Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter: the actors, books, movies, action figures…got it?

Warning: this chapter contains child abuse nothing too graphic I think (let me know if you feel otherwise). See intro for all story warnings.

Chapter 1: In which I introduce Harry and his Relatives

First day of summer break after Fifth Year.

It was pouring rain by the time the Dursleys brought him 'home' from the station. They raced inside with only a sharp word to Harry about not leaving the trunk open. The teen glared after them struggling with his trunk and the unwieldy birdcage.

"Sorry Girl. I'll get you dry soon." Harry murmured in a low voice, heaving the trunk up the porch steps.

He fumbled between his belongings and the doorknob for a few minutes before he realized the door was locked. He bit his lip uncertainly and knocked. After a longer than necessary wait the door opened – chain lock still in place.

"What is it Boy?" Vernon Dursley leered, his beady eyes glimmering in sadistic pleasure.

"I – can I come in, sir?" his voice faltered and Harry bit his lip having flashbacks of his childhood.

"No." Vernon answered maliciously. "I don't need worthless little freaks tracking water and mud through my house. You can stay in the shed and be grateful."

Harry stared at the front door, pale. He knew his uncle was probably watching from the other side. Shaking himself he gathered his things and made his way to the shed. His uncle hadn't acted like this since before he started Hogwarts. Or at least not this openly. He admitted to himself. I wonder what I did. He shivered as a breeze leaked inside and realized he was soaked through. He debated changing clothes, but he didn't want to ruin any of his good school clothes if his relatives kept this attitude up. Not to mention what Uncle Vernon would do if I spoiled his punishment. Harry ignored this last thought and curled his knees to his chest shivering and trying to get comfortable from his spot wedged between his trunk and the lawn mower.

"You ok Hedwig?" he asked sneezing. The owl hooted reassurance, then resumed grooming her feathers.

The fifteen year old wizard tried to ignore his hungry stomach and the persistent cold as the sky grew darker and the noises from Number 4 drifted across the yard. Things will be better tomorrow.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

It had been a week and things were most certainly not better. It seemed the Dursleys did not respond well to threats made by a bunch of 'freaks'! Harry was given a ridiculously long list of chores each morning (today's was literally three notebook pages!) and food was withheld if they weren't completed on time. Needless to say the only thing he had eaten since the train was a bag of crisps he snatched when Dudley dropped in the backyard.

During his first few days his aunt sat him down and had him write out dozens of letters to the Order that she read over for anything resembling code. He was also allowed to bring his trunk inside and take it up to the second bedroom. Combined these alone scared him. He was never allowed his school things during brake, not willingly. And with the way they've been acting I'd of thought they would sooner burn my school things than let me near them. Then again, it's not like I've had time to do anything with it.

As for the Dursleys themselves-

His Aunt seemed to ignore him except to critique his chores. Even so, she would often find fault in something and make him redo an entire room completely. She also seemed to have all too frequent 'accidents' around her nephew: tripping and knocking him into the stove or a bucket of bleach, bumping him into table corners or doorways, opening cabinet doors above his head when he was bent over, dropping sharp knives in the sink while Harry was doing the dishes…

His Uncle made no pretence in his treatment of his nephew. He hit the boy, often. Harry had bruises along his chest, back, and stomach from the numerous punches, kicks and elbows he received as punishment for 'misbehavior' and his upper arms were deeply bruised from where he had been grabbed or held and shaken. The verbal abuse was almost as bad. The raven haired teen kept caching himself falling into his six year old mentality that his uncle was right and he deserved to be punished because he was a worthless freak. No matter how hard he tried to think logically, it was hard to withstand the constant degradation and he didn't have letters from any of his friends yet…

Dudley was the most confusing to Harry. He seemed to have stopped harassing his cousin, but Harry noticed the older boy kept trying to get him alone. So far the raven haired teen had avoided him, but Harry could tell he was getting restless. Something was bound to happen between them soon.

Harry himself was close to a breakdown. He had a lingering cough that he couldn't shake, and he was constantly tired and weak. He hadn't been able to sleep, and when he passed out from sheer exhaustion he was haunted by nightmares of Cedric and Sirius, of his possession, of Voldemort; then there were the visions, Harry Couldn't tell if they were real or fake but either way it was hard for a fifteen year old to watch as hundreds of people were killed and tortured.

Currently, said boy was balanced precariously on the top part of a ladder (A/N the part you're not supposed to be on) with a cup of cleaning solution and a tooth brush scrubbing at the molding. This is getting ridiculous. I had no idea Aunt Petunia could be so creative. He wobbled dangerously as he overreached trying to get a spot.

Suddenly the front door slammed open and Vernon Dursley was home. Harry jumped and watched horrified as the cup tipped and fell spilling across the entryway. It was like slow motion; Harry was already trying to apologize for the mess as the ladder continued to fall sideways. Everything sped up and Harry felt himself crash into the stairs, the breath knocked out of him, and then the ladder landed on top of his legs.

Harry heard the front door close quietly and his uncle approach him. He whimpered as the obese man kicked the ladder out of his path. I am in so much trouble. "Please-"

A/N: Okay. Sorry for the cliffy. I already have the next chapter (it's alot longer) and will post as soon as I get reviews…or a review. Please?