Cared For

Chapter 4: Diagon Alley

Updated: 26th February 2019
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Harry woke up feeling warmer than he ever did in his entire life. After he opened his eyes, he realised that this wasn't his cupboard. He was in someone's arms. Only then did everything from yesterday came flooding in. He decided to stay here and relish in this warmth.

As he shifted his body, he felt a warm wetness around his legs. He was petrified, what would Uncle Vernon do when he finds out his mistake? Would this lady beat him? He didn't waste anytime in leaving. He opened an unlocked door and dashed inside, accidentally locking it.

Minerva woke up a couple hours later. She looked down to see that Harry was gone, leaving a wet smear on her robes. She rushed towards the front door and turned the handle. It was still locked, thank god. That meant he was still in the dorm. She turned towards her room to change her robes, when she found the door was locked.

"Alohomora." she muttered as the door swung opened. The room was the same way it was yesterday, no sign of anyone entering it. She opened the wardrobe to see Harry, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. She picked up the young boy and laid him on her bed. Harry's eyes flew open as Minerva pulled his pants off. His eyes started to water again.

" 'M sorry, didn't mean ta wee." he cried as she pulled up a new pair of pants and sat him up. She tried to pull him close to her, but he scooted away. She wanted him to trust her, but it proving to be difficult. "Harry, do you remember what I told you yesterday?" she inquired. He politely shook his head. "I want you to always remember that I will never hurt you. No one will ever lay their fingers on you as long as I am here, understand?" she vowed. He hesitated before sticking out his pinky, like he had seen some kids before do, saying, "Pwomise?"

"I promise."

**Page Break**

Minerva stomped towards the Headmaster's office with Harry tagging along behind her after having breakfast. Harry looked up at her, she seemed so mad. He decided to keep quiet, she said that she wouldn't hurt him, but he still didn't hundred percent trust her.

She said the password to the griffin and barged in to Dumbledore's office. He looked up and his smile faltered. He stood up and was about to say something, when she beat him to it.

"How could you leave him like this! Look at him, all skin and bone. What if I never barged in, he would have died! DIED ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!" she shouted. " They assured me that he was well." he stated. Minerva examined at his face. His shock looked fake, almost as if....

"YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW HE WAS BEING ABUSED AND YOU LEFT HIM LIKE THAT!" she screamed. She was enraged, and nothing could calm her now. " You have to explain my reason. I didn't want him to be raised to be revered and pampered." he explained. Minerva now lost it. She took her wand and pointed at him. Albus was stunned. He was never threatened like this, as the greatest wizard of all time. "I WILL RAISE HIM, HE WON'T BE SPOILT!" she screamed. "YOU MIGHT FIND THIS ABUSE FINE, BUT I DON'T!"

Harry was silent during this whole time, and was growing scared. As Minerva's volume increased, Harry started feeling weaker and weaker and voices filled his head. He finally couldn't take it anymore. He fell to the ground and screamed. The aged teachers turned around and McGonagall swooped the distressed boy into her arms. Dumbledore, feeling pity, took some Calming Draught from his personal stores and gave it Harry. Within a few minutes, his scream stop, but his sobbing remained.

"I will talk to you later." she said , as she left the room. She walked back to her quarters and into her room. She hugged him close to her chest, murmuring comforting words to him. Soon he looked up at her and said, "I did bad?"

"No, no, sweetheart. I was mad at him. It isn't your fault." she reassured. He heard her nickname for him and smiled. It made him feel secure and safe. Minerva saw this smile and a smile couldn't help creeping onto her face.

"There's the happy boy. I knew he was somewhere down there." she stated, poking him in his chest. She kissed his head and his once rigid body relaxed. Minerva felt happy that he felt at least a little comfort with her. He was like a small Bambi in her arms, in need of protection.

Minerva knew there were a few things she needed from Diagon Alley. "Harry, sweetheart," she said, knowing he loved that nickname, " I need to buy some things for you. Would you like to come?" she inquired. Harry tensed, the Dursleys used to leave him alone until he would break down into an embarrassing sob. But she was nice, he could tell, and she wouldn't do that to him. "Okie" he answered.

She went outside to the apparition point and was about to apparate away when she realised that if the Dursleys neglected him of basic needs, they probably wouldn't have told him about magic. "Sweetheart, I will do something that your family probably never told you about." she said. Harry was already captivated by this sentence. "I will perform magic."

"Magic isn't weal." he firmly stated. She was right. "No, magic is real, very real. I can perform it and maybe you can to." she explained. Harry was silent. Magic is real? The number 1 rule was always: Magic isn't real. And here she was, telling him that magic existed.

"I will use magic to bring us from here to the shops, but you will have to hold my hand tightly." Minerva continued. He took her hand and they apparated away.

When they arrived, Minerva looked down to see that Harry was green in the face. She regretted not warning him about how apparition felt like. She decided to get some water for him, but before she could do anything, Harry's stomach gave way and soon he was soon standing in front a puddle of puke. There was puke on the floor and all down his shirt. He let out a large wail.

"Sssh, its ok. Its alright." she comforted. " 'M sorry." he mumbled. She got rid of the puddle on the floor with a wave of her wand, and tried as hard as she could to get as much as she could out of his shirt. She took out a bottle of water and fed it to him. His wail turned into small hiccups. "My thwoat, it hu'ts." he complained. She extended her hand to stroke his hair when he did something unexpected.

He covered his face with his hands and restarted his wail. Minerva carried the boy and continued to soothe him. "I won't ever hurt you, sweetheart, please don't raise your hands in that way." she repeated. " 'M sorry." he mumbled, his shoulders drooping. She kissed his forehead once again and started walking.

She went to the nearest clothing store and bought as many things as she could for him. As she exited, they past a toy store, with many kids outside, peering inside. She saw Harry's wishful look on his face so she entered the store. His forlorn expression disappeared immediately. He was never allowed to get toys, he was never a good boy. But she was getting him one, was he a good boy? He wanted to ask her, but he had completely forgot her name. Was it Mimmie? He went with that.

"Mimmie, am I good boy?" he asked. She had to stop herself from crying with joy. He was starting to at least talk to her, this was progress, even if it wasn't much. "Of course, you are my best boy." she assured. Harry beamed, she thought he was a good boy. He felt more at ease selecting toys. Once he found his second toy, he stopped taking more. Although Minerva could see how badly wanted he wanted a stuffed duck, he wasn't taking it.

"Do you want this duck?" she asked. He was torn between taking it and leaving it. He wasn't worth spending so much money, he had always been told this. He shook his head. Minerva wasn't convinced. She bent to his level and held his hand. "What is the problem? I know you want the duck. Tell me." she insisted. Harry hesitated before mumbling, "I can't have it." She was confused. "Why not?" "I don't dese've it. Fweaks wike me can' buy toys." he replied.

She made a mental note to hex the Dursleys into oblivion. "Harry, I want you to enjoy play time, you can take any toy you want." Minerva said. She took the duck and put it into the basket. She paid for all the toys he bought and left the store. She made sure to warn Harry beforehand and him give some water before apparating away as the sun started to set.