Harry´s POV
The year had started like any other, after all. There had been nothing special. It was just another year, he was living with his aunt and uncle. Where he cleaned for them, cooked, and made Dudley's homework, so he would pass his classes. Not that Harry himself had ever gone to school. No. Everything he knew or could do was self-taught.
Then, the month had passed like all the years before. Winter had turned into Spring. Spring into Summer. There had been that week when a lot of owls had been around. But that was the most exciting thing that had happened to Harry.
The eleven-year-old was barely allowed to leave the house. Normally only at night, to tend to Aunt Petunia's garden. Except for his Cousin, he had never met another child. Never interacted with other adults than his Aunt and Uncle. And by now, he was used to it.
Did he like it? No. Did he wish, he could be like Dudley? Sure. But had he accepted his faith? Yes.
All those years he was with the Dursleys by now had taught him some important things. He had made them into his five golden rules.
1. Whatever you say, it can be used against you. So better don´t speak at all.
2. Uncle and Aunt are always right. Even if they aren´t. So don´t argue with them.
3. Do as you are told, or face the punishment.
4. Do not cry!!! Never!!! Under no circumstances!!! Whatever made you cry will just get worse, if you do.
5. And most important. Be invisible. The less they see of you, the less they can hurt you.
And Harry sticks to those rules with all he has. That resulted in the fact, that he hadn´t spoken since or really just made a sound since he had been around five. He wasn´t sure when his birthday was, but he was told, he was as old as his cousin and Dudley had been five back then.
Now the fall leaves started to rot underneath the layers of snow. The days were shorter and Harry was freezing more. Not that he was never not freezing. His body was so tiny and undernutrition, he couldn´t contain any body heat at all. But still. The winter was worse. And the fact, that he wasn´t allowed more clothes than some old underpants from Dudley and an old shirt from Uncle Vernon didn´t help.
For some reason, Harry had been on edge the whole day. He just knew, that something important would be happening today, he just didn´t know what, or when, or if it would be any good.
It was this day of the year, when Harry was supposed to have food ready, early in the morning, and then, even before Dudley would be awake he was locked into his closet with some old, dry bread, and a full water bottle for the next three days.
Dudley would always have lots of new toys after these three days. And was talking about a man named Santa, but even with his eleven years, Harry still hadn´t figured it out.
So, that´s what Harry was doing currently. Lying, curled up in himself, because his closet wasn´t really meant to live in, in the dark, and imagining a world, where he would be free. That´s all he could do those three days.
In two days, he would be going back to his normal chores. And by the start of the new year, he would be back to being bruised all over. That was the only thing, Harry liked about those three days. No beatings. No punishments. Nothing he could do wrong. At least as long, as he didn´t make a sound. He had learned that the hard way.
At one point Harry had fallen asleep. He was woken by loud screams in the living room.
“Get out of my house you freak! I told you, I don´t want to see you again!”, his aunt screamed.
“Well, you had the chance to answer the letters, we sent you and state so. But you didn´t And no he is going with me. If you like it or not. And he will not come back!”, a man said. A man, that wasn´t his uncle.
How as with them? Harry didn´t get a chance to pounder on the question, because the screaming match downstairs continued.
“You want the freak? You can have him. I never wanted him anyway. Just take him and never come back. You´re all freaks!”
Harry didn´t know, what else was being said. But he heard steps around the house. Someone was coming up the stairs!
Were they coming for him? Who else would Aunt Petunia get rid of, if not him? She loved Dudley, with everything she had. And for some reason, she also loved Uncle Vernon.
So the man was coming for him. To take him away.
Harry was terrified. He had never left his Aunt´s garden. Never seen other adults. Not spoken to anyone in a long time.
Harry tried to hide in the corner of the closet as the key turned inside the lock. They were here.
And then, there was light. In his dark little, safe haven, there was light, and a man, dressed all in black was looming over him. The man cursed before he kneeled down in front of Harry.
“Hey there. My name is Severus, are you Harry?” Harry looked at the man with wide eyes. How did he know his name? What did he want from him?
“I promise, I am not gonna hurt you child! I come from a school far away from here and we would like you as a student. Do you wanna come with me?”
Harry didn´t know what to do. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to go with the man and finally learn, but what would happen, if he screwed up? What would the punishment be? What were the rules?
But on the other hand, it could hardly be worse than living with his aunt and uncle, right?
So Harry decided to take a risk and nodded. Just once, short, slightly. But the man, Severus, seemed to catch it anyway. He smiled at Harry and reached out to lift him out of the closet. Harry stiffed, but when the man, did just that, lifting him out of his corner and setting him on the ground next to him, he relaxed.
Maybe this year wasn´t like all the others. Maybe this year was different. But it was definitely his favorite year, Harry decided, when he finally and for the first and last time left the premises, where his aunt and uncle lived on.