Chapter Three- Visitor

A/N: Well, here's chapter three! I know, it's short. But four should be longer, and I wanted to get this posted as soon as possible.

Harry rolled over in his bed restlessly. The gray flannel sheets were damp with his sweat. It had been three days since the night at the park, three days since Dudley had beaten the shit out of him. And he couldn't do anything about it. He shuddered at the memory of his cousin's wanton brutality. He had come back to Privet Drive half conscious covered in his own blood, with a broken nose and a black eye, among other things. And Aunt Petunia hadn't done anything about it...she had just sniffed angrily and warned him not to get blood on her kitchen floor. So he had limped up to his bedroom to get his wand with the intentions of using every hex he knew on his cousin...and it wasn't there. Nothing was there, not his well worn school books, nor his potion ingredients...nothing but his bed and an old battered nightstand. It was in that moment Harry realized just how much trouble he was in. He had waited for Hedwig to come back from her nightly flight, and wrote an urgent letter to the one person in the world he knew he could trust.

Ron,

You've got to help me. The muggles took my wand and the rest of my stuff. Dudley attacked me tonight! Please, Ron. Come get me.

-Harry

The letter had been short, to the point. After he wrote it he promptly passed out onto the carpet of his bedroom. That night he dreamt of laughing, ice blue eyes that shone with an insane amusement while he was kissed so hard his lips bled. When he woke up with a dreadful pain in his head the next day, Hedwig had returned and he remembered nothing of his nightmares. With an eagerness borne of desperation, he grabbed at the envelope fervently and tore it open, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He read the letter quickly, relief flooding through his veins. And then he read it again. It was only after rereading it for the third time did Harry understand just how screwed he was.

Dear Harry,

Very funny, mate. I already told you, mum says you can't come over. Thinks it's too dangerous. I can't say I blame her. We'll see you at the end of the summer, okay? And don't try that again, all right?

P.S. Hermione wanted to tell you off for trying to fool us in this letter but I wouldn't let her! See you soon!

-Ron

Harry almost choked on his rage. Ron, his best friend, thought he was playing a prank? Didn't he trust him? Have any faith in him at all? Slowly, it all began to sink in. He was obviously with Hermione, and it was no secret that the two had decided to take their relationship to the next level. They probably didn't want him around... probably thought he was an annoying third wheel or something. He supposed it didn't matter that he had saved their asses more times than he could count. He could picture them easily: spending all their time together, secretly happy they didn't have to deal with him intruding on their 'togetherness'. Harry heaved a sigh of defeat and sunk into his bed slowly. He really shouldn't be all that surprised...them wanting some time away from him was to be expected. 'A forgivable sin...' He smiled bitterly to himself as the thought occurred to him. What was he going to do now? He had nowhere to go, no way to defend himself without violating the underage magic rule. The smile disappeared as he looked out his bedroom window sadly. He had several weeks to wait before his seventeenth birthday... until then, he was defenseless and alone. His morose thoughts were interrupted as his uncle opened the door without knocking.

"We're all going out to dinner. That is, Dudley, Petunia, and I. If I come back and find the house in ruins..." he trailed off threateningly. Harry blinked.

"Okay."

Vernon frowned as he turned to leave, slamming to door loudly behind him. Harry supposed he should have acted more upset at being left out. Now his uncle would be suspicious of him...and he didn't really care. He would, finally, be alone for a while...completely alone. His heart skipped a beat as he realized what that meant...now was his chance to find his wand! Harry bit his lip and froze, waiting breathlessly for the front door to open and close, signaling his relative's exit. When the fateful slam came, he shot out of the bed and ran toward into the hall, adrenaline pumping into eager veins. 'Where could it be?' The possibilities were endless. It could be in their room, Dudley's room, or any locked closet... Harry mentally disregarded the first two. The Dursley's were terrified of magic- having an artifact of an otherworldly persuasion in their room was completely out of character. 'Wouldn't it be funny if it was in the cupboard under the stairs?' How ironic would that be, and how obvious. Harry stopped suddenly. And how like them. Without another thought, he dashed down the stairs to the place that had been his bedroom for the first eleven years of his life. With strength born of a desperate hope, he pulled at the handle, praying he was right. The hard metal left an imprint on his pale fingers as he withdrew his hands. Locked. A good sign. He frowned. Now, there was a difficult question to be posed: how was he going to get his things out of there without signs of tampering?

There was no obvious solution, but that wasn't a problem. Over the years, Harry had learned to think out of the box. Several thoughts came to him at once, all diluted and half formed. No good. As he stood in front of the cupboard, pondering, a loud crack interrupted his thoughts of retrieving his most prized possession. Harry whirled around to face the intruder, with nothing but his fists for defense. He lowered them with a relieved smile as he got a look at the small figure before him.

"Dobby! What are you doing here?"

End Ch. 3

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I WILL GIVE YOU COOKIES! Next chapter should get Harry out of Privet Drive, and out into the wild. Let me know if you have any suggestions, darling readers.