Chapter Text
“Harry!” a high-pitched voice called out, catching the trio's attention. A woman with a long neck and blonde hair approached where they were sitting. Harry quickly stood up, waiting for her.
“Hello, Aunt Petunia,” the younger dark-haired boy greeted her, like a prisoner greeting a guard.
The black-haired woman rose from her seat and stood up straight, waiting for the blonde to finish judging her appearance. When she seemed to give Sally her approval, she spoke.
“Hello, I'm Petunia Dursley. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...” She left the sentence hanging, waiting for Sally's response.
“Jackson, Sally Jackson, the pleasure is mine, Mrs. Dursley,” she replied with a friendly smile and extended her hand, which was taken by the other. “Excuse me, are you by any chance this little boy's aunt?” she asked, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder. She didn't miss the annoyed look the blonde woman gave the little boy her son was looking after, silently supporting him from where he stood, ready to attack or flee if necessary.
“Yes, I am... I hope Harry didn't cause any trouble,” said the older woman, trying to maintain a calm expression, but her eyes still betrayed her hatred.
“Oh no, of course not. You see, Harry and my son are friends, but we hadn't had the opportunity to meet. Today Harry saw Percy and my son asked if he could come with us. Of course, I would like to take Harry, but I don't want to worry his family, who I'm sure loves him and cares about his well-being,” she explained, looking directly at Petunia.
Despite the kindness with which she said everything, the raven-haired boy noticed the slight venom in her words and couldn't help but smile a little. It resembled when he talked about Dudley or Petunia and made a rude comment in the middle of compliments, but much less obvious, because his aunt didn't seem to notice it.
“So, I wanted to know, would you allow me to take Harry with us shopping? If you want, I can take him home afterwards, just let me know your address,” she asked kindly.
“I wouldn't want my beloved nephew to cause any trouble,” Petunia replied, having the same feeling she had when Vernon told her they were taking him to an orphanage.
“Not at all, it's my pleasure to meet my son's friends. I assure you he's in good hands,” she continued, her smile about to slip, but she held it.
“It won't take long, right? We have to go home soon and it would be a problem if Harry isn't with us.” A little fear crept into her face.
“I insist on taking Harry home. I can promise you that nothing will happen to him,” she said with a smile, adding a little magic to her voice. She knew it wouldn't work on wizards because her magic was too weak for her to even study, but it was enough to convince a weak-minded Muggle.
Doubt appeared in the blonde's eyes, but the black-haired woman's kind smile dispelled it as if it had never been there.
“All right, just take good care of him. I don't want anything to happen to him. When you're done, you can take him to this address.” She agreed, writing quickly and handing her the neatly written paper that said:
Privet Drive #4
Little Whinging, Surrey
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dursley,” she said, ending the conversation.
The black-haired woman smiled and took Harry's hand, watching as the blonde walked away, holding the hand of the boy she had seen at the fountain, followed by the other two little ones. She sighed, letting go of the forced smile she had given Petunia. Although it had only been a few minutes, Sally could see how her mere presence screamed hypocrisy, and she did not overlook the slight sarcasm in her concern for Harry.
“Percy, I think we need to talk urgently about the letter,” she said seriously, hoping her son would understand what she meant.
The older boy understood what his mother meant. They needed a place to talk without so many people listening. He took Harry's other hand and gave it a little caress, something as natural to them as breathing.
“Calm down, Harry, everything will be fine. My mom won't let anything happen to us,” Percy said to ease all the bad thoughts that began to torment his companion's mind, receiving a smile from his king and an approving look from his mother in response.
“All right, just take good care of him. I don't want anything to happen to him. When you're done, you can take him to this address.”
The woman began to walk without letting go of the boy's hand. If she hurried to the Leaky Cauldron, she might be able to ask for a room for the little meeting away from prying ears to explain to both children the situation they were in, because apparently Harry had no idea that the strange things happening around him were his magic acting on his emotions and, consequently, he didn't know he was a wizard either... She paused for a moment, her head listing all the information she had so far, the rumors and, it seemed, the lies:
* It had been reported that Harry Potter was living with a family of wizards who were taking care of him and teaching him about the magical world.
• Harry was living with his Muggle aunt and uncle, who apparently had not explained to the boy that he was a wizard, which was potentially dangerous for the people around him.
* The boy who lived was spoiled and showered with gifts.
• Judging by the boy's clothes, she could tell that this was another lie.
* He was being trained to become someone powerful and defeat the Dark Lord.
•She could see how the boy looked much smaller than he should have been, and although at first she would have blamed his genes, she had seen Lily and heard about James, neither of whom were too short or thin. The boy was too pale, and even though she could feel his imposing magic, it only revealed his fear.
*The Prophet gave news of the chosen one from time to time, implying a perfect life and the image of a brave and strong child, full of love.
• It seemed that the black-haired boy would fly away at the first gust of wind. He looked around suspiciously for the slightest sign of danger.
She wanted to hit an old headmaster. Nothing she had read had been true. It wasn't as if she had trusted what they said before, but she wanted to cling to the hope that the son of the red-haired girl she had met at ten was in good hands. Her son's voice brought her back to her senses, reminding her where she was and what she was doing. She looked at the children and smiled to reassure them, then continued walking. She was only two blocks away when she saw a small, almost empty restaurant and decided it was best that the wizards didn’t find out anything for the moment.
“Come on, we can eat while we talk,” said the woman, her mind trying to process everything as quickly as possible.
The children, slightly confused, said nothing and followed the woman into the restaurant. It was cozy with warm colors and looked like a cabin. They took a seat at the back, the woman against the wall and the children in front of her, covered by the small wall. Shortly after, a teenager arrived cheerfully, welcoming them and handing each of them a menu.
Harry, rather anxious, just looked at everything on the menu. At times, the words made no sense, but he forced himself to understand. He decided not to order anything, not wanting to be a bother to the Jacksons. Percy, mindful of his friend and the insecurities he had after years of living with his aunt and uncle, knew they still had to work on avoiding those habits when they were together. He was the one who spoke up to order food for both of them, receiving a slight look of reproach from Harry.
“Okay, Harry, Percy, this is important for both of you,” Sally said seriously. Both children looked at her, trying to figure out what the woman meant.
The black-haired woman took the letter out of her bag and gave it to Percy, who read it alongside Harry. They both read slowly to prevent the words from escaping their view.
“HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Jackson,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress”
“Magic and Sorcery?” Percy began.
“But magic isn't real, my uncles have told me so many times,” said Harry, confused by the new information, but in the back of his mind, the voice that assured him he would survive screamed that it was true.
“You see, magic is real. The strange things that happen around you are not mere coincidences. It's called accidental magic, and it happens when a wizard or witch, even some Squibs, have very strong emotions. It happens more often in magical children, but even after formal education, adults can have small moments,” Sally explained, paying attention to both children's reactions. Before letting them speak, she continued. "While Hogwarts is not the only school of magic, it is responsible for magical children in the United Kingdom. As for Harry, he is the son of two wizards who were killed during the war on October 31, 1995. Shortly after the death of Voldemort, the Dark Lord, was reported, and it was revealed that the Potters' son had survived the killing curse. It was reported that the little boy was given to a family of powerful wizards who would protect and educate him to make him strong. Apparently, they lied, but that doesn't surprise me.”
Harry's brow was furrowed, and his eyes were glassy, his hand held by Percy in silent support.
“So they didn't die in a car accident?” he asked softly.
“No, they both gave their lives to protect you,” Sally said neutrally.
Harry rested his head in the crook of the other black-haired boy's neck, letting his tears fall as he had done so many times before, feeling the caresses left on his hair. His small hands gripped Percy's shirt tightly, and he concentrated on the scent it gave off. Little by little, his mind cleared as he sorted through and processed the information he had been given. Percy had remained silent, just listening, and when his friend curled up against him, he could only manage to give him small strokes to comfort him.
A few minutes had passed when their food was delivered, and by that time Harry had calmed down completely, letting himself be carried away by the warmth and affection of Percy's caresses.
“We have to eat, my king,” Percy whispered softly to bring the other out of his trance.
Harry looked him in the eyes, blinking a little, then looked down at the food and reluctantly moved away from the comfort he was being given so that they could both sit properly. When the woman saw that they were both sitting correctly, she placed their plates in front of them. Percy was the first to start eating, but Harry looked somewhat reluctant at his plate.
“Eat, Harry, it's delicious. No one will say anything bad if you eat it,” Percy said when he saw that his companion didn't seem to want to eat. He took some meat from his plate with his fork and placed it in front of Harry with a small smile. “Here, open your mouth.”
The boy obeyed, accepting the food offered to him. A smile spread across his face, and he began to eat. Sally didn't miss a single interaction between the two children, who occasionally fed each other, laughing and playing despite the initial fear shown by the younger one.