PAST'S

'Freak'(harry) age 5

Time and time again 'Freak' wondered why he'd be placed with his 'lovely' relatives they were cruel needlessly so and 'Freak' could sometime barley feel or move his limbs the pain great at first before dulling down to a thud that was always there and made his limbs feel heavy and hard to lift when he had to take care of the tasks set out for him.

The last 'punishment' they had put him through had been Vernon's belt he could still feel the ache of it on his back and the phantom stings of it finally ripping and tearing through his frail skin the sticky feel of crimson blood dripping down his back fast and heavy the scent of iron filling his nose feeling like he would drown in the scent if not in the pain. It felt like it had gone for hours the reality is that it only went on for a few minutes his uncle not having the endurance to go for hours and 'Freak' was thankful for that small mercy because he knows that if the man did that he would.

Right now he was making his relatives there meal which he wouldn't be allowed to have he had no illusions there. However what he was truly dreading was aunt marges visit she would always bring her dog ripper was the dogs name 'Freak' believed. Not that he cared for the mutts name he only cared to stay out of the things reach least he get bit again or worse... worse hasn't happened yet and 'Freak' can only be grateful for that.

"Freak!" 'Freaks' cousin shouts loudly "When will food be ready!?" 'Freak' sighs internally "Soon." is the reply 'Freak' gives no other reply will satisfy Dudley and isn't that something he has a name when 'Freak' asked petunia what his name was he received the response "freak that is your name."

'Freak' whishes sometimes that a family would come and take him away one that's kind and nice. What he doesn't know is that he will get his wish but it will come with a weight he is not aware of yet.

Finally breakfast is finished and 'Freak' can plate and set it on the table when that is done he is told to do the chore list aunt petunia hands him which includes gardening, vacuuming, laundry, dishes, and cleaning dudlys room and spare. The mourning is of general monotony something 'Freak' is used to his aunt buzzing around to neaten anything that she thinks needs it and shopping for supplies usually she does that as 'Freaks' not old enough to do it according to her.

'Freaks' uncle is out for work planning to get off early to go get Marge and dudly is off at a day care. Eventually the sun starts to set and the lights come on and 'Freak' is back in a hot kitchen preparing dinner for Marge's arrival with the ingredients petunia got at the store.

Suddenly the door can be heard opening and roaring laughter can be heard from the doorway and dudlys excited chatter it would feel like a warm ambience a nice home if not for the fact 'Freak' was so far from that picture and that he was not apart of this he would never be family he knew that and a part of his heart wants to crack over that already long accepted fact but it doesn't because the duck tap still holds it together and this fact is already well known to him it still doesn't help the sob that build in his throat the one that clogs his throat and wants to burst out loudly.

He swallows it down harshly he can't let it out it'll only make things worse for him he knows this. It doesn't hurt any less though..... A warmth floods harry like a pair of arms wrapped around him trying to comfort him in an unseen embrace this has happened before and when he'd prodded his aunt about it her eyes went cloudy she looked about ready to cry... she'd just told him her voice thick with emotion that it was likely a spirit called lily but that no it was not normal.

There were those odd days he supposed when Aunt petunia looked at him haunted and with longing like she wanted to bend down and wrap him in an embrace yet at the same time couldn't bare to look at him. Those moments confused him the most he wondered why she'd look at him like that. Eventually the food was done and not burnt 'Freak' heaved a sigh of relief at this and put it on the table before making himself scares in a corner.

That night passed without trouble before the end of the night however petunia pulled him aside and looked at him with those confusing eyes before she hugged him it was strong and sturdy it was warm and there was some level of care in it and he imagined the safety in it was what a mom's embrace should feel like and he bit his lips harshly to keep at bay the ugly sobs that wanted to break out of him at this unexpected piece of affection.

"I'm SO SO SORRY harry! I can't undo what's happening and I can't stop him but I can send you away for now anything less and I would fail you AND lily completely. I'm taking you to my parents there you will be safe and cared for whilst I explain as quickly as I can what's happening. Ok? come on." Petunias voice and words are cracking in certain areas and there raw with emotion and so so so haunted and his name isn't 'Freak'....? What's going on...? It feels like to much to process all at the same time!

Suddenly he feels himself being scooped up into his aunts arms then he feels her moving and looks out as she takes them outside the house now that everyone else was asleep and he could hear the frantic beating of his aunts heart underneath his head it rang in tandem with his own heart or at least it felt that way suddenly they were in front of the black truck his uncle just got and she opened the door and she put him down on the leather seat and then closed the door and she proceeded to get in the drivers seat and buckled her belt before she turned to harry and buckled him in afterwards harry brought his knees up to his chest looking at his aunt before looking out as she pulled out of the driveway.

"What's going on?" harry asked quietly but frantically at the suddenness of what was happening.

Petunia looked over at harry before responding quietly but firmly "I'm taking you away to my parents where no one's gonna hurt you and it's gonna be ok I promise you that I won't fail you more then I have lily wouldn't have done what I've done and so I won't continue with this that old fool be dammed I don't care your gonna be ok harry I promise." under her breath petunia added "I swear on my magic and life that you'll be fine so mote be it." Harry's pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear that but he did anyway and he didn't bring it up.

Petunia looks over at harry once again and then turns away and focuses on the road before she starts speaking. "When I was a child lily and I received these letter there called Hogwarts letters and when mine came I accepted obviously I wanted to go with lily and the new world seemed so cool but the headmaster rejected my letter and even when I begged to be let in he wouldn't let me when my parents found out they were livid then I got another letter thanks to an inquiry I went to this school called iverymore in the US my parents were sad to see me go so far but if I wanted to learn that's what needed to happen."

"w- what happened next then?" harry prompted timidly but based on the smile that spread on petunias face he wasn't asking anything bad.

"I went and I made friends it was great lily and I bonded over all sort of magic then she started preaching light propaganda and I got angry because what the light was doing was harming magic and eventually are views clashed and I ended up calling her a freak for believing in the lights ideals which at the time seemed unnatural and James her husband only made things worse. When Severus a friend of lily's heard me call her a freak he assumed it was because she had magic and I didn't the misconception was never cleared up and stuck."

"So so why call me that?" harry asked it seemed strange he knew none of this why call him that if this is the origin of the name?

"Lily and I cleared up after her wedding and grew even closer during our pregnancy's and she started to believe me and she introduced it to James who didn't put up a huge fight surprisingly and eventually at hearing the fact there was a threat to her unborn child you she dabbled in illegal magic to help you or at least illegal in Britain if done ANYWHERE else the magic she did would've been considered incredible and it would've been studied and you wouldn't have been left with me likely.

However it was done there and as such a meddling old man named Dumbledore covered it up and said it was the power of her love and as such they have haled you their hero the boy-who-lived is what they've called you because with her death and your survival came the end to a supposed 'mad man's' reign of terror and people celebrated it quite loudly. Me taking you in wouldn't have been a problem I would've taught you all you needed to know had I been able to."

"Then why?" harry asked curious about all this new information.

"Because an old man decided that it was appropriate to obliviate me of my memories and my 'dear husbands' I forgot that I was a witch and everything that happened I thought I was a squib someone without magic but from a magical background and I had my memories replaced with ones of hatred for lily and magic as a general then he placed me with that man I called a husband it's only recent that the binds are gone and I don't know why so I'm going to try and get you out of his reach if I can I can't let you get put in a situation you can't get out of."

"Situation I can't get out of?" Harry felt apprehension arise among his other turbulent emotions at the statement.

"I'll tell you more when we arrive we've got to catch a plan I booked whilst out to go to America where my parents moved during my school years as is it's getting late and I don't want to explain everything right this second especially when we've got a long night ahead of us already I just need you to remember one thing. Ok? can you do that for me harry? One thing?"

"Yes..?" harry responded hesitantly

"Good RUN if you EVER see Dumbledore an old man with a long beard and twinkling blue eyes I DON'T CARE WHATS HAPPENING YOU RUN AND YOU DON'T STOP! You hear me? Don't stop. Run as fast as you can and don't let yourself be caught if that man comes near you. He's dangerous he looks friendly but it's all a TRICK he is a War general and manipulative on a scary level he'll lead you to harm under a guise of friendliness and if he can't get it that way he'll use force it's almost impossible to get evidence of crimes he commits and you won't be believed by most if you tell them he's nothing but trouble you'll find help in those who are considered 'dark' and 'evil' he'll kill you if he thinks he has to he'd kill anyone directly or indirectly and wouldn't lose a blink of sleep over it." 

Harry felt his eyes widen and a fissure of fear flow up his spine at this after a second passes and this all sinks in harry frantically shakes his head up and down stuttering out a shaky and scared "Yes aunt petunia I'll run."

She heaves a sigh "Good. I'm sorry I don't mean to scare you I just NEED you to understand the danger this man poses."

"It's fine I understand." harry says shakily.

She shakes her head "No, no you don't not right now but that's fine it should be anyways it'll take awhile for you to understand the dangers this man poses but we SHOULD have time... time's of the essence however and always slipping through our fingers so we can't put ANYTHING off to much longer." She let's out another shaky sigh before they pull into an airport parking lot.

The car door opens then slams back causing harry to flinch then his side is opened and petunia opens her arms so harry unbuckles and hops into them whilst she holds him instead of putting him down like he expected her to. Then she walks into the airport approaching the reception desk and getting them taken care of it about 30 - 45 minutes later their on a plane to the us. 

The plane trip is long and harry feel asleep at one point only to be awoken by his aunt it seems even darker out and the planes lights were on as they were indicated to leave his aunt looked even more haggard then when she first arrived at the airport him harry felt concern bubble up inside him at her state. "Aunt petunia..?" harry asked questioningly blinking blearily blinking the remnants of sleep from his eyes. Worry tinged Harrys tone like a vice around his throat it tightened around his mind and coiled in his belly. 

Noting his obvious concern she looked down at harry eyes soft "It's alright harry nothings wrong I promise just tired."

"Ok..." Harry quietly allowed not feeling like prodding right now or ever really that's never helped he just let his head loll to the side as his aunt continued to race through the airport up escalators and through an elevator and then onto a train then a walking sidewalk under pretty lights. 

Eventually they were at their exit and waiting for their flight to be announced for boarding when it was his aunt stood up from her chair and put her phone away and held her hand out for harry to take so his small form wouldn't get lost in the crowd taking it harry followed her through the bridge to the plane before finding his seat with her and then looking outside through the window. 

Eventually the intercoms came on telling them to leave their trays up till take off and to buckle up they also explained about airbags and oxygen masks and where one could find life vests should they ever be necessary.  

The plane after 20-35 minutes finally lifted off the ground leaving the lit up airport behind looking out the window harry saw how high up off the ground they were amazed and all the pretty lights that were below them the vast ocean they passed over and the clouds they flew amongst awe filled Harrys mind it was amazing he didn't even know that this was possible and the night sky was so pretty he hadn't ever seen it so close the stars and moon seemed so bright up here.

Eventually a women came around offering snacks and water aunt petunia got them water and cookies harry found himself smiling happily today was strange but also incredible he found himself worrying that he'd fall asleep and wake up and it all be a dream. It felt like one to good to be true yet when he pinched himself like he heard someone say to do when they thought they were having a dream after receiving good news and he didn't wake up he felt the elation fill him in full he wouldn't be going back to a cupboard likely and he would be learning so much! It all sounded so cool! However his head hurt and he found himself wanting to go back to sleep.

He fell asleep again only to be awoken and then for him and aunt petunia to go on another plane before they were in America.

Harry let out a jaw cracking yawn and his aunt also yawned it was just reaching early mourning and despite having slept on the planes harry still felt the hooks of sleep eventually harry found himself and his aunt in front of an elderly looking couple who looked really friendly and hugged aunt petunia and harry whom stiffened upon contact before eventually melting into the embrace of his grandparents.

They all eventually got in the back of a car harry stayed awake as long as he could listening as his aunt explained to her parents that she was obliviated then had compulsions and had fake memories implanted he heard their angry snarls at the Dumbledore man's actions and how they promised to help how they could that they would take harry and teach him how he should be that they would help how they could and if petunia needed anything that she should contact them.

To which she agreed eventually they were in the countryside and they got out of the car Harrys legs felt numb and tingled all over when outside they went into the the nice two story house surrounded by woods the air fresh and the mourning wind streaming past harry causing him to shiver.

Inside petunia was lead to a room then harry was lead to a different one where he was told to make himself comfortable. He passed out for the rest of the mourning.