Disclaimer: I do not own anything you can recognize except for the plot and a few original characters. On with the story.
October 31st 2005:
Little five year old Hartley(Harry) James Potter was curled up in the cupboard under the stairs, the place his uncle loved to put him for punishment. His aunt and uncle had just taken his cousin Dudley trick or treating. The only one of the three he hated was his uncle Vernon Dursley, he was the reason wasn't with Dudley and his aunt Petunia. Vernon, who for some reason hated him, had locked him in the cupboard for a small mistake. He had been putting on his second hand devil costume when he accidentally bumped Vernon. His aunt had tried to talk down her husband but before anything could be said he locked him in there with the only key, which he kept on him at all times. Vernon had then hurried his family out the door with Dudley saying he'd share his candy, and his aunt screaming at her husband to let Harry come with them.
A few minutes passed and Harry started to hear the squeaking of a wheel coming from somewhere. All of a sudden the wall that Harry was pretty sure connected to the pantry in the kitchen opened and showed a creature that had a large black torso with a small waist, and long thick arms with long fingers that seemed to move. Harry then realized that the fingers were snakes, black and white striped snakes that hissed and snapped with sharp fangs as they withered around. The creature's neck was long, striped black and white like the snake-fingers, with a long white, almost reptilian face. Its mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth, highlighted by bright red lips and on top of its head was a spider, its long legs dangling as if it was the creature's hair.
The creature had barely any time to register where it was before Harry screamed in fright. Scaring the creature that started to head back into the wall. Before it closed Harry put the pitchfork of his costume to stop it from closing fully. Harry then looked around the area for the camp lantern his aunt put in the cupboard for when Vernon put Harry in there overnight. Finding it he grabbed the small notepad and pen his aunt kept by the door to write down what was needed, and quickly wrote 'Dud and aunt Tuney, I've found a strange but interesting tunnel I'm going to follow. There was a strange creature that popped out of it, I want to apologize to it for yelling in its face. Love Harry'
Looking over his note he smiled and nodded. Thinking that this explained everything he grabbed the lantern and started walking down the tunnel not noticing that the devil tail of his costume knocked the toy pitchfork out of the way causing the doorway to close and disappear.
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Two hours later:
An angry Petunia was carrying a sleeping Dudley in his angel costume, and two large pillowcases of candy, one Dudley got for himself and the other he got for his slightly younger cousin. Petunia grinned at the thoughtfulness of her son, glad that between her and Vernon's sister Marjorie they managed to negate all of Vernon's negative teachings and influence. 'Why does Vernon hate Harry so much?' she thought as she put her precious Dudley to bed. 'He's keeping Harry in there all night. Thankfully I talked him into letting him out tomorrow morning.' She got into bed and closed her eyes thankful Harry at least got dinner tonight.
Meanwhile:
Harry had been walking for a while but still hadn't seen the creature. He had to stop a couple times to rest his little legs, he was currently along a cobblestone path that the previous dirt tunnel had given way to, when he came upon a stone door. Pushing it open he found himself in a dense old creepy graveyard. He stepped out of the tunnel to see the creature from before who he saw was only the upper half on a wooden board with wheels. 'That explains the squeaking I heard' thought Harry as he slowly followed.
It was when he was passing a crooked forest that he saw somebody else, an extremely old man in a wheelchair with a woman who looked like him pushing it. "You know Jewel, I'm starting to look forward to these trips to Dream Town. I know they started as restitution for not even bothering to find where Sally came from. But I'm having fun designing machines for them." The lady nodded and smiled, all of a sudden she caught Harry's gaze. She then motioned to the old man that there was somebody with them.
"Hmm? You there, child, where have you come from? Are you part of Justinian's trick or treaters?" the old man asked Harry.
"Um, I followed a creature that popped out of a tunnel in the cupboard under the stairs here. I think I scared them, I just wanted to apologize. I'm Hartley, I go by Harry, what's your name sir?" Harry explained adding his question at the end.
"Well Young Harry, I'm Dr. Viktor Finklestein, the woman pushing me is Jewel, my creation slash wife. What were you doing under the stairs?" He asked as he patted his lap for Harry to climb on, which he did after a minute of uncertainty, so Jewel could start pushing them to Jack and Sally's home.
"Uncle Vernon put me in there for bumping into him while I put on my costume, auntie Tuney was mad at him. Dudley said he'd get me some candy though. Since I was put in there before we could go trick or treating." Harry explained while he fiddled with his camp lantern. Jewel and Dr. Finklestein shared a look. And Jewel began to push the chair a bit faster as they neared the town gate.
"Now, Dear, this is our home. There are monsters here but they won't hurt you. We're going to see our psuedo daughter and her husband." Jewel told Harry who looked scared at the mention of monsters.
"Um okay. Do you promise they won't hurt me?" Harry asked nervously. Getting a nod from the doctor Harry relaxed as they took the back paths to Jack and Sally's house.