Hey… I don't own any of the characters in this fic. J.K.Rowling owns them though I really wish I did. This is a response to Kate the Great's challenge! Thanks soooo much to Anja for reading this fic and correcting it! Thank you so much! Please R/R and just a note, I'll keep posting chapters as I write them and they get beta… I keep changing my story but its ok!

The sun rose early that day, bringing with it warmth and signs for a nice fall day. Most people were still asleep and unable to watch the sunrise. That is everyone except a 15-year-old boy who lived in the smallest bedroom in 4 Privet Drive in Surrey. The boy whose name was Harry Potter had been up for hours after having another nightmare. He was now watching the sunrise as he did most mornings. In the long nights he had completed all his homework, read his school books twice and had now just finished packing in an effort to stay awake.

Harry Potter sat near the window thinking. He was still sweating from the nightmare he had, the nightmare that had been haunting him all summer. He closed his eyes trying not to think about it but even in the daytime he was haunted by it and he saw it in his mind.

"Did anyone tell you the Cup was a Portkey?" Cedric asked him.

"Nope," He looked around the graveyard, "Is this supposed to be part of the Task?"

"I dunno. Wands out you reckon?" Cedric said taking out his own wand.

"Someone's coming."

His scar exploded in pain, he fell to the ground holding his head as though to try and keep it together.

"Kill the spare!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry opened his eyes but could still see Cedric Diggory; the other Hogwarts Triwizard champion lying spread-eagled on the ground dead. Why did he come along, I should have gone by myself. He shouldn't have died; he had no idea what was going on. He didn't deserve death. Voldemort had wanted him, not Cedric. It was a mistake taking the Cup with him. I should have taken it myself.

He stopped thinking as he heard his uncle snore in the room near his. That was another problem, his uncle. Harry had stopped sleeping because of the nightmares but more important he usually woke up screaming and holding his scar. His uncle always woke up when he started to scream and he was always punished for it. Uncle Vernon had made it very clear early on in the summer that he would not have his sleep disturbed by his nephew. Harry moved slightly, wincing in pain. He didn't know half the things that had been done to him but he was sure that at least a few of his ribs were bruised, his left hand and his right wrist were damaged. His back was the worst though; he had examined himself in the mirror once and saw dozens of belt welts. His back was a constant reminder of what had happened to him and hurt constantly. Uncle Vernon had never hit him near his face for he knew that someone would see them so he targeted those areas that his clothes hid. Harry usually woke up as the beating started and then fell unconscious before they ended. Three of Dudley's old shirts were ruined as they were covered in his blood and were torn from the belt. As he looked out the window he could hear his Uncle's voice in his head.

"You son of a bitch, waking up my family… is that the thanks we get for raising your sorry ass? We would have had a better life if you hadn't been dropped on our doorstep. You are nothing and will never get anywhere in your life. You are worthless and a burden on everyone!"

He had been living with the Dursleys for 14 years now and he had been told that so many times. He had always tried to ignore it but he couldn't seem to this time… you are worthless… a burden on everyone…did Uncle Vernon have a point? He shook his head of course not. No he wasn't… he wasn't a burden. He heard the Dursleys stir and decided he'd better go and get breakfast started if he wanted Uncle Vernon to drive him to the station this morning.

Three hours later he was sitting in the backseat of the Dursley's car to go to Kings Cross. Uncle Vernon was muttering how worthless he was and a burden on him but Harry tried not to listen. He couldn't listen, its all lies. But then Uncle Vernon was going out of his way to bring Harry to the train station. He would be at work already if he didn't have to drop him off. Harry sighed as he watched the other cars go by him, maybe things would be better at Hogwarts. He always felt better at the castle but then it was there that everything happened. The car stopped and Harry saw they were at the train station. He got out and got his stuff and without another word Uncle Vernon drove off fast. He got a cart and pushed his stuff to the Platform. It was hard work, his trunk was heavy and he was having a hard time breathing. He had to stop a few times to get his breath and by the time he got to the Platform he had 15 minutes before the train left. He went through the barrier fine and on the other side three redheads who had been watching the barrier waiting for him at once surrounded him.

"Harry! We've been waiting for you!" Ron Weasley exclaimed. Ron was his best friend and they hadn't talked since they got off the train the year before.

"I noticed," Harry said trying not to wince as Ron slapped him on the back.

"Hello Harry," Fred Weasley said grinning.

"Hey Fred, George," said Harry.

"Did you have a good summer?" asked George.

"It was okay," Harry replied.

"We had a very productive summer thanks to someone who shall remain nameless," Fred said and he gave Harry a small wink.

"Who gave you that money?" Ron asked but the twins didn't say anything. Harry pretended to look confused and Ron saw this, "Some idiot gave them gold to start their jokeshop and they won't say who."

"Can we take your things Harry?" Fred asked and before Harry could say anything they took it away and put it in a compartment.

"What's with them?" Harry grinned; it was something he had not done in a while. He walked with Ron to where Mrs. Weasley was standing.

"Hello dear," she pulled Harry into a tight hug and Harry tried not to show he was in a lot of pain. "I'm so sorry you couldn't come to stay with us over the summer. Dumbledore said you were safe at the Dursleys."

"It's alright Mrs. Weasley," Harry managed to say.

She released him and looked at him, "Have you been sleeping?"

"Yeah," he lied knowing that she was looking at the circles under his eyes.

"And eating?" She looked concerned.

"I eat everyday," he lied again.

Thankfully the whistles blew and Harry had an excuse to get away. Harry followed Ron into the compartment he had chosen. Inside sitting with a book, "O.W.Ls everything you need to know to pass!" in her lap was Hermione.

She looked up when they entered. "Harry!" she squealed and she got up and rushed to hug him. He held his breath as she hugged him, which was very painful. She let go and they all sat down. Harry tried to sit down normally but with his back hurting him it usually took him some time to sit down. Hurting all over he sat down trying not to show the pain to Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione talked about their summers. Harry was listening but he started to feel his eyes dropping. He pinched himself to stay awake but it didn't work. His eyes closed and he fell asleep…

"Did anyone tell you the Cup was a Portkey?" Cedric asked him.

"Nope," He looked around the graveyard, "Is this supposed to be part of the Task?"

"I dunno. Wants out you reckon?" Cedric said taking out his own wand.

"Someone's coming."

His scar exploded in pain, he fell to the ground holding his head as though to try and keep it

together.

"Kill the spare!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Harry! Harry wake up! Wake up!" someone was shaking him. Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw a hand over his eyes. It was his own and it had been holding his scar. He removed it quickly and saw Ron and Hermione staring at him. He looked away quickly.

"What were you dreaming about?" Ron asked.

"Nothing."

"It was something," Ron told him.

"You were yelling and clutching your scar!" Hermione pointed out.

"Well, well if it isn't Potty, the mudblood and the redhair freak," a drawling voice said from the doorway. Malfoy stood there with his goons, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Get out Malfoy," Harry snapped.

"I heard screaming, was it you Potty? Did something scare you?"

"Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy?" a new voice said from the doorway. Harry couldn't see who it was but he saw figures of two men.

Malfoy turned around and seemed to recognize the two men because his mouth opened and then closed quickly. He motioned to his goons and they left. The two men came into their compartment.

"Professor Lupin!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed.

"Professor?" the other man laughed. He was older and walked with a slight limp.

"Its Remus now, I am no longer your teacher," Remus laughed and looked at the other man, "I

wouldn't talk Fletch."

"Why are you here Remus?" Harry asked.

"We are just keeping an eye on things," Remus shrugged, "And I'm making sure your new Defense teacher gets to Hogwarts without killing himself or anyone else."

"Mundungus Fletcher at your service," he shook Harry's hand. "I was a good friend of your grandfathers. A wonderful man he was."

"What about my father?" Harry asked.

"I knew him too, he didn't have his priorities straight all the time though."

"Fletch, you are just mad because Sirius and James turned your hair blue and put a sign on your back, "Kick me." As you were receiving your Order of Merlin First Class medal and everyone laughed," Remus smiled.

"Is Sirius here?" asked Harry.

"He'll be at Hogwarts in a week or two, he's just finishing business," Remus said and waved goodbye, "We have to go."

They were left alone again and for awhile Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch and the upcoming season. Hermione then lectured them about their O.W.Ls and by the time she was finished with that talk they were just about at Hogwarts and they had to change into their robes.

When the train stopped they all got out and got into the carriages to take them up to school. Harry looked out the window and sat slightly forward in his seat so his back wouldn't touch the back of the seat.

"Harry are you feeling alright?" Ron asked quietly.

"Yeah I feel fine," Harry assured him.

"You don't look well," Ron looked at Hermione and then back at Harry.

"Ron I'm fine, Dudley was still on his diet!" Harry lied.

"Oh," Ron sighed, "I didn't know that. I thought something else was going on."

The carriages stopped and everyone got out. They went up to the castle and Harry had a little difficulty going up the stairs. The pains in his legs were back but he tried not to show it. They went into the Great Hall and took their seats. Dumbledore watched them come in and he frowned at Harry. Harry is even skinnier than last year. I wonder how he is doing after last term. By the looks of it not good, he thought.

After the Sorting Dumbledore got up, "Tuck in." He said and the feast began. Ron piled food on his plate and Harry looked at all of it suddenly feeling sick. The Dursleys had been feeding him cold soup, celery, bread and cheese. He took some small helpings of a few things and ate slowly. Before he had finished what was on his plate though he felt very full and he pushed his plate away.


"Harry you need to eat," Hermione told him and put some food on his plate.

"Hermione I'm full," he told her. He could feel eyes on him and he looked up at the Teacher's Table where Dumbledore had stopped eating and was looking at him. He quickly looked down.

"Hermione! I'm full!" He snapped as Hermione started to push his plate towards him again.

Everyone around him stopped eating. Hermione looked down at her own plate and did not look up. Ron had a piece of meat half way to his mouth, which he seemed to have forgotten about as he stared at them.

"What's the password?" He asked Hermione without looking up. He knew that she had been made a Prefect.

"Phoenix."

He got up and left sick of the silence. He walked up to Gryffindor Tower alone and deep in thought. He had been at school for less than an hour and it was starting off so well. What made him snap like that? He had never done that before and Hermione was always bugging him about something. As he had been deep in thought he had forgotten about the pain but as he made his way up one set of stairs it came back to him. He had to go up a stair at a time and he had to keep taking breaks because he was still having problems breathing. He couldn't hold on to anything as both his hands hurt. He scowled and kept going wishing the pain would just go away. Finally he got up to Gryffindor Tower and he wearily said the password. He went to sit by the fire and sat down very weary.

"a burden on hard working decent relatives."

"worthless."

"son of a bitch."

"He's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

"Kill the spare!"

"That is the last time you wake me up boy! You pathetic excuse for a human being."

"Crucio!"

"All my fault."

"Harry?"

Harry's head snapped up. He had been looking into the fire so lost in his thoughts. It was Ron.

"Its time for bed," Ron told him. "Everyone else is already in the dorms."

"Right," Harry got up and followed Ron into their dorm. They got ready for bed silently. Harry got into his four poster bed. He laid down and at once wished he hadn't. The pain in his back was still very much there and it hurt him to lay on it. He laid on his side for awhile but when he felt sleep coming on him he got up and went down into the common room. He couldn't sleep, if he did and had a nightmare he was sure he would wake up everyone in the dorm. He sat down in the chair again. He wished he could talk to someone, he needed to talk to someone but whom? Who would understand? Sirius would get angry, Ron and Hermione wouldn't understand. Remus would tell Sirius and Dumbledore… no he had too much on his mind already. He knew whom he thought would understand but he didn't to say it. Two people would understand, and they would listen and not pity him… his parents. He was sure they would understand, everyone else would just shake their head and think less of the Boy-Who-Lived. He would do anything to be with them, to talk to them. He sighed and then coughed. Talking to his parents would be great but right now being able to breathe properly would be a lot better. Wait… I'm back at school, I can do magic. He could heal himself and then no one would have to know. He could heal himself and it would be simple and painless, it would be one charm. He smiled, I'll do it tomorrow. He spent the rest of the night curled up by the fire.