Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Just a short story. This is my first fanfiction so constructive criticism is welcome.

Harry's head hurts. Aunt Petunia hadn't thrown the frying pan any harder than she normally does, but Harry hadn't dodged fast enough.

He wasn't fast enough to get away from Dudley and his friends either. Not this time. They had gotten in a few good punches which would definitely bruise; they've already turned bluish, like the dark blue crayon stub hidden in his pillow case.

The lightbulb in Harry's cupboard has died again. Uncle Vernon won't be happy. He might leave it like that, or fix it in exchange for not giving Harry food. Aunt Petunia is always saying that he's stealing food out of Dudley's mouth, so she'll probably do that.

Harry doesn't like the dark. He doesn't like being hungry either. He wishes he would get used to those things, seeing as they happen so often.

He also doesn't like being called names. The other kids at school do it a lot, just like his aunt and uncle, except his relatives talk about his parents, and how they were unnatural like Harry is.

Sometimes Harry thinks he knows why they think that. He's noticed that his skin is much darker than the Dursleys', and if Aunt Petunia has pale skin then that means his mum probably did too, so his dad must've had skin like Harry.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don't like Harry's mum and dad, but they especially don't like his dad.

It all makes sense to Harry; that's what he thinks until something else happens, something unnatural.

Something freaky.

Harry likes to think his relatives are lying when they call him a freak, but then he goes to school and sees the way his classmates avoid him, how the teachers think he's a troublemaker, and it all comes rushing back.

Freaky little Harry Potter, who nobody loves.

Harry sniffs and wipes his eyes dry. He rolls onto his side on the dinky little cot, pulling his holey blanket over his chilled form. A headache stirs in the corners of his mind.

He's too old to cry anyway.