The Universe Everything Went Right

by Dream Painter

Summary: Time and again, Harry and his friends narrowly avoid meeting an unfortunate end. Many are the times they emerged virtually unscathed – truly, most of these escapes boil down to sheer dumb luck. But what if things hadn't gone right? What if the laws of the universe held firm? Following is a series of somber tales. Don't let the title fool you. These are the times things went wrong.

Author's Notes: This idea came to me after my best friend and I were re-watching the series. I remarked on a moment where Harry really ought to have ended up dead. My friend agreed, stating that 'Canon is the universe where everything went right.' Thus, this collection.

Each chapter is a story of its own, with Canon resetting with each new tale. (Therefore, the events of the first chapter/story did not happen before the second; events of tale two no longer happened at the start of chapter/story three; and so on.) There will be a lot of character death – mostly Harry – and lots of horrible things starting pre-Hogwarts and going through to the Final Battle. The final chapter/story will tie all the other tales together.

This is definitely going to be a work long in progress; there will not be regular updates. You may expect that sometimes there will several tales added one after the other, while at other times there may be months between updates. Due to each chapter being a complete story, I hope such waits will prove more bearable.

Rated high, just in case.

Enough of me. On to the tales.

Failure to Thrive

Vehicles crowded in front of Number Four Privet Drive, two of them police cars, another an ambulance. All along the street, neighbors looked curiously on. Rumors flitted about, several different people speculating as to what was going on. Some of them were even right, or close to it, at least.

The commotion had begun earlier, perhaps an hour or two before. Then, there had only been one vehicle and two visitors to the Dursley house. Maud Wilson of Number Five knew precisely why they had arrived. She had been the one to call the authorities, the middle-aged woman apparently being the only neighbor to grow concerned enough to do so.

It had been several days since she had seen any sign of the Dursleys' small nephew, maybe even an entire week. Usually, he would be out in the yard, put to work in Petunia's garden. Such a small, small boy. Maud knew he had to be four or five, as Mrs. Dursley had told them that 'the boy' was the same age as their own son. It was clear he was not treated the same. His clothes were too big for his slight frame and his aunt and uncle were frequently yelling at him. Furthermore, little Dudley never appeared to have any chores. At least, never out in the yard.

There had been no sign of Harry lately, however, so Maud had finally called as she had been tempted to do before. The first car had arrived this morning, then the others but a short while ago. Presently, an EMT was carrying a bawling Dudley out from the house to the ambulance. Maud wouldn't have needed to see the child to know it was the Dursleys' son; their nephew never cried. Following shortly behind, officers were steering Vernon and Petunia towards police vehicles. Judging by the way their hands were behind their backs, their wrists were in cuffs.

Finally, the stretcher that had been carried into the house almost as soon as the ambulance had arrived was brought back out again. Through the people crowding around, Maud was just able to make out the small form beneath the white sheet. There was no movement.

It was not until the following day that she was able to confirm what had happened. Not even the news contained the full story.

Four-year-old Harry James Potter, nephew to Vernon and Petunia Dursley, had been a victim of emotional abuse and gross neglect. Although the Dursleys had doted upon their own son, they had shunned their unwanted nephew, verbally reviling him and going so far as to lock him in the cupboard beneath the stairs so they would not have to look at the boy. He was frequently punished by means of isolation and withheld meals. Malnourished, the boy also suffered a condition known as failure to thrive. Such mistreatment had finally led to the boy falling extremely ill. The boy's aunt and uncle did not take him to receive medical treatment.

The Dursleys lost custody of their own son and were being brought up on charges for their actions towards their orphaned nephew. Maud had been right in calling the authorities. She had also been wrong in not calling sooner.

The date was July 10, 1985 when social workers were sent to investigate the conditions at Number Four Privet Drive in Little Whinging. Locked in the cupboard beneath the stairs was found the frail frame of a boy named Harry Potter. In exactly three weeks, he would have been five. Thanks to his relatives, he never reached that age at all.

End.