Chapter 4: The Freak Show

The birthday party had ended a while ago and the sun was beginning to set. Dudley had been sent upstairs to his room to play with his new toys, and Harry could hear from his cupboard that Aunt Petunia was franticly cleaning around the house. Someone was coming and even as young as Harry was, he knew something was about to happen.

Vernon sat on the overstuffed couch, trying to focus on the newspaper. Honestly, he was feeling a bit anxious. Anything to do with more of these freaks, much less an adult freak, made him anxious. They were completely unnatural, some sort of abnormal mutation. Thankfully, their lives were going to be back to normal very soon. Without the ungrateful brat! Vernon was serious that the boy would not stay one more night in his house, and if these aberrations were unwilling to take him back, well, St. Daniel’s Orphanage would be receiving a visit that night.

Petunia glanced at the clock. Whoever it was that she had written to should be arriving any moment. It was time to bring the boy out of the cupboard. No one needed to know that’s where the boy slept, even if it was one of her sister’s kind.

Harry heard his aunt’s footsteps coming down the hall and stop outside his door. If it was even possible, he curled more into himself, clutching his ratty blanket.

“Get out here now!” Petunia demanded. Without even waiting for her nephew to move, she hurried back into the sitting room.

Harry, knowing what would happen if he dawdled, scurried down the hall after his aunt. Yes, something was definitely going on.

Quietly entering the sitting room, Harry stayed against the far wall, eyeing his uncle who was glaring at him from the couch.

“Boy, I’ve had enough of you.” Vernon chewed out. “I will not stand for you any longer in this house. You’re leaving tonight.”

The almost 4 year old stared at the large man, not quite understanding. Why would he be leaving? This was his home, wasn’t it?

“Sir?” Harry asked in a hushed whisper.

“Understand me, boy. This. Is. Not. Your. Home.” Vernon spat each word in distaste. “I’m sending you to where all the rest of the freaks are.”

Harry’s face, already pale in color, went stark white. He remembered where the freaks were. It wasn’t long ago that the Dursleys had taken a trip to the circus. Harry was allowed to go for once and couldn’t contain his excitement. What he hadn’t realized was that the Dursleys had tried to pawn him off on any available babysitter. However, when you spread rumors that your nephew was a terror, finding a babysitter was near impossible. Their usual sitter, Mrs. Figg, was out of town that weekend. Harry was forced to come along.

As they had walked toward the main circus tent, Harry’s uncle had grabbed him tightly by the arm and hissed in his ear. “See that small tent, boy? That’s where all the freaks live. Freaks like you. If you as much as let a peep out today, I’ll make sure you won’t be coming home with us.” Harry had glanced into the small tent as they walked by and saw scary people with swords, snakes, and even a large bearded man in a dress. He didn’t say a word all day in fear of being left with the scary people.

Now that fear had returned to Harry. He was being sent away to those scary people. Tears fell down his face, but before his uncle could make any more scathing remarks, the doorbell rang.

Petunia hurried to the door and quickly let the strangely dressed man in. Harry backed into the corner as he watched this man through his tears. He was tall and thin, with a long white beard and long hair. Harry had never seen anyone like him before. His clothes were a patchwork jacket and pants, and seemed to have every color in Dudley’s crayon box. The old man reminded Harry of the clowns at the circus. He really was being sent to those scary people!

Albus Dumbledore looked around the house, noticing the extreme cleanliness, despite the fact that two small boys lived there. The sitting room was pleasantly decorated and filled with family photos. It didn’t escape his attention that Harry wasn’t in a single one of them. Odd…

As his old eyes took in the room, Albus saw young Harry cowering in the corner. Not wanting to think the worst, he hoped that the small child was just shy. However, the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him it was a lot more. Much, much more.

Taking a seat in the armchair across from the couch, Albus smiled at the couple in front of him. However, before he could open his mouth to even compliment them on the loveliness of their home, Vernon launched into the conversation.

“I don’t know who you think you are, dropping this boy on our doorstep without even taking our lives into consideration, but we’ve had it,” Vernon belted out, glaring down at the strangely dressed man.

“Oh dear. I’m quite terribly sorry for not introducing myself properly.” Dumbledore replied, his twinkling, blue eyes studying the couple in front of him. “My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do believe you know of it, Mrs. Dursley, from when your sister, Lily, attended.”

Petunia merely huffed at the old man’s attachment to her sister. She had put off any association with Lily since she was accepted into that school of freaks.

“Personally, we don’t care who you are, sir,” Vernon interrupted before Petunia could answer. “You’re taking that boy back and we never want to see him or any of your kind again.” Vernon sat back with a sick smile on his face. There was no way this crazy old man was leaving without the boy.

“I see,” Albus replied quietly. “I’m very sorry to hear that. If I may ask, what is it that is proving difficult with young Harry? If the monies being allotted to you each month are not enough, then we can arrange to increase the amount to whatever would be sufficient.”

The idea of receiving more money for keeping their nephew made Vernon and Petunia pause. They were already receiving an ample sum, and with an increase, they would be more then comfortable. Both looked at their nephew, still sitting in the corner, knees drawn up to his chest. His green eyes peered at them anxiously, still wondering what was going to happen to him. However, Vernon remembered the incident from earlier in the day. No, he had to go.

“I’m afraid not,” Vernon replied, standing firm. “The boy will leave with you tonight or will be taken to an orphanage.”

Albus’ face furrowed in concern. “That seems a bit extreme, Mr. Durlsey. What, pray tell, is exactly causing your anxiety over the boy?”

“That boy is a freak and menace to society!” Vernon nearly bellowed, getting worked up. “He’s completely unnatural and endangers everyone around him.”

Dumbledore’s suspicions were confirmed in that statement. Harry’s accidental magic must have awakened, and it was obvisious that the muggle family wasn’t adjusting well.

“Mrs. Dursley, surely you remember the magic your sister once performed, even from an early age. There are families who have absolutely no experience with magic but who have no troubles raising their child that’s been gifted with the ability. Perhaps we can arrange for a visit from a counselor who can help you adjust more to understanding more about our world.”

Petunia’s face seemed to pucker more with each passing word. “Yes, I remember my sister and the freakish things she would do. Look where it got her. Dead! That brat threw my husband across the room today. We will not keep him in our home any longer. He is a danger to us and our son.”

Dumbledore’s eyes settled on the small, trembling boy in the corner. It seemed there was no way to settle this argument. At least not in that evening. The fact that they had not called their nephew by his name even once, instead calling him “boy” and “freak”, had not gone unnoticed by him either. Perhaps this really wasn’t the best place for young Harry to grow up.

“I understand,” Albus Dumbledore said slowly, the twinkle missing from his blue eyes. “I’m truly sorry you both feel this way and am honestly abhorred at how you regard your nephew. I will take him as you requested. As of right now, he is no longer under your care.”

Dumbledore drew out his wand and raised an eyebrow at the flinch the two muggles gave. It was the worst case of fear of magic he’d ever seen.

With a wave, custody papers appeared on the coffee table before them. Within seconds, Vernon and Petunia Dursleys had released all guardianship rights and responsibilities of Harry James Potter. For now he would be a ward of Albus Dumbledore, until a proper home could be found. For now, Albus just wanted to get the terrorized child away from these crazed muggles.

“His belongings?” Albus asked, standing.

Petunia left the sitting room, to Harry’s room, Albus guessed, but instead, it was to the cupboard under the stairs. She returned with a few pieces of clothing. Harry was already clutching a ratty blanket.

“That’s all of it,” she said, tossing the things at the man. Albus sighed sadly, shrunk the items, and put them into his pocket.

“Indeed. Then I do believe we’ll be off now. I doubt we’ll meet again, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley.”

They didn’t offer their hands to shake in farewell, but hurried to open the front door. Albus walked to the corner and knelt down in front of the small boy.

“Harry, my name is Headmaster Dumbledore. I was a good friend of your parents. You’re going to come with me now to someplace safe alright?”

Harry looked up at the old man with the long white beard. “Are we going to the circus?” he asked quietly, still afraid.

“The circus?” Dumbledore asked curiously.

“Where the freaks go to live,” Harry said in an even softer voice that Dumbledore almost missed.

His blue eyes softened and filled with tears at the young boy’s words. “No, Harry. We’re going home.”

Albus swung the child into his arms and leveled a glare at the impatient couple. Without even a goodbye, he strode out to the street, clutched Harry tightly to him, and apparated to Hogwarts.