Hello, people! I'm new at this kind of thing, so if I do something wrong, please correct me so that I can fix it. For your information, I wrote this story a year ago, so I probably don't write like this anymore, but I'm still rather proud of my first – ever chapter story! OK then.

Oh yeah. You'll want a disclaimer, right? Well, I don't own Harry Potter. There!

Chapter One

Flashback

"Wimp!"

"Freak!"

"Four – eyes!"

Insults shot around the yard, synchronized with every punch, kick, and even bite that was thrown. The predators were a group of four fat bullies. The prey, a small, scrawny boy with messy black hair, taped glasses, and vivid green eyes.

End Flashback

Harry Potter, seven – year – old boy, sat against a nearby tree, nursing his injuries and remembering what had just happened. Dudley and his gang had decided to play another game of Harry Hunting, and, as usual, Harry had lost. But something was different about this time.

No more! Harry thought to himself. I won't take this anymore! I'm leaving! The small boy got up and, after making sure that no one was looking, ran down the street, around a corner, and into a large clump of trees that hadn't been walked in for years.

"I'll be safe here," Harry said softly to himself as he carefully set foot into the thick brush. "No one will ever find me!"

Deeper and deeper he walked, until he finally came across a small clearing about four feet in diameter. There he sat down in order to plan his next move.

He had just sunk deep into thought when he heard the sound of twigs breaking. It's a lion! his irrational seven – year – old mind screamed. It's going to eat me! Harry pushed himself as far as he could into the tree behind him. He was two seconds away from screaming for help when the head of a big, shaggy black dog appeared from the bushes.

Harry let out a sigh of relief as he reached out to pet the dog. It seemed friendly enough. The dog trotted forward with a doggish grin playing on his face as if to say, "Ha! I've found you!"

Harry didn't quite know why, but he suddenly had a strange feeling like he had seen this dog before. Like a distant memory floating away, so faint that it could barely be seen. He knew immediately that big, black dogs were his friends, even though he'd been told countless times by Aunt Petunia to stay away from them. He could be trusted. This dog was trustworthy.

But what to name him?

Harry sat and thought out loud whilst stroking the dog's fur. "Padfoot? No, too... to evil sounding. Sirius? Ha, what king of name would that be?" The dog glanced over at him with a look that plainly said, "If I could talk, I would be screaming at you right now." Suddenly, it struck him.

"Snuffles!" Harry exclaimed. "I'll call you snuffles!"

Drat, the dog though to himself. Of all the names in the world, why this?

Ok, well, I know that it's not much of a chapter, but hey, I'm hoping you'll like it better later. Review if you want, I don't really care.