Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter. DUH!!!

Harry Potter lay asleep in his bed in Number 4 Privet Drive. His aunt and uncle completely ignored him except at mealtimes. For some unknown reason to Harry, they usually gave him about the same amount of food as Dudley. This shocked both Harry and Dudley. Their reactions, however, were quite different. Dudley threw a fit and nearly smashed Harry's face in. Harry just barely missed being hit by that fat, yet powerful, fist. Aunt Petunia made Dudley stop and actually scolded him. He silently thanked Moody, Mr. Weasley, and Tonks for getting these idiots to actually be able to live with.

On this particular day (7-20-96), Harry awoke at 6:30 AM and quickly dressed. It was time for his morning jog. His movement woke up Hedwig, who gave a quiet hoot.

Harry pressed a finger to his mouth. Even though the Dursleys were giving him cool politeness, he did not wish to push his luck. He quietly opened Hedwig's cage and she immediately flew out the window. Harry smiled. Seeing Hedwig fly around reminded him of flying on his broomstick.

He tiptoed down the stairs and unlocked the front door, while breathing in the crisp morning air. "It's a beautiful morning," he said to himself. Then, he ran down the front steps and began his early morning jog.

Ever since the death of Sirius, Harry had sat in his room thinking. The thoughts were not happy ones. With the prophecy yet to be fulfilled, he exercised both physically and mentally. He jogged, did pushups, and various other training to be prepared for any physical attack. Slowly, his slim build began to grow more muscular. He was also growing like a weed. He practiced all the Occlumency exercises that Snape had shown him the previous year. He vented all his anger and grief into his work. He continued researching many offensive and defensive spells from all his schoolbooks. Two days into the summer, he received a letter from the ministry that permitted him to perform magic during the summer. Sirius, his parents, Cedric, Neville's parents, all the people that were killed or tortured by Voldemort and his followers would be avenged. He did not cry. He did not scream. He did not grieve. He just trained. Harry knew that Voldemort was coming, and when he did, Tom was going to die a slow, painful death. This Harry Potter vowed.

It was 7:30 when Harry arrived back at Privet Drive. He was hot, sweaty, and hungry. He walked into the bathroom and took a shower. When he went downstairs to eat, he saw that the Dursleys were already sitting at the table. Uncle Vernon had his nose in the newspaper as usual, Aunt Petunia was making more bacon, and Dudley sat glaring at the television (his favorite pastime). Dudley lost about 20 pounds, and Petunia stopped his diet. Still, Dudley was exceptionally fat, but a little tougher from all the boxing practice.

"Well, at least no more grapefruit slices," Harry thought as he sat down.

Harry ate quickly, thanked Aunt Petunia (she stiffened when this happened), and walked out of the house again. It was blooming hot outside, and it was only 8:00. Harry strolled up the road to the park. The park was repaired from Dudley's destruction and had a few families sitting around the playground watching their little children running around. Harry avoided everybody and kept walking till he arrived at the park's new fishing pond. He hated most of the people in the park. They still thought he was a criminal and a useless freak. Harry had no friends in this stupid neighborhood. He was an outsider. Harry found the bench that he always sat in and sat staring at the water in the pond.

He sighed, "I wish my real friends were here. I have nobody to talk to."

Suddenly, there was a cry. Harry leaped to his feet and drew his wand. "Let it be death eaters. I would love to practice magical dueling." He ran toward the noise.

When Harry arrived, he saw that in a field about 20 yards away from the empty pavilion several boys were beating up somebody. He instantly identified the attackers. Dudley and his gang of lowlifes were beating up another of their victims. Harry stared for three seconds; then he let out a roar, "You hit that guy one more time, and I will kill you."

Dudley and his friends laughed and walked towards him. Harry stood his ground. "Time to see if those exercises worked."

"Get him!" cried Dudley. They suddenly pelted toward him like four football players trying to smash the defense through pure violence.

Harry suddenly leapt out of the way, rolled and jumped back up. He grabbed a large rock that lay nearby. He threw it at Dummy1. It hit him squarely in the chest, completely winding him. "One down, three to go" thought Harry. He picked up another smoother rock, and instead of throwing it, he ran straight to Dudley and began to continuously pound him with the rock. From a shout from a fleeing Dudley, the rest of the gang ran as fast as they could away from Harry and his rock of pain.

Harry wanted to chase them. He wanted to break their filthy necks. But he did not. He turned and ran to the kid who they were beating. He was trembling face down on the ground. Harry fell on his knees and said softly, "It's okay; they are gone."

Whoever it was, he didn't even respond. Harry looked sadly at him. Suddenly, he noticed that this kid was about his age and had long hair. It was not a he; it was a she! When this information sunk into his brain, his blood began to boil again. Those bastards! They were now hurting teenage girls! He secretly swore to kill Dudley when he got home. He lifted her head. She stopped trembling and stiffened slightly.

"It is okay." Harry repeated " I am a friend, not one of those creeps."

"Thank you," she said, and she fainted.

Harry sat there stunned. What the heck was Dudley thinking? Who was this girl? What did she do to Dudley and his gang? As he thought, the girl finally woke up and sat up. She tried to stand, but all she could do was get on her knees and yelp when she tried to straighten up. Harry immediately went to her.

"Are you badly hurt?" he asked

"Well, aside from I can't stand, my throbbing head, and my gut hurting, I feel great" she replied.

"Do I sense sarcasm?"

"Perhaps."

She tried to stand again and fell. Harry caught her and helped her to sit back down. He nervously looked around. If anybody found them, he was dead. He felt her legs for broken bones. Everything looked all right except her ankles. They were probably sprained.

"Did they sprain your ankles?"

" Yes," she snapped.

"We need to bind your ankles. I'll be right back," he said.

Harry ran out of the field and darted up the road to Privet Drive. He entered the kitchen. Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley (with a brilliant black eye) were sitting at the table.

Uncle Vernon roared, "Boy get in here!"

"No, Dudley beat up a girl and I need to get her some help!" he shouted as he rummaged in a drawer. He found the first aid kit, and before anybody could stop him, he raced out the door again.

He found the girl still sitting there in the field with a look of severe pain in her eyes. She snapped her head up when she saw him approaching. She quickly turned away. Harry could tell that she was embarrassed, but for what reason, he was not sure. He worked patiently on her ankle. He was used to treating sprains because of all the sprains he got from exercising. When he was done, she managed to stand up with his help. She began to limp away, when Harry asked, "Who are you."

The girl turned around and said, "Aranea." She then limped away.

Harry did not follow her. He was a sensitive person and knew when people wanted to be alone. He slowly strolled down the road in the other direction. It was 1:00, and he was hungry. He decided to brave entering the Dursley's house to get something to eat.

A.N. I hope you enjoyed this. Please Review! It means a lot to me!