"As football is so popular, the most popular sport in the world in fact, and I soon found out that I was good at playing it, I trained when I wasn't studying at my school's library or the town library. Those were some of the few places where my cousin wouldn't get me. He is a fat brute if you wonder. Until I had this one outburst where I paralysed Vernon for four hours one evening when he tried to beat me with his belt, Dudley regularly beat me up with his gang of bullies. After that the Dursleys were too afraid what I could also do and stopped the physical punishments. Dudley is stupid and would never voluntarily enter a library. He also hates exercise. So me training at the field behind the school, where teachers could see me from the teachers' lounge, or being in the library gave me some security."
Professor McGonagall was enraged. That horrible muggle had beaten a child with a belt? She would make sure that Harry was taken away from there immediately. This would not continue. And if Dumbledore tried to interfere he would be introduced to her fury again.
"When I finally realized that the Dursleys would never change their opinion of me, I tried for years to get them to like me, but it didn't work, I decided that they didn't matter to me. I couldn't care less what they wanted. I stopped holding back at school to not make Dudley look worse than me. I stopped doing the chores they demanded I did except a few that were okay for a child my age to do. What could they do? Punishing me? They already did that. If they overdid it, others would notice and they would be arrested for child abuse and be seen as the freaks they are. As I said, they are obsessed with normalcy. I got punished for outdoing Dudley, but nothing more than being locked up in my cupboard for a week. And as it was during the school year that only meant the early evenings till the mornings. And going without dinner for a week was nothing new to me. I made sure to eat more at the canteen though." Harry reported distantly.
Harry saw that she had taken the bait. While it was the complete truth, he would use this to his advantage. The most pressing matter at hand was the Dursleys screwing him up. Once they realized that he would get magical training, they would perhaps try something more radical. He didn't put murder beyond them if they could make it look like an accident.
"Mr Potter, I will make sure that you will be relocated. This won't continue. No child should grow up in an environment like that. By the way, what did you mean with your cupboard?" She asked.
"That's my so called bedroom. I know that they are guilty of child abuse, but none of the anonymous letters I sent to the police worked. Either Vernon talked them out of their suspicions or they didn't even investigate." He said.
Professor McGonagall pondered about the reason for that. Why wouldn't the muggle aurors even investigate a case of child abuse? That didn't sound right. Could it be that somebody had interfered? She would find out. But if what she thought was true, Poppy or a healer at St. Mungo's needed to examine the boy as soon as possible if there were lasting problems from the abuse.
"Didn't any of the muggle healers get suspicious of your injuries?" She asked disbelievingly.
"You don't really think I ever was taken to one? No, that would have been a waste of money on a freak like me." He answered.
"You aren't a freak, never say that." She protested.
"That is what I was called my whole life there. I only found out my name a day before Dudley and I were to start at school. After all, they couldn't risk me not reacting to my name, could they?" He asked sarcastically.
Professor McGonagall wanted to curse Dumbledore into next week. She had warned him that Harry's relatives were the worst sort of muggles, but he had told her it would be for the best that Harry grew up away from all the fame he would be showered with. While that argument may have been right, letting the boy be abused was not. And why did he never check up on Harry? He should have known about this. She was really relieved that she had responded to the letter like she had now. If Harry had not known the things she told him and would have been overwhelmed with all the publicity he would have got … she didn't want to think about it. And if the pureblood faction got word about how he had been treated at the hands of muggles it would fuel their anti muggle campaigns. But now she needed to find a solution. She could have Harry take a room at the Leaky Cauldron until they could find a save residence for him. But then again, the lad would be completely on his own there. And he was just eleven.
"Mr Potter, I swear I will take care that you don't have to return to the Dursleys. For now, let's get the books you wanted to get you a better base of information." She said.
Harry nodded, not yet believing that she would be able to keep her promise. Some other social workers had given him similar promises and then they just vanished. They were transferred to other towns or simply seemed to forget what he told them. Was there a magical interference? It wouldn't be that far-fetched to believe that magic could alter memories.
Professor McGonagall took Harry to the bookstore, Flourish and Blott's. There he went through all the sections and got a lot of books. He took some on magical history, especially the civil war against Voldemort, one on the government, a book about traditions and culture, Hogwarts a History , a general guide to potions, an overview about all subjects taught at Hogwarts, a book about all magical schools in Europe, a guide to professions in the magical world, a book about magical creatures, a guide for muggleborns into the magical world, a report on goblins, the current magical commercial register, guides to all first year subjects and what the classes entailed in summarized form and a book on the most popular sports in the wizarding world.
When he brought his purchases to the counter to pay for them, the cashier's eyes went wide. He obviously didn't get that kind of purchase very often. Harry paid for his books, thirteen galleons and ten sickles, and then got a bag courtesy of the shop to transport them more easily. The bag automatically shrunk the books for easier transport. He had to admit, he really liked the possibilities magic had. Professor McGonagall showed him around the alley, but he didn't buy anything else besides an ice cream. He first wanted to know more, then he could start buying things for school and otherwise. While Professor McGonagall said she would get him away from the Dursleys, even if she managed to do it, it would take time. Official institutions didn't work fast from his experience.
"Mr Potter if you decide to come to Hogwarts, you should get an examination by a healer. There are also vaccinations against common magical illnesses you would need to get before you attend school." She said.
"I don't mind. By the way, does the magical world have contact lenses?" He asked.
"Yes, that option exists, why?" She asked.
"Because at the moment I am wearing muggle contact lenses. Wearing glasses while playing football is not very safe, so my trainer got me contact lenses. The Dursleys raised a stink, but I ignored them. By working in the school library twice a week I earned the money I needed for them." Harry explained.
He had suggested to the trainer of the school team that he would work for his supply of contact lenses. He had then cleared with Mrs Jannison, the old librarian, that Harry would help her clean up and put books back into the bookcase twice a week and the payment he would normally get would be used to buy him the contact lenses directly. His trainer had feared that if he got the money and had to buy them himself his relatives would take the money. Harry had whole heartedly agreed.