Familial Love

Essence of Murtlap

"I couldn't find my Chudley Canons top, so I just brought...erm." Ron had bounded down the stairs to find Molly and Arthur still wrapping Harry in an embrace. 

"Oh Ronald." Molly and Arthur shared a look, not knowing what they wanted to discuss with their son, but then Molly realised there was no point keeping secrets between them. The boys would share everything. "Bring that shirt here, dear. Come and keep Harry company whilst I look for something." And with that Molly wiped her face and bustled off to search through tins on one of her shelves. 

Ron approached Harry cautiously, sensing the particularly charged atmosphere in the room.  

"What happened mate, I was only gone, like, 30 seconds?" 

"Erm" Harry replied, not knowing how to explain the moment he'd just shared with Ron's parents. 

"Sit on this stool, Harry dear." Said Molly, flicking her wand and send a stool zooming over, knocking Harry's knees out from beneath him. She had finally found what she was looking for in a tin on the top shelf, a small bottle of ointment. She set it down on the table and Harry read the label; 'Healing Salve with Real Essence of Murtlap'. 

"What's going on Mum?" Ask a concerned Ron. "Did you hurt yourself, Harry?"

"Hold still." Said Molly Weasley, daubing the salve onto her fingers and then beginning to gently rub it into Harry's back. Harry winced at the cold of it on his raw skin and then sighed. He hadn't truly realised how irritated his skin had been rubbing against his shirt all day, he was so used to tuning it out all summer. Ron, curious as to what the fuss was about, peered past Harry's shoulder. 

"Bloody hell, it does look bad this time mate." Ron said, concerned about his friend. And he wasn't wrong. Although the murtlap was already reducing the redness it had very little effect on the bruising mottling Harry's back. 

"What do you mean 'this time', Ron?" Asked Mr Weasley quickly. 

"Erm, well" Ron shot a furtive look at Harry, asking permission, Harry nodded. "He was bruised in first year. When I met him. I kept asking why he changed on his bed with the curtains drawn. Before Quidditch practice and stuff. So Harry showed me." Ron rubbed his ears awkwardly, not knowing if he was saying what he wanted his parents to hear. "But it wasn't this bad." He finished quickly, seeing his mother's expression.  Molly sat heavily in the nearest chair. 

"You're telling me this has been happening for over a year. And you didn't think to tell us?" Mr Weasley sounded half-exasperated and half-distressed. 

"It's not Ron's fault Mr Weasley, I told him not to tell anyone. Like I said, it's not that big a deal." Said Harry, jumping to Ron's defense before his parents had cause to tell him off. "Anyway, it's not like it started this year. It's been going on my whole life." The was silence for a moment before Mr Weasley, heavy with this revelation, sat down too. 

"Harry...this is a big deal." Mr Weasley rubbed his head with his hand, looking distraught. "I'm...I'm going to go talk to Dumbledore at once. See if I can contact him on the floo network. Get him to come here. This is something I want to talk to him about in person." And with a new sense of purpose Mr Weasley stood up, gripped his wife's hand for a moment and strode out of the room before Harry could protest.

Harry just couldn't understand it. How could this require Dumbledore's presence? Why was this making Mrs Weasley cry? He'd complained to Hagrid in first year about the Dursleys, and it was common knowledge now that he hated having to return to them over the holidays. The fact that he'd been sent off to live with muggles after his parent's death was knowledge across most of the wizarding world.  Surely someone would have stepped in before now if it really mattered.

"There's no point calling Dumbledore." Said Harry defensively. 

"Why not, my dear?" Asked Molly. 

"He's not going to do anything. He knows I hate the Dursleys, everybody does."  Molly sighed, staring at Harry for a moment, obviously thinking what to say next.

"Harry, we knew you didn't like the Dursleys. Merlin, I guess they may be unkind to you or suspicious of magic. Muggles sometimes are. Arthur and I were considering coming to pick you up next week if you hadn't answered any of our letters.  But..." Molly paused, not knowing how to explain it to this 12 year old boy. "Nobody knew they were hurting you, Harry. You're only 12 years old and you should never have had to go through this kind of abuse."

The final word made Harry's heart drop into his stomach. Immediately he felt his face flush red and a lump start forming in his throat. He'd never called it 'abuse' before. Not to himself, especially never out loud. Not wanting to accept what Mrs Weasley had said and feeling a sudden rush of emotions boil up in him, Harry retorted;

"Well what did you think was happening?" Hot tears started to well in Harry's eyes. "Has everyone this whole time thought I was complaining about nothing? Just whining." Ron and Mrs Weasley were quiet, surprised by this sudden outburst.  " I told people....I told people I hate them. That they were cruel." 

"Yes Harry, but we didn't realise that meant they were beating you..." Harry cut her off. 

"Well how was I meant to know that? I didn't know it wasn't normal." Nobody had a response. "Hogwarts knew I used to live in a cupboard, it was on my letter." Mrs Weasley gasped, for some reason enraging Harry more. He felt like his reality had been shattered and he was desperately trying to cling onto the pieces. Had no one in his life believed him? Had they all assumed he was just a kid whining about too many chores. "Are you telling me you've never been hit?" Harry turned on Ron, who looked like a dear stuck in headlights. 

"N..no." He shook his head.

"That you've...that you've..." Harry was fighting back sobs now. The weight of what he was realising was finally crashing down on him. "That you've never been hungry." Ron shook his head again.

"Oh Harry." Said Molly, reaching out to hold him. But Harry pulled away. 

"And that!" He said gesturing to Molly's out stretched arms. "I've never had...never been...hugged like that."

"Ever, mate?" It was Ron now. He seemed timid, and was looking at Harry with a pitiful stare that made him boil with rage. Harry couldn't manage words this time and instead shook his head furiously, biting his lip. Hot tears started pouting down his cheeks. "They don't even let me eat with them." He managed to say, staring at the ground, unable to meet their pitying gazes anymore. "They just push food through a flap in my door.". And with that Harry broke. Years of loneliness and mistreatment crashing down on him at once. The injustice of it all stung like a fresh wound he had just opened. Molly rushed forward and crushed him into her arms, cradling the back of his head with one hand. Ron joined and Harry was once again, smothered by Weasleys. 

Crack! The three of them jolted with the sudden, unmistakable noise of someone aparrating into the Weasley's garden. 

"Dumbledore." Murmured Mrs Weasley.