Harry Potter's Real Dad

"Wow," Wallace remarked, shaking his head at the cassette recorder in between himself and Severus on the dining table. "I figured she was vile, but I didn't think she was heartless. This is pretty good evidence, but you weren't supposed to use the visit period between her and Harry as an interrogation."

"It's relevant to the case, though," Severus argued, keeping his voice low so he didn't wake his children. "It's still admissible."

"Ah, don't get ahead of yourself," Wallace said. "The judge decides what the jury will hear and not hear. I will take this up with him—"

"Why would he refuse this? This could win us the case."

"It's not so much a matter of relevance as it is fairness. She did not know she was being recorded, and she could easily retract everything she said here and insist she was merely trying to get a rise out of you. How did you even get this past the metal detectors? You couldn't have."

"Must have been a glitch," Severus stated. "She was honest with every word, you can hear her malice, and it matches up with everything she has put Harry through and her neglect to treat his medical conditions. For Merlin's sake, Harry still isn't convinced he has asthma and he takes medicine for it twice a day."

"Poor kid. Did Harry listen to this?"

Severus sighed and rubbed his temples. After he had managed to figure out how to take the audio from his memory and shove it into a muggle device, he had a long debate for the rest of the evening of whether or not to have Harry listen to the tape or even show him the memory of his conversation with Petunia. However, as he watched Harry pack his new dinosaur themed schoolbag with Iris's help, he found himself unable to do so. At least not at the time. And now, he didn't think he could. Besides, Harry was still dubious about magic and its limitations. For all the boy knew, anything Severus showed him could be made up with magic.

"I don't think he'd believe it was real," Severus answered honestly.

"What makes you say that?"

Severus sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He was saved from answering when Harry shuffled down the stairs looking for Severus.

"Daddy?" Harry called out, making his way to the dining table.

"Why are you out of bed?" Severus asked, motioning Harry to come to him.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wallace hit play on the cassette player and slowly increased the volume.

"I need a drink," Harry said as he reached the table. He paused as he heard Petunia's voice. "What's that?"

"What are you doing?" Severus asked Wallace, reaching for the player, but Wallace put a hand over it.

"Don't you think he needs to hear it?" Wallace asked.

"Now?"

Harry did not hear the two adults. He was focused on the cassette player running through the short bit of conversation Severus had stored in the device as it played over and over.

"You nearly killed him on several occasions," Severus's voice snapped. "Every time you let him climb up that chimney, it aggravated his asthma, he could have died."

"Ah, yes that," said Aunt Petunia. "I'm surprised he never did, even when I never gave him his inhalers."

"You knew he had asthma? You had inhalers for him?"

"Of course, it's hard to miss it when the child coughs the entire doctor's visit. Do you have any idea how much inhalers cost? That child was taking money away from my poor Dudders. So, I never picked up his prescriptions."

"You're a sick monster, Petunia. Your son deserves better than you."

"Harry thinks I'm a great parent. Sweet boy. So obedient. He'd do really well on the kiddie stroll if you ever find his emotional instability too much to handle."

"Turn it off!" Severus snapped, finally hitting the stop button. He cast a worried glance at Harry as the child stared at the silent player.

"I have asthma?" Harry asked, looking up at Severus.

"Yes," Severus answered slowly, frowning. "We've talked about this several times."

"Aunt Petunia couldn't get the inhaler things cause it was too much money that I was taking from Dudley?"

....

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