Okay, this is my first Harry Potter fanfic. I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters unfortunately. :( But enjoy anyway!

Chapter One: Painful Changes

Harry Potter was not a person you would call a normal boy. For one, he was a wizard and secondly by the Wizarding World, he was considered their 'saviour'. Harry's parents Lily and James Potter had been killed by the darkest wizard in both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. He was known as Lord Voldemort, Harry had faced him twice one time in his first year while attempting to save the Philosopher's stone. The second time had been when he had gone to rescue his best friend Ron's little sister Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets where had had met a past fore-shadow of Tom Riddle, Voldemort's original name and his muggle father's name.

Not many people would be able to survive such events and Harry himself thought it to be a miracle that he had survived. But he firmly believed this with his heart that he would have never made it through if it weren't for his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. In first year, it had been Ron who had gotten Harry and Hermione across the chessboard. In second year, it had been Ron's malfunctioned wand that had saved them from getting their memories obliviated. Without either of his best friends he would be dead right now.

Since Harry had no other relatives he was forced to live with the Dursleys, due to a special protection from Lily's half since his Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister making a blood bond between them. While things had never been the best at the Dursleys which was probably an understatement considering his needs were never met sufficiently enough in the Dursley household. However, this year things had taken a 360 degree turn since his Uncle Vernon had lost his job. He had been drinking every night and a few times, he had gotten fairly violent.

It was no surprise that he took out his frustration on Harry but what was surprising that he also took it out on his own son and Petunia if she tried to stop Vernon. Petunia had even tried to help Harry a few times as well as her own son but it seemed that no matter what the woman tried, Vernon wouldn't stop. Harry had heard his aunt crying at night and despite her behaviour towards him in the earlier years he felt bad for his aunt. Seeing the bruises and handprints all over her arm made Harry angry, and he had a sudden urge to protect her.

It was a strange feeling but he felt as if despite the differences between his aunt and his mother that right now his mother would have stepped in and tried to get her sister away from all this. Harry grit his teeth, wandering if there was a way out at least to protect his aunt, surely Dumbledore would not force him to stay here if there was a risk of domestic violence. He knew it was late but he tiptoed down the stairs, making sure even his aunt didn't hear him and sneaked out the back door.

The black-haired boy sat on the grass, his thoughts going to his mother trying to imagine what she would do in such a situation. If only he had known her more, if only there had been someone besides Hagrid to tell him more about his parents. How much he longed in order to find out about how they were, how they fell in love and basically his father and mother's friends. He heard a lot about how he looked so much like his father but had his mother's eyes. But he never knew much about their personality even though Snape always said his father was really arrogant, though that couldn't be true. Even if Snape hated his father he must have known him to say the least and he wandered if Snape knew his mother then dismissed the thought. Snape was a Slytherin, probably a pureblood as well he wouldn't spend time on a muggleborn witch.

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of barking. He looked and saw a black, shabby looking dog who ran up to him. Harry flinched for a moment but relaxed when the dog simply began to lick some of his wounds. The black-haired boy smiled petting the dog gently with the arm that was less bruised and the dog barked once more.

"I'm surprised a dog would be out at this time but I don't mind the company. Probably here it's better than having no company," Harry said softly, surprising himself that he was talking to a dog. He must really be losing it but he was frustrated. No matter what issues he had with his aunt and Dudley, he wouldn't wish them an abusive life and he knew his mother would have been the same way. The dog rested his head on his life, blinking his eyes as if it felt bad for Harry. The black-haired teen would have said more when a scream from his aunt made him jump in surprise.

"Hide," Harry muttered to the dog and it was clear it didn't need to be told twice as it ran into a bush. He groaned, wondering what had happened. Weren't his aunt and uncle meant to be asleep by now? It was past midnight after all. He went back inside, grimacing as he saw Vernon throw Petunia to the ground. He wondered what the fight was about this time or if Vernon was just venting his frustrations. He leaned closer to the door and could make out that it was about Dudley. He knew he should probably pretend he hadn't seen anything considering how his aunt usually treated him but knew it wasn't in him to see someone being hurt. He headed inside just as Vernon shoved Petunia into the wall. His uncle's beady eyes landed onto him and Harry met his cold gaze with equal sharpness.

From the corner of his eye, he saw something move and anxiously glanced around. The black dog had gotten away hadn't he? Vernon was merciless right now and he wouldn't care who it was, he'd hurt them. However, whatever he had seen had disappeared. However, turning his back on Vernon wasn't the brightest idea as he used the bat he was hitting Petunia with and smashed it into his stomach hard. The black-haired boy groaned, pain searing into him. At that moment, it felt like nothing was more painful. He could see stars dancing around him and it took a moment for him to compose himself.

Returning his attention to his uncle, Harry tried to sit up but his screaming ribs wouldn't let him. He grabbed his chest in pain and looked up at his Uncle nervously.

"Why are you taking your anger out on me?" Harry said frowning although it was probably the wrong thing to ask.

WHACK!

Harry's face went numb with pain as his vision blurred more than usual. He tasted blood in his mouth and spit it out. It took Harry a moment to realize that was what was wrong. He or his aunt hadn't done anything. Uncle Vernon was in one of his moods again and nothing he said or did would satisfy the whale of a man.

Petunia let out a startled cry and she tried to grab Vernon's arm but that was the worst thing she could have done in that sort of situation. A large hand grabbed Petunia by her shoulder and easily lifted her in the air.

"YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A WOMAN!" Vernon snarled, smashing his wife's head against the wall. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I EVER MARRIED SOMEONE LIKE YOU! YOU DESERVE ALL THESE BEATINGS YOU GET! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT BAD LUCK ON ME, WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE GONE AND GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED LIKE YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A SISTER?!"

Harry's mind felt numb and dizzy. He could see the injuries on Petunia's body but didn't know how to defeat his Uncle as well as protect his aunt without the use of magic. If he used magic, he would be expelled but if he didn't, his aunt might be killed. He gripped his wand, ready to pull it out as there was no other choice right now.

The sound of a deep growl from underneath the sofa distracted Uncle Vernon. Petunia wanted nothing more to pass out so she couldn't feel the unbearable pain she was in anymore. What happened next surprised everyone. Vernon dropped Petunia who hit the ground, her eyes opening and closing, her breath weary as if she really was on the verge of unconsciousness.

Despite the pain he was in, Harry managed to move over to her and cringed. His aunt had a lot of injuries and from the looks of it, she definitely had a few broken ribs. Looking up, Harry saw a black blur attack the large blur that was Uncle Vernon. He saw the dog he had been talking to attack and concern welled up inside him. He had thought the dog had ran away and hidden. He wanted to tell it to stop but found that his voice had gotten stuck in his throat from everything that happened. As if this night hadn't been crazy enough, it just got crazier as the dog shape-shifted into a human. The man had long black hair and his robes looked like they hadn't been changed in years.

Vernon stumbled backwards towards the door. "You—you're one of those freaks!" he stuttered fearfully. "How—how—"

It gave Harry a twinge of satisfaction seeing his Uncle tremble in fear like he had made his aunt do so moments ago. Speaking of which, Harry returned his attention to his aunt.

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry whispered. "Can you hear me?"

"H-Harry..." Petunia managed to mutter weakly. "Run away. I'd go with you...but I can't leave Dudley..."

"You should both leave," The man said slowly looking at them. "It isn't safe here, I've only knocked him out and the two of you need medical attention."

Petunia took a shaky breath, albeit she swayed heavily causing Harry to steady her and looked at the man.

"Take Harry," Petunia whispered. "I'll be alright. Harry..." She looked at the boy and for the first time ever, she put a hand to her nephew's cheek. "I never hated Lily...ever. She was an amazing person...and it's because of her...I'm telling you to run away..." She trembled and tears ran down her cheeks.

Harry shook his head. He blinked back tears and knew he couldn't leave his aunt not now. However, his vision was beginning to blur and just as he reached to pick his aunt up to support her, his world went black and he passed out.