Playing With Magic

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Chapter 31: Privet Drive And Gaunt Shack

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4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

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In the living room of 4 Privet Drive, a large, black dog sat patiently, next to a chair opposite the couch. Sirius Black thought it would be best to start the upcoming conversation in his Animagus form based on the information he had gotten from Harry. It would be a good start to what he had planned to be a long, educational conversation.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Remus moved quietly, having already stunned Dudley, to make sure he would continue to lay unconscious in his room. Now, he focused on waking the elder Dursleys. With a flick of his wand, he cast a gentle Enervate, causing Vernon and Petunia to stir and wake up.

As their eyes opened and they saw Remus standing over them with his wand drawn, their initial confusion quickly turned to terror. Petunia let out a high-pitched scream, and Vernon, despite his considerable weight, struggled to get up and rush at Remus with a face getting redder and redder due to difficulty.

Remus, anticipating this reaction, quickly cast the Incarcerous spell, binding both Vernon and Petunia with magical ropes, causing Vernon to faceplant on the floor with a heavy 'thud', rattling the structure of the entire floor. Then, casting a Silencing spell at the two before they could make another sound, he spoke, "No one is going to hear you anyway, I've already put up wards to ensure that."

Levitating the two, he made his way downstairs to the living room. Sirius, still in his dog form, watched intently as Remus brought the Dursleys into the room. Once they were securely placed on the couch opposite him, Sirius transformed back into his human form and took a seat in the chair, his cold grey eyes never leaving the married couple.

Vernon and Petunia's eyes widened in horror and confusion as they saw the transformation. They screamed even more, mouths wide and tears welling in their eyes. Vernon looked like he was going to have a stroke with how red he was going, but the only thing that came out of their mouths was air. Their cries for help went unheard.

"You two have a lot to answer for," Sirius said quietly with restrained anger. His own wand casually trained on the married couple, tip glowing and eerie pale yellow as he leaned back in his chair. Taking his eyes off the two, he gestured around the room at the family photos. None of which showed Harry, not a single one. The audacity.

"You were given money on a monthly basis to take care of Family," Sirius practically snarled as they looked like they were trying to argue their righteousness. "And you used it on yourselves, leaving him to live in a cupboard?"

Raising his wand, Sirius sent a golden spell at their faces, causing painful-looking boils to erupt all over their skin. Then, using another spell, he caused the boils to viciously pop all over their bodies, resulting in another silent scream. As they writhed in pain, Sirius took out an enchanted pouch from his pocket, retrieved six vials of a red substance, and placed them on a small coffee table conveniently placed next to his chair.

Remus walked over from where he was silently leaning against the door frame, took one of the vials and walked over to the crying pair. Prying their mouths open with magic, he poured the contents into their mouths and watched their boils slowly cease, healing before his very eyes. Once the pain was gone, the two boil victims blinked in confusion.

"That would be a healing potion," Sirius explained. "A friend of the family sent them to me to help me get better. But I don't think he would mind my using them for this purpose." With a lazy gesture towards their now-healed skin, he continued, "As you can tell, it works wonders for one's health."

Petunia blinked, taking the information in, before glazing at the other vials on the table and the unfinished one still in the other man's hand. Her eyes showed even more terror as resigned tears made their way down her now pain-free face, knowing they were here to cause them pain for what they had done—or hadn't done. Vernon just looked furious and terrified, not knowing what to do or how to get out of the situation.

"I am going to unsilence you and ask you a few questions. You will answer them honestly, and not waste our time." Sirius ordered. "Or I will give you some more of what you just experienced. Are we clear?"

Seeing the two give terrified nods, he did just that. As soon as they could speak again, Vernon immediately went on a tirade, "Do you have any idea-Argghh!!!" only to be cut off by another body-wide Pimple Curse at the man, once again popping them and causing him to writhe in pain for a while before Remus once again gave him some of the potions. Petunia, for her part, only flinched and jerked back, saying nothing. Not wanting to further antagonise the two clearly mad men who had them at their mercy.

Once Vernon was back to normal, this time, he said nothing, merely glaring at the strangely dressed man in the chair, which went ignored.

"Why did you do it?" Sirius asked, genuinely curious. "He's your sister's son. Why treat him as you did? You got the rest of the house paid for, monthly payments to pay for both children." He glared. "Yet you treated him like dirt, like a slave. Have you lost your mind?!"

"We didn't want him!" Vernon blurted out before quickly cowering when Sirius turned his gaze to the man. His anger boiled as he raised his wand, this time, the colour was green, dangerous green. Even the one wearing the shabby suit stopped leaning on the door looking a little concerned, ready to stop him. Seeing he may be getting help from the more sane one of the two, Vernon found the last ounce of bravery in himself to continue, "Your kind just dropped at our doorstep, with no care in the world. Why didn't you take care of the boy, huh?! It's not our fault, it's yours!!"

Sirius paused, taking a calming breath to centre himself before turning his attention back to the still-weeping Petunia. "She was your sister, so why?"

She didn't answer, only continued to cry. Sirius stood and made his way towards them. "You've treated Harry, my godson, terribly, and it's time you understood the consequences of your actions."

"You can't do this!" Vernon's fat moth moved. "The letter said we were protected, that we would be safe as long as he lived with us!"

"True," Sirius agreed. "But, seeing that I'm also a blood relative—though distant—the Blood Wards seem to work fine with me taking your place. It also helps that he sees me as family, you see. That's how we were able to make our way into your home in the first place, they don't protect you any more."

"After everything we've done for the boy?!" Vernon tried to counter, moustache quivering. "After everything we've done, you would do this to us?!"

"'Everything you've done for the boy?' have you gone senile? You worked him to the bone and kept him in a cupboard, while you gave your own son two rooms in the house his parents bought for you!" Sirius looked towards Petunia, angrily pointing at the woman as he continued. "That your sister, bought for you!"

"Those…magic law enforcement fellas ain't gonna let you get away with this!" Vernon forced out the forbidden word, baring his teeth as he spoke.

Sirius looked at the fat man incredulously, like he was an idiot, before he spoke. "Harry was responsible for saving the magical world, and you treated their saviour like dirt." He paused, letting it sink in. "If they find out what you did, then I doubt you would survive long. So if you want to tell them, then be my guest."

The walrus, his face red with rage and fear, could do nothing but glare.

Petunia spoke for the first time, gaining everyone's attention as she looked up at Remus, seeing him as the more rational one of the two. Tears still ran down her face. "P-please, just leave my s-son out of t-this. I beg you."

"That's why we left him upstairs," Sirius replied with a shrug, completely unbothered by her plea. His words, though, were enough to have Petunia relax a little, despite the situation. "But unlike your sister, you won't have to worry about someone else raising your son in a horrible environment."

"Because I'm not going to kill you." Sirius cast a silencing charm at the two, completely sick of hearing their voice. A manic grin made its way onto his face as his wand started to glow yellow-gold again. "I'm just gonna hurt you, really, really bad."

By the time Sirius and Remus Apparated away from Privet Drive, all six vials of Healing Potions were used up. The elder Dursleys now understood the gravity of the situation and would never spout any negative things about Harry or his parents until the day they died. Otherwise, they were to expect another visit. And if anyone asked where Harry is from now on, he would be living with his godfather. If the Dursleys wanted to stay in Privet Drive, it was up to them. Sirius doubted Harry would ever want to go visit the place again anyway.

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December 20, 1991

Hogwarts Train

Johnathan Grey

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[Make the Dursleys pay for their treatment of Harry]

[+250 SP]

Don't mind if I do. I think I would be correct in assuming it was either Sirius or Remus, because Dumbledore probably doesn't have it in him. If anything, the old man would probably give them a talk about how disappointed he is in them. With the other two, though, I wouldn't be surprised if I read they had gone down for several outlandish crimes like drug trafficking or something.

The past few weeks have flown by. Points-wise, I was able to secure over 500 SP per week just from Poppy delivering food to children in need, and that would only grow as I expanded the farms in my briefcases and got more Elves to help out. So, I wasn't going to worry about points unless someone decided to hunt down Hous-Elves and stop them from interacting with non-magical people.

As the Hogwarts Express chugged along the tracks, I was sitting in one of the compartments with Harry, the Patil twins, Su Li, Anthony, Terry, and Michael and Hermione as we made some small talk on our way back to London. I was heading to Gaunt Shack before going home and, in a few days, going to spend time with Daphne's Family. Harry, on the other hand, will be spending time at Grimauld's place, living with Sirius and Remus. And he was rather pleased with that alone as a Christmas gift. And the rest were spending their holiday with their respective families.

"So, Padma, what are you planning to do over the holidays?" Hermione asked, having just declined the sweets she had been offered by the girl in question.

"We're going to visit some family in India." Padma smiled. "It's going to be a lot of fun, and we'll get to experience the cultural festivals there."

"Yeah," Parvati nodded in agreement. "And we'll be sure to bring back some souvenirs for everyone."

"I'm spending the holidays with my family in China." Sue Li chimed in. "It's been a while since I've seen my grandparents, so I'm really looking forward to it. I try and bring back souvenirs as well."

"That sounds wonderful." Hermione smiled. "I'll be spending Christmas with my parents, they've planned for us all to go on a ski trip," she said before turning her attention to the boys in the cabin. "What about you guys?"

"My family has a tradition of going to a cabin in the mountains," Anthony spoke up first. "It's always nice and snowy, perfect for a winter holiday. We do sometimes get family over, though."

"We'll be staying at home this year," Terry added, "But we're expecting my relatives to visit, so it should be a lot of fun."

"Same here." Michael nodded.

"I'll be staying with Sirius and Remus," Harry spoke up next with a smile. "It's going to be our first Christmas together."

I nodded. "And I'll be working on a few spells, Arithmancy. But I'll be taking a trip to Diagon for some more books etcetera."

The train began to slow down, signalling our arrival at King's Cross Station. The group gathered their belongings, and we made our way out. As we stepped off the train, we stuck together. They were eager to introduce their new friends to their respective parents.

The platform was bustling with activity as families reunited, though less crowded than on the first day of school. Parvati and Padma spotted their parents first, waving excitedly as they made their way over. "Mum, Dad, these are our friends from Hogwarts," Padma introduced, beaming with pride. "This is Hermione, Su Li, John, and Harry."

"It's so nice to meet you all," Mrs Patil said, her husband doing the same with a nod. "We've heard so much about you all." After exchanging pleasantries, we said our goodbyes.

Next, Su Li spotted her family, and she led the group over. "These are my parents," she said with a smile. "Mum, Dad, these are my friends from school..."

This went on until we briefly met with all our friendly families and exchanged introductory words, with none of the parents being too pushy withy wanting to get to know us there and then. Though, I had no doubt that would change in the future. Harry and I then easily made our way through the crowd, heading further down the platform towards where I sensed Sirius and Remus were waiting. The entire time, Harry's eyes were scanning the platform for Sirius and Remus like a lost duckling. When he finally spotted them surrounded by a few persistent reporters, we made our way over.

"Sirius! Remus!" Harry called out, waving his hand. As we walked, we received a few glances and whispers from other people on the platform, nothing we weren't already used to from Hogwarts. Looking closer at Sirius, he looked much healthier now. It was good that he was putting the Health Potions I sent to him to good use. Remus…well, he looked like he normally does.

Sirius's eyes lit up when he saw Harry, immediately raising his hand, putting a stop to the reporters as he spoke firmly, "Excuse me, but I need to greet my godson." Making his way over to meet us half way with Remus by his side. The reporters, recognizing the finality in his tone, backed off, allowing Sirius and Remus through. As soon as we got close, Sirius enveloped Harry in a tight hug. "Harry! It's so good to see you."

"Good to see you both again, boys." Remus greeted. "Ready to go home?"

Harry nodded, "More than ready."

"John, do you see the person who's collecting you to take you home?" Sirius asked.

"I'm going to meet them on the other side," I responded as I pointed at the exit. "I'll see you all on the day we go back to Hogwarts, or maybe in Diagon Alley when I go to get some books."

"We can walk you to them if you'd like," Sirius added.

"That won't be necessary, I like to stay under the radar." I smiled and shook my head. "Thank you, though. See you guys later."

With a wave, I cast my [Invisibility] and [Muffle] and left. As I made my way out, I noticed Remus was still looking in my general walking direction, which made me remember to add the [Odourless] spell to the combo to avoid people or creatures with a better sense of smell.

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Sirius Black

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Sirius blinked in surprise, still looking at where the boy had just disappeared, "Did he just...?"

"Yeah, I told you," Harry said with a nod, noticing Sirius's bewilderment. "He does that sometimes."

"And without a wand, too," Remus added, looking towards the exit rather than where the boy was just standing.

"Almost didn't notice," Sirius's eyes widened. "That's impressive."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, not even trying to hide his admiration. "He picks up spells and magical techniques faster than anyone I've ever seen."

"He has an extraordinary gift." Remus nodded in agreement. "While also being incredibly resourceful and inventive with his magic. Though McGonagall would definitely find it reckless."

"It's a real shame he left all the pranking to the twins. He would have been unstoppable," Sirius shook his head. "Come on, let's get going."

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Gaunt Shack

Little Hangleton

Jonathan Grey

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Once I was in a safe spot in a random alleyway, I summoned Poppy to apparate me to the Gaunt Shack. With another soft pop, we both [Disapparated], instantly reappearing in front of the dilapidated building. It was a small, crumbling structure, seemingly held together by sheer willpower. The roof was sagging, with several tiles missing and rotting wooden beams beneath. Moss and ivy clung to the walls. The whole thing looked like one strong wind could blow it apart.

If it wasn't for the powerful Defensive spells placed around the shack to deter outsiders from entering, along with my foreknowledge, I would have started to second-guess whether I had the right place. After taking my time to dismantle the defences, I approached the front door.

Scanning the building some more, I noticed the mostly broken windows covered with makeshift repairs and cloth, caked with dirt and grime. In all honestly, Tommy Boy did a pretty good job of making this house look like shit before fucking it up with those lacklustre defences. There weren't even any Alert Wards or anything. So much for being a genius.

Without so much as a twitch or break in stride, I used [Telekenisis] to open the front door, which seemed to be barely hanging on rusted hinges. The door creaked as I let myself in while putting up a [Bubble-Head] for the smell.

The inside of the Shack looked no better than the outside. Cobwebs hung from the corners, the floor was covered in a layer of dust and debris, and the walls were stained and peeling. As I stepped closer to the small, soot-stained fireplace, the ground beneath my feet became uneven, exactly where I sensed Riddle's magic.

Telekinetically ripping up the floor boards, sending splinters of old wood and dust all over the place, I levitated my prize in front of me to get a better look.

[Gaunt Ring - Magical Item]

[The ring is an heirloom of the House of Gaunt, descendants of Salazar Slytherin and Cadmus Peverell. It passed through the male Gaunts, generation to generation, until Tom Riddle stole it from Morfin Gaunt.]

[The second Horcrux of Tom Riddle. Contains a piece of his soul that constantly tries to corrupt the wearer along with a deadly curse to kill the wearer if they put it on.]

The thick band itself seemed to be crafted from heavy gold, with intricate, archaic runes. Although, now it just looked dull and worn with age. At the crown of the ring was the black Resurrection Stone. The stone was perfectly smooth and polished, yet it seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. When I levitated it up to the light I could see faint, ghostly shapes swirling around the distinct Deathly Hallow sign, line within the triangle and circle.

[Resurrection Stone - Magical Artifact]

[One of three Deathly Hallows, along with the Elder Wand and the Cloak of Invisibility. Resurrection Stone was the second Hallow created by Death himself and given to the Peverell brothers after they completed a ritual for magical artefacts to defeat Herpo the Foul.]

[+ Allows its user to temporarily bring back the deceased.]

[+ Allows the user to become 'Master of Death' when in possession of the other Hallows]

Much like I did with Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, I completely ignored the cold, malevolent whispers and used [Superior Wound], [Soul Trap], and [Magicka Drain] to drain the soul's lifeforce, get a grip on it so it wouldn't be able to try anything to escape, and drain the magic it needed to survive. This time, though, just before it died, I pulled out a compass and copied the soul's signature onto it.

Unlike the Dragon's Map—trademark pending, I would be able to find the bastard anywhere in the world that isn't cut off from magic because it is linked to the very magic in the air. It would be like Jack Sparrow's Compass but for Riddle. Soon enough, the soul, like its Diadem counterpart, completed its slow, agonising death with a quiet guttural scream. All that was left was the shabby ring housing the Stone in the palm of my hand, uncorrupted.

[Destroyed another one of Tom Riddle's Horcrux +20,000 SP]

With my work here done, I placed both the Gaunt ring and the Riddle Soul Compass—trademark pending—in this Hoard, made myself invisible and [Apparated] my way home without a sound.

There were souls to converse with, after all.

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"Oh, I'm not gonna kill ya... I'm just gonna hurt ya, really, really bad."

— The Joker, DC.

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Autor Here

Sirius visits Privet Drive to meet with the Dursleys, and John visits the Gaunt Shack to destroy the Gaunt Ring Horcrux and takes the Resurrection stone for himself. Then, he makes his way home for Yule until it's time to go to Greengrass Manor.

Remus always gave me the stand to the side while his friends did what they did to Snape type of guy. Only saying they had gone too far after they had done so but not really doing much beyond that. Maybe it's just me, but I think he was always too afraid of losing his newfound family after becoming a werewolf to truly try to stop them and potentially have no one.

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