This time though, Flitwick charmed it so it would read itself, and stop whenever they needed to talk. It was also charmed to be in Harry's own voice at first, until Harry changed it to read in Aunt Petunia's voice.

Chapter three: the Letters From No One

(The escape of the... holidays had started)

"Just how long was that?" Molly asked, looking furious at the thought of Harry staying in his cupboard, with no meals, for longer than a day. Not that she liked him being in that cupboard in the first place.

She also gave an annoyed scowl towards Harry when it caught up to her just whose voice read that line. The others looked confused too until they realized and looked over and also scowled at him. He smirked. Honestly, a room full of wizards and not one of them notices he modified the charm on the book... he wasn't even being sneaky about it. Remus and Sirius were wondering how they didn't notice. Either they were slipping or he was good. Even Moody was looking at him in surprise, not even he noticed Harry doing anything.

He raised his hands in surrender when McGonagall cleared her throat and nodded towards the book and modified it to instead read in different voices every other line while they went back to interrogating the Dursley's and Harry. They hoped he was modifying it to McGonagall's voice or something and not anything else crazy. After all, he hadn't really had a chance to prank anyone in months... or anybody to prank even if he got the chance to. Hermione was no fun to prank and Ron, while very fun to prank, grew up with the Twins AND shared a room with Harry for the past six years.

He was too easy to prank, he was so paranoid about getting pranked, that he walked right into it half the time, and the other half was when he was just starting to relax after not getting pranked when he expected. You would think he would know better by now... needless to say, Ron was too easy to be any fun or much of a challenge.

While he did that, Harry proclaimed that to be roughly three weeks. Plus maybe a couple days, he would have to check again on the exact date school got out. Around this time was when he usually started hiding some food in the cupboard for when summer started after all. For some reason summers were always when Dudley made even more of a habit to steal his food. What little he normally got anyway. They didn't feed him much.

Molly was livid, but she sat back and let the reading continue, alternating between glaring at Dumbledore for putting Harry there, and glaring at the Dursley's for doing this stuff to him.

Moody frowned and made a note to investigate the Muggle school officials, surely one of them started asking questions at some point, after all, three weeks was a long time for a boy to not come to school, unless that was the only thing they let him out for... Although it also begged the question of why none of them even tried to help the boy when it was clear his cousin was scaring off all potential friends. Or that none of them noticed that one boy was wearing rags while the other was dressed in new, clean clothes, let alone the fact that Harry was literally skin and bones right now.

As the book started reading again, Hermione thought about something... first off, did Harry even go to school in those three weeks, and if not, why did the school never investigate, and secondly, didn't Dudley have friends over? Little boys have a tendency to explore places, no matter where they are, they will go where they are not supposed to. So, one of them had to have noticed that somebody was living in that cupboard, right? Wouldn't one of them have let something slip to their parents? Boys also aren't exactly always known for thinking about what they say next. She'd bring it up later.

(and Dudley had already... on her crutches.)

While a few people groaned when they noticed the voices changing, Mrs. Figg turned to glare between the two Dudley's, to which Dudley promptly winced and apologized before reaching over and smacking Dudley upside the head when he just sneered at her. He then gave the younger him a short whispered reminder of their discussion the day before and that it wasn't nice to run people over. So, he had to apologize. Right. Now.

Dudley glanced over at Mrs. Figg and grudgingly apologized for running her over, nobody commented on the fact that technically, Dudley hadn't actually done it yet. They knew Dudley was trying to teach his younger self some manners and how to not follow his parents example. Which of course reminded all the professors that the boy was going to get as good a quality education as they could manage while they were here. They would bring it up at lunch.

Moody and Molly nodded in approval, the boy was finally getting some discipline in his life, they just tried to ignore the part that the discipline was coming from himself...

Petunia and Vernon were confused. What did Dudley do wrong that he had to apologize for? It was her fault for getting in their precious Dudder's way! Petunia and Vernon were also confused. What was wrong with their boy? Why was he being so nice to everyone? And why was he apologizing to that woman? She was one of them!

With that out of the way, "Those were really expensive presents, you should take better care of your things and be more grateful, young man." McGonagall said sternly. If he were her son or even grandson, he would be over her knee quicker than he could blink if she caught him being that ungrateful. Dudley winced at her tone and nodded quietly.

"Especially since now that I think about it... they would be getting a stipend for Harry's care from the Potter fortune..." Remus said thoughtfully. Both Harry's turned to face him, both horrified to think that they had been funding the Dursley's rich lifestyle this whole time.

Moody hummed thoughtfully, "Since that money was to specifically set for Harry's care, when we prove that none of it actually went towards the boy it was supposed to, the goblins will have them working the mines faster than anyone can blink." He smiled unpleasantly at the Dursleys.

"Now, I'm sure that will not be needed, I'm sure all this can be..." Dumbledore started. He would still need to send the boy to them at least for a couple of weeks a year after all. He was sure he could talk Sirius around to seeing how important that was. The blood wards were too important, he didn't believe Harry when he said that it was doubtful they were actually in existence anymore.

"Oh, its needed." Moody growled. The Dursleys deflated when they heard that this freak wasn't going to let the old man let them get off. They didn't know what goblins were, but they were obviously part of the freaks world.

(Harry was glad school... sport: Harry Hunting.)

"You know it's bad when I can't even argue about your description of why I was the leader." Dudley commented. "And I am not the one who called it 'Harry Hunting' either. It think it was Piers who started yelling about 'going Harry Hunting.'"

"True... but you are the one that started the whole thing, regardless of who named it." Harry reminded. Dudley just nodded.

"At any rate, Piers now hates me. After the Dementor incident, I went back to school, started doing my work, stopped bullying everybody, stopped..." here he looked over at his parents and the professors, but figured it would come out sooner or later and decided to just get this over with, "smoking, drinking... drugs... none of the heavy stuff, mind..." he added the last bit quickly when people gasped. "At any rate, I stopped doing all that stuff and now Piers hates me. I never really... I mean, I always thought we were close, you know? I tried to talk to him at the beginning of the year about what I decided over the summer, it is really hard talking about something that's magic related without actually talking about something that's magic related, and he called me weak and said to come back when I figured it out. Well, I figured it out and I didn't go back. And, of course, the rest of the gang came to find me when school let out this past summer before we went into hiding... Piers got a hold of them and told them what I said... I had to run from my own best mates." He finished with a scowl.

Harry smiled. "Dud, I believe I tried to tell you when you first met them that they were bad news. Trying to keep them as far from me as possible was only part of the reasoning there. And I didn't know about the drugs part."

"Yeah... nothing major or anything... or even that often. Anyway, I stopped right after our attack." Harry just nodded. He didn't really have time for much else before Madam Pomfrey bustled Dudley into the makeshift infirmary she had discovered that morning. While they were in there, all the wizard adults were disgusted when the Dursley's didn't look the least bit bothered by what they heard. They would probably just just say that their Dudder's was special and could do whatever he wanted. Or try and excuse it away to the stress of school and living with Harry or some other nonsense.

Although Aunt Petunia did look at least a little disturbed about something... no telling what it was about though. Moody scowled and went back to scribbling on his parchment.

The book continued when Dudley and Madam Pomfrey came back, with the latter whispering something in Snape's ear that made his lip curl before he jerked a nod irritably.

(This was why... see a tiny ray of hope.)

"You know its bad when you don't even enjoy the summer holidays." Fred stated. He was thinking back to the summer where they rescued Harry, that was probably the worse summer out of all of them, at least before that he could get out of the house. At least, they hoped it was the worst one.

"Just what were you doing wandering around outside boy? You had chores to do!" Uncle Vernon barked. It was the first any of them had really spoken in a while.

Both Harry's just rolled their eyes before stating, in unison, "We finished all our chores really fast so we could get out before Dudley's gang showed up."

A few people looked at the two of them weird, a few looked at Dudley and were happy to see that he looked sorry about his 'gang', and Snape was left thinking about how unnatural he always found the speed Harry finished his detentions with him was. Nobody should be that fast at scrubbing cauldrons, or the tables, or even at pickling frog guts and gutting flobberworms. Nobody. Especially with it being as well done as it always was.

"If you finished your chores you should have gone right back to your cupboard, we don't want you wandering around where the neighbors can see you!" Vernon snarled.

"And do what? Just sit there and wait for Piers and the others to come and yank me out again? No thanks." Harry scoffed. Moody narrowed his eyes.

Remus silencioed the fat muggles before they could start arguing about whether or not Harry should lock himself in a cupboard and wait to be beaten up or not. The others all thanked him, they were getting close to hexing the man. Especially Sirius, who was now holding onto his younger godson protectively while glaring at the Dursley parents.

(When September came... was very funny.)

"What's so funny about going to a different school?" George asked.

"It's just a different place." Fred finished.

"It's a class thing... its kind of the same attitude deal pure-bloods have with muggle-borns. That whole, I'm better because my family were wizards and yours aren't deal. Only, with this, it's the whole, my school is special and exclusive, yours isn't." Hermione explained.

"Ahhh."

"So, basically, Dudley was being a Muggle Draco Malfoy." Fred concluded. Which made Snape scowl and rise to his godsons defense, but the book had already started reading again. He kinda wished his godson was here so he could learn something.

("They stuff people's... what he'd said.)

The Weasley's were on the floor laughing. Even after knowing the guy for 6 years, his comments never got old. The teachers just shook their heads. They had all heard their fair share of comments like that in their classes, either jokingly directed at them, or seriously directed at another student, usually a Slytherin or whatever other student was taking it upon themselves to be antagonistic towards Harry or even the teacher.

They had always thought Harry was the most Slytherin Gryffindor they had ever seen.

The Weasley Twins though were both thinking that stuffing people's heads in toilets was a line that just should not be crossed. Remus, Sirius, and Snape were all thinking that not even the Marauders went there in their 'war on Snape'. And they'd done some pretty humiliating things to him. That one was just... over the line.

Not only was it humiliating, it was also more disgusting than anything else.

(One day in July... over one of her cats,)

Mrs. Figg made a noise that nobody could quite identify.

(and she didn't... had it for several years.)

"I suspect that part of that is also because I know that you'll be on your way to Hogwarts soon, which means it will be a while before I see you again, and that your Aunt Petunia will no longer have quite as much control over your happiness as she does now." Mrs. Figg said with a sad smile. She really did love that boy, and she hated that she couldn't spoil him a bit without Petunia saying he couldn't come back.

The Harry's, especially the older one, smiled brightly at her, "It's ok, we get it, its not your fault."

(That evening, Dudley... training for later in life.)

All the students were making various gagging noises and muttering about how they were never complaining about the Hogwarts uniform again, while the teachers were trying to understand the logic of encouraging students to hit each other. The Hospital Wing was busy enough with victims of hexing and whatnot when using magic on each other wasn't allowed... Madam Pomfrey shuddered when she thought of how full the Infirmary would be if students WERE allowed to hex each other if they wanted. Not to mention encouraged.

Harry was just amused by their reactions, if they thought it was awful to hear about, they should have been there to see it.

(As he looked at... trying not to laugh.)

The Weasley Twins were back to wondering how Harry survived in that house, not being able to laugh whenever he wanted to and all. If they had to stifle their laughter or risk being beaten up or sent back to the cupboard, they would have gone mad.

Nobody failed to notice the reproachful looks the Dursley parents threw the Harry's for daring to laugh at their boy.

(There was a horrible... dared to ask a question.)

The teachers grumbled some more about students not participating verbally during class, or not coming to a teacher for help when they need something.

Although everyone else was mostly trying to figure out why Petunia was drowning a bunch of random rags in the sink. They were starting to wonder if maybe they shouldn't be put in the mental ward.*

("Your new school uniform," she said.)

Now people were really starting to wonder if Petunia wasn't crazy. Although she would probably just claim the stress of having to raise Harry.

For one thing, you weren't really supposed to go walking around in wet clothes all the time, you would get sick. For another, hadn't she heard of washing what was obviously supposed to be Harry's new clothes in the washing machine with the rest of the clothes? (Not that all the wizards knew what that was, they just knew that clothes weren't generally washed in the sink, that was where dishes and potatoes were washed.)

(Harry looked in... had to be so wet.")

The Weasley's were gone. Even Molly was chuckling a bit. They always liked Harry's sense of humor.

("Don't be stupid,"... when I've finished.")

"Considering the size of those old things..."

"I doubt that." The Twins said.

"Probably look like he/I was wearing an elephant skin most likely." Both Sirius and Harry chimed. Harry just turned to stare at them, wondering how on earth, well he could understand Harry, they have the same sense of humor, but Sirius...?

(Harry seriously doubted... elephant skin, probably.)

Everyone turned to stare between the Harry's and Sirius. Harry they could understand, but Sirius too? Sirius and Harry just turned to stare at each other before bursting out laughing. Remus watched them with a smile, this is what life was supposed to be like for those two, instead... But they were going to fix that. Mrs. Figg, Dumbledore, and especially Moody would be able to get Sirius out of prison, get Harry away from the Dursleys before school started up again...

(Dudley and Uncle Vernon... behind his paper.)

Harry started to say something, but Harry just said, "Wait."

("Make Harry get... Smelting stick, Dudley.")

"Makes more sense now." Harry said before leaning against Sirius. Harry just nodded absent-mindedly.

It didn't look like he was paying much attention to what was being read at the moment.

(Harry dodged the... had written to him.)

"Actually, Harry, you would have had fan-mail sent to you all the time, although I suppose Dumbledore would have the wards set up to redirect THOSE owls. Ministry owls, school owls, and personal owls would get through, as long as you know the owner of course... although that wouldn't really explain how my post owls would have made it seeing as how I hired them..." Hermione trailed off mumbling to herself about how it was determined what owls got passed the wards when some weren't allowed.

Harry rolled his eyes and made a mental note to lend her his book on warding later on. Unknown to him, Bill was thinking similarly.

"Yeah, Harry. I know Ginny sent something at some point..." Fred teased, making Ginny temporarily revert back to how she was back in Harry's second year, shy and accident prone when around the Potter. Even as she sent a bat-bogey hex at Fred.

Remus frowned and muttered something about how he sent letters and presents all the time. Both Harry's frowned at him. They never got anything from him.

"Would one of the things you sent be a little stuffed stag?" Harry asked slowly. Remus looked at him and nodded. Dudley winced, that stag was destroyed years ago, if he remembered right he drowned it in the bathtub before setting fire to it out back to see how long it would burn when wet.

Harry looked at him accusingly, but he couldn't really say anything considering neither of them had known where it came from, and even if they had, it wasn't like Harry would have gotten to have it in the first place.

Although Harry really wished he had gotten it, at that moment, a very wet and soggy stuffed stag appeared in the middle of the room, leaving everyone to stare at it.

"But, that's, I mean..." Dudley stuttered.

"The room must act like the Room of Requirement, only able to reach through time itself..." Remus said slowly, watching Harry pick up the stag and dry it off, doing the same with the one that appeared after it, so that both boys got their stuffed stag.

Harry got a thought, "Where is the rest of my mail over the years? They are right, as much as I hate it, there should have been a mountain of fan mail." He asked Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked uncomfortable, "It's all stored in a room in Hogwarts, everything cursed or malicious was of course taken and destroyed, but everything else is still intact."

"And letters from Gringotts?"

"I took them, I've been taking care of your money, don't worry."

Moody raised an eyebrow, withholding mail like that was against the law, especially mail from Gringotts. He made a special note to take the boy to Gringotts to make sure his fortune was still intact, as well as take the boy to get the rest of his mail. It was obvious Albus had never bothered to even after the boy started school.

(Who would?)

"Oh, nobody much, just half the female population of Britain, yeah absolutely nobody at all." Harry grumbled under his breath.

"Don't worry, Harry, they'll get over it someday." Luna said, smiling gently while the Weasley's and Neville agreed. Remus hid a grin, and Snape just raised an eyebrow.

These books were destroying the image he had built up of the boy over the years. He didn't know if he liked that or not. It didn't help when said boy was clutching a stuffed toy to his chest like he'd never been able to hold one before.

(He had no friends... be no mistake:)

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

The room fell quiet as the younger generation all turned to Professor McGonagall, who was looking particularly uncomfortable. After all, she was the one to mail the letters out, which to the kids meant she had to have seen the address and known where Harry slept.

McGonagall looked around before she said it was an enchanted quill that wrote the addresses. Yes, she looked them over, but she had then gone to Dumbledore to see if he knew anything about this. She said he told her it was probably just that something was wrong with his room and he happened to have been staying in there for a bit while the problem was sorted out. Since the address was written to a bedroom the next time she sent a letter, she hadn't thought anymore of it.

Now, everyone turned to Dumbledore. McGonagall and the other professors' were ticked. If he could lie like that to his second-in-command, who knows what he lied to the rest of them about. They may not always expect him to just out right answer their questions all the time, but they also thought him to be honest with them on the occasions he felt it safe to discuss something.

In this instance, they felt this to be much more important than any other trivia they tried to weasel out of him over the years.

Dumbledore was feeling very uncomfortable when they all just stared at him. For one, he could tell that he would be stuck at the 'table of shame' as he started to call the table he was forced to eat at with the Muggles for a looooonnnngggg time yet. For another, Fred and George Weasley were giving him The Look. Similar to the one that the Gryffindor students were both terrified and excited to see on Harry's face, just not quite as... refined.

The Weasley Twins were terrifying when they were indignant for their friends on a good day, but when they also consider that friend to be an honorary Weasley... looking around at the others, he noticed Sirius, Remus, and the Harry's giving him the same look.

Oh Great.

From what he heard earlier, Harry alone could give both the Marauder's and Twins combined a run for their money. If he were to join forces with them... plus his younger self...

Dumbledore was dead.

(The envelope was thick... at his own joke.)

Everyone raised their eyebrows in his direction. That was horrible, even if they didn't live with Fred, George, or Harry.

Remus and Sirius looked personally offended that someone like him would be making that joke, especially since that time they sent those 'letter bombs' to the whole school in fifth year. Nothing that did permanent damage, just... enough. The worse that happened was some singed eyebrows and retaliation from the Slytherins, but that was normal.

(Harry went back..., Harry's got something!")

Everyone groaned, Neville in particular asked Harry why he hadn't opened it in the hall or hid it in his cupboard. Harry just shrugged, saying that if he did that, then things wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. Smiling at Hagrid as he said it. Even Dudley grinned at that one. Although he still looked a little afraid of Hagrid.

Hagrid just blushed and ducked his head. He really hoped THAT moment wasn't in these books.

(Harry was on the... white of old porridge.)

Several people couldn't decide whether to find that description funny or disgusting, Hermione and Luna settled for disgusted while everyone else settled for mildly amused.

Remus and Sirius were more angry that this man just took Harry's Hogwarts letter like that. Those were considered a rite of passage.

("P-P-Petunia!" he gasped... goodness- Vernon!")

"So dramatic, Tuney. You always did blow things out of proportion." Snape sneered.

While the Petunia's glared at him, he noticed the Harry's looking between them, looking confused for a moment before seeming to decide to ask later and instead enjoy watching their aunt taken down a peg or two.

(They stared at each... his Smelting stick.)

Molly looked over at him, "Young man..." She said warningly. Dudley looked sheepish and squeaked out a "Yes ma'am."

Vernon and Petunia were starting to get worried that the freaks put some kind of spell on their Dudder's.

("I want to read... furiously, "as it's mine.")

The younger kids, except for Neville and Luna, started to look excited at the prospect of Harry blowing up at them. At someone who wasn't them! Neville and Luna, who had no idea of Harry's temper outside of Defense with Umbridge, and they figured she was a special case, looked confused at why everyone else was getting so excited.

("Get out, both of... LETTER!" he shouted.)

"There it is!"

"The famous Harry Potter temper!" Fred and George cried.

While everyone else laughed, Harry ducked his head in embarrassment, but not before he heard Sirius and Remus remark that he got that from his mother. To which Snape reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Ron was also saying how glad he was that that temper wasn't usually directed at him... much... anymore.

("Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.)

"Er, Dudley? You do realize that it wasn't yours, therefore you had absolutely no right to see it, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Back then... I thought everything revolved around me."

"Good, as long as you know."

("OUT!" roared Uncle... between door and floor.)

"While I am not thrilled about how you handled the boys, I suppose that at least Harry wasn't singled out for the rough treatment." Molly grumbled.

Sirius looked at both Harry's glasses, the older ones were being held together with magic and the younger ones with a lot of tape. He decided to get him new ones the moment he was free and had Harry out of Durskaban. He too started a list of things to do, he would leave it with Moody before they left these rooms, and Moody could give it to them later when he officially freed from Azkaban.

"Harry, how is it that..."

"...You can wrestle a troll..."

"...and who knows what else you've gotten up to..."

"...all these years, but you can't..."

"...wrestle your cousin away from a door?" The Twins demanded.

"First off, do you see the size difference between the two of them?" He demanded pointing at Harry and Dudley. "Second off, we were trying to be quiet, and I really didn't want to get in trouble for roughing up 'mommy's little angel'." He finished to everyone's amusement. "Besides, I got him back for it later." He said with a smirk.

Dudley shuddered. He remembered what Harry did. Harry being allowed a bedroom had only made it easier for him to get out and about to prank him to high heavens. One of the main reasons he hadn't wanted to give him the bedroom was that it didn't lock. At the time anyway.

"Umm, what did you...?" Neville trailed off glancing at the teachers.

"It involved a lot of tape, honey, super-glue... some extra sheets... I think there were a few empty notebooks involved somewhere... don't ask... some rotten tomatoes I nicked out of the garbage..." Harry started but trailed off into his memories. Remembering good pranks and thinking about how much more elaborate he could make them with magic.

Sirius didn't know whether to be impressed or to start sleeping with one eye open, as both he and Remus looked over at the boy looking innocently looked back at them. The teachers decided they didn't want to know more details.

("Vernon," Aunt Petunia... watching the house?")

"Why would I be watching you? My job is to make sure Harry is alright. Something that is extremely hard to do when the people he spends the most time with are the ones causing the most pain." Mrs. Figg groused.

Moody scribbled something down. By this time, if the rest of the rooms occupants were to see this list, some of them would be very scared.

("Watching- spying... Uncle Vernon wildly.)

"Again, why would I be watching you?"

("But what should... we won't do anything...")

"Really wish you had written back that you didn't want him to go." McGonagall grumbled.

Harry was a little shocked and offended by this. "Why would you want that? Didn't you want me to go?"

"Of course I wanted you at Hogwarts! If a Muggle guardian does not want their ward to learn magic, then a ministry representative would come by to explain things more, be sure of their decision and what it would mean, or to be sure that everything is alright with the child. They know that some Muggles just won't understand... so they go to make sure the Muggle relatives aren't trying to beat the 'freakishness' out of them." She explained. "In cases like Muggleborns, a professor goes to their home to explain anyway, but for Muggle-raised students, where the Muggle already knows about magic... that is why we didn't have a professor go to your home."

Both Harry's looked at each other before turning to Uncle Vernon. "You should have written to them that you didn't want me going!"

'That doesn't bode well.' All the teachers thought.

("But-" "I'm not... dangerous nonsense?")

It suddenly felt like a tornado was going through the room.

When it died down a bit, people looked over and realized that the energy was coming from both Snape and Dumbledore.

"Albus, if you do not take him from that house as soon as we get out of this room... you won't have to wait until the boys sixth year for me to kill you." Snape warned. Although those who really knew him best, Dumbledore and McGonagall, could tell that he was barely keeping himself in his seat and not attacking the Dursley's.

Those who knew about Snape killing Dumbledore started to wonder if maybe there hadn't been something more going on that night. Moody reassured him that Harry wasn't staying in that house a moment longer than it took him to apparate to his house after this.

Dumbledore nodded while everyone just stared at Snape, but he didn't say anything else, just stared at the book while Madam Pomphrey explained how dangerous it was for the child to have somebody try to 'stamp out' there magic. Apparently, magic could be very volatile if suppressed. Basically, if they had gone any further, Harry could have at some point blown Surrey off the map.

This whole time, Sirius and Remus were being sat on by the two Harry's so they didn't get up to murder the Dursley's then and there.

(That evening when... Harry in his cupboard.)

"Did he even fit?" Neville asked, eyeing Vernon.

"Nope."

("Where's my letter?"... "Who's writing to me?")

"Wow, when you want something, you just don't let it go, do you?" Dudley asked.

"Nope." Harry replied as he glared at his snickering friends.

("No one. It was... "I have burned it.")

Sirius and several of the others started muttering about rites of passage, and traditions.

("It was not a... quite painful.)

Sirius and Remus put their heads together and started whispering plans to get back at him, if this man had to force himself into smiling, and if it was obvious that it was painful, then that was not good in their books. It reminded Sirius a little too much of himself growing up once his parents realized that he didn't care for their pure-blood ways.

("Er- yes, Harry... Dudley's second bedroom.")

"Well, that explains why the next letter sent was addressed to a bedroom. I suppose that letter at least did you some good." McGonagall sighed. She did not like thinking of her students living like that, although it did make her wonder how many other students from Muggle backgrounds had something similar happen, and they just missed it.

Well, maybe not similar, similar... but at the point where they were disliked or feared because of what they could do.

"Forget that," Sirius turned to Dudley, "You had two bedrooms while Harry was stuck in the cupboard?"

Moody scribbled some more.

Dudley just looked at the wall and didn't say anything, he personally was still learning the full extent of what his parents treatment of his cousin really meant. He also knew that he never helped matters. So, when Harry caught his eye and gave him a little smile, he couldn't help but smile back.

Harry also just realized something, his Uncle said his name. It wasn't boy, or freak. He said his name, Harry seemed to realize the same as they looked at each other with wide eyes, whispering to each other in Parseltongue about how amazing that was. They really loved being the only ones in the room that could speak that language, especially with both Sirius and Remus there with their canine hearing.

("Why?" said Harry.)

"You question..."

"...the worse things, Harry."

"Sometimes, you just..."

"...need to accept that..."

"...good things can happen." The Twins informed him. He just raised an eyebrow at them.

They looked at him for a moment before answering, "Right, stupid question. Sorry."

("Don't ask questions!"... had four bedrooms:)

Sirius started grumbling again and strained to be allowed to get up, Harry just adjusted his position while casting a light sticking charm on the couch.

(one for Uncle Vernon... cupboard to this room.)

Sirius frowned, adding a shopping trip with his godson to the list of things to do once he got out of prison.

Snape was thinking that even he had more than that growing up, while Hermione and Ron had their suspicions that Harry literally lived out of his school trunk confirmed.

They had both noticed over the years that, with the exception of new textbooks or school robes, the contents of Harry's trunk never changed. Almost like that was all he owned.

(He sat down on the... never been touched.)

"You really should take better care of your things." Hermione said to Dudley.

"At least with the books being in good shape, I had something to do in there." Harry muttered to his younger self. Harry just nodded. Better than in the cupboard with absolutely nothing to do. Well, except play with his little toy soldiers... but there wasn't really only so much he could do with them.

(From downstairs... make him get out...")

"Wow, I really sounded like that?" Dudley asked, disgusted. The Harry's just nodded at him.

Dudley made a face and turned to Dudley before silently, so the reading could continue, lecturing on why that kind of behavior was wrong and would no longer be tolerated.

(Harry sighed and... have his room back.)

Dudley groaned and held his head in his hands, all while thanking that Dementor for knocking some sense into him. He ignored the part where the thing was trying to steal his soul.

Molly was glaring daggers and muttering under her breath about poor parenting and a few other things that made her own brood stare at her in shock.

And she yelled at them for saying stuff like that. They didn't say anything though, she would just claim that she was the mother and there was a time and a place for everything, as long as she didn't catch them saying stuff like that they knew they were safe.

(Harry was thinking... 4 Privet Drive-'")

"You know, Duddiekins,"

"...the smart person would..."

"...have known to keep quiet..."

...when you want to read,"

"or do..."

"...something that your authority..."

"...figures don't want you to read."

"Or do."

"Can you guys please stop doing that? It's giving me a headache." Dudley said, while holding his now aching head. Everyone else was smirking or snickering at him.

They loved it when somebody else was getting the 'Twin lecture' as it was called.

(With a strangled cry... neck from behind.)

"Was that training for the real thing later on?" Hermione asked with a smile. She would never forget watching Harry jump on a trolls back.

"What? What real thing? What else have you been strangling?" Sirius asked. He really didn't like that he knew next to nothing about his own godson.

"Er, you'll find out, Sirius." Harry said, while avoiding looking at his Head of House, who had her lips pursed in disapproval.

(After a minute of... fail. He had a plan.)

"Oh no." Both Ron and Hermione groaned.

"Harry, none of your plans ever end well." Hermione started.

"Yeah, mate. Every time you make the plans things go bad." Ron continued.

"It's when you make it up as you go that things work out best." Hermione finished. Everyone else stared while Harry pouted.

"Gred, I think we have competition in the twin speak department."

"Forge, I think you are right." The Twins looked at each other, silently determining to not be outdone.

"Guys, since when were you that in tune with each other?" Ginny asked hesitantly. They were not like this before the wedding.

The Trio looked at each other before all of them answered at the same time, "The Ministry incident."

All the adults from the Trio's time groaned. They had not wanted that rumor confirmed. Nope. They really did not. "What were the three of you even doing there? I really hope it wasn't just to free those Muggleborns you ended up putting on the run." McGonagall asked.

"We needed, this." Hermione said as she pulled out the remains of the locket. "This used to be one of the objects we are hunting so we can finally defeat him. Oh, and by the way Sirius, this is also what Regulus died trying to destroy." She said gently as she passed the locket over to him. He took it with shaking hands and just stared at it while Harry put his arms around him, promising to tell him the full story later on when they were alone.

(The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning.)

"Wait, how did you fix that? It was in pieces." Dudley said, confused.

"Um, you know what? I have no idea. I was just holding the pieces wishing I could use it, and it started working... Accidental magic?" He shrugged. The adults stared.

"WHAT?! Stop staring, it's creepy." He muttered. He didn't like reminders of why he was so much different than everyone else.

"Potter, I don't think that was accidental magic..." Snape said slowly. "I think that was wandless magic." He finished. Now everyone REALLY stared.

"STOP STARING!" Harry yelled. Harry fidgeted beside him, also very uncomfortable with the attention.

Suddenly, everyone stopped staring, although Sirius leaned over and whispered in both boys ears about how it was ok to be a little different. He just got a look. He decided he would have to work on that later on, he knew what it was like to be put down his whole life for being different or even thinking differently. He again ignored the niggling thought that that was how he treated Snape in school.

(Harry turned it off... toward the front door-)

"That's actually a very good plan." Hermione said with a surprised look on her face.

"Hey, I can come up with good plans, you know." Both Harry's said at the same time.

"Sometimes, although with your luck, I'm waiting for the, 'this is about to go wrong and your about to get caught', part of the plan." Ron said.

Harry pouted while Harry stared at Ron and Hermione, wishing that there younger versions could be there. Needless to say, the room heard his wish.

See, magic is very unpredictable. When Future Hermione cast the spell that made this possible, she essentially, and unknowingly, made something similar to the Room of Requirement. One that could take the part of her spell regarding time and keep bringing people in according to the occupants wishes. Like with the stag earlier. It just might take a bit more time for the room to bring people.

("AAAAARRRGH!")

"And here's the part where he gets caught!" Most of the Weasley's yelled at the same time.

While Harry looked at them longingly, Harry muttered about traitors.

"So that's what happened... I wondered." Dudley muttered out loud.

(Harry leapt into... something alive!)

The younger Weasley's, those that actually heard anything at all about the Dursley's, started chanting, "Please, please, please." Molly didn't bother saying anything. She was kind of hoping too.

(Lights clicked on... been his uncle's face.)

"YES!" Those who had been chanting yelled. Vernon moved to say something, but Petunia stopped him, eyeing the wand Harry had just pulled out and started absentmindedly polishing on his shirt.

(Uncle Vernon had... before his eyes.)

Sirius started growling again, and Remus joined him. They really hoped that he got to read one of those soon. They couldn't help but notice the smug look slowly appearing on McGonagall's face as she realized that the book was about to go through her attempts at getting Harry his letter. Honestly, she should have just ignored Dumbledore and taken it to him in person when he failed to get the first one.

Although she had to admit, it had been fun thinking up new ways to get them into the house. She really should have known that something was wrong when those measures became necessary though.

(Uncle Vernon didn't... had just brought him.)

"Strange ways... right. Are you sure you weren't talking about yourself there?" Snape sneered. It was then that Harry, Sirius, and Remus noticed that the look Snape was giving the adult Dursley's was on a whole 'nother level of hatred then what the three of them ever received.

They were a little shocked with the realization that there was somebody in the world that Snape hated more than them. They honestly weren't sure whether or not to be insulted or grateful that they didn't hold the full extent of Snape's hatred, they might not like him, but they were all more than willing to admit that he was very powerful and dangerous.

What followed was a fifteen minute spat between the Petunia's and Severus Snape that all those still Hogwarts age and younger were escorted out of the room for by Molly Weasley. This just solidified to Harry that Snape and his mother had to at least be next-door neighbors, with Petunia obviously making enemies of Snape at some point. There was no way they didn't know each other before school.

He finally had somebody to tell him about his mom before Hogwarts! Now to get him talking...

(On Friday, no less... at small noises.)

"Somebodies getting paranoid!" Sirius said in a sing-songy voice. He grinned in the Dursley's direction. They couldn't help but think that this grin was only slightly less terrifying than Harry's when he was in the mood.

Everyone else chuckled appreciatively.

(On Saturday, things... living room window.)

"Wow Minnie, have you been taking lessons from the Marauder's all this time?" Sirius said.

She just smiled his way, not wanting to admit that she had in deed. After all, you couldn't teach boys like them and not pick something up. You had to if you ever wanted a chance of ever catching them. And then of course there were the Weasley Twins and Harry... They were terrors and that was when they didn't work together.

(While Uncle Vernon... Harry in amazement.)

"Again, every witch in Britain." Harry deadpanned.

(On Sunday morning... "no darn letters today-")

"Er..." Arthur started.

"The Muggle post system doesn't run on Sundays. It's to give the workers a day off. Remember, Muggles don't use owls that don't care what day it is." Hermione said before he could really ask.

The Weasley's chuckled, yes, she really knew the family head well.

(Something came whizzing... trying to catch one-)

"Why didn't you... Oh, right. Seeker. Nevermind."

("Out! OUT!" Uncle Vernon... him into the hall.)

Sirius started growling again and eyeing Harry. He decided to check later when they were in private. Harry, he figured could get away with it considering what little he had already heard about where the boy had been and what he'd been up to the past few months.

While he thought, he missed Molly throwing a silent 'tantrum' while her husband tried to calm her down. The others figured it had something to do with the whole 'threw him into the hall' bit.

(When Aunt Petunia... No arguments!")

"None of us wanted to, believe me." Harry shuddered.

"With half his mustache missing and that look..." Dudley continued, shuddering himself.

(He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue.)

"My point exactly!" Both Harry and Dudley said at the same time. They just high-fived. Petunia looked like she was about to have a heart-attack.

(Ten minutes later... in his sports bag.)

"While I'm glad your finally telling the boy 'no' about something, you shouldn't hit him. Certainly not upside the head." Molly said, really annoyed. She was glad that the older boy was trying to change, and trying to teach the younger one as well.

When Arthur opened his mouth to ask something, Hermione cleared her throat and pointed at the parchment he had been using the day before to write his questions about what these Muggle things were.

"Oh, right." He said, and started writing. Everyone else rolled their eyes or chuckled fondly.

(They drove. And... whenever he did this.)

"Minerva, I think you should have just gone to their house before it got to this point." Sprout said, she was worried about how Vernon would treat the kids while he was in this mental state. He had already hit his son, something that didn't exactly bode well for how Harry was treated on daily basis, and now he was the one behind the wheel. Sure, she knew they didn't wreck or anything, but still.

Minerva nodded in agreement, looking at Dumbledore with the 'I told you so,' look. People were starting to wonder if the man was really fit to run a school.

(They didn't stop... on his computer.)

"Huh, now that I think about it... I haven't seen a computer in weeks" Dudley said. He sounded surprised that he hadn't noticed this before.

Harry shrugged. "Priorities can change." All the other wizards in the room nodded. Especially Molly, where once she would have given anything to see her twins settle down, start getting serious about their grades and get a good upstanding job in the Ministry, now... now she was just happy to see them doing something they obviously loved.

The fact that the Ministry was now under Voldemort's control actually had very little to do with that, surprisingly enough. She had seen how much they enjoyed their shop when they last visited Diagon Alley.

(Uncle Vernon stopped... and wondering...)

"You never have been able to sleep well in open spaces, have you?" Hermione wondered out loud shaking her head. Of course, now that she knew that was caused by growing up in a cupboard...

"I will never understand how on earth you get all those pillows to stay there considering how much you toss in your sleep either." Ron said, shaking his head.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Magic." He said looking at Ron. "And nope." He said shifting his gaze to Hermione before leaning into his godfather. Hopefully this would keep him in his seat if the lighthouse was described.

Snape looked at them and was suddenly wishing his godson was here. Despite the fact that the Trio might not take to seeing him too well. He didn't even care which age his godson was. It could be both of them for all he cared.

(They ate stale cornflakes... at the front desk.")

"Minerva, isn't this starting to get a little out of hand?" Snape asked, exasperated. McGonagal shifted in her seat and said nothing.

(She held up a... The woman stared.)

"I would too, I'm surprised she didn't try to report that or something." Hermione said.

"Same. In the wizarding world at least, you KNOW somebody would have said something if they saw something like that." Neville agreed.

"Exactly, everyone is a bunch of gossips, nothing is ever private in the wizarding world."

("I'll take them,"... gone mad, hasn't he?")

"You know he shouldn't be around children when even his own wife starts getting scared of him, not to mention that when the kids start to get worried... well, one of the kids..." Sprout amended, looking at Harry. She somehow doubted that he was too concerned over any of this, except for the fact that he probably just wanted his letter.

"Don't worry, professor, it didn't last much longer."

(Dudley asked Aunt... with a television.")

"Please tell me that I stop whining soon." Dudley... whined.

"In the books, depends on how much future me included you. In real life... you're still whiny sometimes." Harry said casually. Dudley just shot him a glare while the rest of the room snickered.

(Monday. This reminded... eleven every day.)

Sirius and Remus frowned and made a mental note to spoil the kid rotten for his next birthday. Assuming, of course, that Dumbledore could get Sirius out of Azkaban before then.

Both Harry's hugged their stags closer, now they knew that somebody did send them presents, even if the Dursley's interfered.

(Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling.)

"That's not good." All the Weasley's, Neville, Sirius, and Remus muttered.

"You have no idea." The Harry's muttered back.

(He was also... television in there.)

"That is really not good. You really thought that that was a good place for a couple of kids to stay during a storm? Honestly, you would have been better off staying in the car, less chance of the kids getting sick that way." Molly exclaimed.

At this, Harry started eyeing Madam Pomphrey. She seemed to take any hint of a suggestion of his possibly being sick and went all out on him. For some odd reason she seemed to think he was fragile.

In fact, he's a little surprised that she hasn't grabbed him and gone into another room for an examination yet... although that could be just because she was busy taking care of Mr. Ollivander earlier and then it slipped her mind.

("Storm forecast for... water below them.)

"Minerva, you really should have just gone to the house, treated it like any other muggle-born student." Snape sighed.

"I know, but I also know that Petunia knows about magic and wouldn't need to be treated like a muggle-born parent. Besides, Albus assured me that Harry knew of his heritage as a wizard."

"I think you just listen to Albus a little too much. If you think something's wrong, then you should just do something and not take his word as law." Flitwick said.

On the other side of the room, Sirius was asking Harry about just how safe that shack really was.

Harry hesitated, glanced at Dudley, who also hesitated, before they both replied that it had four walls and a roof. That was the extent of their explanation for how safe the house was.

("I've already got... broken-down house.)

Harry suddenly hissed something, which of course made Sirius look at him in concern, then confusion and realization when Harry hissed back. He had forgotten for the moment that Harry was a Parseltongue in his anger over his treatment with the Dursleys.

'And they made me row the whole way.' Harry said in Parseltongue.

'They wouldn't be the Dursley's if they didn't though.' Harry replied.

Harry paused a moment. 'True.'

Sirius just hugged his godsons, he figured that if they were discussing it in a language only they could speak, then it must be something that would make them all mad.

The reading continued like nothing happened, so Sirius figured that Harry suddenly bursting into Parseltongue was somewhat normal. Although the Dursley's did look a little freaked out.

Dumbledore looked like he just had something further confirmed for him, and Harry didn't like the look on his face.

Everybody ignored Moody taking notes down this entire time, as if he were in the middle of an interrogation. They figured the Dursley's were in big trouble when they got out of here.

(The inside was horrible;... smoked and shriveled up.)

Harry raised an eyebrow and turned to Harry, who just shook his head, Harry nodded like he expected that answer and turned back to the reading. Neither noticing that the twins had read their silent conversation and were signaling Sirius that they wanted to talk to him later, alone.

Molly, meanwhile, was a little indignant at what he considered rations and a suitable meal.

("Could do with some... cheer him up at all.)

"Ladies and gentlemen, here we have Harry Potter's shining optimistic attitude!" The Twins joked while giving sweeping bows in Harry's direction. Harry just stuck his tongue out and laughed.

(As night fell, the... most ragged blanket.)

Harry had to lean into Sirius and grab his arm to keep him in his seat. Before anybody could blink, the three of them, Sirius and the Harry's, were covered in warm, fluffy blankets.

Harry just sighed and rolled his eyes before burrowing further into them, still leaned against his godfather. Harry looked confused about where the blankets came from (and why) but did the same on Sirius other side.

They were very soft and fluffy after all. He couldn't remember ever feeling anything so soft. Everyone else just shook their heads while the Dursley's were freaking out slightly over the blatant display of 'freakishness.'

Sure they had been doing magic off and on the whole time, it had just been more... subtle before now. Nothing you wouldn't have noticed if you weren't watching for it or used to it happening. Blankets appearing out of nowhere was... noticeable.

(The storm raged... might be warmer if it did.)

"Harry..." Sirius said slowly. Harry looked at him confused before he realized how that statement probably sounded to his godfather.

"Not in that way! Just, something besides that old blanket covering me, you know? Little extra shielding from the wind that was blowing in the windows..." He explained quickly.

Sirius nodded. "Good." For a moment he felt a little guilty about immediately jumping to that conclusion. But then he remembered that before this, Harry was very alone, neglected, and abused. He figured that under those circumstances, his first thought was a little justified.

(Four minutes to go,... steal one somehow.)

Harry chuckled at that one. When everyone turned to him, he explained that the house had been full of letters when he got back.

When Dudley went to say that the place had been free of letters Harry explained that he cleaned them all up before the Dursleys got back.

(Three minutes to...- three... two... one...)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The Twins and Sirius yelled. Both Harry's jumped so hard that they lost their blankets. Both started grumbling about being comfortable and now they had to move and find their position again. The trio that yelled just grinned. Especially when they saw the small smile on the Harry's faces.

Harry had only spent one summer that he could ever remember with people who cared, that was shortly before the wedding. All the others had been at the Dursley's where he had to stay up late and wait for his presents to come, opening them in secret to ensure they didn't get taken away.

(BOOM.)

"Wait, what?!" Sirius asked, turning to Harry, forgetting for a split second that this was years ago.

"Relax, Paddy, it's nothing bad... just an overgrown teddy bear." He said with a straight face, NOT looking towards Hagrid. Those that knew Hagrid had been the one to introduce him to the wizarding world snorted and also had to fight to not look Hagrid's way when they saw the confused look on Sirius's face.

He slowly turned and let the book continue.

(The whole shack..., knocking to come in.)

"Small break, or just keep going?" Flitwick asked.

"How about we just keep going, Professor, I don't think Sirius will calm down until he knows who is at the door." Luna said looking at Sirius. And it was true.

It looked like it was all he could do to keep himself from shaking his godson and demanding to know who was at the door.

Everyone agreed and they let the book continue, before it could though, there was a flash as the room delivered on Snape and Harry's wishes earlier.


In case nobody noticed, I really don't like the Dursley's. Even if Harry and his aunt left on sort of good terms at the beginning of DH. The reason I'm being so nice to Dudley though, is because I see him as just as much a victim as Harry. He was raised thinking beating people up was acceptable, so that's just what he did. He didn't really know any better, and then he was also raised thinking he could do whatever, whenever and there could be no consequences.

*sorry if this offends anybody, I'm not making fun of that kind of situation or any of that other stuff, there were just times in these books where I seriously wondered if the Dursley's weren't insane.

That took a while, sorry about that. It's just, college, and then I had to send my computer in to get the keyboard cleaned out and I was stuck using the freezing cold computer lab for the past almost two weeks... yeah...