A/n: Reformed edition. Hope some like it. Please inform me if it is too pathetic. Not Betaed.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of an End
*Seven Years Ago*
Ten year old Harry awoke pretty early that day. It was Dudley's birthday. He was quick to go about working in the kitchen, preparing a delicious breakfast for the fat boy to drool over. When Aunt Petunia woke at last, she was greeted with a delicious aroma of world class dishes upon entering the kitchen.
And along came Dudley, eager as always for some food.
Aunt Petunia glared at the boy who was standing there awkwardly after completing the numerous strenuous dishes required to sate Dudley's appetite. Harry had gone above and beyond this time, clearly seeking desperately to impress his aunt.
"What are you doing here boy! Your work is finished now isn't it? So get back in the cupboard now or have you forgotten you are still grounded?" Aunt Petunia snapped shrilly at Harry.
"But…"
"But what? Have you already forgotten what you did last week? This only goes on to show how spoilt you have become over time!" She exclaimed in exasperation as she deftly grabbed the collar of his overgrown t-shirt and dragged him back into his cupboard that was his room. She slammed the door behind him and locked the cupboard.
"But it wasn't me Aunt Petunia! It blew out by itself!" Harry shouted for no avail from his cupboard which only went on to lengthen his term for another week for lying.
Weird thing always happened around Harry, and somehow the blame always went to Harry. He was the freak in the house after all.
Harry never understood how that logic worked.
Harry looked through the little bars in the cupboard door at the happy family as they went around preparing for Dudley's birthday.
Uncle Vernon was just complaining and grumbling about the no-good Harry as he sat down to read his morning newspaper. Complaining about Harry was his favourite pass time.
"I swear you were barmy then Petunia to even consider raising that freak for your sister!"
"What could I have done Vernon? His parents were no better! A child even they were repulsed with should had been something nicer but he turned out to be worse! No wonder they left him! We shouldn't have accepted him either but you know how my heart is?"
"Of course Petunia! You have a heart of gold, I always knew that!"
The morning dragged away as Harry glumly sat at the door watching Dudley's tantrums over the gifts as his mother fussed and consoled him with her devoted adoration towards him.
Harry always wondered what he lacked compared to Dudley and other kids who had their parents to shower them with love.
No matter what Harry tried his aunt never looked at him the way she looked at her son. Be it cleaning the house everyday, cooking a banquet for all three meals, tending the garden to perfection his uncle and aunt were never impressed with him, no matter how hard he tried. Harry never stopped trying though..it was his only way to stay sane, to have hope that someday he might become worthy enough for their affection. He couldn't just accept his worthlessness and go on. He had to try.
It was three hours later that Harry was allowed to get out to eat what was left over of his tediously cooked breakfast when he got a pleasant surprise.
Mrs. Figg broke her leg and was unable to care for Harry when the Dursleys went for their excursion, neither was any in the neighborhood free enough to take care of him, which only meant that Harry would accompany them to the zoo! Harry had never been happier. Dursleys had never taken him anywhere before. This day was looking towards a better side.
Only that it turned out to be the worst. Harry accidentally set a boa constrictor from the zoo at Dudley. The weirder thing was that he could actually talk with the reptile but that new discovery settled in the back of his mind as he braced himself to be grounded for a lifetime(he didn't even bother considering the vanishing the glass cage as weird, it was too simple compared to actually talking with animals) . The Dursleys were furious. Harry never saw the sun for months. He was only let out for cleaning the house or cooking the food or eating the leftover meals after the Dursleys had scavenged every morsel of his hard cooked delicious meal, leaving him with the worst parts. Harry only had the spiders in his closet for company for company for all those times; he sometimes hoped he could have spoken to them too.
Harry didn't come out of his punishment until his birthday.
Harry didn't even know why he even remembered his birthday; it isn't like anything different happened on that day. Unless you count the occasional thrashing Harry gets as a 'birthday gift' from Dudley when he finds out scribbled cakes and candles on Harry's cupboard walls or notebooks.
But this birthday was different; far more different than any birthday that he ever had. That day changed Harry's mundane life forever.
A letter came for him. Through an owl. With a coat of arms engraved on the front.
Uncle Vernon was quick to snatch the letter away from Harry before he could read a word. He was then locked again in his cupboard for fighting for the letter leaving him wondering about the ashen faces Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia sported.
Night was one of the favourite times for Harry. The Dursleys slept like dead after a hearty meal and Harry made sure they had one every night. It gave him the freedom in the dark for anything he wanted. It was how he devoured the cook books his aunt bought, if she suspected then she didn't let on. Harry had long since learnt to pick the locks of his cupboard door. That is how he managed to get out of his cupboard that night and sneaked out the holy letter that lay in a crumpled ball inside the drawer beside the bed where his uncle and aunt slept. The letter and envelope clearly showed signs of abuse that it suffered from his uncle's wrath. Harry was thankful to the gods above that it wasn't him this time. Harry was seldom beaten unless he did something that could stretch the anger of his uncle to a breaking point. Last time it happened was when he accidentally hurt one of Aunt Marge's monster dogs which loved chasing little Harry. Harry could swear it drooled like in front of a meal when near him. The swollen purple face his uncle adorned was comical; the swollen purple body Harry was left with was painful. Needless to say Harry got out lucky with the zoo incident.
Harry held in his hand the mystery letter, his hands shaking furiously from excitement, his heart rampaging impatiently from nervousness. Harry had always held within deep inside his heart an intense longing and hope that someday his parents might return telling him it was all a big mistake, and take him back. He faintly remembered the face of what he assumed (made himself believe beyond foolish reasons) was his mother. She had a beautiful face in the dream, with flaming red hair and green eyes, like his own. Harry unfurled the crumpled letter in impatience, eager to read whatever it contained for him.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Dursley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
It could have had been any Dursley from the house, but it specifically said Harry Dursley on the address, who lived inside the cupboard under the stairs, at Little Whinging, 4 Privet Drive.
A school! Harry was admitted to a school! A wizard school! Harry could only think of what a cruel joke the Dursleys played on him.
That night after a long time Harry once again cried himself to sleep in his cupboard clutching his favourite pillow(he only had one though), which had the childish drawing of a woman with red hair drawn with crayons stolen from Harry's uncaring cousin and under the drawing written almost unintelligibly were the words:
Mommy loves you.
