Chapter 1

Four year old Harry Potter was sitting in his cupboard, nursing his latest wounds given to him by his 'dearest' uncle.

Harry got punishments on a daily basis, but they usually had a reason, even if they were silly like breathing too loudly or leaving a speck of dust behind while cleaning. But that day he had got a punishment only for speaking to someone other than the Dursleys.

FLASHBACK

Harry was working in the garden, when he felt someone's presence behind. Turning around, he saw a garden snake looking at him quite closely. "Hey Mr. Snake. Why are you looking at me?" Harry spoke to the snake, not realising how those nine words were going to change his life.

"A speaker..." the snake said, surprising Harry. He was so startled that he didn't see Dudley approaching him from behind. "You can speak Mr. Snake?" Harry asked the snake like any other innocent four year old would. Any four year old who was a parselmouth, that is.

Dudley was so shocked at hearing his cousin speak like snakes that he just froze.

"Speaker, it isn't I who can speak. It is you who can speak in the ancient language of serpents."

Harry, not understanding half of the things and not caring enough to decipher the snakes weird sentence spoke," So, why are looking at me like that? And what is your name, Mr snake?"

" My name is Eva and I'm a Miss not a Mister," the snake said, somewhat upset.

"Sorry, Eva. Now tell me what are you doing here?"

" Icame here to watch you, speaker. You reek and it is so distinct that I could smell you from 12 houses away."

"Gee, thanks," Harry replied, somewhat sarcastically, though what did a 4 year old understand about sarcasm?

" No speaker. I didn't mean to offend you. But you reek of power, of strength, of charisma and of love," the snake... Eva said.

Harry was confused. What did offend and charisma mean? How could someone smell love or power or strength?

Still shocked, he said, "So you came here to watch me? Since when are you here?"

" Since time long enough to know that these people.." she pointed her tail parts towards #4, Privet Drive, "...have not been treating you properly. Why do you stay here? Why don't you just go away from here?" she said, quite angry and appalled by the behaviour of those vile humans towards their families. In her anger, she forgot she was talking to a four year, soon to be five year old boy.

" Iwish I could but I'm just 4 years old," Harry said and sighed, quite upset at the prospect of spending fourteen more years with the Dursleys.

Dudley, hearing Harry's sigh, unfroze and walked towards him. " Dad is right. You are nothing but a freak. What were you doing...talking to snakes?"

" What do you mean, Talking to snakes? I was just talking to myself," Harry lied, not quite wanting to give away Eva.

He might be 4 year old, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that if he told Dudley Eva, she would be taken away from him before he could no. But he needed to work on his lying skills as Dudley didn't believe him at all

" You're lying, freak. You were speaking to someone, going all hiss," Dudley said, emphasising on the sss's in the hiss. Saying so, he ran inside and went ot his father.

"Dad, the freak was speaking to a snake outside. He went all hiss and lied..." he suddenly paused at the last part to take a breath when his father called Harry inside and started speaking, "What did you this time boy? Dudley says you spoke to a snake? How many times have I told you to not showcase your freakish nature in this house?" Vernon Dursley had turned purple from all the anger. Harry was scared. He knew nothing good was going to happen if his uncle got angry. It would only lead to bodily harm. So he tried to come up with an excuse. "Uncle, I was not speaking to anyone...I...I was singing this new..umm..song..that I heard on the radio the other day..." his voice cracked up in places and he knew that his uncle would see through the lie.

"You think I'm a fool?" Vernon Dursley said, removing his belt. Harry was scared even more. His uncle often slapped him or pushed him real hard, but he had never hit him by the belt. Today was turning worse, minute by minute for Harry.

END OF FLASHBACK

Harry was sure that one or two of his bones were broken from the beatings and lashings he had received. He was just glad that Eva had somehow managed to slither into his cupboard and now he had someone to talk with. Something Eva had said earlier was struck in his mind, and he wanted to talk to the snake about it.

"Eva, do you think I could go away?" Harry said when he saw Eva hidden in a hole in the cupboard floor. "I'm tired of all these beatings and you said earlier that I should. But do you think I could?"

"Yes, young speaker. You can run away. You can do anything you want to," Eva said, coming out of her hiding place. "When should I leave then? And where will I stay? What if I starve? What if one of those..kidnapper.. takes me with them and kill me?" Harry blurted out, all in one breath.

"Relax, speaker. You'll be fine. If you wish to leave tomorrow, we'll go tomorrow. We'll find a place to stay," Eva said , trying her best to relax the young boy in front of her. She had been watching the speaker since a long time and knew that those vile muggles had been treating the boy very unfairly. She knew that due to their constant abuse, the boy had developed a self-confidence issue. She knew that the boy didn't even know his own name until he started school a few months ago. She knew that the speaker had even tried to kilo himself because he felt that he was a burden to the family. She knew that the boy acted stupid but was actually very smart.

"Eva, I have to ask something. Why am I such a freak? Uncle Vernon always said that and look, I'm a freak. See I have no mark or wounds or pain even though I was just almost killed," Harry's voice brought the snake out of her musings. "Young speaker, you are not a freak. You are a wizard. A very powerful one that too. It was your magic that just healed your wounds," Eva hissed, shocked yet not surprised that the muggles had not told the speaker what he actually was.

"Uncle Vernon said that there's no such thing as magic. Was he lying? Can I really do magic. Why do you think I'm so powerful? I can hardly save myself from Dudley's beatings," Harry asked curious about magic.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door of his cupboard. It was his uncle Vernon. "Are you still awake, boy?" He paused and after hearing a meek, "Yes, uncle Vernon" , his uncle continued, "listen careful. We are going out tomorrow and I want you to clean the house completely. Mrs Figg is not home and I'm leaving you home only because you are too injured to go anywhere else. If I find anything out of place, you better be prepared. And I want no freakish activity happening in the house in my absence. Understood?"

"Yes uncle Vernon," Harry replied, somewhat smirking. Tomorrow, he'll leave, and hopefully never come back.

{Sorry for the delay. I hope you liked this chapter. It's unbeta'd and anyone interested in beta'ing, please pm me. Thanks to all who reviewed. i love you all. Im really sorry if u didnt like it. Dont forget to review. Next chapter- Harry's escape.