Leaving Illusions Behind

Written by Li Cruz

Chapter Two: Of Blood and Shadow

Author Notes:

I know this is completely different from the original. But it makes a little more sense.

Li Cruz (rantermaster@yahoo.com)

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Harry Potter opened his good eye and looked up. His neck protested in pain. The shallow cut on the back of his neck had reopened and bleed. Uncle Vernon wasn't in the room. Harry sighed in relief. This meant Harry had time to think things out a bit.

Harry had discovered that Aunt Petunia was who he thought she was. She had been forced to take some sort of consciousness altering drugs by her so-called husband. Harry had found out when he had came back from delivering some newspapers, which was really Dudley's job. She had been throwing away several pill bottles, wearing a shirt and jeans and muttering about Vernon and his tricks…

"Go to hell, Vernon. I won't take anymore of these drugs." Petunia muttered as she yanked up the trash-bag. "God knows how many years it's been since 'I' was conscious."

Harry accidentally dropped the shoulder bag. Aunt Petunia wheeled around sharply. They stared at each other for a long while before Aunt Petunia spoke.

"Who are you and what are you doing in this house?" Aunt Petunia said nervously.

Harry blinked in surprise.

"It's me, Aunt Petunia, Harry Potter."

She blinked and then relaxed a bit. Harry noticed she didn't look so uptight.

"So where is Lily and your father? My, you look a lot like James…"

Harry started for a moment. He spoke slowly.

"They've been dead for about fifteen years, Auntie. I've been living with you."

Aunt Petunia paled. She managed to sit at the table. She looked unbelievingly at Harry.

"No. No. I… No. Why can't I remember?"

Harry watched tears streak down her face. She pulled a shirt sleeve over her cheek. Harry simply stood, not knowing what to do.

"So fifteen years have pass and my sister dead. I should have never met or married Vernon."

"Aunt Petunia, what's going on?"

She gave a hard look at Harry. She bit her lip.

"I guess I haven't be exactly kind to you, have I?"

Harry nodded numbly.

"I'm truly sorry for that, Harry. You know how I used to take those drugs?"

Harry nodded. Aunt Petunia would take a set of drugs once a week for some supposed illness.

"Those alter one's consciousness. They can give you another personality."

"Why were you taking them?"

"In the beginning, when I had met Vernon, I and your mother had gotten into a fight. Vernon had offered them to me as a way to relax. I didn't realize what he wanted back then. He had been looking for a test subject for some drugs he was making. I think he only married me to make sure I would blab to anyone what he was doing." She said, staring sadly into space.

"By time I 'woke' up from the drug cocktail, I was married and pregnant with Dudley. He wouldn't risk killing his little boy with the drugs he gave me so he took me off then." She said bitterly. "Those six months I spent with my sister, your mother. We finally forgave each other for what had happen over those years."

"Then you went back on the drugs, Aunt Petunia?"

"The minute I stepped out of the hospital. Your mother knew about the drugs but I had made her promise not to tell a soul. I think that was one of the biggest mistakes I had ever made."

Harry nodded. They had talked a while longer than Uncle Vernon came home. Then things had gone down hill. Vernon beat Harry and thrown him into the second bedroom. Harry could hear Uncle Vernon yell and hit Aunt Petunia as he had faded into unconsciousness.

Which brought him back to the present. Harry worried about his aunt. Dudley, luckily and unluckily for both of them, was attending summer school. Hedwig was delivering a letter to Ron. Harry had sent her two days ago. For Harry, there was only one choice left. He winced mentally. He doubt he was going to make it out alive.

'The Boy-Who-Lives dies by mad Muggle. That will be a laugh.' He thought as he stood up. His left arm was broken and not to mention one or two ribs. Perhaps his right ankle was but it didn't matter right now. Helping Aunt Petunia was first priority.

Harry managed to hobble to the door. He took as deep a breath as he could manage and open the door.



The shadow came to feeling slightly ill and a bit weak. The shadow checked the man. It realized it had unintentionally healed most of the man's injuries. The man was merely sleeping.

There was a strangled scream above him. The shadow jumped up and ran to the stairs. The shadow was unaware of the fact the man was watching it…



Harry was backed into the kitchen table. He managed to avoid the butcher knife. Petunia was screaming for help. Harry barely avoid the knife again. Vernon managed to slice his right arm. Harry tripped backwards. Petunia screamed and launched herself at Vernon. Vernon backhanded her into the kitchen table. Vernon laughed insanely.

And if God had answered Petunia's pleas, the basement door shattered. Harry made out a mass of shadows attacking Vernon. Vernon whipped around to face the attacker. The mass of shadows hit Vernon in the stomach. Vernon was pushed back from Harry. Petunia and Harry simply stared at the shadow entity as it stood up. Vernon, on the rebound, slammed a fist into the shadow entity. The shadow lead Vernon into the living room. There was some blood speckling the hallway and kitchen. Vernon had managed to get several slashes on the shadow. But Vernon looked pretty bad.

Vernon launched himself on the shadow, knocking it into the wall, and buried the knife in its shoulder. The shadow blast Vernon into the wall. Vernon was knocked completely unconscious. Harry and Petunia heard a gasp from the basement doorway. Both looked over. Professor Snape, partly dressed, was staring at them. A sound from the kitchen doorway alert them. The shadow was watching them. It had hissed in pain as it yanked out the knife in its shoulder.

The shadow seemed to fade into the form of a young teenager. The youngster was panting hard before slumping against the doorway. There was finally sirens in the distance and someone knocking on the door. Petunia was first to recover her wits.

"Who are you?" She asked as she stood up.

"Er, Professor Severus Snape…"

"Well, Professor, upstairs in the bathroom is a medical kit."

Snape nodded, understanding what she meant. Potter and his savior both looked horrible. He winced softly as he went to get it. By time he was back down, Petunia managed to get Potter and their rescuer into the living room. The knocking on the door became more frantic. Petunia promptly took the kit from him and began bandaging up the mysterious boy. Potter, who was now wrapping his own arm, watched. Snape went to answer the door.

Mrs. Figgs and a few neighbors stared at Snape when he opened the door. Snape cleared his throat.

"How long before the police get here?" He snapped. "I would feel safer if the madman was handcuffed."

Everyone just stared. Petunia called him, her voice shaking. He limped back quickly. Several of the neighbors followed in.

Snape came and kneeled next to her. Harry had managed to get a bowl. The youngster was vomiting up some blood. The neighbors gaped at the scene. Finally the police and several medics rushed in.



One hour later, the police managed to cart out the now insane Vernon. The medics couldn't move the youngster with possible killing him. Harry's injuries were all treated in the house as well. Snape and Petunia was treated for bruises and small cuts. The doctor they had brought in clucked his tongue.

"Well, what's the diagnose?" Snape asked.

"The boy has very little chance of living currently. There seems to be a lot of internal bruising and if we take him to the hospital. The jogging in the vehicle would…"

The group nodded. The police officer spoke up.

"Are you sure you don't know who the kid is?"

Harry shook his head. Petunia countered.

"All we knew he came out of the basement door and attack Vernon."

"Either the kid is the bravest or the biggest idiot I…"

"We can risk moving the boy." A familiar voice said.

Everyone turned to see Albus Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey enter. The doctor was puzzled.

"Albus, how can we move him without…" Snape demanded to know.

"This potion is rarely used because it slows down the blood." Pomfrey produced a small vial.

Harry finally noticed the policemen and the medics filing out. A dazed look on their faces indicated they had been Oblivated. Mad Eye Moody finished the memory charm on the doctor.

"I think you all would be safer at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.

"But what about him?" Harry asked. They all watched Pomfrey disappear with the youngster.

"He will be fine. Beside I have an old friend who must not be kept waiting at the castle. No doubt we will find him helping Madam Pofrey when we get there. Now, Ms. Evans, could you gather thing you and your family need?"



Yugi and his friends watched as Grampa hurried after a creature that called himself Dobby.

"I wonder what would require your grandfather to go somewhere else?" Marik wondered out loud.

"Mr. Solomon Motou is quite adept at using healing spells. Apparently there is someone in the Infirmary…" the woman who Grampa had introduced as Mrs. McGonall trailed off.

The boys and Rashid looked at one another. Mrs. McGonall clapped her hands.

"Well, there is no reason to stand here. Since it is after breakfast, I'll show you to your quarters for the summer."

As they walked, all of them couldn't help but gape. Pictures and armor moved. The staircases were shifting and moving.

"This looks more confusing than an Egyptian tomb." Marik remarked. "Or that Labyrinth we went to last year."

Yugi laughed as the others paled. Yugi had managed to get out of the maze just fine. McGonall, though she didn't turn around, raised an eyebrow at the remark.

"It was easy to solve if you kept a clear head." Yugi said.

"Easy for you to say, Yugi, but you are already a genius when it comes to puzzles or thinking on your feet. Not ever one is blessed."

Yugi just laughed.

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Next on Leaving Illusion Behind:

Chapter Three: Professor Motou?