Home is Where the Abuse is
Neither Lily nor James Potter could have anticipated how things would turn out when they got married. They did not realize they could no longer rely on their friends, or that they would get a child as a surprise, and they surely did not expect the two tiny children in their laps would one day grow up to become powerful wizards who would save the world.
The couple had just gotten Hermione a few months earlier, and it was quite an unexpected gift. To find a one-year-old sleeping peacefully on their doorstep, huddled in a picnic basket with a note attached to it. The note read:
Dear James and Lily Potter
Please take care of my little Hermione
- M.T.R.
They looked high and low for any person with the initials, wizard or muggle, but couldn't find a soul. As a result, they decided out of pure kindness to make her a part of their family. It would have been bad for her to go to a ruddy old muggle orphanage, plus Harry would likely have been bored being an only child.
In spite of the lack of a last name on the note, they chose to call her Hermione Jean Potter, and legally adopted her both in muggle and magical courts.
So there they were, celebrating Halloween on the 31st of October by having a magic show with James' magic wand, Hermione rocked on top of her mum's lap, and Harry snuggled in next to James.
"Look at that!" James said as sparks flew from his wand. Harry reached up and tried to grab one of the sparks. Lily smiled at the sight.
Lily kissed Hermione and stroked the brown hairs growing on her head. "Harry, Hermione, you're so loved," she whispered.
A smile came over James' face as he checked his watch. "I think these two ought to get to bed soon," he said.
An explosion interrupted his conversation, and Lily and James stared at each other in horror.
"It's him, Lily," James said. "Take the kids."
"James, I can’t leave you" Lily whispered frantically.
Grabbing both kids, James gave them to Lily. He kissed her passionately and planted little kisses on Hermione and Harry's hair.
“I love you," he whispered as he drew his wand and cast a spell at the man lingering menacingly in the doorway now broken. He didn't look like a man at all, rather more like an alien. With a gray complexion and a nose that was absent, horrifying long fingers and a dark robe covered in mist, he was no other than Lord Voldemort.
Seeing Voldemort crying "Avada Kedavra" and green filling the small house, Lily whirled the kids up the stairs. "Mommy loves you both; look out for each other" she whispered as she placed them both into Harry's bed.
Voldemort appeared, laughing madly.
"At last!" said Voldemort, smiling mirthlessly while eyeing the two babies. Lily stepped in front of them. “The mudblood daughter and brat son of James and Lily Potter are finally mine to slay,” cried Voldemort.
In no time, the once beautiful home was reduced to ruins and two dead bodies lay inside, alongside two crying babies, who realized they were alone with a stranger and their parents were not around.
The evil wizard went for the kill, however, as soon as he did, his vile words had reverberated from the children. Voldemort disintegrated in seconds, leaving the sobbing babies alone in a crib, in a destroyed house, with no one near and only a few feet from their parents' corpses. The children cried for hours but nobody heard them.
It was the first time in nine years that she felt peace.
She could feel the soft grass under her, warmed by the delicate touch of the sun, smell the freshly baked cookies on the windowsill, their fragrant aroma taunting her cruelly. She heard the birds singing their songs and the neighbors' kids playing on their lawns; It was a beautiful day.
She shook off the sleepiness and opened her eyes when she felt someone drop next to her.
It was Harry.
Nine years ago, Harry and his adoptive sister Hermione had been sent to their wicked uncle and aunt’s place. They were constantly bullied at school and at home. The only people they had were each other and they found comfort in being together.
The two of them sat together under the shade of the tree, enjoying the peace of their surroundings. However, it was interrupted when their brat cousin, Dudley, came yelling and shouting at them, waddling over to where they sat.
"MUM SAYS YOU HAD BETTER MAKE US LUNCH"
Their ears were ringing with his screams as he stomped away.
Hermione and Harry rose and entered the house that they were ashamed to claim as their own. Dudley could be heard screaming at their uncle, Vernon, after something happened to his TV.
Hermione and Harry set to work as Uncle Vernon complained about his work, which was a big drill company called Grunnings.
“And then they had the audacity to double the prices.” He complained to his wife and their aunt, Petunia.
“What absolute morons, surely you did something about it” said Petunia
“I did.” said Vernon through a mouthful of eggs that Harry had just served “I fired them all and then lowered the prices so nobody could afford them!”
He laughed, making all his eggs go flying across the room. Uncle Vernon loved to make people miserable even if it affected him making money.
Hermione sat down next to Dudley, who was shoving his third serving of bacon down his throat, not taking his eyes off his small T.V. for a second.
Harry sat next to her and they both chewed their small helpings of cold eggs slowly as they listened to Uncle Vernon brag about ruining peoples life and Dudley cheering as his favorite football team scored.
“D’you want to go and sneak up to Dudley's room to see if we can steal a moment on his games?” Hermione whispered to Harry
“I don’t know… We could be caught, and I don’t want to be beaten again.” Harry whispered back
Hermione rolled her eyes and put down her fork. She sat up and walked away from the table, but not before being stopped by Uncle Vernon.
“Where do you think you’re going girl?” He said
“To read.” Hermione said, not turning to face him
“Me too.” said Harry getting up from the table
Hermione grinned at him and they ran from the room before Uncle Vernon could object. Harry could still hear Uncle Vernon murmuring about know-it-all bookworms.
Harry made his way to their shared cabinet under the staircase, but stopped when Hermione grabbed his wrist and pulled him up the stairs with her.
“‘Mione, what are you doing? We’re going to get in so much trouble.” Harry whispered frantically, constantly looking behind to make sure Uncle Vernon wasn't chasing him with a belt.
Hermione only giggled mischievously and pulled him harder as they turned the corner to Dudley’s bedroom.
It looked like heaven.
There were toys and electronic video games scattered all along the floor, dirty utensils and dishes piled up everywhere and a bed barely visible under all the comics stacked on it. Posters of Dudley’s football team were scattered along the walls.
Harry and Hermione had only seen glimpses of his room before, but seeing it in person for the first time was very exciting.
Hermione let out a small squeal and ran over to the comics, while Harry busied himself with all of Dudley’s toys. There were so many, Harry couldn’t even begin to think of which to choose, and Hermione looked at the tens of hundreds of limited edition or first edition comics, varying from Batman to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
They stayed there for what felt like hours, just playing and having fun for the first time in a long time. They switched places, played together, and even tried videogames.
Suddenly, they heard the familiar stomping of Dudley coming upstairs. Harry turned to look at Hermione, who was playing with green and purple dinosaurs. She dropped them, panic evident in her face and quickly mouthed ‘Hide!’ to Harry, before jumping behind a stack of books.
Harry frantically looked for a hiding spot and decided on hiding in the huge cabinet in Dudley’s room. He slammed the doors quickly and waited with baited breath as the sound of Dudley’s stomping feet came closer… and closer…
He heard the door slam open and Dudley waddled over to his bed. He heard Dudley grunt angrily as he most likely noticed his things out of place.
“DAAAAD!” He yelled as Uncle Vernon came pounding up the stairs.
Now Harry’s heart was nearly beating out of his chest, if they found him or Hermione here they would definitely beat them to a pulp and starve them. ‘God Hermione why…’ He thought as he heard the door creak open once more.
“Eh?” said Uncle Vernon.
“SOMEBODY’S BEEN IN MY ROOM.” Dudley shouted as he stomped up and down.
Then, Harry heard the most horrific thing he could ever hear. A small petite sneeze came from across the room, barely audible, but noticeable enough. His heart hammered in his chest as he heard Uncle Vernon walk over to where Hermione was hiding.
“YOU! YOU LITTLE-” Uncle Vernon roared
Harry heard a short scuffle and then a loud SLAP and finally Hermione moaning.
Harry had had enough.
“LEAVE HER ALONE” He shouted as he ran out of the cupboard to see Hermione holding her hand to her cheek as silent tears poured down her face. Dudley was laughing and Uncle Vernon was too, but Harry couldn’t hear it over the pounding in his ears.
“You too boy? Why I oughta-” Uncle Vernon was cut off by a loud shattering sound.
It went by so fast, one minute Harry was standing in front of Uncle Vernon the next he was laying on the floor of Dudley's room, covered in glass and groaning in pain.
He looked up to see Uncle Vernon purple with rage, Dudley sitting behind the bed with not a scratch and Hermione in a protective ball beside the bed.
“THAT’S IT!” Uncle Vernon yelled
Before Harry or Hermione knew what was happening Uncle Vernon had picked them up by the scruff of their necks and stomped downstairs. He promptly threw them into their cupboard and slammed the door, leaving them alone in the dark wondering what the heck just happened.