This story takes place in between The Order of the Phoenix and The Half Blood Prince.

Synopsis: Harry saves a younger boy from Dudley's gang. Little Danny learns a bit about his incurably criminal neighbour.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Danny McGinnis thought that he was a goner for sure. The moment he had found himself alone in the park with Dudley Dursley and his gang, he had known no good would come of it. He currently lay on his stomach howling for them to stop as Dudley shoved the younger boy's arm behind his back and another boy kicked him in the ribs. He thought for sure it couldn't get any worse. That was until another pair of shoes (these ones far less expensive and far more tattered than that of the rest of his assailants') came into view, inches from his nose. A familiar, yet hardly more welcome, voice said:

"Picking on someone you're twice the size of, eh Dudders?"

Danny tensed. The Potter boy's presence was certainly not celebratory.

"He could be picking on you," replied one of Dudley's minions nastily.

"He could try, but I'll bet you he won't."

Potter sounded as though he'd been waiting for a reason to provoke his cousin. Danny couldn't think of two people he wanted to be in between less. He squeezed his eyes shut and kept his nose to the ground.

"Hey! Put that thing away…"

Danny almost hadn't heard Dudley, and he was sure his gang hadn't either. Potter, on the other hand, had.

"Are you scared Dudley? Am I making you nervous? I wouldn't want you to lose face in front of your friends here. You remember last summer don't you?"

"That…that wasn't you…Mum said herself. S-she knew what did it. Those…those Dementy things…not you…"

"And how do you know I won't do something now?"

"You aren't…you're not allowed! That crackpot school of yours…"

"A lot has changed Dud. A lot of things can happen in one year."

Danny was now positive that he was the only one who could hear this conversation. The others, it seemed, were standing too far back.

"Let's get out of here," Dudley said to his gang, and Potter stepped away. The cousins were no longer practically on top of Danny, and the odd conversation had come to a close. Dudley's beefy hands released Danny's arm. He didn't move from the ground; he didn't even open his eyes.

"Aw, come on Dud! Let's show him what happens when you cross Big D!"

"Yeah Big D," Potter seethed. "Show me."

What was he thinking? Danny had never really met Potter, but he had seen him wandering about the neighbourhood. His mother certainly knew enough stories to ensure Danny stayed away from him. But none the less, he had seen Potter around and knew that Dudley was, without a doubt, the bigger and stronger of the two. Potter, despite being famous to the neighbourhood as the 'incurably criminal boy' wouldn't stand a chance in that fight.

"Let's just go, he's not worth the effort," Dudley muttered, leading his gang away.

From their protests Danny could tell they were all surprised by his behaviour, but none of them more than Danny. Potter was frightening, sure, but only based on stories that had been fed through the rumour mill fit to tatters. Dudley actually gave the local youngsters something to fear; he actually lived up to his reputation. So what about Potter frightened Dudley so much? Danny knew one thing: he never wanted to find out.

"Alright there?"

Potter pulled Danny to his feet, but once there the younger boy edged away. He noticed as Potter stuck something into the back of his trousers. Could it be…not a gun surely? Was that what had scared Dudley?

"Are you hurt much?"

Danny gulped. He shook his head.

"They shouldn't bother you again tonight if they know what's good for them," the older boy sat on the only functioning swing. "Than again, what Dudley knows doesn't amount to much does it?"

Danny laughed despite himself. He quickly came to his senses though, and eyed Potter wearily.

"Are you going to beat me up too?" he asked. "You're cousin already stole my change so I haven't any money…if that's what you're looking for…"

Potter's expression became irritated.

"You're welcome," he muttered sarcastically.

He got up to leave and that's when Danny noticed how skinny he was. He really did look sickly. His face was pallid and his eyes somewhat dull and hallowed. His round glasses sat low on his nose, and the lightning bolt scar on his forehead stood out vividly against his messy black hair. He was rubbing his temple as though he had a headache.

"Sorry," Danny said quickly, not really sure of what he was doing. Potter turned to face him, hands shoved into his pockets. "It's just…well…everyone says you're…erm…"

"Bad news."

"Well, yeah. Something like that."

"Maybe you shouldn't waste energy listening to everyone else. Maybe you should save it up for running away from Dudders."

Danny nodded somewhat dumbly as Potter sat back down on the swing. He, himself, took a seat opposite him on the bottom of the slide.

"You're McGinnis right? Dylan…?" he ventured, shrugging apologetically.

"Danny."

"Right," he stood up and took a few steps closer. He stuck out his hand, "Harry Potter."

Danny rose up and shook his hand and they returned to their respective seats. He sat there; brewing in the awkward quiet that seemed one sided. Harry, in fact, seemed quite content to sit in silence. After a while the need for conversation was too overwhelming, and for some reason Danny didn't want to leave quite yet. So he examined his shoelace with disinterest and said, "So, you go to a privet school than?"

Harry looked up at him, seemingly surprised to see that he was still there. "What? Oh yeah…yeah I do. And you?"

It seemed harder for the older boy to make conversation than to sit in silence. Danny had been watching the mix of emotions that had crossed his face while they were sitting there, and wondered what could have happened to make the boy act so oddly. Was it living with the Dursley's? Because those people could drive anyone barking mad.

"Yeah, St. Christopher's in Bath."

"Like it there do you?" Harry didn't really sound interested but rather like he was asking out of politeness.

"It's all right. And you, where do you go?"

It seemed to both pain and anger him to say it, but Harry eventually spat out, "St. Brutus'."

Danny blinked. So it was true than.

"What did you do to land yourself in there?" he asked, awed.

"Do you live around here?" Harry asked, ignoring the question and standing up. "It's getting dark and you don't want to be wandering around alone. Dudley's gang is probably out lurking about here somewhere."

Danny was surprised by his apparent concern. "I live on Portsmouth Crescent. It's less than five minutes from here."

"I'll walk you."

Danny wondered what his mum would say if she saw him walking with the infamous Potter boy, but his fear of Dudley overruled against his mum's impending nagging. They got up to leave and started walking in the opposite direction of Privet Drive, where he knew Harry to live.

"So do you like living with your aunt and uncle?"

More and more small talk, but what was a kid to do?

"No, would you?"

"Like living with the Dursley's? Not bloody likely. They used to have bars on there windows a few summers ago!"

"Just the one," Harry rubbed his temple again, "in my bedroom."

Danny stopped walking. Who on earth was he dealing with here? This guy had needed to be locked in his own room! Was he dangerous? Were the stories actually true?

"Look I'd rather not dawdle," Harry was saying. "I have to be home soon."

Danny didn't move. "Why were there bars on your window? What did you do?"

Harry sighed. "Because, my aunt and uncle are barking mad, that's why."

He seemed to want to leave but was reluctant to abandon Danny in case his cousin returned. Danny wasn't sure if he minded.

"Look," Potter continued, "they took me in when my parents died and they've hated me ever since. They didn't want me to go to Hog—to this place, so they tried to lock me in. I didn't do anything."

"But then why to you go to St. Brutus'?" Danny asked, now more curious than he ought to be. They had stopped walking completely now.

"I don't really," Harry replied, not looking at him. "The Dursley's just say I do."

"But where do you go every year? My mum says you must go to a boarding school because you're always gone in September and you don't come back till June…"

Harry sighed and started to walk again. "I go to the school my parents went to. My aunt and uncle disprove of it, so they tell people I go to St. Brutus'."

Danny nodded. It didn't really make sense to him, but what did he know? That whole family was made up of whack jobs.

"What happened to your parents?" he ventured.

"They were murdered."

Harry said this as though he's said it a hundred times: dully and as if it didn't pain him as much as numb him at this point. His hands were clearly balled into fists in his pockets and his shoulders were hunched. He looked much like he had last summer, skulking around parks and streets as if haunting them; trying to disappear.

"When?" Danny asked before he could stop himself.

"When I was a baby, I don't really remember it."

"That must have been hard…but surely you keep in touch with their friends, or other family?"

"I had a Godfather…"

Danny looked up. Harry's voice had cracked slightly and he could see that his jaw was clenched. This pain was fresh, newer than that of his parents' deaths. Harry cleared his throat, blinking rapidly. Danny pretended not to notice. Still, curiosity propelled him forward.

"What happened…?"

Harry cleared his throat again; he seemed a lot different from last summer, less angry, and more subdued. It was no wonder he looked sickly…

"He was killed in a fight," Harry finally choked out flatly. "A few weeks ago…"

Danny kept quiet, wanting to push for more of an explanation but knowing that it wouldn't be right to ask. They walked a bit further and stopped in front of Danny's house. It was completely dark now and he was glad for the company, no matter how strange it was.

"G'night than."

Danny looked up but Harry was already walking away. It was then that he saw what was tucked into the back of Harry's trousers: a stick. He shook his head. That whole family was bonkers.

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