DEDICATION:
To Lory who faithfully poked me in every review for the arrival of the Bash-the-Dursleys chapter.

NOTE:
Although I'm not sure this is what all of you expected, I hope you still like it! The Death Reflection Charm is a nutty creation of mine. There's no such thing in the HP world. I think.

To All (I actually wrote this before reading Mrs Nobody and Marina's reviews, haha, I knew someone would ask!):
Some of you may ask: "Why not just have someone sit with Harry 24 hours in the house to make sure he's safe instead of just putting him alone with the Dursleys?
My answer will be:
Based on OoTP --The Dursleys accepted Harry as one of their blood, grudgingly they may, they still took him in as one of them. Family.
My own theory --Having a stranger/s in the house would most likely not project any family-ness or 'love' but more hostility.
(Yes, I realize that's its a stupid reason...but hey. No story's perfect! Yes, I'm aware that if it's answered properly, it'll be more believable. But right now...my brain's void of explanations)

To:

First, I would like to state that I had fallen off my chair and bashed my head on the table when I saw that my reviews had gone up by 93. Seriously. I did. And my whole family (watching me since the computer and its occupant was in clear view) thought I had gone stark raving walnuts. I love you guys. I do.

Second, thanks to everyone who answered my call for help! Now I need to crack my head to choose the name instead...

Marina -- Would you trust me? Harry would definitely not go back without a protection charm. Can't let them hurt my (okay, fine. Our) Harry too much! Plus I need to kill someone, everybody seems to want some blood spatter around here... :)
Mrs Nobody -- Answered up there! Thanks for reviewing!
Jadyn Potter -- Haha! You can blame that on my neighbor's son. He's 13 and he's still walking around with teddy bear pajamas. Since I don't have a younger brother/sister, I sort of took it that 11 wouldn't be too old for teddy bears since a particular 13 year old next door keeps wearing those... Won't do it again!
Person -- Does he? Oops.

kikyogirl021989, Snowangel, Starlight Dreams, Masti, amyaggie, Slytherin-Queen, Dee, Cari, Lory, Foxfur, trekkie21, Mordsith Kaylae, Me Myself and I, Raphaelle, randomperson619, ERMonkey Queen of Insani, Sirikat, Me, YellowPost-ItNote, Alexis-Lee, Lyss33, Atticus J. Finch, Loopy Luna Lovegood, Angel74, Soggy, Eric2, Kalliope, SarcasmSage, Adi1, Serebii, NotaWriteryet, Dark Feline Huntress, refriedCOW, MikiBaby, Allaire1221, fanficloveronunfairsite, Ireth Lossehelin, Simone, Briana, Lilyflower, MiruSedna, slippersRfuzzy, Mel, Tielle, Ari, sapphireskies, Natural Anthem -- You guys are a creative bunch of cat-namers! Thanks for the lovely names!

AthenaKitty, Tati1, Rika-Chan, Jen, Beth, Mr. Virail, Froboy, Digi Bonds, Pip3, jeangab057 -- Thanks for taking the time to brighten the sunshine in my day!
Yana5 -- Not too much, they won't!
Lorwyn Daystar -- Thanks! Yup, read Chapter...uh...let me check. Chapter 5.
Japonica -- Finally, the truth is revealed on the Leg Locking curse! Thanks a zillion!
Mikee -- If you would read on, you would discover a lot more is destroyed certainly!
ParanoiaIn2005 -- It worked! It worked! Your review is 11 lines long! Thank you so much, it helped alot :o)
Amie87 -- Yay! I got a review before you left!
Moo -- WAH! Someone wants to kill the kitten!
Elvett -- Yes, KILL THEM! Killed.
texasjeanette -- Thank you for your ideas!
Wytil -- huh? *confused*
Tielle -- Yeah, figured. Everyone keeps saying that, but seriously, I don't know how an eleven year old acts like! LOL
Lily Skylo -- Thank you! I'm glad you like them, I spend half an hour every time I write a new chapter thinking of new pics to draw! :)
Natural Anthem -- Glad you like it, thanks for reading!

Me-Love-You Owls to MindyLou, Mordsith Kaylae, Mr. Virail, harry+Lissa=luv, hollypotter5253 -- *hic* Thank you so *hic* much. *looks around, tears shining in her eyes, then starts to sing no more better than Neville's toad* I'M FLYING ABOVE THE SKY, THE CLOUDS, FEEL THE SUNSHINE! YAYAYAYAY!

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With Time Comes Trust: Worse than Death

Harry backed away, his fear intensified as his uncle glared down at him, nostrils (if possible) practically smoking.

"So you thought a little threat from those freaks of yours could stop you from your rightful punishment?" Uncle Vernon snarled. "Bust the TV a little, scare Uncle a bit, and Little Harry Potter is safe?"

"He's back!" Dudley stood at the bottom of the staircase having just ran down from his room. He sounded utterly disappointed but a glance at his father and mother's red angry faces, his mouth twisted in an ugly sneer just like his father. There was something to see soon.

"Yes, he's back, sweetheart," Petunia growled. "And he's going to regret he did." She advanced on Harry, hands on bony hips. "What do you think this place is? Is this how you treat us after all we did for you in your miserable 10 years? Is it not bad enough that we have to put up with you? You are useless, people like you only trash up this earth! When Lily was alive, I had to stand her freakish stuff, hear her mumble nonsense, read trash. When she died, great! Happy! But of course, she has to leave her son out here for us to take care of. You Potters are all burdens!"

"My mother's not like that," Harry whispered, trembling.

"She wasn't? Oh dear, we must have misunderstood, please clear us up," Vernon sneered. "But wait...you can't! You don't even know how she looked like!"

"That's right!" Dudley butted in, feeling left out.

"And don't think we forgot how you got out of here the last time," Petunia added roughly. "You are going to pay dearly for what those people did to my Dudley."

She put a bony arm over Dudley's massive shoulders. Dudley smirked.

"Freaks like you are only worth this," Vernon picked Harry up by his collar and dragged him towards the cupboard.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry cried, panicking.

His uncle ignored him, pulling open the cupboard and throwing Harry down roughly in front of it. Lifting his foot, he kicked Harry right in the stomach into the dark space of the cupboard. Harry gave a strangled cry of pain before he heard Aunt Petunia say to Dudley: "You were in the Junior Boxing Championship in your school. Show him what you can do."

Harry whimpered, clutching his aching stomach and tried to shrink back into the shadows but Dudley strode into the small space, grabbing his cousin's hair and yanking his head back. "Welcome back, Harry."

With a sharp turn, Dudley smashed Harry against the cot he used to sleep in; the wood connected with his throat and Dudley leant down heavily on him. Harry could only produce choked sounds as the wood pressed painfully on his throat. As he tried to free himself, he could feel sharp blows raining down on his back. He cried out, tears running.

"That's my boy!" Vernon announced proudly. "So young yet so powerful."

"Like father like son," Petunia cooed.

Dudley, anxious to show what more he could do, picked Harry up like he was weightless and tossed him towards the end of the cupboard. Harry crashed into a chipped vase standing on top of a few boxes and the vase broke sending jabbing pains into his back and arms as he landed on the smashed porcelain pieces.

"Okay, that's enough," Vernon said. "For now. Don't want him dying on our hands so soon."

"Aw, dad," Dudley's disappointed voice cut through the blurry haze of pain Harry was in.

Harry didn't bother to open his eyes. From past experiences, the filtered sunshine streaming from the curtained windows could hurt painfully. But when he heard his Uncle's statement: "Enough. For now." He almost burst into another fresh bout of tears. He wanted someone who would not hurt him. He wanted someone to take him away now.

He wanted Sirius.

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A black shaggy dog stood rigidly beside a casually dressed man sitting on a bench whose longish hair was slicked back neatly. He crossed his legs before throwing a glance at house number four again. The bench was positioned beside number two, under a large shady tree whose branches extended meters above. Number four could clearly be seen and was just 12 big steps away.

The black dog didn't move an inch, continuing to glare at number four again.

"Sirius, screw it," Severus finally snapped. "I feel like I'm sitting with a rock."

The dog still refused to move.

"Fine." Severus sniffed. "Be that way. Don't come to be for any Muscle Relaxing Potion when this is over."

The dog turned it's great black head and gave a sharp angry bark.

"Yes, yes, why am I even talking when Harry is in possible danger?" Severus translated for himself.

The dog barked again.

Severus recognized it as a 'shut up'. "It is my fault that I'm just not fit to be in the Still-Portrait challenge?"

He rubbed his nose, irritably and threw a glance at number two as a window banged open softly. A boy was staring at him with big round eyes.

"Papa! He's talking to the dog!" he called and slammed the window shut.

"Galumphing gargoyles," Severus muttered. "Now I'm nuts."

Sirius looked around, making sure no one was looking and transformed back into human form. Severus almost fell off his bench when he turned back around to find a worried man in place.

"What do you think you are doing?" Severus snapped.

"Only four hours have passed." He grumbled. "Is there something wrong with this damn Muggle watch?"

"No, there isn't," a woman's voice answered him. Both turned to see Minerva and Remus walking towards them.

"In shifts of four hours," Remus explained to Sirius.

"It's alright," Sirius and Severus said together.

Sirius growled. "I'm not tired yet."

"Sure you are," Minerva said firmly. "Dumbledore says to go back to Hogwarts, have something to eat, rest and then relieve us when the four hours are up."

"Well, Dumbledore can eat his words, I'm not moving," Sirius folded his hands over his chest and sat down on the bench.

"I'll stay, you go," Remus told Severus.

"Me? What - " Severus began.

"Fine then." Minerva said. "We'll come back later."

She grabbed Severus' hand and reached into her pocket touching an object and they vanished out of sight. Remus looked at his friend before sitting down beside him.

Neither Remus nor Sirius said a thing to each other. No words were needed. Feelings and emotions were something old friends could know and understand without saying it out.

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3 hours 12 minutes and 25 seconds to go: 11:57:35 late morning, the next day.

Vernon glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall. It was three hours to three - the time those freaks came with Harry a day ago. Petunia had gone out an hour ago (by the back door) to do some shopping then fetch Dudley from school. They were then going for lunch and then they were to meet with Vernon at the airport at three-thirty. Petunia had been upset when her husband told her that they were going to Paris on such a short notice, but Vernon refused to tell her what was going on.

He just asked her to trust. And she did.

He was going to end all this freaky nonsense today. He figured two hours were quite enough and with a slightly shaking hand, he picked up a pocket knife on the coffee table. He had placed it there, a minute after his wife and son had left, and stared at it for almost the full hour.

He had to protect his family. There was no telling what they could do and if he just had the courage....all this will be over and they would be safe from those stupid stuff. They would finally have a normal life together, the Dursley family. No strangers, no others.

He turned the knife over in his hand and snapped it open. "Stop being a chicken, Vernon," he said loudly to himself. "You spent the whole night thinking about this."

Quickly walking to the cupboard and throwing open the door, he stepped inside before he could have any second thoughts. His nephew lay on the floor, his eyes closed, curled up in a tight ball. Hearing the click when the locked door opened, Harry opened his eyes slightly.

Vernon squatted beside Harry. The room was small enough and Vernon had difficulty getting himself to adjust comfortably. His hand shook as he grasped the concealed knife in his pocket tightly.

"Un....cle?" Harry whispered.

"For all these years," Vernon started shakily. "I have tried to care about you as best as I could, tried to be a good uncle. I know I haven't done what an uncle should do, neither have I cared for you, but you must understand. You were not wanted when you turned up almost eleven years ago. It was hard, having an extra mouth to feed at that time when we were not doing well. But we took you in. Tried to ignore your past. But we couldn't."

The edges of the knife handle dug uncomfortably in his sweaty palm.

"It's not that I don't like you, I don't know what to feel about you. All these years, I couldn't find the right feeling for you, and I substituted it for beatings, hoping that I would feel sorry or at least a twinge of sadness or guilt when I did, so I would at least know I care about you."

Deep breaths.

"I felt not a single thing, Harry. I tried, believe me. As harsh as it may be, I almost despise you. I hate you for being here, I hate you for being a thorn in my happy family. Now those...people have returned. People like your parents. I understood how Petunia had suffered, living with a witch when your mother was alive and I don't want to live in that insecurity again, thinking about when they would choose to squash us dead, worrying about what will happen to us...I have to choose between the future of my family and you."

Vernon slowly pulled out his knife. "Nobody knows about you except for Marge, Petunia and Dudley who I am sure would stand behind me in what I am about to do. Nobody would realize that you are gone. We have kept you to ourselves. Nobody except those people. We are migrating to Paris. Start a new life. If they choose to come after us, I am going to call the press. That's what they are afraid of, isn't it? The Wizarding world exposed. They will be looked down upon in disgust, abnormal lot."

Harry's eyes filled with tears, but he didn't say anything. Lay there, not moving.

Vernon took Harry's wrist, willing himself not to tremble.

"You came at an ungodly time in our life. I wish to make up for all we have done to you, but not in this lifetime. I'm sorry, Harry James Potter. Forgive your aunt and uncle. They want to love you....but they can't. Not now, not ever."

He touched the cool blade to his nephew's wrist, drew a deep breath and pulled the knife down in a quick slash. Blood started to flow, a steady trickle slowly flowing down Harry's arm. Harry gave a whimper, and pulled against his uncle weakly. Vernon dropped the hand quickly and grabbed the other one, now shaking openly.

Inside Harry's shirt, the charm Dumbledore had gave him for his birthday suddenly began to glow a slow bright blue. Neither Harry nor his uncle noticed for Harry was half lying on his stomach. A sharp pain and the feeling of a warm steady liquid on his other arm told Harry that his uncle had also cut his other wrist.

Then Vernon noticed the unnatural blue glow emitting from his nephew. Shaking with fright, he got up and stumbled out of the cupboard, tripping in his anxiety to get out of the room. "What - "

A sparkling blue suddenly enshrouded the whole house and shone out from the windows. Then, an explosion rocked the neighborhood.

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"Harry!" Sirius jumped up with fright, turning to the house. Minerva stood up hurriedly and Severus took off down the road towards the house with Remus right behind him.

They had been waiting together for the past two hours. It was the last shift and everyone was just as anxious to take Harry back. Minerva had noticed the blue glow, and was starting to point it out to everyone when something just exploded.

Severus reached the front door first and kicked the door down. Entering the house in a fast run, he didn't even realize flames were everywhere, burning bright orange. Sirius didn't hesitate to cross the fiery barrier licking at the entrance, when Minerva reached out a hand towards the flames and drew a short gasp.

"It's not hot," she told them entering the house quickly, Remus behind her.

"Magical fire," Remus said tonelessly.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted.

Severus stood, lost for a second but once he glanced at the furniture and surroundings, he suddenly knew everything in this house. "Over there," he whispered to himself, recognizing the place from Harry's memories. Sirius had passed him and Severus followed him in a fast sprint. Suddenly, Sirius froze, bending down to touch something.

"What?" Severus shouted over the realistic flames.

He pushed his way past Sirius and almost tripped over the body of Vernon Dursley. The man was lying on his back, foot caught in the edge of the carpet outside the cupboard, his mouth opened wide, his expression a mask of horror. Severus kicked him over to clear the way and stooped down to get inside the room, ignoring Sirius who was checking for a pulse.

Sirius felt no heartbeat then realized that Vernon's hands was smeared with blood. Anger began to build and he wished the man was not dead so he could kill him with his bare hands. He looked up to see Severus had already entered the cupboard.

"Is he alright?" Sirius shouted from outside.

"Harry!" Severus yelled. "Harry!"

He squinted in the darkness lit with fake orange flames dancing in the room and spotted Harry lying on the floor, blood pooling around his body.

"Damn those Muggles," Severus muttered angrily.

Quickly, Severus picked the unconscious child up in his arms, the fact that Harry's wrists were bleeding freely not escaping his attention. Severus turned to see Sirius at the doorway, his eyes hardening in anger at the sight of his Godson's limp form.

Drawing out his wand, his hand shaking, he pointed it at the dead body at his feet. "Cru-"

"He's dead Sirius, leave him, let's go!" Remus shouted, trying to pull Sirius away from the body.

Someone screamed outside, they could hear crowds gathering, some trying to put out the fire with buckets of water.

"Sirius!" Severus snapped at the man still staring angrily down at Dursley. "Snap out of it!"

"Sirius! Please, let's go!" Minerva pleaded. Severus had already burst out of the back door, Remus at his heels. Remus was ripping off strips of cloth from his robes and were binding Harry's wrists tightly to stop the bleeding.

"There's still two hours!" Minerva cried.

"To hell the hours!" snarled Remus. "Quick, the Muggles are coming!"

Sirius lifted his foot and kicked the body savagely. He spat once on him, and left the house, Minerva following him. The last to leave, Minerva was startled when another loud explosion rang out sharply just behind her.

Then it clicked.

"A protection charm made from a Phoenix's feather and dipped in the tears of an Ukrainian Ironbelly. It will protect you when harm arises..."

Minerva raised a hand to touch a flame of fire burning down the wooden door. She drew back her burnt fingers with a sharp hiss of pain. "Of course."

"What?" Severus snapped.

"The Death Reflection charm," Minerva said silently. "If someone hurts you with the intention of murder, the charm will deflect the person's desire, but differently as punishment. He would be dead physically, but mentally alive. It is worse than death itself." Her eyes darkened. "Cold fire will start to envelope the place but it will not burn until the person wearing the charm is removed. Only certain advanced wizards can specially make this charm."

Severus turned slightly to shield Harry's unconscious form from the heat. "Let's go now," he said sharply.

"Go on," Remus said giving Sirius a slight push. "I'll take care of the rest."

He took off down the road where he had noticed a couple watching them with open mouths before running out of sight, shrieking in fright.

"Obliviate!"

Minerva latched onto Sirius' arm and laid a hand on Severus before he touched a portkey and transported them back to Hogwarts.

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He woke to a dark, dark world. He could see, he could feel the heat scorching his skin. He wanted to run, but he could not move. What is happening? His mouth was open, he tried to close it but he couldn't. What was wrong?! Fire raged around him, he could feel it coming for him. But he couldn't move, couldn't hide. He tried to scream through his open mouth, and for a second, he thought he managed to, then he realized he didn't.

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Vernon Dursley was usually just a jerk and a sweet guy at the same time. Petunia Evans loved him at first sight years ago when they met and she vowed to be with him through times of toil and joy. They tied the knot on a Sunday, in Spring. Vernon had told her: "Summer's too hot, Winter's too cold, Autumn's too ugly, Spring's just beautiful. Let it be the time where we can become one."

When they had Dudley, their world was complete. He was the symbol of them both. The result of their love.

Then Harry arrived on the doorstep. Her old anger re-ignited at the sight of her nephew. She had wanted to start a new life, away from her sister and her stupid world. And now, after she had left the Evans family to become a Dursley, Lily's world still haunted her.

Her husband understood her feelings towards those wizards and she loved him more for not despising her for her relationship with those freaks. He was with her throughout those times when she felt like killing Harry but refrained herself from doing so with much difficulty. He comforted her, protected her. Sided her at all times, stopped her when she went overboard.

She had a feeling that he was going to do something crazy for her and had disobeyed his request to leave for Paris if he didn't come by four. She turned the taxi around at 3:15 and rushed back home.

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"VERNON! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE! ANSWER ME!"

The voice woke him once again in the velvety black dark world. Petunia. His wife. Where was she? Petunia!

"VERNON!"

"Ma'am! Stop, it is dangerous!"

"Let me go! Get off me! My husband is in there!"

"I WANT MY DAD!"

"The fire is raging! I can't let you in, take them away!"

"VERNON!"

Petunia! Dudley! He tried to move but failed. Loud cries of anger and tears disturbed him and he screamed, screamed as loudly as he could, but he knew no one could hear him. He was falling through an abyss. Scenes from his life flashed through as he fell, he had no way to stop them, no way to escape.

Was this death? If it was, death was worse than he had ever imagined it to be. He could think, and that's all he could do. His body felt like what it was, a large chunk of meat. Immovable. Paralysed.

Outside the house, where firemen battled against the angry flames, Petunia sank to the ground, sobbing in unrestrained sorrow as the only man she had ever loved in her life left her.

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH! DIE DIE DIE!
*collects herself* But I do feel a little sorry...did I just do that? God, I'm evil!

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