Mending the Broken

By EldrenSovrano

"QUIET!" His uncle hissed.

Harry whimpered, from the fear and pain of what his uncle was doing to him. The constant tearing and ripping still causing him this much pain since he was little. He remembers nothing but pain from his uncle. His entire life being called 'freak' and 'boy' by one of those meant to protect and love him. He had arrived at the Dursleys when he was 15 months old. And ever since, his life has been nothing but that of a slave. There to do what he was told by his 'betters.' But it got worse when he turned six.

It was Harry's first day of school when this life of pain started. He was given an assignment and was told to write his name down. When the teacher had reviewed the papers, she found he had written 'Freak' at the top. When she inquired as to why he would sign his paper as such, he replied that that was what his family called him. His teacher then informed him of his true name, Harry Potter.

When he had returned home, his uncle had grabbed him and threw him into the cupboard screaming about causing trouble for 'normal' folk. Harry thought that was the end of it, until that night. As he was fading to sleep, the door was wrenched open, and his uncle grabbed him by the hair. He was dragged downstairs and thrown on a table, where he was chained up. The few hours following was the worst pain he had ever experienced. When he was thrown back into the cupboard afterwards, he prayed he never had to experience it again.

Now, nearly five years later, he was still praying. Every few days, his uncle would drag him off into the basement. There, he would have his way with his nephew, never stopping till he was satisfied. That caused these 'sessions' to last anywhere from fifteen minutes to a few hours. And tonight, was one of the longest. He was thrown back into his cupboard after four hours. As he slipped into his inner mind to avoid the pain, he once again prayed for salvation and happiness in his life.

Unknown to many, his prayers were being answered. When he was finally unconscious, a shadowed figure appeared bent over him. This figure was furious with several people, all for how they treated his master. He ran a hand over the limp form, healing as much as he dared to without alerting a certain old fool. The figure looked at his master and said ~Soon you will find what you are looking for.~

This figure has been waiting patiently for nearly two thousand years to once again reenter this world, and nothing would stop him. He has slowly been preparing to aid his young master, and finally had everything ready. Tomorrow, his master would achieve salvation from two unlikely companions.

Chapter I- I'M A WHAT?!

June 22, 1991, Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England

The day began like any other for Harry, as his now natural clock wakes him up. The small two-by-one-meter room was dark, except for a few small rays of light that pass through the grate on the door. He laid there for a while, letting what he referred to as his 'soul' probe his body, and heal it some more. It just finished when a knock was heard on the door.

"Harry? Are you awake?" his aunt asked. The door opened, revealing a tall, slim woman, Petunia May Dursley née Evans. Despite being in her thirties, she appeared to be early-mid forties. Her eyes were a muddy green, almost brown, and her dark auburn hair was done up in big, fluffy curls. She wore a plain, single row pearl necklace. Her Sunday dress was navy blue, with light lilac flowers. She wore a white apron around the front of it.

She gave a small smile and slowly reached in to help him out. Despite how he is treated by his uncle and cousin, his aunt has never mistreated him. When he truly did something wrong, she explained why it was wrong and then gave him five spanks. She did the same with his cousin, but unfortunately, his Aunt Marge and Uncle Vernon spoil him constantly. There was a time, when he was eight, that he noticed how she was angry with Vernon for causing his arm to break… The next day, she had a black eye and a busted lip.

She easily guided him into the kitchen, where two cups of black coffee with a touch of cinnamon were setting for them. He reached and grabbed his, as his aunt pulled out everything they needed for breakfast from refrigerator. Normally, breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, and toast. But today it is a Full English breakfast, all because it was his cousin's birthday. Speaking of which…

Dudley Lane Dursley, in all his eleven stone glory, ran in and shoved past Harry. This force caused him to feel the pain of last nights 'punishment', while at the same time spilling grease on him. This caused the rope burns on his wrists to open back up with blisters. Petunia immediately pulled him away and very carefully covered them with a cream she held in her pocket. He didn't know what it was, but the pain was gone instantly. She always had these weird creams and ointments, but he never complained as they helped him. He continued making breakfast with her when his uncle came in.

If it wasn't for the clear age difference, one could mistake Vernon John Dursley and Dudley for being twins. They were both massive for their ages and waddled around like penguins. Vernon, weighing in at thirty stone, quite frankly, looked like a walrus, which caused more revulsion on Harry's part. That same revulsion, however, was also being shared by another in the room.

Vernon barked out, "Get my coffee, Boy!" Harry was about to leave the stove when Petunia grabbed the cup, scurrying away from Harry. She went to the pot and poured a cup for Vernon, handing it over to him and saying, "Breakfast should be done shortly. Also, Mrs. Figg called and said that her leg is broken, and won't be able to watch him today, so he'll have to come with us."

Vernon gave a half glare/half predatory smile qt Harry, "Fine. But he better behave, or he will be punished," he replied, purring the last word. Bile nearly rose out of Petunia's mouth, but she held it back behind the mask she was taught by her father. She could not see what had impressed her to marry such a man.

She turned around and walked back to the stove to see Harry looking scared and sick. She pressed her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. He looked at her and found understanding in her eyes, and that set him back. He didn't think she had known of what Vernon does to him.

When breakfast was ready, Petunia plated up four plates and helped Harry carry them to the table. They sat down to eat just as Dudley began whining about how many presents there were. She watched Harry as he ate, noticing the wincing from his mouth moving, and how it hurt for him to swallow. She noticed the bruising this morning and knew she would have to cover it up. That thought made her feel sicker than anything.

She had awoken last night when Vernon had gotten out of bed. She waited for him to return, but after an hour and thirty minutes, she got up to find him. She looked around the house, before going to ask Harry, only to find him gone. She looked around and again, and this time noticed that the basement door was ajar. What she had found down there sent such a revulsion through her, that she had to retreat in order to relieve her stomach.

She knew Harry needed to leave but didn't think that he would last till his letter arrived. She feared that Vernon would learn about her lying to him, and what those consequences would be. She steeled her resolve in knowing that if all went well, he would be able to run away today. She leaned into him, "Come up to my bedroom when we're done." Harry looked at her a bit nervously and only nodded.

-oOo-

Petunia put the last dish up, just as Harry finished wiping down the table. They washed and dried their hands before heading to the staircase. She stopped to glare a bit at Vernon, saying, "Give us an hour, and then we will be ready to go." Vernon only grunted as he busied himself with reading the newspaper, not caring in the slightest.

As they trekked upstairs, both had to separate thoughts in their minds. Harry feared what his uncle would do to him tonight, and what that would mean for his health. Vernon had always waited a few days before torturing him again in such a disgusting way. He didn't even want to think about how his body would react. He could always feel his 'soul' preventing Vernon from having his way, which is why he resorted to abusing Harry's mouth to achieve release. Going again tonight could cause drastic damage to both, more so Harry in Vernon's retaliation.

Petunia, however, was trying to think about the lessons she had learned when it came to emancipation. 'Because Harry is the Head of his family, he can be emancipated at Fifteen. However, he is also the only member, causing that age to be reduced to thirteen. But he won't survive to be thirteen in this house… Of course, he is the only remaining Magical Member of my family. That makes him the sole heir to two families, causing the age of Emancipation to be Eleven.'

She opened the door to her bedroom and ushered Harry inside. She closed the door and pressed a weirdly shaped symbol that Harry noticed in the top right corner. He felt something happen around him. Almost like they were completely cut off from the world. She looked at him and said, "Sit down on the bed, dear."

Harry followed her instructions, and then became weary when she began inspecting him. She first looked at his wrists, noting the Scab Cream did its job. Unlike a normal healing salve, this one was meant to preserve evidence. It is also easier to brew, not requiring any latent magic to activate its healing properties. She then checked his neck, seeing how much foundation she would need to cover it up.

Harry cleared his throat, "What are you doing, Aunt Tunia?" She looked sadly at him and swallowed a lump. She sat down beside him and very gently asked the question that haunted her. "How long has he… used you?" Tears were already in her eyes as she asked the question, hoping and praying to the Triumvirate that it was recent.

Harry stilled at the question, his mind immediately settling into a panic attack. He felt like he couldn't breathe like every breath was only a drop in the gallon bucket that was his lungs. He choked and began shaking, in fear at not being able to breathe, as well as the question asked of him.

Petunia immediately wrapped him up in her arms, squeezing in a steady rhythm. She whispered soothingly in his ear to breathe, that he was safe. For nearly fifteen minutes, they sat there, Petunia calming him down from his attack. He was finally able to whimper out, "S-since I… was six." Her resolve broke, and she sniffed and cried for her nephew. A nephew who deserved a better life than what she could provide for him.

She slowly stood and walked to the back of her closet. Another hidden rune was pressed, revealing a small lab and storeroom. She looked through her cabinets, searching and finding the draught she was looking for. She then grabbed an ornate box that was decorated with flowers. She walked out of the room, resealing it with another press of the rune.

When Harry saw her emerge from the closet, he noticed the small glass vial of light blue liquid and an ornate box. She sat back down on her bed and gave him the small vial, "This is a Pain Vanquishing Draught. It will alleviate all of your pain for the next Forty-Eight hours." Harry nodded, trusting his aunt even if he was a bit confused about this… draught. Harry opened the cork and caught a whiff of spearmint. He chugged it back, and nearly gagged on the icy taste and feel. Almost instantaneously, all his pain was gone.

He handed his aunt the now-empty vial, "That should hopefully last you long enough Harry." Harry stilled and looked at her, noticing the saddened but determined look in her eyes. He swallowed, "What do you mean?" His Aunt seemed to unfocus slightly, before taking a breath. "There is no easy way to address this subject. But I suppose we should rip off the bandage. You are a Wizard."

Harry froze, his mind shutting off at what she said, "IM A WHAT?!" She gave a small smile, "You're a Wizard, a human with a Magical Core." He looked at her and thought about what she said. He could use magic, real magic… like he has before. 'All those times my body healed me. All those weird events like my teacher's hair turning blue or appearing on the school roof.'

Petunia smirked, "I see you realized when you used magic." Harry nodded and then thought of something, "Why have you never told me before?" She shifted slightly and looked down as if contemplating how to answer. And in truth, she didn't know why she hasn't told him before.

"Well… I suppose it was so Vernon didn't cause more trouble. You see, my family, for as long as I can remember have been magical. We are the descendants of one of the most powerful witches in history, Rowena Ravenclaw. She went on to create and discover several important locations for the Wizarding World.

"When I was born, there was an epidemic in the wizarding community, a rare form of flu that ate away at one's magic. Unfortunately, I was affected. My Magical Core is barely there, just enough that I could gain the benefits of immunity to muggle ailments. When Lily was born, we took every precaution to keep her safe. She grew to age Eleven, where one's Magical Core locks in place, and attended the first School of Magic, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"As time went on, she developed in her use of wand magics. While I was not able to perform magic, I could conduct latent magics. They were runes, potions, and spell crafting. All required just a mind and delicate hand to be performed. And then, along came your father, James. He was a master at transfigurative magics. He even was able to transform into a Stag Animagus, or animal, form by the name of Prongs.

"The two of us fell in love at about the same time, and our weddings were a month apart. Vernon and I wed first, him believing I was a 'muggle', or non-magic person. But when we attended James and Lily's wedding, he was furious that we were 'not normal'. When Dudley was born, he threatened that Dudley better be 'normal.' And he is, as there is not an ounce of magic in his body.

"Now, when you were born… Your parents received a letter from every ICW Ranked School, stating that your name was already in their books as being able to attend. Normally, your name doesn't appear until you are eight, if it appears at all. Before you were born, the youngest was five. Yours appeared immediately, if not then days, after your birth. That is a testament to the power you wield. Because of all the invitations, your parents signed on to Hogwarts as your chosen school.

"You were the highlight of their life. Even as an infant, you had the wild Potter bed head that they were famous for. But you held your mother's eyes, a crystalized viridian with streaks of bright emerald. You were a beautiful child, and still are, and I know that you will be a heartthrob when you grow older. You all lived so peacefully together, despite your world being at war.

"And then… Your parents were murdered. I don't know what exactly happened, but I felt it the moment my sister was gone. When you appeared on our doorstep, Vernon screamed and ranted about taking in 'freaks', until he decided we had no other choice. I kept this hidden from you, so as you would not receive worse punishment for mentioning or practicing it. But… i-it didn't m-matter-"

She broke into a sob, and Harry latched onto her, "I understand, Aunt Tunia." And he did understand her, as well as her reasons. He was enraptured by her story, and now had a better understanding of why she never told him. She wanted to protect him from his uncle, so as not to receive a worse punishment. But then it worried him some, "Why are you telling me this now?"

She pulled back, and made her face set in determination, "Because this is your chance to get away." She reached for the box and handed it to Harry. When he opened it, he saw four items; a London transportation card, a gold ornate key with a raven head, a dark blue journal with a bronze raven seal, and an old piece of folded up parchment.

She began informing him of his items, "The pass will allow you to access aunty form of transportation in England and is untraceable. The map is a Magical Wayfinder's Guide. It showcases all the magical locations in London itself. What you will need to do is travel to the Leaky Cauldron, and from there, head to Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

"Once there, you will take a blood test to confirm your identity. Then you must present both the journal and the key. As you are the sole heir and member to two magical families, Ravenclaw and Potter, you can be made a legal adult on your eleventh birthday, thus preventing anyone from controlling you."

Harry sniffed and looked up at his aunt, "Why? Why are you telling me to do this?" She pulled him into what was most likely their last hug. She replied in a small but firm voice, "The first chance you get, you run away. You run and don't look back." Harry squeezed his aunt for all he was worth. She was prepared to never see him again, just so he could escape his uncle. Silently, he swore to find a way to save her as well, for he knew his uncle would not hesitate to punish her for his escape.

-oOo-

"I WANT DESSERT! I WANT DESSERT!" Dudley ranted on and on. Harry gave a small sigh, while Petunia pinched the bridge of her nose. Even Piers Polkiss, Dudley's best friend, looked tired of his ranting.

The morning had mostly been the drive into London, which was about two hours. Before they had left, they had swung by Wisteria Lane and picked up Piers, with him sitting in between Harry and Dudley. They arrived in London sometime around noon, where they stopped at Whistles to get the clothing Dudley would need for his school.

It was here that Petunia realized just how much Dudley needed to lose weight. His sizes were for that of a young adult, not an eleven-year-old boy. She also knew the same could be said for Harry, who stood at 113 cm and a little over Three Stone. She had tried for years to help him, but the abuse by her husband was too much for him and caused him to have constant setbacks.

When they finished, they all got in the car and drove to the newly staffed ZSL London Zoo. It was announced last year that they would be closing this year, but that announcement saw a wave of volunteers and donations in order to keep the Zoo open. They had parked outside, before heading to the Peckish Parrot Cafe in the zoo.

It was here that Dudley threw a tantrum, all because he wanted cake instead of a deli sandwich. Vernon looked like he was about to give in, but Petunia had enough of Dudley's attitude. She snapped at him, "Sit down and be quiet! You are acting like a brat, and if you don't stop, we will leave the zoo and you won't get any more presents!" Dudley and Vernon both stared, shocked at how Petunia snapped at him.

Piers gave Petunia an awed look, impressed that she would correct him. He looked at Harry and mouthed 'wow'. Harry could only nod his head, as he was also impressed with his aunt. They sat in silence, eating the rest of their lunch, before getting up to leave and visit the rest of the zoo.

As they walked out of the cafe and began their tour, Harry felt a pull toward one of the areas of the zoo. He was confused, as the sensation was coming from his magic. He looked at his aunt with a look of confusion and whispered, "My magic is pulling me." She stared blankly for a second before her eyes widened. 'His familiar is here?! And at age Eleven?!'

She nodded, and discreetly followed him, leading everyone along as if she was just strolling through. It was as they neared the Reptile House, that Harry began feeling a pulse of magic. It was like a beacon, every beep sending a ripple effect out so that it may be found. They walked in and began looking at all the reptiles, each time they passed one, the pulsing got stronger.

It was as they stopped in front of a case with a Guinness Record badge on it, that the pulsing stopped. The badge stated that the beautiful beast in front of them was a Reticulated Viper, the only known member of her species, and is the largest snake on record, measuring just shy of Ten Meters. She was a dark forest green, with black diamonds that were lined with silver all down her back. Her eyes were a brilliantly bright gold, almost amber, that showed not a dumb animal, but an intelligent being.

An intelligent being, that clearly looked annoyed at the baby whale and walrus that pounded on its enclosure. Dudley kept smacking it, stating "Move!" Vernon was doing the same, and clearly looked ticked at being ignored. He slowly left, leading all but Harry away from the enclosure. As they turned the corner, Petunia gave him a glance and a nod. Harry gave a breath, §Time to get out of here.§

The snake, whose head was about three meters from the glass, was immediately in front of him. The snake seemed surprised, eager, and curious. Harry looked at her fearfully, before hearing it speak. In a clearly feminine tone, the snake hissed §You're a Speaker?§ Harry looked shocked at the snake, realizing that she wasn't speaking English, as there was a subtle breathy quality to her words. With an expression that became even more shocked, he responded in the same language, §What do you mean by 'a Speaker'?§

The serpent seemed to 'puff' its chest so to speak. She leaned back some and said, §You are a Speaker of the Ancient Tongue of the Serpent, or like you wizards call it, Parseltongue.§ She flicked her tongue out, tasting the air before in a more curious tone, §My name is Nagini, Young Speaker. Tell me, what is your name? Who are your Parents? I do not mean to intrude on such privacy, but you smell like my old hatchling-§

Anything else she was going to say was unheard by Harry, as he was shoved to the side by Dudley. Dudley had come back, looking for Harry which he knew would mean that his uncle got to enjoy more punishment. As he rounded the corner, He saw the snake interacting with Harry, and completely forgot about what he had to do. He ran forward and shoved his cousin aside to stare at the large snake.

Harry looked up just as Nagini bared her platinum fangs that dripped a black wicked. He then had to bite his tongue so as not to laugh at what she said, §Who the fuck is this beached whale that pushed my hatchling down?!§ He then saw her eyes flash, and in a second the glass that Dudley was leaning on was gone.

She struck forward, wrapping her body once around Dudley, twirling him into the enclosure. In four seconds, all Ten Meters of Nagini was out of the tank, replaced by his whale of a cousin. The glass then snapped back in place, preventing him from escaping. She looked a Harry with a proud and smug look, §No one messes with my Hatchling! §

Harry grinned, only to then pale beyond that of a ghost when he heard, "BOOYYY!" He stared in horror as his uncle walked toward them, his face pure rage. Nagini glared at the human but then noticed the woman shooing at them from behind the man. She had a look of horror as well, and Nagini knew that she wanted them to leave.

She thought quickly about what to do, on how to help her hatchling. 'He clearly knows little to nothing about the wizarding world. And if he is related to my old friend, then maybe he could help him. The only way to know for certain…' She immediately turned around, curling protectively around Harry, just as multiple uniformed workers came out to try and stop her. She noted the man started to jog toward them, getting faster by the second.

She immediately said, §Hold on tight to me, Hatchling! And whatever you do. DO! NOT! PANIC!§ Harry nodded and wrapped his arms around her, just as Vernon began to jump at them. Nagini twisted her body, and Harry felt like he was pulled into a tight tube. With a resounding CRACK! Harry and Nagini were gone. Vernon ended up diving into the workers and began flailing around like a large, beached fish. Petunia gave a shaky sigh of relief and now prayed that Harry would do what else was necessary for his freedom.