Chapter 15: Highway to Hell

Warning: Strong language, violence and trigger warning for this chapter.

"I am really not looking forward to this," Harry said, looking at a brick wall.

"It's two weeks," Hermione said tentatively. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Please don't tempt fate like that, Hermione," Harry said.

They were on Platform 9 3/4, waiting to head back into the muggle world. They had already bade goodbye to Neville and Susan. Ron took off right after the train pulled in, promising to write and invite Harry over for part of the holiday. While it still annoyed Harry that he excluded Hermione, he tried to be pleasant and polite.

"At least they don't know I can't do magic," Harry said. "That should at least keep them at bay. Are you sure you're okay to take my trunk? I'd normally take it but I worry what Vernon might do with it."

"Yes, Harry. We'll be fine. I promise," Hermione gave Harry one last hug. "If you need any help or us to come early, please let us know."

"I will," Harry just focused on the hug, drinking in the her warmth, remembering the smell of vanilla and lilac of her hair. "Thank you."

Together, they stepped through the barrier, they saw Richard and Helen standing on the other side, smiling at them.

"Mum!" Hermione ran to embrace her mother. "Daddy! Why are you on this side?"

"Well SOMEONE," Helen glared at Richard. "Forgot their special bracelet that would allow us through."

"You forget one little thing," Richard complained. "How are you doing, Harry?"

Harry shook Richard's hand before being wrapped in a hug by Helen.

"I am well, Richard," Harry said. "The term was… interesting."

"You remembered! I thought for sure I'd have to tell you not call me sir!"

"So," Helen cut in. "Two weeks from now, you'll be with us, correct?"

"Yes. I can't hardly wait. It's going to be a long-"

"Enough wasting my time!" Harry suddenly found himself in the iron grip of Uncle Vernon. "We're leaving now!"

Without further word, Harry was dragged bodily through the station, barely holding on to Hedwig's cage. One last look over his shoulder, he saw Hermione biting her lip in trepidation while Helen had a firm grip on Richard who looked murderous.

The last Hermione saw of Harry, he was pushed through the door.

It's going to be a long two weeks, she thought. She had no idea.

The moment they arrived at Privet Drive, Vernon forced a pad lock onto Hedwig's cage and showed a letter from Dumbledore to them.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,

I thank you for letting Harry stay with you again this summer. As you know, he will need to be there to charge the protection surrounding your home. As you would well remember, Harry is forbidden to use magic while he is at your house so you won't have to worry about being exposed to magic.

Have a wonderful summer,

Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot
Chief Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards

Dread filled Harry as he read what Dumbledore had written. Vernon looked down upon him with a malicious smile.

"I bet you thought we wouldn't know you couldn't do magic, freak. I hope you enjoyed your year," Vernon sneered. "Because you're never going back."

Harry was heaved up the stairs and thrown, bodily into the smallest bedroom. Looking out, Harry saw they had attached bars to the outside of his window. Setting Hedwig onto the flimsy desk before turning back to the door. Harry saw Vernon slam the door and lock three separate locks. At the bottom was a cat flap.

"Bathroom breaks at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m." Vernon said. "Don't worry about meals. They will be coming to you. Nice, huh? You get room service. Almost like a hotel."

Or a prison, Harry thought.

That's what you get for sending that bloody pigeon to us this winter. Wouldn't leave us alone until we answered yes. After a few weeks, I imagine she's going to look rather tasty. You'll have to describe the flavor to us.

"And I don't want to hear anything from you. We're letting you off your chores. so we're already doing you enough of a favor."

Vernon laughed as he walked away, figuring he had the freak well and truly trapped. In a matter of weeks, the magic would be squashed out of him and he could be a normal, upstanding citizen.

For Harry, things could not be worse. Every morning they would let him out to wash and use the toilet. Petunia laughed whenever she passed through the half a can of cold soup. To keep Hedwig alive, Harry was forced into splitting the already meager portion. To make matters worse, Pomfrey's nutrient potions were still active, making Harry crave more and more food.

On the third day, delirium set in. Harry no longer noticed the days passing. He sat in his room and tried to ponder how many days it had been. He knew Hermione would come get him in two weeks but he wasn't sure how long that would be. He focused on her, remembering all the good times they had through the year.

With Hedwig locked up, Harry could not even contact anyone for help. He had his wand, carefully stowed in his sock but he knew he couldn't use it, lest he get expelled.

Probably what Vernon wants me to do, Harry thought bitterly. He slid the window open to let some air in. Harry pushed as hard as he could to move the bars but the bars wouldn't even budge. Day upon day, Harry lived the same dreary routine in a daze.

By the end of the first week, Dudley had a new hobby. He would grab food from the kitchen and walk it by Harry's room, wafting the scent into his room. Petunia would take to hanging out next to his room and talk about the latest gossip.

"I saw Mrs. Robinson inviting a young man into her house," Petunia sniffed. "No doubt he was doing something unsavory. Then there's Dudley. He's out with his friends again. Isn't it great to have friends? My I can't imagine life without them."

This was Petunia's special. Vernon attacked him body and mind, Dudley didn't have enough of a mind to attack Harry's so Dudley just beat him. But Petunia? She went for the heart."

I do have friends, don't I? Harry said. He didn't expect anything from Hermione but he thought he might have heard from not Neville or Ron. Harry had not even seen so much as an owl fly by. As if on cue, the phone rang. It must have been the weekend because Vernon was home. Things were quiet for a while until.

"NOBODY BY THAT NAME LIVES HERE!" Vernon slammed the receiver down and stormed up the stairs. Unlocking the door, he advanced on Harry. "HOW DARE YOU GIVE ONE OF… OF YOUR KIND THIS NUMBER. WE HAVE ENOUGH FUCKING FREAKS AROUND HERE AS IT IS!"

So I do have friends, Harry thought before pain lit up his side. Vernon had unlooped his belt and slapped it across Harry's side. He hadn't done this in years but apparently this was a special occasion.

"Are you going to fucking behave?" Vernon asked he whipped Harry's back again. Hedwig screeched and rattled in her cage. She reached for the lock, she tried to tear it off, to no avail. "We aren't going to hear from any more of your kind, are we?"

"Yes!" Harry wheezed out. His back and side were bleeding, his arm throbbing in pain from trying to block the attacks. "Yes. I promise."

"Good." Vernon spat, literally. He turned and left Harry in a fetal position, locked the door, turned and said "No food for the rest of the weekend. Hopefully that'll teach you."

Day turned into night and into day again before Harry could move again, wincing in pain every time his shirt moved on his back. Harry tried to count the days, praying that the next morning Hermione would come. He was not lucky.

That night, Vernon came up to the door.

"Listen, freak," he turned his head sideways so he looked like a reptile looking through the window. All Harry could see was a single eye and part of the mustache. "I have a client coming for dinner. There will be no noise, no disturbances whatsoever. Got it?"

Harry groggily nodded. His empty stomach was the only thing keeping the pain from his back from being overwhelming. The doorbell rang. Vernon gave Harry one long, hard glare and moved down the stairs, his bulk making each and every step creak under his weight.

Moving back to his bed, Harry sat down heavily and stood back up rapidly as his bed yelped. Turning around, he saw a small creature sitting on his bed, its large tennis ball sized eyes trained on Harry.

"Hello?" Harry cautiously approached.

"The Great Harry Potter," the creature bowed. "Dobby is here to warn you: you must not go back to Hogwarts. It is not safe."

"Why is it not safe?" Harry asked, walking to sit down next to the creature.

"Dobby can not say, sir," Dobby started to pull on his ears. "Dark things are planned and Harry Potter can not be around. He must be kept safe."

"Have you warned anyone else?"

"No, just yous," Dobby said.

"Why me?" Harry was legitimately confused. "There are many students. Why is it important that I alone be warned, be kept safe?"

"Things have improved for us since you stopped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Dobby said "At least most of us."

"And when you say 'us,' who do you mean?" Harry leaned in. "I don't mean to be rude but what are you?"

"I is a house elf, sir. Before you stopped He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named, life was bad for us elvses. Mistreated we were. Though Dobby is still mistreated, sir."

"Please don't call me sir. You can call me Harry."

"He asks me to call him by his name," Dobby started to wail, great tears falling onto the pillow case he was wearing. "I have heard stories of your greatness but I never thought you would be quite so humble."

"I am neither humble nor great." Harry said slowly. "I just ask to treated as an individual, not held up on a pedestal."

Harry looked at Dobby mopping his eyes with his pillowcase.

"Why do you wear that?"

"Tis the mark of a house elf, of our bonding with wizards," Dobby said.

"Bonding? As in slavery?" Harry was incredulous.

"Yes, sir. We elves have been bonded to wizards for centuries." Dobby explained slowly, nervous of the anger coming off Harry. "Through the bond we can share magic with our masters."

"And you cannot share that without the bond?"

"Some elves have done it in the past," Dobby actually seemed to contemplate. "Though not in centuries. That is not the way of things."

"But don't you get paid? Time off?"

"We elves work until we are dead. Master is particularly looking forward to when I perish. He makes me punish myself for 'misbehaving' in the hopes I will finally die."

"That's awful! Your master must be truly evil."

"Yes. Yes he is," Dobby sounded bitter, even hateful for a second. Realizing what he said, Dobby hopped up and ran headlong into the wall. Harry sprinted after him and caught him before he fell.

"Sorry, sir," Dobby said. "An elf must never speak ill of his masters, past or present."

"I'm sorry you felt you had to do that," Harry cradled the creature. Suddenly, the stairs thumped. Someone very heavy was climbing them. Panicking, Harry threw Dobby into his wardrobe.

"What the bloody hell is going on up here," Vernon was split between yelling and trying to keep their guests from hearing him. "You just ruined the punchline to my 12-inch pianist joke!"

Vernon backhanded Harry, sending him to the floor.

"Final warning: keep quiet." He wagged his finger in Harry's face. As Harry heard him storming back downstairs, he opened the wardrobe to talk to Dobby again.

"You see, Dobby?" Harry hobbled to the wardrobe, opening it. "I can't stay here. I belong at Hogwarts. Even if something happens, I'll have my friends to help me. Here, I am just as much a prisoner as you are. I've lived your life. Trust me, I have."

"If Harry Potter will not remain safe," Dobby said. "Then Dobby will make sure he is."

Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared. Two minutes later, a great scream came from downstairs. Harry rushed to the door, trying to find out what happened but he was still locked in.

Again, the stairs creaked and Vernon came raging up to the door.

"You think that was funny, you fucking freak!" Vernon appeared to be covered in pudding as he worked the locks on the door. "You ruined my dinner and my deal! I have had it with your freakishness. I have tried to squash it out of you but apparently, I have to try harder."

Stepping into the room, Vernon pushed Harry backward into the desk. Curling his hand into a fist, he punched Harry in the face, snapping his glasses in half, breaking his nose. Harry fell to the ground, pulling Hedwig's cage with him.

Rage overtook Vernon as blow upon blow rained down upon Harry. Harry tried to protect himself but he heard bones breaking and felt ligaments snapping. Soon his arms hung limply at his side and Vernon started pummeling his chest. With each blow, Harry's magic started to fill the air. The room filled with a musty, acrid smell, as if the air itself were crackling with energy.

Sensing her familiars distress, Hedwig tried again to escape her cage. She screeched as loud as possible, worked to pry the bars open, snapping at the lock. Between Vernon's rage, Harry's panic and Hedwig's desperation, the potential energy of the room boiled over.

A sound reminiscent of a car backfiring echoed throughout the house. Vernon was thrown backward, the window blew out and Hedwig's cage exploded open. Stretching her wings for the first time in almost two weeks, Hedwig took flight straight at Vernon. Vernon howled as Hedwig's talons slashed down his arm. Grabbing the bird, he threw her off toward the wall. Looking at Harry, Hedwig gave a mournful hoot before turning to fly out the window. Vernon was too big; she needed help.

Watching Hedwig fly free, Harry breathed a sigh of relief for his familiar. Relief did not last long as Vernon picked him up. Blood pouring down his arms, onto Harry, Vernon threw him back onto the desk, his back snapping on the wood. His knees buckled and he collapsed down to the ground. Harry hoped someone in the neighborhood heard the commotion but past history did allow him to get his hopes up.

"That is just about enough out of you," Vernon walked up. He stomped hard on each of Harry's legs. Harry heard a brutal snap but, most disturbingly of all, he did not feel it. He tried to wiggle a toe to no avail. Vernon grabbed him be the hair and forced Harry to look him in the eye.

"Think twice about doing anything freaky ever again," Vernon pushed his head back down, stormed out of the room and locked the door.

As Harry watched him go, he finally spoke.

"Hermione. Please help me," he moaned as blackness overtook him.

(A/N: The follow up will be coming shortly. I don't want to leave you hanging on a cliff hanger like that

Second, to the review who claimed I lifted from other fictions: I did not intentionally lift anything and if it feels like I did, I apologize. I take plagiarism very seriously. I try to make this as unique as possible and put my own spin on scenes that have appeared in other fics. There's a lot of good writers out there whom I very much enjoy and if I use something reminiscent of a fiction, I'll try to give a shout out and anything that is directly from the books will be cited.

For instance, this scene is inspired in part by lorelover's "Always and Forever" though I do hope I have made it unique in my own way.

Last, a special thanks to polarbear20000 for helping me talk through parts of this. I appreciate all the comments and constructive criticisms. A few have actually helped me out of some writer's block to help shape this story so thank you for those.

As always, J.K. Rowling owns everything.)