CPS Arrives
Harry woke up with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was not sure why, but he had a feeling today was going to be a bad day. He woke from his common nightmare but this time he could have sworn he heard a laugh. He heard a scream, the green light and a laugh. He pulled on the old clothes because he knew he would be doing chores all day. It was a sunny Saturday after all. Petunia woke him at 7:00 am like usual to start breakfast. He was still required to make a full English with extras for his whale of an uncle and cousin.
While cooking he accidentally burnt some of the bacon when Dudley came in and pushed him over. Uncle Vernon decided that since he burnt the bacon, he would hold Harry’s hand on the burner. Vernon held his hand there until it started to smell in the house and then let go, ordering him to clean up.
“No meals for you again today. Your aunt has the list for today. You better get it all done or so help me boy.” Vernon said.
After muttering a “yes Uncle Vernon” he went to grab the list from his aunt. He saw once again that it was longer than he was capable of, but he would do his best. He decided to start in the backyard tending to the garden, then mowing the lawn. He was dirty and sweaty by the time Dudley came out back to harass him. He tried to ignore him and get away, but he could not run, and he knew that fighting back would only get him in trouble. Dudley took the time to beat Harry until he was out of breath and bored.
Harry limped back to finish the yard work in the back and washed himself a bit with the hose. He noticed a new blood stain in his shirt from his head but ignored it. When he walked inside his aunt made him vacuum, sweep, dust, do the laundry and clean all their bedrooms. He was halfway through sweeping when there was a knock at the door.
“Boy, go to your room. You know the rules, you can’t be seen.” Petunia said as she went towards the door. Harry went up the stairs and into the attic but decided to listen in through the cracks into what was going on.
“Good afternoon ma’am. My name is Frank Carter, and this is my partner, Haley Miranda. Do you mind if we come in and talk?” Harry heard a deep velvety voice ask. “These are officers Patrick Clements and Michael Ruiz from the New York Police Department.”
“Of course, let me go and get my husband. The living room is right this way. Would you like some tea?” Petunia asked. He could not hear the response, but he heard the heavy footsteps of his uncle walking through the house from their bedroom. “This is my husband, Vernon. What can we do for you?”
“As I said before my name is Frank Carter and this is my partner Haley Miranda, I have a couple of questions before we begin if that is alright?” The man, Frank, asked. Harry was really confused why the police would be there. Had the Dursleys called the police on him. Was he going to be arrested and thrown in prison? He knew the stories his uncle told him and was terrified. He moved to hide in the corner in a small hidey hole he found one day.
“Of course, we are normal upstanding individuals.” Vernon boasted. They moved through this house where the police and CPS workers were documenting everything. They noticed how every picture was only of the three immediate family members. Officer Ruiz noticed a lock on the attic but did not think a ton of it. He made a note and moved on. They found Dudley in the basement playroom watching a movie and eating a ton of candy. Haley wrote that they were neglecting Dudley as well by not offering healthy options. A child that obese could not be healthy.
They made it back to the room where they asked some questions about how the move was and how the kids were settling. Vernon went on about how the school system is worse here and how his bride and joy was being discriminated against and blamed for things his good for nothing nephew was doing.
“Where is your nephew? We did not see him during the tour.” Frank asked.
“He is at a friend's house today.” Petunia said. They could all tell she was lying but had no proof yet.
“Alright, well we have a few things to discuss with you. Haley and I are social workers for an organization called Child Protective Services. I know you have something similar in England, so I do not think I need to explain much, do I?” Frank said.
“Now see here, we are good upstanding people. We have no need for you people to come in here and say anything. Whatever you were told is probably a lie from our no-good freaky nephew.” Vernon yelled. He exploded on the workers standing up as fast as he could. The cops were ready to jump into action as fast as they could.
“The calls came from multiple sources so we would like to be able to check the welfare of Harry. The officers are here for our support and for their own purposes. We would like to be able to do this the easy way.” Haley said.
“You can’t do this. We aren’t citizens here and so you can't arrest us. I know my rights.” Vernon said, taking a swing at the officers. At this point Ruiz radioed for backup and was moving to restrain Vernon.
“Sir you and your family are here on a work visa, so we have the right to arrest and detain you. The only way the rights of your family would differ was if you had diplomatic immunity which we know you do not.” Clements said as he cuffed Vernon. “Vernon Dursley you are under arrest for Child Abuse, Child Neglect, tax fraud and possibly other charges to be added during the course of the investigation. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?”
“I want an attorney!!” Vernon yelled. Petunia was yelling at the backup officers who had arrived and had to detain Dudley when he started punching the officers arresting his father. They dragged Vernon and Dudley out to the different cars and escorted Petunia out as well. She was put in the car with Dudley as he as a minor needed Parental arrival and guidance.
The officers started searching the house for Harry as well as gathering evidence. They found the secret room in the basement and started to get worried. Ruiz remembered the locked attic and called for some bolt cutters to open it. As he and Frank came up the stairs the first think they noticed was the smell. It smelt awful and it did not take long to find the source. There was a bucket in the corner that seemed to have urine in it. They started to search the room and found the small cot with a blanket and a hidden bear.
It was Haley who found the hidey hole when she came up before she heard small whimpers coming from the wall. She quieted everyone down until she found the source and saw a small body curled away from them and shaking.
“Hey bud. My name is Haley, can you look at me?” Haley asked softly. She saw the flinch when she started speaking. After about five minutes of waiting, she saw one little green eye peeking at her from behind his arms. “Hi, do you want to come out of there and have a chat with me?” All she got for this was a quick head shake. “Okay, do you want to talk with someone else? I also have my friend Frank and my friends Patrick and Michael.”
“Frank,” Harry mumbled. He remembered that voice from before and liked his voice. Harry was scared that he was going to be taken to jail.
“Okay bud. Let me go get my friend and you guys can talk.” Haley said as she backed out of the space. “Hey Frank, he asked for you.” She said as she walked to check his belongings got packed.
“Alright, not sure I will fit but we will make it work” Frank said. He was a 6’1 207-pound male with moderate muscle. He was ex-Navy and enjoyed working out as a way to relieve the stress of the job. He crawled his head into the crawl space and saw Harry peeking at him. He slowly pulled a handout to hand him the small blanket that was on the bed as a soother. “Here, little man. I saw this and thought you might like to keep it safe for us.”
Harry reached out for the blanket and immediately brought it into his chest to hide behind. Frank talked to him for about 45 minutes until Harry felt safe enough to crawl out. By then the room had mostly emptied out. He saw his backpack and went to make sure everything was there.
They took note of all the bruises they could see and the matted dirty hair. They saw some dried blood on his shirt and worried that he might be more injured than they realized. Frank was worried mostly about the scar on his forehead that traveled down through his eye onto his cheek that branches out almost like lightning.
Frank held out a hand for him to grab and hold. Frank picked Harry up to put in the car seat and tried to ignore the flinch at being held. His little body was so stiff in his hold as he buckled him in. He said a little prayer for the little man to find someone better and not get lost in the system like so many others.