Harry felt cold. Cold and alone, but he couldn't fathom why. Everything hurt. He slowly became more aware and with a great amount of effort he pried open his eyes. The sun was shining somewhere above and a halo of blue sky rose overhead. Though from his spot on the filthy pavement of the ally, he saw none of this.

'What the hell? How did I get here. Oh no I wasn't drunk or anything...wait.'

Uncle Vernon. Dead. Shot himself while he was drunk.

'Shit!' He sat up and slipped over to the wall, putting his back against it and drawing his knees to his chest. He hid his head in his arms and just sat silent, unmoving for what felt like forever. He just couldn't think of what to do, he had no family. Not that he ever did really, but he had no roof and no food and no money. He wasn't going back to the Dursley's for anything except...

'Oh shit!' He searched his pockets pulling back relieved having found his wand in a hidden pocket on the inside of his jacket.

He shivered. And for the first he thought he had better think about the situation he was stuck in; no place to live, no money, no nothing. Harry's face reddened.

'Im a bloody bum!' he knew he'd have to write to someone soon but he'd be surrounded by people wanting to know what happened and just thinking of having to write it all out in the first place in a letter made his stomach clench painfully. He'd wait awhile before alerting Dumbledore. Suddenly Harry chuckled, Dumbledore's face when he realizes that Harry's entire family had died gruesome deaths in a matter of two days. He'd be in big trouble but it was worth it, let him have a taste of what it's like being kept in the dark.

Harry shivered, sleeping on pavement wasn't something he'd do again unless there was no way he could help it. He finally stood looking around hating everything he saw. He just had to get away from here! This neighbourhood, this town, he just had to get away. He walked out of his alleyway and out into the sunshine.

He stopped by the Underground and waited for Amy to come back out from the backroom. It only took ten minutes though it felt like thirty.

"Hey Harry. Your not working today are you?" Amy said surprised at seeing him.

"No, can I come back there? I need to talk to you."

"Uh yeah, sure." she knitted her eyebrows looking confused. They went into the empty backroom and sat down where Alix and BJ had just the previous day.

"What's wrong and...oh my god, your head!" She went over and kneeled down in front of Harry's chair and pushed his bangs back so she could look at something on his forehead.

"What?" Harry tried to pull away but she just moved to look closer.

"You've got quite a gash on your head over here, above your ear."

"Could let me breath please?" Harry said leaning back. "Does it look that bad?"

"Yes. What happened to you? Your paler than usual, well go look in the mirror in the bathroom and maybe clean that thing off before we talk, ok?"

Harry walked into the employees bathroom and gazed into the mirror shocked at what he saw. Just as Amy said, he was pasty white and there was dried blood near his temple. He moved the hair to look closer, he must have gotten that by the beer bottle that was thrown at him last night by his now late Uncle Vernon. Harry had dark ringlets under his eyes, his eyes were the worst part. They looked tired and sick, deep pits that looked lost and desperate.

Harry tore his attention from his reflection. He turned the tap on worming his clammy hands and then cupping them and splashing water onto his face. He glanced back at the mirror momentarily giving him a quick look at the water dripping from his to-long bands and off his chin.

He dried his face and washed the cut on his head before exiting the bathroom putting a cold mask over his eyes.

"Well you look more normal now at least." Amy said upon his return.

"Sure." he dropped back down into the chair.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I need you to tell Anthony that I wont be coming back into work, something's come up and I probably wont even be in Surry again." He said not giving anything away.

"Not coming back? Harry what happened, please tell me. You Anthony wont let you go with out details. And what happened to your head?"

Harry knew she was right. Anthony would probably track him down and drag him back here with his own two hands. Greedy bastard.

"Fine, tell him that my aunt and cousin were crushed by a truck two days ago and my uncle shot himself in our hall last night after throwing a beer bottle at my head. That should get him off my case."

"Your not serious!"

"I am. And tell him he can have this back." Harry held out the cell phone that had been given to him by Anthony. Amy took it looking tearful.

"What are you going to do now? Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I don't think so." he said as he stood.

"Where are you going?" she said standing too.

"I don't know and, shit! I don't have enough money on me to get a bus. I was thinking London."

"I'll pay for your ticket if you like?" Amy said opening the door for him and shutting it carefully behind.

"You don't have to buy anything, I'll manage. Really." he ended at her look of disbelief.

"No. Im giving you money for a ticket. Here half my pay for the last two weeks, 90. Take it and get yourself some food. Take it!" there was no arguing with her, so Harry took the offered money and pocketed it.

"Thanks."

"Im going to miss you, you know." she said glumly. While they were not close friends they had spent many dull hours behind that counter waiting for someone to come in, they used to make each other laugh. They gave each other a quick hug before Harry headed a few blocks up toward the bus terminal.

Once he got his ticket he sat at the back of the big Greyhound bus, hidden behind cushiony seats. The ride seamed to take longer than it had the pervious night without Alix, BJ and Dev. But two hours later he got off at a few blocks from King Cross station at the London terminal. He handed realised that it was so close last night. There was a fast food restaurant next door where Harry bought himself a lunch. After finishing he went out side and sat down against a wall and contemplated his options.

He had to get a place for the night; the Leaky Caldron was out of question, because once Mss. Figg told Dumbledore about his family, as she was sure to find out, Dumbledore would look there first. But no matter where he decided to sleep he would need money to get access to it. So Harry swallowed his pride and went over to King Cross station. There were hundreds of people comeing in and out of those doors everyday so Harry positioned himself against a wall next to them, put on a cold and hungry look and did as he had read in books.

"Spare change mister?" he asked the first to man to walk by. The man didn't even glance at Harry just ignored him completely.

"Spare change?" he tried again as he saw a couple going into the station this time. The man shook his head and received a glare form his girlfriend.

"Eric give the kid some money. Look at him he's hungry." Eric rolled his eyes and put a few coins into Harry's hand. Harry had learned something from that encounter, woman were more sympathetic then men.

"Any spare change, sir?" he asked the next to exit. He had an expensive air about him, he would probably be loaded in cash. Harry was right, the man discarded a handful of coins into his hands. Harry counted it out and came to almost fifteen dollars. Harry did this for the rest of the day. But didn't make much more that day, he now had twenty-five dollars. Not enough for much except food, which was fine with Harry as he was feeling empty in the stomach region again.

He went back to the restaurant next to the bus terminal. Later he settled down to sleep behind the train station.

The next three days went by the same as that first one out on the streets. Though that first day seemed to be filled with generous people because he didn't make more than ten dollars a day and went to bed hungry and cold. He new it could only get worse, the longer he was out here the worse it was going to get.

Today, July 31, was the biggest test on avoiding everyone he knew. Early that morning Harry was awoken by something. He thought it was his empty stomach at first but the sound of wings behind him drew his attention. Harry saw Headwig and sat up delightfully.

"Oh Headwig!" he said in an excited whisper. Headwig, Pig and an owl he didn't recognize, hoped up to him waiting none to patiently for Harry to remove there packages. Harry took Headwig's first and opened the letter that was with his package.

Dear Harry,

I do hope this manages to find you as we can't.

Dumbledore said something about your family, but wouldn't

give anyone details except that you would probably need time to

yourself and lifted the search for you to just a few people. Only

the members know that you've runaway again, just so you know.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Harry! Your sixteen now! Congrats!

I hope you like your present, it was difficult to find anything you might

like so I had a little help from Ron and Hermione. Enjoy!

Yours,

R. J. Lupin

Harry didn't know what to think at the moment. He turned to the neatly rapped package, first removing the string and then the paper. He opened the box slowly wondering what it was and found another letter on top of what ever it was inside.

Harry,

Hermione's direct quote upon seeing this was, "Get Harry this! Maybe he'll draw on this instead of his history notes!" I didn't know you were into art but according to everyone else your really vary good. Have fun!

Lupin

Harry finally turned to the box and pulled out a fine leather bound journal. Harry ran a hand over it's cover before flipping it open. It was filled with blank paper.

"Thank you Lupin!" Harry thought excitedly, he realised he had nothing to draw with and turned back to the box and found a pack of expensive sketching pencils and a pack mechanical pencils. Lupin thought of everything. He set everything back inside the box and turned to the rest of the gifts. He received a book called Magical Artist of the 20thCentury from Hermione

They must have a theme going. Harry thought as he opened Ron's present, it was a Manga, a kind of comic book originally from Japan done in Manga style drawings. Mrs. Weasley had knitted him a thin wool blanket, it was black and had his house lion knitted in the centre.

This'll be great as a bed. It'll be warm enough with my coat as a blanket as I don't have to sleep right on the stone ground anymore, now all I need is a pillow.

By the time he made it out front of the train station the sum was properly risen and you could see much more clearly that Harry had began to take on the look of someone living on the streets.

AN: Well what do you think of this one? He'll be off the streets soon if you don't like it. I think it's sad, don't you?

My internet's down right now so I'll update this later. Gotta go start the next chapter, Im thinking the next one will be called 'Neville.'

C ya!

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