A/N: Hello. This is my first long story so far. As such I would like to clear some things up. First off I appreciate constructive criticism and encourage it. It really helps to bring a story to life. Next I would like to mention that I struggle with school work and as such updates may be inconsistent. It doesn't mean I am going to give up but it does mean that I can't really tell you when the next chapter will be out. Please no flamers. Also in this story Harry is a girl which means (s)he could be more emotional. Please read, enjoy and review.

Blurb: Harry is fifteen years old and not pleased in the slightest. Voldermort's back, one of her fellow students is dead and no one will tell her anything. Furthermore she doesn't see why Malfoy thinks he can help her when he bumps into her during the holidays. So what if she was running away to die. It wasn't any of his business anyway.

Warning: mentions of abuse and death, suicidal thoughts, drarry, femharry, etc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor will I ever own it. I am making no profit from this story, except for my own peace of mind.

Chapter 1

The night air felt hot against Harry's skin. She lay in bed gasping for breadth and trying to push the nightmare from her mind. It was just like every other time, the graveyard, Cedric, Voldemort and that god awful green light. Tears slid down her cheeks and she bit her lip to avoid making a noise. Shivers whacked through her body despite the near tropical temperature. Harry rolled out of bed and moved across to the small window in her room.

The room suddenly seemed too small and airless. She quietly sneaked out of her room, after fiddling with the lock for several minutes, and slipped out the door. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and headed across the lawn. She didn't care where her feet took her as long as it was well away from the Dursley's house. She gently touched the wrapping on her left hand and took a steadying breadth as memories flashed through her mind.

She had gotten the injury two days ago when her uncle had punished her for burning the bacon. After calling her a million different things, freak being the main one, he had grabbed the iron that Petunia was using and pressed the hot surface onto her hand. He'd held it there for a few seconds until he had heard a distinctive sizzling sound. It was at least a very bad first degree burn but Harry thought it was more likely a second degree burn.

Tears prickled at her eyes once again as pain flashed through her hand. Harry had of course done her best to treat the burn but the threat of infection was a possibility that rarely left her mind. She felt a flash of resentment towards her friends who were probably having a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep right now. Even her friends knew more than she did about the current situation with Voldemort.

Her friends hadn't seen the light leave Cedric's eyes. They hadn't heard Voldemort laugh and they hadn't been forced to duel him. She had done that and now she was left here on the sidelines like some sort of pet, always at the beck and call of others.

She felt anger bubble up inside her and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. 'How dare they ignore her like this. What gave them the right to not include her.' She snarled at the pavement below her feet.

A bang sounded behind her and Harry saw someone moving in the shadows. Fear clutched at her heart as she tried to do something, anything, other than standing frozen in the street. Images of Voldemort flashed through her head, his red, merciless eyes, his pale dead looking skin, his sneer which promised a world of pain. She heard his mocking voice in her ear telling her to bow to him, she heard his insane laughter as he murdered yet another innocent victim. She saw her uncle as well. The way his face would grow completely red with rage and how his massive purple fists would beat her senseless. Fear flashed through her body and she did the only thing she could do in her situation, she ran.

Her bare feet slipped on the pavement and cuts appeared on her feet but she could hear the person behind her following and as such she didn't dare stop. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she found herself running faster than she normally would have. Her breath came out in panicked, heavy gasps. Images tore through her mind and she bolted across the road without looking. She was barely aware of her surroundings as the urge to put distance between herself and her follower, drove her onwards.

A few blocks later Harry noticed that her follower had disappeared. She slowed to a halt and crumpled down onto the step of a closed bakery. Her fear died away and Harry took note of her location. She was in Myers Avenue which was six blocks from her house. The shops on the streets were closed and all the houses had their lights off.

She felt a deep feeling of self loathing rise up in her when it registered that she had run away from the threat instead of facing it. Only a few minutes ago she had been complaining about how she was never included in her friends plans. Then she had run away like a child, like a scared and lonely child who couldn't handle herself. How she wished the wizarding world could see her now, see how she had run away instead of fighting. She vaguely thought how nice it would be to be able to slip away from this world. She could just die and no one would care, right? Her aunt and uncle definitely wouldn't care, and her friends wouldn't care either. If her friends cared then they would have allowed her to join them. They just didn't want to make a big fuss about making her leave them.

She ran her hands through her hair and sighed softly. If she hid here long enough then natural causes would take her. She liked that idea, nature and time could do what Voldemort could not. A shaky laugh escaped her lips and fresh tears blurred her vision.

"What the hell are you doing here Potter?"

Chapter Two