Harry awoke instantly bolting upright, smacking his head "Bloody hell!" he groaned as he grabbed his aching head, carefully opening his eyes he recoginsed the small cramped cupboard that had been his bedroom for ten long years, with that thought he smiled ruefully, he crept out of the cupboard thankful that the Dursley's had left the door unlocked and headed towards the living room where he spotted the newspaper, he was shocked by the date August 5th 1991 he had just turned ten. He sat down mentally cursing himself, he had a year to wait to get his letter and see Dumbledore, but that meant he had an extra year to plan how he was going to chance the future. He glanced at the clock 05:30, 'might as well make an early start' he thought as he went to the kitchen knowing that his Aunt would not be down for another hour or so, giving him plenty of time to make a quick breakfast and start planning, he grabbed a notebook and a pen and started to write a list of everything he needed to do by the end of the year:-

Leave the Dursley's

Contact Albus Dumbledore

Clear Sirius' name/ move in with him!

Contact Remus Lupin

Find the Horcruxs

Defeat Voldermort

He scanned the list 'yeah right a mere ten year old is going to defeat the greatest evil wizard of all time' he thought as he headed towards Arabella Figg's house, he knew she was a squib, but she still had access to the Floo network, all he needed was some time to see Albus and explain everything so that he could have a normal life and still marry Ginny if she still felt the same way that is. As he was pondering the idea he began to panic 'what if she hates me, what if I can't do this, what if Albus doesn't believe me!' he thought horror-struck. He took a large gulp of air and released it; he would cross that bridge when he came to it right now he needed to speak to Albus.

He looked at his watch just after seven am, he looked at the house searching for a sign that she was awake, he swallowed and let the thoughts of the past flow over him as he approached the front door, knocking and waiting 'I hope she's an early riser' he thought as a cat strolled over to him perching on the fence watching him closely, he studied the cat and smirked ruefully as he went over to the cat stroking the cat behind the ears as she purred.

He recoginsed the cat as that of Professor Minerva McGongall, his head of house and future headmistress of Hogwarts, he was beside himself with joy as she leapt from the fence and climbed in to Arabella's living room through the window. Harry smiled a brilliant face splitting smile as the front door opened to reveal a dishevelled looking Ms Figg she blinked at him a few times before recognition shone on her delicate features "Harry!" she gasped "What are you doing here this early in the morning?" she asked while pulling the boy inside. Harry couldn't believe his luck running into Minerva this early into his plans, he was still contemplating his plans when Ms Figg gently pushed him into a chair and pierced him with a disapproving look, 'action time' he thought as tears immediately started to flow down his pale hollow cheeks, he had forgotten what he must have looked like at this age, in his over grown had me downs and sticky tape holding his glasses on his thin face. He never noticed the cat leap onto his lap until the cat started purring reassuring him that it was okay, "I'm sorry to bother you ma'am but I didn't know where else to go, I'll leave if you want me to" he whispered out making an attempt to stand with the cat on his lap, he didn't get far as Arabella gently pushed him into the chair again "nonsense!" she declared as she went and got the child a cup of hot chocolate all the while pondering why the child had came to her, she would need to speak to Albus.

Harry sat contemplating looking for the Floo powder when he remembered that his Transfiguration professor was sitting on his lap looking serenely into his eyes, with a sad smile he gently started to rub the cats ears and head, he hadn't realised he was doing this absentmindedly as he remembered the very first time off seeing this remarkable woman defending her students against that tyrant Umbridge, he smirked as he thought off a name that would suit her in her cat form, thinking back he never actually thought of a name for his unofficial guardian, he sat contemplating it, as he felt the niggling of sleep calling him.

As she returned with the hot chocolate she noticed that the child had drifted off to sleep, all the while stroking the ears of a cat that she would recognise anywhere as her best friend Minerva McGongall, they were due to spend the day together catching up on the latest events in the magical world, even though Voldermort had vanished the night he had murdered the Potters she knew he was really not gone. She sat the hot chocolate down and turned to the cat "Minnie I would appreciate it next time that you needed me not to pounce on the bed as if the house was on fire!" she scolded the cat in question.

The cat jumped off Harry and scuttled over to the sofa, where she transformed into her human self, "And what would you have me do Bella! The boy was in need of something, do you want me to leave him in the street next time!" she snapped annoyed as her best pupil's son slept fitfully in the chair. Arabella looked ashamed, "I'm sorry Minnie, you know that I'm not a morning person" Minerva looked at her friend "I know and I'm sorry to, I was not expecting young Harry to show up on your door step this early in the morning".

"I wonder what has brought him here though, he looks completely worn out, even his eyes are much older looking" she told her friend, both women looked on fondly at the boy as he continued to sleep fitfully in the chair. Minerva got up and decided to put the child to bed, she carefully lifted the child causing Harry to gasp and moan in his sleep startling both women as he continued to mumble "no…no uncle, I'll be good please don't hurt me anymore" the soft plea spilling of his tired lips as he fought an imaginary figure. Startled Minerva set the boy down gently lifting up the over sized t-shirt and gasping at the bruising that marred the small skeletal body, "oh Harry" whispered Arabella, "what are we going to do?" she asked Minnie, causing the older woman to look up.

"I'm going to take him to see Poppy, then I'm paying Albus a visit!" she gently picked the quivering boy up and headed towards the fireplace. "Bella if you could" Arabella smiled and threw the Floo powder onto the fire place yelling for Albus Dumbledore's office. With an evil glint in her eye she told Minerva that this should be a rude wake-up call for the man, laughing softly Minerva took her ward and stepped into the green flames.

Albus Dumbledore was a man that was not easily intimidated, but when his long time his Minerva McGongall came marching out of his fireplace with what he thought was an unconscious child in her arms demanding that he follow her to the hospital wing, he immediately followed, when his second-in command was angry you did exactly what she said when she said to do it. This was the only woman in the universe who could actually frighten Albus Dumbledore the Founder and Secret Keeper of the Order of the Phoenix; Order of Merlin, First Class, and Grand Sorcerer; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He had never seen her this angry, as they entered the hospital wing she yelled for Poppy to come and help her immediately the healer took one look at her friend and to Albus who actually looked afraid and headed to the bed where the emergency patient was resting, she gasped as she took one look at the boy, "what happened Minerva?" she asked as she cast diagnostic charms at the boy.

"I went to Arabella's house and found Harry staring at the door as if contemplating what to do, I went inside to get Bella up and shoved her towards the front door where she brought him inside and made him sit down, he looked lost, it's as if he's just remembered something important and but can't remember what it is. He became upset and dozed off on the chair, as I went to lift him over to the sofa, he started to flay widely moaning and begging his uncle to stop beating him and that he would be good, I looked under his shirt and…" she couldn't say it she could not believe that those muggles were abusing him! She turned on Albus "WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING SENDING HIM TO THOSE MUGGLES WHEN I TOLD YOU WHAT THEY WERE LIKE, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! She bellowed at the stunned headmaster.

Albus blanched "Minerva, I had no idea, I'm sorry I should have looked in on him more often, I had no idea that this would happen, the wards should have told me that the Dursley's hated him. I'll have a word with them and try and find him a new home, what exactly is his condition Poppy?" he enquired of the matron "he has severe bruising both internal and external, he will be sore for a few days. He also has a severe headache and numerous scars along the entire length of his body, he's also suffered several broken bones that have not knitted properly therefore I will have to break them for them to heal, what worries me the most is the dehydration and the malnutrition" with a soft sigh Minerva went to the side of the bed and took in the appearance of the boy-who-lived, she could not think about sending the boy back to his relatives, they needed somewhere safe for him, 'only if his Godfather had not been a traitor' she mused, she was pulled out of her thoughts as Albus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder offering an apology "we shall think about this thoroughly, he cannot stay here we must find someone to look after him Minnie" he reminded her as they both left the hospital wing to find somewhere safe for Harry Potter.

Harry could not remember feeling this comfortable in a long time, he slowly came wake to the birds singing, he slowly opened his eyes to be blinded by white and the smell of the infirmary he groaned 'why do I always end up in the blasted hospital wing!' he berated himself as Poppy came to check on him "Excellent your awake, and how do you feel this morning?" she enquired in her no nonsense tone "I feel fine, just sore, what happened?" The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in Ms Figg's house, then he remembered the dream 'oh no, they know about the abuse already' he thought horror struck. He took a calming breath and tested his Occulmancy shields; he mentally ticked off his list, he had got away from the Dursley's, now all he had to do was speak to Albus, he was pulled from his thoughts by Poppy calling him, "Harry dear, you may leave now Minerva will take you to see the headmaster", he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't realised that Minerva had came in to the hospital wing, "Thank you ma'am was all he could say as he was led out of the infirmary.