𝐀𝐃𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞

-𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐥-

Morning came, and everyone slowly trickled out of their room. The doors disappearing as soon as the rooms were all empty. The students, guests and professors gathered slowly, many still trying to process the events of the previous night. Whispers filled the room, a murmur of concern and confusion. They had sat down for breakfast, still processing the events of last night. 

"Do you think we'll see more of her life with the Dursley's today?" Dorcas asked softly, glancing at her friends. Her voice was tinged with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. "It was just so... brutal."

"I can't imagine it getting any better," Marlene muttered, rubbing her temples. "I mean, she was locked in a cupboard for Merlin's sake! What could possibly be worse?"

"I don't see how Lily's sister can be so ... I mean, surely, you'd think there would be some love, no?" Emmeline asked, baffled, and in disbelief.

"Love can turn to hate when it's mixed with jealousy and fear," Alice said gently. "But this... this is beyond anything I could have imagined, they kept her in the dark about everything a-and what they did to her ... It's cruel."

ϟϟϟ

Andromeda pushed the food around on her plate, "How... how can anyone let a child endure that? What kind of world is this where that - any of that, is allowed to happen?"

Ted pulled Andromeda close, "It's unimaginable... a child believing that kind of torment is what they deserve. No one should grow up that way."

Alphard leaned against the wall, his voice tight with frustration. His eyes however were locked on Sirius in the distance, as he muttered, "All that power... all those wands at our disposal, and no one steps in? Where were we? Where was anyone in our world? This... should never have happened."

Arthur sat stiffly, with an unusual seriousness on his face, "We've failed her. All of us have. There's no other way to say it. But we can't just stand here now, watching this. Something has to change."

Molly's voice cracked, she couldn't believe Dumbledore would leave the sweet little Potter girl there, especially in the way as he did ... and what had happened to her afterwards. "The poor girl didn't even know her own birthday! And her parents—how could she not know about them? Oh, Arthur, we have to do something... this can't be her future."

Andromeda clenched her jaw, as she stared off towards her daughter, who was currently playing with little Bill and Charlie, "We can't let this future unfold. If I could just get my hands on that Uncle Vernon..."

Ted whispered gently, trying to keep her calm. "We'll do what we can, Dromeda. But this... this is a wake-up call. There's so much more to protect than we thought."

Alphard straightened up, crossing his arms, and clenching his fists. "No child should suffer like that! Mark my words, I'll find out how to fix this. I don't care how, but I will."