Harry James Potter was sitting on his bed in his tiny room at his relatives house. He hated summer, all it ever meant for him was work or days spent locked in his room with nothing at all to do. He sighed, looking through the heavy steel bars on his window. These were curtesy of his uncle, who had put them in after he had finished his first year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry when an accident revealed to them that he wasn't allowed to use magic out of school. You see Harry was not an ordinary boy but a wizard, reviled by his 'family', Petunia his mother's sister, her husband Vernon Dursley and their son Dudley for this ability. But life was not all that easy for Harry even when he was with his own kind for half hidden under his messy black hair was a scar shaped like a lightning bolt. This scar was a constant reminder of an event which happened when he was only a baby, the same night that he was placed with his oh-so-loving aunt and uncle.

For years the dark lord Voldemort and his followers had hovered like a cloud of fear over witches and wizards all over the country going where ever they pleased with a single thought and a flick of a wand. For them murder and torture were fun and cursing other wizards to do the same was amusing. At that time nobody knew who to trust and everyone who stood against him was instantly targeted. Among those who stood against this tyrant were his parents, Lily and James Potter. It was Halloween when he struck with out warning, storming the house and killing first James and then Lily while they pleaded for his, Harry's life. The dark lord had laughed at this before turning his wand on the infant. But an amazing thing happened the curse which Voldemort had used on so many others including his parents was some how reflected back onto him leaving Harry with nothing but that scar to show. It was because of that scar that Harry was always singled out he was the savoir of wizard-kind, the only one to have survived the killing curse, the boy-who-lived.

And now that tyrant was back. Harry had seen it with his own eyes, he had even been forced to aid in his re-birth. It was, from his point of view, his fault that the dark lord was back even stronger than before and it was his fault that Cedric was dead. The triwizard tournament had been held at Hogwarts that year and even though he was under age and could not have entered it, he had found himself competing under a fourth school alongside his fellow student, a Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory. There had been three challenges to be completed with the best marks and each of them had been extremely dangerous. The final one was to work through a large maze and find the tri-wizard cup. Harry and Cedric had found the cup at the same time and both being so noble neither would take the cup insisting that the other should until Harry suggested that they take the cup together. It wasn't until they had grabbed it that they realised that the cup had been turned into a port key, instantly transporting them to a graveyard where Wormtail or Peter Pettigrew was waiting. After watching Peter kill Cedric he was forced to watch in horror as Pettigrew concocted a vile potion which used his blood among other things to resurrect Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Lord Voldemort. He had managed to escape after a short dual with Lord Voldemort and grab the cup while holding Cedric's body in his other hand, transporting them both back to Hogwarts. His arrival with Cedric's body had caused an uproar and the news that the dark lord had returned was met with ridicule from the ministry, only professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts and the teaching staff had believed him. Somehow his relatives had managed to find out about his sudden appearance with Cedric's body and were treating him like a murderer, locking him up was only the beginning of his punishment.

From the vantage point of his window Harry could just see the street as the sun set, tinting the trees orange. At the moment everything was quiet, but that was only because Dudley was out picking on some other defenceless person and uncle Vernon was out at the pub. When they were at home it was a whole different issue…

Flash back

'Boy! You get here! There's filth all over this room, you had better get it spotless by the time Dudders and I get back from the movies or you'll regret the day your parents first laid eyes on each other.'

He gestured at Dudley's bedroom, which, as usual had new, used and broken things all over it along with assorted lolly and chip packets. Off to one side Dudley was glaring at him, daring him to throw out anything.

Sighing he said in an utterly toneless voice, 'Yes uncle Vernon.'

'Don't answer me like that, boy!'

Harry doubled over as his uncle's fist slammed into his stomach, followed up by a few more punches and a backhanded slap for good measure. He flew across the room, head bouncing off the wall with a sickening thud and pain lanced through his skull as he slumped to the floor.

End

Harry moved at the memory of the scene and flinched as pain lanced through his side, leaving him gasping shallowly. In a way, Harry felt that he deserved some of the harsh treatment but even with all his guilt over Cedric's death he knew that this was more than just for that. That last beating had been three days ago, he had been saved from a thrashing when uncle Vernon arrived home by a visit from one of aunt Petunia's friends, but today he might not be so lucky. Slowly the street darkened towards evening. He saw old Mrs Figg walk home carrying a bag of shopping, a few cars went by but privet drive stayed disappointingly quiet. His stomach growled at the sight of the bag. He had been in this room since the holidays began a week ago and hadn't seen food more than twice; he had given most of it to Hedwig to keep her quiet.

As the last light faded the street was lit up by headlights, which he was certain stopped out the front of number 4. Hedwig hooted softly at him from her cage in the corner.

'I saw him too, girl.'

Hedwig hooted again.

'Harry Potter!' came a roar from down stairs. He heard the unsteady thumping of uncle Vernon's feet on the stairs, not a good sign for him. A cold sweat ran between his shoulder blades. There was a rattling from the lock on the door and he stood and turned to face his uncle. For a second everything was silent.

The door slammed open to reveal Vernon, red in the face with a vein throbbing in his temple. At the sight of Harry standing defiantly in the middle of the room he stomped forward menacingly, an effect that was marred by an unsteady lurch.

'Shut that infernal bird up, boy.'

'Yes, uncle Vernon.' Vernon's face darkened to a violent shade of purple. He grunted a few times but instead of speaking he sent Harry spinning across the room with the back of his hand. After a moment on his hands and knees Harry pushed himself back onto his feet, swaying a little but standing upright. Vernon's face darkened even further.

Bellowing like an enraged bull he stepped forward grabbing Hedwig's cage and threw it Harry, leaping after it he struck out again and again, leaving no time for recovery.

A/N I am a new writer and am not very sure of the quality of my work. I have also only edited it by my self but there should be few mistakes.