Shattered Illusions Chapter Two: Shopping With Freak.
Snape blinked. Petunia had just pointed to the cupboard under the stairs when asked where Potter was, but why would Potter be in the cupboard under the stairs? He stepped forward in front of the cupboard and noticed the lock on the outside.
"He was having a time out." Petunia explained as if hearing Snape's wonder.
"What did he do to deserve being shoved in a cupboard?" Snape asked.
"Horrible child he is. He steels and cheats all the time." Petunia said. Snape smirked, he some time wished he could lock his students in a cupboard. Snape lifted his hand and unlocked the door, then pulled it open.
Inside was a very small boy sleeping in the corner, on top of a small blanket. The child looked to be no more than eight years old.
"This is Mr. Potter?" Snape asked taking his eyes off the boy.
"Yes." Petunia answered.
"Why's he so small?" Snape questioned.
"He doesn't eat much." Petunia said. "We try to get him to eat, but he refuses." Snape seemed to accept that answer, because he stuck his foot in and nudged Harry.
"Potter. Wake up Potter." Snape said.
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Freak was laying in his cupboard trying not to lose consciousness. He didn't know how long he had been in it, but it was really hard to breathe. Freak's head felt weird and as time went on, his eye lids got heavier and heavier. He finally just let them close and was drifting off when he heard voices outside his door.
He tried to understand what they were saying, but it sounded all muffled and quiet. Suddenly his door opened and somebody was calling for 'Potter'. Freak tried to open his eyes, but they just wouldn't. Then something nudged his shoulder and he jumped up, startled.
"So good of you to join us, Potter." A voice said. Freak didn't look up. That was against the rules. Never look an adult in the eyes. Not even the face, or anywhere really. It was just safer to look at the floor at all times.
"Well, come a long Potter." The man snapped. Freak's brows came together in confusion. Who was this , 'Potter' person? Surely the man was confused. He thought about correcting him. He was Freak, not Potter. But no, that wouldn't do any good. Another rule, never correct an adult. Even when you know they're wrong.
Freak didn't move. He didn't know this man. Who was he? Where did he want to take Freak?
"Go with him Harry dear." Aunt Petunia said. Freak was only confused further, who was Harry? Who was Potter? He looked around and only saw Aunt Petunia, the man, and himself.
"What are you waiting for boy, a written invitation? Come along now!" The man said. Freak could tell he was getting angry, so he quickly followed the man out of the house, risking a peek at Aunt Petunia. She wore a look that said, 'tell him anything and I'll hold your head under water a little too long'.
Suddenly the man grabbed Freak's shoulder and it felt like they were getting squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. Then he was on the ground dry heaving, there wasn't anything in his stomach to push out.
"Stand up!" The man commanded. "It isn't that bad." Freak stood quickly and followed the man. Freak didn't dare look up, but out of the corner of his eye he could see a lot of people, all wearing weird clothes and were holding sticks.
Their first stop was a place Freak couldn't remember what it was called, but it was a bank. The man said it was a bank for wizards. Freak swallowed the urge to tell the man that there was no such thing as wizards.
Freak was having his doubts though when he saw the inside. There were little..creatures inside, with pointy teeth and long nails. Freak wanted to ask what they were, but he knew that was out so he just stuck close to the man.
Then when they were standing in front of the vault the man gave Freak a little shove towards the money.
"Well go on a get some." The man snapped. Freak looked at the huge pile of money and shook his head. Surely it was a trick. The money was for this, Potter person, not Freak. And once the Potter person realized that Freak took his money, Freak would be in for it. He would have to just tell the man that he had the wrong person.
He opened his mouth to say something when the man sighed irritably and walked passed, taking some money and putting it in a bag thing and handed it to Freak. Freak didn't take it.
"Take it!" The man almost yelled. Freak shook in fear and reached out and took the bag. "Let's go." The man growled.
When they were back outside again the man turned to Freak. "Have you got your list?" The man demanded. List? What list? Freak felt panic rise in his stomach, he didn't have a list.
"Oh, right." The man said, pulling something out of his pocket. He handed it to Freak. Freak took it carefully and noticed it was a letter, the same letter that had been showing up everyday at number four.
"Well open it!" Harry jumped and opened the letter and started reading. He had to read it a couple of times before he could understand any of it. From what the letter said, it was for a 'Harry Potter', who was to attend a school for witches and wizards, called Hogwarts, to study magic.
Freak almost threw the letter down. It had the 'M' word written on it. If Uncle Vernon ever saw him holding a letter with the 'M' word on it, he'd get beat for sure. Instead he turned to the next one, it was a list. This must be the list the man was talking about.
Uncertainly, Freak held out the list to the man, hoping it was what he wanted. The man made no move to take it, so Freak risked a glance at his face. The man had black, greasy hair, a hooked nose, and eyes filled with loathing and hate.
"Why are you giving it to me?" The man sneered. Freak slowly pulled his arm back. "Come on, we'll get your books first." Freak hesitated. He wasn't allowed to have books. He had gotten caught reading one of Dudley's books a couple years ago, they made sure he'd never touch one of them again.
Freak had no idea what to do when they entered the book shop, there were so many books.
"Over here, Potter." The man snapped. He picked out all the books that Freak would need and handed them to Freak. "Go pay."
Freak could do that, It was a direct command. So holding the stack of books, he went to the counter. when the man stated the price, Freak's stomach dropped. The money was different there.
"Merlin's beard, you're Harry Potter!" The man stated. Freak's eyes widened and he started backing away. Why did everyone think he was Harry Potter? He wasn't, he was Freak!
"Potter, have you payed?" The man demanded. Freak shook his head. The man sighed and snatched the money away from Freak, and proceeded to pay for the books.
The rest of the day went like that. They would go to some shop, people would call him 'Harry Potter' and the man would pay for whatever they were buying.
Freak wanted to tell the man that he wasn't Harry Potter, just Freak. He knew the consequences of lying, but he wasn't actually lying, was he? Everyone seemed to think he was Harry Potter, so Freak wondered if he could just pretend he was. Obviously nobody would realize that he wasn't. Until the real Harry Potter came along.
Before he knew it, they were squeezed through the tube again and they were standing outside of number four, with Harry Potter's trunk.
"Well? Go in!" The man growled. Freak dragged the trunk up to the front step and knocked on the door.
"Potter, why are you knocking on the door to your own house?" The man asked. Freak figured the man was confused. He didn't live there, his aunt, uncle, and Dudley did. He was just the freak. The door opened and Uncle Vernon stood behind it.
"Freak!" He started to yell but then saw the man, "Who're you?"
"This letter should explain everything." The man said handing Uncle Vernon a letter. Uncle Vernon was turning purple in the face and Freak shrunk back.
"I'll be going now, good day, Mr. Potter." The man said, turned around, and with a crack, was gone.
"Get into the house, Freak." Vernon growled dangerously. Freak tightened his grip on the trunk and marched inside. The next thing he knew, Freak was pinned to the wall, Vernon breathing in his face.
"You don't deserve this stuff." Vernon growled. "You don't deserve to go to school, let alone a freak school." Freak school? Freak didn't know that there was a school for freaks. What was he if he didn't even deserve to go to a school for freaks?
"You don't deserve to eat, or the air you breathe. You don't deserve to live under my roof and ear my food. You're a filthy, disgusting, stupid, useless freak. you'd do good to remember that." Freak nodded. He would remember, he got told it every day. He didn't think he could ever forget.
"Good." Vernon dropped him and kicked him to the ground. Freak watched Uncle Vernon take off his belt. "Take off your shirt." he growled. Freak was quick to comply, it was never good to resist.
Freak had barely had the shirt off before he felt the fist blow against his back. Freak bit his lip to keep from crying out. Uncle Vernon hit him over and over again, until he could feel the blood running down his back.
Then Uncle Vernon put the belt down and started kicking Freak. Freak could feel his ribs cracking and he gave up trying to block it. When it was finally over, Uncle Vernon grabbed Freak by the arm and dragged him to the cupboard. He threw Freak in, then the trunk.
The trunk landed on Freak's abdomen, breaking the ribs that were already cracked. Freak decided that just for awhile, he would pretend to be this, 'Harry Potter' person. Consequences be damned, if he could go to freak school and get away for awhile, it was worth it.