Chapter has been edited a lot :S

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Possession
Chapter VI - Punishment
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Harry snapped out of his dream at the noise his uncle was making. He'd vaguely noted the car arrive back and then the muted conversation between Petunia and Vernon but then it had almost seemed as if his Uncle had exploded.

"BOY!"

Harry shuddered at the voice. Wasn't that being a little loud? What would the neighbours think?

"BOY!"

Was it humanly possible to yell that loud?

"BOY!"

With that final yell the door burst open and Harry winced. If he'd been standing where he was supposed to be, he would have been clipped by the door and slammed into the wall. That would have hurt.

Harry looked up at the man. Vernon was literally purple with rage, and his chest was heaving from the relatively short walk up the stairs. His beady eyes peered out from his face and his chins bounced. "Uncle," he said uncertainly.

That appeared to be the last straw. Harry never even saw the blow coming but he felt its effects and he crashed into the small chest of draws against the wall, hammering his bruised arm painfully. Hedwig hooted from her cage.

Vernon wasn't done though and with a rough swipe he backhanded Harry back on to the bed as he struggled to rise. Harry sprawled half on the bed, half not before Vernon kicked his legs and Harry cried out before scrambling frantically. His Uncle didn't care though and continued to hit him, sending him crashing into what furniture there was in the room but thankfully never into Hedwig's cage. Occasionally Vernon would kick his legs out from under him, sending him tumbling to the floor where Vernon would kick him until he stood again. From the doorway Dudley watched, pig eyes wide with excitement as he squealed encouragement to his father.

Harry spat blood, shaking his head to clear the stars as he struggled to push himself upright. He felt his arm buckle and he crashed back to the floor. He hurt... Everything hurt but he didn't have time to contemplate this because Vernon had kicked him again, slamming him into the wall. Harry curled up instinctively but his Uncle didn't stop.

"You." Kick. "Little." Kick. "Whore." Kick.

Harry cried out, drawing his legs up to his chest and using his arms to shield his face but his Uncle always seemed to hit his target, driving his foot directly into Harry's abdomen, each blow driving his back painfully into the wall.

"Yeah! That's it Dad! Harder!"

Harry couldn't help but glance over at his obese cousin and immediately wished he hadn't. The boy was dressed, as usual, in clothes that were stretched almost to breaking across his more than ample frame, so there was nothing hiding the bulge in the front of his trousers. His face had a dreamy smile that was at odds with his intent eyes. "That's it, Dad! Harder!" The fat bastard implored again as Harry cried out in pain.

"You Little Whore!" Vernon repeated, landing a blow with each word. "You wear Dudley's clothes, eat my food, sleep in my house and this is how you repay me!" He screamed, gesturing vaguely. "You break Petunia's plates, burn my shirt and destroy Dudley's inheritance. You should be thanking me for taking you in!"

"Yeah!... Harder!" Dudley gasped, almost as if he was in pain.

Harry could barely even hear Vernon. He didn't care what his Uncle was parroting but he figured it was the usual speech. He hurt too much and he was sure several bones had been broken. How was he going to explain this? More blood dribbled from his mouth but he made no move to wipe it away. He could barely feel his legs and his stomach was just one sea of pain. He really hoped the internal bleeding wasn't too bad.

Vernon kicked him once more for good measure before turning and storming out. "And don't think you're getting fed for a week! I'm going to have to take the day off work tomorrow just to fix the damage you've caused."

Harry looked up, just before the door slammed shut and was rewarded by another glimpse of his cousin. The boy was beet red but he meet Harry's green eyes squarely, a superior smile on his face and a look of contentment in his eyes. As the bolts slid home in the door, Harry curled up further, trying to nurse the worst of his injuries before he even attempted getting to his bed. He wished he'd just lose consciousness but he still heard his aunt and uncle in the corridor.

"My baby Dudleykins! You're almost a man!" There was a weird note of pride in Petunia's voice

"Now, now, Pet," Vernon cautioned her. "He's not a man yet. Not until he takes some girls maidenhead which will probably been sooner that we know, eh, Dudley?"

Harry drew a shuddering breath... It hurt... He tried focusing through the pain... Five... Five ribs hurt... and there was a dull ache from the right side of his abdomen. Harry frowned, idly wondering if there was anything important there... It had been a long time since he'd done even basic human anatomy in school... His shin hurt too and through the pain he couldn't tell if his leg was broken or not.

Hedwig hooted softly at him from her cage, fluttering her wings against the bars as she watched her master rock himself gently.

He groaned and spat blood, shifting really carefully as he tried to find a position that didn't hurt as much. At least the floor was cooling and it eased the hot abrasions he had on his arms. Vernon had never done this before. No matter what he had done Vernon hadn't hit him before. Locked him away, starved him, verbally abused him but never had he hit him before. He'd always been too afraid of what the neighbours would say but something had changed.

Harry blinked back the dark but it slowly encroached upon his vision. His last thought, more a realisation than a true thought was to wonder why Vernon's words had seemed... true.

Strong hands coolly caressed him in the dark, soothing words were whispered in his ear as Harry slept and he felt safe.

----

Voldemort shifted his gaze over the Warding with a chill smile. "Soon," he whispered. It was night and to his vision the Wards glowed a soft, almost imperceptible white. Dumbledore had certainly called upon the best to help him cast them. Anyone could cross them in innocence but if you knew about them and your magic level was high enough, you could not bear any ill will against Harry Potter and pass through them unscathed.

Lucius, McNair and Flint were with him as were two more of his elites but they were hidden and would act only if called upon. He could taste Flint's nervousness but this was the boy's first mission accompanying him. It was a bit of a risk to bring him but perhaps a familiar and less threatening face would calm his prize.

He stepped forward, raising his wand. "Quietus alarmis," he hissed softly, flicking his wand. Further study of the alarm spells had shown him that they couldn't be so easily removed, but they could be muffled. "Nullifica" and another flick of his wand, took care of the Wards and with a firm step he moved forward, surveying the enclosed houses for any further surprises with eyes that saw the magic streams.

Harry's house was alive with Magic. It almost seemed to have a heart beat but Voldemort recognised the magic streams as nothing more than the structural reinforcing that would ensure the house remained as it was, no matter what physical force was thrown at it. Other houses were dull and lifeless, except for...

"Lucius... It appears Mr Potter has a minder... Be so good as to fetch her," he instructed as he recognised the unmistakably controlled glow of a first class Auror.

"Yes, My Lord," the elder Malfoy bowed slightly before moving to the indicated house. Only the Dark Lord could 'see' magic and it was a gift that allowed him to be well nigh invincible. A gift not even Dumbledore possessed.

Voldemort watched as the blond Death Eater hurried up the garden path but before he got close to the door there was a surge of magic and Lucius was thrown backwards. The Dark Lord hid a smirk. At least Dumbledore had chosen someone who was good but he could not afford a prolonged battle here. He raised his wand and whispered the word, aiming for the bright aura of the woman. "Stupify." The spell manifested itself as a shock wave, passing through the walls of the house with ease.

There was a small crash from within the house and Voldemort turned away as the woman's magical signal dulled. Lucius could handle her now.

With a nod at McNair and Flint, who arranged themselves flanking him he swept towards Harry's house. How sweet... The boy was asleep... His magic was very dull. With a firm hand, Voldemort knocked, absently noting the blistering paint on the door and the half polished number. It certainly was an interesting effect.

Inside he heard grumbling but eventually there was the sound of heavy steps coming closer. He wrinkled his nose. These people smelt vile but he would not be here long. "No killing... Not yet," he re-iterated the instructions, for his own benefit as much as that of his servants. He wanted to save these Muggles for Harry.

The door opened a crack but that was enough. With fierce strength McNair and Flint drove themselves forward, slamming whoever it was into the wall. As Lucius emerged from the Auror's house, her limp form hovering behind him, Voldemort stepped over the slumped form of what appeared to be a small whale. He heard a woman's hysterical shrieking before it was quickly silenced and man's hoarse bellowing that was silenced by a sharp slap. He cast his eyes quickly to the second floor but Harry had not moved. "Sleep well, my little one," Voldemort murmured before he stepped forward to see Harry's relatives. The blood binds had to be removed before he could claim his prize.

Lucius entered the house behind him. "My Lord, the Auror did not have time to activate any alarms," he reported as he followed.

"Good," Voldemort purred, walking into the Muggles kitchen, seeing for the first time Harry's relatives. McNair and Flint stood behind them, wand levelled at the man, while the boy had chosen a more direct method and had a knife against her over long neck.

The woman... she was meant to be related to Harry's Mother?... Well, it was obvious Lily had inherited everything from her parents, leaving nothing for her sister. The woman's neck was far too long and next to her husband she looked positively undernourished. The man was almost purple with outrage and his cheek bore a welt. Neither of them had much magic, even for Muggles, they were weak.

"Excellent," Voldemort complimented his servants as he transfigured one chair into a throne and sat. "Now, Muggles, you are going to answer my questions."

"The boy's upstairs! Just take him and go," the man huffed.

"No... I cannot take him until he is released from you."

"What do you mean?" Despite the knife, the woman's eyes had narrowed. Flint released the knife slightly but kept her under a close watch.

"You are tied to him," Voldemort explained shortly.

"What?"

"I gather you don't want this."

"Of course not! We want nothing to do with his abnormality!"

The Dark Lord's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. For Harry... he forcibly reminded himself as he re-examined the Muggles. The blood ties were there but they were almost non-existent. All he'd have to do to break them was to take the boy while they were unaware. "I can help you there. Magic is a curious thing and I can break this spell quite easily. You must simply desire it."

"Anything to get rid of that ingrate!"

Voldemort raised his wand, flicking it sharply to the right. "Siees taas," he commanded before rising and sweeping from the room before the Muggles had even hit the floor.

He mounted the stairs quietly. "Flint, get Mr Potter's school things, they're in the cupboard under here," he said as his two servants moved to follow him. "McNair, Malfoy, seal the house and leave."

"My Lord? Is that wise?" It was Lucius who questioned him.

"I wish to be alone with Mr Potter," Voldemort said softly. "Take the Auror with you and leave her imprisoned until I see her."

"My Lord..." Lucius wisely bowed, acceding to his Master's wishes and the threat inherent in the quiet tone.

Voldemort waited, a tall and imposing figure in the Dursley corridor outside the littlest bedroom until he felt the spells around the house completed and his three servants and their captured prey left. With Harry still sleeping, Flint would not be necessary. There were two shimmers in the corridor and two red masked Death Eaters appeared, bowing slightly towards their Master before they took up flanking positions at the door.

The Dark Lord ran his wand over the locks destroying them. The Muggles would pay for keeping his prize like this but that was something he would allow Harry the pleasure of. He pocketed his wand as he opened the door, stepping into the room.

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