Harry went to dinner with his classmates, ate a few bites and left without
giving a reason. He spent the remainder of the evening in the dormitory
instead of down in the common room so he could think about how strange
their first day of class had been. What had been especially strange was the
way Snape looked at him at the end of class, like he was trying to reach
into Harry's mind and extract all the information he wanted.
Harry sat on his bed and pulled his knees up to his chin. He began to think about everything that had happened to him during the summer, trying to find a reason for it all. He knew why Uncle Vernon had chosen that summer; it was because he wasn't able to go to Ron's. Ron hadn't even been home, as he'd gone to visit Charlie in Romania. Therefore, Uncle Vernon was able to do whatever he pleased, and didn't have to worry about anyone noticing or asking questions.
He remembered one conversation he had with Aunt Petunia when he was seven. He'd asked her about what she'd thought when she found him on their doorstep when he was a year old.
"What was I thinking? I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking about how selfish your foolish parents were for having gone and killed themselves, leaving us with a child who was just as freakish as they come!" she'd shrieked at him, the blood running from her face in rage.
For as long as he could remember, life had been nothing short of awful for him. Harry was despised by his relatives with the utmost passion. Even the neighbors hated him, after all the stories the Dursleys had given them. Harry was a klutz when he was nervous, and would never talk to anyone. He was constantly getting yelled at, even when it was his cousin who'd done something wrong. Somehow, he always managed to get in the way of the Dursleys, and when he did, he was beaten and pushed around.
When Hagrid came to bring him to Hogwarts, he was the happiest he'd ever been up to that point. Even Snape and Malfoy couldn't deter him from enjoying life away from Dudley and his parents. So when he returned for the summer he wasn't surprised to be was starved and slaved like a dog that had been rolling in dirt.
But even all of that didn't explain why Harry had to go through it every summer, or why he was the brunt of it all. It just made the list of bad memories longer than it should have been. He remembered crying at ten years old, begging his cousin to tell him why they were so mean to him, but all Dudley told him was that Harry deserved it and he would always be treated the way he was, until the day he died. Even now, when he was able to understood things better, he still couldn't figure them out. He would never ask Uncle Vernon or Dudley again why they were so cruel, because he knew he'd never get a decent answer in return.
Harry yawned and looked at his clock. It was rather late, and he heard the other boys coming up the staircase. He knew he had to start pretending that things hadn't changed since the end of last term. He stood up and got changed into his pajamas before Dean, Neville, Seamus, and Ron walked in.
"Hi, Harry," they all said at about the same time. The looks of surprise on their faces almost made Harry crack up.
"Oh my god!" Ron said, and they all looked at him. "Harry smiled! I think I'm gonna die!"
"Who's gonna bury you?" Harry teased. "And who's going to your funeral? Cuz I sure won't!"
Neville and Seamus laughed as Ron threw a pillow at Harry. "Go to bed, you prat."
"I'd planned on it long before you came in the room, you slimeball," Harry shot back with a grin. Ron paused for a moment, his shirt in his hands.
"You must really have something wrong," he said slowly. "Especially if you're confusing me with that greasy shitheaded git we have for a Potions Master."
"No, I thought you were more Malfoy-ish."
Ron's mouth dropped open as the others laughed.
"Wow, Ron. Shoulda told us you were a Slytherin," Dean said, still laughing.
"Yeah, so we could put you through HELL!!!!" Seamus added, retrieving Ron's pillow from the floor.
"Like you don't as it is."
"Goodnight everybody," Harry said, climbing into bed.
"'Night, Harry."
**************************************************************************** ********************************************** Comments? Questions? If so, click on that button on the bottom left of your screen, type them in, and I'll be glad to reply as soon as I can. Thank you!
Harry sat on his bed and pulled his knees up to his chin. He began to think about everything that had happened to him during the summer, trying to find a reason for it all. He knew why Uncle Vernon had chosen that summer; it was because he wasn't able to go to Ron's. Ron hadn't even been home, as he'd gone to visit Charlie in Romania. Therefore, Uncle Vernon was able to do whatever he pleased, and didn't have to worry about anyone noticing or asking questions.
He remembered one conversation he had with Aunt Petunia when he was seven. He'd asked her about what she'd thought when she found him on their doorstep when he was a year old.
"What was I thinking? I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking about how selfish your foolish parents were for having gone and killed themselves, leaving us with a child who was just as freakish as they come!" she'd shrieked at him, the blood running from her face in rage.
For as long as he could remember, life had been nothing short of awful for him. Harry was despised by his relatives with the utmost passion. Even the neighbors hated him, after all the stories the Dursleys had given them. Harry was a klutz when he was nervous, and would never talk to anyone. He was constantly getting yelled at, even when it was his cousin who'd done something wrong. Somehow, he always managed to get in the way of the Dursleys, and when he did, he was beaten and pushed around.
When Hagrid came to bring him to Hogwarts, he was the happiest he'd ever been up to that point. Even Snape and Malfoy couldn't deter him from enjoying life away from Dudley and his parents. So when he returned for the summer he wasn't surprised to be was starved and slaved like a dog that had been rolling in dirt.
But even all of that didn't explain why Harry had to go through it every summer, or why he was the brunt of it all. It just made the list of bad memories longer than it should have been. He remembered crying at ten years old, begging his cousin to tell him why they were so mean to him, but all Dudley told him was that Harry deserved it and he would always be treated the way he was, until the day he died. Even now, when he was able to understood things better, he still couldn't figure them out. He would never ask Uncle Vernon or Dudley again why they were so cruel, because he knew he'd never get a decent answer in return.
Harry yawned and looked at his clock. It was rather late, and he heard the other boys coming up the staircase. He knew he had to start pretending that things hadn't changed since the end of last term. He stood up and got changed into his pajamas before Dean, Neville, Seamus, and Ron walked in.
"Hi, Harry," they all said at about the same time. The looks of surprise on their faces almost made Harry crack up.
"Oh my god!" Ron said, and they all looked at him. "Harry smiled! I think I'm gonna die!"
"Who's gonna bury you?" Harry teased. "And who's going to your funeral? Cuz I sure won't!"
Neville and Seamus laughed as Ron threw a pillow at Harry. "Go to bed, you prat."
"I'd planned on it long before you came in the room, you slimeball," Harry shot back with a grin. Ron paused for a moment, his shirt in his hands.
"You must really have something wrong," he said slowly. "Especially if you're confusing me with that greasy shitheaded git we have for a Potions Master."
"No, I thought you were more Malfoy-ish."
Ron's mouth dropped open as the others laughed.
"Wow, Ron. Shoulda told us you were a Slytherin," Dean said, still laughing.
"Yeah, so we could put you through HELL!!!!" Seamus added, retrieving Ron's pillow from the floor.
"Like you don't as it is."
"Goodnight everybody," Harry said, climbing into bed.
"'Night, Harry."
**************************************************************************** ********************************************** Comments? Questions? If so, click on that button on the bottom left of your screen, type them in, and I'll be glad to reply as soon as I can. Thank you!