Disclaimer: I DO NOT NOR WILL I EVER OWN THE HARRY POTTER FRANCHISE! That said, if someone tries to sue me you're more than welcome to my dust bunnies as payment. You can't have my rock collection though.

AN: This is actually my story. I forgot my log in address (I actually think I accidently erased it), and have no clue as to the password, so there was no way to log onto my Enkindu account. This was why I actually made this account. Okay, hopefully I have fixed my errors, and am changing it up since I'm a bit older now than when I had started this thing. So hopefully it's better instead of worse LOL. I'm still American though, never been to the U.K. and am bound to make mistakes. If there's anything glaringly obvious about phrases or whatever please let me know :) Also I'm a weirdo and actually use proper old fashioned words in their actual context like queer which means odd or weird and use gay meaning lighthearted or carefree. One last thing, I tend to jump around with the viewpoints but it's always third person never first.

Title: Torn Decisions

Story Rating: T

Chapter Rating: K+

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Prologue

The child wasn't sure when he became aware that 'Boy' wasn't his actual name. Maybe it was when he realized that he was different, and not just because he looked nothing like the people he lived with. The conclusion that he wasn't like them was the fact he could hear and see a boy no one else could. 'Everyone else' was being the people whom he lived with by the name of Dursley. The Dursleys were the boy's guardians and family from what he'd been told and had come to understand, but would later learn was a gross misnomer if there ever was one. It slowly dawned on the child that everyone his family had another name apart from boy, woman, man, etc. except for him. Even the boy that only he could see had a name. It was around this time he started noticing other discrepancies of the rules concerning him and those that applied to his cousin Dudley.

The first lesson learned at the tender age of just eighteen months old was that crying was not a good thing. He would be left alone until he stopped or unless the adults were frazzled then he was greeted with harsh words and later when a bit older a slap. His uncle had once grabbed him and lifted him none too gently up to eye level and menacingly stated, "If you don't stop that crying, I'll give you something to cry about." That 'something' was usually a switch across the boy's backside. Along with no crying or whining, he was not to ask questions. He was to obey them and never mention anything that could be considered abnormal. They disliked anything that could not be simply explained, so anything unusual was not tolerated. It was right up there with asking questions. Questions were not permitted unless it pertained to a chore, but even those had to be chosen and voiced with care. There was no certainty that the questions would be answered or allowed.

By the time he was four the boy knew the rules by heart and quickly memorized any odd rule that popped up lest he be punished for not recalling it later. It helped that at the beginning his aunt would always ask him what the rules were. Because of said rules, the child was quiet speaking only when being spoken to and answering with, "Ma'am" or "Sir". Since he was unobtrusive and like a shadow, he was allowed out of the house to go with the Dursleys when they needed to go out for shopping or for an outing. It was during these outings that he noticed odd people, or rather people acting oddly. Rather than being a nonentity, he was acknowledged by a nod, a tilt of the hat, one or two even called out to him. At first he'd been offended thinking they'd said hairy and while his hair was rather wild, it didn't warrant insult. Then he'd understood it wasn't hairy but Harry. And while on some level he'd understood 'Boy' wasn't a proper name, Harry didn't quite seem right either. What he'd picked up on the most was how these incidents affected his family's behavior and how suddenly there was a need to go home. It was something neither he nor the invisible boy could fathom and they only felt slightly better seeing that Dudley was as clueless as they.

Rubbing his eyes the boy sat up and shivered as the woolen blanket fell off of him letting the warmth escape. Stretching, he debated for a second about curling back up but decided he'd best stay sitting up. It would be too easy to fall back asleep and then he'd be in trouble. Folding up his bed he made sure to set his pillow covered in a case that was made from his old baby blanket atop the pile. When he'd outgrown the quilt, his aunt had made it into a pillow case. It was his most treasured possession and was the only thing he had that linked him to his parents, to a life before the Dursleys. His aunt and uncle had already explained to him how they had found him left on their stoop like one would their milk bottles. When he'd asked if his parents had left him there he was told that he was dumped on the Dursleys because his parents had died in a car crash. That his parents' solicitor hadn't even had the decency to knock on the door, but had left him where he could have froze on their doorstep. He learned nothing else about his parents other than his mother had been Petunia's sister. While he didn't have much about his parents, he at least had the blanket.

The boy's room was the space under the stairs which at first he believed to be just a tiny windowless room. His aunt and uncle shared a room upstairs, there was a guest room for when Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge visited, Dudley's room which he had to himself, and the last was Dudley's playroom that had once been his nursery. The boy got the smallest room located under the stairs because honestly they hadn't expected he was going to be staying long. And his uncle once let it slip that it was the boy's room because he himself had chosen it. According to his aunt on the rare times she spoke about that day (being the day he was found outside), was that he'd been inconsolable after he'd awaken and had crawled into the room under the stairs. He'd only quiet down if he was there, crying bloody murder when his aunt had taken him to Dudley's nursery. Not knowing what else to do, his aunt had converted the cupboard into a room for him.

He didn't mind since the only times he spent great periods in his room was when he was sleeping or when he was being punished. He didn't find that odd either as Dudley had himself received 'time outs' and sent to his own room. Boy's room didn't have a light bulb though, just an empty socket hanging from the ceiling, there had been at one time. After the bulb burned out it was never replaced and that didn't bother the boy either. Light hurt his eyes and caused a bit of a headache when he forgot to shield his eyes. It was never truly dark in his little cupboard though, his aunt and uncle never shut the slot on the door and his door was never truly shut except during his own 'time outs'. While his cupboard was never locked, he did have instructions not to leave it until given permission in the mornings.

Quickly replacing his nightshirt with day clothes, he sat waiting, knowing that Aunt Petunia would be down shortly and allow him out. He shifted, his full bladder begging to be emptied, but he held it in. He was not going to have an accident. The last accident he'd had was when he was three and he wanted to make sure that that was the last one he'd had. As punishment for messing himself, he'd had to sit in the rank messy shorts until bath time. It was not something he wished to repeat.

"You have the bottle," the boy none of his family could see reminded him. They had scrounged the glass bottle from the recycle bin just for this sort of occasion. Thankfully, Dudley's Aunt Marge had visited recently and whenever she did she usually drank copious amounts of Vernon's liquor stash. He knew when she was due for a visit because Uncle Vernon would hide away the 'good stuff' as he called it. The visit this time was thankfully short and the boy was grateful since her departure gave him reprieve from the very unpleasant woman. Her visits always promised uncomfortableness and the family various forms of embarrassment and trouble. Vernon's attempts to find new places to hide his liquor or be deceptive about the amount he had were all for naught. The woman had a nose like a bloodhound when it came to spirits in a bottle.

"I don't want to. Aunt 'Tunia will be down soon." It was routine and almost on the dot every day. The other boy didn't argue, just sat quietly with the only person who could see and hear him, and whom he guessed felt like a brother towards. That was how the boys decided to view themselves and it helped that they noticed similarities to one another. Both had dark hair but not like Uncle Vernon's, pale skin that was natural and not from lack of exposure to sunlight. Both were slim and in the boy's case, nearly scrawny. The invisible boy had eyes the color of green glass while his own weren't as green or as pretty. The invisible boy also decided that they were brothers, and with nothing else to call him, that is what they named him for lack of anything better. Brother also stated he was older which got the boy to snort but then thought about it and decided it made sense. Older brothers were supposed to look out for their younger siblings and that is what Brother did. He looked out after the boy as he was doing now by reminding him that in case of an emergency he had the bottle to pee in. They didn't have to worry about Aunt Petunia finding it either since the boy was the only one to clean up the cupboard. That had been another rule; the boy had to make sure to keep his little space tidy.

Seeing the strained expression on the boy's face, Brother had begun to search in the back of the room where they'd stashed the bottle. He halted when they heard the familiar footfalls of Mrs. Dursley descending the stairs then stop in front of their door. It was all he could do to restrain himself from throwing the door open and rushing to the toilet. He knew better than to run though when his door opened and his aunt continued to the kitchen while he walked as quickly as he dared. By the time he got to the loo he felt as if his bladder was going to burst and it was both painful and a relief to finally let go. By the time he entered the kitchen his aunt had gotten the plates down and set them on the table along with the silverware. She'd just put the kettle on when they heard the Dursley males start to stir and he saw Petunia glance at him as he went to the cupboard under the sink to pull out his collapsible stool. Pushing it over to the counter he climbed on it and began to put bread in the toaster. Catching her watching him, he smiled unfazed when she turned away without acknowledging or returning the gesture.

Petunia couldn't ever outwardly show any kind of affection for fear of upsetting the family dynamic. However it did feel good to have someone to share her day with, even if that someone was a child. She and Vernon had decided that they wouldn't put their Dudders in nursery at first so they kept him home until he was four and it was time to let him start to learn how to socialize. It was only a couple days a week at first but she'd still been at a loss yet equally relieved to have one less child to warrant constant attention. She hadn't had a day without her son since the day he was born. For four years she hadn't had anyone to help or assist her as she took on motherhood caring first for her own son, then her sister's eighteen months later. Having cut ties with her family and Vernon's parents being dead, the only one left was Marge Dursley; someone that no one in their right mind sought child rearing advice from. Nor was she one to seek solace and sympathy from. After conversations with that woman one always came away more worn than when they had before they saw her.

Going about her routine day after day Petunia had at first been annoyed by her nephew constantly shadowing her seeming as lost as she was without Dudley. The boy followed her like a puppy, one thumb in his mouth, his other hand occupied by clenching onto an old patchwork teddy missing an ear, dragging it along in his wake. The used teddy had once belonged to Dudley until one of Marge's dogs had torn the ear off. Petunia hadn't been aware let alone be able to acknowledge when the annoyance had given way to acceptance of the intrusion in her life. Then came the realization that she no longer resented the boy, but that she actually cared despite her efforts not to. It touched her that the boy would follow her, want to help, and dare she think it, spend time with her. Dudley never did, wanting to watch telly, go to play dates with boys he met at nursery then primary school, or get Vernon to pay attention to him. Since the boy followed her, she began to teach him the chores he would later take on. It hadn't been intentional; Petunia had just decided to accept her nephew's help who began to fold laundry with her without provocation. Teaching him chores gave her an excuse to spend time with the boy as neither liked to be alone not knowing what to do with themselves. It was also gratifying that at least one person knew what she did and had to go through day after day without any thanks or appreciation from either husband or son. If Vernon questioned her about the boy's involvement, she told him it was time he earned his keep. Her husband liked that idea and left her alone with the boy as she knew he would.

When those people had dumped him on their step it hadn't included any stipend or promise of any funds to care for the boy. Vernon had to rebudget his check every month to include the extra mouth to feed, body to clothe, and school expenses. That was why they only had Dudley going to nursery and kept Harry home until it was absolutely necessary for him to attend primary. They both had grudgingly admitted that Dudley needed the early schooling more than their nephew. It wasn't as if the boy's education was lacking, since Harry was getting the same basic learning at home being taught the difference in colors (Petunia never washed the whites, darks, and colors together). He learned his colors, shapes, and counting the same as Dudley just in a different venue.

Petunia remembered how the boy had grinned proudly chest swelled when she'd lifted him onto the washer, explained how to operate it, and he'd done it correctly the first time. He'd listened and watched carefully, correctly added the right amount of detergent and set the machine. After that came sweeping (he held the pan), weeding, planting, and general gardening. As they toiled in the dirt she would talk to him about when it was the right season for what plant, the actual amount he should water the plants, how plants had meaning from flowers to herbs, and to be careful about what flowers he gave to a girl. Ever since she was a girl Petunia had been taken with botany and endured numerous quips about her hobby and her given name. The boy didn't say anything, letting her talk and she enjoyed that he avidly listened to everything she said and could see he was storing the information away rather than letting it go through one ear and out the other. Having someone who wasn't judging her or only pretending to take interest but was ready to talk behind her back and gossip to the neighbors was refreshing. The boy learned general house chore such as setting the table, dusting, emptying the bins, and Petunia had just began to teach him how to cook. He was always supervised and of course he was only able to try his hand at simple things. Harry had perked up when she once slipped and told him he'd be her prep cook for a dinner party Vernon planned for work. Petunia was the one to scrub the kitchen, tub, sinks, and toilet, everything that needed any cleaning chemicals. The boy would sit in the hall and would watch and listen while Petunia talked or would answer if she asked him to recite things back to her. He was only allowed to help scrub the floors. Vacuuming was too heavy for him still and while she did he was usually emptying the bins and stripping the beds.

Appreciating his help, Petunia gave into a rare urge and mussed the boy's black mop of hair in an affectionate gesture. The boy's eyes widened at the touch, only used to being touched by Dudley when they played or had to walk somewhere. He never received hugs or kisses or anything like that from his aunt and uncle, only a hand on his shoulder to nudge him along. The other times his aunt had touched him was to set him atop the washer that one time, or when he was being shown hot to hold the dust pan, or such. Vernon never touched him at all except when he earned himself a spanking or a cuff about the ear. Eyes shining happily he beamed at Petunia who wanted to return the smile but was already feeling guilty and berating herself for her brief lapse in judgment. She turned her back to him as the kettle let it be known it was done, but she could tell he was pleased. Pouring the scalding water into the tea pot over the blended leaves in the tea ball, she became lost in her thoughts about the day before her nephew showed up and the day he did wrapped in a quilt with a fresh gash on his forehead and a note. How on the first of November she and Vernon noted the strange happenings rightly guessing it had to deal with those people. Then the next day believing everything would go back to normal, she'd gone to set out the milk bottles to find Harry swaddled and left without a by your leave!

She hadn't wanted to take him in, but she couldn't leave him on the stoop, not knowing how long he'd already been out there. It had been a miracle her scream hadn't woken him, but for all she knew the boy could have been magicked that way. She and Vernon had read the note and both had fumed at that Dumbledore's nerve. He locked them into caring for the boy knowingly or not. They couldn't hand him over to an orphanage despite that was their desire to do so. They were afraid of the consequences and not only for themselves but for Harry as well. At that moment he'd been just an innocent baby although a queer one no doubt. The letter guised as a request of refuge for Harry was actually a command and warning. The Dursley might not have been the smartest people but they weren't stupid and could read between the lines which was part of the reason they were angry with Dumbledore for just deciding things without even speaking to them!

One of the main fears for taking Harry was what if he was a freak like his parents? Petunia disliked magic bordering on hatred. She hadn't always felt that way though. It had begun as jealousy and hurt towards her sister Lily. Lily could do things that Petunia could only imagine about. It hadn't been fair! She and Lily were sisters and more than that, best friends! It hadn't mattered that Lily was their parents' favorite child, as Petunia had been Lily's favorite person. Then her gift began to divide them. That small crack which seemed barely there grew bigger when that nasty Snape boy came along and poisoned her sister against her driving a wedge into that crack widening it. Lily didn't care that she would be starting an adventure by going off to a different school to learn magic while Petunia would return to their old school alone and the rumors of why Lily wasn't there. A school where rumors abound and Petunia kept being compared to Lily all the while coming up lacking. There was always the inevitable 'why wasn't Petunia as brilliant as Lily?', 'Lily got into a prestigious school',' Sorry you didn't qualify, Petunia'.

When Lily wrote home she never asked how Petunia was doing or asked if she was lonely now that her sister and best friend was gone. Never asked what was going on in her sister's life, if their parents were taking the chance to spoil her since Lily wasn't there. The only thing that Lily wrote about was her new school and how much she loved it there. She wrote about how much fun she was having, that every day was a brand new adventure, and all the friends she met. There were loads about the castle and classes and things that the other kids did and how different some things were but others were the same. She told their parents the different things she could do now and how she was top of her class. By the time she came home from school for the holidays there was a large gulf that neither could cross. That chasm only deepened and got wider with each passing year. Petunia hated that distance and resented and blamed her sister for it even though she had no idea how to stop it. The dislike festered and grew until hatred began to creep up when Lily brought some of her new friends home. Potter and his sidekicks seemed to have targeted Petunia for their so called pranks. When those beastly freaks found out about her boyfriends they frightened them off and found the whole ordeal hilarious. Petunia had no and tried to talk to lily but her sister hadn't found any harm in it trying to say that Petunia's boyfriend really wasn't suited for her. Vernon thankfully hadn't had to meat Lily's 'friends' but almost hadn't married her until she promised to sever ties with her family, which at the time she was more than too happy to do. There was no love lost on Petunia's part and neither she nor Lily wrote to each other or kept in contact. Although her parents wrote, Petunia never wrote back. So while she was kept abreast of everything going on with her parents and her sister's life whether or not she wanted to, they didn't know anything about Petunia to relate back to Lily. Neither did she acknowledge the fact that she wasn't an only child. To Petunia they were as good as dead.

Then Lily was dead and her baby son was on Petunia's doorstep without Petunia being able to work through anything she might have felt about her sister's death. Oh there was anger, and bitterness, but really she was kept too busy to actually process it having to deal with her sister's baby and Dumbledore's note and all that it implied. After fighting her fears she had grudgingly taken the boy. Her fear hadn't disappeared however. She had and still was filled with 'What if's. What if he was a freak and used his power on them? She well remembered Lily's bouts of magic that she couldn't control. What if her nephew had one of those bouts and accidentally or purposely hurt her Dudders? That nasty Snape boy had hurt Petunia with magic and that was something she never forgot, that magic could hurt as well as do wonderful things.

When the boy had woken and she had seen his eyes for the first time, it was like a confirmation that he was indeed a freak. The boy's eyes were an unnatural chartreuse color and depending on his moods shifted between more green or gold. With trepidation she had waited for him to do something abnormal, but as of yet he hadn't. He appeared as normal as her Dudders who got along with Harry strangely enough after they'd seemed to work things out as toddlers do. Dudley would come home from nursery and show the boy what he'd done that day. Then they would play together until Petunia called them for supper. Now that they were both in the first year of primary school they would do their homework together. Vernon and Petunia had agreed that if the boy passed his eleventh birthday without any peculiar incidents happening and didn't receive a letter, it would prove he was as normal as them. If that happened then they would adopt the boy and he would really become a member of their family. They would also show him the letter and explain to him why they treated him as they had to keep him from becoming a freak.

Secretly Petunia was glad the boy hadn't shown any oddness except for his ability to read body language. He picked up on her unspoken cues and never smiled or mentioned anything around Vernon. It wasn't until her husband was off to work that he would relax, smile, or sometimes hum to himself. Dudley, thank goodness, had somehow picked up on it as well and never mentioned the change around his father. Today was no different. As soon as they heard Vernon, the boy's smile disappeared, his head hung down, his bangs shielding his eyes. Carefully, he cracked eggs into the frying pan and set the shells in the water jug that would be used to water the plants. Petunia then placed it on the burner while Harry took the stack of toast and placed it on the table along with the butter, marmalade, jam, and juice.

"Why don't you go fetch, Dudley?" she suggested busy with the frying pan. Nodding, the boy set his stool back in the cupboard then went upstairs. Shortly she heard a shout from Dudley, a laugh from the boy, and a thump. When the two boys came down she saw the boy struggling to keep the smile off his face. Dudley was pouting and threw looks at the boy that clearly said, 'I'll get you.'

As the boy sad down Vernon came in already reading his paper and once everyone was seated, Petunia served him then the children their breakfasts. Though Harry had the least amount of food, he finished about the same time as Dudley. Seeing his empty plate Petunia asked him if he wanted seconds. Out of the corner of her eyes she caught the boy puff out his cheeks and stomach making round motions over his stomach. Looking at Dudley, he nodded his head at Vernon. Dudley stuck his tongue out at him and the boy grinned before quickly returning to his submissive behavior when Vernon looked up from his paper having not heard a response from his son. Petunia pretended she hadn't seen the boys' actions.

"No, thank you." Dudley had been learning manners at school and having to practice them. "I'm full."

Vernon frowned concerned that his son hadn't been eating as much as he used to. "You feeling sick, boy?"

"Nuh-uh." Dudley shook his blond head. "Not hungry." This was true. He learned that if he didn't eat until his stomach hurt than he would be so sleepy all the time.

"All right, sweetums. Go get ready for school."

At the reminder that they wouldn't see each other until he came home from school, Dudley saw his cousin's eyes dim a bit. Sliding out of his seat, Dudley ran upstairs to get his backpack. Going to his dresser he opened a drawer and pulled out what he wanted and put it in his pocket. Returning downstairs he kissed his father goodbye and walked with his mother and cousin to the bus stop after reassuring her that yes he had his P.E. kit with him. Before the bus or anyone else came to the stop, Dudley turned to his cousin and shyly (which was a rare thing) stated, "I got somethin' for you."

At that the boy 's head snapped to look at Dudley's face from where he'd currently been looking at the ground. Because his eyes were sensitive to light, the boy wore a pair of sunglasses but both the Dursleys could clearly see the surprise on his face. Dudley smiled at that and pulled the item he'd taken from his dresser from his pocket. Suddenly he was a little unsure of himself but handed it to his dark haired cousin anyway. Taking the gift, the boy gasped as he looked down at it. It was a handmade leather and bead bracelet. The tiny beads stitched to the leather formed a feather. Dudley held up his own wrist which bore a similar bracelet but instead of a feather there was a diamond snake pattern. "Mummy got the kit for me with my money and helped. D'ya like it?"

The boy lunged and hugged the blond who was happy his cousin liked his gift. It was the only other thing he'd given him besides the used teddy. Dudley hadn't even wanted the teddy and had planned on giving it to Harry who seemed to like it, but that stupid dog of his Aunt Marge's had gotten a hold of it. His cousin then hugged Petunia and shyly asked if she'd help him put it on. Dudley beamed as his mum helped out his cousin. "These show we're bestest friends."

It was also their private secret. They had discovered that Dudley was like him. He could do magic. They found this out when Dudley was up on a counter to get into the cupboards trying to locate something for a snack. He'd been startled when the front door shut. Dudley who'd been balancing precariously on a chair corner and a bit of the counter, had lost his footing. When he fell, he didn't hit the floor. It was like a cushion of air kept him from cracking his head on the floor. When Petunia had walked into the kitchen both boys were frozen staring at each other. She had given them a funny look when asked what they were doing they'd quickly replied nothing and ran out of the room. Later they had talked about it. Then there was the time at school where an older boy during recess as looking for his snake he'd brought for show and tell. Harry and Dudley had found it and the latter had stared dumbly while his cousin spoke to the snake. They both swore not to mention that incident.

As the bus pulled up, the boy gave his cousin another hug then stepped back for him to board the bus then waved until the bus disappeared. Walking back home, the boy kept fingering the bracelet, a smile on his lips, happy despite not being able to go to school today. It was actually the school's fault that he'd not be going to school. They were concerned about his eyes and had 'suggested' that Aunt Petunia take him to an optometrist. He didn't want to go to the eye doctor and have them flash a light in his eyes nearly blinding him. From the reaction Aunt Petunia had when she'd received the note about it didn't want to take him either. She'd grumbled about people sticking their unwanted noses in other people's business. At least the bright side was that he got his aunt all to himself for the day. Uncle Vernon was going to pick them up from the eye doctor during his lunch break but they had to take public transit to get to the appointment. Petunia had to remind the boy to take his hat and he had nodded and grabbed it stuffing, it on his head so the weirdo people wouldn't recognize him so easily.

He rather enjoyed the train since it meant he got to so many different kind of people. Brother liked to watch the people as well and they would try and guess where the people were going. When it was their turn to get off he kept a hold of his aunt's hand as they made their way to the eye doctor. Once there it was a short wait and it didn't take that long for them to check and see that he had problems with the lights and being nearly blinded he'd had to be led by his aunt on the way home. They did however realize that he might need glasses for reading when he got a little bit older. In the mean time, he was free of having to wear any eyewear except his sunglasses which had been picked up at Tesco's. They were just plastic and nothing fancy, but the boy liked them and that they wrapped around the sides of his eyes to block the sunlight from that direction helped.

Vernon was waiting a little impatiently for them when they exited and drove them to the grocers after discussing what was said in the optometrist. The boy tuned out his uncle's grumblings about the boy needing glasses since glasses were not cheap. Even with getting guardianship and government money, they had learned to budget thanking the fact that the boy didn't seem to need a doctor very often. In fact the boy had only been to the doctor twice in his life. Once was when they'd first gotten him to be sure that all that was wrong with him was the cut on his forehead and the other time was for his school entry into primary.

Vernon let his wife know he had a late meeting that was very important and would decide if he got that promotion he'd been trying for. Letting Vernon know that they'd be fine without him waiting, Petunia led the boy into the store to get their groceries. After a quick stop to use the toilet, Petunia picked him up and put him in the cart where he sat cross-legged in the storage part, back nestled against the folded up seat. Neither he nor his aunt liked putting him in the front seating compartment.

"What do we need?" She asked him. The boy's memory and recall were excellent which was why she would have him go over the shopping list to make sure she didn't miss anything.

"Shampoo, toilet tissue, dish soap, and coffee," the boy replied mentally going over the list his aunt had told him. Nodding, Petunia headed for the coffee. They were almost done shopping when Petunia decided to buy the boys some treats and asked her nephew for his input. They knew that Dudley would like the Frazzles crisps while the boy liked Jelly Babies. Once they had gotten those as well as a few other assortments, they headed for the check out. Busy going through her purse, Petunia hadn't noticed at first that the boy had put his thumb in his mouth. It had been a habit that Vernon and Petunia was sure they had broken him of, but still did it whenever he was anxious. Looking around to try and find the source of his agitation. The boy hated to be stared at and that's exactly what the batty old cat-woman from down the street was doing. She was smiling at him like all the other weirdos did.

"Hello, Harry. Are you enjoying shopping with your aunt?"

Petunia stiffened and the boy edged closer to the cart to get away from the woman. She and Vernon had thought about dumping the boy off at her house before when they had to go places, but since the boy had never been a bother they had yet to employ her services. The boy stood and held his arms out from Petunia who pulled him out of the cart and set him down beside her. His thumb immediately went back into his mouth, free hand clutched her skirt, his small body pressed against her legs to hide him from view. He was five but still rather short making it seem like he was younger which he capitalized on at times like now. He peeked around his aunt's legs but seeing the strange woman still smiling at him, ducked back and looked away when she'd stated, "Don't you look cute in your sunglasses."

Arabella Figg had watched curiously and with some concern at first when Petunia had him outside showing him how to do yard work. But as she'd watched she noticed that he was never by himself or doing more than he could do. Harry had always had a contented smile on his face as he and his aunt worked in the yard. The woman and her nephew interacted comfortable with each other and Petunia obviously had warmth and concern for Harry. From what Arabella could see and had seen it seemed Dumbledore had been right deciding to place Harry with his mother's family.

"He doesn't like strangers." Petunia told her stiffly wondering how the woman even knew the boy's name. Both he and Brother wondered the same thing confused with how the weirdos seemed to always know him or at least try and act friendly or familiar with him. Petunia quickly paid for their purchases and walked out to avoid any more exchanges that might prove uncomfortable later on. One hand occupied with the groceries bag, the other took hold of her nephew's hand and pulled him along causing him to have to jog every other step to keep up with her agitated pace. It wasn't until they were home that she relaxed. They ate a brief light snack while they waiting for Dudley to be home. When he did he was excited because his class had a test on their reading. Dudley proudly told his mother and cousin that he scored higher than his classmates. It was due to he and his cousin's competing to see who could read bigger words that had pushed them to excel past their year mates.

To celebrate they were going to go out on the town when Vernon returned home. The four piled into the car with Mr. Dursley warning his nephew not to mess up the interior of the car. It was a warning he got whenever they went anywhere because of the one time he'd accidentally spilled his drink which had been more Dudley's fault but neither boy said anything about that. The four went out to eat, saw a movie at the cinema, and where heading home each boy licking an 99 flake when it happened. A car going the opposite direction crossed over the division and Vernon had to try and swerve their own car but they still collided. Other cars ended up crashing into them causing a massive pile up. All the boy heard before everything went blank was his aunt's panicked shout, the scream of tires and crunch of metal.