Chapter 23

Harry woke up and rubbed his eyes, looking over to where Draco was just changing. He said through a yawn, 'So where exactly is this party going to be?'

Draco smirked and said, 'I can't say it aloud while in the Seventh Year dorm, you'll just have to wait until we show you.'

Harry grumbled and fought with his covers to get out of bed. Getting tangled further in them, he let out a yelp of surprise as he fell to the floor. Spread eagled, he stared up at the ceiling and said, 'Cream is such an ugly color.'

Snorting, Draco finished putting his tie on and walked over to Harry, 'Come on, just put on a t shirt for now. We'll pack our trunks and take them to the Slytherin dorm, and then we can go do the decorating.'

Trying to stifle a yawn and nodded his head at the same time, Harry scratched his head and stood up.

Draco quickly looked away and said, 'And you might wanna pull your pajama bottoms up.'

Looking down at himself Harry laughed and said, 'Merlin, thanks Draco. Haha, can you imagine me walking through the school like that?'

Walking to his trunk, he opened it to see his photo album sitting on top. Taking it out, he flipped open the book only to find the same, strange orange glow coming from the one corner of the picture, but now it had spread.

Looking at the faces in the photo he noticed they were all blurred and distorted. Curious at the fact that his pictures were warped, and that he felt no loss he closed the book with a thump.

'Whats that?'

Harry looked up into Draco's eyes and, shrugging, said, 'Nothing really. Just some pictures of my parents and their friends. You know, before they died.'

Draco walked over and looked at the book, 'Mind if I see? I always hear, from my godfather, that Lily was just a beautiful woman. Then he acts all strange and jumps right into talking about one potion or another.'

Harry looked at the one photo and noticed that the photo of his mother and him alone was still untouched. He had been young, and his parent's hadn't gotten him glasses yet. Smiling, he said, 'Yes, she was beautiful.'

Draco looked at the picture and said, 'I'm sorry. About your mum and your dad.'

Harry just shrugged and said, 'Don't remember my dad at all, and my mum; I only remember small things about her. What she smelled like, how her eyes twinkled when she laughed.'

Draco closed the book and gently laid it in Harry's trunk, 'Come on, andlet's go. Getting ready for the party will cheer you up.'

Harry laughed and stood up, 'Just don't allow people to sing Karaoke.'

Draco quirked an eyebrow at him and said, 'Carry-what?'

Harry shook his head and said, 'It is the worst torture ever invented.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry transfigured the old couches and tables into booths that were great for private snog sessions, and open areas that were good for anything. He had made the booths deep green velveteen, and the opened spaces were done in ivory snakeskin. The tables had been draped with a fabric that looked like a cloth version of oil. It had all the colors, gold, red, green, black; swirling and changing with lighting.

Looking up, Harry noticed that Draco was still busy setting up the sound system for the band, them, on the stepped up platform that was the stage. Draco had also told Harry about the quiet wards that were put in place so that lovers would be able to go as far as they wanted and others wouldn't be subjected to hearing their moans and screams.

Smiling, Harry thought about the plans for the party. The lighting would be pitch black except for the few moving strobes, and the glowing jewelry the girls, and some boys, were sure to wear. There was to be alcohol, lots of it, and sweets, and actual food, and any delicacy you could ever think of. Besides them there was supposed to be a band called 'Wicked' coming in to play. There was sure to be some drugs going on, after all, it was going to be a huge party.

'Harry, want to help me with setting these tables up?'

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to help Pansy set up the tables that would hold all the confectionaries.

'So, Panse, since there's gonna be who knows what going on in those booths, shouldn't we put some you know, stuff, in there?'

Pansy laughed and said, 'Sure, there is plenty of lubricant, and a huge selection of toys.'

Seeing Harry's face tinge slightly red she said, 'But don't worry, there are also potions to stop pregnancy. After all, we wouldn't want any of our house getting knocked up early, would we?'

Harry slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to give her a noogie, 'You know, you really are a brat.'

Laughing, she squirmed away and said, 'Yeah, yeah. Now shoo, so I can finish this. You need to start getting ready.'

Looking down at his clothes, Harry took in his pajama bottoms and stained t-shirt, 'Do you really think so? I was thinking maybe this would be fine.'

Growling affectionately Pansy threw a towel at him and said, 'Go get ready you bloody git.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry stood in the shower, taking off the concealment charm he looked at all the scars adorning his body. There was a new one, a black skull over his heart. It was different then the others, the others hadn't been made with magic, they were made with brutal force.

Touching one of the newer ones Harry remembered why he had gotten it.

ooO Flashback Ooo

'Boy! Get the paper!'

Running down the hall stairs, Harry tripped over one of Aunt Petunia's slippers. Doing a face plant and sliding across the freshly waxed floor he banged his head against the wall.

'Don't you be marking up my walls or I'll beat the tar out of you! Bad enough I have to have you in my house for two months of the year!'

Harry got to his feet, rubbing his forehead and grumbled softly, 'You're not the only one suffering.'

Hearing the squeak of the recliner Uncle Vernon usually sat in Harry's emerald eyes widened for a moment as he knew instantly what was to come. His uncle had heard him, and his uncle wasn't one to forgive and forget. Not since he'd found out Harry wasn't aloud to use magic over the summer anyways.

Looking around the kitchen Harry noticed that the French doors were locked, but that the window over the kitchen sink seemed to be open. Sliding across the waxed floors in a pair of Vernon's old socks he grabbed the edge of the counter and hoisted himself up. Just as he was pushing the window out he felt a meaty hand grab the back of his neck.

'Freak! Insolent boy! I'll teach you to give respect!'

Letting out a yell of surprise Harry fell backwards, his arm catching on one of the steak knives from the dinner of the night before. Wincing at the pain of the deep cut he got ready for the first blow. Hitting his head on the linoleum floor he tried to hold on to consciousness.

'Filthy…little…side…show…freak!'

Each word was punctuated by a hit to Harry's body. Whether it was a kick, or a punch did not matter, they would all bruise up the same way.

Harry winced and tried to get away as he felt his magic welling up in front of it. He didn't want it to go loose, or he would be expelled. And if he was expelled, he would never escape this place. Never escape the numerous beatings.

So he let his body be beaten, trying to fall into unconsciousness, wanting release from the horror of his life.

He had never told anybody of this, he never could. After all, he was the savior of the wizarding world. If they knew of how he couldn't even defend himself against a muggle, they would probably kick him out of the wizarding community altogether.

ooO End Flashback Ooo

Shuddering as he again had felt the steak knife cut into his arm he dropped his arm to his side and turned his stinging eyes into the spray and then looked to the hand that steadied him against the wall. Seeing the burn scar he again felt the fog of another memory coming over him.

ooO Flashback Ooo

Harry smiled, his Aunt and Uncle had actually allowed him to watch Dudley open his Christmas presents this year. And this year he would be able to watch them eat their Christmas dinner.

Harry watched as Aunt Marge shoved a small package into Dudley's chubby fingers, 'Here Dudley. This is a gift I feel every man should have.'

Ripping open the wrapping paper Dudley found the key's to a dirt bike. Smiling he stood up and waddled over to her, giving her a hug, for which he was rewarded 20 pounds. On his way back to his seat he stepped on Harry's foot.

'Ouch! What was that for?'

Aunt Marge turned to Harry and said, 'Petunia, why are you allowing him to yell at Dudley so? I read an article the other day that a child can be severely hindered in life by the haunting memories of a yelling family member.'

Petunia looked worriedly from Harry to her son. Rushing over she smoothed back Dudley's fringe of blonde hair and turned to Vernon, 'Punish him, he could ruin our Duddlekins.'

Harry had turned to uncle Vernon with calm eyes, obviously the man could see his sister was mad. After all, they yelled at Harry all the time. But instead of amusement at the woman's talking, or understanding of why Harry had yelled out, there was nothing but fury. And all this fury was aimed directly at the small, raven haired boy.

'Boy, come here.'

Harry stood up wearily; he wasn't sure what his uncle would do. Never before had there been this large of an amount of fury in those close set eyes. Standing in front of his uncle he watched with wide eyes as his uncle took a puff of his cigar that Marge had gotten him for Christmas.

'Yes Uncle Vernon?'

'Put your hand out.'

Harry did as he was told, it seemed like he would get nothing more than a slap for his misdemeanor of raising his voice. Smiling at his uncle, Harry was happy that the man wasn't going to do anything horrid like what Harry had been imagining.

Instantly, before Harry could even move his hand away, Vernon had placed the smoldering end against the back of Harry's hand. From the connection between cigar and skin, black smoke rose, along with the acrid tang of burnt hair, and worse, burning flesh.

ooO End Flashback Ooo

Harry quickly made his way out of the shower and to the toilet, letting go of his lunch. He flushed the porcelain vessel and then stood up, wiping his mouth and walking to the mirror. Looking in it he saw the patchwork quilt he had become. Now, without the concealment charm, you could see the many scars that traveled across his flash like the roads on a map.

Shuddering, he made his way to his bed. Locking the dormitory door, he took out the potionary products he had bought the other day at Hogsmeade. Pulling out the Potions book he opened it to the page on the Scar Removal Potion. Looking over the ingredients again he checked them off mentally for having them on hand.

Once he was sure he had everything ready he began to concoct it. He began to sweat from the extreme temperature in the room needed to boil thee Bubotuber Puss.

Once it had simmered to the desired color of red, almost the same color of blood, he poured some into a glass and raised it in toast to the mirror.

'Here's to getting over, and forgetting the past, and moving on to who I truly am.'

Chugging back the thick potion he held back the grimace at the taste and then stepped back into his shower. Pansy had been right; he needed to get ready for the party.

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry smirked as Pansy fussed over Crabbe and Goyle.

She was already completely done up. She had put on a hot pink tube top that just kept her from giving everyone a peep show. It had a rose done up in rhinestones over her left breast, the green stem curving under the right breast. She had a belly button ring in that had the word 'BITCH' written in pink cursive inside the bottom ball. Her pants rode so low on her hips that Harry was sure the only thing keeping them up was magic. Her hair had been put into two pig tails, which had then been teased and spiked, glitter somehow worked throughout.

Now she had turned her attentions to dressing up the boys. So far she had talked Goyle out of the purple mesh shirt, and had him donning a black t shirt that read 'I called your boyfriend gay…then he hit me with his purse' in green letters. She had given him a pair of cut off cargos that were being held up by a studded belt. His hair was spiked in the front.

Crabbe looked similar, but in the place of Goyle's t shirt he wore a SECURITY shirt he had gotten from a concert he'd been at that summer. His pants were carpenter jeans that looked like they'd been to hell and back. Right now he was fighting Pansy over putting any hair products into his shaggy mane.

Turning from those three Harry looked at Draco, a vision of calmness in his black mesh shirt under a long sleeved, open, red silk shirt. He was again wearing the same should-be-made-illegal pants that he had worn to Harry's resorting. Instead of being slicked back, his hair fell silkily into his face, and his face was relaxed, not in the sneer usually seen by other houses.

Smiling, Harry heard a voice screech, 'Oh my god! You all look to die for! Harry! Merlin, with you, less is more. The simple black tank and the regular jeans, mind you they look like the store wore them out for you, it's just too perfect. All you need to do is put those gorgeous locks of yours up into a hawk, and you're good.'

Turning around, Harry saw Elizzabeth. She had gotten rid of her white halter top and replaced it with a white bikini top, and she wore the same type of pants as Pansy, only she wore a belt with a large, blue and white, rhinestone studded buckle. Beside her stood Blaise, to look slightly formal he had wore a black t with a tux like front silk screened to the front. (Just get rid of the comma, not 'rhinestone')

'You guys don't look too bad yourselves. And there is no way you are going to mess with my hair. I like it the way it looks.'

Pansy turned to him and said with a pout, 'Pwease Harry. You'll look so handsome.'

Crabbe and Goyle pointed to their own hair and said, 'Come on, if we have to go through it, so do you.'

Draco laughed and said, 'Come on Harry, after tonight we make a rule that no one touches your hair unless you want them to.'

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry stood behind the curtain, his stomach contained at least a hundred butterflies, and he was sure that this 'Mohawk' Elizzabeth had given him made him look dorky. If people laughed, he would officially kill her.

But right now, she and her sister, Amy, were out announcing them.

'So please, give a large round of applause, to the ones who will knock your socks off, the ones who will make you cry for your mommas. They are the one, the only…Eee-na-cirruh!'

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Ok, I want you all to know that the abused Harry does have a place in the story. I started out with wanting to put this in, and if you look back I did hint at some abuse. If you look back at when he leaves the Dursley's, and when he buys the book, it all hints towards it, so please, no flames. I couldn't bear it.
But the abuse also helps with him doing his usual investigative work later in the story, so look for subtle hints if you will.
But yes, thanks again to those who hae reviewed, I live to know that people enjoy my writing. And thanks again to my beta, she is fantabulous.
The next three chapters will be big explosions! So I will need a bit of time off for them, please be patient. They will be labeled the Big Bam Segments.
Haha, like all the type? Want me to do more info like this at the bottom of my chapters? Let me know.