Twisted Fascination

Things at the Dursley household were more tense than usual.

Ever since Harry and I had returned from Hogwarts, it was evident that something had changed.

Dudley had been out on a diet, meaning his temper was up.

Petunia was sympathetic toward the boy, but she also seemed to realize that her son needed a diet if he was to remain in Smeltings. She remained firm in her decision, not backing down to Dudley's frequent temper tantrums.

Vernon was always on edge for some reason or another. He was quick to anger, but he was also quick to retreat to a secluded part of the house and down a glass of brandy with a forlorn look in his eyes.

It took me more time than I really care to admit to realize he was still upset about his sister's tragic end, though I never really found it all that tragic.

Of course, Vernon was also afraid of Lupin showing up.

Lupin wrote to me weekly, always asking how I was doing and such.

I found it a bit tedious to write him back every Thursday, but I did appreciate the fact that he decided to keep me updated about small things happening in the wizarding world, especially considering the Daily Prophet didn't cover everything. I also kept an eye on the news regarding the upcoming trial of Sirius Black, which had been delayed because Pettigrew tried escaping captivity once again.

That time, Black literally tackled the man and nearly choked Pettigrew to death. He may have acted somewhat rationally the morning he made Pettigrew's living existence known to the world, but he still had his irrational moments.

In any case, I had been frequently woken up in the night by Harry.

The Gryffindor was having frequent nightmares, ones that he seemed to forget upon waking up. He would thrash around, moan a lot, and eventually jolt awake while gasping for breath.

I found it a bit annoying at first, but then he began rubbing his scar like it genuinely hurt him. I began to internally fret that the Dark Lord was once again on the move to try and kill Harry. I didn't need the Dark Lord showing up in Surrey, especially not when I had gotten my homework done within the first week of returning to the Dursley house. I wasn't going to tolerate the house being blown up with all of my essays inside of it.

It was one night when Harry was groaning in pain that I decided that something must be done.

I laid down and managed to block Harry out. I quickly lulled myself into a calm state and ended up opening my eyes to see the Dark Lord.

He was sitting in his usual chair across from me, and he looked at though he had been waiting for me.

I sat up quickly and asked, "Is there any way for me to learn Legilimency?"

"It's a touch harder than Occlumency, but I believe you can learn it," the Dark Lord said, "Though, I would be a tad bit more concerned with protecting your mind now that your brother is being harassed by my other self."

I nodded once, understanding the importance of keeping my mind protected from someone who would use my own mind against me.

The man gave a smirk. "Excellent." He folded his hands in his lap and said, "Now, Legilimency is not so different from Occlumency, but one is invading instead of protecting."

"I understand the theory behind it, but I don't want my brother to be crippled the first time I invade his mind," I said.

"Hm, yes. That would be most unfortunate," the Dark Lord mused aloud before saying, "There's two ways to invade the mind, stealthily or with force."

"Why would anyone use force?" I inquired with a furrowed brow.

"To harm another's mind and/or take over, so to speak," he answered.

"You can take over another's mind with Legilimency?" I asked in surprise.

"There is a way, yes, but you are hardly at that level," he waved off dismissively. "Now, your brother doesn't know the first thing about Occlumency. His mind is unprotected from invasions, especially if they're by force. However, stealth is key in the invasion of your brother's already fragile mind."

I nodded once, understanding that much.

"If you were to use your magic as a spear, you could easily invade his mind," he continued. "You don't want to do that, though, so what should you do?"

I contemplated for a second before saying, "Why don't I want my magic to be a spear?"

The man paused, looking at me with blatant confusion on his face.

"I want my magic to penetrate his mind," I reasoned aloud, "Why not just use an incredibly small spear to pierce through his mind? It will be a quick prick, and he'll likely assume that it was just a figment of his imagination after a few moments pass by. That way, I can easily get past his initial magic before casting mine out out through his now exposed mind."

The Dark Lord eyed at me carefully for a long moment before smirking. "You know your brother well, but that tactic won't work on just anyone."

"It's a good thing I'm not trying to read just anyone's mind," I replied with my own smirk.

The man gave a single huff of amusement. "Very well. I'll teach you the basics, and you will attempt them on me for the time being."

I nodded once, ready to endure any length of learning if it meant knowing what Harry was seeing during his nightmares.

The Dark Lord worked with me all night, directing me on how to make my magic take the form of an invisible spear. Once morning arrived, he stopped the lesson, assuring me that we'd continue that night.

Harry seemed frustrated that morning as I bustled about, getting ready for the day.

I ignored his ill temper as I left our bedroom behind and went down to the kitchen to prepare a very light breakfast. I then fetched my newspaper and raised an eyebrow at the front paper.

'Rudolphus Lestrange Escapes Azkaban!'

I quickly sat down at the table and began to read my paper over.

The story, or so the media reported it as, was that a man who feverishly served the Dark Lord had escaped from Azkaban, though no one quite knew how. Apparently, the wizard had been thrown in Azkaban after he, his wife, his brother, and one other Death Eater (little pawns of the Dark Lord) had tortured two Aurors (Alice and Frank Longbottom) to the brink of death and total insanity. The man's wife was caught during her escape, and she was left behind to be forced under higher security at Azkaban.

I expected there to be more about Rudolphus, but there was nothing more in the paper. I quickly checked my stocks as the Dursleys and Harry finally made it to the breakfast table. I folded up my paper and ate my one piece of toast before getting my chores for the day. I had to tend to the garden, which was a rather monotonous job that I disliked. Nevertheless, I did as ordered and got everything done in record timing.

When dinner came around, Harry and I got a lump of cheese before being sent off to bed.

I quickly laid down and relaxed my mind.

The process of learning continued for roughly a week before the Dark Lord allowed me to try invading his mind.

The first time I tried, the man's mental fortitudes easily broke my spear. It was the same for the second and third times. I grew frustrated, and I ended up just forcing my magic to pierce through his shield on the fourth try.

The man winced a bit before holding his hand up, causing me to stop immediately. "You want a middle ground between those two. If you try to get into Harry's mind with that much force, you'll end up doing more than just crippling him."

"I apologize, sir," I said, embarrassed that I allowed my emotions to get the best of me.

He waved it off with a dismissive flick of his hand. "Don't try that again unless you are in danger and need a quick way out without your wand."

"Yes, sir," I said with a nod of my head.

He nodded before saying, "Now, try again."

Instead of following his orders, I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes. "Give me a second to think."

The man remained silent for a moment before asking, "What-"

I opened my eyes, and I looked at him calmly. I felt my magic surge through me before leaving my body. I felt proud as I watched the Dark Lord stare at me in surprise. My brow then furrowed as I failed to read anything from his mind. "Did I do it wrong?"

The Dark Lord chuckled as if I was a child asking a stupid question. "You need to keep a hold of your magic after throwing it, or else it'll merely pierce through and not allow our minds to connect."

I felt like huffing indignantly, but I didn't. I instead mused aloud, "So, I want to build a bridge after throwing the spear."

The Dark Lord pondered my words for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you do."

I pondered how to do it for a moment. I then threw caution to the wind and once again forced my magic to spear through his mind. I was able to make out a single flash of a scene before I was shut out by the Dark Lord. I blinked stupidly as my brain registered myself from the Dark Lord's perspective. My red hair was down to my shoulders, and my hazel eyes were narrowed in a manner that showed just how determined I was. I was still wearing my bloody pajamas in my mind, causing me to be quite embarrassed.

"Relax," the Dark Lord said as he smirked at me. "I was seen worse out of my own followers."

"Should I be concerned?" I asked hesitantly.

He flicked his wrist dismissively. "Don't concern yourself with my followers."

I nodded once before something quite literally jolted me awake. I squinted in the darkness before turning my head toward my left.

Harry was hovering over me, looking somewhat concerned.

"Harry, do you know what time it is?" I asked.

"I think Voldemort is back," Harry blurted out worriedly.

I sighed before rolling onto my back. I sat up, causing Harry to shift away from me. "Could you explain your reasoning."

"Well, my scar hurts…" Harry said nervously.

I blinked dumbly before saying, "Mine isn't."

"Yeah, but I've been seeing things," he said shiftily.

"Things?" I repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Harry hesitated before just spilling his guts. "Um, there was a big house - like a manor or something? Anyway, I was there, but I was an old man named Frank. I - Frank? - was walking through the manor, and I went upstairs where a light was on. I stopped at a landing, and I looked into the doorway. There was a fire in the grate, and a man was speaking. He said something about a bottle, and then some other man said something about wanting to be closer to the fire. Then, a heavy arm chair moved closer to the fire. A skinny man was there, and he was wearing robes and had graying black hair. Anyway, the other man asked where someone named Nagini was. The man said something about being in the gardens. Then, the two talked about the Quidditch World Cup and the Ministry before mentioning me. They said something about needing me or a substitute that's exactly like me." He hesitated once more before mumbling, "They mentioned you, too, before saying that Nagini was close. Then, the second man started speaking in Parseltongue. There was a snake that said I was out there, and the second man told the first man. The first man came over, and he was some skinny guy that kind of looked like Sirius after he got out of Azkaban."

I narrowed my eyes a bit, placing the man as Rudolphus Lestrange. "What happened next?"

"The first man motioned for me to enter as the snake rolled up on the rug in front of the fire. I entered the room, and the first man - I think he was in the chair, but he was too small to see - called me a muggle. I told him to face me like a man, and the second person said he wasn't a man. Then, the first man had to turn the chair around, and then Frank saw what was in the chair. And he died, I think, and that's when I woke up," Harry rattled off before looking at me expectantly.

"First, let me ask you for details pertaining to what was in the chair. Did you see it or just Frank?" I inquired.

"I think I saw it, but I can't remember," Harry mumbled.

"I see. Did you get any names?" I asked.

"Um, I think the first man was named Rudolph," my brother answered, "But the second man was definitely Voldemort."

"Was it Rodolphus Lestrange?" I questioned, causing Harry to look at me in surprise. "He broke out of Azkaban a week or so ago. He was a Death Eater."

"Death Eater?" Harry parroted in confusion.

"A follower of the Dark Lord," I explained.

"Oh…" Harry remained silent for a moment before shifting nervously. "Do you think…? Was it just a dream, or was it real?"

"Have you been having the same dream often?" I inquired.

"I've been having it for a while," Harry admitted sheepishly, "But I kept forgetting when it was morning."

I hummed softly before saying, "It felt real to you, so it may be a vision."

"I've never had a vision before," Harry pointed out.

"I know, but you are connected to the Dark Lord as the Boy-Who-Lived. Perhaps you're seeing something useful to use against him," I reasoned aloud.

Harry thought my words over for a moment before asking, "Is that why you aren't getting these dreams?"

"Perhaps," I said, though I personally believed it to be my Occlumency training putting itself to good use.

"Should I write to Dumbledore?" Harry pondered aloud.

"Do you want to tell Dumbledore based on what you're dreaming?" I prodded.

Harry thought hard about it for a moment before asking, "Shouldn't I tell the Minister? He should be the enemy of Voldemort, after all."

"There's no greater enemy of the Dark Lord than you, Harry. He's the one who wants to vanquish you," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but, shouldn't Minister Fudge be against someone who's evil?" Harry questioned childishly.

"Harry, Fudge is in Lucius's pocket," I said honestly. "He cares more about money and being Minister than being competent at his job."

Harry frowned deeply. "So, I should write to Dumbledore?"

"Will Dumbledore believe you without any proof beyond your visions?" I asked.

"Maybe," Harry said, though he didn't sound hopeful. "I should just ask Ron or Hermione-"

"Harry," I said with a heavy sigh, "They aren't going to give you good advice beyond telling you to talk to an adult. They are children, just as we are."

Harry huffed. "But you always know what to do."

"Harry, I didn't see the vision you did," I pointed out, "I can do nothing more than to tell you that the Aurors are looking for Lestrange. Should you tell them his location, then they could get him and prevent the Dark Lord from getting any more help."

Harry brightened up before his face suddenly fell. "I forgot where they are."

I barely held back a heavy sigh. "The next time you have that vision, just tell me where they are as soon as you wake up."

Harry nodded before looking toward the window.

Dawn was beginning to arrive in the land.

I threw my covers off and got out of bed. "I have to get breakfast started."

Harry huffed. "That's barely a snack."

"It's not my fault Dudley is the size of a baby hippo," I grumbled as I got dressed in my clothes for the day.

Harry snorted in amusement before deciding he'd get changed as well.

I left the room first, heading down to the kitchen to work on preparing a very small breakfast.

Petunia was frowning deeply as she watched me cut up two apples. "That's enough for us this morning."

I felt my stomach clench in pain at the thought of being unable to eat more than a fifth of an apple. I had been able to bear the pain that came from being limited in my intake, but it was slowly chipping away at my patience. I wanted food, and I was growing more and more agitated as time passed. I didn't want to deal with Dudley's temper tantrum that day, especially not when my body would be eating up what little stored fat that I had saved up during Hogwarts.

Harry came down, and he stared longingly at the fridge.

Vernon followed Harry, and he picked up his morning paper on the way into the kitchen.

I served the five different plates that each held two slices of apples each before going to fetch my morning paper. I opened it up, staring blankly at the stocks that were doing as well as ever.

Dudley came waddling down, and he nearly started screaming at the sight of two measly apple slices waiting for him.

I quickly ate my two slices before saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm going out today."

Vernon immediately glared at me. "Going where?"

"The park," I lied."I finished my chores for the week, so there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Vernon glanced over at his wife, who nodded with a tight-lipped expression. The man huffed loudly. "Fine. Be back by noon to make lunch."

I felt like scowling, but nodded instead. "Very well." I folded up my papers before heading up to my room, where I dropped off my newspaper. I then left the house and began to meander around the suburb. I briefly considered going to Diagon Alley by the Knight Bus, but decided against it. I ended up simply walking around the neighborhood to calm myself down before heading to Privet Drive once again. I entered the house, only to immediately regret it upon hearing Dudley screaming for one reason or another. I closed the door behind me, put my shoes next to the door, and dragged myself to the kitchen where Dudley was throwing his temper tantrum.

"I just want one treat!" The boy yelled at his mother.

Petunia was misty-eyed as she said, "But Duddikins, I have to stick to the diet your nurse gave me."

"Why can't I have just one treat?!" Dudley screamed before noticing me heading toward the back door. "You think I should get a treat, too, don't you?!"

I paused like a deer in headlights before saying honestly, "Dudley, you need a treat like I need a hole in my head."

Immediately, Dudley retaliated by grabbing a chair from the table and throwing it at me.

I threw myself away from the chair and nearly set that fat oaf's clothes on fire. Instead, I exhaled deeply through my nose before straightening up. "I hope you starve to death."

"Colton Seth Potter!" Petunia yelled furiously as she threw a dirty plate at me.

I ducked down, allowing the plate to shatter against the wall. I quickly scowled at the woman as she grabbed another plate. "Do it, you wench, and I'll burn this entire house down."

Petunia gasped in shock, clearly not expecting me to throw any insults or threats at her. She then got red in the face and hissed, "Just wait until Vernon gets home."

I narrowed my eyes before spotting out, "Even he knows his place." I then marched outside, not bothering with the conversation anymore.

Harry was in the backyard, soaking up the sun like some lizard on a rock.

"Harry, be careful when Vernon comes home," I advised.

"Why?" Harry asked as he sat up, looking at me with curious green eyes.

"I told Dudley I'd rather him die in front of Petunia," I admitted.

Harry looked up at me in horror.

"I'm hungry and angry," I said defensively.

Harry then nodded as if it couldn't be helped. "Do you want to talk?"

I snorted. "Harry, I don't talk. You know that."

Harry gave a small shrug before saying, "Well, anyway, does that mean we can't eat lunch?"

"That and dinner," I said sheepishly.

Harry groaned loudly before flopping down into his back. "This is so annoying."

"You're telling me," I grumbled as I sat down next to my brother.

The hours dragged by, and eventually, Vernon came home. Vernon quickly made his way to the backyard while I motioned for Harry to go around the house to avoid Vernon's wrath. The rotund man came marching outside, yelling loudly, "How dare you threaten my family, boy?!"

I barely held in a sneer as I glared defiantly.

Vernon raised his hand to hit me.

"I'll tell my godfather," I threatened, only for the man to scoff before slamming the palm of his hand across my face. I felt shocked for a brief moment before turning my gaze to Vernon, my eyes a blood-red hue. "That was a grave error, Vernon."

The man growled as he grabbed my shirt and pulled me in close. He once again hit my face and spat out, "Try to threaten me again, you little freak, and you'll get off much worse."

I stared him directly in the eyes and pierced through his mind with magic. I watched as Vernon screamed before crumbling to the ground in pain. I stood over the man and said viciously, "Try hitting me again, you bastard. I dare you."

Vernon whimpered in pain, clearly unable to even move from where he laid in a ball on the ground.

I sneered down at him before walking past and toward the house.

Petunia, who had been watching from the kitchen window, scrambled for the door and locked it. She then picked up the phone and began to call someone.

I felt annoyed more than anything else. I walked around the house and sat on the front porch, my arms crossed in defiance.

About ten minutes later, a police car turned down the street, followed by an ambulance.

I was quick to stand up while putting on a worried expression. I waved my arms as the police approached, and I was quick to rush over to the stopped car.

"What happened here?" The male police officer asked as the ambulance came to a stop.

"It's was an accident," I said with a trembling voice. "My uncle and I were fighting, and he suddenly collapsed. I think he had a heart attack."

"Where is he?" The officer before me asked urgently.

Before I could answer, the front door burst open.

Petunia saw me by the officers, and her face fell.

Before she could say anything, I took over. "Aunt Petunia, you saw what happened! You know I didn't mean to get Uncle Vernon's blood pressure up!"

The ambulance crew got out of their car and rushed toward the house, and the male officer followed.

"We all fight with our relatives sometimes, lad," the female officer said sympathetically.

"But you don't almost kill them by giving them heart attacks!" I exclaimed fretfully.

"How about you give me a run-through of what happened?" The woman suggested as she pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil.

I hesitated before saying, "Well, I may have told my cousin that he was a bit… obese." I winced at my words before saying, "Aunt Petunia was there, and she…" I hesitated before looking away. "She doesn't like it when I insult Dudley. She gets rather upset."

"Did she do anything?" The woman asked.

I remained silent as I fiddled with my fingers. "Well… She did, but I don't think she meant it."

"What did she say?" The officer pressed gently.

"She - er - she threw a plate at me," I replied in a soft voice before quickly saying, "Anyway, when Uncle Vernon came home-"

"Hold on," the officer demanded, "Your aunt threw a plate at you?"

"It's fine, really," I assured her, "I've had worse from Uncle Vernon."

"You what?" She demanded in a stern voice.

"I mean, it's just a bit of tough love, right?" I asked meekly, "That's what they say."

"Tell me what happened after your uncle came home," the woman commanded.

"Well, I was in the backyard, and he came out there. He said that I threatened his family," I answered, "I said that I didn't, and he hit me for quote 'lying.' I said that I wasn't lying, and he hit me again before collapsing. I really didn't mean to cause his blood pressure to rise that much-"

"You uncle put his hands on you?" The officer asked with horror in her eyes.

"I mean, he does it a lot," I said shiftily, "But that's normal, right?"

"Where are you parents?" The woman questioned.

I winced. "Um, they… they're not here anymore."

Her brow furrowed a bit.

"They died when I was a baby," I spelled out for her, "So that's why Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are raising my brother and I."

"Does your uncle hit your brother, too?" She asked.

I hesitated before mumbling, "Harry says we shouldn't talk about it because adults won't believe us over them."

"Has this happened before?" The officer asked.

"Well, in school, the teachers always listen to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia because they're adults," I answered. "One time, we told our librarian about how we only got one meal a day, and Aunt Petunia said that we refused to eat breakfast and dinner even though we didn't. They were called in to a meeting with the principal, and they told him that we were lying, but we weren't. The principal believed them, and my brother thinks that all adults won't believe us now."

"Do you still only get one meal a day?" She asked, concern visible in her voice.

"Everyone in the house is on a diet because Dudley needs it," I supplied.

"What do your meals look like?" She pressed.

"This morning, we got two slices of an apple," I answered.

She waited for a moment before asking, "Is that all?"

"Yes," I answered with a furrowed brow. "Isn't that normal when you're on a diet?"

The woman was going to reply, but the emergency medical technicians and the male officer came out of the house while wheeling Vernon toward the ambulance.

"I'm not going to jail, am I?" I asked as I looked at the woman tensely.

"Of course not," she assured me before telling me, "Wait here."

Petunia came out while crying, and Dudley looked at me with fear in his eyes.

The woman officer went to the male officer, and the two exchanged soft words.

Finally, Harry poked his head out of the front door, gazing at me with worry all over his face. He hesitantly looked between Petunia and I before approaching me.

"Harry, get away from him!" Dudley yelled.

Harry froze up before looking toward Dudley. He then glanced toward me, and I rubbed my arm nervously. Harry bit his lower lip before lowering his head while shuffling on place.

"Harry," the female officer called kindly, "Could you come here for a moment?"

Harry hesitated as he looked back at Petunia before going over to the officers.

The three exchanged soft words, before Harry flinched a bit.

The boy looked back at me with an intense gaze, clearly feeling that I had betrayed him by telling adults about some of the abuse the Dursleys put us through.

I flinched away from his gaze and once again returned to rubbing my arm. I looked toward the ground meekly, but I took note of how the two officers began to not-so-subtly walk Harry over to were I was standing.

They had us both sit in the back of their car as they went to ask Petunia some questions.

Once the door was closed, Harry looked at me with that same intense gaze. "Why did you tell them that?"

"It's true, isn't it?" I retorted right away.

"They don't have to know," Harry hissed with flushed cheeks. "It's not like they'll believe us over them."

"They have to," I said with fake desperation in my voice. "If they don't, I'm going to be beat by Vernon once he recovers. You know that!"

"Petunia will hit you with a frying pan first," Harry debated right away.

"I don't want to go back to school with a concussion," I grumbled, "My brain is the only thing I have going for me."

My brother frowned. "Well, what if they do believe you? Then where will we go?"

"Any place is better than here," I snapped, "I'm tired of eating only apple slices and pieces of cheese to survive, I'm tired of them bullying us, and I'm tired of having to keep quiet because you're embarrassed about trying to get help."

Harry huffed at me before looking away with crossed arms.

"Look, I'm sorry, but do you think they'll want us here forever?" I asked rhetorically, "They already say that they're kicking us out as soon as they can."

"We'll be adults by then," Harry debated.

"With no jobs and no place to go," I pointed out.

Harry scowled. "We could have jobs by then."

I looked at him doubtfully.

Before either of us could continue, the door to the front of the car opened.

"Do you two mind going to the station for further questions?" The woman officer asked gently. "You're not in trouble. We just want a more thorough walkthrough."

Harry nodded tensely.

I nodded quickly after him.

The woman gave me a reassuring sort of smile before climbing into the car's passenger side while the male officer got into the driver's seat.

"Will he be okay?" I asked as I fiddled with my fingers.

"The doctors at the emergency room will take care of him," the woman officer replied gently.

Silence fell across the car as we drove off to the police station.

There, we happened across the same detectives that had came to the hospital last year when I was attacked by a dog. The detectives immediately seemed to be interested in whatever case I was involved in that time, as was evident by how they followed after Harry and I to the interrogation rooms.

To my complete and utter horror, Harry and I were separated. I knew he'd likely backtrack on anything I'd say, so I figured I was pretty much out of luck when it came to getting out from under the control of Vernon and his family.

The one detective from last year sat in my room, and he seemed pretty interested in hearing my side of the story. He listened as I repeated what I told the woman officer before eventually asking, "Is that why you were bit last year?"

"I believe so," I admitted honestly, especially considering Ripper was a menace to everyone but Marge.

"And will you brother back you up on this?" The man asked.

"He doesn't like talking about it," I said with a sigh, "So probably not. If only you guys had microphones in the cars. Then, you would hear that we discussed the issue."

"We have microphones and cameras," the man said as he sat up straight.

I immediately perked up. "Well, if that's true, then you can make Harry admit the truth."

He hummed before asking in an off-handed manner, "By the way, did you want an ice pack for your face?"

I brought my hand up to my left cheek, and I felt myself flush upon remembering that I had probably developed a bruise the size of a baseball on my face. "I'm fine-"

"I'll get that ice pack now," he assured me as he stood up from his seat.

"You don't have to," I said quickly as I remained seated.

He flicked his wrist at me dismissively before stepping out of the room.

I gazed at the closed door for a long moment before laying my chin down on the table. I waited for about five minutes before becoming bored. I closed my eyes, and waited patiently for someone to enter the room.

After another ten minutes the door opened.

I immediately sat up and looked toward the doorway in relief, only to see Kingsley. I almost allowed my face to fall, now knowing that Dumbledore was keeping tabs on Harry even throughout the summer. Instead of doing so, I asked, "May I help you?"

"I got that ice pack," Kingsley, who was dressed like a normal muggle in a casual suit, said as he entered the room. He handed it over to me before humming softly. "That is a pretty bad bruise."

I frowned as I averted my eyes from him, putting the ice pack up to my cheek. "I've been through worse."

"So I heard," Kingsley said as he sat down at the table across from me. "Your brother is talking with Savage now about it."

I snorted as I sat back. "Talking? More like backtracking. He doesn't like it when other adults know about that stuff."

Kingsley hummed before saying, "The officers here make it seem like they have the beginnings of a case against the Dursleys."

"What's your point?" I asked suspiciously.

"My point is that you should have spoken up before," Kingsley said bluntly.

"I have," I grumbled as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Adults always believe other adults over children, though."

Kingsley sighed at that. "Did you mention it to anyone at the school?"

"I mentioned it to Mr. Wealsey," I answered, "And so did Harry once Mr. Weasley assured us he wouldn't hold it against my brother." I then paused before musing, "Well, my godfather knows, too, which is why he's been writing every week to make sure things stay under control. I didn't expect Vernon to get a heart attack, though-"

"It wasn't a heart attack," Kingsley interrupted gravely.

"What was it?" I asked apprehensively.

"A minor blood vessel in his brain burst," he answered.

"You're joking," I said in shock.

"I'm not," Kingsley replied as he sat back. "Your uncle had a subarachnoid hemorrhoid."

I swallowed thickly before hesitantly asking, "Is he going to be alright?"

"SAH's are life-threatening events," Kingsley said, "Everything is in the hands of the doctors."

I nodded apprehensively.

"Tell me more about the abuse-"

I winced. "Don't - don't say it like that. I don't like being a victim."

"You are a victim if your words are anything to go by," Kingsley pointed out.

"I don't want to be weak," I mumbled as I fiddled with my fingers. "Being a victim means I'm weak-"

Something in the man's eyes softened just a bit. "You're not weak if you speak up about it."

I scoffed at that. "I'll be seen as a pathetic victim if others find out." I then sighed heavily before looking up at Kingsley with nothing but tiredness on my face. "Though, I hate that idea, I hate living with those people more."

Kingsley nodded as he sat up. "Alright, tell me about it."

I spilled my guts, telling Kingsley about how Harry and I slept under a cupboard, how the Dursleys would frequently deal out physical abuse, and how everything managed to get brushed under the rug in one way or another whenever other adults got brought into the picture. I told him how Hogwarts was a safe haven for both of us and that I just wanted us to live normal lives over the summer. I said that all, and it took a long while to finish.

Kingsley took it all in like a champ before saying, "We'll see what we can do."

"We?" I repeated in confusion.

Kingsley nodded as he stood up. "Your safety is important."

I felt my brow furrow a bit, knowing that I wasn't nearly as important as Harry in the eyes of the wizarding world. I nevertheless stood up and followed after the man as he motioned for me to keep up.

We left the interrogation room behind and met up with Savage, Proudfoot, and Harry in the hallway.

Harry looked rather apprehensive as we left the police station behind.

We were escorted to a black car that belonged to the Ministry and were driven to the Dursley house, where we had to collect our things. Once we had everything, we were apparated to the outskirts of the Weasley household, much to our surprise.

Mrs. Weasley was there, waiting for us with a worried expression. "Oh, boys, we were so worried about you. Colton, dear, do you need another ice pack?"

I immediately flushed in embarrassment. "No, I'm fine."

"He'll take another one," Kingsley said as he patted my shoulder once. "We'll be in touch." With that, he and the two other Aurors disappeared with a crack.

Mrs. Weasley gave a heavy sigh before saying, "Arthur went to try and get the Ministry to open up your fireplace to the Floo network today. Then, he came home and told us that you two went to the muggle police station."

"I didn't mean to cause that much of a fuss," I mumbled as I averted my eyes before immediately paling. I looked at Harry and said, "My godfather is going to throw a fit if I don't tell him what happened."

"It's a Thursday?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Yes, Harry, and I never wrote my letter back to him," I said fretfully. "What if he shows up there?"

"The house will be empty," Harry pointed out.

I looked at him blankly. "Would that have stopped your godfather from trying to break in last year?"

Harry stared back before mumbling, "No."

"It's not going to stop mine, either," I said matter-of-factly. I then lifted up my trunk and quickly headed off to the Burrow to write to Remus. As soon as I entered, I dropped my trunk by the stairs and pulled out some parchment and a self-inking quill. I closed my trunk and used the top of it to write a letter detailing the events of that night, followed by a plea to not show up at Privet Drive. I then put my parchment in an envelope before watching as Percy came down the stairs in his Ministry of Magic. "Percy, I will pay you to use your owl."

The red-haired graduate of Hogwarts paused before looking at me in confusion. "How long have you been here?"

"It doesn't matter," I said before opening my trunk. I pulled out ten Galleons before asking, "How much do you want? I need this letter sent immediately."

Percy blinked owlishly before saying, "You can just borrow him. I don't mind."

I gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Percy gave me an odd look before straightening up. "Well, I have to do some work."

"Oh, have a nice day," I said kindly before pausing. "Er - night, I suppose?"

Percy smiled at me. "It'll just be a few hours."

I nodded once before watching him continue on. I quickly rushed up the stairs and to Percy's room. I politely opened the door and went over to where Hermes (his owl) was perched by the window. I gave him the letter and said, "Please take this quickly."

Hermes took the letter and flew off into the night.

I sighed in relief before turning heel. I paused upon taking in the messy room.

Percy had always seemed like the type to take care of things and remain orderly. His room didn't display any of that, but rather a lack of organization that was a sure indicator of stress.

I hesitated before deciding I wouldn't take it upon myself to try and organize anything. I didn't want to upset Percy, who had always seemed to be the most reasonable of the Weasleys. I instead left the room and shut the door behind me. With that done, I traveled downstairs and saw that Mrs. Weasley had put food on the table in the meantime.

Mrs. Wealsey, the twins, Ginny, Ron, and Harry were all sitting.

Joining them, I decided that the summer would get better than it had been.