Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter

30th August 1985

"AUNTIE PHIA!" Harry calls excitedly as he runs to the girl coming in the front door, "Auntie Phia look look!" He drags her to the living room where his and Dudley's new school uniforms are folded and waiting for them to wear in two days time.

Auntie Phia grins at the little boy. Harry likes Auntie Phia, she's nice to him. She doesn't come over much, but she's always stopped by and played with he and Dudley for a bit. He doesn't know why, only knows that she's a friend of Aunt Petunia and doesn't despise him.

"Hello to you too, how's my favourite guy doing? Oooh, nice uniform. This reminds me of the horrid uniforms my brother and I had to wear at our primary school," Auntie Phia tells him.

Harry giggles, "Did you have fun?"

Auntie Phia smiles, nodding, "Loads. Just…don't set anything on fire while you're there, okay?"

"Okay," He agrees with a nod, "Oh! I maded bacon all by myself this morning!"

"You did?" Auntie Phia asks, she turns to face at Aunt Petunia before looking back at Harry, "That's wonderful." She doesn't sound very happy. Harry frowns, wondering if he's done something wrong. "Kid, why don't you go play outside for a bit."

Harry doesn't mention that he has spent all day outside working in the garden and would really rather not, instead he just goes without complaint. He's never seen Phia angry before and has no interest in doing so now, especially if that risks her anger turning to him. Angry people are unsafe people, better to keep everyone happy.

It's not long later that Harry hears Uncle Vernon yelling, though he cannot make out the words. But soon after the door slams and he knows Auntie Phia has left.

He's not surprised when she never comes back.

1st September 1985

Two days after Auntie Phia left, Harry and Dudley are starting school. Harry's really glad that the two are in different classes. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon go to Dudley's class with him and leave Harry at the reception.

"Erm, excuse me. Could you please tell me where my classroom is?" Harry timidly asks the receptionist, concerned about speaking out of turn.

The person smiles kindly at him, "Second door on the right, dear," They direct, pointing down a corridor.

"Thank you," Harry replies before he hurries down the corridor. The doors must be coloured the same way as the wall because Harry can't find their blobby outline. He feels along the wall, finding one door, and then the other. He knocks.

"Ah, you would be my final student. I don't generally tolerate lateness, but seeing as it is the first day, you will get a pass. Are your parents here?" A man in front of him says.

Harry really hates when people ask him that, "I don't have parents, Sir. My Aunt and Uncle bringed me but they went with my cousin."

"I see. The word is brought, not bringed," He informs Harry, his voice gentler than it was before. "Come in. Please take your seat, there's one at the back of the class."

Harry walks into the room nervously, he heads towards the back of the class, glad that, as he gets closer, he can make out which seat is void of an occupant. As he goes there, Harry accidentally bumps into several tables, "Oh, Sorry," He says the first time. The kids all laugh at him. He mumbles his apology the next two bumps before he gets to his seat.

"Can you tell the class your name, please. We've just done introductions," The teacher announces.

"H-Harry," Harry tells them.

"And what is your last name, Harry?"

"I-I don't know, Sir." The class snickers at him again.

"Potter. His last name is Potter," A voice says from near the front, "And he's my friend, so stop laughing at him." Harry looks up in surprise, recognising the voice from the blobs he can't really separate at this distance.

"Perhaps you would like to sit beside him then, Miss Polka?" The teacher offers. Harry can't tell if she nods or not, but something seems to be moving amongst the blob.

"Thank you, Mr Haimes."

"Rayanne, would you please switch seats with Lillie," Mr Haimes requests. The blob seated beside Harry gets up and moves, "Right then, welcome Mr Potter. Would everyone please get out a book, we're going to start with writing our names."

Harry flushes, he doesn't have a book. He goes to raise his hand, preparing himself to be laughed at again, when a book is placed in front of him. Harry turns to face Lillie in surprise.

"I had a spare."

Harry smiles, tears filling his eyes before he blinks them away, "Thank you, Lillie."

"'Course Hank, what are friends for?" Harry grabs a pencil from his pocket and opens up his book, but he doesn't know how to write his name. "The alphabet is on the top of the book if that helps," Lillie tells him when she sees his confusion.

"The alphabet?" Harry asks, "I don't know what that is." Lillie points to it, but all Harry sees is the blobby book. He sighs and slumps in on himself. He doesn't know why other people see things that he can't, how can they see anything there when everything is just blobby? Harry feels tears in his eyes again and bites his lip to keep from crying. The teacher will be mad at him and crying always exacerbates Uncle Vernon's anger. He feels someone grab his hand.

"It's okay Hank, lots of the other kids can't do it either."

Harry isn't sure he believes her.

The writing goes terribly, the teacher doesn't seem annoyed when Harry fails to even point to the letters Mr Haimes says on this alphabet they keep mentioning. All Harry knows of letters is the ones that come in the mail.

The writing didn't go well, but then they go into naming colours, and that Harry can do. He knows all the colours of the flowers in the garden and he gets all of them right. Mr Haimes has a boy named Michael write the answer on the board for the one he answers, but Mr Haimes writes the ones for Harry.

When Aunt Petunia calls to him at the end of the day from the door, Mr Haimes tells him he needs a word with her.

Harry sits nervously in his chair, Lillie waits with him even though she can see her parents in the hallway.

"Come on," Petunia's shrill voice demands. Harry gets up and quickly follows her out of the room. "Even my sister could write her own name, you know," she mutters at him.

Harry hadn't known Aunt Petunia has a sister, but he doesn't think now is the time to question it.

29th September 1985

At dinner one night, Harry decides to risk it all.

"Aun-Aunt Petunia?"

"What is it?" She asks, ill-tempered.

Harry bites his lip before taking a breath and continuing, "Why don't I have parents?" He feels the tension in the room sky-rocket, though Dudley keeps eating, unperturbed.

"They're dead."

"What does that mean?" Harry questions with a frown.

"It means they don't have to deal with you, don't you have dishes to do, boy?" Uncle Vernon asks, Harry doesn't really think it's a question though.

Harry goes without further question but resolves to ask Lillie about it tomorrow. She always knows words that he doesn't.

31st July 1986

"HANK, HANK, HANK, HANK!" Lillie calls excitedly as she hurries over to him in the park, "GUESS WHAT TODAY IS!"

Harry looks at Lillie in confusion from his seat, "Fursday?"

Lillie sits beside him on the play equipment with a loud clatter, drawing attention to them in a way Harry knows she won't notice but he instinctually shies away from. "It's Thursday. Thu, Thursday. And no. Well, yes but that's not what I meanted," Lillie replies.

"It's meant," Harry states with unnecessary emphasis.

Lillie narrows her eyes at him, "What I meant," She begins pointedly, "Is that it's your birthday!" Lillie brightens up at the end of her sentence, remembering what her point is.

"I have a birthday?" He asks in surprise.

"Everybody has a birthday, Hank."

"Like everybody has parents?"

Lillie bites her thumb, then she nods and lowers her hand again, "Sorry. Anyway, it's on the birthday list at school. I gotcha somethin."

"Got me som-"

Sensing where his confusion is coming from, she cuts him off, "It's a birthday present like your cousin gets. You can get them too. Mum and Dad have something for you as well, but they said you have to open it when you're at home and alone. I told them bout your Auntie Phia and they tracked her down, this is from her too. And she says happy birthday too."

Harry nods, "I promise I will wait," He says, feeling excited. He's never gotten a birthday present before, or any present really. Though his Auntie Phia used to bring him chocolate. He's glad she's still thinking of him, even if he doesn't see her anymore.

Lillie thrusts a crudely taped package at him, the present from her. He opens it eagerly, finding two horse figurines complete with riders. His eyes widen and he smiles as he uses his fingers to feel all around it, "They have swords too," She tells him, taking one of his hands and directing his fingers to the correct part of the blob. He can see something sticking out but had no idea what it was until she explained.

Harry smiles at his friend, tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Lillie."

She smiles in return, hugging him, "What are friends for?"

As soon as he gets home, Harry hurries through his chores, shutting himself into his cupboard as soon as he can. Only then does he dare to open the package Lillie had given him from her parents.

Inside is a rectangle, two blobs moving in the middle of it. He can't see it clearly, not really at all. But he rests his fingers on top of the moving parts and he knows. Somehow he just knows. Those moving blobs, they're his family.

Harry feels tears fall down his cheeks as he smiles. He wonders if they're his parents, stroking his fingers along the side of the frame.

If anything though, the picture shows him the living family he has in the Polkas. He promises himself he'll never take them for granted like Dudley does his parents.

18th October 1987

Somedays…somedays Harry just can't understand. He's never done anything to them, why are the Dursleys so cruel to him? Sometimes it really sinks in, he's going to be here for the rest of his life. He lays on his stomach in bed, unable to be on his back after the belt he'd gotten from his Uncle earlier. If not for Lillie, Harry really wouldn't think he can get through this. But he can, and he will. For her. His one and only friend in this world. He'll keep going for her.

What other option is there?

10th January 1988

Harry walks into his classroom, going all the way around the tables as he has learnt to do, knowing from experience that attempting to walk down the aisles will lead to nothing but mocking laughter and bruises from where people trip him up.

Lillie isn't here today, Harry worries. Lillie's never missed a day of school. He's especially worried because he knows she hasn't been feeling well lately.

Without her around, the bullying is even worse than usual. As always, Dudley leads the charge.

"What do you call a freak with no friends?" Dudley asks his friends as he pushes Harry into the ground.

"Potty!" One of his mates shouts back.

"If you're going to be mean at least be clever about it," Harry requests snarkily. Dudley punches him in the face. Harry never even had a chance to see the blob coming.

"Come on Dudley, let's go," Another of his blob friends tells him, they walk off moments before a teacher comes around the corner.

"You don't help yourself when you talk back. You know that, don't you?"

Harry recognises the voice of the Principal and nods as he picks himself up off the ground, "I know Ma'am."

The blob nods, "Come on then, let's get you cleaned up." Harry sighs and follows after her, knowing there would be no punishment to Dudley. They'd run off before Ms Fin had come around the corner and Harry has no proof.

Lillie doesn't show up for a week.

Harry starts believing the other kids.

Harry is distracted while making dinner three days into that week. Uncle Vernon tells him he's not worthy of eating anything if he can't handle a simple pork roast.

Harry believes that too.

17th January 1988

"Lillie?!" Harry asks as a blob sits in her chair besides him.

"Hey Hank."

"Where have you been?" He asks her almost desperately. He feels relieved tears in his eyes but fights them away.

Lillie doesn't answer him, avoids the question entirely.

A few weeks later she disappears for a week again, and a few weeks after that it happens again.

It keeps happening.

12th December 1988

"How was school, Dudders?" Aunt Petunia asks when she picks the two boys up from school.

"Fun, Freak's freaky friend was gone again. Guess she gets sick of him too," Dudley sneers.

"That's not true! She just gets sick a lot!" Harry defends immediately.

Dudley snorts, "No one gets sick once a month. She's a freak and even she doesn't want to be around you."

Harry glares at Dudley, suddenly the windows in the car crack. Aunt Petunia slams on the break, unable to see through the cracking glass. Harry's eyes widen, he knows he's going to get in trouble for this, even though he didn't even do anything.

Only Aunt Petunia doesn't turn around to yell at him. In fact, she speaks rather calmly. "Your friend, she disappears once a month?"

"Erm…yes, Aunt Petunia."

"How long is she gone?"

Harry looks to Dudley in confusion, he shrugs. "A week, Aunt Petunia."

"Does she seem sick around that time?" Aunt Petunia questions.

Harry pulls at his hair nervously, "Yes, Aunt Petunia."

"And she's the one who knew your last name?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

Aunt Petunia nods, looking back to the front of the car. "Dudley, you are never to mock this girl for that again, do you understand me?" Dudley seems shocked, so does Harry. Dudley looks to Harry who shrugs. "Do you understand me, Dudders?"

"Y-Yes, Mummy."

Petunia nods, "Good."

14th December 1988

Petunia Dursley is not a nice woman, she can admit that. She has made mistakes, many mistakes. Particularly when it comes to her nephew. But if there is one thing she knows without doubt, it's that he will be far better off away from the wizarding world, whether that's what Del would have wanted or not.

That world killed near everyone Petunia has ever cared for and left those who survived shattered and broken copies of themselves. So no, Petunia is not a nice woman, but she will do whatever it takes to keep her nephew from that same fate.

He'll be better for it in the end. He has to be.

Nodding to herself, Petunia takes a deep breath before she walks up to the house before her, knocking on the door and waiting a step back from it.

The door opens, the man on the other side seems shocked.

"Mrs Dursley, what an unexpected pleasure."

"Mr Polka," Petunia greets, face solemn. "We need to talk about your daughter."

Petunia drives home a mere ten minutes later. She knows that the old group would have been horrified with her for what she'd just done. Petunia is more than a little horrified herself. But if Harry is to be kept from the wizarding world, a werewolf cannot be anywhere near him.

"At least let them write to each other," Mr Polka had begged her.

Petunia sighs and shakes her head, "Harry cannot even read."

"Then get him glasses! It's the least you can do!"

"The least I can do? I am raising that boy! I have done more than enough for the boy who got my sister killed! I'll have no more of this nonsense in my house, no more. Not near me, and not near him."

Mr Polka sighs, rubbing at his face tiredly, "Lillie's entire life just changed, her entire life was just ruined. Please. Give her a little time, get him glasses, let them write."

Petunia looks at the picture of the child in question on the mantle, Lillie. She hadn't known her name. Petunia nods, "Until the end of the school year. Then you leave, all of you, or the entire wizarding world finds out about your daughter. And those letters, they are not addressed to him, they are addressed to me and they go through muggle mail channels, no owling."

Mr Polka still seems shocked at her knowledge of the wizarding world given how mundane she has always seemed, but he nods. "No owling, end of the school year, letters addressed to you. I swear it."

She sighs, looking down and then back up to him, suddenly seeming far more human than he's ever thought, "It won't mean much, I'm aware of that. But I hope you know that I don't want to do this. And I am sorry. You see, I have nothing against Werewolves. One of my oldest friends is one, so I know very well that they are no monsters. Just frightened creatures. There's a book, one you should get if you want to save your daughter a lot of pain. It's called 'The Boy Who Never Cried Wolf' anonymous author, but it's available at Flourish and Blotts. Everything you need to know to keep her safe is in there. I hope you manage it."

Petunia watches the sunset as she pulls into her driveway, sitting for a moment after turning the car off.

She's not a nice woman, but a nice woman didn't confront her friend's abusive boyfriend. A nice woman didn't take her husband to task when he tried to ban her from Sirius' wedding. A nice woman didn't shut down every single one of her muggle friends when they start with the homophobic comments that she won't stand for. And a nice woman will not be able to keep her nephew from the mess that got his family torn to absolute shreds in all the worst ways possibly imaginable. If keeping him from that means this, then so be it.

Petunia gets out of her car and walks into her home, a smile on her face.

She won't ever be a nice woman, but she'll always be an Aunt because her nephew will be safe, not dead. She thinks maybe that's a worthy sacrifice.

27th December 1988

Harry's face is plastered to the car window as he and Aunt Petunia drive home. Everything is so…not-blobby. Is this what everyone else has been seeing this whole time? It's unbelievable.

Harry sees his Aunt Petunia look in the rear-view mirror and beams at her. She allows a small smile in return that warms his heart.

There are rare moments like these sometimes, when it's just the two of them. They don't last long, but he lives for them. In those moments, he almost feels like a person instead of a freak.

"C-Can I go to Lillie's house to show her my glasses?" Harry asks nervously.

Petunia bites at her lip for a moment, then her eyes go steely again and Harry knows the answer before it's spoken, "You'll see her at school. The lounge needs vacuuming."

"Yes Aunt Petunia."

Harry goes to bed that night and instantly pulls out his picture of who he thinks must be his parents. Again he runs his thumb down the side of the frame as tears fill his eyes. He can see their faces and they are happy. His Mum is so beautiful.

Harry sees her eyes, eyes like his, eyes like his nightmares. He gasps and drops the torch he was using to see.

He decides that's enough seeing tonight and takes his glasses off, back to the familiar blobness that lets him hide from the truth behind his mother's eyes. Truth he's not ready to see.

19th July 1989

Harry packs his things up at the end of the last day of school before summer.

"Wanna practice times tables at my place?" Lillie asks, "We can read too."

Harry smiles happily at her. Her parents have been teaching Harry to read since Christmas. He's not exactly picking it up quickly but he can read simple words if he sounds them out slowly. He's nearly learnt the whole alphabet!

"Sure, Aunt Petunia said I could go round if I want after school." It was an odd moment of compassion that Harry does not yet realise was actually pity.

"Dad! We're home!" Lillie calls out as she, Harry, and Andrea Polka walk into the house. They find the living room filled with boxes. Lillie and Harry look around in confusion. "Mum?" Lillie asks, looking to her mother who has a decidedly guilty look on her face. Mr Polka walks into the room moments later, "Dad?"

"Why don't you kids have a seat," Mr Polka suggests. Harry and Lillie sit on the couch, Harry grabs Lillie's hand, nervous. She holds his anxiously.

"We…weren't sure what to say, really. We didn't want you to waste time wishing this weren't happening, wanted you to enjoy the time you had left…" Andrea begins, tears filling her eyes before she blinks them away. She must be strong for her kids.

"We're moving," Mr Polka tells them, "To India."

"WHAT?!" Harry and Lillie both shout.

"B-But what about Hank? And school?" Lillie asks.

Andrea kneels down before her daughter, taking one of her hands and one of Harry's. "Sometimes…sometimes things change in life. And it's not a matter of if they are good or bad, it's a matter of if we deal with them in a positive or a negative light," she begins, having no idea where she is going with this, "I know this is less than ideal, but you can write to each other. It's not the end of the world. It's an adventure."

"One without Hank!" Lillie says loudly, "I'm not leaving him!" Harry sits silently, overwhelmed and afraid.

"We don't want to either, Lillie. But sometimes we don't get a choi-" Mr Polka begins.

"YOU'RE THE ONES WHO TELL US THERE'S ALWAYS A CHOICE!"

"Lilliana do not shout at your father!" Andrea demands. Lillie goes to yell again when Harry grabs her arm and pulls her back onto the couch she'd stood up from.

"It's not fair!" Lillie says, tears falling down her face.

"Life isn't always fair, sweetheart. I know it's…it's not happy news. But we are going. No matter how much you argue with us about it," Andrea tells her.

Harry fiddles with his fingers for a moment before he looks up at the first family he's ever really had. At least that he can remember. "When are you leaving?"

Mr and Mrs Polka exchange looks before Mr Polka sighs, "Tonight."

Lillie storms out of the room, slamming the door to her bedroom closed behind her.

Harry hesitates for a moment before he goes after her and finds her throwing things in a bag. Somehow, he doesn't think she's packing for the move.

"Lillie…" Harry trails off.

"What? Going to tell me that everything is going to be fine? That it will all work out in the end?" Lillie asks as she keeps throwing things, more on the bag than in it by now, tears streaming down her face.

Harry sighs, "No. I was going to say that I'll find you. One day, when I can leave the Dursleys, I'll find you." Lillie looks at him in surprise, he gives a wet chuckle, "I don't want to stay here. I'll constantly be scared they'll make me go back. England…my parents died here, I still don't know who they were. India could be a fresh start, for both of us. Isn't there anything you want to leave behind too?"

Lillie bites her lip, rubbing awkwardly at her leg where she got bitten by a rabid dog, or so Harry believes. "Not enough to leave you."

"You won't be leaving me. You're going to work out how things are in India, then we won't be starting over from scratch when I make it there. Once I'm there no one can ever make me come back. I'll save up and then I'll move in with you lot and everything will be okay," Harry explains, taking her hands.

"I don't want to be without you, Hank," Lillie tells him.

Harry sighs, guiding Lillie to her bed and sitting down beside him. "Do you remember when I asked you what it meant to be dead? We asked your parents and they explained about life and death. Remember what else they said though?"

Lillie nods, looking at her hands, "They're always with you."

Harry nods, "I will always be with you."

Lillie throws herself at Harry who hugs her tightly, both of them crying into each other's shoulders.

Three hours later finds the Polkas and Harry standing outside the house.

"You won't forget me, will you?" Harry awkwardly asks.

Lillie hugs him tight, "Never, Hank. Never."

"We've worked it out with your Aunt, you'll be able to write to each other," Andrea tells them. Harry breaks away from Lillie and moves over to her parents. They both kneel down and hug him.

"We'll miss you, Harry," Mr Polka tells him.

"I'll miss you too," Harry replies, squeezing them slightly. He pulls back and looks nervously at his feet. "Hey, um. You know how you got that picture of my parents for me?" Andrea nods. "Do you know what their names were?"

Mr Polka smiles, "Lily and James Potter."

Harry's eyes widen, "Lily?" He and Lillie look at each other with wide eyes.

Then Lillie grins, "Toldja we were made to be best friends."

September 1989

Harry is less than surprised when his first day of school is miserable. His only friend is gone and everybody knows it.

Twelve days after she left, Harry's first letter from Lillie arrives. He takes it in to school with him and his teacher helps him read it. From that he finds out that she's starting school in two days and by the time his letter, that his teacher also helps him write, arrives she will have been attending for over a week.

It's that realisation that has him fighting off tears. Because they may be able to talk but ten days for a letter to go each way will mean anything talked about will probably be irrelevant again by the time it is read, let alone a reply is received.

It's a rough couple of years for Harry, he knows it won't get better.

23rd June 1991

Green, bright, burn, pain, scream, HARRISON!

Harry jolts awake, sitting up in bed and breathing hard. He's never heard anything but unintelligible screaming in his nightmares before. Whose voice was it? And the name, Harrison, is that his? Is it like Lillie's Uncle Hank, also called Harry, and whose name is actually Henry? Could the voice have been one of his parents?

Harry sighs and shakes his head. He'll write to Lillie and get her opinion, but regardless it won't make a difference. No dream will bring his parents back, and Harrison sounds like a dreadful name anyway. Though he supposes any name only heard when screamed in terror would sound harsh and grating.

"Up! Get Up! Now!" Harry's Aunt's voice snaps him out of his reverie. She raps on the door again, "Up!" She screeches.

Harry sighs as he rubs his eyes, contemplating his name further. Harrison Potter. For some reason, Harry suddenly remembers another dream he's had a few times. One with a flying motorcycle in it. Perhaps this name is as fantastical as that. After all, if his dreams can feature such nonsense as a flying motorcycle, what are the chances that anything else in them is real?

"Are you up yet?" Aunt Petunia asks, snapping Harry out of his thoughts for a second time.

"Nearly," Harry replies.

"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Dudder's birthday." Harry groans. "What did you say?" Aunt Petunia snaps.

"Nothing, Nothing…" Harry says sleepily as he searches for socks.

Harry doesn't think his nightmare is a sign that this birthday will be anymore tolerable than all of his cousin's previous ones.

The news that Mrs Figg broke her leg was certainly unexpected. Harry thinks that perhaps he ought to feel bad about it, but honestly if he'd known it would lead to this, Harry might've done it himself a long time ago. Well, okay, maybe not. He'd have been in trouble then and this still wouldn't be happening. But he could've staged an accident of some kind. Harry knows that would be a mean thing to do, but people hurt him all the time, maybe it's not so bad if someone else is hurt for once and Harry gets a break.

He's all but holding his breath as they pull into the zoo parking lot, he's never been here before and he can't wait.

Naturally, after the best day he can remember having since the day he first met Lillie, which made him feel guilty about having such a good time without her, something went terribly wrong.

The snake Harry had been talking to somehow escaped after Dudley shoved Harry into the ground. The moment Dudley's friend Piers mentioned Harry talking to it, Harry knew he'd be in trouble. For all that the Dursleys constantly enforce the idea that nothing interesting is capable of happening, they seem to assume the extraordinary does indeed exist, and is somehow Harry's fault entirely too. Harry can't understand how a man who doesn't believe in magic can possibly believe that Harry somehow made the glass of the enclosure vanish, but for some reason, despite his annoyance, Harry can't help but wonder if maybe it is his fault. They always blame him for things, maybe it really is because of him? Maybe bad stuff just happens around him. A snake escaped and could have hurt people, Dudley's ugly old jumper shrunk when Aunt Petunia tried to put it on him, his hair had grown back overnight after his Aunt had shaved it and he'd spent the next week in his cupboard. So yes, extraordinary things do happen around him. Extraordinarily bad things.

Harry sighs as he lays in his bed. He touches the scar on his face, a rather extraordinary shape. Harry has always assumed that the green light of his nightmares and the burning he feels on his forehead is from the crash that gave him this scar. But where did the green light come from? Did something extraordinary happen then too? Was that because of Harry? Are his parents only dead because he was in the car and something weird happened?

He resolutely shuts his eyes. He won't sneak out for food tonight. The Dursleys are right.

He doesn't deserve it.

24th July 1991

The smell of Aunt Petunia dyeing Harry's new school uniform was horrid. So, while Harry may have argued back on getting the letters slightly for the sake of it, he is actually rather glad to leave the kitchen when the argument is lost.

To find an envelope addressed to himself was indeed a surprise. The only person who ever writes to him is Lillie but for one, she always sends it to Aunt Petunia, Harry suspects that Uncle Vernon doesn't know this is happening. And for two, another letter isn't due to arrive for four days unless she, for some reason, sent another without waiting for his reply.

"That's mine!" Harry cries when Uncle Vernon snatches it out of his hand.

"Who'd be writing to you?" Uncle Vernon sneers. Harry shares a secret look with a pale-faced Aunt Petunia, wondering if they're both about to be found out. Uncle Vernon's face goes green and then grey, Harry thinks that for sure Uncle Vernon knows now and he'll never be able to speak to Lillie again.

"P-P-Petunia?" Uncle Vernon asks. Aunt Petunia swallows harshly as she walks over and takes a look at the letter. She pales so quickly Harry thinks she might faint.

Harry and Dudley are kicked out of the room shortly after, but they listen in at the door.

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia begins in a quivering voice, "The address-"

"They must be watching us – spying – maybe following us."

"No, Vernon. I-It's my fault," She says. The silence following the statement leads Harry to believe Uncle Vernon is probably gaping at his wife. "That girl, the one that hung around Harry. She…" Aunt Petunia sighs. Harry feels tears fill his eyes, his Aunt is ratting them out and he'll never speak to Lillie again.

"She what, Petunia?" Uncle Vernon demands.

"She was like Phia's brother. Sick, just like him. That's why they moved away. I told them to. But they know where we are, the parents, they must have said something."

"Aunt Phia has a brother?" Dudley asks quietly, looking at Harry who nods.

"Yeah, I think she mentioned him once. The day she…" Harry trails off. Dudley blames Harry for Auntie Phia leaving.

Harry blames himself too.

He's not surprised when Aunt Petunia bans anymore letters to or from Lillie. Much as he will miss that, Harry thinks it might be for the best. If Uncle Vernon were to find out now, as they drive across England in an attempt to escape the letters, well it probably would not end in a positive fashion. Aunt Petunia seems to grow even more irritable as they enter a town called Cokeworth. Harry and Dudley exchange confused looks at her muttering, but neither have heard anything about it before.

It's just as the clock strikes twelve on Harry's birthday that a great boom is heard against the door to the creepy and run-down shack Uncle Vernon had found.

As the giant behemoth of a person enters the room, Harry realises that everything is about to change.

Again.