A/N: Hello everyone! It has been pointed out to me that this story is crazy hard to read as is. I've gone through and tried to break up the text some. My spring break starts in a week and a half and then I will have time to post some new stories for you all. For anyone who doesn't know all of my Harry Potter stories exist within the same universe, so while they all can stand on their own they are also all part of the bigger story. I'll try to update a new chapter each day.

Harry hunched his shoulders and stared resolutely at the ground as he made his way towards Private Drive. He had told Mrs. Weasley this morning that he could handle this alone he could see the Dursleys one last time on his own.

Harry's thoughts were swirling as his feet unconsciously walked him along the familiar path to the house that had never been his home. He was eighteen years old, legally a man in both worlds, but this place still made him feel small.

Harry looked up at it as he stepped over the low garden wall. The yard had fallen into disrepair and the house had a neglected abandoned look about it. Harry sighed it would be best to straighten the house before Aunt Petunia arrived and threw a fit aver its state.

He was headed to the shed to gather the garden tools when he heard "Oi you! What are you doing here Potter? Shouldn't you be in prison?"

Harry groaned inwardly and turned to look at the rat like face of Piers Polkis. It had been years since Harry had seen the expression that was now crossing piers' face and he knew that nothing good could come from that look. "What do you want Piers," he groaned trying to sound bored.

"Well if it isn't our own little criminal. Did they finally release the freak from St. Brutis's?"

"Yeah Piers they let me out of St. Brutis's so if you know what's good for you you'll take your baboons and leave," Harry gestured to the six ape like boys piers had crowded around him.

After the war Harry didn't find the possibility of a Muggle fist fight at all frightening, but he knew that getting beat up would be just as unpleasant as I had been when he was a kid.

"Getting brave are we Potter? We'll have to teach you a lesson then won't we boys? How about a game of Harry hunting, we'll even give you a ten second head start. We've got the grand finale all planned out Potter."

Harry smiled "Much as I'd love to end this day shoved in a rubbish bin I really haven't the time. Besides I was under the impression you only beat up kids who were too young to fight back."

Piers smirked, "You always were a cheeky bastard Potter, but you know what I don't think we can take no for an answer we want to play Potter."

Two of the baboons grabbed Harry and held him tight while the others took turns throwing punches at him. Harry squirmed and tried to fight back, but they held him still. He knew it was almost over when he heard the metal lid come off the neighbor's rubbish bin. The next thing Harry knew he was buried face first in the rubbish bins with blood dripping from his split lip into his eye. The rubbish bin rattled as the boys kicked it. Soon they were bored and wandered away, but not before Piers said "We've got to keep scum like that in their proper place.

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Molly Weasley was frantic, she knew she shouldn't have let Harry come to his Aunt and Uncles house without her, but he had insisted. She knew he was right, she knew the Dursleys would put up less of a fuss if it was only Harry, but she worried. This was how she happened to find herself peering from behind Ms. Figgs curtains.

Molly glanced behind her to see her family. Arthur was deeply engrossed in his conversation about plugs with Ms. Figg, Bill and Fleur were sitting with Charlie, Ginny was sitting with Ron and Hermione, and Percy was keeping George company, she felt a pang in her heart when she noticed his absence. Fred was gone, he was never coming back and never in her worst fears had she imagined one of the twins being without the other.

Shaking herself back to the present moment Molly reminded herself that this was why she needed to protect Harry nothing bad was going to happen to anymore of her Children. Molly had her suspicions about the Dursleys, she thought they were probably abusive towards Harry and she intended to make sure that they did not add a drop more suffering to that boy's life.

Focusing on their house Molly cried out in shock. While she had been day dreaming a group of boys had grabbed Harry and were punching him. They were all much larger then Harry and Molly was beginning to think they were going to seriously hurt him. Then they did something Molly had not expected they dropped a bruised and bloody Harry into a rubbish bin. They took turns kicking it and as they walked away Molly heard the ratish one say, "We've got to keep scum like that in its proper place."

Molly turned to find her family and Ms. Figg behind her the shock and anger she was feeling mirrored on everyone's face but Ms. Figgs'. Instead she wore a sad expression like she had seen this sight far too many times before.

Molly looked the older woman in the eye and said "this is what it was like for him growing up here wasn't it?"

Ms. Figg nodded her head almost imperceptibly. It was Ginny who broke them all out of their shocked silence. "Are we going to stand here gapping like a bunch of idiots or are we going to go help Harry out of that rubbish bin?" She no sooner spoke when Harry dislodged himself from the rubbish bin and wiped the blood from his face. They expected him to turn and head home, but instead he continued on his way to the garden shed.

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Harry's face hurt. Wiping away any last bit of blood on his cheek he headed into the garden shed and pulled out the lawn mower. The familiar ritual of yard work helped to calm him down and over the roar of the mowers engine he couldn't hear them approaching until he turned around and nearly ran over his best friend.

Harry cut off the engine leaving them standing in an uncomfortable silence. Harry glanced around at the Weasleys' faces he wondered how much they had seen. Why were they even here Harry worked hard to keep the life he had lived before Hogwarts separate from his life in the wizarding world.

He didn't like the looks of pity the Weasleys were now giving him. "What are you all doing here?"

Ron spoke first, "We though you could use a hand mate, we'll go when they Dursleys get here if you think we'd set them off."

Ginny was next, "we saw what just happened with those boys Harry are you alright?"

Harry nodded and tried to smile, "I'm fine, and thanks for coming"

"Just let us know what you need us to do dear." Harry looked over to see Mrs. Weasley beaming at him from beside her husband. Harry explained his plans to tidy number four before its residents returned.

Leaving a very delighted Mr. Weasley in charge of the lawn mower, Fleur , Bill and Charlie volunteered to take the flower beds. The rest of them went inside to start working. Harry and Ron took Percy and George out to set the back yard to rights while Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Hermione tacked the inside of the house.

Ginny wondered where the muggles kept their brooms. She wanted to sweep the floors, but couldn't find a broom anywhere and she couldn't legally do magic for another until August.

Ginny was worried about Harry the battle had taken a toll on all of them, but she feared he was being hit hardest of all. Ginny smiled as she remembered the lazy afternoons she and Harry had spent down by the pond at the burrow Snuggling and snogging, it was wonderful to have him back in her life again.

Ginny spotted a broom cupboard under the stairs and opened it what she saw inside broke her Heart. There was an old ratty crib mattress on the floor of the cupboard. Ginny saw a couple of brooms a mop and a shoe box tucked into a corner.

Ginny bent down and opened the box inside were child's drawing a several mother's day cards. Ginny looked through the art work and realized that this must be Harry's things from when he was in Muggle School.

Ginny called out for her mom as she tried to hold back her tears. Hermione had been at the top of the stairs and she reached Ginny first. Ginny watched as her mouth formed a silent O as she took in the cupboard. Ginny watched as her mother hurried in from the kitchen the smile leaving her face when she saw what Hermione and Ginny were staring at. "It can't be," she said as she looked at the two girls, "after everything he's been through don't tell me he slept in a cupboard.