A Life Turned Upside Down
Chapter 1 – The summer after third year
Harry Potter bid a farewell to his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley and then headed towards his purple faced uncle who was waiting impatiently for him. As Harry headed towards his uncle he could hear Hermione talking to her parents as they expressed their concern for him along with Mrs Weasley who was talking in whispers to her husband Arthur, but Harry just kept on walking. After all, he had nowhere else to go; he wasn't allowed to go to Hermione's or the Burrow he was stuck at Number 4 Privet Drive all summer.
Great.
"Hurry up boy! I don't want to be around these people any longer." Vernon Dursley scowled at his nephew.
"Yes uncle Vernon, coming sir." Harry hesitated slightly and cast his friends a longing look as he dragged his trunk over to his angry uncle.
"COME ON!" His uncle grabbed him by the scruff of neck, right in public view, and dragged him off towards his maroon coloured ford estate.
"Harry!" Harry heard Hermione call after him but it was too late, his uncle had already bundled him into the back of his car and thrown his trunk in after him.
As Harry hit his head against the opposite car door he instantly knew something had changed in his uncle. Harry knew then that this was going to be a rough summer, his uncle had shown his frustration in public; he had never done that before.
The ride back to Privet Drive was a quiet one, Harry took brief looks to see if his uncle's face was getting any less purple and to his horror his uncle was staring back at him every time. Harry strained to think why he seemed to be even more angry than normal and then it hit him; last summer! The ford Anglia incident. Dumbledore must have written to the Dursleys!
Harry gulped hard and then found that they were actually at Privet Drive. Harry was about to get out of the car when Vernon turned around and stared at him with malice. "I don't want a repeat of last year boy." He snarled.
"Any funny business and I will cripple you, you got that?" He snarled and Harry could see the vain throbbing in his uncle's temple, his uncle had never threatened any physical harm towards him before, something had changed.
"And mark my words boy; I will knock this disobedience out of you!" And with that Vernon stormed out of the car and into the house leaving Harry to struggle with his trunk.
"Get to your room!" Vernon shouted as Harry shut the front door behind him.
"Yes uncle Vernon." Harry said obediently not wanting to anger the man.
"I'll be up in a minute." Vernon announced.
"Why?" Harry stupidly asked and was hit across the face.
"New rule; don't speak unless spoken to." Vernon snarled and Harry just clutched his cheek in horror.
His uncle had hit him! Sure he'd always hurled emotional abuse at him and been man-handled but he'd never ever actually been hit by him.
"NOW!" Vernon barked and Harry scurried up the stairs dragging his trunk after him.
Harry continued quickly to his room and found that it was just how he left it last summer; nothing had been touched or cleaned for that matter and Harry made a mental note to attempt to clean it pretty soon. He placed his trunk in the usual corner beside the wardrobe and opened it up; there on the top was the letters he had received from Sirius after they had rescued him.
What would Sirius say about this? But then Harry had another thought, what if his uncle was just having a bad day? Maybe it wouldn't get any worse? Harry could handle getting punched every now and again right? Right?
Harry sat down on the bed with the letters from Sirius. Be good. Any trouble and I'll be straight round. Those were the words that stuck out most in the letter but for some reason Harry didn't have much faith in his estranged God-Father, after all he had just escaped from Azkaban after being sent there for the murder of James and Lily Potter; his parents.
No sooner had he sat down Vernon stormed into his bedroom demanding that he stand in front of him. Not wanting to anger him, Harry jumped straight to it as his uncle breathed irradiated breaths.
"New rules this summer Potter." He snarled, "I will not tolerate a repeat of last summer. Understood?" He pressed his face into Harry's
"Yes sir." Harry replied hoarsely.
"And to enforce that rule…" Vernon continued as he left the room and came back. "You will find that this will become your new best friend." Vernon said swinging a belt lazily in his hands.
Harry's eyes widened. "You're not serious?" He stuttered and Harry suddenly felt himself being hit on the shoulder by something.
"This is no laughing matter boy!" Vernon barked as Harry reached up to grasp his shoulder. It appeared that Vernon striking Harry had been the proof that Harry needed to take him seriously; what was with this new Vernon?
"Sorry uncle Vernon." Harry muttered sheepishly trying to contemplate what was happening to him and what was going to happen to him.
"I will wake you up promptly at 5 am to cook my breakfast every morning and there I will give you a list of chores you are to complete that day." Vernon raised an eyebrow and pointed a fat sausage of a finger at Harry. "Failure to do so will result in punishment." He said slamming the belt down beside Harry causing Harry to jump.
"However, I will allow you to rest tonight but your chores will start tomorrow." Vernon snarled and then left.
He slammed Harry's bedroom door shut and locked it with a combination of padlocks and bolts.
"Great." Harry muttered to himself and then he flopped down on to his bed and shut his eyes wishing this was all just a bad dream.