Author's notes:

Standard disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. Except where I might use some song lyrics which I will call out at the time and give proper credit. Thank you JKR for letting us play with your toys.

HARRY POTTER AND THE MUGGLE'S DAUGHTER

Harry: The Formative Years

Part I

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Harry Potter held back after the bell had rang; letting the rest of his classmates disperse. It had been Martha Danvers' birthday and she had brought cakes to share with everyone. Even he had gotten to have one. With their teacher, Miss Melanie, present, his cousin hadn't been able to intimidate Martha into not giving him one. Nor had Dudley been able to take it away from Harry once it was in his hands. Harry had quite enjoyed the cake. It was very sweet though and he wasn't use to that at all. It was kind of strange to be jittery with a full stomach as opposed to the near constant hunger pains he usually suffered from.

But the event did bring a question to his mind and he hoped Miss Melanie would be able to answer it for him. He'd debated whether he should ask or not for the last hour. He'd learned not to ask questions at home long ago. At best, questions were met with time locked in his cupboard; at worst, fists and kicks from his uncle. But in the two months since he'd started school he'd never once seen Miss Melanie get angry with any of his classmates for asking questions; even if he himself thought the question a bit silly. And the few times she'd called on him to answer a question she had praised his answer. That was a very odd experience indeed. He most certainly was not used to being praised for anything. Of course Dudley had beaten him up when they got home from school the day he'd provided the correct answer to a question his cousin had gotten wrong. Still, with Dudley gone, it seemed it would be safe to ask Miss Melanie… She really did seem very nice. His mind made up he slipped from his desk and made his way to her.

"Miss Melanie?" he squeaked.

She turned quickly, her hand pressed to her chest. "Oh, Harry!" she gasped. "You startled me."

Harry unconsciously took a step back. "I'm sorry," he said meekly. He pointedly looked at the floor.

"Harry, it's fine. I'm not angry with you or anything. You just startled me." Harry chanced a glance up but quickly looked down when he saw her frowning at him. "Harry?" she asked. He didn't answer. "What is it?" she pressed. Harry still refused to look at her. He could tell she was upset about something and was frantically looking for a way to get out of the room without angering her further. He'd been wrong to think he could talk to her and just hoped he could somehow avoid a beating. "Harry, please look at me," she said gently. Harry very nearly bolted but something in her voice caused him to obey. She tipped her head, her eyes seeming to narrow as she looked at him. Harry held his breath. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her hand moving. He closed his eyes and flinched away. "What happened to your eye?" she asked.

Harry chanced to open his eyes. When he did he found she had backed away from him by a step or two. "N–nothing," he stammered.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"

"Y–yes."

For a second it looked like she was going to press him further, but then her face relaxed and she smiled at him. Harry let out the breath he'd been holding. "Well then, you must have had some reason for scaring me out of my wits, mustn't you? What did you need?"

Caught off guard by her sudden change of direction it took Harry a moment to remember why he'd approached her. "Oh, I – I just wondered if you knew when my birthday was?"

For a second something seemed to flash in her eyes but then she beamed at him. "We're you wanting to bring treats to share with the class as well?"

Harry nodded. He very much doubted his aunt would ever make treats for him to bring to share, but Miss Melanie didn't need to know that and maybe he would find out when his birthday was. "Yes."

She smiled at him again before moving to her desk. "Let me just look." She opened a drawer and pulled out a file. She quickly flipped through it. "July 31st," she said, looking at him. Harry grinned back. "Harry, do you know how old you are?"

Harry frowned. "Well I'm five right?" You have to be five to go to school right?"

She beamed. "Yes. How silly of me. I should have known that, shouldn't I?"

Harry giggled. "You probably just forgot."

"Well, thanks to you, I remember now." Harry giggled again. "Well, if there's nothing else you need to ask, you should probably run along home before your mum misses you."

"Oh, she won't."

"And why not?"

"She's dead. I live with my aunt and uncle."

Miss Melanie nodded slowly. "I see… Well, you should probably run along regardless, yes?"

Harry grinned. "Yes. Thank you, Miss Melanie." He turned and practically skipped from the room.

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Harry tried not to fidget in his seat. Mrs. Winger wasn't nearly as nice as Miss Melanie had been. He really wished Miss Melanie would come back, but the Monday after she had told him when his birthday was Mrs. Winger had replaced her. They'd been told Miss Melanie had been made redundant. That had been two weeks ago now. Harry didn't know exactly what that meant, but it didn't sound very nice to him. He didn't know what he had done to make Miss Melanie be made redundant, but it hadn't gone unnoticed by him that he'd gotten even less to eat than normal since she had left. Somehow he knew it was his fault. His thoughts about Miss Melanie were sidetracked by a particularly nasty wave of hunger pains. He cringed and pressed his hand against his empty stomach.

"Sit up, Harry," Mrs. Winger said sharply.

Harry forced his mind away from his cramping stomach and straightened. "Yes, Ma'am."

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Harry's stomach churned and gurgled. He'd been fed all of half a cheese sandwich before being locked in his cupboard while his aunt, uncle and cousin had entertained uncle Vernon's client for dinner. About the only good thing to come of it was not being made to clean up from the party. Aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon's client's wife had done that while his uncle and the other man had drinks in the garden. Dudley had been sent to his room with a massive slice of cake. The smell of all those wonderful dishes had nearly driven Harry mad with desire. His mouth had literally been watering. It should be safe now though; his aunt and uncle had gone to bed at least an hour ago. Cautiously he pressed his ear to the door of his cupboard and listened intently.

Satisfied with the level of quiet, he deliberately pressed his palm against the door where the latch was. He didn't have any idea how he did it, but if he concentrated with all his might and imagined the latch sliding open, it actually would. He'd be able to slip out and sneak into the kitchen for a few bites of something from the fridge. Very slowly he felt the warmth build in his tummy, move up his body to his shoulder and then down to his arm and out his hand. He let out the breath he'd been holding when he felt the latch move. Ever so carefully he pushed the door open. Acidic terror filled his gut a second later. His uncle, a sadistic smile on his face, was sat in a chair in the hall. He gripped the leather belt in his hand as he stood. Harry closed his eyes in resignation. There was nowhere to run and even if there were, it wouldn't matter. He was yanked out of the closet and thrown against the opposite wall. His head impacted with enough force that he was barely aware of the leather strap opening a deep cut across his back.

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Fighting back tears, Harry Potter carefully pulled the weeds from the back garden at number 4, Privet Drive. He'd found the strap used to whip him soaking in an unidentified clear liquid in a bucket in the garage. Next to it was a brand new, but nearly empty, large container of weed killer. As he normally healed quickly, he figured that explained why, two weeks after, the cuts made by the leather strap he'd been whipped with were only just starting to scab over. There had been more than one time he'd thought he might actually die. He honestly wasn't certain he was glad he hadn't. Still barely able to see straight his blasted uncle had dragged him out of his cupboard this morning and set him to work. He tried to do so steadily, being careful not to strain his back any more than absolutely necessary

"Blood sssmell blood."

Harry paused in his work. He could have sworn he he'd heard someone whisper in his ear. He chanced to look around, but he must have appeared engaged in his labors enough that his ever-present aunt had disappeared for the moment. Shrugging, he went back to work. He was reaching for a pile of leaves when he froze. A small – more than one, but less than two – foot long, snake had just raised its head less than six inches from where he'd reached. His mind raced quickly back to the book he'd perused in school about four months ago. There was only one species of venomous serpents in the UK and by the shape of this one's head, he was dead certain he was staring into the black eyes of an adder. The thought that it would bite him sent a cold shiver of fear down his spine. He didn't doubt his aunt would refuse to call an ambulance if it did.

"Please don't bite me," he whispered.

The little snake cocked back like Harry had struck it. Harry took the opportunity to snatch his hand back out of reach. "You know the Ssspeach?" it hissed.

Harry gave a little shake of his head. "W–what?"

The snake quickly wound itself into a small coil with its head raised and focused on him. "You do," it hissed, "I was told of Ssspeakersss but did not think to ever meet one. Fear not, human, it isss forbidden to bite a Ssspeaker unlesss commanded by a Massster." The snake stopped hissing and just stared at Harry expectantly. Eventually it felt forced to say something. "Have you never Ssspoken before?"

"M–m –me – me?" Harry asked.

The snake swiveled its head completely around before turning all the way back to face him. "I ssse no-one elssse."

"I–I'm really t–talk–talking to y–you – you?"

"Yesss, Ssspeaker."

Harry blinked a number of times before fear flooded his body; if his aunt came out and saw him conversing with a snake she'd tell his uncle and he'd kill him for sure. Forgetting about his back, he quickly glanced over his shoulder and tore open his scabs. "Emmmhhh," Harry groaned softly.

"It isss your blood I sssmell, Ssspeaker, yesss?" the snake hissed.

"Yes," Harry gasped. "Please, you need to leave."

"Leave?"

"They'll kill you if they see you."

"Humansss alwaysss ssseek to kill my kind. I will ssstay."

Harry very nearly panicked. "They'll kill me if they see me talking to you."

"BOY!" Harry whipped around. "What are you doing?"

"N–nothing, Uncle."

Uncle Vernon glowered at him. "That bed better be done the next time I come out here. And I don't want to hear anything about your back either."

"Y–yes, Uncle." Harry sagged with relief when his uncle disappeared back into the house. He turned back to find the snake had vanished. The tension slowly bled from his body. There was still a chance he might yet avoid a beating. Ignoring the burning cuts on his back he returned to his weeding. Thinking about the snake he could only wonder what was wrong with him. What was that strange Heat he felt in his tummy? Why, when he found that Heat was he able to move things just by thinking about it? Why could he speak to the snake? Was he really a Freak like his aunt and uncle said he was? He didn't think so, but why could he do those things? Tentatively he said, "Thank you for not biting me."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the snake slip its head under the fence. "You are welcome, Ssspeaker."

Cautiously, Harry went back to his weeding. "You promise you won't bite me in the future?"

"It isss forbidden."

"Forbidden?" Harry asked.

"When we are laid all that we need know isss Ssspoken to usss. We are told of sssome humansss who know the Ssspeech. It isss forbidden to knowingly bite one unlesss a Massster commandsss it."

Harry frowned. "A Master?"

"A Ssspeaker may bond with one of my kind. They become our Massster and if they command usss bite another Ssspeaker we mussst."

"Do you know why I can speak with you?"

"I only know what wasss Ssspoken. There are sssome humansss with great powersss. Sssome with powersss know the Ssspeach."

Harry's hand stilled. "Powers? What kind of powers?"

"I do not know."

"But—"

"Forgive me, Ssspeaker. I have lived only one warming before thisss. I have told you all I know."

"BOY!"

Harry cringed. "Just finishing, Uncle!" he called. By the time he glanced to where the snake had been it was gone again.

"Will I see you again?"

"I will ssstay."

Harry stuffed his pile of weeds and debris in the sack at his side. "Be careful," he hissed before standing. "They'll kill you if they see you."

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Harry hated to sleep on his stomach. The way it forced him to turn his head to one side or the other always left him with a crick in his neck. But more than that was the sense of being trapped and less able to move quickly if needed that he disliked. Why it mattered, he didn't know. Locked in his cupboard as he was, there was no escape, no matter if he was on his stomach, his side or his back. But it did matter and he hated it. Sadly, the mass of oozing, puss filled, welts on his back gave him little choice in the matter.

At least he'd been fed a decent amount tonight. Yes it was still just a cheese sandwich made with white bread. Yes he'd had to cut the fuzzy green mold from the block of white cheddar, but for the first time he could remember in months his stomach wasn't rumbling with hunger. He'd also manage to sneak two aspirin from the medicine cabinet. He might not be able to lie on his back, but he wasn't being driven to distraction by pain either.

Those small blessings allowed him to turn his attention to the events of that afternoon in the back garden. He had talked to a snake! No, not just talked to it. He figured a number of people actually talked to snakes – they were kept as pets on occasion after all. He just didn't figure many of those snakes talked back to their owners. The little adder – he was certain that's what it was – had called him a Speaker. Even more amazing, it had said something about people who could talk to snakes having great powers. It was probably that, as much as anything that convinced Harry he hadn't suffered some fit of pain and heat-induced delusion about being able to speak with the creature.

Harry knew he had strange powers. Only a few weeks ago his uncle had whipped his back raw because of them. They were the reason he was called 'Boy', and 'Freak' and a host of other names too numerous to catalogue. He had never considered there might be other people like him, but the snake seemed to believe there were. The thought hit him suddenly. Did his parents have these powers? Despite his uncle constantly ranting about what useless lay-abouts his parents were, Harry knew better than to ever ask about them. But now that he considered it, just like with him, his aunt and uncle never had a good thing to say about his mum and dad. Maybe they hated his parents so much because they knew his parents had powers like he did. Maybe they hated them, and him as well, because they were special.

They always called him a Freak and said he was unnatural – he'd even been called, Devil's Spawn on occasion. But Harry read every chance he got. His favorites were the ones where there were people with special powers. Things like Magic. There was no single thing that could set his aunt or uncle off like the word Magic. Harry was so terrified of his uncle's reaction to the word, not only wouldn't he speak it, he thought it more silently than any other thought he dared think. But now, he wondered if these powers he seemed to have, and the snake had confirmed for him, were indeed, Magic.Had his parents been some kind of sorcerers like Gandalf or Merlin or something like that?

"Ssspeaker?"

Harry raised his head so quickly he smacked the back of it on the bottom of the stair tread. "Urgh!" He then reached so quickly to hold it he stretched his back again. "Ahhh," he hissed softly. His eyes watered as he held his head and tried to force the pain of both injuries away. Once he'd managed to get himself under some semblance of control, he realized the noise he'd made and froze, holding his breath that he hadn't woken his uncle. Or even worse, that his uncle was sitting in the hall just waiting for him to breathe wrong so he could give him another beating.

"I am sssory, Ssspeaker."

"Hush," Harry hissed. If there was one good thing about speaking to the snake it was that it could be nearly silent. The snake didn't respond and after another minute, Harry began to relax. Apparently his uncle wasn't sitting in the hall waiting for him nor had he woken him. Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry slowly pushed himself up. "Are you still there?" he hissed.

"Yesss, Ssspeaker."

Harry turned towards the voice, but it was exceedingly dark in his cupboard and he didn't dare turn the light on. Even if he could shut it off before his uncle made it down the stairs, all it would take was a quick touch of the bulb for him to be accused of stealing electricity. "Where are you?" he asked somewhat nervously. The snake had said it wouldn't bite him. But still, who wouldn't be concerned about being in a dark cupboard with a venomous snake? He might not be able to see it, but if he remembered correctly snakes hunted by scent and heat. It probably knew exactly where he was.

"There is a hole in the wall."

Harry's eyes moved there automatically. He knew where the hole was because his head had made it. Uncle Vernon had thrown him into the cupboard last January with enough force that his head had broken through the plaster. Sure enough, there were two glistening spots in the dustier black surrounding what must be the serpent's eyes.

"Erm, please stay there," Harry said. "I can't see very well and I don't want to accidentally hurt you if you come in here." That seemed like a good reason for the snake to stay at arm's length.

"I will stay here, Ssspeaker."

"My name is Harry."

"I will stay here, Harry."

"Do you have a name?"

"Ssshisshathsshasss."

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"I do not believe it transsslatesss well."

"Oh," Harry said.

"Perhapsss you ssshould give me a name."

"Give you a name?"

"If I am to ssstay, I ssshould have a name."

Harry cocked his head slightly. "Why would you want to stay with me?"

"It isss a great honor to meet a Ssspeaker. Few of my kind ever do. Yet I, in only my sssecond warming, have found you. Fate hasss drawn me to you. I will ssstay."

Harry pondered the snake's answer. "Can you tell me more about the powers you mentioned?"

"It isss asss I sssaid. Sssome with great powersss know the Ssspeach."

"But what powers?"

"I do not know… I am sssory."

"Are there others with powers?"

"You are one. Where one isss, othersss mussst be."

"How many?"

"I have found no othersss, ssso I think few."

Harry furrowed his brow in thought. "I'll bet my parent's were," he said quietly.

"I am sssory, I do not know your ssspeech."

"Sorry," Harry said, "I said I bet my parents had powers."

"Thisss makesss sssenssse. Blood accountsss for much." Harry didn't respond so eventually the snake went on. "Have you thought of a name I am to be called?"

"Erm, sorry, give me a minute."

"Will, you anssswer another quessstion, Harry?"

"I thought you wanted me to think of a name?"

"There isss time."

"Easy for you to say," Harry retorted. "You're not the one who has to mow the lawn and wash the car tomorrow without getting any sleep."

"You do not sssleep becaussse of your injuriesss, yesss?"

"How do you know?"

"The blood isss fetid. I think without your powersss you would be near death."

"My uncle whipped me. I think he soaked the belt in weed killer. That's why they won't heal."

"I do not know weed killer. Isss it poissson?"

"Yes." The snake was silent long enough that Harry asked. "Are you still there?"

"I am consssidering."

"Considering what?"

"If it isss too sssoon."

"Too soon for what?"

The snake didn't respond right away so it must have been considering for another few seconds before it answered. "Harry, you underssstand I could have bitten you in the garden, but did not yesss?"

"Erm, yes," Harry managed in a somewhat strangled voice.

"And that I could have entered and bitten you here without you ever even knowing till it wasss too late?"

Harry shifted back a bit. "Yes," he squeaked.

"Be at peace, Harry. You are much too big for me to eat. My only reassson to bite you would be to defend myssself."

"Okay," Harry answered slowly.

"I tell you thisss becaussse I can help heal your injuriesss, but you mussst trussst that I will not harm you. You mussst trussst me and allow what your knowledge sssaysss can harm you to happen anyway."

Harry leaned forward slightly, hardly daring to hope. "You can help me?"

"Yesss."

"How?"

"You mussst allow me to bite you."

Harry stiffened. "B–but you said it was forbidden to bite me."

"It isss… Unlesss you allow it."

"But you're poisonous."

"My bite isss for me to control. It can kill or it can heal. If you asssk, my bite will bind me to you. My venom will become a sssalve for your injuriesss."

Harry's mind raced. He'd never heard of anything like what the snake was telling him. Well, not exactly anyway. He thought he'd read that antivenin for snake bites was made from the venom of the snake to begin with. But that was a lot different than this. But the snake had been honest with him so far. It really could have bitten him if it had chosen. And it had told him about his powers. Not much, mind, but something. Which was far more than anyone else had ever said about it. His mind twigged with the memory of some story he had read at one time or another. Something about how animals became Familiars of people; wasn't there always something about the animal first injuring the person and then healing it?

"So if you bit me, would you become like my Familiar or something?"

"Familiar? I am unsssure of thisss word."

"It's like companion."

"Yesss. I would be your Familiar then."

"And you'd always be my friend? You'd never go away?"

"Only the death of you or myssself would ssseparate usss."

"Why would you want to though?"

"Among my kind there isss no greater honor than to Bond with a Ssspeaker. A Bonding can exissst only with one of my kind at a time. For thisss reasson Ssspeakersss choossse only the ssstrongessst to be their compaionsss. I am dangerousss, but among my kind there are many who are more ssso. For one sssuch asss myssself to be accepted asss a Bond would be unheard of."

Harry considered. He didn't know if adder bites were always fatal, but he knew enough to know that at the very least they were extremely painful. Probably even more painful than the whipping and cuts on his back were. But the idea of having a friend, one who would never turn his or her back on him was very tempting. Even more tempting was the thought that his back might heal. He really didn't know how much longer he could put up with it. Every time it seemed the cuts might be healing, he ripped them open again. More than once, since it had happened, he'd wished he would die. If the snake were lying, maybe he'd die and get to see his parents again. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? And if he didn't die, then maybe with a friend he'd be able survive here long enough that he'd be big enough to run away. He was struck by the sudden thought that if he did run away and the snake went with him, it could help protect him from people on the street that wanted to hurt him!

"Ok," he whispered, hardly believing he was agreeing.

"You are certain?" the snake asked.

Even though he doubted the snake could see him Harry nodded. "Yes."

Harry thought he detected the snake moving a bit. "My venom will not harm you, but the bite itssself will hurt."

"The way my back is, I doubt I'll even notice right now." Harry was certain he saw the snake moving. "Wait," he said.

"You have changed your mind?" the snake asked.

"No. I just want to turn on the light so I can see."

"I will wait."

Praying he wouldn't regret it, Harry reached for the pull and tugged it. He was forced to squeeze his eyes tightly against the sudden brightness. "Sorry, I hope that didn't hurt your eyes," he said.

"I am uninjured," the snake answered.

Harry's eyes had adjusted and he sought out the snake where it was poking its head from the hole in the wall. "Erm, you can come in," he said. The snake slithered forward a bit.

"It isss not far, but I am sssmall yet and would rather not fall, will you help me?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry reached out with his hand. The snake slithered forward, bridging the few inches between the wall and his hand with its body and in seconds it was stretched along his arm. It stopped and focused on him and the two just stared at each other for a number of seconds. "Erm, can I ask if you're male or female?"

"I am female, Harry."

"Ok," he answered. "Erm, you're very beautiful."

The snake flicked its tongue against the bare skin of his arm. "Thank you," she said.

Harry took a steadying breath. "Will it be alright with you if I take a few days to think of a name for you?"

"That isss wissse, my Harry."

It was another few seconds before Harry moved. "I'm just going to set you down so I don't drop you when you bite me." He lowered his arm and the snake quickly moved to the floor. "Erm, where did you want to bite?"

"I think your arm," she answered.

Harry took another deep breath and held his arm out. "Go ahead." The little snake held his eyes for a moment before her strike. It happened so fast she had withdrawn before he even felt her fangs breaking his skin. He jerked his arm back more out of reflex than actual pain. Harry stared at the two drops of blood pushing up from the puncture wounds. Really, it hurt much less than he'd expected it to. And considering the little snake was venomous, he figured he'd be feeling the effects of that already as well. Instead, what he felt was a curious warmth moving up his arm.

"Your woundsss will ssstill take many daysss to fully mend. But my venom will combat thisss weed killer you ssspeak of. It will alssso dull the pain of your injuriesss."

By the time the snake had finished speaking, the warmth moving up his arm had flushed through Harry's whole body. For the first time since his uncle had whipped him, the pain in his back faded. As that pain washed away, his whole body seemed to relax. Muscles that had been tense and achy seemed to just melt and he found himself suddenly very drowsy.

"You're body isss weary," the snake said. "You will sssleep sssoon. When you wake you will be ssstronger."

Harry shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut tightly before opening them again. "Need t' go," he slurred. "Can't fin' you."

"Lift me to the wall," the snake answered. Drunkenly, Harry reached out with his hand. The snake slithered onto his arm and he raised it to the hole in the wall so she could slip into it. "The light," she hissed. Harry shook his head again and blindly groped for the pull, managing to catch it on the third try. He and the snake were instantly plunged into darkness. "Now, sssleep, my Harry," the snake hissed softly. If one could have seen him it would have appeared Harry had suddenly been deprived of all the bones in his body as he sagged onto his side. He was unconscious to the world even before his head hit the mattress.

Harry dreamed many strange things that night. He dreamed of a man with rough whiskers on his face blowing raspberries on his tummy while he squealed with delight. He dreamed of being in a dark room on a soft bed but crying because his tummy hurt. A woman came and picked him up. She sat with him in a chair and rocked for hours while softly singing to him. He very much liked the woman. She smelled of warmth and comfort and was very gentle.

His dreams turned dark then. There was shouting and banging and the woman from his singing dream was screaming. He learned she had red hair before an eerie green light filled the room and she fell. With his vision no longer blocked, he saw a man who was very tall; taller even than his Da. His nose was strange and his eyes glowed red.

The man watched him as he stared back. Harry leaned forward and moved to the edge of his crib where he used the bars to help him stand. He could see the woman now, lying on the floor and he reached for her while calling out, "Ma." She didn't move or respond in any way, which was very upsetting to him because she had always answered before. "MA!" he cried again. He began to get angry as she continued to ignore him and before he knew it she was floating off the ground towards him.

"Impressive."

The woman suddenly dropped back to the ground and Harry focused on the man with red eyes again. Somehow he knew the man had stopped him getting to his Ma.

"MA!" Harry shouted and shook the rails of his crib. The man made a motion with the funny stick in his hand and Harry's Ma was thrown to the side. "MA!" Harry cried. A burst of red light erupted from his body. He didn't see what the red-eyed man did, but he was still there when the light disappeared. "DA!" Harry tried, calling for his second favorite person.

The man with the red eyes moved closer. Standing at the edge of Harry's crib he looked down on him. "I'm almost tempted," he mused. He cautiously reached for Harry, stilling with his hand but an inch away. "No, the risk it too great," he said. He raised his arm and pointed the funny stick. "Goodbye, Harry Potter," he said in a perfectly normal tone. The next instant he roared, "AVEDA KEDAVERA!" A green jet of light flashed from the stick and struck Harry in the forehead. He screamed and there was an explosion and while he continued to shriek, the hazy image of a something fairly large, smelly and brown flitted about.

His dream shifted again, it was night and he was standing in the garden of the most crooked house he'd ever seen. A small girl with red hair climbed from a window. She slid down the roof and hung from the edge by her finger tips where she dangled for a second before she dropped to the ground. She crouched, still and close to the ground, for a few seconds, listening to see if she'd been discovered. Harry couldn't help being impressed by her daring. A few seconds later the girl was running across the garden and Harry was forced to duck behind a large tree. The girl ran to a shed and disappeared inside. A moment later she came out with, of all things, a broom in her hands. Harry nearly fell over when she mounted the broom and flew away on it. He stared after her for a second before racing to follow. Coming to a stop at the edge of a paddock he watched in disbelief as she swopped and dove about. Harry was utterly transfixed; she seemed so free and happy, and he stayed there till the sky very suddenly turned black. There was a crack of lightening and thunder that startled both Harry and the girl. She very nearly crashed before she got control of the broom and raced to the ground. He shivered, trying to understand where the storm had come from and why it felt evil.

The dream changed again and this time he stood in a doorway looking into a bedroom. A man with sandy brown hair sat in a chair next to a bed. Harry thought he recognized him but couldn't be sure. But the woman in the bed, her he knew instantly. She was the woman from his earlier dream. The one he had called Ma. The man reached out and clasped her wrist, holding it for a number of minutes before he set it down again. "Steady at every three seconds," he said, "almost there, Lils."

Before Harry could move closer, the pounding of feet on the stairs pulled him from the dreams. Moments later fists banging on the door of his cupboard indicated the arrival of his cousin. Harry was so accustomed to his wakeup call; he barely registered it as he blinked his way to wakefulness. It was much more essential to hold onto the vestiges of his dreams than worry about his idiot cousin. Though he really didn't know what to make of them. It all felt very… important.

Was it his dad who had blown raspberries on his tummy and his mum who had sang to him? He didn't know why, but he was certain they were. But what was with the tall man with red eyes? And the green light, just thinking of it made him shudder. And there had been that large shape that was all brown and smelly too. And then there was the sandy-haired man who was sitting with his… mum? It certainly seemed like that was the case. It had appeared as if the man was watching over her. But that made no sense at all. His mum was dead… Wasn't she? As if all that wasn't enough to be getting on with there was the little red-haired girl flying a broom. That was just silly… Wasn't it? Surely, surely people couldn't fly on brooms, right?

But then there were thousands of stories about witches riding on brooms. And wasn't there a saying, something about there being a bit of truth in legends? Were witches real?

His mind traveled to the little snake. She had seemed to think there were others who had powers like he did. But that was silly too. Who could talk to snakes? Certainly he just dreamed that as well. Yes, that made much more sense. The lack of sleep because of the pain in his back coupled with the lack of food must have caused him to suffer very vivid, but very outlandish dreams. Yes, that was the answer.

He frowned slightly. His back was blessedly pain free. Cautiously he rolled his shoulders. There was tightness and lingering soreness, but none of the abject pain he'd been suffering when he'd crawled into his cupboard the night before.

"It can't have been real," he whispered. It was just too crazy. It was like… like a story! He thought exultantly. For a few blessed moments he reveled in that thought. But then his shoulders sagged. It had all been nothing more than a story. A wonderfully, amazing story yes, but still just a story. His mum wasn't miraculously still alive and coming to rescue him. People didn't talk to snakes and there was no little girl flying a broom. He was still just a Freak; locked in his cupboard, desperately in need of the loo before he was forced into cooking breakfast, mowing the lawn and washing his uncle's car. And if he was lucky, he might get fed today.

Absently he rubbed his hand over his right forearm, stilling for a moment on two odd little bumps. He felt at them for another moment before slowly moving his arm into the one shaft of light making its way through the louvers at the top of the door. Sure enough, there were two distinct marks on his forearm that looked like puncture wounds.

"It was real," he whispered. His mind traveled back to the image of the girl on the broom. Could she have been his mum only much younger? No, he dismissed the thought almost instantly. He just knew that wasn't the case. There was a resemblance, but it seemed to mostly be in the red hair. Could she be his sister? He supposed that was possible. But if she was, then where was she? And why weren't they together? Was she even real?

Yes! He wasn't sure about any of the rest of it, but somehow, with every fiber of his being, he knew she was real. Equally as strong, was the feeling that someday she would be very important to him. He focused on the image of her, wanting to burn it into his memory. She had seemed so joyous before her flight had been interrupted. Happy in a way he could never remember being. In fact, she seemed happy in a way he'd bet even his spoiled dolt of a cousin had never been. A sudden feeling of dread washed over him. There was a shadow in the storm that interrupted her flight. It was cold and dark and seemed to be reaching for her.

Was that why he'd dreamed of her? Was it a warning, was he supposed to protect her from the shadow? His mind racing, Harry rose on autopilot as the cupboard door opened. With all that going on in his jumbled up mind Harry didn't even register his aunt's caustic words chasing him into the toilet.

HPHPHP

Seven-year-old Harry Potter crouched on the back step to number four, Privet Drive. His aunt and uncle had taken The-Pig-In-A-Wig – otherwise known as his cousin Dudley Dursley – to the zoo for his birthday. He had once again been left with their dotty neighbor Mrs. Figg for the day. He had given her the slip and snuck back home. It would be hours yet before his family and the danger they presented returned.

Harry gave a shudder at the memory of the whipping he'd received a bit more than a year ago now. As he normally healed quite quickly, it had taken a while to learn why the cuts on his back wouldn't mend. Eventually he'd figured it out though. Somehow he'd survived long enough for Kaa to find him. Thank God she had because he'd gotten another whipping at the start of this summer. A month shy of his eighth birthday he could already see the pattern. When school was out he was in much greater danger from his uncle's physical abuse.

Forcing those thoughts aside, he focused on the small snake coiled at his feet. "Go now, please," he hissed.

The little snake dipped its head towards Harry and quickly slithered away, disappearing into a crack in the foundation. He wished he could get his powers to work on this lock but just couldn't quite seem to manage it yet. But with his friend, he had another option. About five minutes later Harry heard the latch click. He quickly pushed the back door open and entered the house.

"Brilliant, Kaa," Harry hissed. He'd remembered the name from the story The Jungle Book and the giant python that had tried to eat Mowgli and even though the story Kaa had been male, Harry had thought it fit perfectly. More importantly, Kaa had been pleased with his choice. He gently closed the door and reached out to stroke his friend's head.

"Brilliant would be if I wasss allowed to bite your family," the snake hissed back.

"Believe me, if you weren't poisonous I'd probably let you." Harry set off into the house. "I'll need you to lock the door again so you might as well just stay there."

"Asss you wisssh, my Harry."

Harry moved quickly. His first stop was Dudley's room. There was always something to be found in his slob of a cousin's bedroom. And, as he was too stupid to count, Harry could get away with taking one or two of the sweets or bags of crisps or whatever else the dolt left lying about. He did find a stash of beef sticks that he felt he could chance taking one of. There was also an open bag of crisps that he quickly scarfed a few mouthfuls from. The floor of the closet yielded a pile of change Harry pocketed a pound thirty-three of.

But the real jackpot was the clothes' hamper. Harry wasn't yet trusted to do the laundry but he knew full well both his cousin and uncle regularly left money in their pockets. He found more than fifteen pounds in bills and change in the piles. Grinning madly, he carefully redistributed about half of it within the various articles before moving on. The cushions on the couch and chairs in the parlor netted another few pounds as well. His last stop was the kitchen where he quickly downed a few bites of leftover pasta from the previous night's dinner. It was much more satisfying with a bit of sauce instead of plain like his had been.

"Why do you not jussst let me bring you a rat?" Kaa hissed.

Harry shuddered. "I hate rats."

"A bird then?"

Harry closed the fridge and made his way to the snake. She was coiled on his aunt's pristine countertop and he couldn't help grinning at the thought of the fit she would throw if she knew. "Maybe someday." He quickly made certain the back garden was empty before opening the door. "Hurry," he hissed as he slipped out and pulled the door shut.

It took only a few seconds for Kaa to stretch her body from the counter to the latch, curl around it and pull it back. The deadbolt slid home and the serpent slithered across the counter to the broom handle where she made her way to the floor. Then it was across the tile to the living room and the fireplace and the crack in the masonry where she was able to slip through and back outside. She slithered over to the step where Harry was waiting. "Thank you, Kaa," Harry said.

"I am pleasssed to help, my Harry," the snake answered.

Harry reached down to stroke the snake's head again. "Remember, don't go biting someone's dog or cat now."

"What of their canary?"

Harry chuckled. "That either."

"Asss you wisssh."

Harry gave the snake a last stroke. "I'll see you later." He straightened and quickly made his way to the play park. It wouldn't be long before Mrs. Figg would be looking for him and he needed to hide his stash. He ducked into the public toilet and pulled the loose brick under the sink out. Very quickly he stuffed everything but the beef stick he'd collected in the hollow and replaced the brick.

HPHPHP

"Get in," Aunt Petunia hissed. She yanked Harry by the arm through the door and threw him towards his cupboard. Harry didn't protest. He was in serious trouble and he knew it. He'd thought he was safe to sneak to the shoppe a few blocks over and get a meat pie. Unfortunately his aunt had been driving by and seen him going in. He'd come out of the shoppe and found himself face to face with her.

"Where did you get the money, boy," she had hissed.

"I found it at the play park," Harry lied easily.

"Liar!" Harry hadn't bothered protesting his innocence. Even if he were telling the truth she wouldn't believe him.

"Just you wait till your uncle gets home." She slammed the door and Harry could hear the latch followed by the padlock being set. Harry sagged against the wall before sliding down it to sit on his ratty old mattress. He'd been sitting there for some time when the familiar weight of Kaa slithered up his back and coiled across his shoulders.

"My Harry?"

Harry reached up to stroke the serpent's head. "Hello, Kaa."

"What hasss happened?"

Harry sighed. "My aunt caught me buying food down at the store. She thinks I stole the money."

"But you did sssteal it, yesss?"

Harry shrugged. "Found, stole, I'm hungry."

"If you would jussst let me catch you a rat." Harry shuddered. It was rather odd how much he disliked rats. People were usually quite a bit more put off by snakes. But then most people couldn't talk to snakes either. "They are quite tasssty," Kaa offered.

"I may not have much choice after tonight," Harry agreed morbidly.

"The fat one will ssstrike you again?"

Harry just shrugged and they fell silent. He continued to stroke the snake's head till he heard a car door slamming. Kaa flicked her tongue against Harry's ear before slithering from his shoulders and disappearing into the hole left in the wall. She'd barely disappeared when the front door opened and slammed shut.

"BOY!"

Harry cringed. School was in session, but somehow he didn't think that was going to spare him this time. Uncle Vernon fumbled with the lock and a few moments later the door was ripped open. "Get out here," Uncle Vernon spat. Harry crawled from the cupboard and climbed to his feet. He was sent crashing to the floor by a meaty fist to the temple. He blinked dazedly and tried to brace for the next blow.

What came instead was a blood-curdling screech from the parlour. "AIIEEEE!"

Never one to pass up seeing Harry being abused, Dudley picked that moment to come barreling down the stairs. "What's going on?"

Uncle Vernon gave Harry a half-hearted kick before going to see what his wife was shrieking about. "Don't move, boy," he snarled. He and Dudley pushed past, with Dudley giving Harry a kick on his way by as well.

"BLOODY HELL!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.

"What is it?" Dudley demanded. Then he got sight of the snaked. "AAAIIIIIIEEEE!"

"KILL IT!" Petunia shrieked.

Harry managed to climb to his feet and staggered after them. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his aunt standing on an end table with Kaa seeming to be climbing up one of the legs to get at her. "AAAIIIIIIEEEE!" Before Harry managed to make sense of what was happening his uncle grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the room. Harry sprawled to the floor only a foot or so from Kaa. When he picked his head up he found she had turned to face the much more immediate threat of him instead of his aunt and his nose was now no more than about six inches from the coiled and ready to strike viper. "Do not move, My Harry," she hissed. Harry froze. She reared back, seemingly preparing to strike and Harry found he had little trouble appearing to be as frightened as one should when their nose was but inches from a venomous snake. "Do not ssspeak," Kaa hissed.

"Jump, Petunia!" Vernon yelled.

Kaa swiveled towards his aunt again. "NOOOOO!"

Harry shifted slightly and Kaa swiveled back to him. "When I turn again you will sssmack me towardsss the hearth," she hissed.

"NOW PETUNIA!" Uncle Vernon roared. Kaa swiveled back towards his aunt. Harry lashed out, backhanding the snake hard enough that she was thrown towards the fireplace.

"AAAIIIIEEEE!" Petunia shrieked. Kaa slid into the wall and quickly slithered through the hole behind the hearth and out of sight. Harry flopped to his back, barely aware of the rush of bodies around him. When he managed to get his racing heart under control and sit up again he found he was quite alone.

"Kaa?" he hissed softly.

She slithered out from the hole in the wall. "They have left," she said.

Harry nodded. "I figured that. Did I hurt you?"

"It would take more than that to caussse me harm," she said disdainfully. She coiled in his lap and he gently began stroking her head.

"Thank you."

"Next time I will sssimply bite the fat one and be done with it," she said.

"Which one?" Harry asked.

"Both."

"I apologize now for the horrid taste that will leave in your mouth."

Kaa raised her head and swiveled around to look in his eyes. "Really, I can bite them?"

Harry chuckled. "As much as I would like that, no, you may not."

She flicked her tongue against his nose. "Perhapsss I ssshall bite you inssstead."

Harry chuckled before leaning forward to bump her nose with his. "Thank you Kaa. You might really have saved my life tonight."

"You are enjoyable company for a human," she answered and settled in his lap again. They sat for some time before the sound of sirens and flashing lights broke the still of the evening. Harry quickly picked Kaa up and set her near the fireplace again.

"Go, the house isn't going to be safe for you for a long time. Find a place near the play park to hide. I'll come find you when it's safe for you to come back."

Kaa flicked her tongue against his hand. "It would be ssso much easssier if you would jussst let me bite them," she said before disappearing into the wall.

HPHPHP

Author's notes:

So the website is killing me. I can't seem to upload more than about 8000 words in a chapter so I'm being forced to split this one. Sorry about that.

Other than that, I'm hoping this begins to paint a picture of a bit different Harry.