A/N: Hello all. I sincerely apologize for my absence. The hell of academia has claimed my soul and refuses to let go. I've been typing for so long today already, but I feel an honest obligation to you to get you something before Christmas. I'm embracing my true Gothic with this story and just letting it come out without any plan so let me know if it's bad.
Abuse and Prejudice Chapter One: Prolog
Harry Potter lived a hard life. As a result of his treatment by his relatives, he was withdrawn and showed little emotion to anyone. Despite being so reserved, he was intelligent enough to know that not all families were as brutal towards their nephews as his was to him. His uncle, Vernon Dursely, constantly beat him and whipped him, leaving a web of criss-crossed scars on Harry's torso. Harry had long since learned that crying out from pain caused Vernon to beat him longer and harder so Harry began to banish the pain elsewhere. His aunt, Petunia Dursely, methodically ruined any self-esteem and self-worth Harry might have had from an early age, causing him to truly believe that his life would always be so deprived. Harry could not believe that anyone at all could care an inkling for him, and his cousin Dudley and his gang constantly preyed on Harry's emotional and physical disabilities. Despite all of this, Harry was incessantly kind to all but the relatives he was forced to live with. He felt that someday it might be different and he retained a small hope that he may survive his ordeal.
Oddly, Harry had a strange feeling that most of his ire was caused by a peculiar and garishly-dressed man with a long white beard and half-moon spectacles. Over the years, Harry felt a sense of utmost hate arise for the man, for putting him where he was and refusing to even check up on him. Harry didn't understand why the man had anything to do with him or why he never visited, but he had a feeling deep in himself that said they would meet again. That simple information gave young Harry the strength he required to make it through the years of torture, pain, and abuse. Harry prepared himself for this meeting with an almost gleeful determination. Although Harry's 'family' fed him very little, he was rather strong for his age, probably from the copious chores he completed while under the tender mercies of his Uncle's belt. If Harry bled onto the floor, his Aunt screamed at him before pouring waterfalls of alcohol mixed with salt onto his back. Harry had an unbelievable resistance to pain as a result of this.
Everything changed on the run-up to and during Harry Potter's eleventh birthday.
A week before his eleventh birthday, Harry was nursing his wounds from the previous day in his cupboard. He had set both his legs so they didn't give out under him and walked out of his cupboard gingerly to begin breakfast for his torturers. He finished breakfast and put it on the table at the same time that Vernon and Dudley came to sit down. They sneered at him before sitting and eating with no respect for Petunia's absence, as usual. They always found some reason to beat Harry on the quality of his food. It didn't matter if it was perfect in every way. Vernon would have some excuse to why it displeased him. Petunia came down to scream at Harry for a bit before sitting with her fellow sub-humans.
"Freak, get the mail. Then I want you back here immediately!" Vernon bellowed at Harry rather unnecessarily. Harry held an unusual amount of anticipation for his birthday in the following week. He made his way to the door to pick up the mail and, curiously enough, saw a letter addressed to him. Knowing his uncle would take it from him instantly, he shoved it down the posterior of his trousers before making his way back to the kitchen and handing the remaining mail to Vernon. Vernon unceremoniously ripped the letters from Harry's intentionally weak grasp.
The rest of the day passed in a blur for Harry. He finally managed to escape into his cupboard and waited for his relatives to be asleep before taking the wrinkled letter out of his waistband and opening it. He read through it and scoffed before seeing the signature at the close. In a loopy scrawl it read Minerva McGonagall. The name alone inspired a warm feeling in him not felt before. He just knew that this woman, this Deputy Headmistress was a good person that would help him find and destroy the old man.
And so he waited. And waited. And soon, Harry's life changed. Whether for the better for or the worse, Harry was unsure at first. Things were certainly…. less painful for him. But Harry had always known he was different.
A/N: I know that my chapters are rather short at first but generally prologues are only a page or two anyway so it works for me. It's a good intro I think. Let me know. Reviews won't change the pace of my updates. Which is unfortunately not too fast. I love writing but oftentimes never get the time to do it.