A/N This is the first chapter of my first story, which is in Harry's fifth year. This is really the prologue, as not much happens in it and it is extremely short. Anyway, I hope you like it, and please review when you are done.

"So, my little friend, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

"You'll never get me to talk, why don't you just get it over with!"

"What, do you think that muggle loving fool Dumbledore will come and save you?"

"Dumbledore is twice the wizard you'll ever be, and I won't talk!"

"Oh, but you will talk. Maybe you just need a little more persuasion."

"No, please, AAAAAhhhhhhhhh!"

Harry Potter woke up sweating and tangled in his blankets with his scar throbbing. Putting on his glasses, he glanced at the little alarm clock on his desk. It read 3:00. It happened again, he thought. Ever since returning to the Dursley's house two weeks ago, he hadn't been able to sleep. He had been having nightmares every night, waking up in a cold sweat and then laying in his bed until the sun came up and he was called down to cook breakfast. However, this was the first time that he had seen from Voldemort and had his scar hurting. The pain had all but ceased, now down to an annoying pounding. He thought about what he had just seen. It sounded like Voldemort was using a curse on someone, probably Crucio. He hadn't made out whom Voldemort was using it on, but it sounded like someone like someone who was working for Dumbledore. Dumbledore. He had to inform Dumbledore of what he had just happened.

Getting up, he walked over to the loose floorboard and got a quill and some parchment out.

"Dear Professor,

• Harry Potter

Finishing up, he got up and tied it to Hedwig's leg.

"This has to go to Professor Dumbledore quickly, okay Hedwig?" After giving Harry and affectionate nip on his hand, Hedwig took off out the window. Oh yeah, thought Harry, another night alone. Looking at the clock, it read 3:30. Only about three more hours. Then he had to put up with the Dursley's. It wasn't quite as bad this summer, because of Dudley suffering from a severe case of obesity. His school nurse had forced Petunia and Vernon to send Dudley to a "special camp for special boys", or in normal people language a fat camp.

However, that didn't mean that the Dursley's were going to be any nicer to him. In fact, they were probably worse than ever. They had him up at six in the morning to cook breakfast for them, and if they didn't like it or they liked it too much than they wouldn't give him any. He then had to do a list of chores before he received any lunch, which in itself resembled the form of half a sandwich and a glass of water. He then had another list of chores to be done before supper, and more than once he had missed supper working late. The only time they left him to himself was at night. The long nights. He rarely got more than a few hours of sleep, and when he did he felt nauseous upon waking.

The reason he didn't sleep was because of the dreams he kept having. Horrible nightmares. He knew that he deserved them, because he had killed Cedric… no, don't think like that Potter. You know you couldn't have stopped Voldemort and Pettigrew from killing Cedric. But still. If I had just taken the cup. That's what Cedric had wanted. Its not like I didn't want to. God knows I wanted that cup. Stupid conscience. If I didn't have a conscience I could probably be asleep right now. And if I had taken that cup alone then Cedric could probably be alive right now.

He had to get off that topic. He had found that it hurt worst when he was thinking of Cedric. He looked at the clock again. 4:08. He decided to do some homework, and took out his books from under the floor. Why is Merlin considered the greatest wizard ever? 4 parchments. "My god," he thought, "who could possibly care about this stuff". Right now he wished more than ever that he had Hermione sitting next to him, helping him with his homework. He hadn't heard from Ron or Hermione yet this summer, but it had only been two weeks. Two long, lonely weeks. Anyway, Merlin is considered the greatest wizard ever because…

By the time he finished, it was a little after six. Just then, there was the annoying "Harry!" he heard every morning from his aunt. He went down, and after slightly burning the scrambled eggs, received no breakfast.

"Boy, I want all this done by lunch time, do I make myself clear," thundered Vernon, handing Harry a list. "And another thing, you woke me up last night with your incessant pen scratching. Let me make it clear that if that ever happens again you will be out on the streets before you could say 'blood magic'."

"Oh, Uncle Vernon, you said the 'm' word."

"Don't patronize me boy, or you'll regret it." Vernon was getting red now, but he had gotten Harry started. "Yeah, like anything you could do could make me regret it," Harry mumbled under his breath.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY BOY!" Vernon was yelling now.

"NOTHING YOU COULD UNDERSTAND!" Harry snapped. It was probably because he was so tired, but suddenly he just couldn't take any more of Vernon's crap.

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO TALK TO US. WE TAKE YOU OFF THE STREETS AND TAKE CARE OF YOU FOR 14 YEARS AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT US!"

"DAMN STRAIGHT! PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ON THE STREET!"

"IT'S NOT OUR FAULT YOUR MOTHER WAS A STUPID BITCH AND GOT HERSELF KILLED!"

"What did you just say," Harry said very quietly.

"AND DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF THAT GODFATHER BULLSHIT, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE HIM HERE TO SAVE YOU AND HAVEN'T THE PAST 3 YEARS!"

"What did you just say," repeated Harry, again very quietly, almost so Vernon couldn't hear it.

"I SAID YOUR MOTHER WAS A STUPID BITCH!"

Harry couldn't take it anymore, and tried to run out.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, BOY!" Vernon grabbed Harry as he tried to run out.

Harry turned slowly. "To get my wand, and TURN YOUR FAT ASS INTO A MONGOOSE!"

Vernon didn't do anything for a minute but stare at Harry and hold onto his arm. Then, all of a sudden, he reared back and backhanded Harry as hard as he could. He then pulled him up, and backhanded him again. He then threw Harry into the wall as hard as he could, and Harry stayed on the ground.

"Listen here, you bloody stupid kid. I am going to work. Petunia is going shopping. When we get back, you will be gone. You will not be back this summer. You will not be back next summer. You will not be back ever. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!" He waited a few seconds, and Harry, lying on the ground, said nothing. Vernon threw his coffee on Harry, then asked again, "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!"

"Yes, Uncle Vernon."

With that, Petunia and Vernon left the house, got in their cars, and left, leaving Harry lying on the floor. He burst out crying. He had contained himself when they were around, but now he couldn't take it. Cedric's death, not sleeping for weeks, and now this. He had no place to go, no family, he wasn't supposed to go to the Weasley's, and Sirius was on the run. He had to go somewhere. He thought of writing to Dumbledore, but then remembered that he had just sent a letter with Hedwig. He knew that he couldn't just stay, because the Dursley's would probably hit him again. That's it. He would go to Diagon Alley and wait there for Hedwig so he could ask Dumbledore if he could go to the Burrow.

Dragging himself up, he went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He had two red welts on his face where his uncle had hit him, his face was all tear streaked, and his hair was a mess (although that was nothing new). He took a quick shower, combed his hair, and got dressed in his best muggle clothes. He still had the welts on his face, but what was he going to do about that. With that, he gathered up his trunk, with all his books, homework, Firebolt, and his invisibility cloak in it, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and left.