before I get on to the story i just wanted to say a few things.

first off this is my first story so please review and tell me what i should work on.

Disclaimer- unfortunately i don't own the harry potter characters or the books/movies so please don't sue me (not that i have much money anyways)

i hope you like the story XD

"speaking" 'thinking' §parseltongue§

Harry potter lay in his cupboard staring up at the spiders that lived on the slanted ceiling. He always woke up before the Dursleys so that he could have a few moments of quiet to sit, and think. In a few minutes they would get up and Uncle Vernon would go to work. He is the Director of the Grunnings drill manufacturing company.

Harry sat up quickly as he heard the loud blaring of Vernon Dursleys alarm clock. While waiting for Uncle Vernon to come down, Harry got ready for the day. He brushed his hair with a comb. Then he shoved on his shoes.

Harry didn't have to put on his clothes because he had to sleep in them in order to stay warm. His bed was a folded up blanket with a sheet on top to cover him, which wasn't enough warmth in a drafty cupboard. Even during the summer.

Vernon's heavy lumbering footsteps came down the stairs, shaking down dust and spiders onto Harry's head. His cupboard door was ripped open and Harry was pulled out by his neck. He has long ago learned that fighting being pulled around would just get him a beating, so he hung limply in his uncle's beefy hand.

His whale like uncle pulled Harry into the kitchen, and threw him onto the floor. "Get up freak, and make breakfast." shouted Vernon Dursleys as he sat down at the table with his wife Petunia and their son Dudley.

"Yes sir, Uncle Vernon." Harry said meekly while pulling himself off the floor. He pulled out the frying pan and turned on the stove. Now that Harry was almost 11 it was so much easier to cook than the first time when he was 5.

He had been so short that he had burned himself and the food many times. Uncle Vernon then punished him by giving him a beating and no food for the rest of the day. Harry had learned quickly and could now cook easily, which meant that he would usually get a piece of bread for breakfast.

After breakfast was over Vernon went off to work and Harry was given his list of chores for the day. Aunt Petunia always made the list ridiculously long so it would be almost impossible to finish them all before Uncle Vernon got home.

Today's list included;

scrub the hallway floor, wash all the bedding, polish the silverware, paint the garage door red, rake the yard, clean Dudley's room, make three apple pies, and weed all the flower beds.

Harry decided to finish the inside stuff first, so that he could get away from Aunt Petunia's watchful eyes. It was about three in the afternoon before Harry had managed to finish the inside chores. He was not allowed to have lunch, only a few sneaked drinks of water while working.

Once outside Harry would be able to fill his belly with water from the garden hose. Harry quickly ran out of the house into the yard to get a long drink before going back to work. the first task he started on was to paint the old brown garage door with red.

'Personally I think it would look best green, but no one would ever ask me.' Harry thought as he put away the paint and got out a rake.

He quickly finished with that and sat down to weed the flower beds. It was getting dark so he started hurrying in order to finish before Uncle Vernon returned. Without thinking Harry reached down and was about to grab a garden snake that was sitting in front of him.

§Stop§ Harry's head shot up and looked around for the person who spoke.

"Who said that?" asked Harry looking around for the speaker.

§Down here§

Harry looked down to see a snake just inches from his face. It was a small green snake with interesting black markings across its back. The markings looked like weird ancient runes he had seen in a history book.

"I didn't know that snakes could speak English." he said while trying to stay still and not startle it.

§I am not speaking English. I am speaking the language of the snakes' parseltongue§

"Why can I understand you?" harry asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was talking to a snake.

§Being a parseltongue is a rare gift in the wizarding world§ the snake hissed, bobbing its head up and down as it spoke.

"Wizarding world… Do you mean like magic?"

§Yes. And since you are a parselmouth that means that you are a wizard. If I might ask, how old are you?§ the snake asked with a hiss.

"I will be 11 tomorrow, on July 31. Why?"

§If you are to be 11 that means that on your birthday you will get your Hogwarts letter which will allow you to go to the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to learn magic.§

"For real? Wow!" Harry yelled, thinking about all the things that he could do with magic.

§Young one. I am guessing that you should finish this work before you get into trouble.§

"Whoops!" Harry yelped as he bent down to pull the last few weeds.

"Say... You wouldn't perhaps... Umm well you know... like to come with me would you?" he asked while pointing at the house.

§I will not be your pet!§ The snake hissed grumpily.

Harry violently shook his head and then looked up hopefully as he said "Umm... If you want we could be friends."

The snake contemplated the idea before nodding and slithering up to his feet.

"Do you mind hiding in my pocket until I can go to my cupboard?" Harry asked while carefully picking up the snake.

§If i must then I guess that it is ok.§

With a beaming smile Harry carefully placed the snake in the pocket of his too large pants. He managed to get inside just before Uncle Vernon arrived. He walked in the door and grabbed harry hauling him into the kitchen to make dinner. Vernon angrily slammed harry into the stove, which Harry's light body bounced off of and onto the floor.

Grinning at Harry's defenseless position he kicked the small boys back a few times chuckling at the whimpers The young boy made. Lucky he got bored quickly and turned towards the table to sit down.

"Freak! Get up already and make dinner. If you don't hurry up I'll will give you a beating you won't forget."

Wincing from the pain Harry struggled to his feet to make dinner for them. Just as he was almost up his cousin Dudley walked by and kicked his ankle making him fall back to the floor with a sickening thud. Harry crawled to his feet knowing what would happen if he didn't.

After Harry finished making dinner Uncle Vernon dragged him to his cupboard and threw him in slamming the door shut before walking up stairs for bed. Harry moaned in pain as he lay down on his makeshift bed. The snake crawled out of his pocket and sat on his stomach watching the young one.

Her heart breaking as she watched the child cry himself to sleep without making a sound. After harry was finally asleep the snake hissed to herself §No matter what, I promise to keep this child safe and happy.§ With that she curled up on Harry's stomach and fell asleep, while watching the young boy sleep.

So that's it (don't worry harry will soon get away from his horrid family)

I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm sorry that it was such a short chapter I will try to make the next one longer.

Please review and fave this story!