This is a new idea I had for a story which wouldn't leave me alone until I had written it. Please read and review it and we'll see where it goes. Love Moon xxx
Harry was so tired and cold. He'd not slept well at all. Petunia woke up and ordered him to make Dudley's breakfast. He shuddered from the cold and when he emerged he vomited on the floor almost passing out. He was so cold and actually ill. When she saw him she knew it. She also knew he didn't have the strength to do anything she'd had planned for him and cursed. She'd had many things planned for Dudley's birthday today and although only eight years old she wanted it to be his best one yet. What with Harry being ill he'd only ruin it. Unfortunately Mrs Figg was on vacation and because of the lies she'd told about him no one would ever take him in now. Making a snap decision she whirled round with a bucket and mop full of water and cleaning solution.
"Forget the breakfast. I'll clean this. Obviously being so close to the kitchen is making you ill and useless to me. Go up to the attic and stay there for the day. You will have to clean and organise it yourself as it's a mess and nothing in this life is free. It wasn't for me and it isn't for you either. From now on you will live there!" she snapped as he dragged himself upstairs. He had to run into the bathroom where he threw up again in the toilet which he quickly flushed as he headed up to the attic. The attics of all of the houses in Privet Drive had been built with bathrooms attached so people could live in them if they liked however the Dursleys had always found that idea highly creepy so they'd refused to live up there.
They'd insisted on using it as a real and normal attic should be used which was for storage. Everything had been dumped up there without a second thought. There was even a staircase to the attic but Dudley never went near it or up there because his parents were so against it. The conversions done in the houses did include bathrooms but these bathrooms were tiny and in the case of the Dursleys filthy from lack of actual use. It contained a small toilet, sink and a shower for which there was barely enough room. In short he'd be able to use it but it was so dirty it would likely not clean him up too much. He entered the attic disgusted at the mess and chaos in it. Everything was everywhere and nothing was organised. Downstairs Petunia had told Vernon and Dudley what had happened to Harry and she had promised to lock the bedroom door to the attic so he couldn't escape while they were out celebrating which Vernon loved. After a hearty breakfast and a melt down from Dudley about his gifts they were ready to leave and Harry spotted them drive off through the attic window.
To be honest he really didn't feel well and he was scared because someone had insulted him at school for wearing clothing which didn't fit and it had made him so mad he'd given her blue hair. He hadn't meant to but he was so angry by her comment because it wasn't his fault he looked ridiculous. He even explained that he wanted clothes which did actually fit him which unfortunately for her seemed to continuously fall on deaf ears so that's why she'd ended up with blue hair. He'd been so terrified he'd get in trouble however that he removed it before school let out and let's just say the teacher had thought she was going mental. Dudley had blamed Harry for it but the teacher had told him it was an error and couldn't have been Harry. She had explained she'd been watching him and it couldn't have been him which Dudley realised was true. He hadn't told his parents so Harry had avoided punishment that one time but it had scared him.
He sat down taking a small break. He'd not eaten in four days and it was beginning to show. He so wished he could eat but he was locked in. He'd tried the door and it wouldn't budge. That was the real punishment. He tried again focusing his emotions on his need to get out without trouble and was stunned as it opened. He was free! But for how long he didn't know. He made his way carefully downstairs knowing they'd not be back for hours yet. He went into the kitchen sighing. He'd need to steal some food but he knew he couldn't steal something which would actually be missed so he looked around for a bit. There were several packets of a certain brand of biscuit Dudley loved and so he took two packets and placed them inside a spare shopping bag he'd found in one drawer. They wouldn't be missed and everyone would assume Dudley had simply eaten them all because, well he usually did. He took some chocolate bars too. Petunia was always moaning that Dudley ate so many of the bad things she bought him too quickly. It was for this reason that he knew these items wouldn't be missed but he couldn't survive on chocolate and biscuits alone and even he knew that.
He approached the pantry with a grimace. Vernon had always said everything nasty is to be stored at the back where Petunia can't find them and accidentally give them to him. He had said although he hated these foods he didn't want her to know that. Actually he'd said he secretly planned to donate them to charity behind her back. That was Vernon's problem though. He'd sooner actually donate cans to a food drive then to feed Harry his nephew who was very underweight because they refused to feed him. He checked the pantry and was shocked as it wasn't as full as it would have normally been. Had Vernon already given those items away he wondered idly that is until he saw a well concealed box to the side which was supposed to contain boring Vernon things the others never touched and when he opened it, it was obvious that they hadn't. It was full to bursting with all sorts of things Vernon deemed ridiculous. He found many cans of tomato soup something Petunia insisted on buying but Vernon hated so much. He put as many cans inside the bag as he could. He included most of the soup, cans of sweetcorn, peas and many different beans. Thankfully for him Petunia always stocked up so much on things because her men ate so much that she was unlikely to notice. It would also seem he was in luck as those cans came with pull tabs on them supposedly making it easier to open. In reality Petunia was embarrassed she couldn't use a can opener and so she bought these and sneered openly at anyone who ever noticed not that they cared of course.
He knew about cans from his history lessons at primary school as they'd spoken about how sailors had lasted for many months at a time on cans of beans when they'd been lost as cans of beans don't go off. The teacher had of course been promoting healthy eating throughout her lesson and followed the historical tale by asking if anyone ever eats beans at home. Most said no. Harry would be the first in his class to have beans. He did hope they would be nice. He moved back to the pantry to see if anything else was there which he could take without notice when he saw so much cordial that his eyes widened in awe. There was no logical reason to buy that much normally although with Dudley going through a half a bottle a day one did need many. He grabbed two bottles from the front pulling the others forward so it wouldn't be noticed and smiled. He also grabbed a couple packets of healthy crackers Petunia had stocked up on. He carefully made his way back up to the attic with his now very heavy bag of food. He had to take one step at a time slowly because it was so heavy. It hurt to lift but he willed himself to do it even though it really did cause him back pain.
He eventually made it practically collapsing in relief. His relief was short lived however as he rushed to the attic loo to vomit again. He really wasn't well. Unfortunately he'd need to steal again quickly. He left and headed for the cupboard in Petunia's room where he knew she kept the medicines. He found some pain relief tablets which he stashed in his pocket as soon as he spotted many packets of the same thing. He also grabbed some throat lozenges as he may need those. Lastly he found three bottles of the medicine Dudley always got when he had a stomach ache and vomited and placed it in his pocket. He saw one hundred pounds in the back which he also grabbed as he may need it one day. He shut the cupboard and made his way upstairs again. Once more focusing on his emotions he managed to lock the door again. He went to the corner upending a box and placed his loot carefully inside.
The attic was loaded with various boxes and bits of broken things Dudley didn't want or Vernon had found useless such as gifts they'd been given in the past he didn't like. As it so happened, Vernon was a hoarder. He never wanted anything yet he never liked throwing anything away so it had always gone to the attic to remain forgotten but never gone. Petunia did hate this but as she never needed to see anything with it being in the attic she put up with it for years and in all honesty did forget about it. The attic had a few power outlets in it and the first box he found contained items an exceptionally drunk Vernon had bought off the shopping channel on tele believing them to be things he'd desperately needed. He'd of course regretted it when he saw his bill later on shoving them in the attic vowing to use them one day. That day of course never came. There was a steam cleaner, a frying pan, some blankets, a plug in heater, an electric cooking ring you could plug in, various garden tools and pesticides as well as some old CD's and loads of Tupperware.
He was very interested. He found a couple more boxes of old clothing which no longer fit Vernon or Dudley as they had gotten too big for them and was stunned as the clothes in the box labelled Dudley fit him perfectly and because they had been for Dudley were of the highest quality too. The clothes for Vernon were far too large but would keep him warm in an emergency he supposed. Even though he was only eight Harry was very smart for his age. He was often very silent so much so that he was able to go unnoticed at which point he studied everyone around him. He studied what they did and why. He learned what certain things could do and learned about bill paying when Vernon had complained that he couldn't afford a bill one time and exclaimed that if he didn't pay it the power to their home would be cut off henceforth teaching Harry a lesson about money. The attic was freezing cold and very musty so he opened the window to get some air into it and to freshen it up.
He'd been transfixed when he'd seen the ads on the shopping channel for the steam cleaner as Vernon had insisted he watch it all with him once when he'd been drunk. Harry had tried to leave and received a punch in the back which made him stay. He remembered the advert clearly in his mind although he hadn't realised Vernon was so drunk he'd bought one. He had a great memory and remembered everything he learned or saw. It would be the perfect thing to clean the attic with as it used only the power of steam.
As he walked away from the window he tripped on a folded rug and fell knocking firmly into a cabinet which cut his forehead right open. He cried out in agony tears clouding his vision. Why was it always him? Damn Vernon and his stupid hoarding. Now he'd hurt Harry and he wasn't even here. He would get hurt because of Vernon even in his absence wouldn't he? Harry's sadness turned to rage at that thought as his cut was ripped further open something black and screaming coming from his own head as his forehead sealed itself shut once more. He truly believed he'd imagined it all. That was it. He was so sick and tired and sore right now that he had been seeing things. Checking the different boxes he eventually found a mirror another impulse drunk buy from Vernon and looked at himself. He actually gasped. His scar was still there that much was evident but it wasn't red like it had always been. That was weird indeed.
He went into the bathroom with the steam cleaner and turned on the tap gasping as the water which came from it was green from the lack of use. After a few minutes it turned the normal colour of water and he filled the steam cleaner. He would first clean the white sink which had turned brown from dusk and lack of use. The silver taps on it were all moulded over. He used the steam to clean the sink, toilet and shower which took one hour over how dirty it had been. When he was done the bathroom was spotless.
He grabbed some of Dudley's sickness medicine and took some becoming very tired a short while later. There was no bed here however so he took out Vernon's old clothes and piled them onto the floor upon which he slept. It wasn't comfortable but was better than nothing. He covered himself with Vernon's blanket and was soon fast asleep. A couple of hours later he woke up but he didn't know the time. He had no clock. He was starving. He opened up one can of soup and drank it after heating it up in the frying pan on the plug in cooker. He had found some old plastic party plates and bowls which he had used to eat the soup. It was very tasty and made him feel better. He didn't really know what to do with the empty can but decided to slip it into the recycling outside tomorrow morning without being seen. It was one can and no one would notice or much care about it. If Petunia saw him in Dudley's cast offs she'd just assume she'd given them to him and nothing more would be said on the matter and so it never was.
That night however Vernon was once again drinking and yet again had forced Harry to watch the shopping channel with him. He had his credit card out and was looking at some plant pots he didn't need when an advert for a blow up bed came up. Harry turned to see Vernon was passed out and grabbed his card quickly using the phone to order one for himself. It was a queen size one hundred pound one. When he rushed back inside and sat back on the couch Vernon was awake and looking at him weirdly.
"Good boy! It's like you can read my mind you freak! You have brought me my card so I can buy the stuff I want. Not a word to Petty…Petty…Pet oh for fucks sake Petunia!" he slurred almost falling over on the seat. He would remember nothing tomorrow as he usually did when he went drinking. As long as Petunia didn't see the stuff he was buying it didn't matter and that's how he chose to see it.
As time went on the attic eventually became clean and organised with him pilling boxes in one corner and Vernon's clothing in the middle of the room. He'd used the steam cleaner so much that the pads it had come with were filthy. Petunia was stunned to find them in the wash after she'd washed the clothes not knowing what they were but assuming they were some kind of unusual cloth she'd wanted to clean. Dudley had thrown a tantrum about something and while she dealt with it Harry took the freshly clean wet pads back to his new room so she wouldn't notice. Petunia often called him down to do chores for her but would never set foot in the attic. If she had noticed missing things she certainly never said anything. However Petunia didn't notice as the missing items were things she'd never think of anyhow. Vernon was stunned when the air mattress arrived three months later due to late shipping and issues at customs which he'd not even been aware of.
"Boy! Take this useless trash to the attic and do as you like with it. I'm gonna have to start laying off the sauce if my wallet is anything to go by. Hurry on freak Petunia is coming and I don't need another bloody lecture! Sweetheart how are you?" he said rushing at Petunia and kissing her suddenly surprising her as Harry grabbed the box and ran upstairs to the attic with it. He'd been so scared of being beaten by Vernon that he'd not stopped to realise how heavy it was and let it go with a loud thud but thankfully no one had heard it. He took the bed out and blew it up stunned as it came with inflatable pillows.
He had taken advantage of Dudley watching tele downstairs to blow it up because it was really loud but with the tele on now no one would notice. Each week he would steal enough cans to last him while shopping with Aunt Petunia. She always took him and made sure to make him put everything in the trolley for her, pack the bags for her and even carry them to the car for her. He was there to be used and so he decided as punishment to use her. He added in bulk packet soups and noodles when she wasn't looking which she just casually paid for. As she was always proudly buying so much food in bulk for her fat and growing men she never noticed the extra foods nor that they would always go missing either. As Harry was responsible for all of it, it was easy for him to quickly put his foods in his school sack and put away the rest.
Also he'd been developing his emotional ability as he called it and had so far learned to hone it to make Petunia do things he wanted her to. Actually he was wandlessly casting the Imperious Curse on her from time to time but obviously didn't know that was what it was. He only ever used it though when he felt he needed to such as when he forced her to buy him children's medicines and multivitamins from the chemist. You see when he did it, it was usually for his own benefit in terms of his health which let's face it they'd been neglecting. He'd put on more weight so he looked normal now and had increased in height normally. All the multivitamins he'd been taking were doing wonders for his system. It had taken about two years to fully heal his malnourished stomach as he couldn't eat much at all at the start having just one can of soup per day.
His emotional ability could also repair things he liked too. He had repaired some of Dudley's old broken pencils and things and now had new things to take with him to school not that his family noticed or cared about it or anything he did.
At school he had gotten great grades and he'd had to use his emotional ability to stop Dudley attacking him until a member of staff was there so he always got in trouble. Petunia and Vernon were warned about Dudley and told that if he couldn't learn to behave there would be trouble. They asked what Harry had done and when they were told he was very shy, quiet and with no friends they actually smiled. So he hadn't done anything but Dudley had succeeded anyway. In a twisted way Vernon was proud of that even if Dudley did keep getting caught. That freak needed to know his place. His mind if anyone looked inside his head was exceptionally organised and laid out like a ship from one of his history books. All the private emotions and feelings he had were kept underneath a fidelius charm he'd used in his own brain with him being the secret keeper. Of course he didn't know that was what it was. He had just wished to keep his secrets all hidden and so that someone would need to know he was the keeper of them to find out about them. He knew of course reading minds was not a real thing but living with the Dursleys you never could afford to be too sure about anything.
He was stunned however on his eleventh birthday when he got his Hogwarts letter. They had tried to stop him from reading it when he'd used his emotional powers to make them ignore him. He really didn't realise how excellent he was at wandless magic and his years at Hogwarts would be very interesting. He responded to say he'd be going for sure. This would be very interesting indeed.