wards be damned.” Harry sips on his tea, not entirely sure what to say, just grateful that he’s taken away from those horrible people. Happy that he finally gets some food in his aching stomach.
“If that’s okay with you of course. Later we can take you out to Diagon Alley to get you some new clothes. Probably a good idea to get an inheritance test done too, but for now, I’d like know a few things.”
Harry freezes for a moment, he knows what the man is going to ask. “Could you tell me more about the Dursleys?”
Harry takes a sip of his tea, trying to force the lump in his throat to go down.
“It’s okay, take your time, we just need to know is all.”
Fiddling with his hands, Harry’s mouth feels dry, even with his drink. “All of it?”
“Yes, all of it.”
“To warn you, it’s not a pretty story. That little cupboard under the stairs used to be my room. I had outgrown it, so they moved me up to Dudley’s old room, the one with the bars on the window.” His voice in monotone and robotic like.
“I had been taught to cook from age three, by age five I was cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Uncle Vernon would use the belt on me, it was even worse when I did accidental magick. Petunia never really laid a hand on me, the occasional slap. Her words always hurt. It was Vernon and Dudley who were physical and psychological.”
Harry takes a breath, avoiding the mens gaze. Luna held his hand, squeezing gently. “They always told me my parents died in a car crash. That they were drunks and Mum a prostitute. I would have to dumb myself down at school, because heaven forbid I’m smarter then their Duddykins.” He rolls his eyes at the nickname.
“I was six, accidentally burnt the bacon. Vernon had broken my arm. That was the first and only time they took me to the hospital. Not because they cared, but because I wouldn’t have been able to do my chores.” He ran a hand through his hair.
“I wasn’t allowed to wear gardening gloves either, I’d only really had Dudley’s hand-me-downs, that have always been too big for me. They never really gave me food; I was lucky enough to get scraps they didn’t want. And a lot of the time, I’d have to cover up so no one would see the bruises and belt marks I’d have gotten.” Luna squeezes again. Remus looks furious. Xenophilius looked concerned and worried.”
“Thank you Harry. Luna, could you take Harry somewhere so we can talk?” Her father asks. Remus hands Harry his trunk and owl cage, un-shrinking them.
She leads him over to one of the rooms. It’s simple, with a single bed, bedside table and wardrobe. Flowy white lace curtains and light yellow walls.
Harry sets the trunk down at the end of the bed on the floor, cage on the bedside table.
He sits down at the end of the bed; Luna chooses to sit down next to him. “What are you reading there?” She’ started reading what looks to be like a newspaper, one he hasn’t heard of before. “This is the Quibbler; my father writes it.” She explains, handing it over to him. He flips through the pages, intrigued.
“Nargles?”
“Nargles are mischievous thrives that infect mistletoe. My butter beer cork necklace keeps them away, would you like one?” He finds himself nodding, who wouldn’t want to keep thrives away?
She leaves, coming back and happily throwing it over his head. “What about Wrackspurts?”
They’re an invisible creature that floats into peoples ears, making their brain confused and unfocused.
“I’ve never heard of them.” Luna shrugs. “People ignore their existence, simply because they’ve never seen them before. Threstrals are another invisible creature. They pull the carriages, beautiful and misunderstood creatures.”
“Ooh so that’s what they are. I brought it up once, but everyone just looked at me like I was crazy, so I kept it to myself.”
“Yes, the only way to see one, is if you’ve seen someone die.” They leave it at that, no need to question.