Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling and/or her authorised agents. I may own rights to original characters/concepts in this story but I suspect it's a grey area legally. This disclaimer holds true for all future content of this story and will not be replicated each chapter.

This Thing of Ours

Chapter 1: Vicious Killer

In the parking lot of a small school in Surrey in the United Kingdom, a group of four boys was standing in a rough circle hollering and laughing as a fifth boy punched a prostate sixth boy on his head and in the sides of his torso repeatedly.

One of the four laughing boys was a whale of a lad, only slightly taller than he was broad. He looked upon the cowering form of the tiny sixth boy in sheer joy. The other three boys standing around in the circle alternated their gazes between the victim and their enormous compatriot. The attacker meanwhile, was fully focused on delivering as many punches as he could upon his small victim's body. He felt elated beyond belief, his heart soared with each 'thump' sound as his knuckles kneaded his victim's flesh and battered his victim's skull.

Nine-year-old Harry Potter, the unfortunate sixth boy, lay curled in a fetal position trying his best to shield himself from the blows with his arms but to no avail. Despite the beatdown he was receiving, his mind remained clear and in the moment. He knew that his attacked was doing damage, but the beatings he occasionally received from his uncle and aunt were more powerful and left him in worse shape. But he was tired and exhausted and in pain.

Harry knew that his cousin Dudley, the whale, was a bully. But Dudley was a first order bully. He liked lording his size and relative wealth over weaker children. But it was attention-seeking behavior and Dudley was easily distracted by food or video games or the latest toys. Piers Polkiss on the other hand, Harry's current attacker, was a different kind of animal. Piers was scrawny not unlike Harry. He was somehow Dudley's best friend and ostensibly followed Dudley's lead on most matters. But Harry had seen Piers' eyes whenever Dudley decided to harass Harry, and what he saw scared him. The madness in Piers' eyes told Harry that Piers was more than just a bully. It told Harry that Piers wanted to beat Harry because he enjoyed inflicting pain. It told Harry that one day Piers would kill Harry.

"That's right, you little freak! Try jumping to the roof now freak!" yelled Dudley from the sideline.

"Yeah freak!" shouted one of the other spectators.

Harry didn't react to the verbal assault. It didn't matter to him. He had been called a freak by everyone in his life except his teachers for as long as he could remember. He had stopped feeling hurt even when Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia called him that.

The pounding wound down eventually, and Harry could hear Piers panting from his exertion. Harry sighed in relief only to feel his hair to be grabbed and his head forcibly lifted upwards.

"Think I'm done with you Harry?" whispered Piers into Harry's ear. Harry felt goosebumps all over his body at the tone the other boy was using.

"No, Harry. I'm just going to go take a break and then I'll be back. I had better find you laying right here Harry. Otherwise I'm going to be very angry…and then I won't make it quick."

Harry shook.

"Yessss," hissed Piers. "I'm going to split you open today Harry. See what you look like inside."

Piers pushed Harry's head down sharply and then rose.

'He's going to kill me,' thought Harry, trembling in fear. 'He's going to kill me!'

'They've made my life miserable. I sleep in a cupboard. I don't get any food or love or anything. I'm tired and broken all the time. I let them entertain themselves by hurting me. But it's not enough. This psycho's going to cut me open now!'

Harry shook and felt tears drip out of his eyes.

'I'm going to die like I lived, in pain.'

The grief was a blanket in his heart. But underneath the blanket something burned.

'He won't even give me a quick death. A quick end to this torture. He's going to make me die in pain.'

The fire underneath the blanket grew.

'I don't care about dying, but he won't even let me die in peace!?'

The fire burned through the blanket of grief and flared his heart.

'Like hell! I'm going to let them have it! All of them! I'm going to make them remember how much it took to kill me! Hurt me will you? You f…f….f….fuck!"

'I need a weapon. I need a WEAPON. I NEED A WEAPON!' thought Harry, feeling blazing anger roaring through every part of him.

He opened his eyes and lying before him was a thick steel rebar within hands reach. It hadn't been there before, Harry knew for sure.

'Fucking freakishness,' thought Harry grimly. 'Well this freak's going to leave a few marks of his own, I'll tell you that for free.'

Harry groaned as he got his hands underneath his chest and pushed himself off the ground. It took a couple of tries before he managed to raise his torso up. Another painful few minutes before he could rise to his feet. The blood rushed to his head and he felt dizzy. He staggered around as he tried to get his bearings. The gang of five had their backs to him as they hooted and hollered and congratulated Harry's tormentor.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Harry made slow progress towards the boys, focusing on Piers' back. The fire burned in his heart as he saw the psycho boy's proud bearing at what he had accomplished that day.

'Kill me? Fuck you, I'll kill you psycho.'

Slowly, slowly he dragged himself forward until the fire in him made him forget his pain and his steps became surer and his arms steadier.

The gang of five was progressing slowly, busy recounting their triumph in assaulting a lone boy. By the time they heard Harry approach, it was already too late.

Harry came to a halt a mere foot behind the gang and watched as all the boys turned around, shock writ on their faces. Harry would never forget Piers' face, viciousness and pride displayed in a smile that hadn't caught up to the boy's shock.

For a second that seemed like an eternity, there was pin drop silence in the parking lot as Harry and the gang stared at each other.

Fwip!

The steel rebar flashed and struck Piers Polkiss on the side of his head. The scrawny boy dropped to the floor as his compatriots took a few shocked steps backwards.

Harry ignored the other bullies and focused his efforts on the downed boy who he knew was a sadistic killer inside.

In his head, Harry shouted obscenity after obscenity as he relentlessly whipped the downed Polkiss with the steel rebar, leaving bloody trails all over the other boy's body. However, Harry's face and mouth were swollen from his own beating and not a sound emerged. Pier's 'friends' had fled screaming within the first two minutes, leaving their erstwhile comrade at the mercy of their erstwhile victim.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

Harry battered Piers Polkiss mechanically on the head, the body, the arms and the legs until finally his energy left him and he fell into a dead faint himself.