Okay, it took me far to long to get this updated, I apologize but this is roughly three pages on a word document so hopefully the decent size length makes up at least a bit on my taking forever. This chapter is continuing of the last chapter, so it takes place the same day Harry left Hogwarts.

Warnings: Abuse

The ride back to the house was silent, at least from Harry, who kept his gaze outside and his grip protectively on his owl. Even Hedwig seemed to know that silence was the best option because she actually remained silent the entire ride back to Privet Drive. When they arrived back to the house Harry got out of the car and while Vernon opened the trunk, he left Harry to get his trunk out and find some way to drag it and his owl into the house. The young boy struggled to get his trunk out and then drag it inside while he carried his owl, but by some miracle Harry had been able to do it.
"Take your junk upstairs." Vernon ordered him, moving past Harry and heading up the stairs, once again leaving the young boy to find a way to get his stuff up the stairs. His aunt Petunia had disappeared into the kitchen and Dudley had found his way into the living room, leaving Harry standing in the entry way by himself. "Hurry up Potter." Vernon said from the top of the stairs, staring down the steps at his nephew who currently had yet to move.
"Coming, Uncle Vernon." Harry said quietly, adjusting his grip on his trunk as he headed up the stairs, dragging it up one step at the time. He originally thought of leaving Hedwig downstairs to get the trunk upstairs with both hands but he didn't trust his cousin so that left Harry moving slowly and carefully up the stairs so he didn't fall or drop anything. He could only imagine what his uncle would do if he dropped the trunk down the stairs.

Once the young wizard was at the top of the stairs, Vernon moved to one of the doors and opened the door, revealing the room he noted to be Vernon's second bedroom.
"In." Vernon said simply, and while Harry was usually quick to do as his relatives ask or told him to do, he just looked at the bedroom, confused. He knew that this was supposed to be his cousin's bedroom, why was he being given permission to go inside? "Did going to that freak of a school make you go deaf Potter?" Vernon snapped at him, making Harry flinch a bit before the young boy moved, dragging the trunk inside the room where he sat Hedwig's cage on the dresser. "This is your new bedroom." Vernon told him. "Keep it clean." He said, though it was a given that Harry would do just that, plus it wasn't like he had a lot of stuff to make it a mess.
"Yes sir." Harry told him. "Thank you for the new room." He said, gaining just a nod from the man who turned to head out. "Uncle Vernon?" Harry questioned his voice hesitant and for a brief moment he was sure his uncle was going to just walk away and ignore him.
"What?" Vernon asked, stopping in the doorway.
"Would it be alright if I let Hedwig out for a bit?"
"No, we don't need the neighbors questioning about that bird." Vernon told him, before heading out of the room and shutting the door. Harry could hear him locking it and knew that he wouldn't be allowed out until his relatives were ready to do so. Not that Harry could really say that he was complaining too much, he had a bigger room and was able to actually walk around the space. Though that space also meant that his uncle was able to get in a lot easier compared to the cupboard where he could press himself into the corner and Vernon wouldn't be able to fit so easily. Not that it really saved him, he had to get out eventually and punishments after that were always so much worse because he ran.

The rest of Harry's afternoon revolved around making this room his own. He didn't have much but he put the few clothes he had into the closet and dresser and his trunk was set at the end of his bed. He had his wand and his father's invisibility cloak buried in the bottom in hopes of keeping it away from the Dursley's. Hedwig was sitting on the dresser, much to her displeasure since she quietly hooted at him whenever he got close enough. Though she seemed to understand that her owner couldn't release her and didn't cause too much of a problem, which Harry was thankful for. He knew that his uncle would probably get rid of her or kill her if she angered him and then on top of it Harry would have to pay the price as well. The young wizard was settled on his bed, looking through one of his books in an effort to get some of his summer homework finished since really he wasn't able to do much else.
"Hermione would be proud." He murmured to himself as his emerald green eyes scanned over the pages in the text. He froze though as he heard footsteps in the hall and by the sound of them, it was Vernon.

Harry held his breath, silently hoping that they'd continue but Harry could see the shadow beneath his door and knew that his prayers had not been answered. Harry quickly stuffed his book underneath his bed as he heard his door being unlocked. He pressed himself into the corner of his bed as Vernon entered the bedroom and once again closed the door, a sign that this was not going to end well for Harry.
"Did you think I forgot?" Vernon asked, his words not making any sense to Harry. "Answer me boy." Vernon ordered as Harry kept silent.
"Forgot what?" The young boy asked, trying to figure out what he had done but nothing came to mind.
"Don't play stupid with me boy. Do you think I forgot what that freak did to Dudley?" Vernon asked, moving closer to Harry, who pressed himself tighter into the corner. The young wizard knew what Vernon was talking about now, the incident with Hagrid on his birthday when he had given Dudley a pig's tail.
"That wasn't my fault." Harry told him. "I didn't even know about magic before Hagrid came." He said, whimpering in fear as Vernon reached out and grabbed a fistful of his hair; causing Harry to move forward or risk being yanked bald. "Please Uncle Vernon." Harry begged him, but all he was greeted with was a backhand and his hand shot to his face to cradle the injured cheek.
"If you weren't a bloody freak then he would have never showed up!" Vernon hissed, his faces inches from Harry's and before Harry could really respond, he found himself thrown to the floor; scrambling on his hands and knees to get away but Vernon kicked him in the side; causing Harry to cry out as he was knocked over.
"I'm sorry!" Harry told him, though nothing the young wizard said was going to save him and he knew it but each time he begged, hoping that once Vernon would leave him alone.
"I don't think you are." Vernon said, his hands going to his waist and without another word he pulled the belt free and at the sound of leather leaving the jeans, Harry curled into himself and used his arms to cover his head.

Vernon folded the belt in half and raised it above his head, bringing it down onto Harry's back, causing the young wizard to cry out in pain but his uncle paid no attention to it and brought it down again, and again, until he'd lashed his nephew probably a dozen times and before he lowered the belt, staring down at the crying and whimpering boy.
"Stop your whimpering." Vernon ordered, staring down at the young wizard with disgust. Harry struggled to muffle his whimpers, biting his lip and nearly drawing blood in an effort to obey his uncle. He apparently did something right before Vernon just nodded his head as he replaced his belt into his jeans. It hadn't been the worst beating that Harry had received but really the reasoning behind it wasn't the most fair; though Vernon could really care less. Harry had been the reason Hagrid had shown up and in turn that resulted in his son gaining a pig's tail they had to get removed. "You'll go without supper tonight." Vernon told him, before heading out of the room without another word. Harry didn't move right away, his back throbbing and he was sure welts were beginning to appear on his back and anytime he moved it hurt. He slowly got to his feet and he reached up, removing his glasses as he wiped at his eyes, but he went still as he heard his aunt making her way along the hall. She wasn't as bad as her husband but she didn't really do anything to stop him. He watched as the door opened and his aunt entered the bedroom, holding a tray with a bowl of water and a wash cloth.
"Take your shirt off and lay on the bed." Petunia said as she placed the tray on the bedside table. "Hurry up now, I don't have all day."
"Yes ma'am." Harry said quietly, pulling his shirt off, biting his lip again as his movements made his back ache. He sat the shirt on his trunk and slipped his glasses back on before going to do what his aunt had told him.

Petunia looked at her nephew's back, the welts already forming but none were bleeding and it wasn't as bad as it could be. She sat down on the bed next to the young boy and dipped the cloth into the water, squeezing the excess water out before gently cleaning Harry's back; not making any known reaction as the boy in front of her tensed or whimpered softly. She cleaned each welt and then placed the wash cloth back on the tray before she reached into his pocket and pulled out a tube of antiseptic cream and applied it to the welts on Harry's back before raising to her feet again and grabbing the tray and heading out of the room again.
"Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked quietly, causing her to stop and looking back at him. "Would it be alright if I let Hedwig out? She's restless." The brunette said, and he watched as his aunt looked from him to the owl and back at him.
"Did you ask Vernon?" She asked, which meant that Harry already had his answer.
"He said no." Harry told her.
"Then I'm going to have to say the same." Petunia told him, before she headed out of his room, locking it again and leaving him and Hedwig locked in his room.
"I'm sorry Hedwig." Harry said, looking over at his owl that had remained silent the entire time that Petunia had been in his room. "I know you want to be able to roam free like you can at Hogwarts." He told her, slowly pushing himself up to sit as he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head again. "Summer will go by before we know it, just watch." He said, though he silently asked himself if he was really trying to convince his owl or himself. He hated having to return here after being at Hogwarts, making friends and actually feeling like he belonged somewhere. He even preferred Potions and Professor Snape then living here and having to put up with his uncle.

I'm kind of iffy about the abuse scene, I had it planned out but as I got writing it, I just...hit a block while writing it so I kept didn't have Vernon overly cruel. I mean he was but obviously he could have been much worse. Right now I'm debating on where I want to take the next chapter. I'm thinking of having Hermione and/or Ron owl Harry and he responds (using their owl obviously) and eventually gets caught by his uncle and in turn his replies stop and that could lead to Ron and the twins showing up like in canon.

So anyways please read and review and feel free to tell me if you like or dislike my idea. I'm also totally open in hearing any suggestions that you guys might have if you have another idea that I might not have thought of. Next chapter will hopefully be up sooner than this one but I'm not making any promises on that because I've been really bad at keeping deadlines.