Disclaimer: It aint mine. It does have some child abuse though. and some swearing...

ENJOY!

Twisted. Searing. Burning. Pain. Death.

Harry's brain was slowly, carefully, almost painfully, piecing these words together.

He opened his eyes to a squint but all he could see was the horrible brown carpet that had recently been placed on his bedroom floor to increase the value of the Dursley's house.

He opened his eyes wider and sat up. Only one of his eyes would open properly and he put his hand up to press gingerly on the other one.

There was a long bruise up his arm and he tried to inspect it without reopening the wounds on his back.

Harry Potter had been bashed. Bashed and cut so severely that he was now lying half starved and half dead on his bedroom floor.

He looked at the glowing digits clock, which read 9:30pm.

He'd long missed the train to Hogwarts.

Taking no notice of Moody's threat, Vernon had been bashing and Cutting Harry until he passed out. Then he would get tossed into his room and left there for days on end. This had been going on since the moment he got out of the car on the first day of the holidays.

Hedwig had been taken away so he had no form of contact and Vernon must have being receiving his mail and forging his replies because the Order still hadn't come to get him.

But because he hadn't showed up at school, Dumbledore would soon come and get him.

"Get up, Harry"

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Vernon was back for more. Harry got up and faced the door, standing tenderly on his twisted ankle.

He took one more breath and opened his eyes.

But instead of seeing his abusing uncle with a knife, he saw four tall figures, lined up across his room. Two men and two women. It took Harry a moment to realise that they were each wearing a different coloured Hogwarts Robe.

The four founders.

"Good fucking god" Harry said, swaying on the spot. "I've died, haven't I?"

"Manners, Harry" one of the ladies said. Helga Hufflepuff. "And no, you're not dead. But you would be if we had not come for you."

Salazar Slytherin rolled his eyes skywards at Harry's confusion.

"We can't let you die until you've fought the final battle against Voldemort," he said. He had his shoulder length blonde hair tied back but a few strands were left dangling across his face. He reminded Harry of Lucius Malfoy.

"Yes… but aren't you dead?" Harry had walked back wards until he found his bed and was now sitting down. Godric Gryffindor gave a long, joy filled laugh.

"Kind of." He said. "When we reached our dying age we kind of… dispersed. You know of the chamber of secrets. Well we each have a chamber that was as big as the castle itself but underground. We lived there for five hundred years. Then Rowena discovered a spell that meant we could live in the upper world just without being seen. We can show ourselves to certain people though."

Harry was stunned. "Huh?"

"Harry" said Rowena carefully "we are gods."

"Damn" said Harry, biting his lower lips "that's something, isn't it. So why did you come for me?"

"We told you. To make sure you live to fulfil the Prophecy" Salazar was becoming impatient. So was Harry.

"But wouldn't you want Voldemort to win? He is you Heir"

Salazar snorted. "No he's not. You're my Heir. Tom Riddle is just powerful. You opened my chamber much faster than he did. But I am a bit annoyed that you killed my snake."

"But…but Voldemort was controlling the snake. Not me"

"Neither of you did. I was doing it. But I couldn't reveal that you were my Heir. So I pretended that Tom was. Happy now? Good lets go!" Salazar made to leave but Helga stopped him.

"Wait. We better heal Harry first"

"No" Harry stepped out of the gods reach. "I want people to see what muggles are capable of. Magic isn't always the solution."

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor" Godric beamed and helped Harry to his feet.

"Won't my uncle hear us?" Harry stepped nervously into the hallway and glanced at Vernon's bedroom door.

Rowena Laughed. "He'd better hope he doesn't hear us."

They walked stealthily down the stairs and into the back yard.

"Wait. Why hasn't Dumbledore come for me yet?" Harry stopped and asked this random question to give his ankle time to recover.

"Because he thinks you're at school. We needed this time to talk to you." Helga was watching him with worry in her sparkling Hazel eyes. "Are you sure you don't want that healed, love?"

"Positive" Harry replied firmly. Salazar looked bored.

The gods seemed to be waiting for something, giving Harry time to study their features in moonlight.

Although they were supposed to be over one thousand years old, all four looked quite young. Around thirty, maybe forty.

Godric had short brown, almost red, hair that stuck up at the back. He also had a goatee that made him look a bit like Charlie Weasley. There was also a lump in his red and gold robes that could possibly be a sword hilt.

Rowena had very long raven hair like Harry. Her black eyes showed many centuries of wisdom but at the same time not giving anything away.

Helga, though still quite tall, was a bit shorter than the rest. Her face was round and friendly and she defiantly had a motherly air about her.

Salazar was standing a little away from the others, staring at the sky and looking very bored.

Harry was beginning to like Salazar. He didn't seem as evil as history made out to be. Moonlight was shining on his hair and Harry was yet again forced to wonder how old they were.

"We can choose our own age." Salazar said, making Harry jump. "Its quite hideous being old so we chose younger versions of ourselves."

"There it is" Godric pointed to a shooting star. Harry watched it, fascinated at its long tail. Finally it disappeared and Harry looked at his surroundings.

He was standing on the rolling slopes of Hogwarts. The lake was shimmering darkly in the distance.

Harry turned and found himself standing on the steps to the castle. He felt a hand grip his shoulder.

"Go and tell Dumbledore about Vernon. His password is Vampire sucks." Salazar pushed him forward. And Harry turned quickly to watch him. But instead of seeing a god there, he saw a silver Python, a Badger, a Lion and an Eagle. They watched him for a moment then shimmered away into nothingness.

Harry walked slowly to Dumbledore's Office, treading carefully on his buggered foot.

"Vampire sucks" he said and stepped onto the staircase.

"Ah, Harry. Good Holidays I hope?" Dumbledore peered at him over the desk.

Harry said nothing. Instead he turned and pulled off his shirt so Dumbledore could see the wounds.

Dumbledore was at his side in an instant.

"How did this Happen?" Harry looked into the old mans eyes which were burning with anger.

"Uncle Vernon."

Dumbledore vanished with a pop only to return a moment later with a terrified Vernon.

"Did you do this to Harry?" he boomed, making Vernon cower in fear. The fat man didn't answer. He just stared at Harry's back.

Harry put his shirt back on and turned to watch his uncle.

Vernon suddenly straightened his back; a scared man reaching for a last drop of dignity.

"Why does it matter to you, sir?" he said a little to loudly. "He is my charge, I shall punish him in any way I feel fit."

Dumbledore held up his hand and sent a thunderous wave of blue fire at Vernon who screamed and disappeared.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Harry asked, not sure why he cared.

"No, Harry. I sent him back to Privet Drive with the same amount of pain that you suffered." Dumbledore moved closer to Harry and helped him sit down.

"Now tell me, Harry, how have you been, emotionally."

"Well if you mean about Sirius…I haven't had much time to think about him. I've been unconscious most of the holidays."

"And your scar?" Dumbledore reached up but stopped just short of his forehead.

"Fine. I haven't felt Voldemort for a few weeks now…" at that moment Madam Pomfrey bustled in.

"Right, where is he" she came aver and looked at Harry.

"Potter again?" she sighed and put down her bag. "Right then, show me where it hurts."

Harry took off his shirt again and Pomfrey gasped.

"A muggle did this?" Harry caught sight of his back in a mirror and saw that Vernon had actually carved the word 'Bastard' into his back.

"Can you get rid of it?"

"Certainly, exept this one, which had healed to much by itself." She tapped one of the scars. The first cut that Vernon had given him.

Pomfrey yanked out her wand and tapped it on Harry's back. Slowly he felt the pain ease away. The nurse quickly did the same for his arm, ankle and eye. Soon Harry was feeling good as new. Exept for his empty stomach of course.

"Go down to the kitchen, Harry. Dobby will bring you some food. Then it would be best if you went to bed." Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Stay strong, Harry"

"Where have you been Harry?" Hermione jumped on him the second he walked through the portrait and Harry was glad to have already been healed.

"You weren't on the train and you weren't at dinner. Dumbledore said you were fine. But we didn't believe him because your letters were so vague. Right Ron?"

"Right" said Ron, shaking Harry's hand and looking at him with deep concern. "Is it Sirius, mate?" Harry shook his head and peeled Hermione from him.

"Vernon tried to kill me" Hermione uttered a sympathetic squeak. Ron looked enraged.

"I knew something was up! I told dad we should have come to get you!"

"Stop it, Ron. I've dealt with it…" Harry stopped before he mentioned the founders. For some reason he didn't feel right about telling his best friends. Then he remembered that he hadn't told Dumbledore either. The gods must be stopping him.

It took Harry a long time to get to sleep that night, possibly because he'd been mostly asleep all holidays. He lay there, thinking about the night's events and realised that he had so many more questions that he wished he could have asked the founders. He rolled over and picked up his timetable and held it up against the candlelight.

Double potions. What a bore. Tomorrow he would go and see Salazar in the Chamber of secrets.

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