Prologue- Something new
The One must fall
The One must fall so the many can live
The One must fall
For as the One falls to darkness the light around the One will shine brighter
The One must fall
As the One falls the shadow will follow and the light will prevail
HPTO HPTO HPTO HPTO HPTO HPTO
Thump…a black eye…smack...collision with the wall...and the floor…thud…..a broken boy on the floor…kick…a broken rib, a bruised stomach …sick on the floor...swish…a belt…crack…a welt on his back…laughter…footsteps…dragging…throwing…locking…a cupboard…darkness, overwhelming darkness…and so it begins.
"BOY, UP, NOW". Ahhh the lovely shrieking tones of his Aunt first thing in the morning, life is good. HAHA like that was ever true but at least he was back to boy, which was something at least. In the last month many things had changed in the Dursley household and after being subjected to many punishments for infringement of these rules Harry was firmly established back in his cupboard. This was some feat as the newly turned 15 year old and soon to be fifth year at Hogwarts could still fit in the cupboard under the stairs. School had been over for over a month or maybe longer, time had lost all meaning, and Harry's birthday had gone unnoticed…by everyone.
When he had returned home he knew something was up and he was right to be worried. After last summer and Dudley's tongue and Aunt Marge the year before Vernon Dursley Was pissed...and that was an understatement. The threat of Sirius had no effect, "If that bum cared about you at all you wouldn't be here you worthless freak," and Harry had been relegated to slave status. These rules came with harsh punishments and little to no food and with no contact from any of his friends Harry begin to slip into a depression that wouldn't shift.
He knew in the deep recesses of his mind that not all of those that he considered friends were truly his friends. He wasn't naïve and knew that the vast majority of the wizarding population saw him as the-boy-who-lived rather than the boy that he truly was. No one saw him for who he was, they wanted the perfect savior ready to fight and defend at the drop of a hat. No one wanted a short scrawny nobody as a savior and so he changed, put o a front as it were while at school, he showed them what they wanted to see. They saw him as a goof in lessons, so he didn't try as hard, a star seeker, so he pulled death defying stunts in order to win, he showed them what they wanted but slowly he felt as though he was dying inside.
"BOY NOW". Well here goes another day.
He climbed out of the cupboard and went to the kitchen ready for another day and as he stepped into the room all his training came into action. Rule One don't look them in the eyes, eyes on the floor always. Rule two don't talk unless spoken to and the keep it short. Always say sir or ma'am. There had been many harsh lessons while he had resided in the Dursley's residence and they weren't lessons that he would soon forget.
He knew, he had always known, that the way the Dursley's treated him wasn't right. The way they treated their own son wasn't right either but he had it much, much worse. To be over fed, spoiled and pampered wasn't the stuff that led to a fulfilling and meaningful life but to be starved and beaten was hell.
Walking into his first day of school was terrifying, what if they thought that he was so stupid that they sent him back to his Aunt and Uncles and he wasn't allowed to return. The beating that he would have received would have been the stuff of nightmares but to live his young life doing nothing but cooking and cleaning and gardening under the watchful eyes of his glaring Aunt would have been miserable. So he knew then that he had to try and be perfect, but then the embarrassment came, he was wearing hideous clothes that were made to look sort of like the uniform everyone else had but it was a poor attempt and he looked ridiculous, even at his young age he knew that and he stared forlornly at the other children and their pristine uniforms, and his cousin running around and laughing and playing. And, he already feeling like the reject stood to the side waiting to go into his new classroom. She called out names, his young teacher Miss Honeygold or something, and she called out Harry Potter , it was near the end of the register and there were only a few of them left, and he stood there completely oblivious while all the others confirmed there names. She stepped in front of him bent down and asked if he was Harry Potter and he agreed what else could he do. He was always known as boy or freak at home but he knew that couldn't be his real name so he took his book bag and sat down where he was asked to, and he could see Dudley grinning at him and mouthing I'm telling dad. And he knew at that moment that life for him would always be hard, hard and miserable.
"Boy, it is time for you to go back to the god forsaken school and you will…refrain from speaking about your summer, am I understood".
Ahhh, Vernon, "Yes sir". What would he say, and who would he say it to. No one would believe him if he told them half of what his life had been like. He was lucky though, he thought, he knew that some kids had it worse than he did. He knew about sexual abuse from his cupboard he could hear the television sometimes and there had been the odd story occasionly about some kid being adopted and their one of their parents taken to court for abuse. So he knew that it could be much worse for him, he only spent the summer in this house and they never touched him really. Uncle Vernon had once or twic, when his aunt and cousin were out of the house, just a quick grope and lewd comment about waiting for the right time, but never anything that he would call abuse, it had stopped quickly, over in seconds and sometimes he wondered if it was his imagination, why would anyone want to touch him?
"You will regret it if someone does you freak"…smack…"And that's a reminder for you, and we will decide whether you are to return for Christmas am I understood?"
"Yes sir". Eyes down, remember eyes down, no matter what he says, don't forget the rules, rules are important.
"You had better Boy. Go get your stuff in the car and make sure you're covered up, and quick or you won't go".
He scurried from the room in disbelief, the whole summer gone. Quickly he got ready, not that it took long, he hadn't unpacked. Detention was a sure thing as he hadn't done any homework. And now for the first time as he prepared to walk through the barrier on to the Hogwarts Express he found himself dreading the start of term.
He was sore and in pain, he couldn't cope if one of the others hugged him, he had noticed how thin he had gotten but it didn't really bother him that much, what was a little weight if it made sure he was still small enough to play seeker for the Gryffindor team. But he knew if they touched him they would notice the pain he was sure he couldn't hide, the mixture of sunburn form tending the garden and the bruises from the beatings had left their toll on his weak body. Once he was back at Hogwarts He would be able to use magic and could lesson the pain and hide all the bruises but until then he needed to avoid everyone.
He was early to the platform this morning he knew that. The rest of his so called family had decided to come to London and shop and see a show, which really meant buying Dudley lots of expensive things in order to make sure he stayed quiet during the show and then more things after because my sweet diddykins was such a lovely sweet boy. It almost made him sick how his aunt doted on the fat pig, he did nothing and yet he got everything and as much as he didn't want to sound like a little, moaning baby it wasn't fair.
So he pushed his way through on to the not so crowded platform that was 9 and ¾. Luckily he knew from experience that the Weasley's and Hermione wouldn't be here yet. He knew that the Weasley's always ran late and he had a suspicion that Hermione had been staying with Ron as the one letter they had bothered to send came at the same time and both owls came in and left together although he only recognized Pig he didn't recognize the other one and knew that Hermione didn't have her own.
They had both apologized about not being able to see him over the holidays and Ron had spouted some rubbish about, Dumbledore and it not being safe, his dad only managing to get tickets for his family to the world cup and how it would be nice for him to spend some time with just his family. But the bit that topped it all off was the comment about how Harry should be grateful to spend time with his own family as in times like these we should stick with family you should be grateful you have any left and with Voldemort back now well it's family isn't it. Bye mate.
He had been furious, Ron knew some of what his so called family had done and Dark Lord or not he thought that he had been welcomed into the Weasley family but apparently not. So here he was alone, sitting in a carriage on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't enjoy the though of going back to Hogwarts, or seeing the others or being able to do magic again because in the back of his mind he felt like he was slowly dying.
AN: First chappie of first story EVER feed back would be appreciated. I will up load when I can but am uni student with a job as well and demands are high lol tell me what you think!! next-adventure updated 19/9/08