Bound

Guardians

“I believe we should talk with your relatives before going to France,” Jean told Harry.

“Why? You know we’re already emancipated, so I don’t need a guardian anymore.”

“That may be true in the wizarding world,” Jean said, “but the muggle world has different laws. You’re not allowed to marry before being legally adult – at eighteen, and until then you need a guardian. As her parents, we are Hermione’s legal guardians, but if your guardians pose any problems then we may be helpless regarding you.”

“Can’t you become my guardians? I already feel much closer to you than I’ve ever felt to my relatives.”

This brought some tears into Jean’s eyes. She surprised him by hugging him tightly, not really minding that his head was resting just over her breasts.

“We may visit them tomorrow and have it arranged,” commented Dave, from the other end of the dinner table.

Harry was touched to his core, yet he wasn’t sure this was a good idea. “They may act very rudely, especially towards Hermione. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Dave thought for a moment and then smiled. “We shall ask a friend of ours to join us. She’s an accountant, but she used to help the social workers during her studies. I believe her presence would tame them down.”

Dave didn’t wait. He phoned that friend first, and then called the Dursleys and set an appointment with them the next afternoon.

They reached Privet Drive in the BMW car although Jean’s Ford would have given them more legroom. Dave had already met people like the Dursleys and knew how to impress them. Despite the car, Vernon was less than cordial. “What do you want?” he blurted.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dursley. I’m Dr. Dave Granger and this is my wife Dr. Jean Granger. We’re here to talk about Harry.”

“There’s nothing to talk about that freak!” Vernon replied, trying to slam the door closed, but Dave’s foot stopped it.

“Oh, and this is our friend Mrs. Silver, a social worker,” Dave continued as if he didn’t hear Vernon.

Petunia, who was standing one step behind her husband, whispered loudly at him: “Let them in before all the neighbors see them!”

Vernon moved aside, quite reluctantly, to let the group in. Dave glanced at Harry who nodded towards the living room. They walked there, not waiting to be invited, and sat down.

“What do you want?” Vernon asked.

“We thought it was a good idea to talk about Harry’s guardianship,” Dave replied calmly.

“So?”

“If I understand correctly, you are not really happy with it.”

Vernon snorted. “You could say so.”

“We offer to release you from that burden. We would like to become Harry’s legal guardians.”

“Why?”

“You don’t want to be, yet our daughter is a good friend with Harry. If we become his guardians, she may spend more time with him.”

Vernon looked at the girl for the first time. She didn’t look like one of them, so how could she befriend Harry? Or maybe she was?

Hermione noticed Vernon’s gaze. She took her wand out of her pocket, as if absent mindedly, and started twirling it in her hand, making some sparks fly from its tip. Vernon stiffened considerably and turned his eyes back to Dave.

“Why do you think we would agree?”

Dave looked quite smug. “Well, you don’t really like this burden of his guardianship, as you have agreed. Then, although Harry wouldn’t tell much, we’ve got the impression that he wasn’t treated by you as he should. I’m sure our friend here would like to ask some questions about it...”

Vernon paled considerably, before changing back to scarlet.

Dave continued as if he didn’t notice. “So, you benefit twice: no more being burdened and no need to worry about official interrogations.”

Petunia responded to that. “We treated the boy quite as he deserved.”

“Do you mean you loved him like he was your own son?”

Petunia paled.

“Or have you bought him nice clothes whenever he grew out of the old ones?”

Petunia hid her face.

“You have surely bought him nice presents for the holidays and for his birthdays, haven’t you?”

Vernon exploded. “The freak should be thankful for the roof we gave him above his head.”

“Is it so?” Dave asked smoothly. “You wouldn’t be opposed to show us his living conditions then, would you?”

Vernon paled and became quiet.

“So, how much will you pay us to become Harry’s guardians so you won’t need to bother with him anymore?” Dave asked nonchalantly.

“What?” Vernon’s face became deep scarlet. “How dare you?”

“Of course. We offer to rid you of a burden. You won’t have to feed him, buy him clothes, pay his tuition, not to mention other expenses caused by boys this age. I think it is totally fair that you pay us for ridding you of all these,” Dave said as if explaining the obvious.

Vernon seemed on the verge of exploding, yet Dave continued obliviously. “Still, knowing that you are quite poor, I don’t really expect very much of you. Seeing the cloths Harry was wearing to school made me realize you couldn’t afford to pay very much, yet this service we are offering you is surely worth something to you, isn’t it?”

While Vernon couldn’t decide if he should show this stranger that he wasn’t poor or try to kick him out of the house, Jean turned to Harry.

“Why don’t you show us your room while the men discuss their business? I’m sure it must be a lovely room.”

Petunia was alarmed. She knew that even Harry’s “new” room was substandard, and if he showed them his old one... Well, she dreaded thinking of what that might bring.

“Harry, why don’t you and your friend go play with Dudley in his room while I take the ladies for a tea in the kitchen?” she said, trying to sound sweet.

Jean nodded at him very slightly, barely enough for him to notice. “Let’s visit Dudley,” he said cheerfully to Hermione. ‘Keep your wand visible,’ he told her through their link.

Dudley was crouching on the stairs, trying to eavesdrop the conversation. He wasn’t agile enough to move back to his room before Harry and Hermione reached the stairs. Harry smirked, but ascended slowly, giving Dudley enough time to reach his room and pretend to be surprised by the visit.

“Harry, I thought you weren’t coming this summer,” Dudley greeted him at the door, quite nervously. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Hermione, my good friend from school,” Harry made the introduction.

Dudley eyed the girl suspiciously. She was holding a wand and was going to the same school as Harry, so she must be a witch, yet she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and looked quite normal. Actually, she was even pretty, except for her teeth. She was holding Harry’s hand posessively and Dudely felt a pang of jealosy. He also wanted a pretty girl to hold his hand that way. Looking at Harry next, he was surprised to see him being dressed nicely in clothes that were his right size. While Harry was quite thin, too thin compared to Dudley, he looked like someone the girls would like.

Dudley didn’t know why, but he felt it was important to make a good impression on the girl, and if that meant being nice to Harry as well – so be it.

Hermione was actually appalled by Dudley’s room. It had too much of almost everything, like its owner. The only thing it lacked was books. Hermione was quite aware of how useful a computer could be and how much one could learn with the help of a computer, yet Dudley’s seemed to be dedicated to games, all of them with a lot of brutal action and none requiring thought or planning. She also noticed he tried to furtively hide a stack of magazines with naked women on their covers. The way he looked she was sure he won’t get too many chances to see real girls naked.

They were called down some time later. Dave was holding a pack of papers and looked content, while Vernon tried to look indifferent, failing miserably.

“We’re all done here,” Dave told them. “Do you need to take anything from your room here?”

“I’ve left nothing useful there,” Harry replied, quite anxious to leave the house.

“I think I have a few things you should take with you, Harry,” Petunia suddenly said. “Vernon, I need your help with the attic,” she added. Her voice sounded strained and Harry wondered why.

Petunia returned a few minutes later, carrying a carton box, followed by Vernon, carrying a bigger one.

“Harry, these are your parents’ belongings. They were brought to us shortly after you arrived and we kept them out of the way, you surely know why. Now that you’re leaving for good, I believe these should be yours.” Harry was surprised to see some moisture in her eyes, yet she turned her head abruptly away. When she turned back, her eyes were dry.

Harry was silent on the way back, his emotions in turmoil. Hermione hugged him and tried to help him calm down, yet she couldn’t refrain from asking: “Dad, did he eventually pay you?”

Dave smiled. “I insisted. I wanted him to feel it was something worth paying for, or else he would have backed up or try to make us pay. It’s just enough to stop on our way back at a restaurant and enjoy our little victory. What do you say?”

Hermione laughed, making Harry a bit calmer. “I love the idea”.

Later that night, Harry was going over the contents of the boxes. He found several albums there, one of them charred a bit. Many framed photos – most of them of a green-eyed baby and some of his parents, several books and the most touching – two wands. He took them both in his hands, feeling as if they were transmitting his parents’ love to him, as colorful sparks were coming out of their tips. He put everything back reverently and stored the boxes in the wardrobe, knowing he would spend much more time studying their contents in the future.