Author: OnePlotThickens

Summary: AU Post OOTP, After the events at the DOM, Harry decides that things need to change. He's no longer content sitting under Dumbledore's thumb waiting until the old coot deems him worthy of the next piece of necessary information just a little too late. Creature fic, Powerful!Harry HP/DM

Disclaimer: This story is based of works written by JK Rowling, no money is earned in the process of writing this story.

The family Dursley was proud to say they were "Perfectly normal, thank you very much," they lived in a rather square-looking two story house with a perfectly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. Vernon Dursley was an overly large man with very little neck and a whole lot of mustache, his wife Petunia on the other hand was a terribly thin creature with blond hair, watery blue eyes and an overly long neck, which was put to good use craning over the back fence spying on Mrs. Next Door. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley also had a 16 year old son. His name was Dudley. The fact that Dudley Dursley was morbidly obese and ate more than a pregnant hippopotamus was completely and utterly ignored by anyone who didn't want to get clobbered. Looking from the outside one would never have suspected that the Dursleys harbored a terrible secret.

Mrs. Dursley had a sister. 15 years ago, said sister and her husband died, and on the morning of November 1st, 1981, Mrs. Dursley had the scare of her life when taking out the empty milk bottles she found her one year old nephew on her doorstep wrapped in little more than a fleece baby blanket, clutching a letter in his chubby little hand. This child's name was Harry Potter.

Young Harry Potter grew up in his aunt and uncle's house, being prodded, pinched, chased and beaten by his older cousin. Until the age of 10, he lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and was assigned to do all the chores; including cooking, cleaning, gardening and his cousin's homework. He was raised with the firm rule of "DON"T ASK QUESTIONS!" and was told that his parents were drunkards and had died in a car accident. Whenever he did something that was the least bit odd he was shoved and locked into the cupboard and often went without food.

However there was something special about Harry Potter. Harry Potter was a wizard. We begin our story in the summer of 1996, just after our 15 year old protagonist's return from his 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to his relative's residence for the summer holidays.

Harry stared out his window through the bars that had been replaced after his escape the summer before his second year. Watching the stars, Harry thought of the letter he had received upon his return home. The letter had come from the goblin run wizarding bank, Gringotts.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are writing to inform you of your inheritance following the death of one Sirius Black. You are scheduled for a meeting with the executors of the Black and Potter Vaults at 11am on Friday June 6th. The portkey enclosed can be activated between 10 and 10:30am on Friday morning by tapping it with your wand and saying "Galleon."

We await your arrival,

Ragnok

President of Gringotts London

Harry's train of thought was interrupted by a knock at his door. The door opened revealing his cousin who, as odd as it was, was carrying a tray of food seemingly meant for Harry.

"Harry," Dudley called, "Harry," Harry turned his head assessing his cousin.

"Mmm?"

"I brought you some food, Dad's asleep, and I'll tell him in the morning I got hungry during the night. I know how he is about missing food, but you'll get it worse than me if he finds out you've been eating it," Dudley said softly, feeling guilty at his parents' actions.

"Thanks Dud, you can leave it on the bed," Harry responded quietly. His cousin just nodded in response set down the tray and left the room.

During the course of Harry's school year Dudley had changed. The principal of Smelting's School for Superior Boys had decided enough was enough, and sent Dudley to a counselor for his slightly more than slightly violent and destructive tendencies. Dudley, after nearly six months of therapy had come to the conclusion that his parents' views were obsolete, and he had been ruining his life with his attitude and atrocious eating habits. When Vernon had lost his job at the beginning of May, he had hit the bottle. The turning point in Dudley's mind had come when his father had finally taken a fist to him, declaring that no pansy was any son of his. When Harry had gotten home Vernon had dragged him to the back shed and had beaten him bloody. Nearly two hours later Dudley had found his unconscious cousin and carried him back up to the smallest bedroom, had cleaned him up and wrapped his wounds. When Harry awoke he was completely flabbergasted by his cousin's 180 degree flip in attitude, and when asked for a truce, accepted; not wanting to deal with any extra hardship past his severely abusive uncle.

Harry gingerly rose from where he was sitting on his padlocked school trunk, thanking all higher powers that Dudley had managed to keep Vernon away and unsuspicious for the last four nights while he slowly healed from his welcome home party. After slowly sitting on the bloodied and unmade bed Harry picked unhurriedly at the cut fruit, cheese slices and almonds Dudley had provided while sipping intermediately on the glass of water, knowing that after four days of no food and water bolting anything would make him dreadfully ill. Harry quietly stacked the dishes and loaded the tray, glad that Dudley had left his door unlocked; he quickly padded down the stairs making sure to skip the squeaky third step. Harry found Dudley sitting on the couch in the living room browsing the internet on his laptop while waiting for him to bring down the tray.

"I'm sorry I can't bring you anything more than once every few days, Dad would get suspicious," Dudley said after Harry set the tray on the coffee table and sat next to him on the couch.

"It's okay Dud, thanks for what you are doing though," Harry replied leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Dud, things need to change, and for that to happen I need your cooperation. Will you help? I promise there's something in it for you too."

"I'll help either way Harry," Dudley said, "This situation can't stay the way it is. I realize that and I want to help." Harry smiled at his cousin, then took on a very serious facial expression.

"Tomorrow I'm going to need you to cover for me. I have a meeting in Wizarding London at 11am and the means to get there, but no cover story," Harry said strongly.

"I'll tell mum I need to go into London to meet my friends or something, I'll take you along telling her you'll be my bag carrier because we're going to the mall."

Harry smiled viciously, "Perfect."

…

The next morning Harry awoke at 6 as the sun hit him in the face. He sat up carefully trying to avoid reopening his wounds. He noticed Hedwig had returned and fallen asleep in her cage sometime after he himself had gone to bed. He shook his head smiling, grateful that she could hunt and find water for herself, considering how little food he received. He made his way downstairs and made breakfast for the Dursleys, leaving the plates on the table with glass covers to prevent them from cooling until the Dursleys woke at their usual time of 7:30.

He then made his way back upstairs to the bathroom, and after taking a quick cold shower, just long enough to cleanse his wounds and clean his hair, he retreated to the smallest bedroom to dress and gather the necessities for his trip to Gringotts. After attending to his wounds and dressing, he removed his invisibility cloak and wand from where they were sequestered under the loose floorboard, wrapped his wand in the cloak and took his worn rucksack from the corner adding the two items to its contents.

After the events of the summer of his third year, Harry had kept the rucksack filled with the necessities in case he needed to flee. At the end of school each year he had cast a featherlite charm on it, shrunk all his school books (not including the set from the lying ponce Lockhart or the useless DADA text from the tyranny of Umbitch), kept the school supply lists, his shrunken Firebolt, some mild healing potions, the photo album of his parents, the any-lock-picking penknife from Sirius and the Marauders Map hidden away in the scuffed bag. He knew his uncle would never look at the frayed thing twice, considering it beneath his notice.

At 9:45, Dudley made his excuses to Petunia, yanked open Harry's door demanding he join him, and dragged his seemingly protesting cousin out the door in an attempt to prevent any suspicions on the part of his parents. When the two cousins reached the empty park at Magnolia Crescent ten minutes later, Harry finally turned to Dudley.

"Duds, I'll probably be back around 6 o' clock. Meet me here and we'll go back together."

"Sure Harry, after our talk last night I managed to get a hold of a friend who works at the mall, so I'll have a ride and an alibi," Dudley said.

"That's excellent, I'll see you later," Harry said with a feral grin. Dudley watched as Harry pulled something silvery out of the rucksack and disappeared from sight. Under the invisibility cloak Harry readjusted the bag on his back, stuck his wand in the pocket on the side of his oversized denims, then pulled the letter and portkey out of his back pocket. He retrieved his wand and tapped the galleon turned portkey while whispering "Galleon" under his breath. Harry felt the sensation of a hook behind his navel as he swirled from the spot, suddenly remembering why he hated portkeys.

A/N: This is a trial chapter, as it's my first fanfic I'd like to know what people think of it and whether they'd like to read more. Reviews are welcomed flames will be ignored.