Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 3: Dudley gets his Payback

“Get up!” Shouted Aunt Petunia while pounding on the door.

Nova hated mornings and was surely tested. Granted she had been up a might bit later than she should have. Even so, she had a role to play.

“I’m up!” Nova called back as she lifted herself out of that cot. That thing desperately needed some cloud padding. She pulled on the clothes that were available, put on her glasses, and exited to a rather stern-looking Aunt Petunia who marched her into the kitchen. Aunt Petunia seemed to think Aerie was a short-order cook, and Nova had little choice but to oblige. When Dudley came down he decided he wanted chocolate chips in his pancakes.

Nova came really close to telling him he couldn't have any until she remember the ‘do not eat’ chocolate Mealworm had pointed out. Mealworm had recounted the harrowing experience they’d had after being tricked into eating a whole bar by Dudley.

Nova had to hold back an evil grin as she chopped up the ‘do not eat’ chocolate, and Dudley, true to form managed to eat every last bit.

Oh, and when it was time to go to school Aerie was expected to walk while Dudley was given a ride every morning. Nova cleaned up the kitchen, went to her cupboard, grabbed her shoulder bag, and stuffed all her books into it along with anything that looked like it might be school related. She put the bag over her neck, her sweat jacket over that, and was out the door a couple of minutes later. Oh, and breakfast, she’d managed to sneak a fair amount of food while cooking. Which was a good thing because Vernon Dursley was set on denying Aerie food as punishment.

“Good morning Aerie,” Mrs Figg offered from her porch. Something she did every morning. Nova had asked how the Lings got along with the cats and had been told that the cats were fine with them.

“Good morning, Mrs Figg,” Nova offered as she walked past.

“Where are your books?”

“They’re in my bag, don’t worry.”

“Your bag?”

“Under my sweat jacket. Given to me yesterday by the oddest man. I can fit all manner of things in it. Best not tell the Dursleys, they’d be downright apoplectic if they were to find out.”

“I, um… yes, I imagine they would,” Mrs Figg replied and then hurried back inside.

“Reporting to Dumbledore, is it, Mrs Figg?” Nova quipped as she continued down the lane.

As for school, Nova was about a block away from school when she found her path blocked by Dudley and his gang of young Republicans.

“I’m going to have words with you,” Dudley all but spat out as Nova approached. “You made me look bad.”

“Dudley, the only one making you look bad is you,” Nova informed him as she took off her glasses and put them in her bag.

Dudley started forward, fist slapping his palm, “I am going to teach you a lesson you’ll not soon forget you freak!

One of Dudley’s friends rushed forward and dropped to hands and knees right behind her, Nova knowing full well what was meant to happen, dropped on top of him driving her elbow into his back with enough force to drive his arms and legs out from under him, his face hitting the pavement. She then rolled off, got back to her feet, spun, and sent the boy on the ground flying as he was getting up with a well-timed roundhouse kick. Two more boys rushed in with clumsy fists flying only to be blocked and sharply corrected by some incredibly fast hand moves. Another boy got a knee to the groin and Dudley…

Dudley was struck with a look of absolute horror, turned, and actually ran for the relief of the school. The School toilets to be exact.

“Come back here, you fecking coward!” Nova yelled even as she fended off another advance. Granted that she knew full well the real reason he was running. “I’m sick and tired of your bullshit!”

“Stop it right now!” Shouted a man as he and a couple of police officers approached on foot. Nova wasn’t ready to stop though. She sucker punched one lad, and bitch slapped another. Even as the men were trying to restrain the boys, Nova grappled with a boy and drove her knee into his gut over and over.

Only when he dropped did she stop.

“It’s over, calm down.” It was Detective Nissim.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Nova wailed. Willing up the waterworks wasn’t that hard given how frustrated she was with Discord’s actions. Surely Discord had but to snap a finger and Riddle would no longer be an issue, but no…

“Every single day. I’m nothing more than a slave and should I dare to get out of line…”

There were people from the school there now, and several of Nova’s victims would definitely be going to the infirmary if not to the hospital as they were taken to the school.

“OK, OK, get it together,” Detective Nissim encouraged.

“Any chance you can get me away from the Dursleys?” Nova asked.

He squat down in front of her and in a soft voice asked, “Wouldn't that jeopardize your mission?”

“All I had to do here was establish my identity. I am Aerie, but there was someone else standing in for me. It’s complicated and there are things I can’t talk about. The Dursleys have nothing to do with my goal. They are just …” She took a deep breath. Weaving half-truths together into a coherent back story on the fly did require concentration. “..and the way they treat Aerie Potter, that is me now... my mission is in serious jeopardy. I sleep in a cupboard under the stairs on a cot. I seem to be a short order cook and general house servant, and as Mr Dursley is mad at me I’m not allowed to eat right now. I honestly thought I could do it, but… I don’t want to go back.”

“Are you saying they aren’t feeding you?”

“I’m resourceful, but no, they are not feeding me. I have to help myself when they aren’t watching.”

“Why don’t you sit right here on the curb. I’m going to make a couple of phone calls.”

“And they beat me,” Nova added. She already knew from the Lings that whoever was playing the part of Aerie could expect to be beaten, and she’d more than a few bruises herself that she’d picked up in training to use as proof without having to bring in a ling. As for the boys, not a one had managed to connect.

As for leaving, now that she had Dumbledore's tracker, there really wasn’t anything stopping her from leaving. So long as she had that, Dumbledore would see her as the original Aerie. Sure, there were spells stopping people from taking Aerie, but those spells wouldn’t stop Aerie from leaving on her own and she knew it. After all, there wasn’t a damn thing that said she had to live with the Dursleys and be miserable. Sure, Dumbledor’s excuse after the fact was that Harry needed to be with his relatives for the protection his mother gave him to work. But we all know that was complete bull hockey. Especially considering we were now talking about multiple individuals standing in for a fictional Aerie Potter who, thanks to Discord, was now this specific Nova. And all Nova had to do was find and destroy the Horcruxes that Riddle had made. Well, stopping him from gaining the Philosopher’s stone along with access to Equestria might be a good idea too, and all that meant she had to go to Hogwarts.

“Right, hang on…” Detective Nissim replied, walking a few paces away as Nova, Aerie, sat on the curve. Earlier that day Nova’s section Six ID had come back as good, but with absolutely no information.

“You are giving up?” Whispered a familiar voice in Nova’s ear. She looked to see a familiar face, one of the lings.

“Hi Silver,” Nova offered. “I still have my mission of going to Hogwarts, but…” She took in a deep breath to gain control of her emotions. “There is no reason any of us need to deal with the Dursleys any longer.”

“OK, and yes, I don’t blame you either. We all have grown to despise that specific group of humans. If it had been me being ganged up on…” Silver let loose a shudder at the prospect. “Hey. how’d you know that I’m Silver?”

“I’m part Kitsune, I can see your aura. I know a good deal of the Canterlot guards by their aura. Drives them nuts because they don’t know how I’m doing it. If you are wondering why I wasn’t afraid of you it’s because I know what a healthy Changeling looks like.”

“So it’s looking like someone connected to Eques pulled Aerie out of that house, gave her training, and tried to put her back in,” Detective Nissim was saying over the phone he held. “Or at least that’s my thinking on the matter. If nothing else, someone has shown her some self-defense techniques. Problem is, she was ganged up on, and then she kind of snapped. From what she’s told me it’s a daily occurrence and we need to get her out of that house before something worse happens.”

Detective Nissim returned to Nova a short time later and announced that he’d been authorized to take her into the precinct where she was to make a statement and meet with a social worker from Child Protective Services. Silver wished her good luck, and she was on her way a short time later. And as luck would have it, according to the database, the Dursleys had no legal custody rights for Aerie Potter. She was unregistered outside of the school she’d been enrolled in.

If Professor Dumbledore was concerned about someone from the magical community giving ‘the boy’ a magical bag, hearing about the police at the Dursley residence had concerned him greatly. Hearing that ‘the boy’ had not returned home that night had him in a near panic. And yes, he had completely dismissed the fact that Mrs Figg always said Aerie. He at least could take solace in that his many tracking and scrying spells were telling him that his sacrificial lamb was healthy and still in London. Naturally, he intended to find Harry and put him back in that home. After all, Harry had to be malleable for his plans to work.

Nova spent the better part of the morning being interviewed and examined. In that, she was glad she’d had the chance to talk to the Lings the night before because it meant she had a ready arsenal of incidents she could tell them about. Photos were taken of her bruises, and x-rays done. The x-rays would show several minor fractures that had healed up. Sure it had happened in accidents that were due to her exuberance, but with no medical records it all added up to abuse at the hands of the Dursleys. Right before lunch, she was given the opportunity to shower, and was provided new clothing consisting of new undergarments, a simple black skirt, a white blouse, simple girl’s shoes, and a new hoodie with the face of Phil Collins plastered on the back. She had been wearing a pair of old tennis shoes that looked as though they’d seen much better days.

For lunch, she was taken to a fish and chips place by Detective Nissim.

“Any chance you can tell me anything about this mission of yours?” Nissim asked shortly after they’d gotten their food.

“Hot, hot!” Nova said as she concentrated on her fish. “Mission… right. Let’s see how can I explain it without violating any rules, confidentiality, or the law. Let’s just say it’s sort of a scavenger hunt.”

“Evidence against the Riddle fellow?”

“Yes and no. Things he collected that need to go away. Find them, and neutralize them. That is to make them safe so they are no longer a threat and I seem to be the best one for the job because who would expect a little kid plus I have a history that’ll get me in places among certain underground circles. And I’m not talking about the tube.”

“Any idea where to look?”

“I’ve got a rough idea. The thing is, if anyone were to attempt any raids…”

“Let me guess. The items in question will mysteriously vanish.”

“That’s about it. At least one is to be found in a rather questionable trade school I expect to be recruited into.”

“How questionable, and what makes you think they will recruit you?”

“School for specially gifted youth, and I’m not talking about special as in limited in some way, I’m talking about special as in able to do things no one else can.”

“You mean like that beat down you gave those boys?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I was going easy on them?”

“You know, I just might.”

“Anyway, Riddle is a graduate of that school. They knew he had issues, but never once did it occur to the individuals who knew, to do anything about it. I mean, there are ways to neutralize certain abilities. To normalize an individual if you like.” Nova took a bite out of a chip. “Granted that Riddle would still have been a narcissistic pathological psychotic psychopathic, whatever, killer.”

“So what would you have done with him?”

“He murdered my mother and father,” Nova replied as she took on the mantle of the character. “Right in front of me. A double tap is too good for him.” She took a bite out of her fish.

“The fact that you can say that so casually is a bit concerning.”

“Disassociation,” Nova offered. “A coping method if you like.”

“Your living arrangement was confirmed to me so I can see how you might end up that way.”

“I’m alright. It just helps to think in terms of that wasn’t me that was another Aerie and I’m just taking over where they left off.” She took a bite out of her fish and reveled in the tasty goodness. After swallowing the bite she asked, “Might I inquire as to how you just happened to be there when the fight broke out?

“To be honest I was checking up on you. You are something of an enigma. The number on that card you have checked out, and there are records that say you were born in Godric's Hollow, Cornwall, England. Your parents were targeted by domestic terrorists and then you just sort of drop off the radar. Even the school you were going to seems to be lacking in appropriate documentation.”

For Detective Nissim, Aerie talking about her life like it had all happened to a different Aerie wasn’t that unusual. He’d seen it before. And always coming from kids who’d had it rough in the homes they lived in. The idea that someone would pull this girl out of that environment only to put her right back in rankled him in ways he hadn’t thought possible.

“Can I ask what happened to your forehead?”

“You mean the cut? The examiners asked about it too. Turns out there was something stuck in there. I’d managed to get a hold of it when I was at the zoo. It was irritating me so I yanked it out.”

“Brutal. And your Aunt and Uncle never had a doctor look at it?”

Nova let out a snort of derision. She already knew from the lings that the Dursleys never once lifted so much as a finger in regards to the welfare of Aerie Potter. In fact, she’d doubts as to whether or not an actual human baby would even have survived. But then again there had been the accidental Horcrux…

“Something wrong?” Nissim asked as a look of astonishment struck Nova.

Discord had tried to put that piece of Riddle’s soul on her forehead, and she had ripped it off and destroyed it with Fox Fire without any great damage being done to herself.

“No, no, I’m fine. I just thought of something,” Nova replied. She then had to come up with something she could tell him. “I’ve got a credit card.” Yes, that’s what she could tell him. “I’ve my expenses covered. I’m curious to see if there is a limit. Assuming it’s not what’s left of my parent’s money. Still, though, it’d be fun to run it up as far as it can go.” Nova knew that James and Lily Potter had money. The downside is that it was likely all wizard money and there was no trace of the potter’s in the muggle community outside of they knew about Riddle.

Detective Nissim nearly choked on his fish. Once he’d finished with the offending bite, he started laughing.

When they had finished detective Nissim took Nova to another government building where she was handed off to a social worker, Mrs Marshal.

“Is… is this all she has?” Mrs Marshall asked moments after looking Aerie over.

“Afraid so. The things she had on have been kept for evidence.” Detective Nissim explained, wished Aerie good luck, and then left.

Nova was interviewed once more and then asked to sit and wait.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why did you turn off the comments?

[harts fire]

O this is so good and i see you are showing just how much Dumble crud was doing to make him self out to be the big hero.

[badninja]

Well it looks like she is about to completely bamboozle the old goats plans.

[KittyrinnAiko]

11322602
Comments are on. I delayed the rating because of people who downvote anything new without actually bothering to read it.

[Kentavritsa]

11323008
I think the Rating only becomes Public at the 10th vote.

[KittyrinnAiko]

11502537
The ratings, in regards to whether they are on or off, are set by the author. When I submit a new story I will get one downvote within the first five minutes of the story going live. It's happened for every story I've posted. When I posted "Not Quite Canon" I got a dozen downvotes within the first five minutes. I've had other authors on the site tell me that they've experienced the same thing. There just seems to be a bunch of people who hang about downvoting anything new. Shutting off the ratings and turning them back on later helps avoid that issue.