For the longest time, Harry hated his home. He could hardly call it a home.
Living with his relatives was hell. He dreaded waking up every morning and having to endure the mental and physical punishment they dished out. It was especially worst when he had bouts of accidental magic.
"Boy! Wake up!" Uncle Vernon pounded on the door to his cupboard.
"Yes Uncle Vernon." Harry groaned and groggily pulled himself off the thin, child sized mattress that was crammed into the cupboard. He knew that he had to respond and get up as quickly as he could to avoid any punishment.
"Hurry, boy!" Uncle Vernon barked from the other side of the door and walked away to the kitchen. Crawling out the cupboard, Harry climbed the stairs and cleaned himself up in the bathroom before heading down to the kitchen.
At the kitchen table sat Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Uncle Vernon had a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other, and a half-finished plate of eggs in front of him. Dudley was shoveling down his own plate of eggs as if it were his last meal. Aunt Petunia stood at the stove in the kitchen, probably cooking more eggs for Dudley.
"Boy." Vernon shot a glance at him.
"Good morning Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley." Harry said robotically. He definitely did not enjoy having to act like this, but if he wanted to get any food and avoid punishment, he had to do it.
Without saying a word, Petunia tapped on a plate that was sitting on the kitchen counter before bringing two plates to the table, one for Dudley and one for herself. The plate that she had tapped on held two pieces of bread, untoasted.
Harry strode over to the plate and stood as he ate his breakfast. He took small bites, trying to make it last as long as possible, as if that would fill his stomach any more.
As he chewed, he watched his relatives eat. He wanted that. He wanted something that would actually fill his stomach. He wanted real food. Harry stared at Dudley's fork, watching it scoop up the eggs and disappear into the black hole that was his mouth.
Suddenly, Dudley's plate shot from the table and flew at Harry's head. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands out in front of him to block it, but the plate never came. He opened his mouth and his jaw dropped. The plate was floating! He lowered his hands and the plate gently set itself down on the counter.
"BOY!" Vernon stood and barked. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" His face grew red from rage.
"I-I'm sorry Uncle Vernon, it was an a-accident!" Harry backed up in fear. "I d-didn't mean to!"
"YOU FREAK! I WILL NOT HAVE ANY OF THIS FREAKISHNESS IN MY HOUSE!" Vernon's hands flew to the front of his waist and he began unbuckling his belt.
Harry didn't go the school that day. Or the next.
Harry found a new home after the Dursleys. Hogwarts. And he loved it.
It was a complete opposite of the Dursley home. It was where he felt accepted and loved. It was where he found his first love. Quidditch.
And his second love. The Hospital Wing.
"It looks like Potter's spotted the Snitch!" Lee Jordan's voiced boomed across the Quidditch pitch. From his place above the pitch, Harry had spotted the golden sphere hovering a couple dozen feet about the head of the Ravenclaw keeper. "And looks like Chang has her eyes on the Snitch as well! With the Ravenclaws leading 180-140, this could totally turn the tables if Potter gets the Snitch! Go Harry!"
Both seekers accelerated towards the golden ball as quickly as their brooms would allow. But Cho had started from a closer position, so she had a lead. She shot out her hand to grab the Snitch, but it slipped through her fingers just as she closed her fist over it. The winged ball spiraled to the earth to avoid the female seeker.
"Seems like Chang almost had it there, but it slipped out at the last second. Still anyone's game!"
Harry pointed his broom downward towards the Snitch, as did Cho, after she recovered from the shock of losing the Snitch. The ground flew up at him at an alarming rate, but Harry hardly noticed. He was completely fixated on the gold orb. Cho had peeled off, not wanting to risk any injury. Meanwhile, Harry was probably flying the fastest he had ever gone in his life on a broom. He reached out, straining every muscle in his body to snatch the Snitch and end the game. The Snitch was just beyond his finger tips.
And then he hit the ground.
Thankfully, he hit it at an angle and not head on. The momentum from his broom sent him rolling across the green pitch a couple dozen feet. Harry kept his body tight, hoping he wouldn't find himself with a broke ankle or wrist. Or worse. When he finally came to a stop on his back, Harry's world was filled of spinning stars.
He was in pain. A lot of pain. His whole body ached. If something wasn't broken, he knew he would be waking up covered in bruises. His vision faded into black as he saw the other players begin to land near him.
He woke in an empty Hospital Wing some time later.
"Potter." An unamused Madam Pomfrey stood next to his bed hold a tray of potions.
"Hi Madam Pomfrey." Harry smiled meekly.
"This is the third time this semester, Mr. Potter." Pomfrey shoved the tray on potions onto his lap. "Drink."
"I know, Ma'am." Harry grimaced after downing each potion.
"I swear, we need to enforce more safety precautions in this school." Pomfrey turned and began walking back to her office.
"Missed you too, Ma'am!" Harry called out to her cheekily.
Up until the battle that ended with the death of Voldemort, Hogwarts was his home. Despite being repaired of all damage from the battle, it was never the same to Harry. Hogwarts, his haven, his home, had been the place of violence and death. Violence and death that he had the unfortunate pleasure of witnessing. It was eternally scarred in his eyes.
But then he met her. And he found his home. His last home.
Harry stepped out of the fireplace into a dark living room. He yawned and cracked his neck. He had worked late. Again.
Outer layers were peeled off and thrown onto the couch until he was left in a pair of trousers and a shirt. These were transfigured into a set of sleepwear. The rest could be left until the morning.
Harry crept into their bedroom and slid into their bed as gently as he could.
But not gently enough.
"Mmm." Fleur stirred from her slumber. "You're late."
"I know, Kingsley had a couple of us stay late and-"
"Shut up." She cut him off. The blonde curled up next to him. "You're home. I don't care about anyzing else."
Home. He was home.
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