The Shadows Solace Book I: The Growing Years Prequel

Chapter VII: The First Days

The next whole month was busy for all with barely a moment of rest for anyone. It had passed in a blur, and without hardly a notice to Adriana and the Dursley family as they began to settle for the time being in Malfoy Manor. Lucius and Narcissa hadn't exactly known what to anticipate with having Harry in their home; especially while harboring the dark lord's soul fragment.

Harry's first real tantrum the day he had arrived; it had been the first and only one thus far to occur.

But none of them had realized; though they should have, what sort of fuss would be raised when the wizarding world finally got its first glimpses of Harry after the fall of the Dark Lord. Petunia and Adriana had taken Harry to Diagon Alley; to see a special medic there.

The crowd seemed to part with respect to Petunia; though she knew it was more for the small boy in her arms than her specifically. Many bowed to them as they passed by; showing gratitude for the deeds that had been done and for what they had cost the child.

Adriana wondered idly if this was why Albus wanted Harry to grow up outside of their world? To avoid him becoming too spoiled and idolized as another powerful wizard who might grow up to be too selfish, arrogant, and more to do the job Albus needed of them to do. Hoping that the feud between the estranged sisters would backlash onto their children, and to create an ill growing environment?

The healer kept her silence to that matter for now, but she recalled Petunia telling them of what Tom had told her, Augusta and Lucius of his childhood. How Harry's could have mirrored that of his own so spectacularly easy if Albus's plans hadn't so ostensibly backfired.

But everything went to hell when the media found them and began pushing forward; pushing and shoving to get the first words since the tragic fate of the Potters had happened and the Fall of Lord Voldemort had been confirmed for them.

Or rather, the one that everyone knew of but had not yet fully accepted. There were those who would believe in his return regardless of sides. Never-mind the amusement that the soul-fragment seemed to have at the idea of all the sheep celebrating his demise; yet, he was right there in front of and beside of them while residing inside of Harry via his soul-fragment.

Petunia and Adriana had been overwhelmed; trying to get to the steps of the bank because they knew Ragnok would order them guarded if they asked for help. But that never happened; no, Adriana was still pondering how it all fit.

Harry had been asleep as far as she had known, and Tom was suspiciously silent on the matter when he had been asked.

So, when the burst of bright pale blue light erupted and blinded the crowd; staggering them and forcing them to pause due to the sheer intensity of the powerful magic released, everyone wondered what happened.

Only to regain their footing and look up to see a child with wide-open verdant emerald eyes watching them with a disinterested look; Harry had almost looked as though he disdained them all as the powerful mana radiated from him.

He could barely walk and talk; yet, he had somehow consciously placed his aunt, Adriana and himself within a protective barrier while wielding no wand nor voicing any spells coherently or aloud. All as he managed to somehow look as if he was...boringly disgusted at the media for their actions?

Tom later told them he had nearly blown his cover to seeing Harry act like that to them without his own helping input as he nearly passed out from laughing so hard. He told them that the infant was already acting like a lord to his vassals when unamused by their antics.

He then implanted an image of his former self over the court of his Death Eaters inside their mind. Both ladies had merely snorted loudly and rather inelegantly, and as they tried not to laugh as well. Imaging Harry like that was...humorous?