Chapter 1
"Boy! Get out here and cook breakfast!" The walls shook as Uncle Vernon pounded on the door. Harry was abruptly woken as pieces of drywall fell on his face. The yelling he was used to, but the walls collapsing on him was new.
"Coming Uncle Vernon!" He sighed as he sat up from his bed. The ceiling was too low to sit up properly, but he was already used to ducking his head. He shielded his eyes as light flooded into the dark cupboard.
"Hurry up! Some of us have to work! Not everyone can be a freeloading freak!" The whale-sized man stopped from the stairs back into the kitchen. The chair screamed for life under the large man but held faithfully.
"Oh, darling! I heard that you are getting a promotion at work!" Aunt Petunia was already sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her claws.
Dudley perked up from his position at the table. "Promotion! Can I have the new GameBoy? My old one broke so easily!" Vernon smiled and shook his head fondly.
"That's my boy. Those toys don't stand a chance against a real man's strength. Of course, you can have a new one! But we must host a dinner tonight; the promotion is not set in stone yet."
"I already have everything planned! It's going to be perfect!" Harry half listened to the conversation as he went to the fridge. He successfully juggled the eggs, bacon, and toast back to the counter. 'What use is more money if they spend it all on food?' He thought to himself as he cooked the eggs.
"Don't burn my bacon boy!" Vernon furiously roared when he noticed Harry standing still.
"Why does he have to be here tonight? That freak is going to ruin everything!" Dudley whined.
"He will have a special purpose tonight. Don't you worry." Vernon ruffled Dudley's hair as the food was set on the table. Harry stood to the side, hoping he would be invited this time.
"Go back to the cupboard! I can't eat while looking at your freakishness!" Aunt Petunia snapped, looking furious. "And stay there until we call you! I don't need you getting filth on any of my fine china!"
Harry reluctantly went back to his 'room' and shut the door. 'What did he mean? A special purpose? Maybe they were going to introduce him as their son!' He had never imagined the thought before, but now that's all he could see. They would all sit at the table together and laugh like a real family! Maybe they had finally beaten the freak out of him! He was too giddy to sleep now and sat impatiently waiting for dinner time.
"Boy!" The door opened, and Uncle Vernon's hand grasped his arm. 'Did I fall asleep?' He questioned, seeing that it was dark outside. His uncle roughly pulled him from the cupboard and into the living room. Harry was shocked to find three men sitting on the couch and chair, sipping glasses of whiskey.
"Is that the boy you were talking about?" One of them questioned as they intensely stared at him.
"Yes! This is Harry; his parents died in a car crash, so we take care of him. Poor thing received brain damage, and hasn't been right ever since." He was stunned; how could his uncle lie to them like that?
"Are you sure about this?" Another questioned.
"My friends! I am positive! He is a great source of entertainment!" Vernon shoved him. Hard. Harry flew into the lap of one of the men on the couch.
"How old did you say he was?" Hands grabbed his hips and twisted him like a doll. Harry could tell something dangerous was about to happen, and began to struggle. Vernon frowned and smacked him across the face.
"You behave yourself! He turned eight a month ago." His ears were ringing now. He could feel the disgusting hands creeping under his shirt. They left a trail of what felt like burns as they explored his chest.
"Get off of me! Help!" Harry shouted. A piece of cloth was shoved into his mouth, and his hair was jerked back.
"You had better hold still, boy. Or this will hurt a whole lot more." The man sinisterly whispered in his ear. Harry shuddered as a tongue ran down his neck.
"Hold him still. I will take the clothes off." His breath was coming fast now, and he squirmed as much as he could as multiple hands started pulling at his clothes.
'No no no no no no!' He desperately thought as his shirt was ripped over his head. He closed his eyes as hard as he could and heard a groan.
"What have you done!" Vernon roared in outrage and grabbed his shoulders. He was violently shaken and thrown to the floor. He opened his eyes to see a man slumped over on the floor. The other two were shaking the body and yelling his name.
"He's dead!" They were all shocked, including Harry.
"You killed him, you freak!" A fist hit him in the cheek, and he sprawled across the floor.
"I never should have taken you off the doorstep." Vernon began kicking as hard as he could.
Harry wheezed as a foot violently connected with his ribs. He could hear his bones breaking with every blow. 'I am going to die like this.'
"Vernon! What is happening down here!" Aunt Petunia's voice echoed down the stairs, and the kicking paused. Harry scrambled up and leaped over the couch.
"Get back here!" He jerked the door open and ran.
Harry ran as fast as he could to the park down the street. He could hear Vernon and the men getting in a car to chase after him and sped up. He dove into a bush just as headlights swept past and collapsed. It was suddenly quiet. The only sound was his wheezing breath as he struggled to inhale. 'This is it.' He thought, staring up at the stars. 'I'm finally going to see my parents again.'
"Over here! There's a trail of blood leading to the bushes!" A voice shouted nearby. Harry's eyes jerked open, and he cowered further in the bush.
"Please let me die. I can't go back there. Just take me now." He begged the sky. "I just want to have a family again; please let me see them." Each word was a struggle now. He could feel his racing heart slowing and his overheated skin cooling off.
"Thank you." He whispered as his eyes slid closed just as a flashlight shone on his face.