Chapter 3

Harry Potter sat on his bed, his jeans dirty and sweaty, not to forget ripped, thanks to his cousin whom had thought of playing 'Harry hunting' again. These days the punches and kicks hurt more because his uncle had taken to hitting him again. Thanks to Dumbledore telling his 'family' that his godfather died and he had no protection from them. Right then he really hated the man.

Not only had he had to go back there, but Dumbledore had forbidden him to write to his friends. He had been surprised when he had gotten letters from his friends the muggle way. His friends had given their letters to Hermione and Hermione had sent them all the muggle way.

It was there and then Harry knew he would never survive without his friends. They had not done anything wrong. They had not sent him an owl, but they had sent letters to him, not doing anything against Dumbledore's wishes. Harry had laughed and laughed for ages before he was able to read them after reading Hermione's first sentence; they had got one passed Dumbledore.

Dear Harry,

I hope you are alright. Guess you are wondering how you got this. Dumbledore said no owls, nothing about getting a letter. Neville's, Ron's, Ginny's, mine, and Luna's are here, too. Hope you are great, goodbye, and see you soon. Included is some sweets and newspaper clippings for you to read, the most important parts. I don't know what I would do if I didn't get news on the wizarding world. Also some books to enjoy and remember to do your homework and not leave it till the last minute and no magic!

Love from,

Hermione

Harry shook his head, that was Hermione all right. She just loved to tell him to get his homework done. Shaking his head, happily thinking about his best friend. Only he had begun seeing her as more than just his best friend for weeks now and did not know what to do, wait or get to her before someone else did. He did not want to ruin their friendship over asking her out. For all he knew, she did not feel the same about him.

Not only were there letters from everyone, there was also the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet, as well as muggle cakes and sweets for him. Harry had never been more glad that he had his friends every step of the way till then. He sometimes felt like he didn't deserve them.

After reading them, he put the paper and letters under his floorboard. Also, he put his sweets under the floorboard on top so he could eat them later or in case his uncle did not feed him. He was getting food, just not much for a growing boy like him. Harry sometimes felt like he could eat a raw horse. Harry got himself up eventually, he was starving and had dinner to make before his aunt and uncle got back because if he did not, he would end up in a lot of pain. He knew his uncle would loose his temper and he would get a very sore back and stomach.

Harry got his potions book out as well as his advanced potions kit that he had bought at the end of the year. He did not know why, but he had started enjoying potions, not just enjoying it, he was brilliant at it. He could even list the ingredients for the Wolfsbane potion. Also, found potions refreshing and peaceful. He did not know what was happening, but he had begun to think the same as Snape.

He was beginning to think people were stupid, or dunderheads as Professor Snape called them. They did not even know simple questions. All Harry would think was, 'No wonder Snape thought I was stupid on my first day.' He also agreed that fame was not everything. Harry just did not understand. He was supposed to hate Snape, but he had found him funny as well as agreeing with him. However, Harry, in the end, just chalked it up to growing up.

Harry slowly stirred the potion, adding the ground powder into the potion. Harry was making pain reliever potions and he was sore all over; head, stomach, legs, and back. All thanks to his family. He understood why he had to come here, but there were other ways to hide someone and he knew that. Fidelius for one. The Fidelius charm could hide Hermione and Ron as well as his family, even if it was just for the summer, so he could have a good time.

Sitting, stirring his potion and thinking, he knew now the headmaster only thought of him as a pawn. Thinking over his years at Hogwarts, all he could do was sit and call himself an idiot. And that's exactly what he was, an idiot.

'How could I have not seen it before; the cloak, telling me how the mirror worked, him not bothering that the troll was let in as a distraction. He was after all, one hundred years old, he should know a distraction when he saw one. Moreover, going to the ministry. What a fool he was for not seeing it.

'He was leading me on the whole time, the fucking piece of shit. He could have let me have at least one normal year at Hogwarts, but no, he let me get Ginny, or rather left me to get her. She could have died. He knows everything that goes on. He should have known Ginny was acting strange, he should have known it was a basilisk. If Hermione can get it he should have been able to, too. She had only been in Hogwarts a year before it happened! He could have got me out of that tournament. I was under age, restriction be damned. If Moody was such a good friend, he should have realised it wasn't him.'

He then added the last ingredient in the potion and left it to cool before he put it into the crystal vials. The crystal vials were better than the glass ones, kept the potion going longer. And he again started thinking about everything that had happened in his life,

'He sent me back here, knowing I had never spoken about what happened to me with anyone, also knowing I hate it here and they hate me. Protection be damned and with him back, he could have at least trained me, but no. I could have learned lots over the summers. I cannot believe it, he knew all this time. Didn't want to ruin my childhood, he already had the night he fucking left me here, the old Dumblefuck. He knew I would be thankful that he got me out of there and I would like him for that. I can't believe I didn't see it before. Man, I suck. No wonder Snape thinks I'm an attention seeker. I follow Dumbledore like a lost puppy or someone who had found its master,' he thought in disgust, making a face.

'Let's not forget fifth year, not looking at me once, guarding something I could have picked up and taken to Hogwarts with no one knowing. I could have even broken it for God's sake. Telling me to take Occlumency with Professor Snape, knowing we don't get along, but his methods would have worked if I had not been as curious as a bloody cat. He was doing it that way so I would close my mind quicker. Well, it's over and done now. I wonder what they would say if I told them I was going to the Ministry to see what the globe was, not to save Sirius. I was pissed when Longbottom got it. I don't get how anyone could be that clumsy. Well, I found out why and I don't know whether to laugh or cry.'

Harry then put his potion into vials and corked them all and put them under his bed after taking one of them. He cleaned out his cauldron, opened his window, and tidied away before his aunt and uncle came home. One thing Harry could not understand was why his personality was changing. Not that he had noticed it much, but he had started not having the patience with Longbottom, enjoyed Snape's dry, witty words, could not be bothered about Quidditch, and all he wanted to do was read. After all, knowledge is power.

After he had begun reading the books properly he found it easier to understand them, potions just being the first on his list. Charms, then transfiguration, reading the incantations properly as well as the page telling you how to swish and flick. He remembered how Hermione got everything on her first try because she read the book properly. That is what she had been trying to tell them for ages. Moreover, it was only now he understood what she was saying.

Harry then went down to cook their dinner. He did not want to get on his uncle's bad side. It was bad enough without making it worse. He went about making dinner for his family and he then noticed he needed the carrots. Going to the vegetable cupboard, he opened it. A couple of letters went flying out that were now yellow. It was obvious that they had been in there a long time.

Leaving them there, he went and cleaned the carrots. Pealed the black skin off and left a nice orange carrot and cut them up too tiny fine slices. After the dinner was cooked and put on plates, he put them in the oven to keep them warm for his family, eating a good bit for himself having added more to the meal so he could get extra, knowing his family would not be in yet.

He picked up the letter and was surprised to see it had the Hogwarts seal. Curiosity got the better of him. He opened it and what he saw made him loose his balance and fall. All he could do was stare at the letter and try to suppress the sob that had broken through. He had never cried, not really, not for Cedric nor Sirius.

The letter would change everything,

Dear Petunia and Vernon,

I am sorry to have to burden you with this boy. He got his parents killed with just being alive, I am sorry to say. You will be protected from Death Eeaters, the boy as well. No one will be checking up on him for a long time. He will also show magic, don't let him off with it. He will come to Hogwarts when he is eleven, please make him as bruise free as possible. I would hate to have to take him out of there.

You are free to treat him how you like. He is, after all, a burden on your shoulders. You could make him your servant, yours too cook and clean. No one in the wizarding world will be able to come here. Thanks. Treat him like he is worthless, a freak. I'm sure he can bruise nicely.

P.S-Would not want anything to happen to either of you or your son,

Albus Dumbledore.

That's how his family found him, when Harry looked up at them with raw pain and agony they had to look away in shame, shame at how much hurt was in Harry's eyes. They had never seen Harry cry for many years, not since he was a child, and for him to cry like that, it must have been a big thing. All they could do was keep their eyes averted as Harry sobbed his heart out over the piece of paper. His shattered heart, by the sounds of the sobs.

He had known the headmaster was only using him, but to have his family abuse him for years, to actually tell them was enough for him. Harry closed into himself, rocking back and fourth. Sometime within five minutes he fell asleep, tears still stinging his eyes. Petunia bit her lip deciding what to do. She got a blanket and pillow out of the cupboard and covered him. Then put the pillow under his head. She wiped away the tears. As she did so, she realised something, too. Harry looked more like Lily than she first thought. He had Lily's mouth, smile, jaw, and eyes, as well as nose. With a small smile she left him there, knowing none of them would be able to lift him.

Dudley got the meal out of the cooker and ate it fast. Then he went over to Harry and grabbed the letter out of his grubby hands. He read it and just about bit through his lip to keep from screaming. Putting it down, he turned to his family.

"You treated Harry like that because that crazy Headmaster told you to. He's not really a freak. You called him that because you were told to. He saved me, no matter what you say, he did. He risked being expelled from that magic school to save me. He risked going back under that cupboard for me, as well as his friends. He has friends in the magical world, lots of them." Now that he was thinking about everything that happened without anyone telling him what to think, it was all coming together.

"He saved us. I snuck into Harry's trunk and got a book out. Voldemont (yes that's how he thinks it's said I didn't spell it wrong!) wanted to kill all muggles and muggleborns, that means all people without magic, us! And wanted to kill children that have magic with no magic parents, like Aunt Lily. She died protecting Harry from the killing curse, she probably saved us too, and that's how you treated him! But… But… But then how you have been treating him was wrong. I though it was right to beat people. I've been beating people up since I was a kid and I have not got one decent friend because of this," said Dudley, who was just realising what he had been doing to his cousin was wrong. And realising that beating kids up was wrong too.

Petunia nearly fainted when Dudley said he had been reading books in Harry's trunk and when he said he beat children around the neighbourhood. She slumped into the chair when she realised he was right. Vernon looked down when he realised what doing to Harry had led their son to do. No parent wants their child to think that it was right to beat other children. They had wanted their child to be brought up right, but they had not and that brought shame to their faces, shame that Dudley would blame them for how he grew up.

They had nothing to do with how the two brilliant boys had grown up and how they turned out. They both knew Dudley reading Harry's books was how he had grown up out of the boy they had once known. That was not what they wanted and they could not hate the boy sleeping on the floor in the kitchen for it. No, they could not, not one bit.

They were unaware that Harry had woke up when Dudley had moved the letter from his hand and listened to Dudley stick up for him and tell his parents off. Harry heard him give a speech that he would never forget, years to come he would remember it. His heart lightened that his cousin understood him.

Harry, after hearing the speech, got up and ate his dinner, thinking of ways to get revenge for everything the headmaster had done to him. Thinking about it, he was startled out of his thoughts when his aunt put some of her meal on his plate and even more surprised when Vernon did the same, but grateful none the less.

Harry knew he would never love them, but it was a start to forgiveness. He realised his aunt and uncle had beat him in case Albus Dumbledore came and hurt their family. He could forgive them in time, but not totally. They had ruined any chance he had of a childhood. They had been used just as much as he had been. He knew his Aunt and Uncle both loved their son and could not blame them.