Prongslet

Chapter Three: The Dursleys

With a loud crack, Sirius and Remus appeared right behind some trees, a little way off from their destination: Number 4, Privet Drive.

It was the middle of the day, yet it being August, it wasn't all that got. The two wizards started down the street, neither of them speaking.

Sirius couldn't hold back, the closer they got, the greater his anticipation. Finally, he quickened his pace, reaching the door a few steps ahead of Remus. Inhaling sharply, he knocked loudly on the door, just as Remus caught up with him.

"Yes?" A thin, pale horse like woman answered the door, and both wizards cringed inwardly at her voice. It sounded like scraping fingernails.

"We're here for Harry Potter," Sirius said firmly. "I suppose you're his aunt?"

"T-there is no H-Harry P-Potter here!!" The lady tried to shut the door in their face, but Sirius was faster; he stuck his foot in the doorway.

"I know there is. Now, unless you want to be hexed into oblivion, I suggest you show me to my godson, Mrs. Dursley," he said, calmly, yet letting his anger show. This was the superiority of the Black family, their ability to intimidate.

"Vernon!" She screamed, running inside. "It's their kind, they're looking for him!"

A portly man with just about no neck appeared in the doorway. Sirius was getting impatient, but hopefully, the man wouldn't be as difficult as his wife was. Or at least, he hoped so.

"We've come for Harry Potter, Mr. Dursley." Sirius didn't mask his impatience.

"I'm sorry, but you can't take him." Vernon seemed to be taken aback by the powerful figure, and for once, kept his tongue civil. Barely.

"I'm his godfather, his legal guardian, and I am taking him, no matter what you say." Sirius calmly stepped into the house, not caring to take off his shoes. "What makes you say we can't take him? Have you grown fond of him by now?"

"Fond of him?! Why would I be fond of the brat? I'm saying he can't go, because otherwise Dudley won't have a playmate! And who's going to do all the cleaning if the brat goes away?!" Vernon lost his temper, not surprisingly, at this question.

"The cleaning?" Sirius growled in anger as well as horror. "He's barely three and you've been making him do the cleaning?! Answer me!"

"Where is he?!" Remus snapped. His eyes had been raking over the empty living room, and he hadn't really caught much of the conversation.

Vernon seemed to have realised that he was meddling with dangerous people, so he just waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the staircase, and rushed out of the room as well.

"Bloody Muggles." Sirius swore under his breath, heading for the staircase without another word.

"Harry?" He called softly. He didn't really want to go upstairs, not unless Harry was up there.

Much to his surprise, he heard a soft whimper almost next to him, meaning that Harry was much closer than where he had expected. A quick glance showed a brass door handle sticking out of an otherwise plain concrete wall. It was nothing short of a broom cupboard, under the staircase.

He opened the door, and was horrified by the gruesome scene that met his eyes.

The cupboard was barely large enough to accommodate the small child on the floor, who was clutching a ragged blanket, sniffling. He wore glasses that were too big, and that had been bound with tape several times. Cuts and bruises covered his face and whatever could be seen of his limbs. Some of the injuries were still bleeding, trickling small rivulets of blood. His black hair was matted together, dirty and clotted. The entire cupboard gave off a stench of blood and sweat.

No matter how hard Sirius tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from filling. The small boy had jumped in fright when he opened the door, and his head had hit the ceiling. Now, he was trying his best not to nurse the spot, from the way his arm was twitching. Harry was trembling, the little figure shaking violently, as he looked fearfully at him.

"Harry, please come here?" Sirius said softly, stretching out a hand towards his godson.

Harry's eyes widened, tears starting to fall. He ducked his head, so that his face wasn't seen, and inched forward reluctantly, clearly terrified.

Sirius' heart broke. His godson was actually afraid of him. That would soon be fixed, he decided. He gently pulled Harry to himself, taking care not to make him stumble. The boy looked like he would collapse any moment.

Harry, who had been expecting to be beaten up, was more than surprised when two powerful arms lifted him up, holding him close to a warm body gently. It took him a moment to realise that he was actually being hugged by the stranger.

"Are you alright now?" Sirius asked softly, when Harry had stopped trembling in his arms.

Still unable to understand exactly what was going on, Harry nodded mutely against his chest.

"Okay. You're going to live with me from now on, alright?"  Again, Harry nodded silently.

Sirius carried him out of the cupboard, with Harry's face buried in his chest, only to find Remus holding a furious Vernon at wand-tip.

"What is going on here?" He demanded calmly.

"Someone just mouthed off about a certain someone in words better not repeated," Remus scowled, then softened as he saw Harry. "Well, looks like you found our charge. Let's go?"

"You're not taking that ungrateful freak anywhere right now! What do you think people will say?! Hosting brats of your kind? Only because Petunia's mad sister went and married that bastard of a -" Vernon's rant was cut off by a loud bang, and he crashed into the sofa.

Sirius was the one who had done it. Within seconds, he had transferred Harry carefully to Remus' arms, and flicked his wand angrily.

Only now, with the nuisance of a man finally shut up, did he notice that Remus was in trouble. Harry seemed to be fighting tooth and nail to get out of his arms, though it was to no avail.

Sirius held out his arms to the boy, hesitantly, hoping that Harry would trust him yet not really expecting him to. Both wizards were astonished, though, when Harry willingly went to Sirius.

"There now, it's okay." Harry had started shaking again, but he was also calming down somewhat.

"What have you done to my husband?!" They were interrupted by the horsey woman's nearly inuhumane voice screeching at them. Harry immediately clung closer to Sirius, terrified.

"We did what had to be done or less," Sirius all but spat at her. "One day, you'll see how wrong it was for you to treat a three year old kid like this!"

Sirius had no intentions of staying there even a second longer than required. However, he was truly puzzled when Harry struggled, and so put him down. Harry trudged wearily over to his cupboard and dragged out his blanket, the only comfort he had had for three whole years.

"C-can I b-bring i-it?" It was the first time he had spoken since they had arrived, and his fearful, broken voice made both of their eyes well up.

Not trusting his voice at that moment, Sirius just nodded, and Harry happily clambered back into the safety of the arms that had reached for him, nuzling up to his godfather.

Once they were out of the house, the two wizards Apparated, with Harry safe in Sirius' arms.