Chapter 2
“Up!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Up boy!”
“I’m here Aunt petunia!” Harry said quickly as he hurried up to the irate woman.
She stopped wrapping on the cupboard door and instead turned to glare at him. “If your already up you should be making breakfast!” She glowered.
“Yes ma’am. It’s ready.” Harry replied head bowed slightly.
“Your chores then!” She sniffed.
“I’ll get right to them.” Harry agreed.
“And get that lousy brother of yours to help you, don’t think I don’t notice him hiding away!” She added sharply.
Harry’s fists clenched but he kept any defiance from his voice, “Yes ma’am.”
Once she was gone he glanced around before knocking lightly on the cupboard door himself. Tap tap… tap tap… tap tap tap.
He heard the latch he’d fitted on the inside slide open and darted inside before anyone else from the hellish family could appear. The already small space was mostly taken up by Damion who sat hunched between two old wooden beams looking utterly miserable.
“I got something for you.” Harry said quietly squeezing in next to his brother and closing the door. “Tricked Dudley into asking for it last week, it was left in his second bedroom that day. I waited till today to get it though, just to be safe.” he finished producing a small but pristine book from under his baggy threadbare jumper.
“Matilda…” Damion said quietly.
“Told you I’d get you your own copy.” Harry said only to be knocked backwards into the wall by Damions hug.
Harry chuckled as he held his brother. “I guess you like it then.” He asked.
“Corse I do.” Damion muttered into his chest.
When Damion didn’t let go Harry began to card a hand gently through the boys hair. “What’s wrong?”
“I really hate it when she talks to you like that.” Damion muttered angrily.
“What? You don’t think your brother can handle a few harsh words?” Harry said with a snicker but this only seemed to anger his brother more.
“I hate it! And I hate her and this stupid house! I hate of all them.” He spat.
“I know.” Harry said gently.
“Then why don’t you let me do anything!” Damion practically yelled back.
“Damion!” Harry hissed urgently pressing his ear to the door to listen for any approaching footsteps.
At this Damion huffed and pulled away contorting himself uncomfortably into the corner as far away from Harry as possible.
“I’m sorry.” Harry whispered when no one approached, “But listen it won’t be long now before we get away! Do you want to look at the leaflet for Foxvally again?” Foxvally was a muggle boarding school Harry had managed to secure them each a scholarship for. Of course, the Dursleys believed it was a government run school for the mentally disabled, thanks to some forgery from Harry, or they’d have never agreed to let them go.
“No.” Damion said sourly. “I don’t just want to get away… I want them to pay.”
After some thought Harry replied, “Okay.” causing Damion to barely avoid hitting his head on the ceiling as he jerked up to meet Harry’s eyes. “Once we are safely away, I’ll help you get back at them.”
“Promise?” Damion asked.
“Promise. Now come here and read your book.” Harry agreed, relaxing when Damion shuffled back around to lean against him.
“What about the chores?” Damion hesitated before opening the book.
“Already done.” Harry assured, stoking his brother’s hair. “Why don’t you read it to me?”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Up!”
“Yes ma’am.” Harry replied dutifully the next day. “We’re ready.”
Once the clicking footsteps left he gently opened the door and clambered out when the coast was clear. He then turned to give his brother a hand out and brush any dust of him.
“Stop growing.” Harry huffed when he had to stand on his tiptoes probably neaten Damions hair. The younger boy somehow had a full inch over him in hight.
“Start growing.” Damion replied with a smirk looking down on Harry who returned a halfhearted glare before a smile broke free.
“You’re growing up so fast.” He said with a sigh before pulling his brother’s face down to kiss his forehead. “I’m so proud of you, y’know?”
“Not this again.” Damion complained his cheeks pink with embarrassment.
“But you are, I remember sowing your first school uniform yet here you are, only a couple of months off highschool!” Harry sighed wistfully.
“God you’re such a mum!” Damion replied huffily. “Seriously you’re like a bad stereotype from a movie.”
“I’m just happy.” Harry replied genuinely. “And proud.”
“You’re annoying.” Damion muttered.
They were headed to Mrs Figs today while Dudley and Piers went to the zoo. At least that was the plan.
“I wish we could go,” muttered Damion.
“Give it a minute.” Harry replied quietly only for the phone to ring loudly.
Damion lit up like a light before quickly schooling his face back into one of quiet obedience. Sure enough, half an hour later they were in the car with Aunt Petunia on their way to the Zoo. Damion was hiding his excitement well, other than the fact he was practically vibrating.
“I hope you know how much fuel you’re costing us! Making us take two cars.” Their aunt snapped randomly.
“I’m sorry ma’am, would you like me to make you a new scarf to make up for it?” Harry asked.
“That’s the least you can do. Atleast one of you has some skill, what will you do boy?” She continued. Eyeing Damion in the wind mirror.
Harry quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed willing him not to argue with her. “I’ve told you Ma’am Damion helps me with the designs when I sow.” He said quickly.
“Can you not talk for yourself boy?” She asked sternly.
“I can Aunt, I’ll prune the roses.” Damion said tonlessly.
Before she could snap back Harry interjected again. “Oh yeah, I heard Misses Jenkins from across the street mention them the other day.”
“What did she say?” Petunia demanded, forgetting Damion in a second.
“She seemed quite angry actually, apparently her husband had paid a professional gardener to tend to hers but she said yours still look better.” Harry lied smoothly.
“Ha, money can’t buy everything. Trying to show me up! Serves her right, maybe she’ll be less uppity next time I see her, though I doubt it.” She said gleefully. “Keep them looking perfect then boy.”
“Yes aunt.” Damion replied and Harry squeezed his hand again.
Getting out of the car was a huge relief, even though Petunia had spent the rest of the drive complaining about neighbours rather than them. The brothers were told to keep close and stay out of way, which was easy enough. What’s more, even Damion who was rather adept at appearing eternally unimpressed was happily pressing his face into to the glass of the enclosures and pointing animals out with excited whispers in Harry’s ear.
Harry was enjoying himself too until he felt a familiar power building in his core. His magic was returning again as it had tried to do since he was seven. Luckily Damion was holding his hand so he could force it out of himself and into his brother immediately.
At ten years old, Damion still hadn’t shown any sign of being magical. Not since Harry had ripped his magic away inorder to use the killing curse all those years ago. That was why whenever Harry’s own magic started to reappear he sent it straight over to his brother. He wasn’t delusional enough to think it would help. If his brother’s core was truly broken no amount of magic could fix it. However, he simply couldn’t stand the guilt of having magic himself after ripping his brothers away. He’d decided long ago, even if hogwarts excepted him, he wouldn’t go, not without Damion. Even if it meant never seeing his family again. He missed Jamie terribly of course but his older brother had their parents, Damion only had him, and that was Harry fault in of its self.
“You feeling sick again?” Damion asked worriedly.
“No I’m fine.” Harry lied with a smile. Purging his magic was always an unpleasant experience, and he may have gone slightly overboard this time. “Just need the loo.”
“I’ll come with you.” Replied Damion quickly.
“No, Dudley’s going to demand a new one” Harry motioned at his cousins ice cream, “you need to stay here so they don’t just throw the leftovers away.”
“You think they’ll let us have it?” Damion asked looking hopefully at it.
“Yea they will, I promise. But I don’t want any so you’ll have to have it. Right, won’t be long.” He said quietly before addressing the Dursley’s, “May I go to the loo?”
“Get on with it then, we aren’t going to be here all day.” Vernon huffed waving him off.
Harry didn’t make it to the toilet instead throwing up in the sink before his legs gave way beneath him and he sank to the dirty floor. He’d definitely gone overboard.
“Bugger, I’d just cleaned these.” He complained to no one as he felt damp crawling its way up his jeans.
“No where to run now.” Said Dudley darkly. Harry whipped his head around so fast the room span. Hadn’t Dudley been going to get new a ice cream?
“Whatever you’re going to do Dudley…” Harry started but was cut off when a fist hit his face. He cursed his stupidity, he’d been so good at avoiding Dudley. Both at home and in school only to mess it all up now. He was hit again.
Dudley seemed to hate him more in this life. Mostly because the teachers liked him so much. After all, Harry did well in all his classes. He didn’t want Damion to have to fake poor results so he’d taken doctoring their grades whenever the school sent them home. He’d also gone out of his way to personally befriend as many of the teachers as possible so they’d let him and Damion stay inside at break time. Dudley and his gang couldn’t attack them there and Harry was determined to keep Damion safe.
Unfortunately there was nothing Dudley hated more than not being the favourite. Harry had figured that out quick when Damion got star of the week and he had to fight tooth and nail to keep them separated. After that he’d made sure Dudley would see him as the real competition, even going as far as to purposefully out do the boy whenever he could to keep his attention. As he was pummelled into the ground he began to think stoking his cousin’s ire may not have been such a good idea.
“NO!!!”
Harry barely heard the yell but he recognised his brother’s voice as Dudley was sent flying off him.
“HARRY! HARRY! HARRY!”
Despite pain the radiating through his body, a huge wave of relief over took him. That had been accidental magic, after so long his brother had finally gotten it back! Thank god, Harry couldn’t help but smile even as his vision faded out.
When he awoke the air smelled far too sterile and his head pounded painfully.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a train.“ he muttered squeezing the hand in his.
“You idiot.” Damion replied tearfully from his bedside before wrapping him in a painfully tight hug. As Harry had suspected from the smell, they seemed to be in a hospital of some kind.
“You should see the other guy.” Harry replied. The glare he got back was practically murderous.
“No seriously, he looked more pig than human!” Harry continued. And Damion snorted wetly.
“I was really worried!” He admitted as Harry stoked his hair.
“I’m sorry.” Harry replied.
“Just don’t do it again, you’re always making me worry! Getting sick or getting into fights!” His brother pleaded.
“Who’s the mum now?” Harry asked.
“Sometimes, I really don’t like you.” Damion pouted and Harry couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Where are our dear cousins?” Harry asked.
“They were arrested.” Said Damion quietly.
“What?!” Harry demanded utterly flabbergasted.
“When the police showed up, I took a risk… I told them everything.” The younger boy admitted nervously.
“And they actually arrested them?” Harry asked trying not to sound too disbelieving.
“Yea, there and then. Apparently they got a warrant for our house too. They weren’t too happy about our cupboard. Said they’re looking to see if we’ve got any other family and that we never have to go back.” He finished.
Harry was stunned into silence. This certainly hadn’t happened last life. He struggled to believe it. Living with the Dursleys was simply a fact of life.
“Are you mad?” Asked Damion lifting his head from Harry’s chest.
“What no! No! I’m just shocked. I never thought… you brave boy!” Harry clutched his brother to him. “Clever brave brilliant boy!”
Damion beamed back at him letting one of his rare toothy smiles free. Harry was about to continue his praise when they were interrupted by an unexpected visitor knocking on the door to their room.
Albus Dumbledore had returned.