Harry was rudely awoken from his slumber by the sound of large footsteps on
the stairs, and someone breathing heavily as they approached his door.
'Here we go again' thought Harry. He heard the door burst open, and the
floorboards creaking as someone crossed the room.
"Get up boy" a voice snarled. It was his Uncle. Suddenly Harry felt something hit his face so hard that his head was jerked sideways, and he could feel a thin trail of blood running down from his mouth. His eyes flickered open. It was obvious to anyone who might have been watching, that his eyes, which had been so vibrant and alert, were now dull and glazed over.
Uncle Vernon reached down and wrenched Harry up by his broken arm. He was holding an empty glass bottle in one hand, and his face was red. He had obviously been drinking. Harry let out a whimper of pain.
Uncle Vernon punched his face so it was inches away from Harry's.
"What's wrong boy?" he hissed, making Harry wrinkle his nose, as he smelt the beer on his Uncle's breath. "Can't take a bit of pain?" His voice had taken on a mocking tone now. "Just like your worthless parents". If Vernon had said that just one month ago, Harry would have retaliated, but he knew better than to try that now. He simply didn't have the energy to perform wandless magic, and his very life was in his Uncle's hands, to take if he pleased. However, Harry's silence seemed to irritate Vernon, and even disappoint him.
He shoved Harry roughly into the chair next to Harry's desk. Then he pushed a piece of parchment towards him, thrust Harry's quill into his hands. "Write" he barked. Without a word, Harry bent his working arm, and began to scratch away with his quill.
All the pain from his injuries seemed to have dulled into the background, but feeling his broken arm dangling limply by his side, and rubbing the back of his teeth with his parched tongue, he felt a throbbing impulse to tell Ron everything in this letter, and plead for help. But he knew that would just earn him a heavier beating from Uncle Vernon later. He glanced down at the parchment.
Ron,
Hey, How're you doing? I'm fine, the muggles are treating me okay, (Harry snorted mentally)
Oh yeah, How's Weasleys Wizard Wheezes doing? Fred and George haven't gone and turned Pig into a tennis ball or something, have they?
Dudley's given up on his diet. He threatened to run away and my Aunt and Uncle just gave in. They have to get his uniform tailor made now!
(Harry was about to ask Ron if he would send Harry any of those ton tongue toffees, when he remembered something and sighed. Uncle Vernon would chuck anything sent to him in the bin. He already ripped up all of Harry's letters after reading them once.)
I've got to go and finish that DADA essay. See ya!
Harry
p.s I probably won't be able to go to Diagon Alley with you and Hermione this Summer, sorry.
The moment he stopped writing, Uncle Vernon snatched up the letter, and read it. When he reached the part about Dudley his face went from red to magenta. "Oh. Shit." thought Harry, closing his eyes briefly.
"How dare you", Uncle Vernon hissed. "How dare you try to humiliate Dudley in front of your… your friends" He spat the last word out. "After all Petunia and I have done for you".
Uncle Vernon stood up and took a step back, and suddenly, without warning, he raised the glass bottle, and threw it straight at Harry. It exploded over him, showering him with glass. He could feel blood dripping from almost every part of his body where the glass had lodged itself.
Harry held back the screams at the back of his throat, and the tears prickling the back of his eyes. "Don't let him see that you're hurt" he thought to himself desperately.
Uncle Vernon took a menacing step towards Harry, who fell backwards on to the floor, and felt most of the glass that had fallen on the floor lodge itself into his back. Harry inched slowly backwards, with his Uncle coming closer, and closer, until he felt the wall against his back, pushing the glass even further into his body. Uncle Vernon kept approaching. Harry could feel the heavy vibrations on the floor with each of his Uncle's footsteps, and the sound of shards of glass crunching under his Uncle's massive feet. Finally his Uncle halted, and stood there, savoring the sight of Harry lying there, broken and helpless, the usual brightness which seemed to light his eyes, extinguished. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Harry's chest.
"You're going to join your parents boy", he grunted, an insane grin lighting his features, "Say hello to them in Hell for me!" Vernon raised the gun slightly so that it was now pointing at Harry's head. "Goodbye boy"
Suddenly a loud pop was heard, and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape appeared behind Harry's Uncle.
"Stupefy!" Vernon collapsed on the floor, the insane grin still spread across his face. Harry only had time to notice the shocked expression on the 3 professors faces, before the pain dragged him into unconsciousness.
"Get up boy" a voice snarled. It was his Uncle. Suddenly Harry felt something hit his face so hard that his head was jerked sideways, and he could feel a thin trail of blood running down from his mouth. His eyes flickered open. It was obvious to anyone who might have been watching, that his eyes, which had been so vibrant and alert, were now dull and glazed over.
Uncle Vernon reached down and wrenched Harry up by his broken arm. He was holding an empty glass bottle in one hand, and his face was red. He had obviously been drinking. Harry let out a whimper of pain.
Uncle Vernon punched his face so it was inches away from Harry's.
"What's wrong boy?" he hissed, making Harry wrinkle his nose, as he smelt the beer on his Uncle's breath. "Can't take a bit of pain?" His voice had taken on a mocking tone now. "Just like your worthless parents". If Vernon had said that just one month ago, Harry would have retaliated, but he knew better than to try that now. He simply didn't have the energy to perform wandless magic, and his very life was in his Uncle's hands, to take if he pleased. However, Harry's silence seemed to irritate Vernon, and even disappoint him.
He shoved Harry roughly into the chair next to Harry's desk. Then he pushed a piece of parchment towards him, thrust Harry's quill into his hands. "Write" he barked. Without a word, Harry bent his working arm, and began to scratch away with his quill.
All the pain from his injuries seemed to have dulled into the background, but feeling his broken arm dangling limply by his side, and rubbing the back of his teeth with his parched tongue, he felt a throbbing impulse to tell Ron everything in this letter, and plead for help. But he knew that would just earn him a heavier beating from Uncle Vernon later. He glanced down at the parchment.
Ron,
Hey, How're you doing? I'm fine, the muggles are treating me okay, (Harry snorted mentally)
Oh yeah, How's Weasleys Wizard Wheezes doing? Fred and George haven't gone and turned Pig into a tennis ball or something, have they?
Dudley's given up on his diet. He threatened to run away and my Aunt and Uncle just gave in. They have to get his uniform tailor made now!
(Harry was about to ask Ron if he would send Harry any of those ton tongue toffees, when he remembered something and sighed. Uncle Vernon would chuck anything sent to him in the bin. He already ripped up all of Harry's letters after reading them once.)
I've got to go and finish that DADA essay. See ya!
Harry
p.s I probably won't be able to go to Diagon Alley with you and Hermione this Summer, sorry.
The moment he stopped writing, Uncle Vernon snatched up the letter, and read it. When he reached the part about Dudley his face went from red to magenta. "Oh. Shit." thought Harry, closing his eyes briefly.
"How dare you", Uncle Vernon hissed. "How dare you try to humiliate Dudley in front of your… your friends" He spat the last word out. "After all Petunia and I have done for you".
Uncle Vernon stood up and took a step back, and suddenly, without warning, he raised the glass bottle, and threw it straight at Harry. It exploded over him, showering him with glass. He could feel blood dripping from almost every part of his body where the glass had lodged itself.
Harry held back the screams at the back of his throat, and the tears prickling the back of his eyes. "Don't let him see that you're hurt" he thought to himself desperately.
Uncle Vernon took a menacing step towards Harry, who fell backwards on to the floor, and felt most of the glass that had fallen on the floor lodge itself into his back. Harry inched slowly backwards, with his Uncle coming closer, and closer, until he felt the wall against his back, pushing the glass even further into his body. Uncle Vernon kept approaching. Harry could feel the heavy vibrations on the floor with each of his Uncle's footsteps, and the sound of shards of glass crunching under his Uncle's massive feet. Finally his Uncle halted, and stood there, savoring the sight of Harry lying there, broken and helpless, the usual brightness which seemed to light his eyes, extinguished. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Harry's chest.
"You're going to join your parents boy", he grunted, an insane grin lighting his features, "Say hello to them in Hell for me!" Vernon raised the gun slightly so that it was now pointing at Harry's head. "Goodbye boy"
Suddenly a loud pop was heard, and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape appeared behind Harry's Uncle.
"Stupefy!" Vernon collapsed on the floor, the insane grin still spread across his face. Harry only had time to notice the shocked expression on the 3 professors faces, before the pain dragged him into unconsciousness.