I'm not sure where this story is going for now, but the start jumped in my head and wouldn't go away until I did something about it. I'm going to wait to see how the responses turn out before I post consistently, so please review! ( ALSO: Be warned. I do not have a beta and do not read my work before posting.)

There will be both graphic and non-graphic descriptions of abuse in this story. Slight AU following year 4.

Enjoy! ;)

Hope Potter stood outside of the gargoyle statue that guarded Dumbledore's office. She ignored the way it was tilting its head curiously, as though it was asking her what she was doing. Hope was lost in thought. It was the last day of her fourth year, and she was ready for a break. After barely scraping by several of her classes due to being wrapped up in the Triwizards Tournaments, she was tired. The mere thought of the way the competition had ended turned her stomach.

Hope closed her eyes and clinched her teeth as an image of Cedric's face rose in her mind. She forced the memory down. It wouldn't do to throw up in front of the headmaster's office. Unconsciously, her fingers traced the new scar on her arm where her blood had been used to raise Voldemort.

"Miss Potter."

Hope stifled a gasp as she spun to see the dreaded potions master glaring at her through hooded eyes. She met them briefly before redirecting her gaze to her shoes. "Sir."

"Are you planning on going up or not? Some of us would like to get on with our days without having to wait until certain students to decide to stop dawdling."

Hope felt a flush creep up her neck and quickly turned to mumble the password to he waiting gargoyle. It looked exasperated as it finally slid open the door. Hope practically bolted up the stairs, not wanting to stay in Snape's way for any longer than necessary. Even so, she had to force her heart rate to stay down as she heard his footsteps following her up the stone steps. At the top of the stairs, Hope knocked on the door and waited for the headmaster's call to come in.

The door opened almost immediately, and Hope soon found herself sitting in a chair holding a small bowl of lemon drops. She felt her stomach twist at the thought of eating any of them, and quickly placed the bowl on Dumbledore's desk.

"Headmaster, I-" Hope was stopped by a gesture from Dumbledore's hand.

"Hope." He spoke in a gentle voice that she found herself hating. "If you are going to ask about different summer plans, then you already know what I'm going to say, especially more so now than before."

Hope stiffened at those words. "But, Sir! You must have some other way or place for me to-"

"Hope!" Albus Dumbledore's voice was sharp in that one word, effectively cutting off all of her other protests.

"You should learn to hold your tongue, Miss Potter." Snape hissed from where he was standing just to the side of the headmasters desk.

Hope's eyes flashed in anger, but held her tongue as a thin spiderweb of cracks appeared in on of the windows overlooking the quidditch pitch. She quickly stood up. "Are we done?" Dumbledore looked a little disappointed, but nodded. Before Hope had closed the door, she could hear Snape going off at Dumbledore at the way he was encouraging disrespect among his students.

Hope remained quiet as she joined her friends and throughout the train ride from Hogwarts. Flashes of scenery went by as she stared out of the window, but she didn't register any of it. All that she could think of was what awaited her at 'home'.

This year, Hope was almost certain that she was going to need to find a job, although she didn't know very many places that would hire fourteen year olds within walking distance. The previous summer had consisted of household chores and being locked in her room. Her aunt and uncle had been grumbling even then about how she should find a job if she ever wanted to waste so much of their food by eating it. A part of Hope wondered if they were even going to provide that this year. It wasn't like they gave her much to start.

"Hope!" Hope was jolted out of her train of thought to find Hermione standing at the door looking exasperated. "Come on! The train is almost empty!"

Hope quickly gathered her things, and was soon standing outside on the platform. She said her goodbyes in a hurry as soon as she saw that the Dursleys were waiting nearby, looking rather impatient. However, before she slipped away from everyone, she hurriedly pulled Fred and George aside and pressed into their hands a bag of gallons. At first, they protested, but soon Hope was leaving them behind with wide grins in their face.

All too soon, Hope was stuffing her trunk into the back of the Dursley's car. The car ride home was tense as her uncle sent her glares through the rear view mirror. Her aunt refused to even look at her, while Dudley whispered jeers and taunts about her parents.

The first time he said something along the lines of how her mother was a whore, Hope almost snapped then and there. Thankfully, she remembered where she was and pulled her emotions inside her. She buried them inside a dark recess of her mind. It would do her no good to lose control, as the last time that had happened, she hadn't been able to sit for a good two weeks.

Soon, they were pulling up into the driveway. As it is the engine stops, the Dursley's all got inside as quick as they could, leaving Hope to gather her things herself. It took her a good ten minutes to pull her trunk out of the car and up the stairs to her room.

As soon as her stuff was settled in the corner, Hope looked around the small area. It was just as dreary as she remembered. The bed was still just the mattress from the double bed that Dudley complained about being too small. At one point there had been a frame, but that had been broken last year when Dudley invited his group of friends over for a sleepover. They found out, much Dudleys delight, that six boys jumping on the bed would lead to it breaking. Of course, Hope had been blamed for the incident and locked in her room for a little over a week as punishment.

Hope sat down on the mattress, and went into a coughing fit as a large plume of dust went into the air. Home sweet home. She went to the window and tried to jerk it open, but it wouldn't budge. Hope scowled as she noticed the nails holding it in place. Her eyes spotted the small box of nails and the hammer on the floor. Of course they would be too lazy to clean up after themselves. Hope listened for a moment to make sure no one was upstairs before she bent down and grabbed the hammer. Seconds later, the nails were out and the window was open, letting the stale room vent out.

A few hours passed of relative silence before Hope heard her name being called. She took this as her que to close the window, and do a quick scan of what she wore to make sure nothing screamed magic or expensive.

Hope ran down the stairs and almost knocked Petunia over as she entered the kitchen.

"Watch where you are going, little girl!" Her aunt hissed. Hope bit back the retort that she wasn't exactly little if she stood almost the same height as Petunia and mumbled an apology. "Sit down."

Hope sat at the kitchen table where Vernon and Dudley were already seated.

"Listen here, Girl. We don't want to see you if at all possible this summer, and you do not get to freeload off of us again." Hope stayed very still, trying to make sure she didn't miss anything. There would be hell to pay if she forgot or misunderstood anything. "I don't care how you do it, but I don't want you in the house influencing Dudley with any of your wizard nonsense. You will do your normal chores and that is all. Understood?"

Hope nodded hesitantly. "What do you mean by freeloading?" She spoke quickly and softly, but still knew she had made a mistake when Vernon's face turned an interesting shade of red.

"You ungrateful child!" Aunt Petunia, who had been standing just behind Hope, cuffed her ear. "We feed you, clothe you, let you sleep under a roof, and what do we get in return? Nothing!" Hope couldn't stop herself from scoffing at that, knowing that they received a monthly payment for taking care of her. She felt the ringing in her ears intensify as Petunia cuffed her again. Hope bit back the yelp that rose in her throat.

"Make one more retort, and you sleep in the shed, understand?!" Vernon shook a meaty finger at her from across the table. He grumbled under his breath for a few minutes before he recalled the entire point to the conversation. "Listen here, Girl. Get your chores done each day and then get out of the house. If I hear of you causing trouble for any of us or our neighbors, then I'll make sure you wished that you had never been born! Now get out of my sight!"

Hope quickly jumped to her feet and practically bolted up the stairs. She was stopped by a claw-like grip on her shoulder. "Where do you think you are going?!" Aunt Petunia pulled her back into the kitchen and out of the backdoor. "We don't want any of your freakiness in the house!" One shove, and Hope was sprawling in the grass outside. "And don't bother with lunch today! We are eating out!"

With that, the door slammed shut. Hope let her body collapse completely on the warm ground. This was going to be a long summer.