This fanfiction is rated M for Abuse, Implied rape, mentions of torture and violence along with Dark themes. You have been warned so get lost with your flames, I have an extinguisher and I ain't afraid to use it! :(

I would also like to state that the Harry Potter universe is J.'s and I am merely playing with her plot. Skatha and Laini are mine. Thank you.

Hello again my faithful readers!

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION IS AWAITING YOU AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER SO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER IT!
Okay other than that I would like to take the time to welcome you to "The Creeping Ivy" sequel to "The Poison Tree". If there is any confusion as to the meaning of the title feel free to ask. I know you hate me for putting Harry back in the Dursleys but there needed to be an event that drove Harry too far, which is why I didn't kill them earlier. Anyway thank you for reading this. REVIEW please!

THE CREEPING IVY

In every being, lies innocence… no matter how deep inside it may be, it is there. Yet the innocent are always the first victims. Innocence has but one enemy… time. In time innocence is worn down and eventually gives way to wickedness. Redemption is there for those who truly want it… yet many are lost to the twisted snares of wickedness. Light is associated with innocence, yet for many, the complete exposure that comes with Light is unbearable. Many prefer the comfort of the Dark, where secrets remain hidden and refuge is given. Yet with darkness, one can become lost and in doing so, lose themselves to Shadow. Darkness can be like the poison tree… 'As creeping ivy clings to wood or stone, And hides the ruin that it feeds upon'.
Our decision defines who we are and who we will become… but no one ever said it would be easy.

Harry Potter lay on the floor of the smallest bedroom in Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey… the home of the Dursley family. Harry would never call them his relatives. Relatives did not treat each other like this. The boy was imprisoned in a room with bars across the window and at least five different locks on the door.

"I'm a fool Hedwig…" Harry whispered to his snowy owl and she watched him with saddened amber eyes. "I should just accept this… no one is coming for me. I've been abandoned."

Hedwig hooted sadly, disgusted by the Muggles treatment of her life-partner. She looked at the scrawny boy with sympathy as he attempted to wipe the blood from his latest injury, a gash on his left arm, caused by that Harpy in the kitchen.

"It's been almost so long Hed… this is just the beginning." Harry whispered as he tried to sleep.

Indeed, it had been a very difficult month for Harry. He was treated no better than the lowest of house elves and beaten around on a regular basis. He couldn't threaten them with magic, Petunia already knew that her 'freak of a sister' wasn't allowed to use magic outside school. It was free reign for Vernon and Dudley.

What hurt more than the physical wounds, however, was the feel of abandonment. He had gotten no letters, no one had shown up to help him… he had even started to doubt if they even knew or cared where he was.

"Give me the orphanage over this…" he mumbled.

He remembered his escape at five years old, flinching at the earlier memories of the abuse he endured. He couldn't escape this time though… he was rarely let out of his prison except to work and he was always monitored carefully. Of course, the lack of food for the month had his ribs visible once more and he was weaker. Fighting when you're weak just leaves you with cuts and bruises after all.

"Goodnight Hedwig…"he muttered and fell asleep.

Harry awoke the next morning as he heard the locks on his door being opened by Petunia. She quickly threw a list of chores to him and glared at him.
"The Masons are coming this evening, with any luck this will be the turning point of Vernon's career. You get these chores done and you might get dinner."

Harry nodded once. "Yes ma'am."

She sniffed and left the room, leaving Harry to scan the list of chores. It was eight in the morning so Harry set to work at making the breakfast. He was rewarded with a slap on the back of the head by Vernon as he walked outside to weed the garden. The day dragged on endlessly and Harry panted in the summer heat as he worked.

Evening finally set in and Harry was given a stale soup roll and a slice of cheese with a plastic cup of water, glass was too good to be wasted on a freak after all.
"Now get upstairs boy!" she snapped as Vernon walked in.
Vernon grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck and dragged him upstairs, throwing him into the room and glowering at him.

"I'm warning you now boy! Any of your freakishness and you'll wish you'd never been born." Vernon snarled. "Understand?"

"Yes." Harry murmured and he was suddenly backhanded roughly.

"Yes what?" Vernon spat and Harry schooled his face into an emotionless mask.

"Yes sir." Harry corrected, licking away the line of blood that now trickled down his chin.

Vernon grunted in reply and slammed the door shut, locking it. And Hedwig hopped over to Harry.
"I'm fine girl," he murmured in reply to her worried hoot. "Nothing I'm not used to."

The evening progressed on very smoothly from what Harry could hear and he sighed in relief. That would mean Vernon would be in a good mood and maybe be a bit easier on Harry for at least one night. He lay on his bed, his eyes closed and tried to get some sleep, no doubt he would have a lot of cleaning to do in the morning.

As Harry Potter slept, a young boy his age was frantically using different methods to try and find his (in everything but blood) brother. Neville sat around a series of maps and star charts with a scrying crystal in his hand.
"Master Neville? Is you being having any luck sir?" Patch, the house elf, asked.

"It's been a month Patch, if house-elf magic can't find him, I doubt wizard magic can. I'm so worried about him!" Neville began to sob.
Naturally he had sent Patch to alert Draco and Blaise, along with Hermione but they hadn't seen him since the train. He had also let the Weasley twins know in case they had seen him. They had kept the secret but so far Harry was missing.
"I give it a few more days, if no one has seen or heard from Harry by then… I'll tell Snape or someone."

For the next few days Harry worked diligently, if only to avoid the wrath of Vernon but Dudley made it very difficult. If he wasn't using Harry as a punchbag, he was undoing everything Harry did. Trailing mud over the floors that Harry had just cleaned was a regular treat for him as Petunia would usually slap Harry upside the head with whatever she was holding at the time. It had been a frying pan only yesterday, he had the bump to prove it.

"Vernon should have news of his promotion today!" she tittered excitedly, no doubt thinking of a new outfit she could buy with his deeper pockets.

At nine o'clock that night, Vernon Dursley stumbled in the door, completely and utterly inebriated. Harry was just finished washing up after supper and he froze in horror. If Vernon was this drunk… that meant… oh no…

"You!" Vernon shouted in a slur. "It's your fault FREAK!"

Harry flinched and looked at Petunia. Her face had taken on a look of horror, which changed to despair… to anger.

"Vernon what happened?" she whispered.

"That freak is the reason I didn't get the promotion!" he roared and hoisted Harry up by the collar. "Now he's going to get what he deserves."

Without further ado, Harry was dragged up the stairs and into his room. He was flung to the floor and Vernon stood in front of him, an evil smile on his face.

"Take off your shirt boy."

Harry barely had time to reply before the shirt was ripped off him and he was face down on the floor again. Vernon's foot kept him pinned, the man weighed a tonne! Soon he heard the familiar sound of a belt and braced himself. The first snap of the leather made Harry swear in Parseltongue.

Hedwig was going crazy in her cage as Vernon whipped her life partner. She screeched loudly as the boy she cared so deeply for was whipped within an inch of his life. She could only watch as Harry began to slip into unconsciousness. Vernon threw the boy on the bed and began trying to wake him.

"You will witness every bit of this!" Vernon roared, an evil smile forming as Harry's eyes opened blearily.

Hedwig screeched loudly once more in utter despair.

"That's it! Patch take me to… Snape!" Neville demanded and Patch nodded, taking his hand. A few seconds later they were outside a nice looking house on the coast and Neville knocked on the door.

Snape opened the door and Neville watched as an expression of utter shock took over the Potions Master's face.

"N-Neville?" he spluttered. "What the devil?"

"Please sir… it's urgent." Neville said and Snape ushered him in reluctantly.

"This had better be good."

Neville nodded and launched into his account of Harry's disappearance, mentioning that even his own house elf couldn't locate him as well as any owl.

"Hmm… well clearly his magical signature has been cloaked or…"
"NO! He's not dead! The elves would sense if he'd died, I read it!" Neville snarled and Snape was impressed despite himself that the boy had roared at him, the most feared professor of Hogwarts… or so they say.

"Then we have to narrow down places…" Snape said. "You've checked the orphanage?"
"I had Patch do it." Neville replied and Snape nodded.

I'll tell Dumbledore." Snape said and held up a hand as Neville looked ready to blow his top. "No matter what the Headmaster has done, he will not want the Boy-Who-Lived to be in danger."

Neville nodded in defeat and Patch took them to Hogwarts.

Albus Dumbledore was happily sucking on a Sherbet Lemon when there was a loud knock on his office door. He called out to his visitors and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he saw Severus and Neville together.

"Albus, Harry is missing." Severus said and Albus frowned, glancing at one of the silver instruments. Harry was still at the Dursleys.

"Now, now Severus don't be silly! Harry is with his family! They were overjoyed to have him back."

Neville paled instantly and covered his mouth in horror. "You didn't… he'd never go back willingly…"

"Neville, calm down boy, explain yourself." Snape said.

"Harry got nothing but abuse there! He told me about the orphanage but he said that compared to the Dursleys it was a reprieve. He suffered years of abuse at the Dursleys! How could you send him back!" he turned to roar at Albus.

"Abused? Don't be silly, they know how important Harry is!" Albus replied. Sure he told the Dursleys to douse most of the fire in the boy so that he could be moulded into the soldier they needed him to be.

"No… you have no idea what you've done!" Neville cried. "Patch, take me to Little Whinging!"

Before Snape or Dumbledore could say another word, the boy and elf were gone and an irate McGonagall was standing in the office doorway.

"A-Abused… all those years?" she whispered and Dumbledore groaned inwardly.

In a flurry of robes, a tabby cat ran out the door with Snape on her heels and Albus watched as they got beyond the wards. Both Professors disapparated in a flurry of robes and Albus groaned.

"Shit… those Dursleys better not have done anything too bad to the boy."

Neville got to Privet Drive and raced down the street to the house that was Number Four.

"I'm coming Harry!" he growled and made to take a run into the house. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he yelped, finding himself being held back by McGonagall.

"I'll go first Neville!" she said and knocked on the door sharply.

The door opened to reveal a whale-like boy with beady eyes and McGonagall fixed him with her hardest glare.

"We are here to see Harry Potter."

The young boy squealed for his mother about freaks and raced inside before Petunia Dursley came bustling out.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Where is Harry?" Neville shouted and Petunia's eyes wandered to the stairs.

Neville needed no more confirmation and raced up the stairs, skidding to a halt outside a door with five locks on it. They were all open and Neville could hear a cry of agony from inside. Snape caught up to him and they burst through the door, wands out.

The stench in the room made Severus' stomach churn but not nearly as much as the sight that was before him. Harry was on the ground, his back covered in filthy welts and blood streaming down his half-naked body. Vernon Dursley stood above him, a leather belt in this hand as he brought it down on the boy's back once again.

Harry hissed in pain as the belt was brought down again before suddenly Vernon was sent flying across the room.

"Harry!" a familiar voice cried and he looked up slowly.

"Neville…" he rasped before everything faded into black.

Without another word, Snape swept the beaten and half-dead boy into his arms before looking at Neville.

"Use 'Accio' to summon his things. Forget the rules." Snape barked and raced out of the room.

"Accio Harry's stuff." Neville said and Hedwig's cage burst out of the wardrobe, revealing a very weak owl inside. She hooted faintly, hope in her eyes when she saw Neville.

Only a few other things shot towards him, what appeared to be a journal, a novel and an empty Owl Treats box. Tears welled up in his eyes and he hurried down the stairs with Hedwig and the journal, finding a sobbing McGonagall with Harry's trunk.

"Patch, take Snape and Harry to the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts." Neville said and the horrified elf complied instantly.

McGonagall took him in side-long apparition to the edge of the wards and together they raced up to the Hospital Wing to find Madame Pomfrey and Snape in a frenzy. They were casting spells and shoving potions into the boy in quick succession.

Almost an hour later Neville was sat down by Madame Pomfrey who had tears in her bloodshot eyes.

"Neville… I know this is hard to understand but…"

"Is he okay?" Neville cut her off. "Tell me he's okay!"

The matron looked to Snape and the Potions Master nodded, taking Pomfrey's place.

"Neville, Harry has been a victim of vicious abuse for over a month. Few bones in his body avoided damage. He was starved, beaten on a regular basis and he has even been…"

"Severus! You can't-"

"Quiet Poppy. They are as good as brothers. He was sexually abused Neville. Judging by the scarring it was weeks ago and only occurred once." Severus continued and Neville frowned in confusion before realisation dawned on his face followed by horror and nausea.

"Oh Gods… Harry." Neville whimpered.

"We've done everything physically possible. We've treated his wounds and healed them as well as given him restoration and nutrient potions. Physically he will survive… but it's as if he doesn't want to."

Neville pushed past Severus and ran to Harry's bedside, clasping the boy's cold hand.

"Don't you dare leave me Harry. It's taken me a month to find you… you can't leave me!" he sobbed, tears pouring anew from his eyes.

The doors of the Infirmary banged open and Dumbledore came racing in, horror on his face as he saw Harry, covered in bandages.

"This is your fault…" McGonagall whispered before slapping him across the face. "You BASTARD!"

Dumbledore cupped his cheek in shock. "I never meant for this to happen…"

McGonagall turned her back to him and sat at Harry's other side, taking his other hand in hers and bowing her head in prayer.

Patch approached Neville. "Does Master need anything?"
Neville nodded. "Patch if you could tell Draco, Blaise, Hermione, Fred and George that we've found Harry I'd appreciate it. Then bring Laini here."

Patch vanished and returned half an hour later, out of breath, with a frantic snake wriggling in his grasp.

Laini was not a happy snake at all. For over a month her bonded-master-Harry had been missing. She suspected it was something to do with that stupid old man Dumbledore but it was odd… she couldn't sense her master anywhere. The days passed slowly and she worried more and more.

Now today she had been grabbed by an elf and brought to the school again.

"What is the meaning of this? Laini swears to sink her teeth in your ass if you do not…" the irate snake paused, her tongue flicking out to taste the air. "Master?"

She recognised the still form of her master and practically leaped on to the bed, coiling up on his chest.

"Master, fear not, Laini is here now. Laini is here."

Her master did not respond and Laini tried not to focus on the feelings of desperation and agony she was receiving through the bond.

"They will die… whoever did this will die…" Laini swore and nuzzled Harry.

Snape watched as the snake wrapped herself around Potter and hissed softly to the still form of the boy. Slowly, the boy seemed to start reacting and the air seemed to almost quiver. The snake raised her head and swayed like a cobra before hissing violently.

Severus Snape watched as the eyes of Harry Potter snapped open, a feeling of dread filling him with the Killing Curse coloured eyes locked gazes with him. The boy had changed, his eyes were not that of a broken child… it was a gaze that was too calm, too old and… too Dark.

"Where are the Dursleys?" he asked in a soft tone, his voice betraying no emotion.

"Harry!" Neville cried and the boy looked at him oddly.

"Where were you… all of you?" Potter asked accusingly.

Severus noticed that Dumbledore was no longer in the room.

"We couldn't find you Harry! Not even the owls or house elves could!" Neville sobbed. "It took so long and I was so scared that… t-that you w-were…"

Potter's eyes softened and he squeezed Neville's hand.

"I know brother, I'm sorry for accusing you."

"Harry you're awake!" Poppy shrieked and ran over to him, casting diagnostics on him furiously. "You should still be out with all the potions that are in your system!"

"Well I'm awake and fine. I'm… fine." Potter snarled and pushed the nurse away.

"Leave me be dammit!" Potter roared and suddenly everyone but Neville, the snake and that house elf was pushed from the room by a powerful burst of energy.

"Dumbledore you fuckwit… if Potter kills me I swear to Merlin I'll haunt you to your deathbed and pursue you to the afterlife when you kick the bucket." Snape muttered as he got to his feet.

Harry turned to Neville with sad eyes as Laini cuddled up to him.

"How long Neville… how long have I been there?"

"Over a month Harry… it's July 12th." Neville replied sadly.

"I want to leave… now." Harry growled.

"But Harry you're not well and…"

"I am fine, once I get home I will be fine." Harry snapped, turning to Patch. "Take us back to the Isle Patch."

Albus Dumbledore burst through the door just in time to see the house elf grab Neville, the snake and Harry before they Disapparated. He glowered at the fact that Harry had flipped him off just before he vanished.

Okay guys that's Chapter One done and dusted! Let me know what you think!
As for the question (s):

Any preferences as regards to Dursley deaths, what to and what not to do?

Bringing Skatha back!

Ginny, Gryff/Slyth and live/die.

Any other ideas or suggestions on your mind are welcome EXCEPT PAIRINGS!

I WILL CLARIFY THIS ONCE ONLY, THIS IS NOT SLASH OKAY, GOOD. I DON'T CARE ABOUT PAIRINGS YET SO FORGET THEM MKAY?

Okay thanks for listening! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE spare a few seconds to review! It might inspire me to write faster ;)