Right, I'm back and will as per usual start off by apologising for not updating in such a long time. My pc got a delightful virus and I had to format my computer, which means I lost all of my information and data. So I've finally gotten everything back together and am now going to carry on with the story. Sorry to all those that I've kept waiting. Thanks to those that did read and review the story.
Pedro did his best to try and escape the clutches of Vernon but the fat man was faster than he looked. Vernon jerked Pedro to his feet and lifted him by his neck putting his face mere inches from that of Vernon's. He gagged at the sudden abuse occurring to his throat and felt an immense fear within him begin to grow.
"Now, you will tell me where that Potter boy is you little vermin." Vernon said in an icy tone sending little bits of spittle flying onto Pedro's face.
Pedro was shaking a little he was so scared and the urge to tell the big man holding him was immense, but he felt a strange strong bond of loyalty towards Harry. He couldn't explain why he felt such a strong feeling of loyalty especially since he barely knew Harry. What he did know was that he was going to do his very best to not tell this man where Harry was.
"SPEAK UP!" Vernon roared shaking Pedro slightly as his feet hung helplessly in the air.
Pedro gagged at the shaking motion feeling more strain on his neck. The fear was building up in him yet still his loyalty remained. Seeing that Pedro was still making no attempt at speaking Vernon decided that this street rat would need some 'persuasion' to speak. So he loosened his grip on his throat a little and threw him against a nearby wall.
Pedro felt the grip loosen and saw Vernon shrink a little as he was flung towards the wall. However years of running around the city jumping and falling in the alleys allowed him to arch his body in a way so that the impact was dulled and not as severe as it should have been. But there was a distinct difference between Pedro and Harry and that was that Pedro was NOT Harry.
Vernon stalked towards Pedro sure that his method of 'persuasion' had made Pedro's tongue a little loose. Pedro however was not down for the count and as soon as Vernon was within reach and then he lunged forward ready to defend himself for all he was worth. This sudden attack took Vernon completely off guard seeing as how he was never used to his victims fighting back. Usually they, well Harry actually, would take the punishment in a submissive form.
Pedro launched at Vernon attempting to tackle him down. It was a natural reaction for a person to do that was defending themselves. However seeing as how Vernon was much larger, fatter and had a much lower centre of gravity than Pedro, meant that this tactic didn't work and Pedro was merely brushed off by a startled Vernon. Pedro was not finished though and continued to fight the fat evil creature that stood before him. Pedro knew that this beast was after his new friend Harry and that he would probably kill Harry.
"Pedro won't let that happen!" Pedro muttered as he launched himself at Vernon again.
"What was that you scum of the earth?" Vernon grunted trying to keep his beady eyes on Pedro.
Again Pedro's attack was useless against Vernon's immense bulk. Vernon caught Pedro in mid air and had a satisfied look on his face as he attempted to crush Pedro by giving him a bear hug.
"Oh now you've done it. You will tell me where you've hidden that blasted boy or I might not go as easy on you as I was going to do." Vernon said, though he was lying all the way, for he had the intention of beating Pedro an inch within his life, or more.
The satisfied look on Vernon's face soon turned to a look of utter pain as one of Pedro's wild swinging legs connected to Vernon's genitals. The pressure on Pedro relaxed as he was dropped to the ground. Vernon held himself between the legs as he was gasping for breath. Pedro looked at Vernon and thought that the only was to ensure that both he and Harry was safe was to make sure that this bad, no, evil man was not able to follow him. Taking in Vernon's size allowed Pedro to formulate a plan.
'If Pedro can hurt him in the legs then the evil man can't follow Pedro. Then Pedro will have saved Harry!' Pedro thought to himself and a smile crept on his dirty face, a smile of such joy that had not appeared on his face in years.
Pedro immediately put his newly formulated plan into motion and launched himself, from behind Vernon, and with all of his body weight smashed into the back of Vernon's right knee. As a woodcutter would fell a large tree with one mighty swing of his axe, so Pedro felled Vernon. Unfortunately for Pedro Vernon's knee buckled and Vernon fell backwards, on top of Pedro! There was a resounding crunching sound and a howl of pain from Vernon. A small squeak escaped Pedro as he was flattened and trapped under Vernon's buttocks. (A/N a fate worse than death some might say)
Vernon was holding his knee and grunting in pain. He couldn't believe it, the little street rat had hurt him! Him, Vernon Dursley! He would pay for that if he could ever catch the little rat again. Meanwhile Pedro realised in horror that he was really and truly trapped. No matter how much he struggled he couldn't pry himself loose from the bulk under which he was trapped. After a few minutes Vernon finally realised that there was movement beneath him. He looked that way, taking his attention off of his swollen knee and then the look of pain on his face was replaced by a look of pure venom, hatred and malice.
"So there you are. Oh, you will pay and you will tell me where the boy is." Vernon said his voice icy cold and dripping with ill intent.
Pedro managed a slight shudder under the weight and could only imagine the worst.
'Pedro will not fail Harry, this he promises.' Pedro silently thought to himself as Vernon heaved himself a little and grabbed Pedro out from under him.
"Now, you will tell me where the boy is, or rather, first you will be punished, then you will tell me." Vernon said with a mad look in his eyes.
Above the city all seemed calm and serene. Birds sat on the many ledges of the buildings nestled against each other trying to share body heat and enjoy the companionship of being by one another. A sudden harsh cry of pain resounded in a particular part of the city, in an alleyway, that scared all of the birds and they all flew away as the shrill cry resounded and cried out again and again and again.
Harry had heard the cries and was sure it was Pedro. He shuddered at the thought of what he was sure was happening to Pedro. That meant that Vernon was out looking for him! Harry was just wondering at the fate of Pedro when he heard a nearby shuffling sound.
"No!" Harry gasped aloud, surely Pedro hadn't told Vernon where he was?
But then again, why shouldn't Pedro? Vernon was very brutal in his beatings, to this Harry could truly testify. Plus add the fact that Pedro had no allegiance to Harry, so why should he endure a lot of beatings to hide where Harry was? Harry's attention was now focused as the sound drew nearer with each passing moment. He found that he was holding his breath and exhaled in a loud gasp at what he saw. There, crawling towards him was none other than Pedro! However Pedro was covered in blood and really looking in a state that Harry could relate to. Summoning all of his strength Harry stood up and went to Pedro's aid, hoping that Vernon wasn't following him.
"Pedro! What happened to you?" Harry asked although he was sure that he knew the answer.
"Ped – Pedro was loyal. Pedro didn't tell." Pedro said to Harry as he was now being helped to his feet by Harry.
Harry took Pedro's appearance in and found himself shuddering. How many times had he been subjected to what Pedro had just endured? He could truly relate and knew that he just couldn't go back to that monster. Pedro's left eye was swollen shut and his right eye was also swollen, but not entirely shut. A large gash on Pedro's head was still oozing blood, but from the blood stains on Pedro's face Harry could tell this had been a freely bleeding wound. Pedro's left arm was held stiffly against his abdomen and his right arm had many open wounds. Harry gasped as he took a closer inspection. Covered on Pedro's arm was rip marks, and what Harry was sure was bite marks, bites from a human mouth.
"What happened Pedro?" Harry asked trying to ease Pedro into a sitting position.
"Harry must not worry, Pedro did not say a word. The hitting was bad, but Pedro did not say a word." Pedro said smiling with pride at Harry.
Harry grimaced noticing that some teeth were missing from Pedro's mouth as his smile showed missing teeth and blood all over.
"But, I don't understand Pedro. Why did you do it?" Harry asked Pedro.
"It is simple Harry, Pedro did it because Harry and Pedro are the same. Nobody wants Harry and nobody wants Pedro. The law of the alley is that we then look out for each other. So Pedro made sure that the monster would not find Harry." Pedro said and stopped as he grimaced, his face contorted in pain.
"I, I don't know what to say Pedro, saying thank you is so, well, it seems not enough." Harry said.
"Harry must not worry. Pedro was happy to help." Pedro said now out of breath.
"Come Pedro, let us get moving before we get found." Harry said.
Although still very much in pain himself, he aided Pedro to his feet and then the two limped off. Harry felt a little at ease that finally he had found somebody that he could relate with, somebody that knew how he felt and it seemed a friend he could rely on till he found a way back to Hogwarts.
A/N Right, that's it for this really, really long overdue chapter. I must apologise as per usual because trying to write it was not easy and I kept on putting off updating. Then my computer was infected by a virus as I said and when I finally got everything up and running I just wasn't in a creative or writing mood. I'll try and update quicker, though I don't know how quickly I'll be able to do that. I think I'll be able to post another two chapters up in the future, then I'll be on holiday and won't have access to the internet.
Cheers
Lost in A World of Pain