A/N As some of you will already know, this story was abandoned a long time ago. Well, now it's back! All of the chapters have been redone, as well as a brand new one added! Enjoy! And please review if you're kind enough. I'm going to start giving feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I'm just borrowing her wonderful characters.

Harry James Potter was currently asleep in his small bedroom at number four Privet Drive. It was only a week into the summer and he already hated it because of his "family". Vernon, Petunia and Dudley were waiting for their breakfast to be made by Harry and they were getting angrier by the minute.

"Where is that boy?" Uncle Vernon raged from downstairs. "When I get a hold of him..." He left the kitchen cursing about Harry as he made his way upstairs. Aunt Petunia and Dudley exchanged glances. They were of course, supporting Vernon's side. Dudley got up from his chair and wobbled down the hall and up the stairs, following his father.

Harry had been up late the night before. He had woken up from another nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep. He had fallen back asleep just before daybreak and was about to be woken up for another day of backbreaking chores under the hot summer sun. He was so tired he didn't even wake up when his fat uncle strode into the room with heavy thumps and Dudley behind him waiting eagerly for his father to torture Harry.

"WAKE UP, BOY!"

Harry woke with a start. He looked up and was surprised to see his uncle standing there with Dudley. Wondering what he did now, he asked his uncle.

"What did I do?" He asked confused.

"Breakfast was supposed to be made an hour ago." Uncle Vernon said surprisingly calm. "You're making your poor, hard-working aunt get it done now. Do you have any last words?"

Harry gulped. He glanced from uncle Vernon, who as punching his hand with his fist, to Dudley who was looking happier than when he did when watching his favourite TV program, and back to his uncle. His uncle had never hit him before but he certainly looked like he would now. Harry tried to back away against the wall but he wasn't quick enough. His uncle gave him one hard punch in the stomach sending him backwards. Slightly dazed, he looked up to see his uncle leaving the room with Dudley laughing. Massaging his stomach, Harry heard his uncle call back at him. "Hurry up and get ready, Boy. You get no breakfast and you have until lunch to finish all your chores."

Getting up shakily from bed, he wandered into the bathroom to have a shower. When he took off his shirt he noticed that there was no mark from where he got hit but it still hurt him badly. He had his quick shower and tried to control his hair just to make sure Vernon didn't get angry again. His hair went down a bit but it stuck up again after he left the bathroom. He snuck out the backdoor and started his daily chores. Harry hoped he'd get done in time. He started late today and had to work extra fast. He began by weeding Petunia's flowerbed. The sun was causing him to sweat in the heat but he couldn't let that stop him. Harry noticed that clouds were also coming over in the distance. He only hoped that it would cool down later when he was working. Two hours later he was back in the house getting lunch ready. He was just about to make a sandwich for himself when Dudley seen him.

"DAD!" He screamed. Uncle Vernon came into the kitchen and seen Harry taking out the bread.

"What do you think you're doing boy?" He demanded from Harry.

"Uh, making a sandwich," Harry replied sarcastically. He immediately regretted it, having remembered this morning. He tried to apologise, "Oops, sorry uncle Vernon."

"That's it boy," Uncle Vernon moved towards Harry with his hand raised. He slapped him hard across the face and Harry fell to the ground in shock. "First you don't make breakfast, you start your chores late and now you try to have some lunch when I specifically told you not to."

"You never said that! You only said no breakfast!" Harry shouted back.

"Shut up! You do not talk back to me like that," Uncle Vernon kicked him several times. "We raised you since you were a year old and this is how you treat us? We bought you clothes, food and let you stay in our home when we never even wanted you. You're a freak! Now go to your room and never come out!"

Harry scrambled up from the floor and walked towards the stairs nursing his right arm. He passed Dudley on the way who pointed and laughed at him. Harry didn't even think about responding to him. It would only make him tell his dad and Harry wasn't prepared to face the consequences. Harry went into his room and shut the door. He seen Hedwig on his bed with a letter clutched in her beak. Harry flopped on his bed and took the letter from her. Hedwig pecked his arm wanting some kind of reward.

"Sorry, girl. I don't have any food. None for myself either."

Wondering whom the letter was from; Harry took it and opened it. It was from his godfather, Sirius Black.

Dear Harry,

How's your summer going so far? Do you remember the night you were in the hospital wing after the 3rd task and when Dumbledore told me to "gather the old crowd" then lie low at Moony's? That's where I am right now. Buckbeak's here too.

I was wondering how you're coping after the task. You know that you can write to me for anything whether it be your scar hurting or just because you're bored and have nothing better to do.

Dumbledore owled me last night and said you might be able to go to Ron's house for the last remaining weeks of summer but that isn't for a while yet. And that's only if things go well with Voldemort and everything. Keep your head up, Harry. I'll keep in touch and remember I'm here if you ever need me.

Sirius

It may have been short, but Harry was happy to receive a letter from his godfather. At least he knew he was all right and not caught. It would have been in the Daily Prophet is he was but Harry had no connection to the wizarding world. He was glad Hermione was sending him her old copies once she was done with them. Harry was just thinking of being back at Hogwarts with them when another owl flew in his window and dropped a newspaper on his bed and soared out again. It just so happened it was the Daily Prophet that Hermione dropped off. He flipped through it and seen nothing about Voldemort's return. He guessed that Fudge still didn't believe Dumbledore or that he did but refused to let the world know. Harry sighed. He was stuck here all night with no food or anything.

A thought came into Harry's head. Sirius had said in his letter that Dumbledore might allow him to stay at Ron's house. Even last year, Mrs. Weasley said that she wanted Harry to come home with them. Only one small problem: Harry didn't have time to write to him. It could take a few days and who knows how much Vernon would have hurt him by then. Harry threw his stuff in his trunk and put on a jacket. He dragged the trunk and Hedwig's cage down to the front door and took his wand out to be prepared for uncle Vernon. Sure enough, Vernon heard Harry come down the stairs and came over to him with an angry look on his purple face. Harry was prepared this time and raised his wand at his uncle.

"One step closer and you'll get it. I'm not joking. I'm leaving to my friend's house. I'm not staying here anymore. Goodbye."

And with that, Harry opened the door and slammed it behind him, promising to never come back. Only one problem: he didn't know the way to Ron's house.

To be continued...

(A/N) Well, that's the first chapter fixed. I didn't have too much to redo, just a few grammatical errors and I may have added an extra word here and there. Feel free to review if you want! Feedback will be starting after the fourth chapter. And the people who already reviewed Chapter 4 will be getting their feedback soon.