Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Two: Unbound Escape

Number Four Privet Drive, 0018, 24 June, 1994

Harry stirred slightly, a great ringing taking place in his head. He groggily opened his eye and took an inadvertent jump backwards, as there was a very protuberant set of eyes within inches of his own. "What happened?" he asked as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir was being doing a magical spell when the lightning is being striking him," Dobby said in a rush. Harry tried to sit up, groaned as his head protested, and then pitched to the side and wretched horribly as his stomach complained vehemently at the treatment he was subjecting it to.

When he was finished he wiped his mouth and looked around for his wand. He spotted it about a dozen feet away. It seemed that he had flung it as the lightning had struck. He hesitantly got to his feet, and, finding his legs not too shaky started what seemed to be a ten-mile journey to gather his belongings. He was just about to reach down for his wand when he felt something strange, deep inside himself.

He straightened and then lurched suddenly to his left. He grabbed first at his stomach, then clutched his chest. The sensation had progressed to first a prickling and then a burning which seemed to flow through his very soul. He staggered backwards and fell flat on his back.

His back arched as pain ripped though him. He let out a blood curdling scream as his body burst into eldritch flame. It flickered about him and then, inexplicably centered on his scar. Red flame battled with a green glow momentarily until the flame seemed to consume whatever fuel was there and Harry let out a low moan. He bonelessly collapsed and knew no more…

Number Four Privet Drive, 0102, 24 June, 1994

He sat bolt upright, violently shaking his head, trying furiously to understand what had happened to him. He looked around and saw Dobby, furiously pounding his head on a tree trunk. "Dobby, Stop!" he yelled out, and stopped when he realized that he had experienced no pain when he yelled. He looked at Dobby who was frozen in mid swing of his head.

He stood up and took stock of himself, something that he had recently started doing, just to make sure that he still had all his body parts attached. When you were Harry Potter that wasn't something to be taken for granted.

Finding that he was all still attached, he turned his attention to the frozen house elf. "Dobby, what have I told you about punishing yourself. You haven't done a thing wrong, and you have no reason to do that. If you are going to do anymore work for me, then you must stop this. I will not allow you to hurt yourself just because you think you've done something wrong."

Dobby was looking at him with a mixed expression: there was clearly disbelief and shock, but also a love the depth of which frankly scared Harry. He didn't really know how to deal with the little elf, and he hated the fact that Dobby was clearly another one of those that felt that Harry was a great and powerful wizard just because he survived a killing curse when he was one year old.

"If you promise me that you will talk to me if you feel that you did something that deserves to be punished before you take matters into your own hands, you can move again," Harry said softly to his little friend. Dobby flicked his eyes in what was obviously a positive response. "Thank you, my friend," he said as he patted him on the shoulder.

Dobby flung himself into Harry's arms and wept tears of joy. Harry let the little guy cry himself out and then set him down. He stepped over to his wand and muttered to Dobby, "I feel better than I think I ever have," as he stooped down and picked it up. It felt a little strange in his hand, as if it didn't really belong there. He looked at it quizzically before he flicked it at the now charred ground. "Evanesco," he said softly.

There was a loud clap of noise as the most brilliant white light Harry had ever seen seared through his optic nerves. He let out a yelp as pain from both his eyes and his hand shot through him. He let out an 'oof' as he slammed into the ground about ten feet back from where he had been standing.

He looked around, trying to figure out what had happened this time when he realized something that shocked and scared the wits out of him. He couldn't see a thing! Everything was black! He tried to feel around, only to jerk his hand back as it was very, very painful to touch anything.

"Dobby?" he called out.

"Dobby is here, Mister Harry Potter Sir," came the comforting reply.

"What just happened?" Harry asked softly. "And could you please stop calling me that?" He could make out a charred smell, like someone had waved a burnt matchstick under his nose. He wrinkled his nose and tried to sit up, but failed miserably.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir's wand blew up, Mister Harry Potter Sir," Dobby said in a worried voice. "Is Mister Harry Potter Sir being okay?" he continued, clearly ignoring Harry's request.

"No, Dobby, unfortunately I'm not alright this time." Harry replied as he thought furiously. "I seem to have hurt my hand, and I appear to be blind. I can't see a thing."

"Dobby is being getting the Headmaster! He's being knowing what is needing to be done!" The elf shrieked.

"NO!" Harry thundered, startling the little elf. "Please don't," Harry continued in a softer voice. "If you do that then it'll get back to the Ministry that I've done magic here, and then I'll be in a lot of trouble. They'll chuck me in Azkaban, Dobby, and I can't even see. Voldemort's Death Eaters will kill me if I can't defend myself. I won't even last a night there." Harry was starting to get a queasy, panic-induced feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Then what is Dobby to be doing?"

"First, you can help me to my bed, and then maybe help dress my wounds. Then you can clean up here. Then come back and hopefully I'll have figured out what more you can do to help me." Harry smiled in what he hoped was Dobby's direction, but was in fact about three feet to the elf's right.

"Dobby can be doing that!" the elf squeaked. He grabbed Harry's uninjured hand and with a snap they were on Harry's bed. He snapped his fingers again and Harry felt a cool, soothing sensation on both his hand and his eyes. He reached up and felt soft bandages. Sniffing softly he smelled a very familiar scent.

"Essence of murtlap," he said with a smile, remembering the plant from one of his Herbology classes. Neville thought very highly of the plant's many properties.

"Yes Mister Harry Potter Sir that is what Dobby is being using." Harry could feel Dobby bouncing up and down in excitement. He let out a little chuckle.

"You really are a very smart little elf," he said, then added "Thank you for being such a good friend to me, Dobby." He held up a hand to stop the little elf from throwing himself at him, and continued. "Why don't you go and clean up the garden, and then come back here. I should have thought of something by then."

There was a sharp crack, and the little elf was gone. Harry thought frantically and furiously as he waited for Dobby to return. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes before he heard the tell-tale crack of the elf's return.

"I know it's late, but could you please go to Hermione's house and wake her. Tell her what has happened and find out what she wants to do. Make sure that she realizes that we can't go to the adult wizards or I'll get in a lot of trouble. If she thinks that she has to come here, then make sure that she lets her parents know. I don't want her in any trouble because of me." He yawned and realized that he had been going without a lot of sleep the last few days, and he suddenly felt very drained.

He realized that he was falling asleep when he barely heard the crack of Dobby apparating away…

Number Sixteen East Landing Court, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, 0126, 24 June, 1994

Hermione Granger let out a little 'eep' as she woke up from a loud cracking noise next to her bed. She quickly had her wand out from under her pillow and was pointing it in the direction of the noise when she realized that there was a small house elf bouncing up and down in front of her.

"Dobby?" she asked.

"Miss Grangy remembers Dobby!" the little elf squeaked happily. "You's must be helping Dobby! Mister Harry Potter Sir is asking for his Grangy!"

"Harry?" Hermione cried out. "Harry needs me? What's happened, Dobby?" She sat up and studied the elf as she gathered her wits about her.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir is being hurting, and he is asking for his Grangy. He is being not able to see, and Dobby is thinking that his is being more scared than he is being showing…"

"What's going on, Pumpkin?" came a deep, if somewhat sleepy voice from the doorway. Hermione looked up and saw her parents standing, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Something's happened to Harry," she explained quickly. "Dobby, what exactly happened to Harry?"

"Mister Harry Potter Sir is being using a spell and his wand exploded," Dobby said as Hermione let out a gasp and clutched her hands to her mouth. "He's being telling Dobby to come and get you, but to be sure and not let you go to the Headmaster or anyone, or Mister Harry Potter Sir will be in a lot of trouble with the Ministry. He's not being wanting to be chucked in Azkaban!"

"I should hope not!" Robert Granger exclaimed. "Hermione, can you help him?"

"I don't know, Daddy," Hermione said quickly. "I think that I can. Can I go to him?" She turned back to Dobby. "Where is he?"

"Mister Harry Potter Sir is being in his bed, Miss Grangy," Dobby replied.

"Well that's good," she murmured. "Mum, Daddy, I need to go and see him. If he's really hurt badly, then I'll have to try and get him to St. Mungo's." She mentally ticked off a list of things that might have happened. "Dobby?" she asked. "Where are his relatives?"

"They is being on holiday, Miss Grangy. Mister Harry Potter Sir is being alone."

"Those bastards," Hermione's dad said quietly. "Pumpkin, take my cell phone. If you need anything just call your Mum. We can be there in about," he did some quick figuring in his head, "an hour and a half. It isn't that far to Surrey."

"Thank you, Daddy," she said as she got up and went over to him and kissed his cheek." She went to grab some clothing and things that she thought she might need.

Number Four Privet Drive, 0208, 24 June, 1994

Harry managed to hear his best friend before the bushy-haired missile struck him and locked him in a tight embrace. "Harry!" his best friend shrieked as she hugged him for all he was worth.

"Hello, Hermione," he chuckled. "You feel nice," he said in such a soft voice she wasn't sure she had heard him.

"What have you done, Harry Potter," she growled at him as she took in his bandages.

"I did a ritual to unlock my magical potential," Harry explained. "It did some really strange things to me, but it didn't seem to be all that bad until I tried to use my wand to clean up. It blew up in my face." At Hermione's gasp he went on. "Dobby got me cleaned up and then I asked him to see what you thought should be done." He hesitated for a moment. "I… I… I'm glad you're here, Hermione." He took in a shuddering breath, trying to get his emotions under control. He was much more scared than he cared to admit.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, Harry," she said softly. "You just sit there for a moment while I check you out… I mean see if you're alright," she added hastily. Harry distinctly heard her wand swish over him and she muttered a phrase in Latin that he didn't recognize.

It took a few moments, but he heard her exclaim, "Bloody Hell!"

"What?" he asked anxiously.

"Harry, your magical core's power index is off the chart! It's as if something was restricting you before. She waved her wand at him again. "It appears that your magic is regenerating your optic nerves, so you should be alright in a couple of days," she said with a sigh of relief. "I guess it's a good thing that I spent all that time getting Madame Pomfrey to teach me a bunch of healing spells," she muttered. "That way I can actually take care of you this time…"

"Thank Merlin," Harry muttered.

She brushed his bangs back so that she could feel his forehead. "Harry, your scar has faded… a lot," she said in surprise. "How do you feel?"

"Overall, I feel great," he said quickly. "Although I've been missing you something terrible," he admitted.

"I've missed you too… Prat," she replied with a smile.

"Thank you for coming, really," he said shyly. "I'm in a mess, Hermione. I don't know what to do."

This made Hermione pause. She had never seen Harry so scared that he actually admitted it. "We'll get it all sorted out, Harry. We'll get you a new wand. I promise that I'll help with whatever you need." She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

Harry smiled at this. He seemed to hesitate. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?" she replied.

"I know I've no right to ask, but, well… I… I guess what I'm trying to ask is will you stay here with me, at least for the night? I'm scared, and I'm really lonely. You're my best friend, and for a few moments, when you were hugging me I felt better. I felt, well, contented when you were holding me…"

Hermione's heart burst with emotion at this! He needed her, and he had admitted it to her! Her smile brightened at the thought. "Of course I will, Harry. I told you that I'd help you. I just need to call my parents and tell them that I'll be home in a couple of days. I'll explain the situation to them, and then I'll be right back, alright?"

"Alright, Hermione," Harry said, a goofy grin on his face. She left the room to place the call. A few minutes later he heard her re-enter the room.

"Budge over," she said softly to him. He scooted to the side and felt her lift the covers and then crawl in with him.

"Hermione?" he asked, his voice high pitched.

Harry stiffened and squeaked, "Hermione what are you…"

"Harry, I only see the one bed, and I'm not sleeping on this floor," she said, her voice laced with disgust. "Besides, I trust you not to despoil my virtue," she said with a chuckle. Harry immediately relaxed. She snuggled up to him and whispered. "Now, isn't this better?" He had to admit that it was indeed very much better in his opinion.

Harry slowly let his arm encircle her and pull her close. "Now, Harry, tell me everything that's happened," she whispered in his ear.

Harry wasn't sure that he could concentrate on his tale, having her there in bed with him was quite distracting, in a very nice way… He sucked in a breath and started to tell his tale to his best friend.

Number Four Privet Drive, 0730, 26 June, 1994

Harry woke up thinking that he had never been quite so happy as he was at this point in time. Even though he was injured, and blind, he had spent his time in the company of his best friend, on holiday, with his relatives nowhere to be found. He smiled at the thought.

Remembering that they had removed his bandages the night before, he opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was that there was a mass of bushy brown hair in his face. The second thing he noticed caused him to sit straight up in bed.

Hermione groaned as her homemade pillow moved on her. "What is it, Harry?" she asked.

"Hermione," Harry said in an excited voice. "I can see."

"That's great, Harry," she replied happily. She smiled at him, but a puzzled look came over her face as she realized that Harry was blushing tremendously. "What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.

"You…" Harry managed to get out. "You're wearing…" He let out a groan and leapt out of bed, running for the loo.

Hermione chuckled when she realized what had caused Harry's reaction. She was in her night clothes and it was the middle of the summer holidays. It was too warm to wear what she normally did at Hogwarts, so her night clothes were rather more shear than Harry was used to. At least he certainly seemed to have noticed that she was a girl…

Number Four Privet Drive, 0900, 26 June, 1994

"Hermione, I think I have a way to fix some of the things that need fixing," Harry said to his best friend who was sitting on the couch next to him. She was reading the spell book that he had gotten from his mother.

"Oh, and how is that?" she asked.

"Well, on page ninety-three it has a spell that can be used to change your magical signature. That would help with my being able to perform magic outside of Hogwarts. Also, I have two other wands that I could try to use. Since they were my parents' wands I would have a better than average chance to use at least one of them properly. I know it wouldn't necessarily work, but it might, at least until I can get a proper wand." He laughed and smiled at her shocked expression.

She set the book down and regarded him. "Harry, how many books have you read in the last hour?" She waved at the stack of Heinlein books strewn on the coffee table.

"Erm… six?" Harry replied, his tone clearly questioning where she was going with this.

"And don't you think that's a little unusual?" she asked. At his bewildered expression she continued. "Harry, each of those books is at least four hundred pages. It takes me at least two days to read one, and you've just read six of them in sixty minutes. That's ten minutes a book, Harry."

"Alright…" he said uncertainly.

"You just quoted a page out of your mother's spell book. Since I just read that particular page I know you were correct. How many times have you read this?"

"Just the once a few days ago."

She stared skeptically at him for a few moments. "Harry, you see this book?" She picked up The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. "On page twenty four, what is question seven?"

"If you were a corpse arriving at Golden Rule space habitat and you wanted to conceal your identity but had to be able to get at your passport and other documents for departure, where would you stash them? Hint: check when this cadaver arrived in Golden Rule. Then check hotels, lockers, deposit box services, poste restante etc," Harry replied quickly. "Why?"

"Don't you see? This must be one of the potential abilities you unlocked." Hermione was bouncing now, reminding him of Dobby. He shook his head to clear that thought out of it.

"I really prefer the line from the top of the page," he said to her, hoping to distract her. "When in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and shout."

"How can you make a joke at a time like this?" Hermione shrieked at him. "Are you trying to be as dense as Ron?"

Harry recoiled from her, tears welling in his eyes. Him being like Ron? There was a low rumble of thunder outside, and rain began to pelt the windows. Hermione looked quickly at the windows and then up to his eyes. Her heart broke. She had hurt him.

"I… I'm sorry, Harry," she said softly, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "I didn't mean to insult you, I just got carried away."

"It's alright, Hermione," he said in the same tone. "I know how you can get when you're studying something. I just don't like being what you're studying. I like it when we do things together, but I don't enjoy feeling like a science experiment.

"I'll try not to do that again, Harry," she said to him and smiled at him to show that she wasn't upset. He grinned back at her. "I'd suggest going for a walk, but with the rain I guess we'll have to stay inside."

She looked over to the window, but the sun was shining in brightly. She raised an eyebrow, but kept her eyes locked on the window. "I guess I was wrong. Fancy a walk with me, Harry?" she asked.

"I think that I would, Hermione," he answered, his sour mood much improved.

Number Four Privet Drive, 1035, 26 June, 1994

Harry and Hermione had returned from their walk to see that the post had been delivered through the slot. There was a letter there from the Weasleys addressed to the Dursleys. The envelope had been literally covered in stamps, and his address had been written in very tiny print on the small space that wasn't covered. Harry chuckled as he opened it.

"This would have driven Uncle Vernon crazy," he told Hermione. Taking the letter out he began to read it aloud so that Hermione could hear.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,

We have never been introduced, but I am sure you have heard a great deal from Harry about my son Ron.

As Harry might have told you, the final of the Quidditch World Cup takes place at the end of the summer holidays…

Harry read through the letter. He had been invited to the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys. This was good news indeed. He put the letter back in the envelope and had Dobby reseal it.

Hedwig had a note from Ron telling him about it as well as informing him that they had gotten an extra ticket for Hermione. Harry grinned at his best friend at that. They would be able to spend some more time together this summer after all.

Harry grinned as he thought of getting away from Privet Drive. Not that his holidays had been bad this year, but his relatives were do back shortly. He looked over at a calendar. "Bugger," he whispered.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I just realized. My relatives will be back tomorrow. They mustn't find you here. If they do there'll be Hell to pay."

"It's alright, Harry. I'll get Dobby to pop me home, and we'll see each other at the Burrow in August," she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, right," he said. "I'll just really miss you until then."

"I've enjoyed being here with you too, Harry," she said as she studied the floor pattern. She looked up at him. "Now, let's see about a wand, shall we?"

It took a while, but Harry determined that his mother's wand was a slightly better fit for him than his father's. He could use either, and decided that he would keep his father's wand as a back up, but he really liked how his mother's wand felt in his hand. It seemed to be a part of him when he used it to change his magical signature, under the careful wards placed by Dobby of course.

After a small lunch, Hermione determined that she should be getting back. Harry seemed to deflate a little at her pronouncement, but he kept a small smile on his face for her behalf.

They stepped out into the back garden so that she could get a breath of fresh air before she left. It was misting out, just an ever so light rain. She sighed and looked at Harry. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Harry. You'll be fine." She gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek.

She grabbed Dobby's hand, and with a crack she was gone. Harry scowled and frowned as the rain started to pick up. He trudged back into the house and went upstairs to practice his magic while he waited for his relatives to return home.

Number Four Privet Drive, 1300, 2 July, 1994

Vernon Dursley was not a happy man. He had just received news the day before that he had been denied the promotion that he thought was rightfully his. It seemed that in his absence while on holiday Grunnings had hired someone else for the position. He reached for the bottle of expensive liquor and discovered that it was empty. "Bollocks," he muttered. He went to his liquor cabinet to get another, but it was also empty. "Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks… this is all the freak's fault," he murmured darkly. He stumbled and tried to steady himself when he put his enormous foot down on one of the empty bottles and it rolled, causing him to fall heavily to the floor.

When he had managed to get back to his feet he looked around wildly. Grabbing the first thing he could see that would do some serious damage: the fireplace poker, he stalked up the stairs in search of his intended victim.

Harry Potter was resting quietly in his room. Currently he was trying to recall the vision of loveliness that was his best friend. More and more he was becoming obsessed with Hermione's form. He supposed that he was being a normal teenager in doing this, and he smiled as he realized that even thought she wasn't here, she was helping him in this as well.

There was a loud crash as Vernon Dursley smashed the door clean off its hinges. He charged over to a very startled Harry. "YOU LITTLE FREAK!" he bellowed.

"Uncle Vernon, what?" Harry started when the poker crashed down on his collar bone, breaking it with an audible snap. Harry yelps and tried to move, but his arm wouldn't work right. The poker swung again and caught him in a rib. Harry cried out and tried to cover his head, shoulder and ribs all at once. He curled onto the bed and whimpered.

Vernon roared with drunken rage and raised the poker, this time intending to plunge the tip into his nephew's unresisting form. He drove it mercilessly down at Harry when there was a flash of light and a wave of concussive force swept Vernon off his feet and he crashed into the nearest wall. He slid down and crumpled to the floor, as Harry Potter's curled up form faded from view on the bed…

Number Four Privet Drive, 1320, 2 July, 1994

A dazed and confused Petunia and Dudley Dursley found Vernon in the Dudley's second bedroom unconscious on the floor, a fireplace poker lying there next to him.

"Vernon!" shrieked Petunia. Dudley shook his father until the older man woke. "What happened?" his wife asked.

"I've no idea, Petunia," he replied as he struggled to his feet.

"Daddy, why are there locks and a cat flap on the door to my second bedroom?" Dudley asked, looking confused.

"What on earth are you talking about, Dudders?" Vernon asked. He shoved his son to the side. As he did so they all stood there confused. There was indeed multiple locks on the outside of the door, and a small cat flap at the bottom. They didn't even own a cat…

Number Sixteen East Landing Court, 1315, 2 July, 1994

Hermione Granger was sitting in the den, reading one of her mother's trashy romance novels when her best friend materialized right in front of her. He was in a fetal position, and he was clutching his ribs and shoulder while coughing up blood.

Her screams echoed throughout the household…

Author's Note: Well, there we have it, chapter 2 in the books. I hope that you enjoyed it. My thanks again to Dennisud or beta reading this, if you get a chance, check out some of his stories.