Chapter 10: Unleashed Hell

Vernon looked into Harry's frightened eyes, fury burning in every inch of his humongous body.

"Hey boy, I asked you a question- answer me!"

"U-Uncle V-V-Vernon, how d-did you get h-here?"

"I brought him here, Harry," Bellatrix said, walking out of the shadows with a smirk on her face. "I thought it might be fun to have a little family reunion. Don't you think, Harry?"

Harry dropped his head; he could feel fear creep into his very soul. "P-Please, j-just leave me a-alone."

Bellatrix and Vernon smiled smugly at each other. "You hear that Vernon? He wants us to leave him alone!" Bellatrix screamed as she let out yet another shrieking laugh.

Vernon let out a huffy snort. "Don't you get it boy? When there is trash in my house, I don't just let it sit there and rot. You are nothing but trash, boy, trash that needs to be thrown away. You turned both my wife and son against me and then you went and bloody killed them!"

"I-It w-was an accident-"

Harry felt another harsh slap against his cheek, his uncle's salami-like fingers forcing
blood to rise in his hot face. "Shut up, boy! I have no interest in what your lying tongue has to say! You killed them and you know it! You are nothing but a worthless piece of crap murderer and you are going to pay for that!"

Bellatrix stepped forward and walked over to Vernon, throwing her arm around his broad shoulders. "Yes, Vernon. He is going to pay for what he did to your family. You ready for that, Harry?"

"R-Ready for w-what?" Harry asked, his eyes portraying the fear that filled his pounding heart.

"For your punishment, of course!" Bellatrix said as she snapped her fingers. Harry was immediately released from the invisible chains.

He fell to the ground in anguish, his face smashing to the floor from the sudden release, causing his nose to shed even more blood. He slowly turned to his back, gripping his wrists in pain.

Vernon watched his nephew suffer with deep pleasure, a blissful grin crossed his chubby face, and a look of realization remained plastered in his eyes. Finally revenge was in his grasp, lying three feet away from him.

"Now Vernon, you can do anything you want to him, save one, you are not allowed to kill him. I need him for some, lets say, information."

"Fine by me," Vernon growled.

"Great, have fun!" Bellatrix said, grinning wildly as she snapped her fingers once more.
The room around them evaporated, as #4 Privet Drive replaced it.

I…………………………..I

He couldn't bear to look at her and yet his eyes wouldn't stop staring at her plain, yet beautiful face. They hadn't talked since yesterday. He had hurt her, he could tell. He hadn't hurt her- he had devastated her.

Why am I always so stupid? He asked himself. He didn't mean the things he said, not really. All day he tried to make eye contact with her but on the rare occasion when they did, she would quickly bow her head back down, obviously not wanting to have anything to do with him. His eyes were bloodshot from the pain he knew he had caused her and she had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

He had to do something. He couldn't bear to see her like this, the trio was slowly breaking apart and he couldn't let that happen, they would get Harry back and everything would be alright again- that was one thing he was sure of.

It was after dinner time and after venturing around the old beat down house, he had finally found Hermione up stairs in a spare room with Buckbeak, Harry's stuffed lion Oreo still residing with her.

She had a book stationed on her lap, but didn't look to be reading it at all, she was sniffling and he knew that she was silently crying and it broke his heart.

"Hermione?" he finally called.

"What do you want Ron?" she asked, slamming her book shut while glaring at him as he stood at the entrance of the room.

Ron cleared his throat. "I-I came to apologize. I'm such a prat Hermione, really I'm so sorry."

Hermione stared at him for a few seconds and then lowered her head towards the floor. "You really hurt me Ron," she finally admitted.

Those words broke Ron's heart. This was his girlfriend, he loved her and he had done the stupidest thing in the world- hurt her. He had made her sad, made her cry. boyfriends weren't supposed to do that. They were supposed to be the ones who comforted their girlfriends in their time of need; he had done just the opposite.

"I-I know and I'll regret that the rest of my life. I didn't mean it Hermione. It's just with everything going on, I-I just lost it. Harry is my best friend and I may never see him again. I can barely get to sleep at night wondering if I'll have to go to Hogwarts alone and never be able to talk to him again. It-it was so much easier not thinking about it. I mean, Hermione, he's gone- just gone! I lay there staring at his empty bed, and I feel so bad that if I wouldn't of gotten mad at him, Bellatrix wouldn't have been able to get to him," exclaimed Ron as he felt a tear roll down his cheek. "I-It's all my fault! I g-guess that I thought as long as I had you, I didn't have to think about it all and f-face the fact that it's really my fault!"

"Oh, Ron don't let that bother you. You did nothing wrong. Bellatrix would have gotten Harry no matter what, one fight did not make or break it. She would have succeeded."

Ron quickly went over to sit next to Hermione. "I miss him so much Hermione. I can't stop thinking about him. It's about the small things, I miss the fact that he would always scowl when Professor Snape was mentioned, and I miss the fact that he would always be there just to talk to. I mean I miss the small things- how he would fall asleep in the big, plush chair by the fire place waiting for Sirius's head to poke in, how he'd have the biggest smile on his face whenever he caught the snitch, and how he never felt comfortable when the attention was all on him."

"Ron?" Hermione sniffled.

"Yes, Hermione?" he asked as he gazed into her beautiful brown eyes, which were glistening with fresh tears.

"D-Do you think Harry is alive?"

Ron held Hermione close to himself, kissing her pale forehead with his thin lips. There was a long awkward silence.

"Hermione, I-I just don't know. But we'll get him back, one way or another. I promise."

I………………………………..I

Harry felt two gruff hands push his chest roughly, pinning him to the wall.

"Boy, you think you can just come in here and completely screw up my life? Well guess what? You've got another thing coming to you!"

"Uncle V-Vernon, p-please! I didn't mean t-"

"Shut up!" Uncle Vernon screamed as he plunged his hands around Harry's thin throat, pushing them tightly together.

"I-I can't b-breath," Harry struggled to say.

"Good," Uncle Vernon growled. "Neither can my wife or son, cause guess what you piece of filth? They're dead." Vernon tightened his hold on Harry's suffering throat. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"U-Uncle V-Vernon, please-"

"NO!" Uncle Vernon screamed as he flung Harry across his perfect living room, slamming Harry into the showcase, cracking the see-through glass.

"AH!" Harry screamed, as shards of the clear material pierced his delicate skin.

"Great!" Uncle Vernon said, walking towards Harry. "Now you have at least felt some of the pain you have put in my life! Now let me give you the rest!"

Uncle Vernon picked up a long, thick, broken piece of the once whole cabinet, and approached Harry, pounding the end of the paddle to his thick palm.

"Harry, you have made my life hell since the day you were dropped on my doorstep, and now you are going to pay for it. There is no more Petunia and no more Dudley here to protect you and stop me. You're mine Harry."

Harry looked up in fear, as he saw his uncle approach with the large piece of wood in his fat arms. He tried to move from the line of fire. He slowly picked up his body from the splintered glass, blood seeping through his thin shirt.

"Oh no you don't boy!" Vernon screamed, stepping forward and swinging the wooden stick at Harry, catching the young boys arm with a sickening crunch.

Harry yelled in pain, tears began to stream down his pale, frightened face. "Uncle V-Vernon, p-please!"

"Shut up!" Uncle Vernon yelled, once again swinging the club, hitting Harry's bruised chest and knocking him to the floor.

Harry lay on the floor, tears flowing freely down his face.

Vernon threw the piece of wood against the wall, and walked over to the young boy lying on the ground.

"Uncle Vernon, please, no!"

Vernon smiled with pleasure at the young boy, picking up his foot. "Scream if you want, boy, no one will hear you. No one will care enough to hear." He kicked Harry with all the strength he could muster from his fat body.

His foot landed in Harry's weak gut. Harry gasped in pain, unable to speak from the aching soreness. He clumped his bruised hands over his non-healing injuries, moaning in utter misery.

"Had enough, boy?" Vernon asked, pleasure showing clearly on his face from the raven-haired boy's misery.

"Yes," Harry muttered, quietly.

"I couldn't hear that, what did you say?"

Harry looked up at his uncle hopelessly. "Y-Yes," he said as loudly and clearly as he could manage.

A smile flickered on Vernon's face. "Well guess what? I have not had enough you little piece of garbage!"

Uncle Vernon slowly walked over to the burning fire in the wall. The charcoaled wood was black with ashes. Uncle Vernon slowly drew out the black iron poker, red at the tips from the heat, and walked over to Harry.

Harry stared at his uncle, not believing what was in front of his very eyes. "No! No! Uncle Vernon! You wouldn't! Please don't!"

"I wouldn't?" Uncle Vernon said slyly. "You must not know me very well."

I………………………………I

"Come on now, why aren't you eating your breakfast?" asked Mrs.Weasley sadly.

Ron and Hermione continued to pick at their food, not even looking up at Mrs. Weasley. She went over to the table Ron and Hermione were sitting at and pulled up a chair, concern evident on her face.

"It's Harry isn't it?"

They both nodded their head simultaneously.

"We're working- the Order's working to try and find him. There's not much we can do-well that I can do. Don't worry I miss Harry too. He's like one of my sons. I can't promise you anything. We're doing everything we can- everything. Please believe me. We want Harry back as much at you two do-"

"THAT"S A LIE!"

"Ronald!"

"You-you sit here saying these things but you have NO idea what we're going through. You love Harry, yes. But you haven't been through what we've been through with him. We've been there when he's sad, depressed, disappointed and the rare time when he's actually happy. The worst thing about him being gone is that we can't be there for those moments, we've always been there for him, even when he didn't want us to be."

Ron sniffed and sat down back on his seat, burying his head in his hands in sadness and embarrassment.

Mrs. Weasley patted Ron on his back and kissed him on his cheek.

"I know you want me to say everything's going to be okay, but sweetie, I can't because I'm not sure myself."

And with that Mrs. Weasley left an even more devastated Ron and Hermione, their only comfort themselves.

Hermione laid her head next to Ron's. "Ron? What are we going to do? We can't just sit here?"

"They aren't doing enough," he hissed, causing Hermione to sit up straight from Ron's sudden anger.

"What?"

"The Order, Hermione! My mum, she says that they are doing as much as they can. Deep down do you really believe them? Really truly believe them?" he asked.

"Well yeah, I guess. I think they're doing all they can. I mean Ron, seriously who am I to say?"

"Hermione, look at the facts. They always say they are looking for him, but we never hear about it. We- I need to do something. I will do something to rescue Harry, whether the Order approves or not," demanded Ron as he stood up and started pacing around the room.

Hermione was silent for a while and then nodded her head. "You're right. I-I understand Ron, really. I wish we could do something- anything to help Harry. But Ron, be reasonable what are we going to do? We're teenagers, we can't do anything."

"Yeah we can. You are the smartest witch I know, Hermione. If anyone can do anything-we can. Every minute, every second; that we sit here Harry's life could be wasting away. Merlin, Hermione, have you woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, terrified for Harry? I have dreams of Bellatrix torturing Harry- killing him. Have you ever thought that Harry could be dead by now?"

Hermione furiously nodded her head, tears starting to stream down her face for the terrifying thought that Harry could be dead. "B-But Ron, if you go, I could lose you as well! I need you Ron! I love you! If I- If I lost you, I would die."

Ron walked over to Hermione and smiled. He lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her on the cheek. "Hermione, you'll never lose me. I'll always be right here," he cusped his long fingers over her pounding heart. "Right here, as long as you carry me with you. Hermione, we can do this- I-I just need your help."

"No! Ron, I won't have anything to do with it! Never! I'm not going to be responsible for your- for your…" Hermione wept and shuddered at the thought of Ron's possible death.

Ron took Hermione's soft face in his hands, delicately looking into her eyes. "Hermione, I need you. I need you more then ever, because I need Harry," a tear rolled down Ron's cheek. "You guys complete me. You are my girlfriend and Harry's my best friend. With- with out you, I'm nothing. But something is missing- Harry's gone. We need him back, Hermione; we need him back to complete us- to fill our lives."

Hermione wiped the pouring tears from her eyes and nodded her head. "I know, Ron. I know. I'll help you Ron, anything- I will do anything for Harry."

"I miss him so much," cried Hermione as she lowered her head onto Ron's chest.

"I know, I know."

Ron held Hermione to his chest, silently stroking her face.

"Ron? RON?" Hermione screamed.

"What is it Hermione?" Ron asked startled at his girlfriend's sudden reaction.

Hermione smiled. "I have an idea; I know how we can get Harry back!"

I………………………………..I

Harry turned over on his back, his glass-ridden skin aching in everyway. He tried as hard as he could to scoot away from his uncle.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. No matter what you do, you won't be able to get away from me. I'll always be there, giving you the punishment you bloody deserve."

"W-What do you m-mean?" Harry asked.

"I mean, boy. There are few people in the damn world who actually have enough guts to give you what you deserve. You are nothing more than a murderer and you are going to pay for that."

"I-I'm not a-a m-murderer," Harry said weakly.

"Oh, really? Don't think I didn't hear on the news what happened at that hospital- how you killed all of those innocent people. How you killed my wife and son!" Vernon yelled, a sudden look of fury crossed his face. "That's right, how you killed my wife and son," he said quietly to himself. "How dare you! You killed my wife and son!"

As realization struck, so did the poker. Vernon stabbed Harry with the hot iron, piercing his pale calf, burning his skin.

"AHHHH! PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!" Harry screamed in anguish. "PLEASE! AHHH! STOP!"

"It will never stop!"

"Please! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST P-PLEASE STOP!"

"Anything? You'll do anything?"

"YES!" Harry screamed as his leg burned. A sickening smell entered the room, Harry realized it was his own burning flesh.

"Fine! Get me my family back and I will stop!"

"U-Uncle V-Vernon," Harry said, softly, his face contorted in a painful grimace. "I-I am your family!"

"NO PIECE OF GARBAGE IS MY FAMILY!" Vernon screamed.

Harry felt his eyes well up with tears. "No, NO! Uncle Vernon, I am not a piece of trash! Y-You are the one w-who hit Aunt Petunia and hurt Dudley! I hate you! Get off of me!"

The poker suddenly fell from Vernon's hands. Harry's leg was numb with the pain of the
fire. Vernon was grasping his hand in sheer pain.

"What did you do?" he screamed at Harry.

"N-Nothing! I'm sorry! It just hurt so much! I couldn't- I couldn't help it!"

Fury was apparent in Uncle Vernon's eyes. "You will never, never do that again!" Vernon took from his pocket a kitchen knife. Holding it above Harry, he screamed, "You'll die before you will do that again!"

His hand rushed down, pushing the knife into Harry's bruised chest.

Harry choked, sputtered up blood from his mouth. "U-Uncle-"

"No!" Bellatrix screamed. "I told you not to kill him! Avada Kedavra!"

Uncle Vernon fell down dead, next to his unconscious nephew.

I…………I