Hours after the sun set, Harry finally heard someone approach the shed. Lips cracked and slightly dizzy, he had been dozing when the sound of chains rattling jerked him awake. The sudden movement caused the viper, who Harry decided to call Mara after a snake he saw on one of Dudley's TV shows, to fall off his neck. With a small hiss Mara slunk off to hide, just in time, as the door of the shed flew open. Vernon's girth filled the small doorway as his sharp gaze focused his disheveled nephew.

"Still alive boy?" he spat. "Yes, I suppose I can't be that lucky, still perhaps next time..." Reaching down, Vernon removed the shackle around Harry's leg. "Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and keep you here tomorrow too".

The idea seemed to fill his Uncle with a sense of glee. The boy quickly stood up, holding on to the shelves for balance. His dizziness worsened with his fist step and he pitched forward, eating pavement to the delight of the mass of fat above him. Not wanting to give in, Harry crawled, in agonizing slowness, out of the garden shed.

"Useless thing," said Mr. Dursley darkly after the boy collapsed in the yard, "Don't know what possessed us to keep you, but you can be sure that our tolerance with you is at an end. We've finally found a place that will take you. Starting next year you will be attending St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. And you will wish you were back in our tender care, sure enough."

Walking away, the large man left is nephew curled, un-moving in a fetal position in the yard. Harry didn't budge until the evening sprinklers turned on, and only then to move into a position to catch some water in his parched mouth.

Eventually, when Harry felt a little better and Mara had returned from hiding, they wobbled their way inside, the snake whispering encouragement all the way. One glance his way had Petunia ordering him to his cupboard, disgusted at the dirt he was tracking into her beautiful house, and he went quietly.

"Whatssss the planssss" whispered Mara once they were safely tucked in the cupboard. The adder was not amused with the tiny space he was sharing with his new friend. There was a plan, of course; Harry was going to sneak out of his cupboard one his aunt and uncle were asleep and get food and water, but the boy was pretty sure this was not the plan the snake was referring to.

"I can bite them," the snake continued, assuring Harry that the serpent had completely different goals than him. "Or perhapssss you wish to run awayssss inssstead. We could alwayssss do both assss well."

"As tempting as that sounds," said Harry, chuckling at his new friends enthusiasm. "I can't leave yet."

"And why not?" retorted Mara. flipping around to stare harry in the eye. "Issss Harry Potter bound to thissss place? Or issss Harry Potter ssscared?"

"I'm not scared! he said quickly. "But I need some food before I even think of leaving; and even if we do run away, we have no money to go anywhere."

"I have heard of thissss... moneysss. Menssss use to it to obtain prey and ride in the belly of monssstersss."

"Right... I think. We can't go anywhere without at least a couple pounds for the underground." Mara twisted about, looking to Harry like a very confused noodle. After a couple minutes, the noodle stopped twisting and made their way to the cupboard door.

"Find your prey and sssstrike, Harry Potter. I will sssecure the moneyssss." instructed the adder before slipping under the door. The boy decided that his new serpent friend was decidedly weird, before slipping out of the cupboard himself to check that the Dursleys were asleep. Secure that all of them were snoring, he raided the kitchen for anything to eat that wouldn't be missed.

Harry had already eaten his meager feast of toast, a boiled egg, and an apple and was feeling slightly more energetic, when Mara hissed for him to open the cupboard door. The silver snake had returned with a wallet clutched tightly in his coils.

"I did not even have to fight for it," explained the adder as Harry checked out the contents of the wallet. "The moment the mansss noticed that I lay upon it, he retreatssss."

The wallet was decently thick and held several identification cards, a coupon to a some sort of gym, and a couple hundred quid. Feeling quite guilty, the boy took all the cards and the coupon out of the wallet and put them under the floorboards; maybe they'd be found and returned one day. Mara, who was quite pleased with himself, wrapped himself languidly around Harry's neck and fell promptly asleep.

A potato sack the boy snagged from the rubbish pile worked well to pack his few belongings; the best of the clothes in his pile of Dudley's hand-me-downs, a screwdriver he had taken from the shed several weeks ago, and his few treasures including an armless toy soldier, a Swiss army knife he had found on the street with a broken file, and a stick which he had once used to send Dudley flying; he wasn't quite sure how such a thin twig had thrown such a massive target, but Harry kept it anyways... just in case. Sneaking back to the kitchen he grab a bit more food and added it to his bag.

Finally Harry silently made his way to Dudley's second bedroom, where his lard of a cousin kept all the toys he broke. Inside he could see the BB gun that Dudley sat on, a TV that his cousin had put his foot though, and a racing bike, obviously received today, that seemed to be in pretty good shape, other than the chains being tangled. Harry stared at the bike; he hadn't planned to take it, having only come up to grab one of the unused books that showed maps of England, but it was horribly tempting to use it to make a clean getaway.

In the end, Potter decided against it, stealing something that large in his escape would give the Dursleys and excuse to send the police after him. He did however switch out the potato sack for a backpack, which was easier to carry even with one of the straps broken.

Near dawn and ready to leave, Harry silently made his way to the door, Mara still asleep on his shoulders. Just about to go, he noticed an envelope sitting on the doormat and it was addressed to him. Harry picked it up and stared at it. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. He had no friends or relatives who would, he was not even allowed to go to the library so he knew it wasn't them either. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so there could be no mistake:

Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard Under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment and the address was written in green ink. Turning over the envelope, the boy saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding the letter H. Before Harry could try to open it, he heard movement upstairs. Shoving the letter into his bag, Harry Potter left Number 4 Privet Drive in the hopes of never returning.

Exiting the house, the boy moved quickly, fear of discovery nipping at his heels. His aunt, an early riser, would be up any minute and Harry wanted as much distance between them as possible. Reaching the end of Privet Drive, he began to jog, turning North where he knew there was a bus stop. The jarring motion woke Mara, who tightened his hold on the boy for fear of his constant malnutrition, the boy was quite fast and they made good time to the bus stop. A quick glance told Harry that the next bus would arrive soon, how soon he wasn't sure though as he never owned a watch and didn't think to take one. Worry kept him pacing as they waited; any moment now his aunt and uncle would be after him and he needed to be on that bus before they found him.

A glint of reflected sunlight notified Harry in of the incoming bus. Making sure Mara was well hidden in his collar, he bounced on his toes as bus slowly made its way to him and opened its doors.

"Arn't ye a little young t' be riddin the bus all on yer own?" asked the driver as Harry pulled out the wallet and counted out the right amount. "Where are yer parents?"

"At home waiting for me," lied Harry. "I was spending the night at a friend's house."

The driver shrugged, not actually caring, and handed the boy his ticket. Harry noticed there went many other on the bus; a couple of business men on their way to work and what appeared to be a homeless man, sleeping in his seat. Making his way to the back, the boy sat down and turned to see out the rear window. There at the end of the street was Mr. Dursley, still in his night clothes, running for the bus.

Dread filled Harry as he watched his uncle get closer. His plan, which admittedly had only been hap hazardously formed with Mara last night, was falling apart. Harry knew if Vernon got a hold of him it was over, and he wouldn't survive the summer. Ready to jump up and make a run for it rather than sit there and wait for his uncle to catch him, the bus closed its doors and drove off. Through the window, Harry could see Mr. Dursley standing in the middle of the street, filled with now futile rage. Laughing at the sight, the boy turned around reveled in the relief that now filled him.


A/N: I really should spread these chapter releases out, but eh... enjoy them. Thank you everyone who has Reviewed thus far. I read them all, so please continue to post your responses!