After Nic explained Harry said, "I definitely want to learn that last one. You did the last one back at Christmas, if I remember right."
"It's a exceedingly useful spell, and you're right. It's not very old though. It's only been around for the last fifteen or so years." Nell commented. "I'll teach it to you. But what I really want to talk about is your relatives. Are they always so…" She paused searching for an accurate but inoffensive word.
"Smarmy? Yes, you live with it long enough and you learn to ignore it."
Nic frowned, "My dear boy if that is the example of what you grew up with, then how…"
"Is it I'm not like them?" Harry gave a mirthless snort. He hadn't had a truly honest conversation about his family with anyone. Cassandra knew, but he hadn't told her she'd just figured it out. She'd been wise enough to stay out of it as Harry wanted. Probably because without Harry she was out of a job. Harry's instincts told him it was probably safe to tell the Flamels. They had been around in the era when parents had complete rights over their children to the point of death, and while they clearly didn't approve of how he'd been raised they wouldn't flip out about it. They also didn't judge based on if people had magic or not. Making them better candidates for a discussion of this sort than his trustees, who would interpret it as muggles abusing a wizard. The Flamels knowing would be good. They had the sort of wisdom and experience to be really good advisors to him.
"They didn't love me. Hell, they barely tolerated me. I was expected to be grateful and obedient and I was. There was a time before I turned five, things got very bad for several months. It was due to Dumbledore, he had taken away my aunt and uncle's ability to have more children. They were understandably angry. Then there was an accident, in a moment of anger my cousin pushed me down the stairs. I got pretty badly hurt. It woke my aunt up. She laid down ground rules. I learned what they expected from me and what I could expect from them. I got decent treatment after that, in return I did my best to be helpful, to do as I was told, and stay out of trouble. Things with them didn't change at all until I was nine.
"When I was seven Aunt Petunia took me to a karate dojo. Taking me to the dojo was more about spiting Dumbledore by seeing to it I could fight with more than magic, than it was about protecting me. There I met Sensei Howard. He looked at me and saw something, I'm not sure what. He took me under his wing. I think if it had been allowed he probably would have adopted me back then. He offered me extra classes. Since the Dursleys weren't willing to pay, he gave me a job helping him around the dojo to pay for the extra lessons. Like a seven and a half year old is going to be so much help. In addition to kenpo he saw to it that I had survival skills, and an appreciation of greater things than man. He taught me so many things: astronomy, codes and code-breaking, strategy, the list goes on. He taught me to look for beauty, and how to see beyond the superficial. Sensei taught me about caring, compassion, hard work and respect. He is why I understand honor, why I understand that caring for others is more than just empty words. He taught me martial arts but he also taught me about life. That's it's as much about giving as it is taking.
"Aunt Petunia has always been worried about the veneer of things. She has difficulty seeing the beauty of an old person's face or of an old well-used and beloved antique. She always made sure that no one could denounce her completely, when they looked at me. But we both know, she sees me as the instrument of her revenge on Albus Dumbledore. That's my biggest value to her. I keep her happy by letting her use me. She's far from perfect but she is family, so we both pretend.
"To be honest I'm not at all adverse to being her revenge, as far as I am concerned Dumbledore's debts to me are nearly as great as the ones owed by Voldemort himself. It doesn't stop me from eagerly awaiting the day I can cut ties with my aunt and uncle and my trustees and start living for real."
"Your trustees? Those hangers-on that sent us invites to their parties hoping to pump up their own importance?"
"Yes, the magicals that are supposed to guide me into being a fully qualified and socialized wizard. I suppose they aren't bad. The law firm most of them are a part of, is really very good, but they have enough in common with my aunt and uncle, that I am somewhat eager to be shut of them as well. At least when it comes to them being able to make decisions for me that is."
"What changed when you were nine?"
"I apparated myself and my cousin from in front of a lorry that was sliding on ice. It would have likely killed us. That was when I went from being a nuisance and expense in my relatives' view, to being something that could be tolerated. When they found out about the stipend from my trust when I turned eleven I became semi-useful. Even if I was still around to remind them I was abnormal, I was a ready source of income and I no longer cost them anything. If anything, I paid them back threefold."
"Harry, are there people in your life that you trust?" Nic asked.
" Um..You and Tante Nell, Sensei, Neville, Cassandra, Luna, Aaron, I suppose Dudley is on the list. I mean in many ways he's like his parents, but if the chips were down I feel like he could be counted on. Beyond that, I would say it depended on how in line mine and the other person's interests were."
"That is a very small list." Nell said trying to hide the sadness she felt.
"Better a small list, than a larger one and being betrayed."
"I suppose." Nell responded.
Nic decided a change in topic was needed. "So, what are you doing this summer?"
....
Join my P@treon and get 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/0LordSilvere0 (Remove the *)
Free members get 2 chapters free.
Join Right Now