A matter of Law

10

"I never said he was in trouble young man, but what do you mean that someone wasn't 'allowed' to eat?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

"You will not question my son without my permission!" Vernon shouted, face going a dark red.

"Mr. Dursley, as part of our investigation, I am allowed to ask questions of any child who may have witnessed or been a victim of harm, with or without his or her parents' permission. The fact you don't want him questioned suggests to me that someone has something to hide. Now if you like, Constable Jones can escort you and your wife into another room while I speak to your son, or you can both be quiet and remain in the room. I also find it telling that you haven't yet asked the name of the child who was harmed, since I've already said it wasn't your son. Shall I ask the Constable to escort you to another room?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

After a glance between Vernon and Petunia, both shook their heads and Mr. Carlisle smiled at Dudley.

"Now, can you tell me what you meant when you said that about someone not being allowed to eat?" he asked again.

"Oh, when the freak is bad or in trouble, Mummy and Daddy says he isn't to be allowed to have meals. Sometimes just for a day or two, sometimes for a week. But last time they said the freak wouldn't be allowed meals for a month if he got in trouble again. Is he in trouble?"

"Who is this boy you keep calling 'freak', Dudley? You were taught that it isn't nice to call someone names, right?"

"Mummy and Daddy call him that all the time, but sometimes Daddy calls him 'boy' too. He came to live here a long time ago, and he's my cousin, Mummy said. In school they call him Harry Potter, though."

"I see. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, I'll need to speak to your nephew as well please."

"I haven't seen him this morning yet," Petunia said quietly.

"Well then would you call him please?" Mr. Carlisle asked, well aware of where Harry Potter was at that moment thanks to Kyle Stanton's phone call.

"He could still be sleeping, Pet," Vernon said, becoming nervous.

"Not to worry, I can wake him, and the questions won't take long. Where is his room?" asked Constable Jones. He noted that Petunia's eyes quickly darted toward a small cupboard door under the stairs.

"I'm sorry, but as I said, you came just at breakfast, and I need to go to the kitchen. I've left things on the stove," Petunia said, looking at both men before beginning to walk to the kitchen. She didn't notice one of the broken toys that had fallen when she opened the door earlier and lodged in the door when she tried to close it. She started to stumble when her shoe caught on the toy and the door opened to around an inch. She made a grab for the door to catch herself, and inadvertently dislodged the piece of paper that had been taped inside the door. Both men watched as it fluttered to the floor, 'Harry's Room' clearly written on it in a childish scrawl.

"Mrs. Dursley, the Constable will accompany you to the kitchen so you may shut off the stove. You are then to come back in this room and sit down. Mr. Dursley, you may wish to contact your employer, because if I open that door and find what I think I will based on that piece of paper and what's written on it, you won't be going in to work today," Mr. Carlisle said in a low tone.

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other before doing as Mr. Carlisle had suggested. It looked as though their days of being perfectly normal had ended. They were taken outside after completing their tasks, as Mr. Carlisle almost retched after opening the door of the cupboard. They were each restrained, handcuffed, and given their arrest warnings for suspicion of child abuse and neglect, with probable further charges pending after the investigation completed. Petunia was especially hysterical on being told Dudley would be placed in foster care. Both Vernon and Petunia were thinking the same thing.

This is all that little freak's fault.

OOO

Two hours later, a short message was delivered to Kyle Stanton, along with an envelope marked 'Photographs: Do Not Bend'.

Evidence against your client's soon-to-be FORMER guardians. Both of us have an appointment with the magistrate for an emergency hearing in two hours. Young Harry may need to be there, so it would be best if you found a way to contact him.

Stephan Carlisle

Kyle nodded to himself, mentally checking off another item from his 'help Harry' to do list, and made a Floo call to Lord Arcturus Black. If he had judged the man correctly, Arcturus would definitely want to be at the hearing.

Ten Minutes Later

Lord Arcturus Black walked into the library where he found Harry reading a copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard. He smiled as he remembered reading that very book to his son Orion, and later his grandsons Sirius and Regulus. He cleared his throat to catch the boy's attention.

"Is it time for lunch already, sir?" Harry asked, setting the book aside after placing a ribbon between the pages.

"No, Mr. Potter, it isn't, however I would like to ask you to go and get cleaned up. Your friend and solicitor Mr. Stanton has just contacted me and informed me that there will be a hearing in just under two hours. The magistrate will likely wish to speak to you as well, so it is important that you be there."

"Am I in trouble, sir? I don't remember doing anything wrong."

"Mr. Potter, I believe if you were the one in trouble, Mr. Stanton would have mentioned it when he contacted me. Please go get cleaned up."

"Yes sir."

As he watched Harry leave the library, he thought it was a very good thing there were laws about muggle baiting, or he would be sorely tempted to exact a bit of retribution for the way Harry had been treated.