A/N Standard Disclaimer – I don't own anything….. I'm not JKR….. I don't even know her... not yet anyway………...She's still not returning my phone calls…. Or e-mails…. And won't even open the door when I knock…..
WARNING: There is some Harry on Dursley violence in this chapter, and he doesn't go easy.
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts
"Come in, Minerva. Tea?"
"Please," said McGonagall, taking a seat opposite the headmaster. "All the students that are going have left."
"Ah yes. I trust there were no difficulties?" Inquired Dumbledore as he handed McGonagall a cup.
"No, none. Although I'm not anxious to hear what Miss Granger's parents have to say about her spending almost a month of term in St. Mungo's. It's a miracle she survived at all."
"Very true," mused Dumbledore. "I fear she may be even more withdrawn when she returns, having faced such a fearsome creature at such a young age."
"I'll do everything I can for her," promised McGonagall. "Speaking of which, do we have any idea how in the world a troll was able to enter Hogwarts?"
"Severus believes it was Professor Quirrell," McGonagall snorted. "Yes, I must agree," said Dumbledore with a slight smile. "Still, he has experience in such matters, so we must keep our eyes open."
McGonagall nodded and seemed to pause for a second before asking, "and what of young Mr. Potter?"
Albus sighed heavily. "I'm afraid there has been no progress. I asked Filius to look at the cupboard where the letters are still addressed, and he has come to the same conclusions as I. Somehow, Mr. Potter was able to magically imprint himself on that cupboard before he left the Dursley home. I do not know how he did it; and it has certainly never been done before. A wizard can be hidden of course; unreachable by owl, but to physically be someplace and yet be magically detected somewhere else? It is truly baffling."
"You let Filius see the cupboard?" McGonagall asked, surprised.
"I'm afraid I had to have him agree to a memory charm afterwards. I do not wish it to become common knowledge that Harry was abused by his muggle relations, especially since we have no direct evidence. You are the only person besides myself who knows, and I would prefer to keep it that way. At least until he is found."
McGonagall paused again. "And if he isn't?"
"He must be," Dumbledore replied softly. "He simply must be."
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"Harry, Harry watch!"
Harry turned and watched as Row slowly levitated three colored balls and slowly began to juggle them in the air.
"That's great Row!"
She led the balls drop and collapsed into a chair.
"Whew, I still get really tired though. How do you stand it?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, I was using my healing powers for a long time before I tried anything else, so I think I just got used to using my powers a lot earlier than you did. You'll get it though, it just takes more practice."
"Well, I'm hungry, so I'm gonna make a sandwich. You want anything?"
"No, I'm ok, thanks though."
Harry walked to the window and looked out. After nearly 3 months of saving, the trio had finally been able to afford a proper 2 bedroom flat in Harlesden. Jack was still working at the docks, but it had been Harry's performing that really provided for the move.
After a month of doing street performances, Harry and Row had garnered some major attention, and had been asked to do a series of street fairs all over England. At first they were reluctant, but when they found out how much the job paid, they decided it was well worth it. It had saddened all three of them that Jack wouldn't see them for so long since he had to stay. As they were leaving Row had jokingly said that it was too bad they didn't have a transporter like Star Trek, since then Jack could teleport to see them anytime.
Jack had slapped his forehead and muttered, "Teleport. How could I never have thought of teleporting?" Approximately 2 days later Harry had discovered that he could indeed teleport, although he had to be very careful when doing it, as he had temporarily lost his right foot the first time he tried.
After their tour, Harry and Row became a very popular act, performing in many small clubs on weekends and some coffee houses on weekdays. With the money they made, the three friends were living rather comfortably. Harry had even experienced his first real Christmas ever, and was overjoyed to give and receive gifts with the people that meant the most to him. In fact, life had never looked better for Harry Potter.
And yet, he couldn't help but feel that something was missing. With all the powers he possessed, he'd still done nothing to help the world in general, and he hadn't brought the Dursley's to justice. Was it his destiny to use his amazing gifts as parlor tricks for middle class Londonites? Somehow, he knew that something greater was waiting for him, which was why he continued to practice and explore his powers.
Harry also couldn't get over the feeling that all his good fortune would inevitably come crashing down around him. Having spent almost his entire life viciously crushing all his hopes and dreams, having them suddenly fulfilled left Harry utterly terrified. Sometimes at night he would wake up and for a moment he would be certain that it had all been a dream, and that he was back in the cupboard under the stairs. Other times he would dream that he suddenly lost his powers and his uncle showed up at his door to drag him back.
But of all his nightmares, the ones that scared him the most were when Vernon took not only him, but Jack and Row as well. He knew he shouldn't fear his relatives any longer, but the thought of someone, anyone, hurting his friends like his uncle had hurt him left Harry feeling physically ill. It was ironic that leaving the Dursley's as he did left Harry feeling both elated and disappointed. He was obviously elated that he had escaped, and yet the fact that he had never faced his uncle left him feeling like a coward. More importantly, how could Harry ever hope to protect his friends if he couldn't even avenge himself? At that moment Harry knew that if he ever wanted to get past his irrational fears, he would have to face his so-called family again. He would have to return to Privet Drive.
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Petunia Dursley was having a good day. Yesterday, she had overheard from one of her neighbors that a couple across the street were having serious problems with their eldest son. Supposedly he was heavily into drugs, and had been caught stealing from his mother's purse to support the habit. Petunia loved juicy gossip like this, and threw herself wholeheartedly into damning the entire family for its poor values, all the while conveniently forgetting that she herself had been missing 20 pounds when she checked her purse that very morning.
As she made her way into the kitchen, she heard a light scraping sound coming from the cupboard under the stairs. She shook it off, knowing it was probably just her imagination. Ever since THEY had come around asking about HIM she'd been understandably nervous that her dirty little secret would get out. But it had been nearly a year since he'd run away, and she'd finally begun to believe they'd all gotten lucky and the boy had gotten himself killed.
"Darling, your two strapping men are home, and they're hungry!" Yelled Vernon Dursley as he made walked in the kitchen door.
"Of course, anything for such fine young men," replied Petunia. "Why don't you turn on the telly, dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes. Dudley, go upstairs and change."
Vernon kissed Petunia on the cheek and walked into the living as Dudley headed up the stairs.
"You'll never believe the day we had at the plant today, Pet. I swear, it was complete chaos, never see-"
"Hello uncle."
Vernon Dursley stopped dead and ever so slowly turned toward the cupboard under the stairs. Suddenly, he found himself staring into the coldest green eyes he had ever seen. Like pools of ice, hard as steel and sharp as granite, that gaze burned into his soul, and found it wanting. In that instant, Vernon Dursley saw God. And God was pissed.
With a gesture, Harry sent his uncle flying backward through the kitchen door. The door went flying off its hinges and shattered under the obese man. With another wave, both Vernon and Petunia were suspended in mid air, limbs splayed outwards, unable to move.
"We have a score to settle, uncle."
Harry's voice was like steel wrapped in velvet, a low hiss that made Petunia wet herself on the spot.
"Daddy, what's going on? Where's my dinner? Where i- ACK"
As Dudley appeared in the kitchen, he was assaulted by the wire attached to the toaster, which wound its way around his fat neck and began to squeeze.
"Well, everybody's here," Harry began, careful to raise his voice over his cousin's gurgling. "I suppose you all know why I'm here. I'm here for revenge. I'm here for justice. But most of all, I'm here to end this, once and for all. And there is nothing any of you can do to stop me. You are at my mercy. Completely…..helpless."
When Harry had finished, Dudley quickly followed his mother's example.
"Vernon," Harry turn towards him, "you're first."
Harry sat down at the kitchen table and served himself a piece of chicken as two chairs began to float toward the helpless Vernon Dursley.
CRASH!
The first chair shattered over Vernon's chest.
CRASH!
The second caught him in the side.
Unable to scream, all Vernon Dursley could manage was a horrible gurgle as Harry flung him back and forth, smashing into the walls on either side of the kitchen. Finally, he allowed him to fall on the ground at Harry's feet.
Throughout the ordeal, while Dudley was watching the man he idolized thoroughly abused, Petunia was frozen by the look of fierce determination on her nephew's face.
He's not even enjoying this.
"You're right, Petunia," Harry addressed her thoughts. "I am not enjoying this. I am giving you what you deserve, and making sure you can never hurt another innocent again. For you, I will destroy everything inside this house except for my old cupboard, and you're going to watch while both the hideous creatures who call themselves powerful men learn what true power is."
With that, he enlarged several of the broken pieces from the kitchen door, increased their weight and set them to break every single one of his cousin's ribs.
Seeing that his uncle was beginning to stir, Harry cancelled his cousin's beating and led him fall to the floor with the toaster wire still tight around his neck.
Vernon tried to stand, but it was obvious that both his arms and one of his legs was broken. His face was covered in blood and his right eye was nearly swollen shut.
"Well then uncle," Harry levitated his Vernon so that he was lying horizontally in the air facing the floor. "I don't think you've been punished enough yet. Haven't quite 'learned your lesson,' eh? Isn't that what you used to say before you did this?"
Harry flicked his wrist and Vernon's shirt and belt were stripped off, revealing a disgusting mass of rolling fat. With another flick, the belt began to lash his back viciously. Unlike when Vernon would use it, Harry had no arm to get tired, so every lash was just as strong as the first. After the first five lashes, Vernon had passed out.
Harry waited patiently for him to regain consciousness, then started again.
When he was finally satisfied, Vernon look more like a pile of rotting flesh than a human being. He had soiled himself more than once, and one could no longer distinguish what flesh was still connected to his back and what was falling off. Dudley, while not as bloody, was writhing in pain from having his arm and all his ribs broken.
"Well, we're almost done here. Just a couple more things and I'll be rid of you forever." Harry walked slowly up to Vernon. "Look at me," he hissed.
When their eyes met, Harry entered his mind. Searching through his fragile mental state, Harry burned every second of this encounter into his memories. Every time he thought of Harry, or the cupboard, or anything relating to them, he would remember this in vivid detail. Harry himself would never fully be rid of the demons this man had created, and now Vernon would never be rid of the demon he created in Harry.
That done, Harry added the finishing touch. With a final flourish, he threw Vernon into the cupboard under the stairs, magically sealing it for the next 2 days. With that, he turned towards his Aunt.
"I hope that there is a hell," he began slowly, "so that you and your family can have these punishments visited upon you every day for eternity. Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky. So, instead, I'm going to make sure you remember what happened here every day for the rest of your life, but are unable to speak of it to anyone. You will never forget that you tried to break me, tried to own me, and that I now own you instead. You will never be free of me, but I am now free of you. If I ever have to deal with any of you ever again, I will not be nearly as merciful as I have been tonight. If Vernon is still alive after 2 days, the cupboard door will open and I will let him live. However, knowing what a pathetic wretch he is, I would be surprised if he lasted the night. In any case, this is the last time you will ever so much as look at me if you wish you and your precious Dudley to remain breathing."
As Harry spoke he poked and probed around inside Petunia's mind, burning the images into her as he had done with Vernon. With a final twist, he made sure she would never be able to tell anyone what happened, or who had done it.
With a final flourish of his hands, Harry demolished the inside of Number 4, Privet drive, and then vanished.
Harry arrived in his bedroom and immediately collapsed onto his bed. A part of him was disgusted with what he had done to his uncle; he had delivered the same type of malicious beating that had been given to him so often. However, Harry also knew that all three of the Dursleys truly deserved every single thing he had done to them. There wasn't a doubt in Harry's mind that his uncle would treat Row exactly how he had treated Harry if given a chance, and he would never allow anyone to hurt his friends, no matter the cost. If that meant he had to be the one to stand up to the Vernon Dursleys of the world, then that's what he would do. For Harry Potter, no price was too high if it provided safety for his friends and family.
Later that night, after Petunia and Dudley had gone to the Hospital, Vernon Dursley lay dying in a space hardly big enough to fit someone half his size. As his life slowly slipped away from him, he looked up and saw, written in blood:
I AM HARRY POTTER
I WILL BE THE STRONGEST
YOU WILL NOT BEAT ME
It was the last thing Vernon Dursley ever saw.
A/N Kinda brutal, I know. Still, it was necessary (and they really did deserve it). Next chapter Harry has his first real encounter with another wizard and finds himself at the business end of a wand. As always, suggestions are welcome.