"And came to the conclusion that Lily had obviously meant for Harry to reside with her sister; the blood ward around Harry and around the house provide him with an unparalleled level of protection. While he can call Privet Drive home, his blood maintains the ward around the house and imbues it with the same lethal nature of the ward around his skin. Voldemort cannot touch him there. But in addition to that, the presence of someone with his mother's blood within the house ward anchors the one around his skin." Albus said eagerly.
Surely now Sirius would see the need for Harry to return there. But there was no look of horror at having taken Harry away from such protection or dismay at possibly losing the protection that Harry carried.
Albus frowned. "If you have talked with Harry about his adventures then you surely realise the blood protection has saved his life twice; once that night when Voldemort attacked, and once when Harry confronted his spirit when it possessed Quirrell."
"I do realise it, Headmaster, and you've confirmed the why of it pretty much for the reasons I and Remus suspected. I'm not sure how you jumped from Lily saying her sister was a last resort and she hadn't spoken to her in years, to believing she meant for Harry to go there," Sirius said. "and we'll come back to the protection no doubt in good time, but right now I'd rather discuss why you left Harry with the Dursleys without any oversight since Minerva warned you that they were the worst kind of muggles."
It was an insightful question. Albus sighed. "I didn't leave him without any oversight; Arabella Figg was soon stationed in the neighbourhood to keep watch once I was certain that she was not the spy. But I believed when Petunia took him in that she had put aside her differences with Lily and committed herself to looking after him regardless of the issues between she and Lily."
"Firstly, I know stationing anybody was Remus's idea," Sirius commented, "and secondly, did Figg ever enter the Dursley residence? Did she check out his bedroom? Investigate his living conditions? Were the Dursleys aware that they were being watched?"
"I had promised Petunia minimal contact and I did not see the need to inform her." Albus said defensively. "Arabella it is true was never able to get inside the house but she baby-sat for Harry albeit on an occasional basis in her own home."
"And she never reported any concerns about how the Dursleys treated him?" Sirius probed.
It was clear the issue Sirius was highlighting and Albus thought it best to tackle it head-on.
"She expressed a concern that the Dursleys might not love Harry as they did their own child following her first baby-sitting experience but she assured me he was fed and clothed. She never raised the matter again and I believed Harry was doing well from the odd photo she sent." Albus sighed. "I realise such an unloving environment isn't ideal but he arrived at Hogwarts a normal child, eager to learn magic, and I believe the Dursleys for all their faults have raised an admirable boy."
Sirius shook his head. "Unbelievable." He held up a hand before Albus could continue to defend the Dursleys and his hands-off position. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sheaf of bound parchment. He tossed it on the desk in front of Albus. "That is a report about Harry's home environment compiled by Amelia Bones and Alastor Moody from the visit they made to Harry to interview him about the incident involving me at Hogwarts."
Albus frowned as he warily took in the parchment.
"It's the reason why I was given immediate custody of Harry." Sirius continued in the same hard unrelenting tone. "They didn't deem his home environment unloving, Headmaster, they deemed it abusive." He gestured at the report. "I haven't read it because I prefer to have Harry confide in me of his own accord, but from what little he has confided in me, I have to say I agree with the conclusions of the report." He glared at Albus. "He slept in a cupboard under the stairs until they received his first Hogwarts letter which was addressed there!"
The information stunned Albus. Surely Petunia wouldn't have done that to a child? Surely there had been some mistake…
"He received nothing but second hand clothes and practically no birthday or Christmas presents – if he received something it was a mocking item to instil in him he wasn't worthy of actual presents." Sirius continued. "I know from what Remus found out that Harry was locked up in his bedroom the Summer after his first year and starved! I took Harry with me when I went off to get the healing the Ministry ordered and you know what they found for Harry? Malnutrition and stunted growth. I wonder how that happened."
"I don't know what to say." Albus said dejectedly. Because what could he say? He had missed abuse – actual abuse! Certainly Poppy had told him about the malnutrition but he had dismissed it as the usual childish fussy eating habits he saw with many students – it was the reason why the Hogwarts food was laced with mild nutrient potions. He wanted to say that Harry had exaggerated his claims as Albus had assumed had happened with the story the Weasley twins had told their parents and Remus, but the official report compiled by an Auror that Albus himself trusted and the Head of the DMLE made a mockery of that want.
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