Disclaimer: I do not own any character's objects or anything else that comes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Warning: This story will contain scenes of violence and maybe other themes that some audiences may find unsuitable. You have been advised.

AN: This is my first FanFic so please don't be too critical, but feedback be it positive or negative is welcome. Also I only have a general idea where I want this story to go so if anyone has a suggestion please PM me. And with one last final note of these AN's being at the end of each chapter, I give you the first chapter.

The Grey Assassins

Chapter 1:

A young Harry James Potter sat alone in his cupboard under the stairs while recovering from yet another one of his birthday "presents".

His family, it seemed, hated him for no reason…that is, that he knew of. Since the first time he could understand a word Harry, or Freak to his family, was treated worse than a slave. The only thing that the Dursley's did that would prepare him for the outside world was teaching him how to cook, clean, and garden.

Yet, he was the smartest kid in his class. At the age of eight, his teacher, Ms. William, thought he might be a genius. Of course this made things worse for Harry as he was not supposed to better in any way than "Dudleykins".

So, "this July thirty-first is even 'bigger' for you, Freak," Vernon had said to Harry.

Flashback (Warning: Scene of intense torture)

For Harry's eight birthday, Vernon had tried out some new techniques of torture. First he woke Harry up at twelve a.m. just to have the most of this "special" day and proceeded to beat the child senseless.

After Harry had passed out, he woke up to find himself strapped to a wooden chair by cheap, old leather belts in Dudley's toy room, which had a large mat underneath the chair and four air conditioners blowing freezing cold air. Harry soon began wondering what his next form of torture would be until his curiosity was settled when Vernon opened the door behind Harry and dumped three gallons of water onto the already shivering boy. There, Harry was left for what felt like days but was instead only an hour.

Then the Dursley patriarch began to mercilessly beat him; each blow hurt even worse than normal because of the cold. Vernon kept up the beating until Harry almost passed out.

Vernon then brought the bunch of bruises still bound to the chair to the breakfast table where the family, except for Harry, slowly and temptingly ate a huge breakfast of pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and sausage.

Then, Harry was again brought into Dudley's toy room and covered with water for a half hour before yet another beating to almost consciousness. There, Harry was left alone in the room except for each half hour when Vernon came in to break Harry's body more. During these times, however, Vernon would break a few of Harry's bones. This process repeated itself continuously except for when the family cruelly ate their food in front of the poor boy.

Finally at eleven p.m., the process was broken. The only thing was, after he had been unbound from the chair after yet another half hour of ice, Harry found himself bound to the banister with a rag tied around his mouth. Vernon then took a nine tails whip out behind Harry and gave the battered child fifteen slashes on his back. Harry's screams would have been heard on the west coast of Canada if it weren't for the rag that tasted and was soaked in sewage, which was very apparent to the victim. But, the boy did not cry for his screams were not of defeat but only of pain. Instead of letting himself give in, Harry turned his pain to anger. This fueled a cycle that did not let the demon known as Vernon win against Harry.

After the whipping, Vernon unbound the boy from the banister and dragged Harry by his hair into the living room. The fat man then took out the hot stoker that had rested in the fire since before Harry was last brought out of Dudley's toy room and had to witness the family eat without him. Again, Harry screamed but did not cry.

With that final punishment, Harry was roughly shoved into his cupboard under the stairs.

End Flashback (Continue reading, if you skipped)

Now, Harry could not sleep because of the amount of pain that raked his body.

The worst part was that he could not get the thing he wanted second most in the entire universe: sleep. Then again if had a loving family, something he had never known but had always wanted the most, he would not be in this situation. It did not matter to Harry at that moment, though, for the elusive peace of the dark would not overcome him.

In his still developing torture, Harry could not help but wonder about his greatest desire: what a real loving family and friends were like. Sometimes Harry had glimpsed at the television where a family of two parents, a small boy, and a teenage girl had led what Harry thought to be a perfect life, and that inspired Harry to dream.

Suddenly, the sight of the door of the cupboard being opened brought Harry back to reality from his dreams. Harry automatically recoiled and tried to hide farther into his "room" for he thought this was Vernon once again.

But, oddly enough, it wasn't Vernon. Instead, stood a person in a black as night cloak that covered all of the person's body and face except for his or her mouth and chin. The mysterious person then collected Harry's baby blanket and Harry without uttering a single word except for one short sentence.

"You are safe now, Harry."

Finally the person closed the door and disappeared from the evil home with Harry who finally was asleep.

AN: Remember, rate and review! I would like to thank Change of Faith for his/her help on this chapter. If you read the previous version, you will see that it has improved.