Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything Harry Potter related.

A/N: I'm ignoring the events in HBP, except Ginny and Harry still dating. So Dumbledore is still alive, and Snape's still the Potions Master. I'm also ignoring the whole Horcrux stuff, and Voldemort is only going to be mentioned every now and then.

Just Another Summer with the Dursleys

As I sit on my bed, I wipe away the sweat that has collected on my face. Uncle Vernon has locked me in my room yet again because I have failed to finish his absurd amount of chores for today before he came home. Frankly, I think the fat git is just praying that I drop dead from the humidity and hotness of my room. He's threatened it before so I know that it's not too much of a stretch.

Glancing down at the album in my hands that Hagrid gave me my first year at Hogwarts, I flip through the pages. Pictures upon pictures of a once smiling happy family stare back at me. My dad, James Potter, has his arm around my mum, Lily Evans-Potter. They're both smiling down at the small little toddler version of me. So much happiness is in this book, but it doesn't tell the whole story, though. I mean, it doesn't show the destruction Voldemort left behind after he murdered my parents and left me an orphan. It just doesn't show that.

Idly, I start to wonder as I stare at the pictures if Ginny and I will be like my parents when we have kids. Will that be me one day holding my son in my arms as he plays with a snitch? Will that be Ginny one day trying to scrub behind our son's ears? I then close my eyes. I miss Ginny. Sure, she writes me every day, but it isn't the same as seeing her. Sighing, I think to myself how it's only three more weeks at the Dursleys before I'm of age and running off to the Burrow. Then I can hold Ginny in my arms and never have to worry about weeding, cleaning, or beatings again.

Footsteps suddenly alert me to Uncle Vernon heading towards my room. I quickly scramble and put my album away. He doesn't like any funny business, and that album is definitely under that category. I just reach my bed again when the door swings open. His eyes are glaring at me as if he knows that I have been staring at it again. He doesn't, though. How could he? I'm always careful.

"Come here, boy," he growls before grabbing me by the scruff of the neck.

I make no attempt to fight him. I only end up getting hurt worse then. Years of experience have taught me that. I can only imagine what he's going to do to me this time. I wish I were of age right now so I don't have to live in this hellhole with these idiots. He shoves me forward towards the couch in the living room a few moments later. I barely have time to catch myself before I hit the couch with a grunt.

"Now listen here, boy. I've got very important people coming, so I don't want you here."

I stare at him dumbfounded. What part of 'don't let Harry leave the house' does Uncle Vernon not understand? Dumbledore sent him that warning not even two days ago. I, however, remain quiet, which seems to be the right thing. Uncle Vernon then thrusts money in my hand. It's definitely not enough to buy anything of value. It's probably just enough money to buy a movie ticket.

"So go lose yourself for awhile. If you don't come back tonight, then I'll throw your ruddy crap out back near the shed. If you're still not back by tomorrow, then I'm torching everything. Is that understood, boy?" He pokes me in the shoulder for a good measure.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," I quietly reply. I'm definitely going to be back. I don't want his filthy hands anywhere near my stuff. He smirks in response before roughly shoving me out the door. I don't even get a chance to say anything. Then again, when do I get that chance? After all, I'm just the freak who lives with the so-called normal people.

In my ratty old shoes and three sizes too big grubby shirt, I head off towards the park on the outer edge of town. I silently hope that there aren't any Death Eaters out roaming around the streets of Little Whinging. I'm without my wand again because like almost all of my other belongings, Uncle Vernon has locked it up in my former room, the cupboard under the stairs. Then again, it is the middle of the afternoon. The Death Eaters are probably sipping tea with Voldemort right about now as they torture some poor defenseless Muggle.

"Hey, Freak! I'm surprised Dad let you out."

I ignore my git of a cousin. However, I hear soft laughter that sounds familiar that forces me to glance towards him. I immediately feel stupid when I realize that it's not Ginny laughing with her arm around Dudley's shoulders. Some girl with wild blue streaks in her dark hair glares at me with piercing ice blue eyes. No doubt, this is Dudley's new girlfriend Rayne that I know for a fact he's been intimate with, unfortunately. I only know that because I'm the poor soul who walked in on them once.

"Yeah, well, I'm surprised she's not dead yet considering how heavy you are," I retort before whirling around.

"Oh, yeah, tell me, Freak! How's your boyfriend Cedric doing, still dead?"

I whirl around within seconds. I glare at him, but he only sneers back. He's trying to goad me into fighting him so that Uncle Vernon punishes me again. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction, though. I focus on Snape's old 'discipline your mind' crap and turn back around, ignoring the idiot the best I can. It's rather hard to do, though, when there's so much of him to ignore.

"You want to know what I heard, Potter?" Dudley shouts at me as a couple more of his friends join him. "I heard your mum turned out tricks for any old bum who walked past. I bet you don't even know who your father is." He then snickers loudly when I stop. "Mum says that when your mum was younger, she hung out with all the scum of the city. I bet your dad was some homeless drunk."

"Shut up, Dudley!" I snarl whirling around.

"Bet when they were making you, she just slid right off him when she was done."

"Shut the hell up, Dudley!" I snarl storming towards him with every intention of bloodying him to a pulp. How dare he say such filth about my mother! However, he has a good two hundred pounds on me, so he just shoves me backwards with a laugh when I fall hard to the ground.

"You're such a freak, Potter."

"You're a fat lard of—" Dudley's thick fist slams hard against my face, cutting off my insult, though. I cry out instantly before the blood just streams out of my nose. I try to swing my fist at him, but he quickly sits on my chest immobilizing me. His fists pound into me like bricks. I hear sickening crunches of several of my bones, but the attack doesn't last long. Some person, I don't know who, starts to shout off in the distance to leave that poor boy alone. Dudley only laughs before pushing himself up off me. I barely make a sound at the terrible pain that results from that movement.

"See you at home, Freak!"

I lie in the grass, watching the white puffy clouds go by without a care in the world. That is until the afternoon sky turns into dusk, and I remember Uncle Vernon's threat about burning all of my stuff. I slowly get to my feet before stumbling towards Privet Drive. I can only imagine the looks of glee on their faces at the sight of me. A half-hour later, I stagger into the kitchen through the back door. They don't glance at me so I head up to my room. Who needs Death Eaters when I have these monsters?

A/N: Harry gets a surprise visitor who's not very enthused with him. :D