Hadrian Potter X Library Of Heavens Path - Volume 1

Consequences

The mild autumn chill settled in as residents gather around their dining tables and TV screens for dinner, streets bare of any presence apart from the odd individual, uniform homes line the streets the definition of a classic suburban community. The evening started off like any other, the tranquil state the neighbours grew accustomed to; that was until a loud bang was heard!

Mrs Ivy a retired banker who recently moved into the community, currently inhabiting number six; she settled in for the evening news, dr.a.p.ed in her bathrobes when suddenly she heard a loud noise, unsure of what it was she asked the other inhabitant in her home, “Michael! Did you make some noise up there?” A gruff and aged voice replied “I’m taking a shit here you wanker!” Her eyebrows twitched, “well be quiet about it muppet!” The back and forth continued for a minute until they heard a loud scream.

The screams of a child penetrated the tranquil night, neighbours looking outside their windows for the disturbance until a brave few stepped out. Barely missing the shadowy figure running away they approached the source of the noise. Number Four was the home to the Dursleys, they had a fairly decent reputation in the community as a rather outspoken but humble family, while their son was a bit naughty they were easy to get along with.

Some of the neighbours rushed to the house as they saw the front door open with the lights on. Mrs Ivy being one of the first to the door as she stepped in surveying the room she exclaimed “bloody hell what happened?!” Noticing the crumpled figure of both Vernon and Petunia she was shocked, “someone call an ambulance!” Mr Solomon another one of the neighbours barked out as he rubbed his balding head while examining the passed out couple.

“What happened lad? It’s going to be alright” Mrs Ivy trying consoling the clearly distraught child as she offered soothing words till he could speak, “it was the freak! he did this!” His first words were not what any of the gathered neighbours were expecting, “the who?” Mrs Ivy asked again making sure she heard him right, “the freak Harry! He did this!” This caused a couple of furrowed brows as this was not what a child should be saying.

They knew who Harry was, especially with Petunia spreading rumours about him and his drunk parents so when they heard this they weren’t sure how to react, “and what exactly happened that lead to this?” Dudley so used to the treatment his parents showed towards Harry blurted out everything that happened prior before, the more the gathered crowd heard the stormier the atmosphere grew, Mr Solomon was particularly incensed as he had a grandchild similar in age of Harry “Bloody hell!” He moved to the cupboard under the stairs to check on what he’s just been told.

“They’ve been keeping him under a bloody cupboard! There are even patches of blood here!” Shock filled the crowd as some moved to confirm his words, “call the police!” “these f.u.c.kers!” “I can’t believe this happened!” such were the cries heard as more and more neighbours came, eventually word was passed from one person to another. They would have lynched the Dursleys but they were already unconscious.

Dudley was confused by the reaction of the crowd “why is everyone angry at mum and dad? It was the freak that did this!” Mrs Ivy looked at the child and couldn’t help the sneer that crossed her face “that is no way to address anyone, especially such a poor boy as him” she sternly reprimanded, “but he hurt them!” “Hush now! Let the police deal with this, and you’ll be going to the hospital with both of them.”

Soon enough the police came followed by the ambulance, they managed to break up the crowd while getting some witness accounts, eventually they approached the cupboard “good Lord! They’ve been keeping the boy in here the whole time!” one of the constables exclaimed as he examined it, “poor boy, I wonder what they did to him this whole time, where even is he?” said another.

After a while the whole scene was closed off as a crime scene while the neighbours returned to their homes, most of them hoping Harry would be alright and the police to bring the Dursleys to justice.

~

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It was approaching the time for the evening meals, all staff and students were in the great hall, however in the headmaster’s office various devices that glowed and swirled suddenly came to a halt and dimmed until they completely stopped working. It won’t be for a while until someone notices this.

~

Royal Surrey County Hospital

The light of the morning sun slowly crept onto a sleeping individual, Petunia slowly awoke as the light reached her eyes, she tried moving but found she was unable to. Panicked cries escaped her as she screamed “help! Anybody there?! I can’t move!” A few seconds later nurses rushed into the room as they tried to appease her. “Calm down Mrs. Dursley, we’ll explain what happened to you as soon as you calm down.”

However, Petunia was anything but calm, waking up in the hospital without the ability to move her panic increased. This continued for a while until they had to sedate her, a quarter of an hour later she woke up. “I hope you’ve calmed down Mrs Dursley, all your questions will be answered by the doctor”. Shortly after she departed the room after writing on her clipboard, a few minutes later a man entered the room, a smile plastered on his face “Mrs. Dursley it’s good to see that you’re awake, you’ve been unconscious for over 16 hours now”. “What happened to me?! Why can’t i move?! Where are the rest of my family?!” question after question came and the doctor waited patiently until she was finished.

“Mrs. Dursley while I’m not sure on what lead to your current circ.u.mstance, I do know your husband and son are here as well in the hospital, your husbands being treated for a concussion he suffered while I believe you have a sister-in-law that’s looking after your son in the waiting room. However, I have some bad news”. At first Petunia was slightly relieved but seeing as the doctor wasn’t finished yet she started panicking slightly.

“You’ve suffered from Quadriplegia”, taking a pause as he glanced at her but saw no recognition from her he continued, “This means paralysis from the neck down, and we’re not sure at this stage if it’s permanent or not”, as soon as he said that there was a heavy silence that fell upon the room “what?” The only response her mind could conjure as she processed the information she just received. The doctor repeated what he said as he waited on her to fully digest everything, while he was expecting a range of responses, the words said completely caught him off guard.

“That freak!” Her outraged scream reverberated across the room to the hallway, “I should have let Vernon get rid of him when he said he wan..” in a sudden moment of clarity she remembered she wasn’t alone and the doctor heard her little outburst. She looked at him and saw the blank face that stared back, “well there’s a few people that would like to talk to you”, after saying that he left the room with no other words.

Seconds after the doctor left a pair of police officers walked in and as soon as she saw them she paled.