Chapter 2!

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Now onto the next part!

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"BOY GET DOWN HERE!"

Harry Potter dropped the bottle of cleaner into the bathroom sink and ran down the stairs as quickly as he could. He had learnt at a young age that when his Uncle Vernon yelled, it was wise to do what he said as fast as possible.

Jumping down the last three steps, Harry came to a sudden stop just outside the family room. He took one deep breath then pushed open the door, not knowing what his uncle was angry about now.

"What took you so long boy? When I call you I want you to get here immediately, do you understand?!" Harry cowered away in fear. He could tell by his uncle's breath that he had been drinking again, which never boded well for Harry.

"I'm sorry Uncle! I was cleaning the bathroom and I came as soon as I heard. I promise! I'll try better next-" But before he could finish his apology, Uncle Vernon hit Harry across the face, knocking him on the ground.

Tears started to fall from his eyes, but Harry knew that would only lead to more pain so he tried to stop them. Uncle Vernon advanced on the poor six-year-old, who was too frightened to back away.

"Please, please Uncle! I'm sorry I was bad! I won't do it again! Please!" Harry begged his uncle, but it was no use. His uncle had seen the tears and was about to punish him again.

"You stupid, little freak! Do you think I want to hear your pathetic excuses? You're pathetic and no one will ever love you! Do you hear me?! There is only one thing to do with freaks like you and that's to beat the freakiness out of you!" As he advanced on Harry, Vernon pulled off his belt. He lifted his arm and brought the belt down as hard as he could, but just before it hit the terrified child, Harry covered is face and screamed "NO!"

Instead of hitting Harry, both Vernon and the belt were thrown across the room, the belt disintegrating into nothingness.

Petunia ran into the room after hearing the crash. She took one look around the room and screamed when she saw her husband half conscience in a heap. Harry could only watch stunned as his uncle slowly got up. He knew he was in for it now; all he could hope for was that his uncle had hit his head and wouldn't remember what happened, like in the movies. But of course nothing ever went right for Harry.

"That's it! I am sick of that little freak living in this house! He is a danger to us all Petunia and he has to go!" As Uncle Vernon shouted, he stormed over to Harry and roughly pulled him from the ground. He started dragging Harry to the front door when Petunia finally spoke.

"He can't go Vernon; you know what that letter said. If he stays here we will be safe from the other freaks out there."

Vernon stopped and turned around, still clutching Harry's arm so hard it hurt.

"I don't care what that letter said Petunia. He is not staying in this house a moment longer." With that he shoved Harry towards the front door. Harry wasn't expecting to be let go and landed flat on his face, smashing his glasses when he fell over.

"Get up you little freak, and get out of my house!" Harry scrambled to obey, but his aunt's words stopped him in his tracks.

"He isn't going anywhere Vernon. I don't care where he stays, but I will not endanger my family just because one little freak can't control his freaky powers. He can live in the attic for all I care! He is not leaving this house!"

Harry looked up at the blurry outlines of both his relatives. He didn't understand half the stuff they were saying. What letter were they talking about? What did they mean 'other freaks like him?' Unfortunately he should have used that time to escape, but before he could even consider making a break for it, his uncle grabbed his arm once again and dragged him up the stairs. His uncle reached up and grabbed hold of the pull string that opened the attic doorway. When the stairs came down, he pulled Harry up with him. Once they had climbed the stairs, Harry was thrown forwards yet again. He cried out as his ribs smashed into the corner of an old wooden chest, and by the time he stood up and turned around, his uncle was already descending the staircase.

"You are to stay in there freak and I don't want to hear a sound out of you! If I do, there will be hell to pay!" With those final words, his uncle closed the door, casting Harry in total darkness.

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Harry didn't know how long he stayed up in the attic before his uncle came back, but he was sure it had been several hours at least.

"Here I've brought these from your old room so you better be grateful. Here's some bread and water, but they are to last you the week so don't start making a lot of noise if you run out. There is plenty there. Here's a bucket for you to go in, but I better not find stains or puddles anywhere else boy or you will be in even more trouble."

Harry looked up just in time to see his uncle throw an old blanket and a large bucket onto the floor. He also placed a loaf of bread and a one-litre bottle of water on the ground before turning around and casting Harry in darkness once again.

Harry crawled forward on all fours looking for the blanket. Wrapping it around himself he huddled back in the corner and, despite what his uncle said, cried himself to sleep.

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Harry spent the next two months like that. His uncle would come in once a week to give him more food, but he never emptied the bucket. It just kept getting more and more full, until one day it over flowed. Harry wouldn't forget that day for a long time…

flashback

Harry had just finished his last piece of bread, hoping his uncle would bring more soon. He realised he needed to go to the toilet, but his bucket was full. Not wanting to make his uncle mad, he held on for as long as he could. Finally when he couldn't wait any longer, Harry crawled over to the bucket. The smell was awful, but Harry was busting. He was just about to go when his uncle came up the stairs. Harry didn't realise at first, because his uncle always came up at nighttime, so it was still dark. A very small amount of light would shine through the doorway, but all that meant was that his uncle could see Harry. He could also see the bucket overflow.

"What the hell is wrong with you freak?!" Harry jumped nearly a foot in the air. It was the first time anyone had spoken to him in nearly a month. He backed away from his uncle, scared he was going to be punished. His uncle came towards him and kicked him in the ribs. Harry cried out and curled into himself, but it seemed his uncle was finished with punishing him. "I told you not to stain the floor and look what's happened! You don't even deserve this food!" With that, he turned around and pushed the door shut.

It didn't take Harry long to work out he hadn't been left any food or water.

It was another two weeks before Harry was fed again. Luckily he had saved most of his water, but it hadn't lasted the whole time and it had been two days since his last drink.

When his uncle finally came back, Harry was sleeping in his corner. From the little that Vernon could see, he knew his nephew needed some water or he would die. He didn't care that his nephew was that close to death, all he could think about was what would happen to his family if the boy died.

He walked over to Harry and shook him until he woke up. "Potter wake up and drink this." He shoved the bottle of water into Harry's hands then turned and left. Harry was still too weak to do anything other than drink the water; he didn't even have enough strength to crawl over to the bread his uncle had left, even though he was starving. He had a few mouthfuls then put the rest away, not knowing how long it would be before his next lot. Wrapping the blanket around himself, he went back to sleep.

End flashback

Harry sat in his corner, chewing on a piece of bread. He didn't know how long it had been since the bucket incident, but to a small child it felt like forever. He hadn't spoken since that fateful day when he was shut in there, and he was scared he would forget how. Very quietly, so his uncle wouldn't hear him, Harry started to sing a song he had learnt at school earlier in the year.

"I think mice are rather nice."

"Their tails are long, their faces small"

"They haven't any chins at all."

"Their ears are pink, their teeth are white,"

"They run about the house all night."

"They nibble things they shouldn't touch."

"And no one seems to like them much."

"But I think mice are nice."

Just as he finished the last line, a voice spoke up. "I also think mice are nice. Watching them struggle to get away from me as I inject my poison into their little bodies, seeing the life leave their eyes after they tried so hard to get away. But the thing I like the most about them is when I suck up their tails last, watching it disappear between my teeth." As the voice spoke, Harry could hear it coming closer to him. It sounded like something was being dragged across the floor. Suddenly Harry felt something coming up his leg. He was terrified of what it might be but cautiously put his hand out. He could feel odd bumps underneath his hand.

"What- what are you?" Harry didn't realise that his voice came out in a hiss. The creature wound its way up his arm. Harry felt a soft tongue touching his face.

"Hey stop that! It tickles! What are you?" The strange creature wrapped its way around his neck and back down his arm before it finally answered.

"I am an adder." The snake heard Harry's gasp and quickly put him at ease. "Do not worry Little One, I will not harm you. It is very rare for me to find a Speaker such as you."

Harry was confused. What did the adder mean by "speaker"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The snake let out a noise that sounded like laughter to Harry. "Oh Little One, do you honestly think most humans can understand me? You are a special human who can speak to snakes. It is a very rare gift that most people are afraid of, but don't worry, I'll make sure you don't come to any harm. Now, how do you get out of here? I can get in because there is a small hole in the wall behind some boxes, but you are far too large for that."

Harry felt tears well up in his eyes. "I, I can't get out. My uncle has told me to stay in here and I don't know how to open the door. I think he's put a lock on it like the one on my cupboard. I haven't been out of here for months."

It was now the adders turn to gasp. "My dear Little One, do you mean to tell me you are trapped in here? How do you feed each day? A growing boy such as you needs nutrients! This won't do at all!" With that said, the snake slithered off his lap and the sound of her (because to Harry it sounded like a girl) slithering away soon ended. Harry thought his new friend had left him and started to cry. He soon dropped back off to sleep, thinking he had been abandoned once again, but, in what felt like no time at all, Harry was woken by the sound of something heavy moving across the floor.

"I've returned Little One, and I have brought you food. I found a burrow of rabbits and have brought you one to feed on." Harry heard the snake make some retching noises before there was a dull thud sound. "Come child, it is still good to eat. Just make sure you don't eat the fur." Harry had never heard of someone eating rabbit before and was rather disgusted by the idea.

"I'm sorry but I can't eat this. How am I meant to cook it? Aunt Petunia always said not to eat raw meat, it's bad."

"Little One, if it was bad to eat raw meat, then how come I can eat it and be fine. Humans only ruin meat by cooking it. They are the only creature to do that. The only reason they get sick from it is because they wait too long before they eat it. I promise you won't get sick and you will love the taste of baby rabbit. Please trust me."

Rather disgusting bit so if you get queasy, skip it!

Harry tentatively reached a hand out and felt around for the rabbit. He grabbed hold of something soft, yet slimy and quickly dropped it again.

"Ew! It's all gross and slimy! How do I eat it?"

"Just rip open its stomach. The best parts are in there and if you do that then you won't eat any of the fur."

Harry grabbed hold of the rabbit again and, trying not to throw up, ripped open its stomach. He could feel the blood covering his hands but ignored it as best he could. He felt around inside until he could grab hold of something. He didn't know what it was but he pulled it off and with a bit of pressure it came loose.

"Oh Little One, you've got a good piece of meat there. Go on, eat it. I promise it will taste good."

Ok it's safe to read now!

Harry took one deep breath and put the piece of meat in his mouth. He chewed it quickly then swallowed it. It didn't taste as bad as he thought it would (not that it tasted great, but anything was better then stale bread by this stage!)

He reached for some more, and very soon had eaten everything he could except for the bones, which he couldn't eat and the fur because the adder told him not to.

For the first time since before Harry was put in the attic, he actually felt full.

"Thank you Adder! That was so much better than I thought it would be! I'm actually full!"

"I am glad to hear that Little One. Now I must go and feed, but I promise I will be back." Harry listened as the snake slithered away. When the sound of scales on wood disappeared, Harry had a drink of water then went to sleep, feeling full for the first time in months.

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Harry and the adder spoke each day. The adder told Harry that she was indeed a girl and Harry could call her Cecelia, but Harry had trouble saying that so she shortened it to Cissy.

Everyday Cissy would get Harry a rabbit or some other small creature, telling him that it was her duty to "protect and serve a speaker anyway she could, just like the snakes of old." Whatever that meant.

They spoke each day, Cissy telling Harry tales of some of the adventures she had in the wild, and Harry telling Cissy stories of the things that had happened to him with the Dursleys. Cissy never told Harry this, but she was appalled at the sorts of things that had happened to him.

More months passed and Harry still hadn't left the attic. One day when Vernon was coming in to give Harry his food, he saw a rabbit carcass. After screaming at Harry for nearly an hour and beating him unconscious, he left, taking the bread with him.

He had left the water behind, but it was the last time Harry saw him.

Three weeks passed with no more food from Vernon. Harry was starting to get dehydrated because he had run out of water days ago, the only reason he wasn't dead was because of the blood from the rabbits, but that would only sustain him for so long. He felt like was going to die and he was scared.

"Cissy, I don't know how much longer I can go on just blood! I'm scared. What should I do?"

Cissy knew Harry was magical. She also knew some wizards could do wandless magic, but she wasn't sure if Harry was strong enough and she didn't want to give him false hope.

Another two days passed and if Harry didn't drink any water soon, Cissy knew he would die. "Harry, I think I have a solution to your problem. You know how I have told you, you are special, and that you can do magic?" At Harry's weak nod she continued. "Well there are others like you. Most of them need a strange stick to do magic, but there are some who can do it with their hands. It is a very rare gift, but I believe that if you try hard enough you might be able to do it to. After all, you can talk to me and not many people can do that."

"What- what do I do?" Cissy thought for a moment before an idea came to her.

"Little One, I want you to hold out your hands in a bowl shape and imagine they are filling up with water. Try and picture it as clearly as you can. I know it has been a very long time since you have seen any, but try and remember what it looks like."

Harry closed his eyes and did as Cissy told him. In his mind his hands were slowly filling up with water. Just as Harry felt something wet hit his hands, Cissy gasped.

"It's working Harry! Keep doing it, its actually working!" Harry kept imagining the water pouring into his hands, knowing that it was really happening. When he felt it overflow he opened his eyes again and greedily slurped up the small amount of water he had made. It tasted wonderful. Harry kept doing that until his thirst was gone. It was one of the happiest days Harry had, had in what seemed like forever. He now knew that he no longer had to rely on his uncle for anything. Cissy would keep bringing him food and he could create his own water.

The only problem was, because Harry was only speaking Parsletongue and no one ever spoke English to him, his ability to not only talk, but also understand English was disappearing.

It wasn't until nearly five years later, when he was finally rescued, that he discovered he could no longer talk like other humans.

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YAY next chapter done!

Sorry about the cliffie, but that's how I always had it planned in my head!

Next chapter won't be out for a while because I'm going away tomorrow but that means when I get back I'll have written some more chapters!

So Harry is now 11 and I assume u can all guess what that means!

BTW, sorry about the whole Cissy thing. Never ask your older sister to give you a name for a snake! Seriously, Cecelia the Snake? Well I guess it is better then Snakey which is what she wanted me to call it.

Oh! Just before I forget, I know next to nothing about snakes so I'm just making most of it up. No flaming me if I completely stuff something up! And yes I'm sure snakes don't live as long as Cissy will, but I don't care! It fits in well with the plot!

And I'm also sure Harry shouldn't be able to live that long with no water.

Um…his magic was keeping him alive? Sure that'll work! So his magic was keeping him alive:P

As always, reviews appreciated!