Disclaimer: Not again!!!-- sigh I do not own Harry potter…but I do have Black and Snape tied up in my room. He he he I caught Snape during the summer. . Also Tarot card meanings come from P. Scott Hollander.

Author: "Why me of course" smile They don't know who you are "Oh I forgot. I'm the great and all powerful Rei, child of taboo" bows Introduce me "And this is my annoying muse Gem. Just ignore her" hits Rei "owww! And also my editor Ashe will be helping "

Warning: This story contains some child abuse. Also I'm very fond of the word 'Damn' and 'Shit'.

Last words: This story isn't my primary concern. I will be spending most of my time on 'Heritage' so this will be slow to update until I finish that story.

Beauty is only blood deep Chapter 1 The zoo

For almost eleven years Harry Potter had lived with his aunt and uncle. The years had flown by, but the house on Privet drive seemed exactly the same. Only The pictures on the mantle showed the passing years. Once they held photographs of a small baby boy. But now They were filled with images of a plump blond boy. Not a single frame featured the green eyed raven haired boy who lived in the cupboard under the stairs.

The green eyed boy was sleeping as the sun rose. But not for long. "Get up! Get up now!" Harry jumped awake at his aunts shrill voice. "Start the breakfast. And if you dare to burn the bacon on my Duddydums birthday you will be beaten again." Harry sat up and groaned as he heard her walk away. He had been having a very good dream. In his dream a pretty woman with red hair had been holding him. She smiled, exposing a pair of long pointed teeth. For some reason every time he had this dream he awoke feeling safe.

"Are you up yet, or do I need to fetch the stick?" His aunt yelled through the door.

"Yes Aunt Petunia I'm up" Harry hurriedly searched his cupboard for somewhat clean cloths. Finding some he quickly dressed and went to the kitchen. The table was full of box upon box for the his cousin's birthday. It looked as if his parents had even gotten him the bike the blond boy had wanted.

Harry spotted a present that resembles a punching bag. Why Dudley had asked for that Harry could only guess. It was pointless. Dudley already liked his old punching bag, Harry. Although sometimes Dudley and his gang found it hard to catch the skinny boy. Harry may not look it, but he was very fast. He always came in first during the one meter dash.

Maybe it was because he lived in the cupboard under the stairs, but Harry was always small and skinnier than the other kids his age. The very large hand-me-downs from his very large cousin only made him look even smaller. Harry had a thin slightly pointed face, long black hair, perfect teeth and bright green eyes. The only thing Harry liked about his pale skin was the thin lightning shaped scar on this forehead. His aunt had informed him he received it in 'the car crash that killed your no good parents that dumped you on us.

Harry was cooking the eggs when his uncle, aunt, and cousin entered the room. They sat in the three chairs at the table and waited for Harry to bring the their food. Careful not to drop a plate Harry balanced all three breakfasts in his hands. As he approached the table he braced himself for the foot he knew would lash out at him. A second before Dudley's fat foot hit Harry the green haired boy jumped slightly in the air. They did this every day, once in a blue moon Dudley managed to hit Harry, but most of the time Harry managed to avoid his cousin. Harry set down the plates and turned to the sink to start the dishes.

As Harry was washing the bacon pan when the telephone rang and his aunt left to answer it. She came back a few seconds later. "Bad news boys. Mrs. Figg has fallen ill so she can't watch the boy"

"Well" uncle Vernon glared at Harry "We will just have to bring him to the zoo with us." At his fathers words Dudley started to scream.

"I don't want him to come! Hi will ruin everything" Dudley's tantrum was put to an end by the arrival of his best friend, Piers Polkiss. Piers had on several occasions held Harry while Dudley punched him.

Within twenty minuets Harry found himself riding in a car to the zoo. He had never been to the zoo. In fact he had never been anywhere besides school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's smelly house. When they reached the parking lot and exited the car uncle Vernon pulled Harry aside. "Now listen boy if there is any funny business You will be beaten within an inch of your life" Having said his peace Harry was pushed up ahead.

The majority of the day went well for Harry. He avoided the attention of his relatives by walking behind them The day looked as if it would end well. That was before the lady selling ice cream saw him.

When she first saw caught sight of Harry she looked curious. "Boy come here" She seemed to sing the words. Harry looked at her something seemed off. She was a tall girl only around eighteen. She had bright blond hair pulled back into a pony and cloudy blue eyes. Her pale cheeks were covered with freckles. "Come here" she sang again. That's when Harry notice that her lips weren't moving.

Harry looked into her eyes. They seemed to lead into a bottomless pit. "Come to me" Harry did. For some reason it seemed stupid to resist. I felt right to do as he was told. "You look hungry. I have just the thing to perk you up" she said those words using her mouth. "What's your name?"
"Harry. But I don't have any money" she smiled. The girl opened the cart and reached inside. When her hand came out it had a had a slender package. She opened it to expose a deep red Popsicle.

"Free of charge" The girl handed him the Popsicle. Harry thanked her. Turning he looked at the spot where the Dursley's had been standing before the lady called to him. They were six exhibits ahead. Harry ran to catch up with them. As he ran Harry started to eat the icy treat in his hand. It had a strange but nice flavor. It was a sweet mix between cherry and strawberry with a tangy aftertaste.

The group ahead of him made for the night house, where nocturnal animals were housed. As Harry stepped into the dark room his eyes adjusted. Having lived in a dark cupboard Harry's eyes were used to seeing in almost pitch black areas.

The sound of singing reached his ears as he moved to the garbage can to throw the Popsicle stick away. Harry looked around for the girl from before but he could see no one. "Dark one" came the small singing voice "Can you hear me" The nearest people to him we several expiates away tapping on the glass. "I'm over here dark one" As Harry glanced around his eyes fell on the bat exhibit. A small bat on a perch was waving at him. "Took you a while"

Harry moved closer to the bat. "How can you talk?" "I'm a familiar. I help my master by providing guidance and information. My name is Hadrian" The bat bowed from his upside down perch. "What might your name be Dark one?"

"I'm Harry. Why do you keep calling me dark one?" Before The bat could answer Harry was pushed to the floor. Apparently Dudley had gotten bored with the sleeping animals and decided to Harry hunt.

"Who you talking to idiot?" He bushed Harry hard against the floor. Harry heard the bridge of his glasses break. "You talking to yourself because no one will talk to you?" The weight of his cousin pinning him seemed to be slowly flattening him. Harry struggled to push the fat boy off him. A force seemed to be building inside his head. A burning fire that consumed all, it strand from nowhere and licked at his face. The more he struggled the more his cousin pushed him, the more his cousin pushed him the more the fire grew. If this didn't stop Harry was sure he would melt. Did Dudley feel the flames, did he see the flames that burned in his head?

The room around Harry seemed to grow brighter. A throbbing pain filled Harry's consciousness. He couldn't stand the flames anymore. Their tongues left hot trails over his pale face. He prayed for death, for blackness, to stop the pain. The it happened. The flames seemed to spring forth from his mind. For a second Harry saw the world in shades of red. The pain and flames were gone. His cousin was flaying towards the bat exhibit in slow motion. Harry marveled at how funny it was to see his overweight cousin fly through a sheet of glass in slow motion. As quickly as the whole event had happened time sped up. When the glass shattered the bats escaped into the air.

Harry swore he heard many singing voices thank him as they flew towards the exit. Some unknowing person had opened the door and they nocturnal animals raced out into the sunlight. All but one of them. Hadrian now clung to the front of Harry's shirt." You should hide, fallow us when we leave. My uncle won't like what just happened…what ever did just happen." The bat nodded in agreement ant flew up to the ceiling and out of sight just as Harry's uncle grabbed the poor boy by the back of his shirt.

"What happened here boy?" Vernon used his other arm to squeeze Harry's arm tightly. "Did you do this?"

"Dud-dud-dudly was hu-hurting me and when I pushed him off he-he lost his ba-balance and fell." Harry stammered. Harry's uncle didn't but it. He threw Harry's body into the wall making a 'thump' sound, and left to help his fat son out of the glass case. Harry sat there and rubbed the back of his head where it had connected with the wall.

His guardians decided to leave the zoo early. Surprisingly Dudley did not through a fit. Instead he spent the remainder of the ride home giving Harry scared looks. Harry didn't car, in fact he didn't notice. All of his attention was on the small airborne animal flying by the car.
Hadrian managed to match the cars speed ant fallowed them home. The bat was the closest thing Harry had ever had and it gave him hope that it had actually fallowed him. Maybe this would be the one friend Dudley and his gang couldn't scare off. Oh his hope filled daze Harry failed to notice Piers leave until he was inside.

Vernon punched Harry hard in the stomach. The small boy gasped and sank to the floor. The man who was supposed to protect and care for him raised his foot and brought it down hard on his face. Harry dared not scream, The beatings were always worse if his uncle enjoyed it. And nothing gave the sadist more pleasure than watching the boy scream out in pain. "You god awful brat! We raise you and you disobey us! We feed you and you disobey us! We cloth you and give you a wonderful place to sleep and you still won't do what I say!" Vernon punched Harry hard. Then he punched him again, and again, soon kicking him and throwing the limp boy around.

The beating continued fueled by the older mans hatred of the boy. The punches, the kicks, and taunts all gained strength from each other. Harry felt himself start to slip into the painless dark. He didn't fight it, when his uncle had discovered that he had gotten away he would stop. It was the only way he ever seemed to stop. He sighed as sweet nothing took over his mind.
Just like he knew he would Harry wake a few hours later. He still lay where he had been beaten. A small pool of blood beneath him. Within his reach was a towel and a bucked of water. His aunt had left it there for him to clean up. Even if it was not his fault he bleed he had to take care of the mess. He slowly lifted himself up and took the wet rag. Slowly he cleaned the dry blood off of his hurting body. When he was mostly clean he proceeded to clean the floor.

Half an hour later when he had finished and disposed of the water the small boy dragged himself to his cupboard room. He slowly eased himself onto the bed. The day had gone well compared to some of his others. He was even knocked out sooner than normal. But the best point of his day was that hanging above him in the dark rafters was his first friend. With that in mind Harry drifted into a peaceful sleep. He was only awake long enough to hear Hadrian whisper three words to him.

"Sleep well master"

Rei: Ha ha ha! I finished it yay! But I did just have the crap beat out of Harry… oh well he will get revenge.

Hadrian: You are mean to master.

Rei: I'm not that mean. Sides, later it will come to BITE Vernon in the butt.

Hadrian: But still it was mean.

Rei: …Yeah…oh well. . Until next time my loving reviewers peace out. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!!!

Hadrian: Keep them coming or the evil Sake will be nipping at my heels.