The Canopy Kingdom was once again in a time of rest. Due to the combined efforts of heroes from all sides, the Skullgirl had been vanquished for another seven years. During its last awakening, several high-end *ahem* "Gangsters" were also "Dealt with". The ruler of the kingdom, Parasoul, hated sentencing people to death, or allowing one to kill for vengeance's sake, but she knew with the Medici leaders, there really was no other choice. She had no idea how they had gotten to where they were, but now they were gone. That's what mattered.

Walking out onto the balcony, Princess Parasoul sighed as she took in the early morning air, the sky a very deep blue with just the faintest hint of reddish pink, signalling the beginning of a new day.

She knew the peace and tranquility wouldn't last forever. There was always much for her and her Egrets to accomplish... Later that day, they would be out on patrol, busy as they always were. And she wouldn't change that for the world. Anything for her subjects...

Smiling to herself, the princess made her way downstairs for breakfast.

Dudley Dursley felt... weird. It all started when his parents took him and the freak...no... Him and Harry out on vacation to New Meridian... They treated Harry with the same hatred, scorn and abuse they always had. He hadn't seen the problem...

Then, the weird men came along. Something about... slaves... And his parents had sold Harry to them for a large sum of money.

And... he felt extremely sick thinking about it... But why...?

Harry wasn't... Harry wasn't a bad person. He was younger than him, and hadn't done anything wrong his whole life, and yet his parents always blamed him for everything that happened, and none of it was his fault, sometimes it was his fault, sometimes it was his parents' fault, but it was never his. So why did they blame him for everything?

He was...a freak? He'd gone along with that explanation for so long... He'd willingly harmed his cousin for the sake of fun...

And now he was beginning to realize that he was, in fact, in the wrong all this time... He felt... guilty...

As his parents happily drove him off into town to do something, he could only think about al. The bad stuff his family had done to Harry.

He felt bad, but he felt useless. He knew his parents didn't care, so trying to say anything was a bad idea, and what else or who else did he have to talk to? As the car drove off, he felt the ice-cold feeling of guilt and regret begin to take hold, stronger than it had been before.

Meanwhile...

"I'm saying, this is a really crappy idea."

"Oh, shut up mate. Th'hell d'y'know about plannin' anything that pans out?!"

"I know selling drugs is one thing, but selling slaves is gonna end with us six feet under." The Jaguar remarked, visibly irritated by what was going on.

They were underlings from a crime oeganization that had had recently acquired their first slave to sell to the highest bidder.

Little did they know, the head of the kingdom herself, Princess Parasoul, happened to be patrolling the streets with her egrets that day...

And she caught them speeding.

Eyes narrowed, she turned to the driver of the vehicle. "Turn on the up. Chase that car down." The Egret blinked, but obediently activated the siren.

"Damn, damn!" One of the occupants of the speeding car cursed. He sped up as fast as he could, trying to get away.

Parasoul pulled out a megaphone and leaned slightly out the window as the driver of her vehicle gave chase. "Pull over at once! You are violating the speed laws!"

"S-Sir, shouldn't we let the police handle-"

"We have no time for that! Their reckless driving could harm someone long before the police arrive! And I told you, refer to me as princess! I'm weary of you all calling me 'sir'!"

"Okay." The driver muttered, deciding that if the princess was telling him what to do, this wasn't something he was going to question. He drove after them, and while the beaten-up car seemed to be trying to break away or pull off somewhere to hide, it was roughly the time of day when everyone was done with work, or heading to a bar, or home, or... well, any sort of establishment. This meant that in under a minute, they were all collectively stuck in the middle of downtown, and none of them were going anywhere.

"Now what, S-princess?"

"Simple." Parasoul pulled out her intercom. "Attention egrets! I want you to block off the midway section on main street with your vehicles!"

"Affirmative!" One of her men called back. There was a click, and they continued the chase. The driver looked at her.

"Princess... Isn't this a bit excessive just to stop a speeding driver?" Parasoul looked at him sternly.

"Of course not. He is liable to crash his vehicle and harm someone if he is not stopped. You should know that."

"...sure." The driver said, knowing that arguing with her always ended the same way. With her winning. It wasn't that she forced him to agree with her, it was more the fact that he knew her reasoning could be weird, but she had good reasoning nonetheless.

"Aw, crap." The Jaguar muttered, lighting a cigg and taking a drag. "What now, captain-nothing-will-go-wrong?"

"First, you shut the hell up." The wolf in the driver's seat growled. "We were speeding, that's all."

"Right."

"You try anything, and you know what'll happen."

"Do you even have your driver's license on you?"

Silence.

"Great. We're screwed."

Indeed, the road ahead was blocked off by a small group of limos, leaving them with nowhere to escape to.

"Heh... well, looks like we'll be seeing Ajax sooner than we thought. Wonder if Big Bob's still working in the mess hall..."

"Shut up and let me do the talking."

"Sure thing bud." The jaguar smirked, feeling like maybe this was what he needed, a chance to get caught and finally be free of Lobo and his idiotic illegal crap. Two of the egrets came up on either side and looked in at the two.

"Mornin'."

Parasoul watched as her men dealt with the situation, then noticed the traffic pile up behind her... And leading the line was a family of three.

In the driver's seat was a fat man. She would have dismissed him entirely if he didn't decide to angrily curse her out.

"What in blazes is the meaning of this?! We have places to be, you know! Stop blocking off the road!" He demanded rudely.

"Get bent." An Egret replied as he walked by. "Official business for the royal family."

The answer only seemed to anger the large man, and while he and the Egret went back-and-forth, with him screaming bloody murder and the Egret calmly replying, Parasoul groaned in annoyance as she watched the scene unfolding. This wasn't helped when she saw the two figures getting out of the car. She knew both of them. All too well...

The obese man seemed to recognize them as well, and gradually calmed down before walking away, something extremely off about it, but Parasoul couldn't quite say what.

Dudley peeked out from his seat and saw that the police were around... And he knew what he had to do...

He snuck out of the car, then slowly made his way over to Parasoul, who didn't notice him until she felt a tap on her leg.

"Um... Miss?" He spoke in a small voice. Parasoul blinked in surprise, then got down on one knee.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" She asked kindly.

"Not me... my cousin." Dudley quietly replied. From his demeanour and tone of voice, Parasoul knew there was something wrong, VERY wrong. "Uh...a...a few days ago, my parents gave my cousin to that wolf, he gave them money and dragged him off... I didn't know what to do, Harry isn't a freak like they say he is... But am I bad for not doing anything sooner?"

Parasoul felt like she had been impaled by one of Painwheel's parasitic weapons. Human trafficking?! Is that what was happening!?

"I need you to be very honest with me." She spoke in a serious tone. "Did you see that Wolf when this happened?"

"Mmhmm." Dudley nodded clearly not liking the memory. "He said that people would have use for him, and I don't know what that means... The kitty was there too, but he was trying to stop him, and the wolf hurt his eye... He told him he'd do something that I think would kill him if he didn't stop arguing with him..."

Parasoul sighed softly and rested both of her hands on the boy's shoulders. "You should not have waited this long to tell the authorities, child. They could have done any number of things to your cousin by now." She said gently yet sternly.

The boy looked down, feeling extremely guilty, and she seized the opportunity to reassure him a little bit.

"But it is good that you eventually did do the right thing... You put the right thing above your parents' freedom." She said with a smile.

Dudley nodded, clearly feeling bad for what had happened, and Parasoul somewhat kicked herself, feeling like she may have been a bit TOO harsh with him, but then again, she kind of had to be. Maybe the boy hadn't done anything because he feared what his parents would do to him as well.

"Aw. Sh*t." Lobo cursed feeling his fur bristle when he saw Parasoul, somehow he didn't see the boy or the people who he had bought a slave from a few days ago. Still, they were speeding somewhat, they could shrug that off, maybe spend a week in jail, wouldn't be able to drive for a month or two... Still, this should be easy to deal with.

But if that was the case, then why did the princess look so furious? She scowled at him before turning to her egrets. "Detain these two at once. Restrain them. I have a few questions for them." She spoke in a cold tone of voice.

Lobo winced. "Now hold on, we don't have to go THAT far... Just a little speeding, that's all! We won't do it again."

"Smooth." The Jaguar remarked, the faintest smirk on his face. Lobo growled and looked to his partner with a death glare. "Hey, I warned you." It was now that Lobo noticed the Dursley's, and more importantly, the kid standing next to Parasoul, and everything seemed to click at once. He knew why Parasoul seemed so angry, he knew more than anything, they were royally fu- "Told you not to push your luck."

"SHUT. UP."

Parasoul turned to another group of Egrets and pointed Krieg at Vernon and Petunia. They got the message and pulled out the handcuffs. "What?! What is the meaning of this?! Get away, get away!" Vernon barked, struggling as they swarmed him and his wife.

Dudley winced sadly as he realized what was happening. "Mommy and daddy are going to jail... aren't they...?"

"Most likely, yes." Parasoul nodded.

"Okay..."

"Don't worry, you'll be well taken care of." Parasoul smiled at him. "And your cousin will be safe, I promise you." Leaving Dudley with an Egret, Parasoul marched over to where the Dursley's were still struggling against the guards, who seemed more annoyed than anything.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Petunia shrieked.

"Selling your kid to a slaver isn't wrong? Heh. If that's the case, we're innocent men!"

Parasoul blinked, then turned to see the Jaguar companion, Guzz, she remembered his name. Looking to her and the Dursleys, while Lobo seemed ready to slit his throat. Taking a drag off of his cigarette, he added: "Fatass and Horse Whore over there sold a little boy to captain douchebag right there. I should know, I was there."

"I'M GONNA FREAKIN' KILL YOU GUZ!"

"I don't care." Guzz shook his head. "I saw what they did to that kid, and even if I burn in hell alongside them for their sins, I'll do whatever I can to help. I may be an asshole, but they're freakin' monsters. And as for Testie-breath? I'm so sick of your crap. It's always 'No one's gonna get hurt' or somethin' like that. With drugs and weapons? Sure. I can believe it. Well enough at least... But sellin' people like animals? You know what happens to them. They don't get hurt, they get broken, and I ain't gonna stand by and let you keep doin' it."

"So, you're willing to cooperate? Regardless of what may happen to you?" Parasoul asked, raising a brow. She couldn't tell if Guzz was serious or not, and desperately hoped he was. She had dealt with him before... and she thought he had changed...

"Yeah. I'll help." Guzz nodded. "Me, him and them... we're all goin' to hell together in friggin' chains. Might as well do some good before then."

Parasoul gave him a serious look. "Then tell me everything. Where is your hideout?" She said sternly.

"About twenty five miles from here. Big old abandoned matress store. Can't miss it. Better get there soon though... Lobo told me a few minutes before you showed up that they're testing his healing abilities."

Parasoul's blood ran cold at that. "His... what...? What are they doing to this child?!" Guzz sighed and shook his head.

"Butterball over there said the kid could heal from anything... That was the big selling point apparently... They're gonna try and see just how much he can take... Probably won't stop until they've almost killed the kid..."

Taking another drag off of his dart, he added: "Trust me, get those freaks in cuffs, then get going. I didn't see it, but the kid's in real pain." Parasoul felt anger rising through her body, it was also clear to the other members of the group that there was no chance they would be able to talk their way out of this. While the Dursleys were dragged off and Lobo was put in multiple chains, he gave Guzz a look of death, to which the jaguar shook his head in indifference.

"You four." She stared, looking to her Egrets. "Take them to the station, the rest of you, with me. Call the others as well, and pray we're not too late." The guards snapped to attention and set off to fulfill their orders. As they did so, Parasoul called one last thing out: "Do not put the jaguar in the same room with those three! We need him alive!"

"Woo. Road trip." Guzz said with a sarcastic smirk.

"As for Dudley, bring him to the station. He is to be put in protective custody until all this blows over."

"Sir! I would be more than happy to look after him at my place, sir!" Parasoul turned to one of her egrets.

"Ah, yes... You and Juju will take good care of him, I trust?" The Egret nodded his head.

"Affirmative! We will take excellent care of him!"

As everyone departed, the vehicles nearby had moved out of the way to let the Egrets and armoured vehicles that had arrived minutes ago pass. Parasoul stood there, shaking in anger at what she had just witnessed... There were people, HER people being sold as slaves, tortured and... She didn't even want to think about it. She was ripped from her thoughts as the car screeched to a stop next to her. "Get in." The driver said, extremely serious, in a tone Parasoul hadn't seen before. It almost seemed to be filled with determination. "And hold on. We're about to break every speed law in this kingdom."

Parasoul nodded firmly. "Sound the sirens and we shall be on our way." She climbed in hurriedly and the drive was on. The redhead princess sighed softly. "I hope it's not too late... I hope the boy isn't too badly hurt..." She whispered.

Harry Potter tried to keep his head down and do as he was told. Unfortunately, it seemed his new tormentors liked to hurt him. They said it was to test him, but really, it felt more like it was just for the fun of it...

His freak stuff kept him going, it managed to take a little bit of the pain away, but that didn't change that everything hurt. Right now, he was in a room somehow more depressing than his cupboard, chained to a wall and left in total darkness. The floor was damp and the air was cold, he felt sick, he felt broken... Honestly, he wanted to believe he would be okay, but he was starting to believe that no one cared for him, and this is was all he deserved.

He was stuck doing so much more work than he ever had at the Dursleys. And when he wasn't working, he was chained to this wall... Why...? What did he do to deserve this...? Why couldn't he be happy? He wanted to live a good life like other kids... He whimpered softly, trying his best not to alert his captors. He didn't want them to get mad and beat him again...

Then there was screaming, shouting, loud banging and full blown chaos. Harry had no idea what was going on, was unaware of it, and couldn't see outside where his captors were scrambling to try and escape, but were being shot down by the Egrets. Some of them grabbed weapons and fired back, but it didn't end well for them. A few of the smarter ones surrendered, and one of the much smarter ones turned his weapon on his (now ex) allies.

"Dawg!? What the fu-"

Parasoul cut the man off with an aggressive punch. She felt sick, she felt furious, and seeing the building did nothing to alleviate these feelings.

She stormed her way through the large building in search of the child... And she would destroy anyone who got in her way... Now, it was a large building, and as such, not everyone was aware of what was going on. So three of the traders chose that moment to enter the room.

"All right, kiddo! Time for another test now... This time we're gonna see how long it takes you to heal from burning!"

Harry whimpered as one of them lit a blowtorch, and then throughout the entire building, his pained cries could be heard. That was all Parasoul needed. Moving faster than a dagonian who had been swimming in a lake of energy drinks, she ducked and weaved, moving with anger in her movements, a few of the traders diving out of the way.

"Oh, stop crying! We're just gettin star-"

Without warning, the man with the blowtorch felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. This was because he had been hit in the back of the head.

As the man slumped unconscious to the floor, Parasoul scowled at his two comrades.

Aiming Krieg at one of the men, she launched a burst of explosive napalm at his feet, launching him into a wall and knocking him out instantly.

Roaring, the third man tried to tackle her. Releasing Krieg, she deftly ducked to avoid a punch, maneuvered behind him, then grabbed around his neck, and, using her arms, choked him until he lost consciousness.

Without a second thought, she ripped off one of the traders' cloaks, and smothered the small fire with it. She felt something begin to have a full-on panic attack, and she didn't blame the poor dear... Thankfully the fire hadn't been massive, but he had clearly still been hurt by it.

"noidonwanahelfsomonmam!" A tired, muffled voice was trying to scream under the cloak. PArasoul scooped the poor boy up and held him close, moving the cloak away so he could see her, and more importantly, breathe.

"Are you alright love? She asked, great concern in her voice.

Her heart clenched at the sight of how beaten he was. She had busted several slave tradings in the past, but she had never seen a child beaten this badly. Shaking her head, she hugged him close to offer comfort. She felt him trembling and heard his fearful whimper. "It's all right, dear... You're safe now." The boy tensed up at the unfamiliar voice, then looked up to a sad, concerned face...and red hair.

"M-Mama...?"

Parasoul was confused, but before she could respond, the child passed out in her arms, causing her to stand up in a panic. Grabbing the radio from her waist, she relayed orders for someone to grab the slavers while calling out for a medic to meet her immediately.

As she left, she saw what appeared to be a lycan-egret running on all fours before skidding to a stop.

"Your majesty!" She saluted. "What's- oh no."

"Help him." Parasoul ordered, half angered, half desperate. The medic nodded and led the princess over to a van with a stretcher resting outside of it.

"Okay, what's his name? What happened? What kind of injures are we looking at?"

"I don't know. Slavers. And at least physical abuse and burns." The princess answered immediately.

The medic shook her head, muttering something in German, then set to work on fixing the injured child. The wolf feral removed the rags and let out a low growl at the sight of what was underneath. Eyes narrowed, Parasoul too looked over. "Oh no..." She breathed, horrified at the awful sight displayed before her. It was a morbid canvas of pain and agony...

Burns, scars, bruises, everything seemed to melt together on what seemed like a flimsy canvas covering the clearly starved child. She unconsciously took a step back in horror at the sight, and remained silent until the doctor got her attention.

"Princess? Princess?"

"Y..yes?" She shook her head, coming back to reality.

"He needs extensive care. We need to take him to either a hospital or-"

"Back to my home." Parasoul cut in. "We have everything a hospital has, and I don't think he wants to see many new people at once."

The medic blinked before nodding her head, adjusting her goggles. "Understood. We will perform basic treatment just outside while the other traders are rounded up." Parasoul nodded and they stepped outside the building. The medic pulled out her medikit and began the process of tending to the injured boy.

Parasoul watched her work while keeping in touch with the Egrets via walkie-talkie. "Egrets, how many left to detain?"

"Uh, maybe six or seven. They're running, but the whole place seems to be falling apart." One of them answered. "Even if they got out, there's a big fence that-"

"I've never climbed a fence that high before!" Someone shouted off in the distance.

"Well, that."

"Good. Bring them all in." She ordered. "And keep watch, they could be any-"

CRASH!

It really seemed like today was just one of those days, as a figure powered through a window, that was about three stories up in the air. The figure looked down, seemed to realize what had happened, and screamed girlishly.

Parasoul rolled her eyes at the man's foolishness aa he hit the ground and shattered almost every bone in his body.

"Call an ambulance for this one." Parasoul said flatly. "We are not wasting resources on this utter scum..."

"Sir!" The Egret on the other end affirmed before hanging up. Sighing, Parasoul looked over to see her medic had finished.

The look on her face said it all, this wasn't good. Sighing, Parasoul walked back over and saw the tiny boy was asleep or had passed out. Regardless he needed the rest, Parasoul nodded to the medic, and the medic began with an explanation.

"So he should be dead." She frowned. "There really is no way he should be alive, but something is keeping him alive. Regardless, we need to get him to a more sophisticated establishment." Parasoul nodded, watching the medic load the small boy into the back of the ambulance.

The princess shook her head. "I'll take him... He'll ride with me." She said softly. The medic turned to look at her before nodding in affirmation.

"Be careful not to aggravate his injuries." Parasoul nodded and took him carefully. Parasoul held him close as she made her way back to the truck she arrived in even as the slavers were marched outside and chained together, many of them would probably never see the sun again while a few would probably cut a deal for a lesser sentence. She turned away from them in disgust as she settled in so that Harry would be comfortable during his sleep. Now she needed to arrest his so called aunt and uncle, but that could be handled by her agents in the city while she returned.

She sat in silence as the vehicle moved, studying the child closely and giving him a sad look as she observed how damaged he was. Then, suddenly, he stirred in her arms, and looked up at her, much to her surprise. His green eyes conveyed shock and disbelief, and he spoke in a shakey, timid tone of voice... "Are...Are you my mommy...?"

Parasoul's eyes softened as she shook her head no, "I'm so sorry little one, but I'm not your mother." It was so strange, but the look on the child's face sent sent a flash of pain through her heart. The way the already weak spark of life in his eyes dimmed even further was not something one should see on a child's face.

"Oh... okay..." Harry said quietly, looking away, ashamed he had done something wrong. Parasoul immediately regretted being so blunt with him, and wanted to place a comforting hand on his little frame, but with his injuries... she knew she couldn't. The ride was quiet, and colder than she wanted it to be. She simply watched the tiny boy who seemed to be trying to get some rest, but was still violently shaking from everything that had happened.

"Little one?" She spoke in a soft voice. "You're safe now. You'll be okay."

She grabbed his chin gently and tilted his head up to look at her. "I'm sorry, dear... Are you alright? Those beasts... They put you through a lot...didn't they...?" Harry whimpered softly and looked down. She hugged him tightly. "I assume they wouldn't let you cry...would they?" She wasn't surprised when he shook his head. They never do...

Parasoul frowned and gently pulled his head against her shoulder, "It's not good for a person to hold in their tears for so long, so take as long as you need." She gently rubbed his head as he started to tremble, he was still scared that he might get hit but she said it was ok. His self control began to weaken as tears spilled from his eyes and his tiny shoulders shook with silent sobbing.

Parasoul tightened her hold on the boy, hugging him as tightly against her breast as she could without hurting him, and gently stroked his back. "You're still holding back, little one... Don't. Let it all out. No one is going to hurt you... Just get all that pain out of your system."

Slowly, the dam broke, and Harry's crying became audible, it was still a heart wrenching sound but she had seen more than one person break after bottling up their emotions for too long. Parasoul lost track of time as she focused on comforting the child, much in the same way she did for her sister when she was young. But eventually Harry had exhausted himself both emotionally and physically and laid against her shoulder, barely awake while taking careful sips from a canteen offered to him by Parasoul.

Parasoul now noted that he was tiny... even smaller than he should be... either he was no older than a baby, or was malnourished. Considering the monsters who had him, she guessed the latter. She looked up for a moment, and didn't notice Harry subconsciously snuggle into her neck, most likely trying to find some kind of warmth. When she did notice, she blushed and felt a wide grin forming. The poor dear reminded her of Umbrella, when she used to get frightened during thunderstorms and would run to her side.

Actually, he was a lot like her sister... they both were smaller than expected, but had a sort of magic about them that made people love them. At least, she felt that way...

"Hmm... You're malnourished." She said softly. "Here..." She reached into a nearby bag and pulled out a small canteen of tomato soup. After dealing with so many incidents like this, she knew to always bring some light food to help their little tummies. Gently, she poured some of the soup down his throat.

She was unsurprised when he sleepily leaned against her shoulder after consuming the entire thermos and smiled as she gently wiped around his mouth, "There we go... Now then, it is a long drive back to the city, so you should get some rest." Harry nodded sleepily and drifted off against her shoulder in a matter of seconds. Parasoul sighed and gently rubbed his head as one of her Egrets leaned forward, excitedly holding a large stack of documents.

Parasoul smiled rather sadistically when she saw the documents, the same smile she always wore when she punished the scum in her kingdom. The egrets shuddered at her smile.

Her Egrets began to check their equipment, knowing that Parasoul would want to start the arrests immediately upon their return. Parasoul smiled down at Harry as he snoozed against her chest and she turned to look at Krieg where he sat beside her. "It seems we will be quite busy when we return, old friend."

Sighing softly, she focused her attention on little Harry. She remembered when he asked if she was his mother... Smiling mirthfully, she mused to herself that having a son like this boy would make any woman happy. ...Except, apparently, for his aunt... She scowled. She herself could not punish the Dursleys... All she could do was turn them in to their country.

She honestly hoped that Dudley would be taken in by a loving family when all was said and done because she had no doubts that both adult Dursleys would serve time in prison for this. With a sigh, she began to shuffle through the documents as she shifted Harry slightly to better hold him with one arm. For the most part, the names on the documents didn't surprise her, since she had pegged them as working with the Medici for some time now, it was just that the rats were good at hiding their tracks, so she couldn't find proof of their evil deeds, but now she finally had everything she needed to nail them to the wall and rip apart everything they owned to find further evidence.

She sighed softly and leaned her head back against her seat, thinking back to all the children who had suffered due to her family's inaction. Her parents were not perfect by any stretch of the word, and their neglect to stop this had caused so much pain... She herself had taken years to abolish the legalization of it.

Looking back at the boy, she noticed him shivering slightly. Reaching into a nearby compartment, she removed a small blue blanket, normally used to transport heavily injured children. Gently, she wrapped him up and hugged him close, gently patting his back to console him. Looking at him, it became apparent that he was abused long before the slavers got him...

Was this how she was ruling her kingdom? Just... letting children be harmed, burned, tortured... because she didn't do anything? She knew the answer was no. That there was much more at play and she had essentially inherited a dumpster fire which she had spent years putting out, and now the occasional fire flared up, but things were better.

But then she met a child like Harry, and she felt like she had utterly failed. That no matter how much good she did, it was never enough. She always let down her subjects...

What she didn't know, was that the tiny sleeping boy in her arm was currently dreaming of an angel who saved him. An angel who was his mo- no. His friend. An angel who cared for him, protected him, gave him tomato soup... and that meant more to him than anything anyone could think of.

Parasoul was analyzing Harry. He barely weighed anything at all in her arms and he was far too subdued for a child. Children were supposed to be loud and energetic and he was... not. He didn't even squirm in her arms, but some of that could just be the malnutrition and dehydration.

She thought back to when Umbrella was a little girl and noted the sheer contrast. There was little to no chance this boy would ever be a fraction as rambunctious and hard to deal with as her younger sister was. And that just felt wrong to her.

She sighed as she leaned back against the seat. Quite honestly, Harry's situation made no sense at all. How had no one thought to look in on him back in Britain, because one look at the Dursleys compared to him should have sent up numerous red flags. Honestly, with they way things were going, she might as well just take care of him herself, and that thought caused her eyes to snap open as she tried to figure out just where that came from.

'No...He...He's just an injured baby.' Parasoul thought, frowning deeply. 'Who wouldn't show compassion to someone this young?'

There was a pause, then:

'Okay. Dumb question. Who with half a brain wouldn't show compassion to the little one?'

Parasoul gently sighed, unsure of what her plan was. Get him bandaged up, that was certain, help re-habilitate him possibly? Maybe... But at the end of the day, who would take care of him? Umbrella was far too... immature... maybe Filia? The girl was always a compassionate soul, and she probably wouldn't have na issue taking in the little one.

She looked thoughtful and put a finger under her chin. She was far from against the idea of raising him... Yes, she had a busy schedule, but then, she always had a busy schedule, and she still managed to raise her rather bratty younger sister into a fine young lady who was... well, still a bit of a wild child, but responsible enough to run the kingdom at least.

...For a day or two at least, before she became frustrated with the officials... hopefully the trip back wouldn't take too long, because the last time Umbrella got fed up with the ministers, she arrived home to see several officials cornered by her sister who was threatening them with Hungern. Parasoul was drawn from her thoughts when she heard Harry whimper in his sleep and looked down to see him in the midst of a nightmare. Acting quickly, she shifted him so his head was on her shoulder and started rubbing his back while whispering in his ear.

He calmed down surprisingly quickly, and when she looked over at him, she found tears in his eyes. Sighing softly, she gently dabbed at them with a handkerchief and rubbed circles on his back to keep him comfortable as he slept, her efforts proving fruitful as he cooed adorably and snuggled closer, clutching at her sweater with his tiny fists.

That... Was not fair.

How could anyone be so adorable...

Parasoul shook her head, collecting her thoughts. Yes, that small gesture was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen, but then again, Harry probably wasn't doing it out of reflex or understanding, but more because he was a small child who had lost everything, and now just wanted someone, anyone, to hold him. Then again, she shuddered at the thought of what nightmares the poor thing must have been experiencing. On the one hand, he was so small and fragile, and sure, kids got scared easily. But Harry wasn't scared, he was scarred. It may have only been a few days in that horrible place, but those days must've felt like months...

And then the years he spent with his family must've felt like an eternity... No wonder he was having a nightmare right now.

But even still... He was very, VERY cute...

Parasoul smiled and begins to hum a melody once sung to her by her mother, rest her soul, and that she in turn sang for her sister when she was young. Her thoughts returned to caring for Harry herself, her sister would be overjoyed to have a nephew to share her ice cream with, and even the ministers would be relieved for her to have an heir. Quite honestly the only concern she had would be for her to spend time with him, but if it came down to it she could just make time for him.

She started to consider it, then thought about the alternative. Her raising him was certainly preferable to putting him in an orphanage... She studied him carefully and sighed softly at the horrors he had endured at such a young age. Then, she felt him stir, and he began to slowly wake up.

"..hm...wheami?" He mumbled. Slowly looking around in confusion, his eyes still roughly half-closed. "whahappn?"

"Hello love." She spoke in a gentle tone, smiling down at the tiny boy. She gently adjusted him again so he was hugged close. "Are you comfy?"

"Mmm." Harry mumbled, snuggling closer in her embrace and letting out a tiny yawn. He looked up with adoration and wonder in his eyes at the Princess.

"My name is Parasoul, what's yours?" She asked.

"H-Harry..."

A pothole in the road caused him to suddenly panic until she gently rocked him in her arms. After a few minutes, his breathing started to calm down and his eyes focused on her face. Parasoul smiled and gently moved his bangs from his forehead, while offhandedly noticing a rather unusual scar, before slowly shifting him so he was sitting on her knee with one arm supporting him.

"Good morning, dear... I hope you slept well... Heaven knows you needed it..." She said softly. He stared at her with wide, shocked eyes.

"Y-You're... real...?" He whimpered. "I thought you were a dream... And that I was gonna wake up... And I was gonna...be back...with them..." The way his voice broke was evidence he was going to cry.

She pulled him back into a hug and rubbed his back while gently shushing him, "It's ok Harry, I am very real, and those people can't hurt you anymore." What went unsaid was that she meant both the Medici thugs and his aunt and uncle. She leaned back with Harry once more clinging to her sweater with his tiny hands while sniffling with his head laying against her shoulder. Parasoul's resolve to care for him grew more firm as she came to an important conclusion... Harry needed someone to care for him, not to throw him in an orphanage with some three dozen other kids.

She looked over him and sighrd softly. He looked back and then at the floor. "D-Do I have to go back to my aunt and uncle...?" He asked quietly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. But she noticed and gently pressed her forehead against his.

"...Little one... I know they hurt you..."

Harry tensed up at remark.

"And you're never going back there." She said sternly, yet compassionately. "They're going away for the rest of their lives. They'll never hurt you again."

"Oh... okay." Harry said softly, looking up with wide emerald eyes at the princess. He seemed to understand, but also didn't at the same time. Her temper flared slightly at the thought of this little face being abused.

Harry flinched and closed his eyes, prompting her to continue, "What they did was wrong, and I won't let them hurt you again, and I promise that they will be punished for what they have done." Harry opened his eyes and she could see just how scared he was, but she could also see a little glimmer of hope as well. Parasoul smiled and hugged him gently against her chest, "Try to get some more rest, we still have a long ride ahead of us before we return to Canopolis."

He nodded his head slowly, then rested it against her chest, still holding on to the fear that she'd suddenly turn and get angry with him. She noted how tense he was and exhaled softly. "You poor dear... You're so young, yet you've already had to see the bleakest parts of our world..."

She cupped his face with one hand and gently rubbed his cheek with her thumb, slowly easing his worries. Parasoul smiled as she held him to her chest, "I'll be right here when you wake up, so try to get a little more sleep." Harry was still a little nervous, but the sound of her heartbeat lulled him back to sleep.

When she heard his soft snoring, she smiled gently, then looked out the window of the limo and frowned deeply. She prayed that all was going well back home.

Umbrella Renoir had grown into a fine young woman. She remained smaller than her older sister, maintaining a very petite size, yet also managed to maintain a similar figure to the elder princess. Her pink hair had grown out, now running freely down her back. She kept her traditional raincoat and boots, which stopped just above her thighs, and she kept her favourite rain hat as well.

She was in charge while her sister was out, and she had just been filled in on the allegations of the Dursleys. She was standing in front of their cell. Despite being a petite woman, she still managed to pull off a terrifying glare, which was amplified further by Hungern's hungry drooling.

Add to this a pair of guards walking by, one loading a shotgun with malicious intent, and the other one priming a chainsaw. From the fact that Umbrella didn't seem to notice or care about what they were doing, as well as the evidence found in the slaver base, as well as what Dudley had told Parasoul, the Dursleys knew this wasn't going to end well for them.

"You can't do this to us!" Vernon shouted for roughly the hundredth time in the past hour.

"We can. And did." Umbrella said, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "This is the best things will be for you two for the rest of your lives."

'Damn it... this isn't how it was supposed to be!' Petunia scowled, both angered and terrifed as one of the guards (with the chainsaw) walked past, and she swore she saw him look at her with a twisted gleam and tilted head, and say in a deep, rumbling voice:

"Tonight. YOU."

A freak would save them... they had to! That old man wouldn't let this happen to them if it meant losing Harry! Would he!?

Unbeknownst to all, a letter HAD arrived for Albus, and the headmaster wasn't going to see it for some time. Mostly because Minerva had accidentally been the recipient explaining what had happened and what was going to happen. While she was beyond furious, she knew that Albus would somehow find a way to make this worse, so she decided not to let him know.

Umbrella scowled. She didn't think they even knew why they were here.

"So you two are the scumbags that sold their own nephew into slavery?" Vernon's faced turned purple from rage even as Petunia went pale as a ghost.

"WHAT DID THAT BRAT TELL YOU?!" Vernon roared. Umbrella snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You mean your nephew? Uuuuhhh... He didn't tell us anything! Duh! He was a bit to busy being...y'know... a freaking SLAVE?!" Petunia slowly stood up.

"Wh-Where is my son...? My Dudley...?" Umbrella calmly looked at her nails.

"Under the custody of our top sniper and her husband. They'll raise him right, don't worry. You really messed that kid up y'know. Had an obesity problem at age five? That is not good parenting. Oh, by the way, has anyone ever told you two you're, like...REALLY ugly?"

"And it will be WORSE."

That did get Umbrella to turn around in annoyance, only to see one of the two guards who had walked by was gone.

"...Huh." She muttered, shaking her head. "But Ash is right. This is gonna get much, MUCH worse for you two. And there's no chance you're getting out from it."

A scout ran up, skidding to a stop and quickly handed her something before taking off once again. Umbrella read the message and nodded.

"Ash, I need to go talk with my sister. If they try anything, you know what to do."

Ash didn't speak in response, he simply laughed.

She smirked as Vernon flew into a rage before slamming Hungern's handle against the bars, causing the Dursleys to jump in surprise, "By the way, we've already reported you to the British authorities and they have already begun to investigate. I think you know what they found in the cupboard under the stairs." Umbrella walked away laughing while Vernon once more begian to rage while Petunia started to cry, and oh she couldn't wait until they could extradite them back to their country, she wasn't sure they had enough food to feed them.

She whistled cheerfully as she made her way back to the limo. The prisoners was the last thing on the to-do list her sister had left her, so now she could go back home and get some ice cream to celebrate a job well done. During the ride home, however, she started to think about the story little Dudley had told her, about the abuse little Harry had suffered.

She just couldn't understand, and quite honestly she really didn't want to, how someone could do that to a member of their family. That horse faced woman and Harry's mother were blood related sisters for goodness sake! Sure she and Parasoul had argued with one another in the past but they would never raise a hand against one another in anger, because family shouldn't hurt family. She sighed and rubbed her forehead as she flopped down on the wonderfully comfortable limo seats while turning her thoughts towards Dudley, because that poor kid had a long road ahead of him.

Shaking her head, she looked out the window, wondering how things were with her sister.

Back with Parasoul and Harry, Harry was just waking up from another nap.

"Mmm..." Harry mumbled, looking around in confusion, having forgotten what had been happening recently.

"Hello love." Parasoul smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"Uh..." Harry mumbled, looking around in confusion. He was also really comfortable, and didn't want to move because of it. Parasoul laughed gently and hugged him closer. Harry timidly snuggled a bit closer enjoying this feeling of warmth.

"You don't need to talk if you're not comfortable. You can rest easy now dear, Miss Parasoul will take good care of you."

"Thank...thankyou." Harry mumbled, looking up in adoration at the Princess. She felt her heart warm, this was the feeling that was telling her to take care of the poor dear. And now, she knew that's what was going to happen. Little Harry would have a life full of love, food, and hugs. Three things he clearly needed.

"Are you feeling better after your nap?" Harry shyly nodded his head as she slowly helped him sit up in her lap. It was actually fortuitous that Harry woke up when he did, because Canopolis was coming into view in the distance.

She gently rested his head up against her shoulder and gently patted his back. "You slept for such a long time... You must be so exhausted... You poor little dear..." He whimpered and clutched to her sweater with his tiny fists. She gave him a sad look. "...You're such an adorable child... How could anyone hurt you like that...?"

"I..iam?" Harry mumbled, surprised by the remark. Parasoul mentally groaned, hoping that he hadn't been damaged THIS way, but it was clear he had been.

"Of course you are dear." Parasoul smiled warmly at him. "You're just the cutest little sweetie pie I've ever seen~" Tickling Harry's chin, she smiled as he squirmed, giggling somewhat as he did so.

"Y..you really think I'm cute?" Harry blinked. "You don't think I'm a freak?"

'Oh... the poor dear...' She thought, realizing what had REALLY happened.

Parasoul sighed and gently rubbed his back. She could tell that it would take time before Harry would recover from what happened to him. She silently swore that she would be there for him every step of the way, and besides that, she knew Umbrella would be overjoyed to meet him as well. Her love of sweets and cute things were the only two things she never seemed to outgrow.

Harry buried his face into her chest and closed his eyes, savouring all the warmth and affection she showed him. He knew that she told him that she was not his mother... But he could still pretend she was... Because this was more or less exactly how she imagined a mother would treat him...

Parasoul gently placed a hand on his back, slowly rubbing it comfortingly. Harry let out a sweet coo and snuggled closer. That small action let Parasoul know she had been doing this correctly. With a grin, she pulled part of her cloak up and draped it over the small boy once more, giving him a improvised blanket. If it was comforting, she'd do it. Right now, it's what the poor thing needed more than anything. Aside from most likely therapy.

Parasoul smiled sadly as she held him tightly to her chest, he was completely starved of any form of affection. "Harry, I have some good news for you. We are almost back to the city, so we'll be able to get you some better clothes and some real food very soon," Harry looked up at her before quietly nodding his head.

She noticed the look of hesitation in his eyes and frowned softly. "You don't think you deserve it... Do you...?" Harry looked up at her, slightly surprised, then looked down and shook his head slowly. She sighed softly. "These monsters have poisoned your mind with awful lies, Harry..."

"Oh... okay." Harry timidly answered. He knew better than to question what an adult was saying, but now he felt like he had to. This pretty woman was saying his aunt and uncle were wrong... wrong to hurt him, wrong to tell him what he was or wasn't... he wanted to believe her, and did. Yes, he knew he shouldn't question what his family told him, but when the nice lady was telling him things as well, he didn't want to disbelieve HER as well. So, he went with the choice that involved the lady who was nice to him.

When he didn't respond, she held him close to her, "Harry, from now on I want you to try your best to ignore the lies they told you, ok? I have only known you for a short amount of time, but I can tell that you are a very good child and deserve to be happy. So please, don't let them tear you down anymore." Parasoul smiled when she saw Harry nod his head, it was a small step but it was a start.

She gently rubbed his head, smiling down tenderly at him. "You're so adorable..." She whispered softly. "How anyone could harm such a sweet thing is beyond me..." Harry looked up at her with those huge adorable eyes of his and clutchesd tightly to her dress.

"M-Miss Parasoul...? What's gonna happen to me now...?"

She smiled and gently rubbed his head to reassure him, "I've been thinking about that, and I wanted to ask you if you would like to stay with me? I have plenty of room in my home and it's mostly just me and my sister." She decided to leave out the fact she lived in the palace for the moment, she didn't want to overwhelm him with everything all at once.

However, the offer alone seemed to overwhelm the poor dear, as he looked up in astonishment. SHE wanted HIM to live with her?! He... no... why would she want a freak?

"Why...why would you want a freak?" He timidly asked, Parasoul blinked in shock, then sighed, having expected SOMETHING like this to occur. It was clear there was mental trauma, and even if she told him to ignore it, that wouldn't be enough. He needed reassurance more than anything.

"You are not a freak, Harry, and I would very much like to have you..."

Harry looked up at her with wide eyes, and she smiled back. "Y-You... You really want me...?" He asked softly. Parasoul tightened her hold on him and rocked him gently in her arms.

"Harry... You're a sweet, well-mannered and very cute child. Anyone should be honoured to have you as part of their family."

Harry teared up again before wordlessly hugging her as tightly as he could. Parasoul chuckled softly and wemt back to rubbing his back, "I guess that's a yes then." Harry just nodded his head, not wanting to let go of her.

She looked down tenderly at the overwhelmed little boy and rested her chin atop his tiny head. "You won't have to worry about anything more so long as I'm still standing... You will be fed... You will be properly cared for... You will never be hurt like that ever again so long as I have anything to say about it." She gently cupped his chin, tilted his head up to look at her, and gave him a warm, sincere smile. "Welcome to the Renoir family, Harry." Then, she gently kissed his forehead.

Harry seemed amazed, shocked and bewildered all at the same time. Amazed and shocked at the kingdom he was now in, with the cities lavish nightlife style, and bewildered as to what Parasoul just did. He had questions, but was afraid to ask, so he decided to let Parasoul do the talking. The princess picked up on this and smiled, albeit somewhat sadly.

"Don't worry dear, things will be getting much, much better for you from here on out." She promised.

She reclined in her seat with Harry held to her chest as they passed through the entrance of the capital. Her Egrets left to make preparations for the mass arrests that would occur later that day. After all, they needed to move fast to catch them or else the rats would flee their sinking ship.

She directed her Egrets to storm the various points, entrusting her best lieutenants to deal with any dangers the opposing side might throw their way, then looked down at Harry and nodded with a small smile. "Now then... Here's your lunch." She pulled out another soup canister. "I know you're likely tired of soup at this point, but your little tummy needs something that goes down easily."

She carefully poured Harry a mug of soup and held it to his lips after gently blowing on it. She smiled as Harry slowly drank every drop and even managed to drink a second mug as well. It would take some time for him to fully recover from all he had been subjected to but she would be right there with him every step of the way, now the problem was how was she going to tell her sister about this without her scaring Harry with her excitement?

She decided the best method is to call in advance. Grabbing her phone from her skirt pocket, she dialed Umbrella's phone number and waited for her to pick up. She heard the click, and then her sister's voice. "Heya, sis! I did everything you asked me to, don't worry about that!"

"Good..." Parasoul slowly said, trying to think of the best words to use.

"Uh... you alright sis? You have that 'nervous and unsure' tone again."

"I'm fine, it's- Wait. What tone?"

"Oh, sometimes you get this tone in your voice that makes it seem like you're really uncertain, and almost paranoid about things. I don't think it's bad, but it seems to be a good heads up that something happened. So... what happened this time?"

Parasoul blinked, unsure of what to say. Did she really have a nervous tone? She thought she had overcome that years ag- agh... what was she doing? She needed to focus on what was in front of her. Namely, Harry.

" I'm... bringing someone home with me." On the other end of the line, she heard something astonishing to her, Umbrella stopped eating the ice cream she was clearly snacking on the other side of the call.

"Uh... Sis, do you mean...?" Umbrella's voice trailed off, and Parasoul smiled softly.

"Yes, Umbrella... I'm bringing Harry back with me. I've... I've decided that I'm going to adopt him. After all... He's a very polite, well behaved young man... After raising you since you were a baby? Raising Harry will be oh so very easy."

Parasoul's smile widened when she heard an indignant squawk on the other end of the call, "I wasn't that bad!" She could even hear the pout in her sister's voice as she grumbled before asking, "When will you and Harry be arriving home?" Parasoul frowned slightly before taking a look around.

"It shouldn't be too much longer, maybe two hours at the most. Also, don't be surprised if a minister or two is suddenly arrested before I get home. We found a list of names during the raid and had to immediately act on it when we returned."

"Wow... Some of 'em were working right under our noses, huh? Well, better late than never I guess... Ugh... Even with all their best guys dead or resigned, the Medicis still find a way to be a pain in the butt... Guess it shouldn't be too surprising. They are pretty much cockroaches after all..."

"Yes... and it's time we deal with them." Parasoul said in a stern tone. She paused, then added: "I'm calling because I don't want you to terrify the little one when I get back. I know you can be... happy, to meet new people, but Harry needs a lot of help right now, so please... and I feel so odd saying this, don't be yourself."

There was silence, then an annoyed 'humph' from the other end of the line, and Parasoul smiled, knowing her sister was most likely pouting childishly right about now.

"You're mean." Was the response she got.

"Well, do you want to help the poor dear? After all he's been through?" Parasoul asked. She knew using Harry's pain was wrong, but right now... well, her sister could handle it.

"Again. You're mean."

Shaking her head, she continued the conversation with her sister. "I'll be back by the end of the night, Umbrella. You will get to meet Harry very soon." She chuckled softly. "You're going to adore him. He's a very cute, sweet little thing... A perfect little gentleman." Harry blushed at hearing this.

She tilted her head before adding one last request to her sister. "Before I go Umbrella, could you please acquire some clothing for Harry? He's currently wearing little more than some rags and a blanket at the moment." Harry perked up at the idea of new clothes and Parasoul smiled down at him.

She could already see the impish grin on her sister's face. "Oooh, I get to do the shopping, huh? All right, send me a picture of the kid and I'll be sure to pick out the cutest outfits I can find for him!" Parasoul nodded.

"Understood." She quickly snapped a picture of Harry with her phone before sending it to her sister.

Parasoul winced slightly when she heard Umbrella's confusion at the picture, "Wait that can't be right, why is he so tiny?" Umbrella expected Harry to be in rough shape but this was just absurd. Parasoul sighed and hugged Harry close.

"His condition was worse than we expected, and he was practically weightless when I found him."

"...oh."

There was something, almost broken, in her sisters voice. It was a tone Parasoul hadn't heard possibly ever. That signified just how shocked her sister truly was by what she was seeing, and that was shocking even to Parasoul.

"Alright, I'll get him some stuff to wear."

"Thank you." Parasoul nodded before hanging up, looking down at the tiny boy in her arms. Although at a first glance, he could be considered a baby he was so thin... "Are you still hungry dear?"

"Um. No thank you." Harry mumbled, feeling somewhat guilty about turning down her offer. Parasoul smiled and pulled him closer.

"Don't worry love, it's alright." She cooed softly.

She sighed softly. "That takes care of clothing for the moment. When we arrive we'll get you a nice, warm bath and then I'll bundle you up in some new pajamas." Harry smiled and relaxed against her chest, lightly dozing against her shoulder as the limo made its way deeper into the heart of the city.

He felt safe, and the longer she held him, the more attached he found himself getting. She may not be his mother, but she did all the things he'd want a mother to do. She held him, she comforted him, she fed him, she made him feel better about his awful life up to this point...

He started to close his eyes once more, but just before he completely nodded off, he said a word that brought Parasoul's thoughts to a sudden stop. "Mommy..."

She blinked, letting a soft gasp escape her lips as she looked down at the tiny boy. He was talking about her, there was certainly no other way of seeing that. Unless he was talking about his birth parents in his sleep, but regardless, from the way he had been acting, it was clear he saw her as some sort of parental figure. Parasoul finally smiled, letting a warm grin spread across her face. If that's what he saw her as, then so be it. She was going to take care of him, she was going to care for him. She was going to give him all the love and affection he could-

Well, she was going to be his mother.

Tightining her hold securely on him, she sighed contently, knowing that he probably hadn't realized he had said that word aloud and probably was nervous about saying it in front of her, so she'd pretend she hadn't heard it.

She'd already explained to him that she was not his mother. She was not the woman that gave birth to him. Yet... She would be the woman to raise him... To keep him fed and safe... To hold him when he cried, to celebrate special days with him, to make sure he grew into a good man...

If Harry wanted to call her his mom, then it would be his choice and when he wasn't still recovering from being tortured by slavers. She shifted Harry so his head was resting against her chest with her left arm wrapped around him. She carefully moved some of his messy hair out of his face before kissing his forehead.

The soft coo he let out at the display of affection made her tear up. Ordinarily, receiving something as simple as a kiss on the forehead would be seen as the norm for such a little child. But not Harry... The way he reacted, kisses seemed more like a foreign treat that was far out of reach.

That was a tragic idea to the princess. Even though her parents were often busy trying to rule the kingdom and deal with the general insanity that the life of a royal entailed, they always had time to show affection to their children. It was heart-breaking, but understandable, as to why Harry seemed to be like this. The only physical contact he seemed to have been given was beatings, he never received any sort of verbal affirmation, only insults, and the first people he met who WEREN'T his awful family... tortured him for laughs.

She sighed, grinding her teeth somewhat at the thought of what the poor dear had gone through at that living nightmare... Still, that was dealt with. He was safe now...

She thought to the pair who had led them there, it was a mistake as simple as speeding that changer her life forever... And the surprising compassion of a criminal. Or the guilty conscious of one. Then again, she hesitated calling Guzz a criminal. Yes, he did bad things and had been arrested for it in the past, but from what Parasoul herself had seen, he really didn't have much choice. It was just the neighbourhood he lived in required certain... aspects to be focused on, rather than other more positive ones.

She sighed through her nose. Guzz always refused her offers to join the Egrets... This time, she would make him join as his punishment for his hand in this mess...

Then her mind drifted to the ones ultimately responsible for it all... The aunt and uncle.

She decided to confront Vernon and Petunia after she returned to get to the cause of all this. You don't just decide to treat your own nephew like a slave and a punching bag out of the blue. More than that, why had Harry been placed when them in the first place when they clearly didn't want him?

She narrowed her eyes at that last part, unable to come to any conclusion other than gross negligence on someone's part, and as a result of their incompetence, a little boy had to suffer terrible pain, both physical and emotional. Oh, she had a few choice words for them...

Meanwhile in a very old castle in Scotland, one Albus Dumbledore felt like someone had just stepped on his grave. He turned to check the devices he had created to monitor Harry, and while Harry appeared to be fine, the signal indicated he was out of the country. He shrugged, assuming he was just on a holiday with his aunt and uncle.

He then donned a very concerned expression. Due to the many jobs he worked, he never really found the time to check on Harry. Yet for some reason, every time he did remember the boy, he got an awful feeling that he'd made a grave error in judgement. "...I must check on Harry come the weekend..."

Minerva somewhere in the castle, lightly sneezed.

Back with Parasoul, the car came to a stop and she felt relieved to finally see her home.

"Alright dear, we're home." She spoke softly, stirring Harry from his nap. The tiny boy looked around then up at Parasoul.

"Wha?" He murmured, the messy word coming out as an adorable squeak. Grinning, Parasoul gestured out the window to the large castle-mansion that was her place of residence. It also got a very noticable reaction out of Harry. His eyes lit up in amazement, then she frowned when she saw his face fall. "I...I have to clean all that?"

Parasoul frowned and shook her head. "No, dear...We have others for that... The servants are responsible for cleaning the palace, not you... Just relax now..." She whispered.

The limo made its way to the garage from a side entrance. She knew for a fact that the paparazzi practically camped out outside the main gates when she had to leave the city, and to keep them from doing anything too extreme she would normally play along and let them get a few pictures of her. However, there was absolutely no way she would let them do that with Harry right now, she wasn't going to let some gossip rag put the eyes of everyone in the kingdom on him.

No, he would be revealed to the kingdom on HIS terms and nobody elses. As the limo was shrouded in darkness, she heard Harry whimper and tightened her hold on him. The two had spent time talking, and she'd learned many things about him... Including a deep fear of the dark.

"Aw, it's alright love." She cooed softly, holding him close, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm here, you have nothing to be afraid of."

"W..when it was dark... that happened before I'd get hurt..." Harry whimpered, trying to explain himself. The princess bit her lip and sighed, rubbing his back in a soothing manner.

"You have my word little one, you won't EVER be hurt while you're here." She said matter-of-factly. "I know the dark can be scary, but don't worry. I've got you."

While it didn't remove his fears, her words did more than she understood to the small boy. Who blinked then nuzzled closer, letting himself relax ever so slightly. He still didn't like the dark, and felt fear creeping around him, but at least he felt somewhat secure in Miss Parasoul's arms.

Holding him close, she gently kissed his forehead before whispering softly in his ear, letting him know that he wasn't alone in the dark and that nothing could hurt him while she was there for him. Slowly, Harry's breathing started to even out as the lights slowly came on, revealing the many vehicles owned by the royal family. Quite a few were actually gifts, but she would be lying if she said a few weren't her own personal additions to the collection.

He relaxed into her embrace and rested his head against her breasts, eliciting a small coo from the redhead as she rose to her feet and stepped out of the vehicle. "Egrets... Dismissed." Her men saluted and retreated to her quarters, leaving her alone with Harry. Smiling softly down at him, she made her way to the stairs.

The stairwell in question was a direct route to the floor where the royal family's personal rooms were located, and only a few people besides herself and her sister could access it. The stairs ended at a shared living area where Umbrella was waiting, impatiently drumming her fingers on a coffee table with a bundle of clothes next to her. Her expression brightened when she saw her sister and the child in her arms, "I'm guessing the vultures were parked outside since you took the stairs." Parasoul nodded as she sat down in her favorite chair.

"I think I actually recognized a few of the more persistent ones, in particular the really greasy one that tried to get photos of us with the telescopic lens."

Both princesses found themselves often suffering the misfortune of being seen as eye candy by many of their subjects. Umbrella rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Ugh... Remember when I used to say I wanted to grow up to have a hot body like yours? Well, I'm glad I do, but man, it can be a PAIN sometimes."

"We are our mother's daughters." Parasoul chuckled softly.

"Yeah, yeah. So... is this the little cutie pie?" Umbrella asked, smiling down at Harry, who shrank deeper into Parasoul's arms, trying not to be seen. "Aww! He's so adorable!"

"He is, isn't he?" Parasoul smiled warmly, giving Harry a affirming squeeze. "Harry? This is Umbrella, my little sister."

"H..hello..." Harry stammered out, giving a very nervous wave to the younger woman, who's eyes quickly seemed to be turning to hearts at the small boy in her sisters' arms. And it became a real struggle not to burst with excitement.

"So how's it feel to be a proud mom?"

Parasoul shook her head lightly, "Guardian and caretaker, yes, but mom... Harry will make that decision whether he wants to call me mom or not." Umbrella smiled sadly and walked over to place a hand on her shoulder.

"You're not replacing his mom, sis, you're just... picking up where she left off. I'm sure she would have gladly picked you over his aunt and uncle."

Parasoul smiled softly down at the little boy in her arms. "He thought I was his mother when he first saw me... I believe I may bear a passing resemblance to his mother..." Umbrella grinned.

"Bet she had your red hair." She suggested. Parasoul looked at her.

"Yes, I believe that makes sense."

Harry remained quiet unsure of how to react. Miss Parasoul had heard him call her mama? He didn't realize he had said that out loud! But she didn't seem upset, in fact, she seemed to be telling him it was okay to call her that. Did that mean she was his mama? Harry didn't know, he was so confused...

Parasoul noted this and smiled sadly at him, giving him a gentle squeeze then slowly passing him to Umbrella.

"Why don't you meet my sister, love?" She said sweetly, grinning at the frightened squeak Harry let out as he was wrapped up in Umbrella's arms.

"Aww! He's so widdle and sweet!" She cooed playfully, hugging Harry close. "I just wanna snuggle the widdle baby!"

Harry could only shyly look away from her, unused to so much praise.

Umbrella giggled, then flipped him over so she was cradling him like a baby and rocked him back and forth in her arms. "Aww man, I wish I'd gone and gotten him... I totally would have loved to take the little guy!" She pouted slightly. "But now he's all imprinted on you. Such a total bummer."

Parasoul smiled and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, "You say that like you won't be able to see him every day from now on. Don't forget that I will also need someone I can trust to watch him if I have to be away from the city, and who can I trust more than my own sister?" Umbrella grinned cheekily at her sister before a grandfather clock began to chime, singnaling that the hour was growing late, "Welp, it's getting close to bedtime, and that means a certain someone needs a bath so he can get in his jammies."

Harry still seemed completely bewildered by the last remark, and the two women realized that this was something new to him... Umbrella just hugged him a bit tighter at that, perhaps a bit too tight, but Harry knew she was trying to be nice.

"C'mon love, let's get you cleaned up." Parasoul ordered. After everything Harry had been through over the past few days, she knew he needed a bath more than anything right now. Hopefully it'd help calm his nerves somewhat as well.

Umbrella grinned widely. "Oh, you are gonna LOOOOVE the adorable pajamas I picked out. Heh... Got some nice onesies and everthing... Oh yeah , some cute footie jammies too, heh..."

Parasoul smiled as she guided Umbrella to the bathroom as she kept her full focus on Harry. Thankfully it seems the maids were once again one step ahead of her and a bath had been drawn for Harry. The young queen could only shake her head in amusement, sometimes her staff seemed to be able to predict what she and her sister would do before they even knew what they would do.

Parasoul gently set Harry into the tub. A servant approached to wash him, but she turned and shook her head. "You may retire for the night, Christine. I will bathe this child myself."

The servant nodded and left. Turning back, Parasoul felt her eyes widen as she saw the reddish-brown tint now staining the water. Harry was looking up at her, clearly frightened he had done something wrong, but a reassuring smile calmed those fears.

"Oh you poor baby..." she cooed softly, beginning to gently scrub the boy, trying her best to clean his injuries without irritating them further.

"Princess, are you sure I can't help?" Christine asked, clearly taken with the cute boy.

"I am the caretaker, it is only proper that I do it." Parasoul explained.

Christine actually pouted and opened her mouth to protest, but a stern look from Parasoul stopped her and caused her to sulk as she left the bathroom. The young queen sighed and shook her head in amusement, apparently she was going to have to keep the maids from crowding Harry tomorrow. Meanwhile Harry was slowly relaxing in the warm waters, it was his first time in a bath that wasn't either scalding hot or bone chilling cold.

She grabbed a loofah and very carefully scrubbed him down, taking great care not to aggravate his injuries. She smiled softly at how relaxed he was at the warm water. After she was finished cleaning him off, she opted to let him soak for a little bit, even adding a few of Umbrella's old bath toys.

Harry's giggles as he softly squeezed a rubber ducky brought a smile to her face. A few colorful boats bobbed around as well after Parasoul gave them a gentle nudge. She frowned slightly as she washed Harry's hair, she would have to arrange for a trim because while the shaggy look was cute on him it really needed to be shaped up.

Still, that could wait. The poor thing needed a number of things first a lot more than a haircut, and being cleaned was one of them. She remembered when Umbrella was a little girl, and how she was... a handful, to be truthful, when it came to bath time. She chuckled gently, remembering one time when half the wall somehow managed to get bubble bath water on it up to the ceiling.

"There we are, nice and clean." Parasoul smiled down at Harry, continuing to wash his hair, scrubbing the grime and soap out of his long black hair.

"Thank you." Harry smiled up at her, keeping his eyes shut to keep soap out from his eyes.

She looked over his tiny, frail body and felt her chest clench slightly at his injuries and scrawny frame. It was truly despicable how anyone could ever look at that little face and still find it in them to harm Harry... The first thing she was going to do when she put him to bed was go and have a 'chat' with the Dursleys.

Soon, Harry was done, and the water had just started to cool down, so Parasoul gently picked Harry up and wrapped him in a massive, fluffy towel. The only part of him visible was his little face as the towel swaddled him almost completely. Harry giggled uncontrollably as she bounced him lightly in her arms.

The sound warmed her heart, and she gently kissed his cheeks and forehead, smiling warmly at him. "You're such a precious thing... I'm very glad I decided to take you in..." She said softly as she hugged him close to her chest. He responded by snuggling in closer and closing his eyes.

It was clear he thought the same, and Parasoul sighed contently, rubbing the bundle's back affectionately. This was so odd to her... essentially being a parent, again? She hadn't expected to do so after Umbrella turned eighteen or so... but if this child needed a parent, that's what she'd be.

When she arrived at her room, she saw the bags of clothes, with one small outfit folded on the pillow. Smiling, she picked it up in one hand, holding Harry in the other arm, and set to slipping him gently into it. When the whole thing was on, he looked like a tiny koala. She rolled her eyes somewhat, knowing her sister could still be childish, but at the same time... he was adorable.

She chuckled and made her way to her bed. Umbrella had told her about one last surprise she had prepared for Harry for when it was finally time to sleep. Sitting innocently on her bed was a freshly washed teddy bear and a blanket that were both very familiar to Harry, and next to them was Umbrella who was also dressed in her pajamas.

No matter how old Umbrella got, she always insists on wearing her panda onesie to bed. The pinkette grinned at Harry's wide-eyed, joyful expression. "Yep, these are your old things, Harry. Had a couple Egrets go over to the old place and get them back for ya." Harry outstretched his arms, wanting to hug her and thank her.

Parasoul places Harry in her sister's arms. Umbrella cooed as Harry hugged her as tightly as he could with one arm while the other held his teddy and blanket to his chest. He thought he would never see them again after the bad people got him.

"Thank you..." He said quietly, his voice threatening to break down in tears. Both women smiled sadly at that, and Umbrella gave him a gentle hug.

"Aw, no problem sweetie." She cooed softly, nuzzling the top of his head. "You're such a sweet thing, I'm more than happy to help you find your old things."

Harry held the teddy bear close and seemed to sink somewhat into the pillow he was lying against. It was clear he was losing a battle against sleep and eventually he conceded, giving into sleep.

"...Listen..." Umbrella slowly began. "If you want, I can stay here tonight. Or at least while you go..."

Parasoul shook her head. "No need. I will be enough, I think... Thank you, Umbrella... It was very thoughtful of you to bring Harry's belongings back to him." The pink-haired sister smirked and ruffled his hair. "Heh... Was nothing, big sis. Just a quick trip and it was done. Bet he's glad they're nice and clean. They deserved a nice bath too, since they stuck by him through thick and thin." Then she kissed his forehead.

Harry just cooed before burying his face in his teddy, no matter what his teddy and blankie always came back to him. Even when his uncle tried to destroy them or get rid of them they always showed back up in his cupboard before he finally got locked back inside. It was the one part of the freaky stuff that he was always happy about.

Umbrella smiled and took a seat with him. She looked up to talk to her sister, only to see she had left. She took a brief moment to wonder where her sister was before realizing she was probably giving the Dursleys a piece of her mind. Indeed, Parasoul was in the castle dungeons, where the Dursleys were transported for their deportation back to their country tomorrow. But they would not be getting off without talking with her.

The better news was not only were they going down for child endangerment and attempted second-degree murder, but there was a number of other cases filed against them back in London, and now with THIS being brought down on top of them, they were going to be buried, and there was no chance they'd be getting out of it.

Entering the dungeon, she heard the faint sounds of chains rattling, a man and a woman arguing, and someone talking with an Egret. As she passed by, she noticed one of the guards was talking with Guzz, who was lying on the prison cot as if he was on vacation. The panther nodded at her and she wordlessly nodded back, knowing why she was here.

"You two." she growled when she arrived at the last cell.

Krieg was resting on her shoulder as she marched down the stone corridor, her high heels echoing like gunshots with every step. She tried her best to keep her anger from showing as she mentally prepared herself to finally get some answers. She wasn't leaving until she finally knew why they were able to sell off their nephew so callously.

When she reached their cell, she was darkly satisfied to hear the wife's crying. She stepped up to the cell and scowled darkly. "I trust you understand what I'm here for." She planted the tip of her weapon in the ground menacingly. "I'm going to ask you this once... Tell me everything. Leave out no details."

Vernon snarled heedless of the strange umbrella in her hands, that he could swear was glaring at him, "And what gives you the right to demand anything of us, you harlot!" Parasoul patiently waited out his continued ranting and insults as he got closer and closer to the bars of his cell, before suddenly reaching through them as quick as a striking cobra and bouncing his thick skull off the bars. She was idly impressed that this barely dazed him before retorting, "I am Parasoul Renoir, Queen of the Canopy Kingdom, and mark my words you will tell me what I want to know," her words were punctuated by Krieg's eyes glowing and the temperature of their immediate surroundings jumping twenty degrees.

"W..what do you want?!" Petunia shrieked. Horrified to see another 'freak' and also knowing they were royally (quite literal in this case) screwed.

"Harry, the little boy I've found in a SLAVER SHOP. Why did you sell him like some sort of animal!?"

Admittedly, she didn't like using the term 'like an animal' due to some of her kingdoms population being animals. Or, well, 'Ferals'. Thankfully, the only ones here presently were Lobo, Guzz, and one of the Egret's, who knew what she was saying and remained silent. "And don't think you can claim you didn't know what you were doing. Multiple accounts say you knew what was happening and had no second thoughts abuot it."

"Says who!?" Vernon roared, briefly forgetting who he was talking to about what he was talking about, and who else was nearby.

"Hey." Guzz casually waved from his cell. Then remembered the stone walls between the cells and stopped, going back to his rest and incarceration.

"And your own son." Parasoul added. "And before you ask, you will not be seeing him again. He has been taken by protective services and will be given a home with parents who actually give a damn about him."

Petunia burst into tears as Vernon growled. "How DARE YOU! We love our Dudley with all our heart!"

"Yet you saw no issue with his obesity problrm." Parasoul all but spat before closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead. "But...what's important right now is your nephew, Harry, and the damage you've done to him."

Vernon snarled in rage, and she glowered back. "If you refuse to tell me, I have ways of making you speak. I've faced trained warriors and some of the most horrific criminals you've ever met. An obese man and his frail wife? I'm far from intimidated... I am well aware that you harmed him... You are going to explain to me how and why... Or you will be returned home with every bone in your body shattered."

Unable to take the pressure of the situation, combined with Parasoul's resemblance to her deceased sister, Petunia finally broke down. It was clear she was still blaming Harry for their misfortune, but a few nuggets of unbiased truth were sprinkled in. 'He was dropped on the doorstep, with nothing but a note to explain why, and a blanket to shield him from the cold, in November?!' She only knew of one group that would do something so foolish in Britain.

She sighed softly and motioned for them to go on. She listened with an unreadable expression as Petunia blurted out everything they did to the boy. The hundreds of beatings, the weapons, the time spent outside in the harsh elements with no protection, the dog maulings, the attempted drownings during baths in hot or cold water, the burnings on the stovetop, the time she made him drink cleaning chemicals... All of it... Parasoul did not emote, but her rage was seen in the way she presented herself.

"...I can't guarantee your survival." She finally snarled. "Once you've finished your time here you are returning to Britain, and there are many, MANY charges laid against you two. Not just for what you did to my s- Harry."

The cold tone and blazing eyes made both adults know that their lives were over. Even if they returned to England, they weren't going to have a normal life ever again. Even if they begged that old freak to save them, it was clear he'd probably throw them into freak prison for what they did to Harry... This was it. All their abuse, all their sins, all of it, exposed for the world to see, and reprehension was latching onto them and dragging them down into an endless pit of misery and eventual death.

"This is the last time we will see one another. And it is the last time you will ever see Harry, or your son. May you both burn in hell till the end of time."

Frankly, the thing that scared Vernon and Petunia most was how cold and angry she was.

It wasn't something tangible but the sheer force of her will and presence bearing down on them. It wasn't the first time she had cowed someone into submission. In fact it was a skill she had learned directly from her father and further honed during her rule.

"You two are completely and utterly deplorable. Your mere existence is a blight on this very planet. Of all that have been in these dungeons, never have I held any in higher contempt than you two. It is taking all of my willpower not to beat you to within an inch of your life myself. To... To TORTURE a member of your FAMILY... YOUR FAMILY! Inexcusable!"

She turned away from them in utter disgust, "I can't even bear to look at the two of you anymore. Thankfully, arrangements have already been made and the two of you will no longer be my problem anymore after tomorrow." She ignored Petunia's screeching pleas for her son although she idly noted her pet name for him, 'Dudders, did she actually call him that in public?'

'She not only set him up for a life of humiliation because of his weight, but because of his damn name...'

As she walked away, she ignored the angered screeching coming form behind her, she passed an Egret and nodded, wordlessly telling them to keep on guard. No one in here could pose any real threat, but that wasn't an excuse to be lazy. She came to a stop and noticed Guzz tense somewhat.

"I'm only going to offer this to you once. Will you join the Egrets?" She asked.

"What... what the hell is wrong with you?" Guzz shook his head, sitting up. Parasoul was taken aback by his blunt statement, but said nothing. "I stood by time and again letting others get hurt because I refused to help. Now you want to offer me a damn job? the people we've hurt are the ones you should care for! That kid is the one you should care for!" Shaking his head, his tone lowered somewhat: "I had my chance, and my second. I didn't care, I didn't do anything..."

He sighed shaking his head before finally adding:

"Tell the kid I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let this happen. I don't expect him to forgive me, but I doubt I can forgive myself at this point."

Parasoul nodded, silently leaving the dungeon. The words 'The ones we hurt' felt like a stab to her gut... How many more where there? How many more children had been taken? Tortured? Had died?! No. If she let herself get dragged into the guilt of the bad blood that existed in her kingdom, nothing would get better. Right now, she had stopped a major organization, and Harry was safe, those are what mattered most right now... She needed to check on the little boy...

She maintained her professional demeanour until she passed a bathroom. She entered the bathroom to vent her true emotions.

She glared down at the sink and the cold water pouring out of it. She tried to control her breathing and regain some semblance of calm, she couldn't let Harry see her like this. She refused to scare him like those animals had.

It took her several minutes to process that she was crying. She took time to compose herself and dry her tears. She forced the thoughts of a terrified, injured Harry out of her mind and made her way back to her room. Right now, all she wanted was to give the boy a big hug until he knew everything was okay.

As she approached her room, she noticed faintly a light was on, and she remembered she hadn't left that one on. Entering her room, she found Umbrella sitting against the headboard, Harry now tucked in her arm at her side, once again sleeping peacefully while her sister was rubbing his cheek affectionately. The other thing she noticed was Harry was still aggressively twitching every now and then.

"Hey." Her sister whispered to her, somewhat awkwardly. "Uh. It's bad. Like, really, really bad."

Parasoul's whole demeanor deflated as she approached, seeing Harry's face was stained with tears, most of which Umbrella had wiped away, and several lipstick marks covered his face.

"He... oh geez, he was having the worst nightmare I'd ever seen. He looked like he wanted to scream, but was too afraid to do so. When I finally got him to wake up, he was just quiet. He said he was fine and wanted to go back to sleep. I kissed his precious widdle face to try and cheer the cutie up." She smiled gently squeezing the sleeping boy like a stuffed animal. "But nothing."

Parasoul's mouth formed into a thin line as she processed this information. With a sigh, she quickly changed for bed, wearing a short nightgown that somehow showed off more leg than her usual outfit, and returned to where Umbrella was cuddling Harry. Wordlessly, she reached for him. Umbrella got the message and handed him over, causing him to jolt awake upon being in someone else's arms. He perked up when he saw her, but quickly picked up on her being upset, "M-miss Parasoul, is something wrong?" Umbrella was concerned as well until her sister shook her head and held Harry close in a hug.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, just finishing up a few things at the last minute before bedtime."

Umbrella caught on through her sister's body language that she would like to have a moment alone with Harry. "All right, I'mma go turn in. Night, sis, Feel right at home here, Harry." And with that, she made her leave, leaving Harry and Parasoul alone in the latter's bedroom.

With a sigh, Parasoul reclined against the headboard with Harry still in her arms. Honestly, the entire mission to save Harry and the other children and the return hadn't been nearly as exhausting as dealing with the Dursleys. She was still trying to sort out what had actually been the truth and what had been Petunia blaming someone else for her problems.

However, that was not what was important to her at the moment. What was important to her was that Harry had suffered for a prolonged period of time, and now she had chosen to take on the task of easing his pain, both physically and emotionally. Sighing softly, she kissed his head. "...The Dursleys told me everything."

"Oh." He whispered.

"Listen, I understand it's painful, and it's horrific what they did to you." She began slowly. "Those monsters abused you for reasons I can't understand, and I doubt you do either, but I want you to know that you're safe now."

Harry looked up at her, remaining silent.

"I promise you'll never be hurt by them again, and you'll be taken care of from here on out. I understand what you went through was traumatic, so please, when you have nightmares, or you get scared, don't blame yourself. Come find me and I'll help you in any way I can."

She felt Harry tense up in her arms as she continued. "I promise you, they can't hurt you anymore." She placed his head on her shoulder and started to rub his back, "Tomorrow morning they will be sent back to Britain for their trial and they will not get away with what they have done to you, but if you want to talk about it I'm right here, ok?" Harry silently nodded his head before burying his face in her shoulder.

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, neither really knowing what to say, until Harry spoke up. "They hurt me... They hurt me so bad... Why...? Why did they hurt me...? Why did they hate me so much...? I tried to be good... I tried so hard..." And then he broke down crying.

Parasoul silently rocked him in her arms as she let him get it all out. From what she had heard from those two, this had been bound to happen for a while now. Harry had never been allowed, and didn't that just make her furious, to express his feelings or even shed so much as a tear where they could see or hear him.

Why did someone so innocent and pure have to be subjected to so much hardship? She understood some people believed bad things happened to good people to make them stronger, but Parasoul didn't believe that. If that was the case, Harry would essentially become God by the time this was all said and done. Something she did consider however, was that through his pain, and through his abuse, he was brought to her. That was something she held in very high regard.

"It's alright, let it all out..." She cooed softly.

Harry continued to let his built up emotional baggage out, feeling himself smaller and more fragile than ever before, but in that feeling, he saw Miss Parasoul as someone he adored even more. She held him close, and wasn't mean to him. He believed her when she said he wouldn't be hurt, but that didn't change that he WAS hurt.

Parasoul waited patiently for him to cry himself out before carrying him into the bathroom and filling a small cup with water, which she gave him to rehydrate. After he drank his water, she cuddled him close and rubbed his back. "You've suffered far too much for one so small... But you're home now... You will be raised well here..."

Harry sniffled and hugged her back before speaking in a voice so soft she almost missed it, "Promise?" Parasoul leaned down to kiss his forehead before whispering in his ear.

"I promise, Harry." She started to softly sung a lullaby for him and he quickly began to nod off Into dreamland.

She felt him fall into a deep slumber in her arms, and she smiled sadly, gently adjusting her hold on him so that she was cradling him like a newborn baby tightly against her bosom. She gently rocked him back and forth as she carried him to her bed, getting the both of them tucked in.

The warm blanket seemed to envelop them both, Harry disappearing completely under it. When Parasoul lifted the blanket up, she was greeted with the sweet sleeping face of Harry, breathing peacefully, and snoring ever so slightly. She re-adjusted the blanket to take Harry into account, and wrapped her other arm around him. She sighed in content as she felt herself fading into sleep, knowing she had done her best to begin helping the poor dear and that tomorrow would have challenges, but she'd face them nonetheless.

She kept Harry curled up on her chest like a slumbering kitten. After all, he was so light it was like resting a pillow on her chest. She would need to take him to a physician soon to see about what they could do to get him to a healthy weight.

She kissed his head, then spent about three minutes gently stroking his hair in an attempt to keep any nightmares at bay, sighing sadly at the thought of all he'd been through. He was far too young to see the darkest aspects of this world... She heard him mumble "Mama" in his sleep before resting his head on her breasts like a pair of pillows.

That was the second time she had heard him mumble that word just before he fell asleep, and once again it sent a burst of warmth through her chest. A part of her desperately wanted him to say that to her while he was lucid. To call out to her not as his guardian but as his mother.

But she also knew he had lost his mother, and perhaps he saw a resemblance in her to her deceased family. Either way, it was a sweet and adorable gesture that Harry probably didn't even know he was doing. But for now, she'd be his guardian angel, she'd feed him, bathe him, play with him, kiss him, show him all the love anyone could want. And maybe someday he would come to see her as his mother, or at least, some sort of parental role.

She felt something warm inside her at the thought of it, and she sighed happily, giving him one last kiss as she drifted off. Finding herself awakening in a dream, seated under a tree on a blanket. An adorable, precious little bundle sitting on her lap.