Petunia sat in her lounge sipping tea so glad the freak was gone with his freaky kind. Oh she had tried for years to stamp out all that nonsense and she would have beat the freak if only Vernon let her! He was too soft, why he even made sure the freak got a meal a day which the freak did not deserve! Her boy, her precious boy was normal and dull yes but he was not a freak, no he was a good boy and was going to a good school. She frowned as the doorbell rang and got up to get it, she never let the freak answer it as who needed to see that and now he was gone! Well until next summer came along and he would be back. She answered the door and screamed in fright at who was at the door. Severus Snape smiled coldly at her and she took a step back as he came into the house, evil freaky boy along with her evil freaky sister they made quite the pair.
"Good afternoon Petunia." Severus said softly, "your husband home?"
"He is in the back yard." Petunia said weakly, "you have no right to be here!"
"Oh I do, shall I call him, ah I see he is here." Severus said as Vernon stepped into the house his face getting red with rage.
"We don't want you ruddy freaks here!" Vernon shouted.
Severus remained calm and saw things for what they were. He could read people very well when he kept calm and he had promised Lily he would this morning, in fact she was in his pocket as it were at that moment. Oh this was going to get fun, he was seeing Vernon was not the one in charge, it was Petunia. Well he Severus was going to have quite a bit of fun today. He strode into the lounge and took a seat taking his wand out to conjure up some tea and enjoying his cup while Petunia and Vernon watched. Severus took out the portrait, enlarged it and put it on the wall getting Petunia to gasp as she saw her sister and brother-in-law up on that wall.
"Do have a seat." Severus said, "that stays here, you cannot get it down."
"How dare you, get that out of my house!" Vernon shouted.
"Do shut up, you really should not try to take charge of things at home when you are not used to it." Severus said softly, "you must like Petunia ruling you, tell me she at least rewards you well I hope?"
"Don't you dare insult Vernon, he is more a man than you ever will be freak!" Petunia snapped at him.
"Ah yes you think that would hurt me." Severus said his eyes going hard, "no that does not hurt me you know what does? You hurting Lily's son, beating him starving him and teaching your son to do the same. You dared lay a hand on an innocent child…"
"Petunia never beat Harry! Dudley can be a bit rough but well Harry is always a bit clumsy." Vernon said, "I certainly never hit the boy, stayed away from him, swore I never would beat a child and kept to it I did."
"Your wife did not, I have the records, a frying pan not once but several times Petunia? Along with…"
"Petunia you dare do that to my son!" Came a scream from the painting, "why you if I were alive I would kill you myself!"
The doorbell rung again and Severus went to answer it, he saw a tall man with a portly build and normally jolly face. He was clad in suit and tie, his brown hair a bit untidy on his head. He winced at the shouts knowing full well it was a portrait screaming. This was Ted Tonks and he worked for the magical side of children's services (though the muggles did not know the children he worked with were magical) and he was here on behalf of Dumbledore to see what was going on. Before he could enter the lounge a very fat boy came down the stairs to see what was going on, at once he put his hands to his rear and made to run back up the stairs.
"Please wait." Severus said knowing the signs of a muggle tormented by magic, "I will not harm you I promise, who used a wand on you."
"Not a wand." Dudley said. "Pink thing, gave me a pig's tail."
"I can remove it, would you allow me to?" Severus asked.
"Get away from my son!" Petunia screamed as Lily had run out of things to say to her.
"No, if he can let him." Vernon said, "easier that way, less questions."
"Who are you?" Petunia snapped at Ted.
"Child welfare, here to take pictures, ask a few questions and if all goes well haul at least one of you off to jail, maybe both." Ted said, "since I have the authority to I need all three of you to take something, if you refuse I arrest you and Dudley goes to a foster home."
In the end all three did as asked, Vernon went first as he was head of the family and if he were poisoned well he might be able to save his family. As the truth serum worked its way into him Ted began to question him, he found Vernon encored Harry for the most part, making sure he had dinner and did what chores his aunt asked of him. He never hit Harry but he never stood up for him either. Petunia was next and what she said horrified Vernon, when both he and Dudley were not at home she would beat Harry and call him names and she had even tried to kill him with a frying pan on more than one occasion! When Dudley told his story Vernon broke down and cried, his own son was paid to be cruel to Harry and he really was a bully because of his own mother!
"Take me to jail, I deserve it." Vernon said, "that poor boy, he has every right to hate me."
"Yes he does, however as you did nothing to the boy yourself you will keep custody of Dudley." Ted said dialing a number on his phone, "but you Petunia, you are going to jail for what you did and the charges will stick!"
"What of me?" Dudley said, "Harry is a freak…"
"Don't you dare call Harry a freak or I, I will ground you!" Vernon said sternly to his son for the first time.
"You cannot do that!" Dudley shouted.
"I can and will young man!" Vernon shouted back.
"I hate you, you can't make me do anything!" Dudley said storming up to his room and slamming the door.
"Number to a reform school." Ted said handing a card to Vernon, "oh and I would advise you get counseling as soon as possible and you will apologize to Harry and volunteer at the closest orphanage. Though you did not harm Harry you stood by and still did not do what you should for him."
"I am sorry, I really am." Vernon said meaning it.
"You have a long road ahead of you but if you do as I say I think we can help you." Ted said.
"You will not get away with this." Petunia said, "breaking up my family!"
"You broke your family a long time ago!" Severus said coldly, "now you will pay for what you did to Harry and Dudley."
"Ah police are here, this will give the neighbors a lot to talk about for a long time!" Ted said, "now you Vernon can watch them take your wife away and think on what you will do to help your own son , before it is too late for him."
Severus smiled as he left the house, who knew that Greg had known Ted and was pleasantly surprised when his friend told him he was a wizard. Now Ted was here to make sure Petunia never hurt another child again. This did not mean Vernon got off light, oh no, he had a long road ahead of him and it started with his neighbors watching as Petunia was hauled off in handcuffs to jail.
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On a cold depressing island in the far north just off Scotland, in a fortress turned grim prison, in a cold cell a shaggy black dog lay curled up in sleep. He would have been a beautiful beast if not for the fact he was so thin and his fur was matted and filthy. Yet the dog was content, he had caught a rat and that had helped settle his stomach. The dog heard footsteps and in the blink of an eye a man in ragged prison robes with long matted hair and beard, pale and skeletally thin was in the place of the dog. He curled up on instinct as two men stopped by his cell, both clad in Auror robes and cloaks hoods over their faces. The prisoner, Sirius Black was sure they were here for a bit of fun and he braced himself for the worst.
"Sirius Black?" One of the Aurors demanded.
"Who wants to know?" Sirius rasped out.
"It's him, let's get him out of here." The other Auror said.
"Going to have a bit of fun?" Sirius spat, "you will find I rather enjoy that sort of thing."
"No, you are getting a trial, now get up!"
The door to the cell opened and Sirius was drug to his feet, he staggered, dizzy but managed to keep his footing. He did not react when he was put in chains and drug out of the prison to the ministry. He was surprised when he was cleaned up, true it was not the nicest way this could have been done, the hoses were cold and the soap harsh but he was clean and his hair was cut shorter to his shoulders, his beard trimmed and he was given new prison robes. He was put back in chains but it did not matter, he was getting a trial and hope came to him for the first time in a long, long time.