Me: Yo! So I currently have a free period so since I have nothing better to do, I'm going to start a new story!

Lightning: Nothing better to do? Don't you have finals next week?

Me: Yes, yes I do!

Lightning: Then shouldn't you be studying?

Me: I should, but I just don't feel like it.

Shadow: Love your dedication to school. . .

Me: I'm just here to kill time until I publish my book.

Lightning: You're writing an actual book, yet you waste time on fanfiction?

Me: Shut up! I like screwing up other people's storylines! Anywho, enough rambling, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, magic, blah, blah, blah. . .

Me: Oh, btw, this story takes place before Harry's second year. As in before Dobby comes in.

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Harry stumbled as he tried to get away. Vernon Dursley was right behind him, following with a drunken swagger with the sole intent of causing Harry as much pain as possible. Harry panted as he rounded a corner, not daring to stop even for a moment to catch his breath. Harry felt himself gasp in pure shock and terror. He had reached a dead end. He turned his back to the wall as he heard a set of shuffling footsteps behind him. He turned and beheld the source of all his fear.

Vernon Dursley stood blocking the only exit still available to Harry. His face was flushed with the alcohol he had consumed that night and his bloodshot eyes rested right on Harry. With slow, deliberate footsteps Vernon approached Harry as he cowered against the wall, desperately hoping for an escape. When he was just a few short feet away, Harry could smell the alcohol on his uncle's breath. He slowly raised his right hand and Harry knew that what was coming next would not be pleasant.

In a last desperate attempt at freedom, Harry ducked under his uncle's arm and ran. In a wild rush of panic, Harry imagined that he now knew what it felt like to be a hunted animal. Harry could still hear his uncle following him and suddenly, he had a crazy idea. He quickly changed his course and ran for the old cupboard that he used to call home. As he struggled to unlock the door, he heard dishes breaking in the kitchen. Not long now. Harry struggled against the door with ever increasing vigor until finally, it opened and Harry ducked inside just as his uncle came into sight.

Harry fell to his knees on the floor, searching for his final hope. His wand. It was here, he knew it was. Then, with a sudden ferocity, Harry felt a powerful impact on the back of his head. No. Not now. Not when he was so close to salvation. Harry reached out his arms to search through the piles of magical equipment even as he felt a vicious kick in his side. Harry rolled over from the impact and nearly blacked out from pain. Yet he still kept going. He tried to crawl away, to buy himself just enough time to open his school trunk. But it seemed that was a lost cause. As Harry's fingertips brushed the trunk, he felt a blow to his neck and he gasped in pain as his breath whooshed out of him. A blurry haze seemed to go over the entire world, and Harry realized his vision was failing him. Empowered by his own desperate fear, Harry opened the trunk and blindly groped inside until his fingers closed around his wand.

As Harry pulled his wand out, another blow hit his side and with growing dread, Harry heard his bones cracking. The world exploded into a vortex of pain. There was no longer peace or mercy. Only acting and reacting. Cruelty and innocence. As Harry felt his vision go black, he lashed out with his last hope. He waved his wand arm and screamed an unintelligible spell that even later he could not remember. As a flash of blue light left his wand, Harry felt the world dissolving around him and he fell to the ground unconscious, his wand dropping from his trembling hand.

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Pain. Hatred. Anger. Fear. All feeling had dissolved from Harry's limbs leaving him with nothing but these writhing sensations. Harry tried to open his eyes, but when he tried, all he could see was black. He couldn't distinctly hear or see anything outside of his own consciousness. He dimly remembered blacking out. He wondered what had happened. Was he dead? No. He couldn't be. Death wasn't supposed to be this painful. Death was meant to be peaceful.

Then, the memories started flooding back. He remembered running in terror as he heard the sounds of clumsy pursuit behind him. He remembered realizing he only had one chance. He remembered giving everything he had, all his strength and determination, in his desperate flight for his life. He remembered it all vividly, the scenes playing over and over in his mind. Finally, Harry forced himself conscious again and beheld a single barn owl resting at his side. Next to him, Vernon Dursley still lay in a drunken stupor.

The owl nipped at Harry's hand in impatience as it waited for Harry to take the Ministry letter bound to its leg. Harry felt his heart beat faster as he realized that he would be expelled. Reluctantly, Harry untied the letter from the owl and broke the seal with trembling hands.

Dear Mr. Potter,

As you know, underage magic is not permitted unless the student is in school. We have been informed that-

Harry read no further. He ripped the letter in half as tears streamed down his face. He would never be allowed back to Hogwarts, but he refused to stay in this hell house. His mind resolute, Harry stuffed the letter into his pocket and set about packing his belongings. He would write his own life story now. Dragging his heavy trunk with him, Harry left the house for the final time. The last thing he ever did there was burn the letter that had destroyed his life. Harry breathed in the calm night air and rejoiced in his bittersweet freedom.

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Me: Yo! So what do you think? Sorry if it's a little off but it's been a while since I read Harry Potter. I know bad Thunder!

Shadow: You really should have reread the book first to avoid an epic fail. . .

Me: Shut up! So anywho- review plz! And no flames!

Shadow: All flames will be given to me to roast marshmallows!

Me: Crap! My teacher just said we have a bio test tomorrow!

Lightning: That's what you get for not paying attention!

Me: Well sorry fanfiction is more important to me. . .