Declaration: I write for my own pleasure and not for profit. I do not own Harry Potter Universe.
Three to Triumph
Chapter 3
August 1987, Uckinghall
Watchers and wanderers alike immediately averted their eyes as soon as they landed on a nondescript boy of about seven years wearing tattered rags too large for him, sitting in a park on the outskirts of the town and tearing away at a loaf of slightly stale bread. The tattered clothes that were barely holding together did little to alleviate any suspicions that the inhabitants of the quiet little town may have had of the boy. If they were to take the time to properly look at him however, they would have been captivated by his startling green eyes and the hint of something powerful lurking behind those eyes. Even hidden partially behind the ugly black wire framed and smudged glasses, the eyes were still mesmerizing. The messy black hair long in need of a proper trimming hid a jagged scar on his forehead that looked like a bolt of lightning, which he apparently acquired when his parents were killed in an accident.
Leaning with his back to a tree and oblivious to everything happening around him, Harry Potter was concentrating on the food he had in his hands, something that has been occurring with increasing rarity these days. His experience taught him two vastly different things when it concerned food, if you have it in your hands do not take any time to devour it, but if you have had not eaten for some days, then take some time to devour it. That was what was happening with him at the moment as it was his first meal in three days.
Chewing the slightly hard bread thoroughly so that it would stay in his stomach, he cast his glance around the small run down park. The lack of any maintenance to the park suited him perfectly as he did not want parents shooing him away from their well looked after and loved kids or worse still alert someone in authority to take him away. Not that he wanted and dreamed of a loving home, but his trust in authority and parental figures were shot to pieces due to the acts of his aunt and uncle.
A slight movement to his right and near some bushes that fringed the more wooded area of the park caught his attention. Harry was alert to any animals that were serious competition to the meager rations that he was living on and relaxed slightly when he saw that it was a girl who was probably about his own age. She was desperately trying to be invisible but still occasionally peeked out from around the bush she was hiding to stare at him eating.
Harry would have dismissed the girl with bushy brown hair, but what caught his attention was the state of her clothes which were in a state that if not worse than his own were very close to drop off any moment. If the girl was any older, she would have had a very tough time in protecting herself in such a state. What moved Harry though was the distinct look of longing in her eyes when she caught sight of Harry eating the bread. The girl was desperately trying to prevent herself from showing a weakness but food was a powerful motivator. Licking her lips at even the thought of food in her hands and the slight drool that was threatening to form at the corner of her mouth motivated Harry to take a step that would change not only his but also the girl's life forever.
Harry could not explain why he felt compassion towards that person, an emotion that was so alien to him in his short but very troubled life. Maybe because she was a girl or because he was in a position to do her some good, he did not know, but Harry beckoned her to join him at the tree.
The girl was surprised at the invitation and was also a little frightened. Her recent experience taught her to be wary of anyone that was in a position to help you; they needed, no demanded something in return and it did not end in any good for her. Her carefully constructed defenses crumbled though as her stomach overrode her brain, besides the boy somehow felt safe and so she dashed out of her hiding place. She nearly ate dust instead, in her hurry to reach Harry she tripped over an exposed root and barely managed to steady herself.
Harry gestured the girl to sit on the ground beside him and she obliged after dropping her overly large backpack in front of her and next to Harry's own. Harry held the loaf of bread he was eating from, with his teeth and started rooting around in his backpack. If Harry was to somehow separate his legs from his body, he would have fit snugly into the bag he had, it was that big and he was small enough for that to happen. Though it was cumbersome to carry, he needed the space the backpack provided as everything in the bag was all that he could say was his own or needed.
The girl's heart nearly sank when Harry did not partake of his bread loaf with her but she immediately dismissed any ungrateful thoughts she might have had when she saw a complete loaf in Harry's hand. She almost lunged forward and snatched the bread from Harry and it was hardly a few seconds before her slightly larger front teeth were sinking into the bread. She tore a large chunk and was eagerly stuffing it into her mouth.
Harry was more experienced in not only making any meager rations last long but also how to handle food on an empty stomach. He gently placed his hand on her arm so as to not frighten her and slowly pushed it down, "You have to take it slow and chew your food properly if you are eating something after a few days of not eating."
The girl immediately slowed down and put the loaf of bread in her hand down on her lap and took time to chew properly. This also gave her time to thank her companion, "Thank you, it has been two days since I ate last."
"I thought so."
She immediately extended her hand after rubbing it on her tattered gown, "I am Hermione Granger and I am seven."
Harry grasped her hand after mimicking her actions to get his hands free of any dirt or food, "Hello Hermione, I am seven too and my name is Harry" then scratching his head gave her a grimace before continuing, "at least I think so. I have only been called boy or freak."
Hermione gave him a sympathetic smile before picking her food again and they both fell silent just exchanging occasional toothy smiles while finishing every morsel. She leaned back against the tree beside Harry with the feeling of a full stomach after many days.
Hermione wanted to know more about Harry but was afraid to insult or hurt the boy who had given her food. She wanted to ask him for help and if she could stay with him and go where ever he went. It was clear that Harry did not have a place to live and he was also living on the streets like she was forced to do. Hermione had been only two days out of the awful orphanage but she was beginning to understand the difficulties ahead of her and was frightened to be on her own. The backpack that she was carrying had all that she owned, two frocks which were in slightly better condition than the one she was currently wearing and a blanket that was more holes than cloth which she 'liberated' from the afore mentioned place.
Before Hermione could verbalize her thoughts though, Harry picked himself up and taking a couple of plastic bottles which have seen better days, walked towards the public water tap installed in the park. After drinking his fill, he filled them up and returned back to the tree to put them away in his bag while Hermione had a turn at the water.
It was starting to get dark and hoisting his bag onto his back Harry began leading the way, "Come on Hermione, I want to get back to the place where I found these bread loaves. The baker was throwing them away and I begged for a couple of them. Since they were already wrapped in plastic, they should be OK unless some dogs got to them first."
The anticipation of getting her hands on more food propelled Hermione forward and was eager to follow her new found friend. Now that they were both standing, she was surprised to find that Harry was much smaller than her both in height as well as weight. She was by no means tall, but the healthy living with her parents before being put into the orphanage made sure that she met the required height and weight of a healthy seven year old. The two months that she spent at the orphanage were tough on her but it looked like Harry was much worse off, probably not even getting enough to eat.
Harry quickly found the bakery and the discarded loaves in the rubbish bin too. Without any ceremony he picked out four of the well wrapped up loaves and began stuffing them into his and Hermione's backpacks.
"Don't you want to take more Harry?"
"No Hermione, they will be useless after tomorrow. That is the reason that they were thrown away. They are beginning to get spoiled."
Hermione accepted his explanation without any question; he was probably more knowledgeable in these matters than her anyway. They began walking away from the rubbish pile when a nearby grocer took pity on them and called them over.
"Hey kids! Here take this" he handed them a cloth bag and opening it they found half a dozen apples. The fruit was already ripe and was going to get spoilt by the next day, and as it was no one was going to buy them from him in that state.
Thanking the shopkeeper profusely Harry began dragging Hermione away. She began to panic at the desperation that Harry was showing to get away from that place. Turning a few corners and away from the town Harry began slowing down a little, he had still to let go of Hermione's hand though.
"Usually, by this time the adults begin to call the police about children who are on their own" he said as an explanation for his actions.
Harry's explanation increased Hermione's fears and she began matching Harry's fast paced walk as they put some much needed distance between themselves and the town. It was beginning to get dark very fast and they could barely see any more and Harry began looking for a place to crash for the night. There was also a hint of rain in the air and he wanted something that would keep them dry.
To his enormous relief, they could see a low bridge as part of a highway than spanned a depression in the ground. Underneath the bridge the entire area was cemented and though not closed off, would protect them from any rain. It was also just high enough for them to stand without their heads bumping the roof.
The floor was clean enough so they sat down to recover their breath. Harry took out a couple of the apples from the bag, and passing one to Hermione began biting into the tasty fruit savouring the sweetness and the liquid delight.
Hermione started the conversation that she desperately wanted to go her way, "Harry, I am sorry if I am a burden to you, but can I come with you wherever you are going? I do not have anyone else in this world and I did not like the orphanage that I was put in" she was desperately trying to stem the tears that threatened to break out. If Harry refused to let her accompany him then she did not have any idea what she would do and she was terrified.
Harry gave her a small smile to placate her fears but had a word of caution, "I do not have a home Hermione" he got a nod of her head in reply as she guessed that, "I also did not like my guardians and ran away from them. I read about living in the wild and that is what I am planning to do, I want to go to the mountains and live there until I am old enough not to be questioned about my age."
Hermione brightened at that, "Can I come too? I promise that I will try my best to help you and will not be a burden. I do not know what I will do otherwise" she was nearly pleading with him now.
Giving her hand a gently squeeze Harry agreed to that but still had a warning, "It is not going to be easy Hermione, there will be dangers around."
"Harry meeting you and spending this short amount of time with you gave me the most amount of happiness after the death of my parents. It almost felt like I could face any danger with you by my side, at least I will not suffer the indignity of beatings and begging for more food."
Harry did something that he never though he will do, he hugged a girl and surprisingly it felt nice. Maybe it was because this girl faced almost the same tribulations as he did or maybe it was something else, he did not know, but he knew that he would like to hug her again. Unknown to both of the kids, that hug preluded the start of something magical even in the world of magic.
It was completely dark now and emptying their bladders a little distance away, began to get ready for bed. Harry took out a thick flattened cardboard box from his backpack and spread it out on the floor keeping a little space between the cold wall and the board.
"I just have one of this card boards to sleep on Hermione. It may be a little too small for both of us" Harry told her as he began emptying his bag of two shirts, a spare shorts and an old but still usable blanket.
Hermione looked a little skeptical at sleeping on the cold floor, "Can't we open the two halves and spread it out more?"
"Oh No Hermione, if we use only a single layer, it gets very uncomfortable to sleep on and also the cold seeps in very easily. Don't worry we can share the same thing; we will have to sleep a little closer though. Now do you have any blanket or clothes in your bag?"
Sleeping in the company of a stranger and that too a boy would normally have freaked out Hermione, but she felt safe in Harry's company and so agreed easily. Harry spread his blanket in half over the cardboard before arranging his extra shirts and shorts to cover most of the blanket. He did the same with Hermione's dresses before putting her tattered blanket on top to hold them together. Harry gently lifted one corner of the blanket and settled onto one end of the cardboard mattress. They could see that there was not much space left for Hermione, but she had no inhibitions in snuggling into Harry. They shared a shy smile before settling in properly and he used his free hand to cover them both with his improvised duvet. Though they were sharing something which could not even remotely be called a bed they oddly felt comfortable and warm. It was not very cold outside but sharing their body heat gave them extra warmth and preserved some of their energy.
As he promised her earlier, Harry began narrating his story.
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A glimpse into Harry Potter's life
"I was apparently left on the doorstep of my remaining relatives. I do not know for sure but I think that she is my aunt as I often used to hear the words 'your freak of a nephew' from the walrus of a man who I used to call Uncle." Snuggling into Harry, Hermione giggled softly imagining a walrus dressed in a business suit and going to office with a briefcase.
"According to them, my parents died in an accident and I survived with just this scar on my forehead." Again Hermione just nodded into his chest, she had seen it before and was loath to move her head from the comfortable perch on Harry's chest.
"As long as I remembered I was cooking, cleaning, and working from dawn to dusk for them often being reminded that I was a waste of space and that I should be thankful for their generosity. I was just four when I made my first breakfast. I was really surprised that they even took care of me till I could manage to hold the pan; I guess the incentive of a free servant was too good to be ignored."
Tears were threatening to break free from Hermione as she continued to hear the atrocities committed on a four year old and that too by his blood relations. She was not really surprised by the blood relations part as she herself was on the receiving end of her own aunt's 'generosity' but it was not such a torture for her.
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Four year old Harry Potter became an expert at cooking a feast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage and toast that went as breakfast in the Dursley household. The amount of food cooked in the morning was enough to satisfy six people's appetite but was just enough for the three Dursleys. Even then Harry barely escaped from getting rapped on his knuckles or his head for trumped up charges of runny eggs or under cooked bacon.
All Harry got was a couple of slices of toast that he fried in the fat remaining on the pan. On bad days even that was snatched out of his fingers by his cousin Dudley Dursley and all that he got was a couple of cold bread slices that he managed to snatch before his aunt Petunia managed to lock the remaining loaf inside the cabinet or the refrigerator.
Lunch was usually a similar affair with Harry getting the left over scraps after Petunia and Dudley demolished the meal. Afternoon was spent cleaning around the house, gardening or dodging Dudley's attempts to use him as a punching bag while his aunt spent time gossiping with her friends under the guise of intellectual discussions.
All the reward that Harry ever needed or wanted was a pat on his back or a hug for his efforts but all he got was a rap on his head with a frying pan or thwack on his back with the meaty hand of Vernon Dursley or his belt. Harry's attempts and desire to please his relatives was very often exploited by his relatives to obtain sadistic pleasure and see the boy squirm with pain to be thrown into his bedroom, a broom cupboard under the stairs.
During the days that Harry was left alone in the house due to an excursion planned by his relatives, he was rendered to a mindless drone having to clean all around the house and the bathrooms even if they were spotless due to his earlier efforts.
On one such Saturday, Harry saw that the kitchen cabinets were unlocked. He was grateful that his aunt remembered about his lunch and so made himself a simple sandwich and enjoyed a sumptuous meal by his paltry standards. That day he put in extra effort to make the house spotless. When his aunt and uncle returned from their outing instead of the expected praise he got an extra thorough beating where his uncle even broke in his new belt. It took him a couple of such beatings to understand that his relatives deliberately left the cabinets open to tempt him and then brand him as a thief.
Unfortunately or miraculously, depending on how you look at it, Harry's injuries used to get cured overnight and sometimes even without a bruise being left on his body. This only prompted his uncle to gleefully increase the frequency and intensity of his treatment to try and beat the 'unnaturalness' out of him.
All the inhabitants of Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey saw the ragamuffin kid as a criminal and did their best to protect their daughters from. Vernon was cleaver enough to hit Harry in such a way so that none of his bruises were visible to everyone and so was easily able to maintain his ruse of a well-respected business man doing his best to not only give a home to his vagabond nephew but also to bring him to respectability.
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When Harry crossed six, his aunt got a brilliant idea to reduce their cost in feeding Harry. Their son who was attending the local primary school for one year told them the news that their school was providing free lunch for the students.
"Vernon, this is the best way to get rid of an extra mouth to feed. Get him into that school on a scholarship for poor students and let them worry about feeding him; I am not going to give him breakfast too."
Harry found that he loved reading and learning very quickly and tried to spend as much time as he could in classes. His teachers were amazed at the speed and enthusiasm Harry showed during his classes and did their best to encourage him.
While Harry was excelling in his studies, Dudley was the unofficial school bully. Unofficial because everyone knew his treatment of the younger kids but his dad's money ensured that the complaining parents were placated one way or the other. Even at school, Harry continued to be Dudley's punching bag with only a small variation; he took care so that none of the injuries that Harry got were visible outward.
Lunch at the school was a very boisterous occasion with nearly two hundred children all below ten years congregating to satisfy their hunger. Dudley and his gang were usually the first to reach the lunch line and if they were not, made sure that they were the first by pushing the others out of the line. Harry was soon acquainted with the first of the golden rules he himself coined when it concerned food and eating, if you have it in your hands do not take any time to devour it. Harry being quite shy and unwilling to push anyone around was usually left at the end of the line. By the time he got his plate, Dudley finished his and would grab Harry's and so Harry became the proponent of the rare art of eating on the run.
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Harry was quickly promoted to Dudley's class much to the consternation of the Dursleys and the final straw for them was the news that Harry would be promoted yet again early January when the school would open after Christmas holidays, making him Dudley's senior and resulted in a tantrum of epic proportion from his whale of a cousin. That put paid to Harry's schooling and was almost out of everyone's sight being denied the chance of even going out into the front yard.
March was 'memorable' in more than one ways as he was left alone for more than a week in an empty house with little food or money while his relatives went to enjoy their time in Ireland as part of Dudley's birthday celebrations. Harry managed to last the small amount of food for the first few days of the week. Starving for more than a couple of days after he ate the pitiful rations left for him, Harry managed to grab at a packet of food that dropped out of a neighbour's bag and was left behind. Despite his strict moral values, his rumbling stomach overrode his pride and Harry began stuffing the burgers into his famished body.
That was when Harry was able to coin his second rule where it concerned food and eating; if you have not eaten before for some days, then take some time to devour it. He was reacquainted with all the food that he ate when his stomach rebelled due to all the unaccustomed food and he vomited his stomach contents in a corner of his cupboard.
Fighting the overpowering fumes of the putrid contents, Harry finally fell asleep. The next day was spent in cleaning his cupboard out and disinfecting it before doing it for the whole house on his aunt's orders.
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A week after they returned from their outing, Vernon got home punch drunk but he was remarkably coherent especially when he saw Harry. Immediately he raged at Harry, "You freak! You did something to make me lose my contract." Anyone would have easily understood that it would have been his own inefficiency and not the small boy that resulted in his loss, especially when the boy was being confined to the house. But Vernon Dursley did not need any reason to vent his rage on the emaciated boy, how was he going to not use this occasion as an added incentive.
Vernon was nearly purple in his anger and began loosening his belt. Harry knew that he was in for a very painful night but still steeled himself to avoid showing any weakness to his delighted relatives. But when his uncle dropped his pants and stood in his boxers right there in the living room, Harry's heart nearly reached the pit of his stomach and he instinctively knew this was different.
Harry tried to bolt away from his uncle and reach the sanctuary of his cupboard but his aunt was quicker as she grabbed him by his waist and nearly threw him onto the floor. The unexpected shock was enough to subdue him and Harry's terrified screams were easily drowned by the noise from the television.
"Dudley! Go to your room" Petunia commanded.
Dudley never considered himself to be an obedient child and he was not going to start now especially when his cousin was going to get something new done to him. He now sported a predatory smile on his face, "No Mum! I want to see what Dad's going to do. I can do it to the freak the next time."
Petunia did not bother to argue with her son, she knew that they could never get him to do what they wanted, not that she was overly concerned about Dudley. Her entire focus and strength was being used up in keeping her nephew subdued.
When his uncle had a very ugly smirk on his face and was in the act of dropping his boxers too, Harry was now on the verge of a panic attack. The only thing going through his mind repeatedly was 'Have to get away from them, need to stay safe'. Harry felt some invisible force building up inside him starting from near his heart. He had no clue what was going on within him but he suddenly felt as if he was in control, safe, and powerful. In a rush, the energy left out of the small body and blew Harry's relatives away from him only to be stopped painfully by the walls of the house and rendered unconscious.
Harry Potter disappeared from Number 4 Privet Drive with a small pop and appeared in a small abandoned field a few miles North West of London. The traumatic events of the night and the invisible energy that helped him escape drained Harry like never before and before he could even rejoice, he succumbed to the weariness and fell asleep in the gathering dusk.
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Waking up the next day, Harry's stomach reminded him that he had not eaten the entire day before. He began foraging for something to eat but could not find anything nearby and without any money to his name he feared that he was going to meet a very sticky end. Even that felt nice to him as he would be able to escape his hellish life and meet his parents.
He read about the mountains and wild lands in Wales and his many nights of escape plans featured them heavily. He picked himself and decided to head northwest where he was sure the mountains would be. He thankfully found a cottage and the family took pity on him and provided a hearty breakfast. Thanking the many gods and also his hosts, Harry eagerly ate the meal and started his trek before they could ask him uncomfortable details.
Whenever he could, Harry used to raid the rubbish bins or discarded piles of clothing for something that would fit him or for blankets that would give him a modicum of protection from the nightly air that was soon to get chilly. Without shoes his feet began to blister very soon and a few days later he was very lucky to find a family discarding their son's pair which he immediately begged for himself. Harry put his enormous skills in doing chores around the house and also in the garden to help around the various cottages and farms that he crossed during his trek. In turn he only asked for a few coins or a bite to eat, whatever else he might have done to put together a living, Harry never lowered himself to steal.
Working his way North West skirting Cassington, Long Hanborough and Combe to name a few places, Harry worked when he could and hunted the bins when he had to. Harry managed to put together a wardrobe of a couple of decent shirts, shorts and even a blanket from hunting rubbish piles near farm houses at night. He even succeeded to snag a couple of pairs of trainers one of which was slightly larger than his feet which he decided to keep with him in case the ones he was wearing get too small when he finally grew bigger.
He did not dare to stay at any of the towns for more than a day or two for fear of being returned to his despicable relatives by any resident who took pity on him. His emaciated condition did not help matters further as he had to rest frequently during the walk to gain his strength. He however put all his strength while working to earn or buy his food.
Harry never knew his birthday and so July 31st was spent on an empty stomach gazing at the endless starry sky under a tree and planning for his next possible meal. Nearly five months after he left his relatives house, Harry found himself with his first friend in one Hermione Granger at Uckinghall.
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Hermione could not stop the tears that were flowing freely during the tale and even though they were soaking his shirt, Harry felt a lot better than he ever remembered. It was probably the result of sharing his burden with someone or just the thought of a companion in his troubles, but Harry had a small smile at the end of his tale.
Hermione just kissed Harry on the cheek from the prone position while tightening her hold around his midriff and snuggled deeper into him. Harry managed to free his trapped arm and held her close and they quickly fell asleep. Sometime during the night Harry woke up to find that it began to rain and the air was getting cold. Using his free hand he adjusted the 'blanket' around them snugly so that they do not feel the cold. Hermione just stirred in her sleep and only burrowed more into Harry with her head on his chest, probably her idea of fighting the cold. Harry could only smile at her and quickly followed Hermione into sleep.
