Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. If I did, it would be on Fiction Press.
Bright green eyes stared blankly at the ceiling of the smallest bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive. They were set above dark bruise-like half moons on the gaunt and injured face of Harry Potter. He lay on his bed as he had most of the summer, his left wrist twisted at an odd angle at the end of a skeletal arm. The Dursleys no longer trusted him with work, so he lay there, eating about once a week and sleeping even less. Had he been at Hogwarts, he would have been eating dinner about now if he wanted to, which he didn't. He considered eating the Dursleys' leftovers for a moment before deciding against it. 'Maybe I'll starve.' he thought hopefully, before shaking it off. 'No, I've already tried that. Famous Harry Potter doesn't have the willpower to starve.' He didn't need to upset Vernon again anyway, and winced even at the thought. Besides, he wouldn't starve before the next day, when he would return to Hogwarts.
Harry stared intently at the ground as he boarded the Hogwarts Express, quickly putting a concealing charm in place. Hermione greeted him eagerly as he entered a compartment.
"Harry! I missed you. Why haven't you answered any of my owls? Ron's either, I talked to him. Was it the Dursleys? Another Dobby incident? Which reminds me, I've been working on my plans for S.P.E.W. -are you alright? You look a bit down..." She trailed off, pulling him into a warm embrace. He flinched somewhat violently, but somehow managed to stay calm. This was Hermione, she wouldn't hurt him, would she? He pulled away, and she looked at him gravely.
"Harry, you're so thin. Have the Dursleys...?"
"Sorry, Hermione, but you need to leave so we can change." Ron cut her off, having just entered the compartment.
"I- okay," She stuttered, casting a worried glance at Harry before leaving.
The concealing charm only worked on his face, and Harry wasn't eager to reveal his severely concave stomach to Ron. Ron and Hermione were good friends, better than he deserved, Harry thought, but they wouldn't understand. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone to understand. In second year, Ginny was kidnapped and brought to the Chamber of Secrets because he hadn't acted on his suspicion of it's location quickly enough. In third year he had let Pettigrew escape to bring Voldemort back when Harry was too weak to defend himself after luring Cedric to his death. Finally, just last year, he had been an idiot again and gotten Sirius killed. Harry stared at his hands. How many people had died because of him? Too many, not to mentioned those who had come close or been tortured. 'Their blood still stains my hands. I wish it were mine instead.' he thought grimly. 'I killed them.'
"Oi! Are you going to get changed or what?" Ron's voice woke him from his thoughts.
Er, yeah, I guess I should." He replied nervously. He hadn't gotten new robes with the Dursleys, which was just as well, since he would have been bombarded with questions about his thinness and bruises while being measured. Harry bit back a yelp when he bumped his fragmented ribs as he changed with his back to Ron, who was fortunately looking the other way. Just as he finished, the food cart came in. The kind looking woman who pushed it smiled at the two boys, offering them a variety of sweets. Ron politely declined, but Harry bought a moderate amount of various things. He made an offering gesture to Ron and turned to stare out the window stoically.
"Are you going to eat any of this, mate?" Harry slowly shook his head.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Ron was met with an indifferent shrug.
"Not hungry?"
Another shrug.
"Suit yourself."
Author's Notes: Wow, you actually got this far! If you review, I'll be happy, and won't pout. I'm sorry about any mistakes, and don't bother to flame me, 'cause I'm not pretending to be able to write.
Bright green eyes stared blankly at the ceiling of the smallest bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive. They were set above dark bruise-like half moons on the gaunt and injured face of Harry Potter. He lay on his bed as he had most of the summer, his left wrist twisted at an odd angle at the end of a skeletal arm. The Dursleys no longer trusted him with work, so he lay there, eating about once a week and sleeping even less. Had he been at Hogwarts, he would have been eating dinner about now if he wanted to, which he didn't. He considered eating the Dursleys' leftovers for a moment before deciding against it. 'Maybe I'll starve.' he thought hopefully, before shaking it off. 'No, I've already tried that. Famous Harry Potter doesn't have the willpower to starve.' He didn't need to upset Vernon again anyway, and winced even at the thought. Besides, he wouldn't starve before the next day, when he would return to Hogwarts.
Harry stared intently at the ground as he boarded the Hogwarts Express, quickly putting a concealing charm in place. Hermione greeted him eagerly as he entered a compartment.
"Harry! I missed you. Why haven't you answered any of my owls? Ron's either, I talked to him. Was it the Dursleys? Another Dobby incident? Which reminds me, I've been working on my plans for S.P.E.W. -are you alright? You look a bit down..." She trailed off, pulling him into a warm embrace. He flinched somewhat violently, but somehow managed to stay calm. This was Hermione, she wouldn't hurt him, would she? He pulled away, and she looked at him gravely.
"Harry, you're so thin. Have the Dursleys...?"
"Sorry, Hermione, but you need to leave so we can change." Ron cut her off, having just entered the compartment.
"I- okay," She stuttered, casting a worried glance at Harry before leaving.
The concealing charm only worked on his face, and Harry wasn't eager to reveal his severely concave stomach to Ron. Ron and Hermione were good friends, better than he deserved, Harry thought, but they wouldn't understand. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone to understand. In second year, Ginny was kidnapped and brought to the Chamber of Secrets because he hadn't acted on his suspicion of it's location quickly enough. In third year he had let Pettigrew escape to bring Voldemort back when Harry was too weak to defend himself after luring Cedric to his death. Finally, just last year, he had been an idiot again and gotten Sirius killed. Harry stared at his hands. How many people had died because of him? Too many, not to mentioned those who had come close or been tortured. 'Their blood still stains my hands. I wish it were mine instead.' he thought grimly. 'I killed them.'
"Oi! Are you going to get changed or what?" Ron's voice woke him from his thoughts.
Er, yeah, I guess I should." He replied nervously. He hadn't gotten new robes with the Dursleys, which was just as well, since he would have been bombarded with questions about his thinness and bruises while being measured. Harry bit back a yelp when he bumped his fragmented ribs as he changed with his back to Ron, who was fortunately looking the other way. Just as he finished, the food cart came in. The kind looking woman who pushed it smiled at the two boys, offering them a variety of sweets. Ron politely declined, but Harry bought a moderate amount of various things. He made an offering gesture to Ron and turned to stare out the window stoically.
"Are you going to eat any of this, mate?" Harry slowly shook his head.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Ron was met with an indifferent shrug.
"Not hungry?"
Another shrug.
"Suit yourself."
Author's Notes: Wow, you actually got this far! If you review, I'll be happy, and won't pout. I'm sorry about any mistakes, and don't bother to flame me, 'cause I'm not pretending to be able to write.