Harry Potter and the Quest of Life

Summary: Harry had always longed to leave the Dursleys. His desire is fulfilled, but in a way he never planned. A sixteen years old Harry is left alone to live and survive in the world with Voldemort free in it. Will Harry be able to meet the challenge???

Thud. Harry Potter went flying across the room. Boom. The heavy, broken wooden chair connected with the young boy's body. An evil shadow was hovering above his fragile body. A kick in the ribs and his Uncle Vernon was done with him. He looked disgustingly at his nephew's injured profile, spat on the floor, and left the room.

It was only after his uncle's departure that Harry dared to open his eyes. One of his eyes was swollen and blue, a departing gift from Uncle Vernon. And he suspected that he heard a crack somewhere inside him when Uncle Vernon was kicking him continously. Anyway, he was now used to the beating and it didn't effect him that much now. One word wrong from him and Uncle Vernon was on it. Ocassionaly, he didn't even need a wrong word to do it. He just did it. Did it for pleasure. Pleasure to see one of those people writhing on his feet. To see those people in trouble and agony. It pleased him to no end that he had a power over a wizard who was supposed to be a lot more powerful than he was. Harry was aware of this and he often droped hints about what he was going to do to Uncle Vernon when he graduated. Of course, these hints were so vague that often Uncle Vernon didn't get to the bottom of them. But when he did, it was a very bad day for Harry.

Today was the same. Uncle Vernon caught a hint and now as the result of it Harry was left cowering on the floor of the shortest bedroom in the #4 Privet Drive.

Wizarding world was no longer a pleasant thought for Harry. His mouth went bitter from hate when he thought about it. But again he couldn't hate the wizarding world, could he? After all, it was in the wizarding world where he found refuge from the Dursleys. And it was in the wizarding world where he was declared a murderer without any investigation. Although Professor Dumbledore had saved Harry from Azkaban by saying that he believed that Voldemort has risen again and Harry was innocent because Cedric Diggory was killed by Lord Voldemort, Harry knew that no one but his closest and dearest friends believed him. Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy had done everything in their power to prove Harry guilty of Cedric's murder. But the witness of so many people had saved him from a fate worst than death. Else, Harry's wand was also checked for the spells performed by it and they found no Avada Kedavra or any unforgiveables. This also added truth to Harry's story and Voldemort's rebirth. But Fudge point blank refused to believe it. And thus, following his word, all the wizarding world did the same. Crouch's absence was declared due to his insanity.

The story was published on the first page of Daily Prophet with all the details. Harry Potter was declared a murderer and a lunatic. Sarcastic and offending remarks were published about Harry's dreams and his scar. Those who didn't believe Harry to be a murderer, they thought of him as mentally unstable. After all, the poor boy had a very difficult life.

Harry's fifth year was a hell. And that was saying something after all the previous years. No longer was he looked upon as a celebrity but as a murderer. Collin Creevey had started to avoid Harry. Not that he minded very much. But it still hurt.

Whole the Quidditch team except Fred and George Weasley had denied to accept Harry in the team. Professor McGonagal was furious at the announcement but she could do nothing because all the house teams were afraid to play with Harry in it. Slytherins started to say Harry their ally among to the students and it only confirmed their suspicions.

His dormmates demanded that Harry should leave their dorms. But the biggest blow came when Harry was kicked out of the Quidditch team by the majority of votes, which was two to four, of the team members.

The idea of life without Quidditch was unbearable for Harry. And yet he had to bear with it. Ron and Hermione stood by his side all the time. They were also treated as traitors for siding with Harry but that couldn't change their mind.

What added to miseries of Harry Potter was that Lord Voldemort had shown no sign of his return. No dark mark in the sky. No deaths. All in all silence. Silence from the Dark side. And it strengthened the false feeling of security among the people. Harry understood Voldemort's plan. He will strike when he will be most unexpected. Harry knew it. He also knew that it will be very effective. For it will send the people in a great panic. Then, there will be no one to stop him. No one but him, Harry Potter, Voldemort's greatest enemy. For he knew that Voldemort felt him as a threat to his ambition and he will do anything in his power to make sure that this obstacle was no longer in his way.

Harry came to his senses when he heard his Aunt Petunia shrieking from outside his bedroom door.

"Get up you lazy, stinking brat. How dare you haven't made the dinner. Get down to the kitchen this instant and make dinner. Oh my poor little Duddykins is starving. ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"I am coming." Harry called.

"You had better." His aunt said in a threatening tone and left. Harry sighed and stood up. His ribs weren't broken but still, they hurt.

"Ok Harry boy. Straight to the kitchen or Uncle Vernon will have your head on a platter and I don't think a headless Harry will look impressive."

~*~

"N-no no noooooooo! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Harry woke in the middle of the night on his bed at #4 Privet Drive. He was sweating profoundly. His scar was burning hot and although he couldn't see it, he was sure that his scar was burning red.

As Harry finally came to his senses, he heard a roar and found himself wishing that he would once again lose them.

"Haaarrryyy Pooottteeerrr!!!!!!!!!"

'Oh God. Oh God. Please save me.' Harry prayed.

By the sound of Uncle Vernon's roar, it was apparent to Harry that he would not live to see the next sun. Soon enough, he heard footsteps reaching his bedroom door. He could now do nothing to save himself.

Uncle Vernon didn't wait to knock the door. One kick, and way to Harry was clear.

"You rascal! You son of a bitch." Uncle Vernon roared.

He leapt towards Harry, and before Harry could escape, lifted him up by his collar and threw him across the room. He kicked Harry in the ribs once. Then twice. Thrice. And then he started kicking Harry continously. Then he picked Harry's head up by his hair and started punching his face. After ten minutes, he let Harry's face down to the ground.

"Never, Never disturb my sleep again." He hissed.

He turned to go back. Harry lifted his bloody face up.

"Two years, Uncle Vernon. Two years."

Uncle Vernon turned back, with his face contorted with anger. And then...

"That's it boy. You are gone."

He ran out of the door towards his bedroom to carry his gun. Harry knew where this was heading. With all his willpower, he moved his body towards the loose floorborad and retrieved his wand. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now he was safe.

He quickly cast a strengthening charm on himself along with a healing one and stood up. Uncle Vernon emerged from the doorway with his gun.

Harry raised his wand hand.

"No no Uncle Vernon. I don't think you will need that anymore. Throw the bloody gun away, now!" Harry bellowed.

"You-you are giving me orders. You bloody, shit eating, pathetic excuse for a boy. I will kill you." Uncle Vernon was mad with anger by now.

"I warn you Uncle Vernon. One more step-"

"What will you do. What can you do, huh? You will kill me. You? I will kill you." He straightened his gun and took Harry's aim. "Goodbye boy."

"Look Uncle- Reducto." Harry took the gun's aim, when Vernon was about to pull the trigger.

"WHAT?"

Uncle Vernon was very shocked by the attack and panicked. He throwed his gun at Harry's wand. But it was too late. The spell had already left the wand.

And then one thing happened that Harry will never forget in his coming life. With no gun in between, the spell caught Vernon straight in the chest.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!" Uncle Vernon screamed. The beam of red light blasted Uncle Vernon to the wall behind him. After the effect of the spell was worn off, Vernon slid through the wall and dropped on the floor, dead.

"N-N-No no." Harry said in a shaking voice.

"Daddy."

"Vernon."

Dudley and Petunia came rushing through the door to examine Vernon.

'Run Harry. This is the sole option you have got. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to save you now. All you have to do is to run and hide. Or else... Harry didn't even want to think about those evil, foul souls whom he had to face if he didn't get out of here. He finally came to his senses second time that day and cast a quick summoning charm so that all his belongings were there in front of him. He again cast a charm to shrunk them, so that he can carry them in his pocket. And sprang onto his Firebolt. He cast a quick sad glance towards Dudley and Petunia, who were still mourning for Vernon.

Harry left the house through the window. Hopefully, no one will see him as it was two in the morning. His first stop will be Diagon Alley. So that he could get some money to live and eat.

~*~

Jeremy Eastwood worked in the Ministry of Magic. He was in the section which detected the illegal use of magic. Underage wizards were also looked after by them to make sure that they were not using magic out of school. What more, he was a Death Eater. He was a new recruit and had a thirst to prove himself worthy of Lord Voldemort's attention. It was his ambitious side which had lead him into Slytherin once he was in Hogwarts. From that day on, he had heard stories about the greatness of the Dark Lord Voldemort. He had been the one to believe with many others that the Dark Lord was alive. He had searched everywhere for his lord but found him nowhere. And imagine his happiness when he read in the article that Potter and Dumbledore believed Voldemort to have risen again. He had at once started to search for a contact to the Dark Lord. This proved to be fairly easy when Lucius introduced him to the Dark Lord as a new and worthy recruit. When he saw the Dark Lord, he knew that all the stories about the Dark Lord's greatness were true. And that his place was only to serve the Dark Lord, for all his life. He knew that no stupid, lunatic boy can beat the Dark Lord's greatness.

He was taken out of his thoughts by the sound of alarm. The alarm indicated that there had been a magical activity from an underage wizard. He checked the location. #4 Privet Drive.

'#4 Privet Drive, that sounds familiar.'

"Privet Drive. Privet Drive. Privet Drive. PRIVET DRIVE."

He stood up, grabbed his broom, and apparated outside the small town. After an hour, he entered the house through the window of a small bedroom. An overly-large boy and a horse-faced woman were mourning over a dead man, who looked like a bull rather than a man.

He dismounted the broom and went near the woman and the boy.

"What happened? How did he died?" He inquired.

They both turned their heads to see him. Suddenly they both screamed and started talking together. None of which made sense.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed and both the muggles cowered in the wall.

"Now, tell me peacefully exactly what happened. You, you woman, you tell me." He pointed towards the woman.

"W-we were a-all sleeping in our rooms. Then s-suddenly Pot-Harry st-started screaming in the middle of the night and the-then V-V-Vernon went to tell him of. And-and when we came here Vernon w-was trying t-to s-save h-his life from the g-gun and Harry was pointing his-his stick towards him and then-then he said something and Vernon went flying across the room by a red beam of light and-and when we reached him, he-he w-was d-dead. And-and Potter escaped." She started crying again.

"Red, you said?" He asked for confirmation and she nodded affirmatively.

'How's he dead when Potter didn't use the Avada Kedavra curse? Red, she said. Why Reducto, of course. But he shouldn't have been killed unless....Yes that should be it. He should have got the curse straight at his heart.' He thought. 'Here's a good chance of increasing my value and respect in front of my lord.'

"I believe that Potter killed him intentionally." He asked.

"You are right." Then she asked reluctantly. "Why are you saying so? Don't you like him? You are a wizard too, of course."

"Why that boy is full of himself. I don't go relate myself with his kind." He said disguistingly. 'Of course I am an excellent actor.'

"Listen the words were Reducto, right?"

"Y-yes. That's it."

"Potter will escape if you said this. It could be an accident." He said acting disappointed.

"I will not let him go that easily. Tell me what to do." The boy roared.

Jeremy smiled. It was a triumphant smile. 'Just as I thought. Right on the spot.'

"All you have to do is to say that the words were Avada Kedavra. Remember, Avada Kedavra. And the colour of the beam was green, not red. Ok?"

"Alright. We will do it." The boy said again. The woman looked a little frifgtened and reluctant in trusting him.

"What will it prove by changing colours and words?" She asked dubiously.

"It'll change everything. This is magic we are talking about. Trust me." He said. The woman nodded, again dubiously.

'The women is very careful and untrusting with wizards. So, I better treat her like a muggle would.' He thought.

"Ok now I think we had better take a taxi to the ministry building." He said. 'Thanks God I took Muggle Studies in school.'

~*~