Chapter two: the other foot falls or was that shoe?
Two evenings ago Harry had seen an owl drop a letter off to his aunt. It was quite odd as he couldn't figure out who would take all the time and trouble to train an owl that well and then just have it send letters. I mean the postman was just fine at making sure he dropped off the mail as he should.
However Harry pulled himself out of that tangent before it could get too far. The real reason that he was concerned about it was that his aunt began to bawl the moment she looked at the letter and has since been listless and upset. Uncle Vernon has also been terribly angry with him and Dudley has taken his parents current distraction to torment Harry as much as possible.
And this is what leads to the present where Harry is sitting in his cupboard contemplating and rubbing his sore muscles from the torture they've received from his cousin.
Harry POV
I just don't get it I hate this it's now three days and Vernon keeps yelling at me and Dudley has given me so many bruises and most importantly aunt Petunia won't speak to me or let me do any chores. I don't have any new books to read, or assignments to do and I just don't know. Dudley said I should go outside and play if I'm so bored but he outdoors is scary and bad things happen out there… I can't leave but the if this keeps up I can't stay.
There is a loud crashing at the front door and I see a man in black yelling at my aunt. He knows my name and is asking for me. I can see through the grate that what he is wearing is long like a dress. I feel fright take me over, I remember the black cloaked men and an image I had long forgotten of a happy woman and man holding me, the woman had red hair. She held me close and protected me best she could and then the men hurt her and the man with her. I don't know much more than that but a memory of blinding pain.
The man pushes my aunt so hard she falls. I wish I weren't so afraid, even though Aunt Petunia hasn't spoken to me recently I love her, she has always been there. I try to call on my bravery but it won't come. I'm a coward, the thumping can only mean Dudley and Uncle Vernon have come to help my aunt thank god. I couldn't do anything to help her but they can they're strong. I hear angry cries and then nothing. I sit there and cry at my weakness.
The man calls out my name, gruffly at first then getting gentler until it hits something near panic. I wish I weren't here that I wouldn't exist that he wouldn't be able to find me. The man curses the wards around my home. I don't get what he is talking about the man must be crazed now he is saying how he can't use magic to find me because of the wards. Maybe the guy is talking about some kind of technology I didn't cover with Aunt Petunia, maybe it's some kind of street slang. I'm not sure but if this man really is talking about 'magic' then he's likely some escaped mental patient and I don't want to deal with that.
It's too late, he's opened the door to the cupboard he sees me.
Third Person Narrative
Severus looked into the cupboard and saw the small pale boy inside. The bruises on his face and arms left him wanting to harm those useless muggles however 'admirable' their attempts at 'protecting' the boy were. Severus is a fairly skeptical and cynical man with a very low opinion of muggles.
He reached for the boy who squeeked and fell back in fright desperately crawling deeper into the cupboard. It would figure that a child living under these conditions would be terrified of him. Severus had had enough kind thoughts for the day and decided to grab the kid and go he snatched the squirming child and pulled him out of the closet. The boy stared at him wide eyed with tears streaking down his face, hm maybe he did have one more kind act for the day in him. He lifted his wand and cast a sleeping spell on the boy.
Once outside the perimeter Severus activated the portkey he'd been carrying and from there made his way to Hogwarts with the kid in tow.
However when the boy woke up they would find themselves in a new world of trouble.