Harry Potter The Final Straw

"Son, can you hear me?" Mr. Anderson said kindly to the boy curled up into a ball on the floor.

The boy flinched at the closeness of the voice before slowly uncurling himself. Mr. Anderson gasped a bit when he saw the look of fear in the child's eyes. "Don't worry we won't hurt you. Can you sit up? We need to get you out of the glass."

They helped Harry up and seated him on the couch as gently as they could.

By the time the paramedics arrived, the police already had Vernon in a lorry on his way to the station. The additional charge of resisting arrest had been added to the assaulting a minor violation.

Harry received medical treatment on site for the worst of his injuries. Afterwards, he was transported to the hospital to have his wounds tended and evidence taken for the police report. The detective that interviewed him was very thorough and Remus was thankful for the very detailed letter from Harry and Hermione that spelled out everything that had happened to him since he was little. It allowed him to play his role as Harry to perfection.

By the time that the interview was over, the detective was assuring him that he would never have to see his relatives again and that they were going to do their best to ensure that his uncle has to spend some time in an Australian jail.

They kept him in the hospital overnight and Dobby had been a godsend. He had kept delivering Polyjuice Potion every hour to maintain the charade.

It was a full week later before the local law enforcement had gathered enough evidence to proceed with the trial. They video taped Harry's deposition because he had to get back to school in England and he didn't feel comfortable facing his uncle again.

Mr. Anderson had taken things a step further and fired Vernon Dursley and gave Petunia one week to vacate the corporate apartments. Without enough funds to purchase a house, Petunia had to start looking for a job and Dudley had to transfer to the local public school where he would learn quickly that he was no longer the biggest fish in the pond.

Remus finished the tale of his adventure as Harry and Annabelle enveloped him in a hug.

"That was a brave, but very stupid, thing that you did Remus. I don't think anyone can thank you enough for what you have done for Harry." Annabelle said with tears in her eyes.

John and Sirius both wore grim expressions as Remus filled in all of the little details of his ordeal. John had clapped Remus on the shoulder, to overcome with emotions to speak, in thanks.

Sirius understood a bit better than the Grangers did about why Remus was willing to go to the lengths that he did to ensure that Harry would never have to see the Dursleys again. He had felt like he had failed Harry as his godfather that fateful night and he was sure that Remus had similar feelings of remorse for not checking up on Harry when he was just a child.

The two best friends shared a look of understanding. They both knew that they would do anything to ensure Harry's safety and happiness and that this was just one small thing to make up for thirteen long years of suffering.

...

There was a lone figure out on the snow-covered grounds, wrapped in a cloak to protect against the biting wind that blew in over the Great Lake. The ground around the figure was a muddy brown, slushy mess, as if the person had been pacing back and forth in worry.

Harry had taken his egg into the bath with him on Cedric's advice and he did not like the clue one bit. He knew what he would miss the most and he was trying to figure out how to keep Hermione safe. There was no way he wanted her to be involved in the second task other than her helping him to prepare. To prevent her from being taken was the problem and he couldn't figure out how to stop it.

People died in this stupid tournament and he would be damned if he would let her be put in danger because of someone's desire to see him dead. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear her come up behind him.

Hermione had been distracted all morning. She had been getting waves of emotions from their bond and as soon as her class had ended, she had gone off in search of Harry. It took her almost twenty minutes to find him and when she arrived, the telltale signs of his worry were readily apparent.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked him softly as she came to stand next to him.

"Not at all." He admitted scuffing the ground with the toe of his right boot. "I know what I have to do for the second task next month."

Harry's voice had a hint of desperation in it that pulled at Hermione's heart. "What is it?" she whispered. She knew that it had to be bad if it was affecting him this way.

"They are going to take something important to me and put it in the Great Lake. If I can't retrieve it in an hour its gone forever." he said bitterly.

Hermione was stunned. 'What kind of society would allow someone, or something, to be put in danger like that for a tournament' she thought angrily. "You think that they are going to put me at the bottom of the lake don't you?" her voice was low, full of worry, as she thought of all of the unpleasant things that could happen at the bottom of the lake.

He nodded yes to her question and pulled her into a hug filled with desperation and fear. "I won't let them take you. They will have to go through me first." he said with steel in his voice.

She could feel the propensity for violence radiating from Harry and it scared and thrilled her at the same time. She knew that he would do anything to protect her, as she would for him, but this was her first real experience with these feelings.

The prank was just mild revenge for people making her upset. This task could conceivably put her life in as much danger as his had been since his name came out of the Goblet of Fire.

"What can we do?" Hermione asked him softly while rubbing his back, her face buried in his shoulder. It was an odd time to realize it, but Harry had gotten taller during the term. Her head used to rest on his shoulder, now he was a good two inches taller based upon where her cheek came to rest naturally.

"I don't know. I sent Hedwig off to Sirius and Remus this morning asking for advice." Harry said while leaning his head down to rest upon the top of hers.

"Do you think we should talk to Professor McGonagall?" came her muffled reply from his shoulder.

...

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