❝If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.❞
The Chosen One is kidnapped from the Dursley household and it turns out to be the best damn thing that's happened to him.
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IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, Charlus was reduced to hysterics. Although if McGonagall was being perfectly honest with herself, she was not surprised by the reaction. Even she had put up her own protest when Dumbledore suggested that little Harry Potter be placed among the Dursley family. However, despite the evidence she provided that they were not suitable, Dumbledore claimed he had his reasoning as to why Harry needed to stay with his family. She was asked to place her faith and trust in her mentor, even if she did disagree.
But watching Charlus' body convulse violently as he sobbed at the mere idea of Harry being placed with the surviving relatives, was enough to make her wish she had gone back in time and stopped Dumbledore right then and there. Bathilda attempted to comfort him by reaching out and placing her hand on his back, but Charlus moved away from her touch. Instead, he met McGonagall's gaze and she couldn't help but noticed the look of betrayal of his eyes.
"Anyone who ever knew Lily knows what her sister was like. They knew what that side of the family was like. Who thought it would be a good idea to send Harry to live among them? Let me guess? Dumbledore. That's why he's not here. He must have known I was coming."
"Mr Potter," McGonagall said, making sure he was watching her as she spoke, " Dumbledore has his reasonings for sending Harry to live with the Dursleys."
"I don't care what his reasonings are!" he spat. "Petunia couldn't stand Lily. I doubt anything changed. If she resented her own sister, what do you think she makes of her nephew?"
"Who else would have taken him?"
Even though she didn't mean it in such a way, Charlus was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. His absence had caused so much trouble for his family. If he had just fought back harder against the Death Eaters, he would have been there. Even if he couldn't prevent what happened to James and Lily, he would have been there for Harry and he would have been there for Sirius. But instead, while he was resting away in St Mungo's, they were suffering.
McGonagall had a point, who was to take Harry in when all of his options started running out? With Charlus out of the picture, surely Sirius would have taken it upon himself to raise Harry, and if he was unable, many probably would have believed Remus would do it. But Charlus knew that Remus would never trust him to raise a child. Despite being well enough for the majority of the month, it only took a full moon to throw everything into chaos.
It felt like it was all Charlus' fault.
Bathilda and McGonagall watched as Charlus fell to his knees, never had they seen him cry so much, even though they had watched him grow up for the most part. He was practically rocking back and forth on the ground when McGonagall asked Bathilda if she could have a moment alone with him. Bathilda obliged claiming she needed to find her way to Professor Binns' classroom anyway. She did rub her hand gently over Charlus' hair before entering the castle alone.
