Harry's eyes flew open as he tried to steady his breathing, running a hand through his damp, black hair. He pushed the covers off of him as reached for the glasses on his bedside table and put them on.

Staring at the ceiling, Harry couldn't help letting a stray tear run down his face as he recounted his dream.

"Where are we?" asked Cedric as he helped Harry into a standing position.

"I don't know…" Harry replied slowly, trying to figure out why the graveyard they had landed in looked so familiar.

"Harry, I think the Tri-WizardCup was a portkey!"

Harry nodded and replied, "Cedric, we've got to go! Grab the cup and get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this place."

Cedric's honey brown eyes looked into Harry'sgreen ones and he gave Harry a kiss on the cheek, saying "When we get out of all of this, Harry…"

But Cedric was interrupted by footsteps that immediately caught his attention.

Wormtail was standing a couple feet away, carrying a snake-like baby in his hand, non other than Lord Voldemort himself!

Cedric lifted his wand and shielded Harry, asking in a slightly shaking voice "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Wormtail grinned evilly as his master said, "Kill the sssspare…" and he raised his wand at Cedric.

"AvadaKadavra!" green light shot out of the end of wormtail's wand and hit Cedric square in the chest.

Harry screamed, "No! Cedric, please… no…"

Harry jumped at the sound of pounding on his door. "Harry, get up and make breakfast NOW!"

"Yes Aunt Petunia," mumbled Harry as he sat up in his bed, continuing to stare off into space. Why did Cedric have to die? He wished for those happy moments with Cedric again. The surprise visit in the prefect's bathroom, walking hand in hand down the corridors, entering the Yule ball as a couple… it had been perfect.

On top of that, nobody seemed to mind Harry's choice in sexuality. In the wizarding world being gay was understood and accepted more than in the muggle world.

Looking down at his hands, Harry couldn't believe that the dreams were still so vivid after a whole year. Now he had lost Sirius as well, so no one was there to take him out of this hell hole. Just imagining Sirius' face as he fell through the veil made Harry want to go back and jump in after him.

Suddenly the bedroom door flew open as Uncle Vernon stormed over to Harry's bed and pulled him out by yanking hard on Harry's arm. He landed with a thud on the floor beside his bed as Uncle Vernon screamed at him about how hungry he was, and that breakfast wasn't going to make itself.

Harry scrambled to his feet and walked quickly out of the room, down the steps, and into the kitchen. Aunt Petunia cast him a dirty look as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed some eggs.

Dudley, who had been walking past the kitchen, saw Harry holding some eggs and purposefully walked over and bumped into him. He laughed as the eggs slipped from Harry's grasp and fell onto the floor, leaving a large mess of egg yoke and shells.

Dudley quickly made a run for it as Aunt Petunia yelled, "What on earth is going on in there?"

Harry sighed. Ever since Dudley had lost weight and developed a strong, toned body, it was easier than ever for Dudley to bully and beat him up. Dudley now wore his dirty blonde hair spiked slightly, the transformation adding to his social status at school because girls actually found him somewhat attractive.

Aunt Petunia screamed when she saw the kitchen, putting her hand over her mouth and pointing at Harry like a child. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing! Dudley pushed…"

"Stop right there mister! Don't blame my Duddykins for this mess. You are going to get it!" Aunt Petunia screeched and grabbed Harry's arm, leading him right back up the stairs and shoving him into his room.

"No meals for today!" yelled Aunt Petunia through the door as Uncle Vernon stopped next to her.

Harry heard them talking outside the door, finally deciding that they would go out for the day and pick up breakfast somewhere.

As the footsteps descended down the staircase, Harry just slumped down onto the floor, hopelessness filling his entire being. He needed to escape… but how? He wasn't allowed to perform magic, and the Dursleys had boarded up his window. He knew that people had attempted to send letters because he had heard owls hooting from the other side of the wood and the soft scrape of their tiny claws trying to find a way in.

Luckily he had sent out Hedwig with a letter to Ron asking him if he could stay at the burrow sometime during the summer on the second day he had gotten back from Hogwarts. It was later that day when Dudley told Uncle Vernon about it, and the result was a boarded up window. At least she didn't have to be stuck here too. Hopefully Ron was keeping Hedwig at his place and taking care of her for him.

Harry got up and walked over to his desk, eyeing his surprisingly completed schoolwork. Uncle Vernon had completely forgotten to take away his trunk full of school books and magical supplies when he had returned to Number 4 Privet Drive over the summer, so he got the chance to complete his homework in those endless hours of being locked away in his room.

Then Harry remembered that he hadn't done his core exercises yet, which was necessary to strengthen his body for Quidditch. He had been doing this series of exercises for about an hour every day in order to be fit for his position as both captain and seeker of his Griffyndor team. These consisted of exercises such as push ups, sit ups, crunches, etc, so he was able to work out in the little space he had.

A couple hours later, the Dursley's car could be heard pulling up in the driveway. Harry prayed they would let him out of his room to go and get a drink of water. The door opened and Dudley was whining, "But why do they have to sleep in my second room? Can't they just take Harry's room? Make him sleep in the cupboard again!"

Harry fumed as Aunt Petunia said quickly, "Harry's room isn't adequate enough for the mother and besides, this will just be for the summer!"

"Dudley, Daddy's going to make lots of money if everything goes well this summer. I'll get such a great pay raise that you'll be able to buy as many Play Station games as you want. How does that sound?" Harry could hear the strain in Uncle Vernon's voice as he tried to keep calm.

"Well… fine. Besides, the kid doesn't sound too bad. He'd fit right in with my group."

"Oh, you are so sweet Duddums! Mommy loves you so much!" Aunt Petunia squealed.

Harry sat down on his bed, trying to figure out what they were talking about as footsteps ascended up the staircase and stopped in front of his door. It swung open, revealing Uncle Vernon's round, piggish face at the entrance.

"We will have guests arriving tomorrow to stay for the summer," Uncle Vernon entered the room and advanced toward Harry, pointing a chubby finger at him, "and I don't want any funny business. No magic tricks during this visit, or you're really going to get it."

Uncle Vernon's voice dripped with hatred as he grabbed Harry and threw him down on the floor, kicking his stomach. Harry curled up, gasping for air and crying out when he was given another swift kick in the shin.

"Now, if you don't want that to happen again, I suggest no funny business. You hear me boy?!"

"Yeah…" Harry said quietly.

"What did you say?" Uncle Vernon's rage flared up in an instant, grabbing the front of Harry's shirt, lifting him off the floor, and slamming him into the wall. Harry winced as his elbow clipped a nail sticking out of the wall, one that previously held a picture on the wall.

"Y-yes sir," said Harry more audibly, voice shaking with surprise and anger.

"Good. Now go help your Aunt clean the house. "

Uncle Vernon let go of Harry, turned, and walked out the door. Harry stood there for a minute, balling his hands into fists as anger built up inside of him. He let out a yell and ran at the opposite wall, punching it. He was breathing hard, regaining his composure and massaging his bruised knuckles.

Blinking back the tears in his eyes, he stepped out of the room and went to find Aunt Petunia.