Chapter 1
Paranoia was my best friend when I was a young child. I couldn't trust anyone, not even my twin.
When my younger brother and I were mere infants, our parents had died in a car crash. Our aunt and uncle, out of the 'kindness' of their hearts, had taken us in. They shoved us in a cupboard underneath the stairway and left us to fend for ourselves for most of the time.
As my brother and I grew up, our cousin, who was the same age as us, had the same mindset that his parents seemed to have: we were walking magnets of danger and destruction. However, he openly invited danger and destruction constantly by bullying us; a snide comment here, a punch to the ribs there…
As an older brother, I would constantly shield my younger brother as best I could. However, my actions only seemed to cause my younger brother to hold hostilities toward me. I didn't realize just how hostile he had become until our cousin's sixth birthday…
It was sunny out - no surprise there considering it was Dudley's special day. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon probably slid Mother Nature a £100 note just to keep it like that.
In any case, Harry and I were stuck under the stairs being quiet, pretending we didn't exist.
I was staring at a spider that was just building a web, living its life the best it knew how. I had named that particular spider Spud, though I had no idea the gender of said spider. I was about ready to start a conversation with Spud when my eyes flew to the door to the cupboard.
The door had been unlocked.
Dudley's fat face beamed as he opened the cupboard door. "Time for Potter Hunting-"
Harry immediately flinched upon hearing that, but I was relatively used to that little game by then.
Dudley, noticing my lack of reaction, decided that Harry would be his victim. He made a grab at my younger brother as I quickly sat up.
Harry yelped as his arm was yanked on.
I allowed my brotherly instincts to kick in. I followed after Harry and Dudley, scowling at the fat boy. "Don't touch him!"
Dudley ignored me, and Harry wretched his arm free just so he could turn around and shove me.
The back of my head connected with the metal lock, and I saw stars. I stumbled to the side before catching myself on the railing. I blinked a few times, like a deer in headlights, before looking at Harry in shock.
"That's it!" Harry yelled. "I'm sick of you always trying to be better than me just because you're older! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"
"You… hate me?" I repeated, not quite understanding how he could say such a thing.
"Yes, you… you rubbish!" Harry shouted.
I felt tears well up in my eyes before they spilled down my cheeks.
"Haha! Colton is crying! What a baby!" Piers Polkiss, Dudley's best friend, yelled as he pointed at me, causing me to realize that there was an audience.
As all the other children began to laugh at me, I felt my anguish quickly turn to wrath.
Uncle Vernon broke through the crowd of children, glaring at Harry and I. "What did I tell you two?!" He shoved Harry back into the cupboard before reaching his hand out toward me, only to recoil as soon as his hand touched my skin. "Boy-"
I raised my eyes to meet his, and the man cut himself off.
He stared down at me like I was some waking nightmare. His face went pale, his eyes went wide, and his jaw clenched. Finally, he seemed to get a grip on himself, and he said, "You will obey me-"
"Make me," I spat out.
"Kids! Birthday cake!" Aunt Petunia quickly called from the kitchen.
As the other children stampeded away, Uncle Vernon looked down at me with a level gaze. "What did you just say?"
I clenched my hands into fists, my surge of adrenaline forcing back any rational thought of saving myself a beating. "I said, 'make m'-"
As the back of Uncle Vernon's hand went across my face, two things seemed to be set in motion that day.
- I would become the punching bag of the Dursley household.
- I had no one but myself to rely on, no matter what hardships awaited.
That was the first thing that came to mind when I remembered the date - June 23rd, 1991. It was Dudley Dursley's birthday.
Dudley was my cousin, a fat pig with blonde hair and more weight than you could say was reasonably healthy for a boy his age. He was pink-faced, probably as a result of his weight. He had a group of friends that were pretty much as vile and stupid as he was, so it was no surprise to me that he, being the biggest and stupidest, was the leader.
In any case, I hid away my scowl as I got out of the cupboard that was my twin brother and my bedroom at around seven in the morning. I made my way to the kitchen to do any chores Petunia wished for me to do on that morning.
Petunia, the only female in the house, was blonde and had a long neck. She was a stay-at-home wife, so she occupied her free time with spying on and gossiping with the neighbors.
Vernon was also in the kitchen when I got there. He was the patriarch of the family, a large, fat man with a large, fat moustache. He worked at a drill company in a high position, a job which he seemed to enjoy because he could boss people around while also doing as little manual labor as possible. He got paid quite a bit for his job, and was able to afford all sorts of lavish gifts for his wife, son, and himself. Of course, he never spent any extra money on my brother or I, but he probably never considered us family, so it was to be expected.
As I entered the kitchen, I bowed my head politely to the two in acknowledgement before looking at the pile of presents set up that covered most of the table.
There were thirty-six presents visible, and most appeared to be the things that Dudley had wanted, which included, but was not limited to: a new computer, second television, and a racing bike.
Why Dudley wanted a racing bike was beyond me, especially because he hated any and all forms of sports and exercise, unless, of course, it involved beating people up. His favorite punching bag was me, of course, followed by Harry. He liked to call the chasing and beating up of my brother and/or I 'Potter Hunting', and he would frequently get his group of friends to join in.
I quickly turned my gaze away from the presents and looked at Petunia expectantly.
She wordlessly nodded her head toward the stove, a sign for me to get to work.
I did so, especially since the ingredients for breakfast were already out. I just needed to cook them. I was good with the stovetop despite only being ten years old. I found out quickly through trial and error what was acceptable and not when working with the dangerous kitchen appliance, and I was burned more than a few times when it came to figuring out which knob did what.
Petunia fussed about with the presents as Vernon went over the plans to take Dudley and his best friend, Piers Polkiss, to the zoo. The two stayed occupied, allowing me to roll my eyes as I faced away from them and toward the stovetop.
I knew that I would have to stay with Mrs. Figg, along with Harry. I didn't particularly like her house, as it smelled of cabbage, and she always droned on and on about said cats. I was also quite suspicious of her, as she had taken a keen liking to Harry and I despite the fact the others in the neighborhood didn't seem to enjoy our presence.
The two adults suddenly noticed the time and quickly rushed off to awaken Dudley and Harry.
I ignored the yelling of annoyance and excitement as I continued with flipping the bacon. I also made sure the eggs were frying nicely as I kept an eye on the toaster, which held toast in it.
Harry soon came and sat at the table with Vernon, who had also grabbed the newspaper while he was by the front door.
Dudley then entered with Petunia. He immediately began to count his presents as his parents watched nervously.
I loaded the eggs and bacon onto one large plate before setting said plate onto the table. I quickly went back to the toast as my brother began to serve himself some food.
"Thirty-six," Dudley said with the utmost annoyance, "That's two less than last year."
"Darling, you haven't counted Aunt Marge's present. See? It's under this big one from Mummy and Daddy," Petunia tried to reason with the boy.
"Alright, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.
Harry quickly began to wolf down his bacon just in case Dudley threw yet another tantrum and shoved the table over.
Petunia, sensing danger, immediately placated him by saying, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that alright?"
Dudley thought for a long moment, trying to count in his mind. He was struggling to, and he made that evident when he said aloud, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"
"Thirty-nine, sweetums," Petunia offered gently.
"Oh." Dudley sat down and grabbed the nearest parcel. "Alright then."
Vernon chuckled at his son's bad antics. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled his son's hair.
At that moment, the telephone rang.
I served up the toast as Petunia went to answer it.
Dudley, meanwhile, unwrapped the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was in the middle of unwrapping a golden wrist watch when his mother returned.
She looked both angry and worried as she said, "Bad news, Vernon. Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take them." She jerked her head in my brother's and my direction as I sat down next to said boy.
Dudley's mouth fell open in horror while Harry gave an excited expression.
"Now what?" She asked as she glared furiously at Harry and I like we had planned such an event to occur.
"We could phone Marge," Vernon suggested.
"Don't be silly, Vernon," Petunia rebutted immediately, "She hates the boys."
The Dursleys often spoke about us like that, as if we weren't right there to hear them. It was honestly quite rude.
"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?" Vernon questioned, looking more worried.
"On vacation in Majorca," Petunia answered bitterly.
"You could just leave us here," Harry offered.
Petunia immediately made a face like she had swallowed a sour lemon. "And come back to find our house in ruins?"
"We won't blow up the house," Harry objected right away, only to be ignored.
"I suppose we could take them to the zoo," Petunia said slowly, "And leave them in the car…"
"That car's new. They're not sitting in it alone," Vernon rejected at once.
Dudley began to cry on command. He never really cried anymore, but rather scrunched his face up and wailed until he got what he wanted from his mother. He was doing that right now, trying desperately to get his way.
"Dinky Duddydums! Don't cry! Mummy won't let them ruin your special day!" Petunia cried out, flinging her arms around her son to comfort him.
"I… don't… want… them… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, fake sobs. "They always sp-spoil everything!" He shot Harry and I a nasty grin through the gaps in his mother's arms.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" Petunia exclaimed worriedly.
I was sent off to get the door, which I did gladly. I had little patience when it came to Dudley's temper tantrums, and I didn't want to snap at the rotund boy when in front of his parents. I opened the door and saw Polkiss with his mother. I felt quite smug, knowing he wouldn't hit me in front of his mother, who was just about one of the few adults that liked me. "How are you doing today?"
"Oh, quite lovely, Colton," the woman replied chipperly as I motioned for the two to enter the house. "They're going to the zoo this year, right?"
"Indeed," I approved as I led the two to the kitchen, where Dudley had stopped pretending to cry. "Piers will be in good hands, I assure you."
"Oh, of course," she agreed, though she held doubts in her gaze as she eyed Dudley and his immediate family. She had never seemed to approve of Dudley, but since he was Piers' first friend, she allowed it to slide. She also didn't care for Petunia, but she remained as an acquaintance because of the gossip Petunia often passed around. The woman despised Vernon, but because her husband and Vernon were friends, she was forced to be silent about that issue, too. All around, the poor woman hated the Dursleys, but she felt as though she couldn't say anything because of her own family.
"Hey, Dudley," Piers greeted casually as he walked around the kitchen table, looking at all of Dudley's gifts. "Neat racing bike. You'll be the second kid in school to have one."
"Yeah, I know," Dudley said proudly. "Maybe I'll let you ride it."
Mrs. Polkiss managed to keep the frown of disapproval off of her face, but otherwise seemed displeased. The woman was forced to practice pleasantries with Petunia and Vernon for a short while. "Well, I hope you have a fun birthday," she eventually said, looking at Dudley with a carefully practiced smile. She then looked at Piers sternly. "You better behave, son."
"I will, I will," Piers said, waving his mother off rudely.
After narrowing her eyes threateningly, she nodded and took her leave, me walking her to the front door to make sure she got out safely.
Once I got back, Vernon and Petunia were still discussing what to do with Harry and I.
"...And the car only fits five," Vernon was saying in a rather loud whisper as I entered the kitchen. He gave a glance over at me before looking at Petunia pleadingly. "Out of the two of them…"
The woman also looked at me before giving in. "Fine, but if our house-"
"I know, I know," the man said, motioning for her to calm down. "He wouldn't dare…"
I pretended to be completely ignorant of their conversation as I began to clear the plates from the table.
Vernon quickly came up to me, his eyes narrowed sharply. "Listen here, boy. You're staying here today, but you won't have the day off. You'll do your usual chores and start dinner just before we get back. No funny business while we're gone. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir," I answered, more than happy to miss out of the zoo if it meant I could spend time alone.
He stared me down for a moment before nodding in approval. He then turned his focus toward my brother. He pulled him aside and began to give him a stern talking to as Petunia herded Polkiss and Dudley to the car.
I was more than happy to clean up after that, earning a stern glare from Vernon as a reminder before he left with the four others. I hummed a small tune to myself as I continued with my routine chores, happy to be free from the adults' cruelty and the other children's scrutiny. I had the entire house to myself, and I did my chores in record time. I then sat back and proceeded to realize that I had no idea what to do with myself outside of the usual chores.
Petunia would always give me more chores, or Vernon would yell at me and tell me to redo certain chores. They never let me have a decent break, unless I needed to do homework, which I didn't happen to have at that moment. Without them there to harass me, their son included in that harassment bit, I didn't know how to proceed with my life.
Hesitantly, I made my way to the kitchen and just began to watch the noon news. I fiddled my fingers together as I waited until an appropriate time to begin dinner, which should have been around 4 o'clock since they were surely getting hungry at the zoo. I was just getting started on dinner when a car pulled into the driveway, a whole hour before it was supposed to. I felt myself pale as the Dursleys, Polkiss, and Harry entered the house.
"I swear, that snake tried to squeeze me to death!" Polkiss exclaimed as he made it to the kitchen, Dudley at his side.
"And it tried biting my leg off!" Dudley chimed in.
I immediately knew trouble was coming my way upon hearing that. I could only cringe as I internally prepared for a later screaming match between Harry, who surely did something unusual, and Vernon, who never liked the abnormal.
"Boy! Why isn't dinner finished?!" Vernon yelled at me upon noticing that I had just started.
"You said you'd be home at 5," I pointed out while glancing at the clock, which read 4:03.
"Putting this on me, eh?" Vernon asked as he came toward me, clearly angered with my response.
I felt myself pale as my feet stayed routed in place.
"Not tonight, boy," Vernon growled as he grabbed me by my hair. "No, you're going in the cupboard if that's how you want to act." And so, the man literally dragged me by my hair to the cupboard under the stairs. He threw me in there with my brother, who just had to cause trouble that day.
Harry was looking sheepish as I was tossed unceremoniously into the cupboard. He waited until the door was slammed closed and Vernon stomped away before speaking up. "Did you know that snakes could understand me?"
"No," I denied right away, as I had never seen a snake interact with my brother before. I knew that snakes could understand me, as I often conversed softly with them while working in the garden, but I hadn't known they could understand my brother.
"Well, I was talking to a boa constrictor today when Dudley hit me out of the way. I went to glare at him, and the glass disappeared. Then, the snake escaped from its exhibit and bit at Dudley and Piers' heels before leaving the reptile house," he explained in one big breath.
I hummed, figuring that's why Vernon was so upset. "Did they catch the snake and put it into a different exhibit?" I questioned.
Harry paused before shrugging. "I don't know. The zoo director had to make Aunt Petunia a strong cup of tea and made Uncle Vernon promise not to press charges."
I grunted in acknowledgement. "Besides that, how was the zoo?"
Harry told me all about his day, which was honestly quite a long story, before sitting back, satisfied with his recounting.
I was rather annoyed to have missed everything, but figured it was probably for the best. I mean, I surely wouldn't be punished as badly as Harry was going to be if I hadn't been there when the glass disappeared, right?
Wrong.