- Young karate mage –

?:

"Vernon we cannot leave him here alone!" Petunia Dursley shouted at her husband who was busy packing the suitcase for their annual month-long trip to another country. Usually it was Vernon and Petunia only – Dudley was staying at his Aunt Marges but this year they couldn't get Mrs Figg to babysit the other one.

The other was actually their nephew Harry who had been living with them since the death of his parents almost seven years ago – he was nearly 8 now – the young boy sighed as he passed his uncle another t-shirt and made it look like he wasn't listening to their argument.

Nobody in the neighbourhood would take him since he was a 'hooligan' according to his own family and they didn't have the time to deal with 'a nonsense dumb child who cannot even go to school' that was what he was known as, Vernon hadn't allowed him to attend Primary school since an accident in nursery when he was Three – Petunia had taught him to read and write to do the shopping lists and read cooking and gardening manuals but that was about it.

Listening to them argue was a headache in itself so Harry crept silently from the room and downstairs into the garden to do his other chores that had been set impossibly even for a fully-grown adult. Grabbing a brush from the shed he started to absently sweep the grass he had cut before into a neat-pile, after doing that he shovelled it into a large compost bin in the corner.

It was night time by the time that he finally went inside and he frowned around himself, on the table was his meagre-meal as usual but Petunia wasn't around the kitchen and Vernon – as he could see the living room- wasn't in his usual seat in front of the fire…they wouldn't have just left would they? They hadn't done so before they had always left him with a neighbour or locked him outside so he couldn't do any damage. Maybe upstairs?

The eight year old ran up the stairs, Petunia and Vernon didn't mind if it got things done, and into the main bed-room which was…empty. Dudley's room too, the bathroom, second bedroom and guest room blank…slowly walking back down he opened the cupboard and sighed as he saw a pile of money and a note for him – taking them into the kitchen he began to read while he ate.

Potter,

Your aunt and I have decided that we would not cancel our plans because Mrs Figg is unable to look after your ungrateful self. It is not JUNE 14TH we will be returning AUGUST 4TH and no sooner – we may be gone longer due to the fact this is a business trip too.

Keep out of trouble.

Keep the garden tidy.

Do not mess the house up and clean once a week.

This time, and this time only, you may have all the food left in the house since it would all get replaced when we return anyway! The money (£150) is if you run out of food or want to do something…the money was left for you when you were given to us and you will not receive any more off us.

Vernon

BE GOOD!

Ok so they had left him alone but at least he knew that there was food in the house since he did most of the cooking in the first place, he knew there was meat (to be cooked and otherwise) in the fridge and freezer, frozen veg and chips, tinned potatoes and other snacks in the cupboard.

Grinning Harry finished his sandwich before setting up a bed with blankets and a pillow on the sofa, it was much more comfortable than the camp-bed that he usually had. Drifting to sleep he wondered just what could change in the time he was alone.

What he couldn't have known was how much it would affect the future.