Alone in London

It was a few months before school began for the five year olds Number Four Privet Drive. Now while the whole world knew of Dudley Vernon Dursley very few knew of little Harry James Potter currently dealing with a black eye, broken arm and sprained ankle and numerous cuts and bruises thanks to his uncle "tender, loving care". Vernon and Petunia didn't want the world to know they had freak for a surrogate son. So they were discussing what to do about him. They couldn't keep him locked up indefinitely as much as they would like. The authorities would want to know why he wasn't at school. The only reason he wouldn't be is if he wasn't there.

'It's Dudley's birthday tomorrow,' Petunia said hesitantly, 'what if we take him to the Zoo as planned but take the boy,' she sneered glaring in the direction of her nephew's cupboard, 'and leave him. If anyone asks we'll say he never lived with us and act all confused. After all no one knows I have a sister she's on no records from the age of eleven. I'll just say she died at a young age.'

Vernon too smiled it seemed that the plan had been decided it only had to be put into motion. The couple then went up to their bed not without glaring at the cupboard. Vernon Dursley actually aimed a kick at the cupboard. Harry woke up with a start at that but he by now knew better than to say anything. Speaking hurt would just get you hurt. At his not yet five years of age he had more scars than most got in their whole lives. The Dursley couple walked to the top of the stairs. Vernon stopped at the top panting; he made it seem like vigorous exercise. They climbed into their insistently frilly pink bed the covers of Mrs. Dursley's choosing much to the horror of her husband and son. The two slept soundly unlike their nephew who tossed and turned fearing his uncle's cruelty.

'UP!' ordered Aunt Petunia.

The Boy woke with a start and nervously exited his cupboard in nothing but an overlarge red shirt. He stood on a chair and began doing his best not to burn the bacon. So when the Dursley males came down and his cousin was plonked on his seat he gave them a full English breakfast while he was flung back into his cupboard. He pulled out a bit of bacon, a sausage and a crust of bread which he'd managed to steal whilst cooking. Listening for the sound of his relatives coming he quickly munched on them. Petunia later came and pulled her nephew out of the cupboard as he whimpered. She slapped him across the cheek for that. But he was relieved it was nothing worse. Then she forced her nephew into a pair of Dudley's scruffy jeans before she flung him back into the cupboard.

He heard the sounds of the family get ready. They often went out. He didn't know what they did. But he had heard talk of them going to something called the Zoo. The last time they'd gone out his cupboard door had somehow opened for him and he'd been able to watch TV, play with Dudley's toys and steal any food which would go unnoticed and considering he did most of the cooking that was rather easy. They'd gone to the farm. The Boy knew that a farm was a place like Dudley's toy which had strange black and white creatures and pink crawling Dudley's and fluffy things all on green with a house.

But today evidently was different because just as his aunt was struggling with his cousin Boy's scary uncle had flung open his cupboard. Freak, that was what his uncle called him whilst his aunt called him Boy he preferred Boy, tried to move away from his uncle. But it did no good the purple man pulled him out. Freak didn't fight anymore he knew it would just hurt worse if it did. But to his surprise his uncle didn't hit him. He just placed the child on the floor. Boy didn't dare look up at his uncle in case that was a cause for punishment. The rules were so changeable it felt like everything he did was wrong.

'Freak, we're going out, and you're coming with us,' Vernon said in a voice that Harry didn't like at all.

He was pulled outside roughly with Vernon looking around to make sure none of the neighbours noticed the strange boy with them. Then he was flung into the back of the car. It was dark in here even darker than his cupboard. Boy clutched his knees to his chest. He didn't like it in here. He could hardly breathe. He wanted out. He had started crying; not loudly like Dudley did when he wanted something. Silently because he knew he had no hope he was just a bad little freak who needed to be punished by his good family. After being jolted for what to Boy seemed like a lifetime the he was blinded by light.

'Crying huh little freaky cry baby,' sneered Uncle Vernon.

Vernon then proceeded to manhandle the boy out of the car. Boy looked around uncertainly. Then he heard the car start and looked at the retreating silver of the only family he'd ever know. He couldn't say he cared. If they were family then he wanted nothing to do with family! Boy looked around for signs of anything. But all he could see were piles of black bin bags. The place stank. He stared around for a while before making his way over to an old fence which had bits missing he crawled through it glad he was nowhere near the size of his cousin. He'd stumbled out into what appeared to be a street and looked around. He didn't know what to do. He'd hated his life with the Dursleys but at least he got food from time to time, at least he had shelter! He was so frightened and he had started silently crying again.