Chapter One
As far as Freak could tell, the monsters appeared about six years, three weeks, two days,fourteen hours and six seconds ago. Or maybe that was just when the Dursleys added killing monsters to his chores list.
Nothing's changed. Freak thought, dodging a slimy claw. Nothing ever changes.
It was true, he mused, absently killing the creature. He still lived in a cupboard and did all the chores in the house. Uncle Vernon still yelled and cussed him out, throwing things whenever angry. Freak thought his uncle was just less cautious about the bruises and scrapes he left behind, but that could just be his imagination.
Aunt Petunia still complained and spied out of her window and forced him to clean everything. Freak suspected that she was trying to keep some "normal" in her life, that perfection would bring back... Whatever was before the monsters.
Dudley was the same, pushing him around and causing more scars than the monsters ever could or did. The newest one was straight across his face and covered the one scar Freak was actually fond of: a lightning shaped scar. The Dursleys said it was from the car crash that killed his parents, but Freak didn't believe them. The cars hadn't been operational since... Well, Freak wasn't sure. He thought they were mostly for decoration. No, his parents probably just became monsters and marked him in that fit of crazed insanity. Freak didn't hate them for it. If he was right then the scar was physical proof of their existence. Something the Dursleys couldn't take away. Until now.
Freak sighed, dodging a group of angry monsters. No one thought his scars weren't monster-related. They couldn't think of any other explanation. Nothing was done, nothing changed.
Except for groceries. Freak reminded himself. The groceries ran out years ago in the nearby stores. Freak had to risk more and more, go further and further. But otherwise, no change.
Dudley's 11th birthday was coming up. That meant he needed a cake. So Freak had to go get ingredients and make a cake. He was halfway through a destroyed house when a loud shout echoed around. Freak dived behind a Broken roof and watched two men walk through the ruins loudly arguing.
"-telling you, Remus, he has to be around here!" the shorted man yelled, looking around, "Dumbledore must've-"
"That was years ago, Sirius," the other man replied tiredly, "When you were in prison and the world made some sense."
The shorter man- Sirius- muttered something before answering back, "Harry wouldn't be moved, Remus. He was sent there for protection. We've spent months figuring out where my godson is. He has to be around here."
The other man- Remus- sighed, "Padfoot... What if he's-"
Sirius- Padfoot?- the other man's glare stopped Remus in his tracks.
"He's not dead, Moony. I can tell. The bond... He's not dead, and not a monster either. The closest thing to morphing is his scar, and that is a stretch."
"You keep saying certain people can or can't be monsters," Remus said tiredly, "Yet you never explain that theory."
"The initial transformation only hit certain people," Sirius said, waving a hand dismissively behind his head as he turned back to the wreckage, "The worst ones. People who were monsters before the transformation."
"Then why-" Remus sounded almost offended, "I was in that town! Why-?"
Sirius sighed, "We've been telling you for years, Moony. You're not a monster. Monsters hurt others for no reason."
Remus still looked troubled, "But-"
Sirius cut him off, "We can argue about this later. Right now let's find Harry."
Freak waited until their footsteps faded, then snuck back to the Dursley's house.
Freak got two steps into the house before Uncle Vernon saw him. His beady eyes narrowed.
"Freak! Where have you been you lazy bastard! You're as worthless as your waste-of-space parents. You-"
About halfway through the spiel Freak zoned out the usual insults and made his way to the fridge. Halfway through unloading the groceries Dudley waddled in and started rummaging through the cupboards, complaining about the lack of his favorite cereal. Freak was putting away the last item- some eggs he found amazingly not spoiled- when Dudley knocked his over to look in the fridge. The eggs cracked as Freak hit the ground.
"There's nothing good in here!" Dudley said disgusted. He turned and kicked Freak, "Where'd you put the food?"
Freak ignored and dodged the kicks, picking up the remains of the eggs. He had cleaned up a few when Aunt Petunia walked in and started shrieking about the mess. Freak scrambled to try and clean up the entire mess quickly enough. Uncle Vernon walked in, his face turning red...
"That oughta teach you, Freak" Uncle Vernon grunted, putting his belt back on, "Now get back to your chores. The monsters still haven't been killed."
Freak tried not to move his back as he grabbed a knife. He was thinking hard, not a usual activity for him. 'Kill the monsters'. That was his chore. He's done it loads of times. Why were these monsters any different?
"Hurry up Freak!" Uncle Vernon yelled, breaking into Harry's thoughts, "Or what I did earlier will seem like nothing!" He raised his fist menacingly.
The words that man- Sirius- said came back to Freak, "Monsters hurt others for no reason."
"Freak!" Uncle Vernon yelled. Freak's grip on the knife tightened. Kill the monsters. He started his chore.
Harry was the person that Sirius man was looking for. That is what Freak remembered. Harry had a scar like he did. Harry also had no parents, like him. But Harry had people looking for him. Caring for him
Freak was freak for years, a survival tool because the Dursleys required it. They'd scream at the idea of Freak being anyone else. But now they were quiet. Freak looked over at the three bodies on the floor: they were going to continue being quiet. So the name wasn't necessary anymore.
This kid stood up, "I'm Harry now." And Harry walked out to find more groceries.