Disclaimer: As usual, I don't Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. The fanfic, and my OC are all I own. No copyright intended!

Warning: Readers discretion is advised in this chapter, due to the Dursleys and Piers planning to relentlessly beat Harry up much more harshly than ever.

Ch. 10

The Nightmare Returns

Once they finished stuffing Harry's out-cold body in the back, the Dursleys and Piers quickly got back in the car. Vernon, in his hurry to leave as fast as possible, floored it, but forgot to put the car into drive. When he finally managed to put the car into drive, he tried flooring it again, but he had his feet on the gas and brake pedals at the same time. Then, Vernon sped out of the alley and began driving back to their house. What neither he, Petunia, Dudley, nor Piers realized (and what Albus didn't consider) was that the car screeching attracted unwanted attention. Karley, April, Susan, Hannah, Amelia, Kallie, Kenny, and April and Alicia's parents saw the car speed out of the alley. Amelia gasped in horror, as she recognized that that was the vehicle the Dursleys owned. She saw that same car when she was spying on the Dursleys in late July, before Dumbledore threatened to have her fired if she kept up with the investigation. This scared Karley, as she remembered the day she and Katie met Harry, where his uncle dragged him away and his scars and bruises were exposed.

"No! No! No! No! No!" Karley sobbed as her mother hugged her for comfort.

"Let's go to my office at the Ministry of Magic," said Amelia. "Those awful muggles need to be brought to justice!"

So they all found an alley and apparated to the Ministry of Magic. Once they were inside her office, Amelia cast a silence charm on the door, then she and Kenny proceeded to tell April, Susan and Hannah (since they didn't know the full story) what Harry's life was like before Katie and Karley met him. Karley was terrified and continued crying, with Kallie trying her best to comfort her youngest daughter.

"It'll be alright, Karley," assured Kallie in a soothing voice. "We'll make sure he gets out of there alive."

Even April, Susan and Hannah were in tears. They just couldn't understand why Harry would receive that kind of treatment. As scared as they were, they knew Karley was even more scared.

"I th-th-thought th-that th-th-they w-w-w-would leave H-H-H-Harry a-lo-lo-lone!" Karley bawled, with tears flowing down her cheeks. "B-B-B-But n-n-noooo, th-they just want t-to use h-him as a s-slave, a-and as a human p-punching b-bag, n-not t-to mention that they'll st-starve h-him!"

"Don't worry, Karley," assured Amelia. "We'll do everything we can to get him out of there!"

Meanwhile, the Dursleys and Piers made it back to #4 Privet Drive. Vernon, Dudley and Piers carried Harry's still-out-cold body upstairs into what was Dudley's second bedroom. Then they proceed to give Harry unrelenting beatings. They only stopped when 'the freak' regained conciousness.

"Where am I?" asked Harry. "How did I get back here?"

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS, BOY," bellowed Vernon. "I'M FURIOUS WITH YOU FOR WANDERING OFF ON YOUR OWN!"

"You'll get in trouble for kidnapping me!" Harry retorted.

This only got him more beatings. Harry couldn't fight back because Vernon, Dudley and Piers were much bigger, not to mention fatter. This gave the three the advantage, and they proceeded with giving 'the freak' unrelenting beatings.

"Don't say anything about getting us into trouble," snapped Vernon. "You won't be leaving, ever, ever... again!"

So he slammed the door shut and padlocked it. Harry found it hard to move, as he was still in pain. Harry looked down at the ring finger on his left hand and discovered, to his horror that his family ring was gone.

'How could the ring disappear?' thought Harry, horrified. 'Surely, it would've been impossible!'

Harry silently started praying for somebody to find him. He didn't belong at the Dursleys, and never would. All the Dursleys care about is using him, abusing him, and depriving him of food. Then, Harry came up with an idea.

"Tilly!" Harry quietly called out, only to find that she didn't appear.

Harry even tried to call for Philly, only for that to also end in vain. What Harry didn't know was that Albus, not only recharged the blood wards and tracking wards, but he also added an anti-house-elf ward, to make sure Harry didn't escape with house-elf assistance, so he could 'fulfill his destiny' for the Greater Good. Albus also managed to remove Harry's family ring from his finger, using a very dark and illegal charm to accomplish that task. The charm was a heirloom magic removal charm. It was illegal because heirloom magic gives the rightful powers to it's heirs. The charm was so illegal that it earned anyone who used it a fifty-year-minimum sentence in Azkaban, the wizarding prison. The charm was used by a dark wizard named Norman Wilbur back in 1932, and he used it so much, in order to gain powers he was never supposed to have, that he was sentenced to a fate worse than death called the Dementor's Kiss in 1939, after Norman had been on death row for at least six years or so.

Harry also saw that the bedroom window was fitted with bars, another scheme to ensure that Harry would never escape from the Dursleys again. Albus knew that this would make Harry dependent, so he could blindly follow his 'mentor's' plans.

Later that night, when the Dursleys were already asleep, Hedwig quietly tapped on Harry's bedroom window. Harry turned around and saw his owl. This gave Harry another idea on trying to get away from the Dursleys. So he got out some paper and a pen (since the Dursleys didn't even bother to remove those from the room). Harry wrote a letter to Amelia Bones, folded it up, and opened the window (which only had a limit, due to the bars), luckily, it was enough for Harry to give it to Hedwig.

"Please Hedwig," said Harry quietly. "Make sure Amelia gets that. If it's somebody suspicious who wants that, bite them if it's necessary!"

As soon as the letter was in her beak, Hedwig flew out into the night. Then, Harry closed the window, and went into an uneasy sleep.

(Over at Bones Manor)

Amelia was asleep when she heard a tap on her bedroom window. She got up and saw a snowy owl, with a letter in it's beak. So she took the letter and opened it, which was written kind of wrigley, and it said:

Amelia,

Help! This is an emergency! The Dursleys abuse has gotten worse than the last time I was there. When they brought me back to their house, my uncle Vernon, cousin Dudley and his best friend, Piers Polkiss, just gave me unrelenting beatings. I had to wait until they were asleep to write this. To be safe, you probably should bring some aurors with you when you get the chance.

From,

Harry Potter

Amelia was furious, as she knew what the Dursleys intentions were. So she put the note on her desk, so she'll know that it'll be there in the morning. Once she made it to work tomorrow, she would reopen the investigation and this time, she wouldn't allow Albus to interfere.

(The next day, at Hogwarts, in the Great Hall)

Katie, Alicia and Angelina walked to a table for breakfast. Katie was sorted into Gryffindor house (the same house where Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, Lee, Oliver, Percy and Charlie were in). The other houses were Hufflepuff (the house Dora was in), Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Katie barely touched her breakfast when she saw her family owl flying toward her, with a letter in his beak. Once Katie relieved her family owl of the letter, he flew away. Katie opened the letter and barely read it when she gasped in horror, making her drop the letter, and then she passed out, nearly falling over backward, but Alicia and Angelina caught her in time. Fred, George, Charlie, Lee and Oliver came over to help. They helped Alicia and Angelina escort Katie back to Gryffindor Tower, but not before Oliver picked up Katie's letter. Albus Dumbledore witnessed that, he knew why Katie gasped like that and passed out, but acted like it wasn't something to be concerned about. Albus' deputy headmistress saw that and gave her superior a questioning look.

"Albus," she asked. "Why did Miss Bell faint like that?"

"I have no clue, Minerva," Albus fibbed. "Maybe the excitement of her first year starting and being sorted into Gryffindor like her family became too much for her."

Minerva just gave Albus a skeptical look, but went back to her breakfast.

'What could Albus be up to,' thought Minerva. 'Surely, he's hiding something!'

Meanwhile Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, Lee, Charlie and Oliver managed to escort Katie back to Gryffindor Tower. Katie regained consciousness a few minutes later, with tears starting to flow down her cheeks. Oliver handed Katie's letter to Charlie, which read:

Katie,

Something awful happened a few minutes before leaving Kings Cross Station. Harry's no-good muggle relatives kidnapped him. Witnesses, including Amelia, saw them driving out of an alley in a desperate manner. Amelia knew that the vehicle belongs to Harry's relatives, as she was investigating Harry's life at Privet Drive a week and a half before Harry's birthday. Karley was pretty scared when it happened, to where she spent the next couple hours crying. Amelia assured that the investigation would resume, to make sure the Dursleys would be put behind bars. We'll keep you posted with updates, the most you can do right now is pray for his safety.

From,

Mum and Dad

They were all rendered speechless. They were certain that the Dursleys would've left Harry alone. Now, they knew that the Dursleys only wanted Harry around to treat him like a slave (worse than the average house-elf, from what the letter implied), abuse him physically, deprive him of food, and emotionally abuse him. Alicia and Angelina also started crying, since they, too were scared. Oliver, Charlie, Fred and George also began shedding tears. They all felt sick to their stomaches, and couldn't eat breakfast anymore.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had gotten suspicious. She knew Albus was concealing something that he had no intentions of discussing. So she went to Gryffindor Tower (as she wasn't just the deputy headmistress, but she was also the transfiguration teacher, and the head of Gryffindor house) to investigate. She found Oliver, Charlie, Fred, George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia and Katie sitting on the chairs and the couch in front of the fireplace in the common room.

"What happened?" asked Professor McGonagall.

Charlie handed Katie's letter to Professor McGonagall, who took it and read it. To say Professor McGonagall was angry was an understatement, she was furious. How could Albus conceal something like that? She tried explaining to her superior what kind of muggles the Dursleys were, but he refused to listen, saying that it was Harry's destiny. Several times, she went to check on Harry, but Albus wasn't happy with that.

(Minerva's flashback)

It was June 23, 1986 when she went to check on Harry. She was under a disillusionment charm, and spied on the Dursleys. McGonagall was repulsed when she saw Harry (who she recognized because his hair was untidy, like his father, James) was being punched and kicked by his cousin, and neither Harry's aunt, nor uncle did anything to stop it. She heard screams of Harry 'ruining Diddykins' birthday,' and 'punished' him by forcing him to clean up the mess. Then Harry's uncle started whipping Harry relentlessly with a belt. Later, she spotted Harry being forced to cook dinner, but didn't get any despite cooking it.

Then, Minerva apparated back to the front gate of Hogwarts. When she got back inside, Albus stopped her in the hallway, with his arms crossed, and a stern expression on his face.

"May I ask where you've been, Minerva?" asked Albus in a no-nonsense voice.

"Just... went out for some... fresh air." said Minerva.

"I know you were at the Dursleys," said Albus, seeing through Minerva's lie. "Harry must stay there, as he is safer there."

"But he's being abused," Minerva tried to reason with Albus. "He's also being neglected. They beat him up, deprive him of proper meals, insult him, and they also treat him like a slave."

"Drop it, Minerva," said Albus firmly. "Don't go there again, or you will be fired!"

Minerva paled, so she reluctantly obeyed. Albus walked away.

(End of flashback)

Professor McGonagall was stunned as she came out of the memory. She knew Albus was committing child endangerment. How could he just ignore this? Harry's muggle relatives were also getting away with their crimes. Something needed to be done, so having decided that, Minerva walked back to the Great Hall (as it was still breakfast time). Once inside the Great Hall, she marched up to Albus, sitting at the headmaster's chair.

"See, Albus," said Minerva. "Didn't I tell you that the Dursleys were the worst sort of muggles possible? Miss Bell's parents wrote her a letter explaining Mr. Potter having been kidnapped by his so-called relatives over by Kings Cross Station!"

Albus received a glare from a short teacher, who appeared to be part-goblin. Albus also got a suspicious look from a teacher with long, greasy black hair, a hooked nose and wearing black robes. If Albus was nervous, he didn't show it.

"Now, now, Minerva," said Albus in his grandfatherly voice. "I'm sure they're just overreacting."

"I seriously doubt that," said Minerva. "Who's been watching him during his time with those muggles?"

"Arabella Figg," said Albus. "She hasn't seen anything, even remotely suspicious."

"If Mr. Potter doesn't leave the Dursleys house," Minerva warned desperately. "They could kill him."

"I insist that you quit badgering me about the matter, Minerva," said Albus sternly. "Or you will be fired. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes." said Minerva downheartedly.

Inwardly, Albus blew a sigh of relief. He had no idea, however that Amelia restarted her investigation on Harry's life. She was determined to see that Dursleys put behind bars.

To be continued!

Author's note 1: Again, I'd like to thank 'Supernova2015' for suggesting that the Dursleys receive the tip of Harry's whereabouts, but also for suggesting that some of Harry's friends as witnesses ought to see the Dursleys kidnap Harry.

Author's note 2: This chapter wasn't easy to write, but I felt it was necessary. But, the Dursleys, and Piers more than likely, will be getting what's coming to them soon.