Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter universe and don't claim any part of it. The non-canon characters located in this work are not copyrighted and are of my own imagination. I am just grateful for a chance to show my own thoughts on the Harry Potter universe and declare that I am not receiving anything out of writing this except intellectual enjoyment. Also, I feel I should thank J.K. Rowling for creating this wonderful world, and to all the people at fanfiction.net who inspired me to try my hand at fan fiction. Finally, any other copyrighted material (names of songs, vehicles, weapons, etc.) in this work I don't lay claim to and again state I am receiving nothing out of it.
Hi, this is Vagabound. I'm rather new at fan fiction so bear with me. I wrote this after giving thought to the idea of how there might be some wizards who preferred the Muggle world to the Wizard one. I mean, not everyone (especially if they came from a muggle background, and had experience with their world) would take to the wizard world. Also note that this is listed under the R category, as there will be graphic violence (blood and gore included), cursing equal to Pulp Fiction, and some fluff and sex later on. Anyhow, no more delays here is chapter I.
Chapter 1: SummerBolts of magic flew through the air like bullets from a cheap action movie. Chips of stone from the headstone he was behind sprayed him, nicking his face and hands.
"Leave him, he is mine!"
He saw a bolt of green coming at him and blackness…
A girl in the colors of Ravenclaw House appeared out of the blackness.
"You wanted him to die, didn't you? DIDN"T YOU!"
She raised her wand and yelled "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Bolt of Green…He was falling down a black tunnel faster and faster until he slammed into nothingness…
Harry's eyes popped open. Taking a deep breath, he got up from the bed in his room at the Dursley's. It was only the second day of summer break and things were…well…
Pretty fucking miserable, Harry thought. His scar wasn't hurting, which was a relief, but his nights were uncomfortable as dream upon dream was a nightmare, the nightmare that had been all too real during the Triwizard Tournament's final trial. His Aunt and Uncle were adding to his problems, as their usual coldness and general treatment of him had gotten worse since that time last year where Fred and George gave Dudley a magic toffee that made his tongue grow.
Harry had heard once that a bit of joy equaled a hell of a lot of pain and trouble. This had proven to be true, in spades as he heard the Americans call it.
Shaking his head, Harry got up and walked to his window. Privet Drive seemed to be the usual, though he did notice that one of the houses at the near the corner seemed to be empty. Looking up, he watched the stars and wondered what Ron, Sirus, Hermione, Ginny, and all his other friends were doing. Briefly glancing to where Hedwig normally stayed, he saw that she still wasn't back. Sighing, Harry lay back down and tried to think things out.
To say that his Fourth Year had been a disaster would be an understatement to say the least. Voldermort had returned, and it seemed war in the wizard world appeared to be approaching any day soon. What made things were worse was the fact it had been Harry's blood that had made the return possible. Then there was Cedric Diggory.
Harry couldn't help but feel that he was responsible. The whole year, he had felt he was playing in the shadow of Hufflepuff's hero. And, there was Cho Chang…
Harry vividly remembered his anger and jealousy over how it had seemed Cedric Diggory had won her too. Before the Yule Ball last year he felt he had made a royal ass out of himself by asking her out Plus he hadn't exactly treated Parvati, the girl he had gone with, to a good time either.
Harry, you are a miserable shit you know that?
Harry couldn't help but feel that was all too true in this case. As he closed his eyes, he wondered when Hedwig would be back, and if he would get anything back from Ron, Hermione, and fervently hoped the time would come when he could spend the last month of the summer with the Weasleys. Yet, for the rest of June and all of July, he would have to put up with the Dursleys. To make things worse, with Sirius on assignment for Dumbledore, he wouldn't be hearing from him for a while, if ever.
Still thinking, he slowly drifted to sleep hoping that this would be a night spared of his personal demons.
It wasn't.
* * *
"Wake up, you lazy bastard!" That was the high-pitched roar of his Uncle Vernon. Still scrubbing the sleep from his eyes, he tossed on a T-Shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans near his bed.
Stumbling out the door, he ran downstairs to the kitchen. His lugubrious uncle sat reading a copy of the Times and mumbling something about shiftless sods before yelling, "Eggs, and tea".
As Harry cracked a couple of eggs and put the yolks into a pan, Dudley was watching the outside window with great interest. "Hey Dad, you see those people moving into the old Murray house?"
Vernon grunted and mumbled something about hoping they weren't strange.
Aunt Petunia, who had been cutting slices of grapefruit for Dudley, frowned and said, "Maybe it will be those dreadful …" and started on some family whose father worked for a company competing with Vernon's business. Dudley continued staring out the windows, as he no longer could stand watching breakfast being made.
The year before last his school nurse had ordered that he be placed on a strict diet. Two years later and there wasn't much change to him, though he hadn't gotten any bigger.
Before, the whole household had been on a diet. Now, it was only Dudley and Harry. Aunt Petunia handed half of a grapefruit to Dudley, then a third of one to Harry as he placed Vernon's breakfast in front of him.
Long used to the near abusive tendencies of his relatives, Harry dug in without a complaint.
Vernon growled, "Any more ruddy letters from those…freaks?"
Harry shook his head and continued eating. Over the years, he had discovered the trick of eating slowly made it seem as though he were eating a lot.
Yet, he was quickly finished and proceeded to get up and head back to his room. "Just a moment, you."
"Yes," Harry spoke to Uncle Vernon. Vernon, not even glancing up from his newspaper, as though the very sight of Harry offended him (which it more then likely did), replied, "I want both the front and backyards landscaped, understand?"
"All right, let me wash first."
Vernon didn't even reply.
* * *
For the rest of the day Harry sweated and worked in the sunshine. Mostly, it was spent de-weeding the yards on his hands and knees while Vernon and Aunt Petunia took a day trip into the city. Dudley had decided to spend his time going over some tapes he had bought.
Lunch consisted of a handful of water from the hose in the back of the house. He was gladdened though to see the familiar shape of Hedwig as she landed back in his house. Stealing a moment, Harry creped back into the house after the Dursleys had left for the day (Vernon telling him bluntly to not pull anything or else…) to examine his mail. It was a letter from Ron.
Dear Harry,
How are you doing mate? Mom is going mad as Fudge continues to deny that there
was any Death Eater activity, and has threaten Dad and Charlie with their jobs
if they go to the press about it. No word from Dumbledore if you could stay
with us for part of the summer. Hermione seems to be her usual self, talking
about studying and wondering who will be the next year's Prefects and the Death
Eaters. Oh, and her precious Victor Krum.
(Harry couldn't help but smirk as he read that bit)
Bill & Charlie are staying with us as Charlie managed to get reassigned back to England while Bill is taking a leave of absence to work for the Ministry. Fred and George have started their joke business and even though they still have a couple more years at Hogwarts, it is already booming! Tell that bastard of a cousin you have that their Ton Tongue Toffees are making a killing.
After that Ron went on about his beloved Chudley Cannons, and the way the Quidditch season was looking before telling him a new development, this time about Ginny.
I swear Harry, Ginny seems to be worked up about you. As much as Mom it seems like! She brought up this idea of visiting you and bringing you some of Mom's cooking. Mom thinks the idea is grand and plans on sending her on Wednesday. When you write back tell me if that is a good idea.
Ron
Harry took a moment to think. The day was a Sunday, so it wouldn't be for three days until she came. Plenty of time to…
"Letter from a girl?"
Harry whirled around to see Dudley standing in the doorway of his room. Dudley had gotten somewhat thinner, but was still rather thick, though less so then in previous years, and this year was actually giving Harry a wide berth. Needless to say Harry wasn't sure what to make of this sudden politeness.
"No, from a roommate of mine."
Dudley opened his mouth, but stopped as both of them heard the unmistakable sound of a car in the driveway.
"Well… better head into the bathroom so as not to give them an excuse to get pissed off eh?"
"Yeah"
Harry had put the letter on his bed and had closed the bathroom door before he realized that this was the first time him and Dudley had had a polite conversation since he could remember.