A/N: First fanfiction. Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I was I would hand Fantastic Beasts over to SCB… Okay, so Half-blood Prince was, in my opinion, the worst book in the series and the biggest disappointment. I LOVE backstory and the backstory is great. However, I find Harry inconsistent and out of character. I also am not a Ron fan but not huge on Ron bashing. Harry is really studious when Ron isn't influencing and he listens to Hermione more. Hermione and Ron are borderline verbally and emotionally abusive to each other. They will not be together. Ginny is awesome but Harry needs someone to keep him in line not just support him and let anything bad he does slide. Snape refuses to see Harry for what he is and it seems unreasonable. Him being really nice is unreasonable but… I mean as soon as he sees Harry with Luna at Slughorn's party something should have changed at least a little. Enough about my Harry Potter thoughts that are jumping around all over the place. So here is my attempt at making Half-blood what I want it to be. P.S. Why am I doing this since I will now have to spend a lot of time with and read Half-blood strenuously?
A Perfectly Normal Night
Harry sat on his bed with two letters. Two he thought bitterly also thinking it would have been three had Sirius not been killed. Ron's letter simply stated that summer had been boring and that his Mum had been bothering him about his OWLs all summer and that he thought Harry would be able to join them soon. Going to Grimmauld Place was not where he wanted to spend the summer, but he really didn't want to spend it at Privet drive. The other letter was from Hermione who was both concerned for Harry and her OWLS. Why Hermione Granger was worried about her grades was beyond Harry but she always did. He got up from his bed and went to his desk writing to Ron that he couldn't wait to see him and reassuring Hermione that he was doing better and telling her she would do fine on her OWLS. Ron was probably telling her she was barmy for worrying so he could see her being worried and annoyed. Harry sighed and tied the letters to Hedwig telling her to stay wherever Hermione was for food. Ron's family already had two owls and Hermione always had treats for Pig and Hedwig.
Suddenly there is a knock on the door and Aunt Petunia was shrieking at him to come to dinner in a minute or it would go to Dudley. Dudley was still dieting which meant Harry was being starved. He made breakfast which he would sometimes get if there were leftovers, until he was eleven he'd never had lunch since that would impede on chore time and the teachers didn't like him enough to pay attention, and dinner was most nights now. Tonight Uncle Vernon grilled steak and Aunt Petunia roasted vegetables so Harry had nothing to do until dishes for once. He rushed down and saw his plate at the counter. He never sat at the table. That was a rule in the Dursley house to keep a perfectly normal house. Four even chairs at the table, the fourth was reserved for guests and Harry was not a guest. He wasn't welcome though either. A perfect family with a perfect child. Harry was unplanned and unwelcome and he was a magical freak. Harry didn't mind too much, why would he was to spend more time with his unpleasant family. He glanced from his family at the table and their plates and his. Uncle Vernon and Dudley both had a whole cut of steak, a roll, and a heap of carrots and potatoes. Aunt Petunia had a fairly large cut of steak and the same sides. Harry had the other part of Aunt Petunia's cut which was only really a quarter, half a roll, and four carrot halves. Another rule at the Dursley's was that if they were kind enough to allow Harry to eat in their presence around the family during a family dinner and take what food could be theirs and waste money to fill his stomach, he was to thank them.
"Thank you, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia," Harry said quietly but clearly. For once he was thankful. He had only had steak a handful of times and it was a favorite of his. Hogwarts only served it at major holidays when most of the castle was gone since it was not a good meat to make in large quantities and the Dursleys had only given it to him twice before when they let him eat with them.
"You're welcome. I'd like to hear that sentence come out of your mouth more often you ungrateful brat for all we do for you. Also, the grill better be clean when I get home tomorrow since I just used it." Uncle Vernon stated. Harry resisted rolling his eye. Yeah too bad they couldn't keep cleaning supplies and other things in the cupboard under the stairs. What a sacrifice!
"Yes, Uncle Vernon. Sorry, sir. Thank you, sir." Harry said before turning around. Another rule for a perfect Dursley household. Harry was to face away from the family so they did not have to watch him eat and he was not part of the family. Every rule in the Dursley's house for Harry was to ensure that he was seen and heard as little as possible, not really a part of the family, and to make sure he was aware of how much of an unwanted burden and freak he was and how gracious and kind the Dursleys were. Harry hated having a summer birthday. Hermione's was in September, meaning that by Christmas of this year she would be able to use magic at home. Ron's was in April, meaning he could use magic this next summer. Harry not only wouldn't be able to use magic until later in the summer, but it also meant he had one more dreadful summer at the Dursleys. His birthday was coming up and he was hoping that meant that he would be leaving the Dursleys. He finished his plate of food quickly and just stood in silence listening to the Dursley pretend everything was normal and they didn't have their nephew standing on the side. He wished he could just wash his dish and get his last chore for the day done quicker but the running water would be rude and distracting and loud. So he listened.
"The Mason's have been great for business. Dudley, expect a lot from your late birthday celebration!" Uncle Vernon said before shoving an overly large piece of meat into his mouth. Dudley just nodded and smiled. He had changed. He didn't hang out with his gang anymore and he was in his room a lot. Harry hardly saw him. Harry didn't understand it but Aunt Petunia wasn't getting any more complaints about her perfect little Diddykins so it was good for everyone. After an excruciating ten minutes of more boring random staggering comments, dinner was over. Like every normal family, the Dursleys went to watch television after dinner every night. Meanwhile, Harry scrubbed plates, cups, silverware, baking sheets, and cutting boards. Finally, he wiped the counters and tables and headed back to his room. He laid in bed thinking about very little until he, at last, fell asleep.