Wednesday, October 31st, 1990

It had been almost two months since the start of school and Harry was more content than he had ever been.

After Dudley and his gang finished their month of detentions in September, the frequency and severity of their bullying had dropped, as they were constantly monitored by the teachers, both in class and outside of it during breaks. They still managed to get away with some misbehaviour, but the headmaster's threat of Dudley being marked as a 'Delinquent' convinced Petunia and Vernon to take the matter seriously, and Harry had the satisfaction of hearing Dudley being reprimanded for the first time in his life.

Granted, this was while Harry was locked in his cupboard, but Harry didn't mind his cupboard these days. It was clean, cozy and had all the books Harry wanted to read… And if he had to, he could leave any time he wanted.

Today, however, Harry was excited. Not about going home to read, even though it has become his favorite pastime. Rather, it was the prospect of getting to celebrate Halloween.

This Halloween looked to be a first for Harry. His aunt and uncle had decided that they would take Dudley and his gang to a haunted house attraction near London after Dudley begged them. As a reward for his "good behaviour" (translation: less awful than before) and despite their strangely negative attitudes towards Halloween (maybe it was the people in "freakish" costumes, Harry thought), they finally gave in when Dudley threw a tantrum, claiming that his friends would go without him, and he would be made fun of in school.

This meant that they would leave Harry himself either with Mrs. Figg, the cat lady, or lock him in his cupboard. Funnily enough, he would rather have the cupboard.

But this also meant that once they left, he could leave the cupboard, put on a costume and actually enjoy Halloween like all the other kids in the neighborhood. And as long as his costume covered his face, no one would know who he was, and he wouldn't need to be worried about getting discovered.

In years past, he'd have to listen from inside the cupboard as Dudley and his friends would divide up the "spoils" of their trick-or-treating adventure.

This time, he would get to experience it all for himself! The excitement was hard to contain, and several times during the school day Harry caught Dudley staring at him with a confused look. A happy or excited Harry was something that Dudley didn't often see, especially as in previous Halloweens he would try to make Harry as jealous as possible.

Harry noticed the looks, and tried to moderate how much he was giving away on his face… But it was hard.

Truly, Harry's life was getting better every day, and the opportunity to celebrate Halloween like everyone else this year was going to be the highlight so far.

Finally, the school day was over, and Harry was packing his bag to leave. He would still need to prepare supper before the Dursleys left, and so had to get back to Privet Drive quickly. He watched Dudley leave school with his friends, Dudley himself strangely muted. 'Unusual for Dudley to not boast about how much candy he was going to get' thought Harry absentmindedly.

As Harry was about to leave, he noticed two boys approaching. He smiled as he recognized his friends.

"Hi Adam! Hi Dan!" He greeted them.

"Hiya Harry!" replied Dan, as Adam greeted Harry with his customary head nod.

Adam wasn't a talkative boy, but he had a way of communicating when he felt it was important. The only time he would string more than a couple words together was when he was calling instructions to his team on the football pitch. Adam's laconic nature belied a sharp intelligence, however. While Dan was methodical and organized, Adam was fluid and adaptive. Harry had seen this on the pitch as Adam's team would usually be the one to win most games as he provided key instructions in the right moments, and Adam's teammates quickly learned to trust him, Harry included.

Seeing Harry in the process of packing, Dan asked "So, were you planning on going trick-or-treating? I don't think I've ever seen you go before, but then again, we weren't friends then..."

"Well, my aunt and uncle aren't big fans of Halloween, so they wouldn't take me when I was littler." Harry replied. "But now that I'm 10, I can go on my own." he explained, skirting the full truth a little.

"Well, if you'd like, we can meet up and go together!" suggested Dan enthusiastically, with Adam adding a confirmatory nod.

"That'd be brilliant!" replied Harry happily. This was the first time he was invited to hang out with friends outside of school!

"Where should we meet? Come to think of it, I don't think I know where you live!" asked Dan.

"I live on Privet Drive, it's not too far from here. Do you know it?" replied Harry.

"Yeah, I think I do" said Dan, looking at Adam to see if he recognized the street name. Adam seemed to think for a moment before nodding in affirmation.

"Great, I have some chores I'll have to finish at home, but shall we meet on the corner of Magnolia Crescent? Maybe 'round 6?" asked Harry of his friends.

The two boys looked at each other for a moment, Dan looking to Adam for confirmation.

Both boys then nodded, and Dan added "that sounds like a plan" with a growing smile on his face.

""What will you be going as?" Dan asked Harry.

"You'll see! Let's see if you can recognize me!" said Harry with a wide smile of his own.

—

A few hours later…

Harry stepped in front of Petunia's full length mirror, and couldn't help but feel quite proud of himself.

In his mind, he saw his inspiration, and when he compared it to his image in the mirror, his smile widened.

He was The Magician, John Zatarra, the father of Zatanna, one of his favorite superheroes. With his dark hair, a tuxedo suit, top hat, proper shoes and a polished prop wand, he looked every inch the junior version of that character. He added a domino mask to the ensemble, to hide his face, and headed downstairs. Zatarra was an old of a character as Superman was, but Harry liked him better due to Harry's abilities being similar. He was well and truly excited. If anyone responded to his trick or treat with "trick", he would be able to oblige, he thought mischievously.

It had taken him a bit of planning to put the costume together. In the months before Halloween, he had figured out that if he wanted to participate in Halloween, he would need a costume, and that to get a costume like the one he wanted, he would need money.

Harry had very little idea about how money worked… But he knew it was important to pay for what you buy. Otherwise he would be stealing… And he had so few things of his own, that he understood how precious those few things that were his were, and he instinctually understood how he would feel if those were taken from him. And so he decided he wanted to earn his costume. He started using his tricks to "multiply" any treats Petunia kept in the cupboard for when Dudley was "a good boy", and selling them to other kids in school for a few pence. Thankfully, kids being kids, they'd eat the candy and snacks right away. Harry didn't know it, but his multiplications were temporary, and if the kids had waited, the snacks would have disappeared, leaving his customers cheated. But as Harry didn't know this, he quickly amassed enough pounds that he was able to multiply his earnings directly. Not knowing that these multiplications were temporary meant that when Harry went to a bank and exchanged the bills for larger pound notes, the smaller ones would disappear after about 48 hours, leaving many people in that bank scratching their heads.

In a rather short amount of time (his fellow kids really loved candy), he had amassed enough that he felt confident he'd be able to buy the costume. All that was left was to go and get it.

In the years Harry had known Petunia, he had often heard her remark to Vernon, in what Petunia must have thought was a subtle way, how she would love to be taken shopping in London, and those comments stuck in the back of Harry's mind. He knew he'd have to get to London to get the best costume. So halfway through October, when the Dursleys left to visit "Aunt" Marge for the weekend, Harry told Mrs. Figg (with whom he was staying), that he had to go back home for the day to do some homework, and used the time to get to London and back. His trip was definitely an eye opening experience. He went to the shop Petunia mentioned most often… Harrod's, which Harry found funny because the name was so similar to his own. When he stepped in to the store, he felt a bit overwhelmed, but a kindly man, with short cropped silver hair and a neat mustache, who was one of the store attendants, offered to help and with his help, Harry was able to complete his ensemble and be back at Mrs. Figg's by supper time.

Now, he was looking at his handiwork with happy appreciation.

The Dursleys had left a little while earlier, and now Harry was about to leave on his first ever trick-or-treat!

—

A little while later…

He met up with with Dan and Adam (a chess King and a Soldier, respectively), and when they asked about his magic wand, he demonstrated by changing the colors of their costumes and then changing them back. Both were awed, and when Harry laughed out loud at their shocked faces, they joined in, and the three boys kept laughing as they ran from house to house on their trick or treating rounds.

After an hour and a half or so, they had amassed a substantial amount of sweets and decided to meet up in their original meeting spot to divvy up the spoils and trade with one another for the ones they liked.

Harry had a blast. Not only did no one recognize him that he could tell, the few times that someone said "trick", he was able to shock them by doing one of his tricks, and he ended up getting an even bigger treat than expected. He even helped Dan and Adam do the same by doing a few tricks like turning Dan's costume completely gold, or turning Adam's toy gun into a different color (green/brown camouflage pattern).

All in all, it was the best time Harry could remember having. Especially since he had friends to share it with.

After spending some time with his friends, he headed back to Privet Drive, a healthy amount of sweets in his pockets and little pouch he carried. After so much excitement and exertion, Harry felt tired. He went inside the house and headed straight to his cupboard, locking the door behind him. He changed out of his costume and hid it. He did the same with his bag of sweets. He would save these sweets and enjoy them over time, since it would be a while before he could get this many at one time. Tiredly, he laid down and looked over to Matilda.

"Thank you Matilda… For everything." He said as he dozed off.

What he did not realize, was that a single bit of candy fell out of his pocket when he came through the front door, and was now lying in the front hallway, waiting for the Dursleys to return home.

—

BLAM! slammed open the door to his cupboard.

Harry awoke suddenly, startled to feel his t-shirt being gripped by a massive fist and pulling him out of his cot in the cupboard, leaving him dangling in the air, his feet flailing to find purchase on something as Vernon held him aloft.

"FREAK!" shouted Vernon as he walked with Harry held aloft to the front hallway. Turning his arm so that Harry could see the floor, Vernon pointed at an object on the ground and demanded "EXPLAIN!"

Harry looked at the ground, and his stomach sank. There on the ground was a mini-Mars bar. Dudley didn't like Mars bars. There was no explanation for this that would satisfy Vernon. "I can't" whispered Harry in a groggy voice.

SLAP!

Any traces of sleep were knocked out of Harry by the ferocious smack Vernon gave Harry's face. Harry looked around, and saw Petunia standing off to the side with a disgusted look on her face. Somehow, he didn't think it was Vernon she was disgusted by.

SLAP!

The backhand from Vernon flung Harry's face the other way, where he could see Dudley's porcine face looking at him with a malicious glee, the first such look Dudley has displayed since the day that the detention was assigned.

"DON'T LIE TO ME FREAK!" yelled Vernon directly in Harry's face, bits of spittle landing on Harry. "WHO DID YOU LET IN THIS HOUSE?!"

"I didn't, Uncle Vernon!" cried Harry as the pain of the slaps made Harry's eyes water. "How could I? The cupboard was locked when you got back!"

"YOU ARE A FREAK, AND A LIAR! I'VE BEEN TOO LENIENT WITH YOU! I WILL SHUT YOUR LYING, FREAK MOUTH FOR GOOD!" Vernon yelled in return, before lifting Harry by the collar with his left hand, and punching Harry directly in the mouth. Intense pain, and a metallic taste filled Harry's mouth, and Harry went flying. He landed on the floor further down the hallway, collecting bruises and aches in addition to the severe pain in his mouth. Harry could barely collect himself before Vernon's heavy footsteps came closer to him and he felt himself being lifted up again, before he was thrown headfirst into his cupboard. "YOU BETTER KEEP QUIET IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" Vernon yelled unnecessarily, as he once again locked the cupboard on Harry. Harry struggled to keep himself from sobbing. He couldn't talk if he wanted to. He could feel his teeth in his mouth. The pain was more than he could bear. He spat out his the contents of his bloody mouth into a waste bin in his cupboard, and barely prevented a cry from escaping his throat when he felt the cold air of the house hit the raw exposed nerves of his broken teeth. Keeping his mouth clenched closed, Harry curled up in his cot, his body huddled unto itself, trying to stem the pain. Through the haze of the pain in his mouth and the blooming aches on his body, Harry repeated to himself "Please be numb" over and over again… Slowly, he fell asleep, his pain subsiding, and his exhausted body giving in to a troubled sleep.

—

The next morning, loud pounding sounded on his cupboard door. Harry could barely get up, even though Petunia's shrill voice was at maximum levels.

"UP!" she screeched. When she didn't hear a response, she unlatched the door and opened it.

Seemingly despite herself, she let out a gasp.

Harry's face was purple on both sides, and his mouth was covered with dried blood. He barely stirred as she pulled him out of the cot. She opened his mouth to see the jagged edges of his broken teeth peering out of a bloody mess of cut cheeks. Petunia blanched. He couldn't go to school like this…

""Vernon!" she cried out.

"What is it Pet?" he replied as he walked leisurely from kitchen.

"You'll need to take Dudders to school, I need to take the boy to the doctor…" she said quietly.

"What for?" he demanded "It was some light smacking, nothing serious. Just enough to show him I mean business."

Petunia huffed, "maybe so, but his teeth look bad. I can't send him to school this way." she explained as she showed Vernon Harry's mouth.

"Hmmph, all his lying must have rotted his teeth if they could break so easily. Fine, take him to the doctor." he said grudgingly.

An hour later, Petunia drove Harry to the family doctor, where she told them that Harry fell off of the kitchen counter searching for forbidden candy in the upper kitchen cupboards. She claimed that he landed face first unto a kitchen step ladder, and that was how he had broken his teeth. Harry was too numb to notice either way. He vaguely noted that the nurse seemed very concerned, and that when the doctor came in, Harry heard phrases like "beyond my scope" and "needs a specialist".

Before he knew it, Petunia had put him back in the car, and they were driving again. This drive was much longer.

He wearily followed her as they parked in front of a rather nice looking office. The sign on the front was in white lettering on a periwinkle blue background, and said:

The Brightest Smile

Dental Medicine by Granger and Granger BDS

Petunia pulled the numb boy inside by the arm, and spoke with the receptionist for a moment before a young woman came out and guided Harry and Petunia to a smaller room with a strange looking chair in it. She informed them the doctor would be in in just a moment and left. True to her word, another woman came in a moment later. She was shorter than Petunia, with long, curly and shiny brown hair that reached just a bit past her shoulders. As she entered, Harry noticed that she wore glasses, like he did, but her glasses weren't round like his. They were very light and delicate looking, and accentuated the warm, brown eyes that examined him. She wore a long white coat, with her name, Helen Granger BDS, stenciled over her heart. Under her white coat, Harry noticed the same shade of periwinkle blue on her blouse as the sign outside.

As Harry stared numbly, the doctor lady began speaking with Petunia. He wasn't paying enough attention to really tell, but the doctor's face grew more concerned with every passing moment. Harry heard only snatches of conversation in his stupor. "…so quiet…on pain medication? …Oh yes, certainly…" Eventually, she examined his mouth, and let out an involuntary hiss. After seeing it, she asked Petunia to wait in the waiting room, and told her assistant outside the door that the emergency surgery room would be needed. Harry's numbness began to fade, and the pain in his mouth started to throb anew. Noting his expression changing to one of pain, the doctor lady addressed him.

"Does it hurt, Harry?" she asked with a kind voice.

Harry could only nod, with the renewed pain causing his eyes to sting as tears gathered.

"The medication must have worn off… Give me a few moments and I'll get you something for the pain. It'll all feel better very soon, alright? I promise." she said, her kind voice as much a salve for his pain as the promise of treatment.

She left the room for a moment, and Harry could hear some sounds of clinking glasses, before she returned to the room. In her hand was a cup filled with a clear liquid. 'Was it water? How could water take the pain away? Was it magic too?' thought Harry. She had Harry move to the strange looking chair in the middle of the room, which Harry could vaguely recognize as being rather comfortable.

"I'll need you to slurp this up Harry, but you cannot swallow it, can you do that?" she asked him.

Harry thought only for a moment and nodded again.

"Alright, just slurp this up through the straw until you have enough of the liquid in there to slosh around… Like mouthwash alright? Then swish it around gently. Don't worry, it's not cold, and shouldn't hurt." she directed.

Harry complied. And as he swished the liquid in his mouth, which definitely did not taste like water, the pain from his teeth faded to nothing. In fact he couldn't really feel much of the inside of his mouth at all.

"Is it working?" she asked, and at his nod, quickly brought the cup to his lips and instructed him to spit the liquid out. When that was done, Harry grimaced at how gross it was to see the cup turn from clear to a dark, translucent red.

"I'm sowy…" he finally said. His lips feeling very strange, like he couldn't quite move them normally.

"You've nothing to be sorry for dear." said the doctor. "Accidents happen, and it's certainly not your fault."

'Accident'. Harry realized that is what Petunia has been telling all of the doctors so far.

Though his mouth now felt numb, his bruised face was still tender, and Harry felt the ache of the bruises there.

'Accident'. That's what all of this was. Harry being with the Dursleys. And this accident caused all of those 'accidents' over the years that left him bruised, battered and hurt.

Harry had heard of orphanages, and they sounded terrible… He had read Oliver Twist, after all. But was that truly the only option other than surviving the Dursleys?

Harry turned his head to face the doctor lady, and locked his eyes on hers. Was it worth the risk? Would she be able to help him? She was a doctor… Doctors are supposed to help people… He knew that from the books he'd read. He focused on Dr. Granger's eyes, and saw in them something he wasn't used to seeing. A look of pure compassion. The only other person he ever remembered seeing with that look was Ms. Atwell, the librarian. He wanted to trust the doctor lady… His mouth opened and closed several times… But he couldn't get the words out.

He teetered there for a moment, before the words finally tumbled out.

"It wasn't an accident…"

Dr. Granger's eyes widened for a moment, but she composed herself quickly.

"What do you mean Harry? Did someone do this to you?" she asked.

Harry hesitated. If he did this, there would be no turning back… He would never be able to return to his cupboard, to his books, to Matilda.

The silence stretched, but Dr. Granger seemed to be waiting for him.

"Yes, it was my uncle… He punched me." he finally admitted. Though the pain in his mouth had subsided, a whole new pain seemed to build in his heart. A pain that came from a subconscious fear. A fear that Dr. Granger wouldn't believe him. That she would call him a "lying freak" too… It hurt so badly.

A pair of arms pulled Harry off of the dentist chair and wrapped around him in a tight hug. Harry stiffened for a long moment, scared of what this meant. But as he realized that it was Dr. Granger holding him, and no pain was coming, he melted.

"Please help me… " he said in a choked sob.

And then he finally let go.

She didn't know at the time, but Helen Granger was holding Harry as he cried freely for the first time since he could remember.