Chapter Text
Scarlet and Brook were walking through the park when they heard the faint but unmistakable sound of a crying child. Seeing Scarlet's expression, Brook sighed quietly.
“Fine.” They said quietly before the pair approached the bushes the sounds were coming from. Scarlet pushed the branches aside to reveal a child in too-big clothes, tears running down their face.
“Are you ok?” Scarlet asked.
“Y-yes. Sorry to bother you. I’m fine.” The child said, clearly not fine.
“It’s ok if you aren’t fine.”
“R-really, I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.” Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Scarlet decided to try something else.
“I’m Scarlet, and this is my friend, Brook. What’s your name?”
“I’m Fr-Harry. Harry Potter.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Harry! Do you want to come out of the bushes? It can’t be very comfortable in there.” Scarlet may have appeared calm, but she was internally freaking out. She knew nothing about children, and neither did Brook, so she couldn’t ask them for help.
“...ok.” Harry did so, and Scarlet gave what she hoped was a comforting smile.
“There you go, that has to be much better.” Internally, she was growing more and more concerned by the minute, as Harry looked rather underweight.
“I guess.”
“BOY! HARRY! WHERE ARE YOU?” a woman shouted, and Harry tensed up, eyes widening.
“Aunt Petunia.” Scarlet pulled a scrap of paper and a pen out of her pocket and scribbled something down.
“Here’s my number, call me if you need anything.” Harry looked confused, but accepted the paper and scampered off. Scarlet turned to Brook once he was out of sight. “I can’t be the only one concerned about him.” Brook shook their head.
“No, I am too. There’s something very off about this situation, though I’m unsure what to do about it.”
“We could come back here tomorrow and hope for the best?” Scarlet proposed.
“Well, I like this park anyway.” Brook said decidedly.
– - –
They did come back the next day, and the next, and the next. Then they started meeting in the library, as Harry said that his cousin, Dudley, was less likely to find him there. They did not, however, offer to help with his homework, as Scarlet didn’t remember most of it, and Brook was born over a hundred years ago. In fact, it often indeed up the other way around, as Harry would teach them about what he’d learned at school that day. It was for this reason that the pair of Scarlet and Brook were very confused when report card time came around, and Harry mostly got D’s.
“How? You’re very smart Harry, don’t deny it, you’ve done a great job teaching us.” Harry winced under Brook's gaze, no matter that they weren’t angry.
“Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don’t like it when I get better grades than Dudley.” Harry mumbled.
“Well, that isn’t fair. It’s not your fault you’re smart!” Scarlet told Harry.
“Thank you, but if I did better I’d get punished.” Scarlet and Brook exchanged a look. They’d both come to the conclusion by now that Harry was being abused, and therefore this statement made them understandably nervous.
“Harry…what do you mean by ‘punished’?” Scarlet asked cautiously.
“I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”
“Harry, we won’t make you, but we do want to help,” Brook said quietly. “Please, let us help.” Harry took a deep breath.
“...Uncle Vernon hits me. A lot. Like when I get better grades than Dudley, or when I mess up when I’m cooking, or when I mess up any of my chores. He says that freaks get what they deserve, and that I’m lucky that he lets me live under his roof and eat his food even though they barely let me eat, and Dudley has two rooms and I…I sleep in the cupboard.” Harry sobbed. Scarlet and Brook were horrified. They suspected abuse, sure, but still.
“Thank you for telling us, Harry,” Scarlet said. “I wish you could live with us. I’d kidnap you, but unfortunately for this situation, that’s illegal.” Harry gave a small, wet giggle.
“Harry, would you like us to tell someone?” Brook asked.
“No…is it really kidnapping if I let you take me?” Scarlet looked at Brook.
“Legally, yes. Do we particularly care? Not really. It can’t be that hard to make a fake identity and enroll you in online school, right?”
“Will you really?” Harry asked, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“Sure. Is there anything you want back at the Dursleys? If not, we can just leave right now.” Brook asked.
“No.”
“Alrighty then!” Scarlet quietly cheered.
– - –
*a handful of years later*
“Happy birthday Harry!” Scarlet and Brook cheered.
“Oh yeah! Thanks!” Harry replied.
“I made breakfast, seeing as Scarlet would’ve burned down our kitchen.” Brook said.
“Rude. Anyway, your presents are by the table.” Scarlet stated.
“No offense, but you aren’t a great cook,” Harry said as he scrambled out of bed. “What’d you make?” He asked Brook.
“Chocolate chip pancakes.”
“Nice!”
– - –
Harry’s life had drastically improved since he’d been ‘kidnapped’. Brook and Scarlet weren’t perfect, as neither knew much about kids, but they both tried their hardest. They’d done their research and had done their best to help Harry heal. They had, in fact, gotten a fake identity for Harry, one “Xander Warren”, and had been quickly enrolled in online school. Harry had excelled, doing well in all his classes. (Brook and Scarlet were incredibly proud.)
– - –
“Uh, guys? There’s a letter here for Harry Potter.”
“What?” Scarlet exclaimed, worried. “What does it say?”
“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. Potter,
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.”