Harry Potter's Real Dad

"Aunt Petunia wasn't happy I wrote on the wall. But she didn't make me clean it off." Harry pointed at the shelf. "That's where I get to keep some of Dudley's old toys he doesn't want anymore. There's my teddy bear! Aunt Petunia said my mum gave it to me. It's still there, right?"

"It is." Wallace said. "I'll make sure to grab it for you the next time I'm there. Did you have any toys of your own or were they all Dudley's old toys."

"Only good boys get toys."

"You weren't a good boy?"

"No. I make freaky things happen. So I only get old toys."

"Freaky things?"

"Or magic things?" Harry looked back at Severus for confirmation. "That's what you said right? And muggles don't understand it."

"Right," Severus agreed as he discreetly cast a gentle obliviate charm on Wallace, erasing the memory of the last question asked. He softly muttered in Harry's ear, "Let's leave out the magic part, okay? Mister Wallace is a muggle, so he's not going to understand it either."

"Oh," Harry said, staring back at Wallace, who was blinking and frowning at his papers. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Severus said. He scolded himself internally for not preparing Harry for this meeting. He didn't mean to confuse Harry now, but they were already into the questions that would be brought back up at the trial. "We'll talk about it later."

"I'm sorry," Wallace said, shaking his head. "Where were we?"

"Discussing Harry's cupboard," Severus answered. "Were you punished in that cupboard?"

"Sometimes," Harry said. He looked back and forth at Severus and Wallace, now unsure about what he was supposed to say.

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Sometimes a couple days. Maybe longer."

"Were you locked in the cupboard?" Wallace asked as he started writing on his paper again, quickly falling back into routine.

"Only when I was being punished."

And the questions went on. Wallace moved off the subject of Harry's cupboard and on to what his daily activities included, and Severus was amazed at how much Petunia taught Harry to do, even if in spite. Harry talked about gardening, cooking, and all the things he could clean, his untreated asthma was briefly brought up, then the chimney sweeping. They lingered on the chimney topic for a while, and Harry explained in detail how he got up into the floo. Severus made a point of asking about bathing afterward, and Harry explained he was only allowed ten minutes or less to clean up.

"I think we've covered the majority of what we need," Wallace finally said, collecting back his evidence and papers that Severus had been looking at. Wallace gave Severus a critical look. "And you found no evidence of physical abuse."

"None," Severus said. "But that doesn't mean it didn't exist."

"Yes, but from the boy's mouth thus far, it sounds like there was more emotional abuse and abandonment rather than physical abuse. I'd like to narrow down what cross examination can cover so there's no surprises on stand. It might do you some good to practice a little with him so he's ready for that. And in case he brings up anything else."

"Of course. And by abandonment, do you mean . . ."

"Neglect and placing a child in imminent danger both fall under abandonment, specifically when there is no intervention on the latter."

"What are all these questions for?" Harry asked.

"They are to help us understand what happened at your relatives," Wallace said. "We need to know everything so we can punish your relatives appropriately."

"I don't want them punished because of me," Harry said. "When do I get to see Aunt Petunia."

Wallace shared a look with Severus.

"Well," Wallace said, watching Severus's reaction closely, "I spoke with her lawyer and I think Wednesday afternoon would work best. Is that agreeable with you, Severus?"

"I have no classes that afternoon, so I should be able to take him. Harry, why don't you go play in your room for a minute?"

Severus gave Harry an encouraging push toward the stairs and Harry slowly shuffled away.

"Poor kid." Wallace shook his head and took a sip of his tea. "He really has no clue, does he?"

"Not at all. I'm trying to help him understand the seriousness of this, but I don't think it's clicking."

"This visit with Petunia Dursley will hopefully make a breakthrough for you."

"That's what I'm afraid of. He'll be so crushed."

"But you'll be there for him. That's what counts. And there's always counseling if you feel he needs it."

"Thank you for what you are doing. Do you believe there is a chance Petunia might put on an act?"

"She's looking at up to twenty-five years, but fifteen regardless of the outcome of the trial. Sending a child up a chimney even once is incriminating. And Harry confessed to doing so several times and we have a picture of him covered in soot and Dudley's words as well. The child was quite intimidated by the officers when they questioned him away from his parents." Wallace packed everything away in his suitcase and stood up. Severus followed his lead. "She has no reason to keep up the act. I have high hopes that she will be . . . brutally honest when she sees Harry."

Severus felt a heavy weight on his chest at that, but he knew Petunia's visit was crucial before the trial. Harry needed to realize he was wanted elsewhere. Severus walked Wallace out, shaking hands with him and bidding farewell. He sent the tea dishes to the sink to self-wash while he retreated to his study to finish the grading that was interrupted by Harry's chimney escape yesterday.

He had just sat down behind his desk when Harry appeared in the study doorway.

....

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