This was the part he always hated. School was over, and it was time to go back to Privet Drive. It gave him a sick feeling down in the pit of his stomach. He honestly didn’t think he could deal with his relatives and deal with what had just so recently happened at school. The third task, Cedric dying, Voldemort’s return, all thanks to him.

“Harry, hey Harry, snap out of it!” yelled Ron. Harry, who had been in his own little world, turned quickly when Ron yelled at him.

“What?” he asked, not realizing he had been spacing out for quite some time.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes, I swear. We’re here, it’s time to go home.” he said, pointing out the window. Harry could see the Weasley’s standing on the platform, waiting for their beloved children. The Grangers were beside them, talking animatedly with Mr. Weasley. However, the Dursley’s were nowhere in sight.

“Figures.” muttered Harry.

“What’s that, Harry?” asked Ron. He was standing at the doorway, along with Hermione.

“Come on Harry, my grandparents are coming down this evening, and I would like to get there before they do, you know.” said Hermione jokingly. But Harry wasn’t in the mood to be joked with. He was about to enter his own personal hell, mainly the Dursley’s.

“Go ahead then, you don’t have to wait for me.” he replied.

Hermione frowned, as did Ron. They knew Harry was depressed, but they didn’t know if it was more from past events or something else. “Harry, are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m just tired, Hermione. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Let’s go.” he said, leaving their compartment.

“Do you think Dumbledore will let him come to your house during the summer?” asked Hermione.

“I don’t know, mum’s working on it, but I can’t picture the headmaster letting him stay with us when he’s so protected at his relatives.” he said, shaking his head. “I wish he could, though.”

“Me too, I just don’t think he’ll do well with his relatives. You know how they are.” said Hermione, finally following after Harry.

“Yeah, I do.” Ron was thinking back on the time they had to rescue Harry from his own bedroom. “They’re horrible.”

************************

“Oh, Harry dear,” said Mrs. Weasley pulling Harry into a bone crushing hug. “if you need anything, anything at all, you just owl us, alright?”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Weasley, I will.” replied Harry, plastering a fake smile on his face. “I’d better go find the Dursley’s.” he added, knowing they wouldn’t be here for a while and not wanting the Weasley’s to worry. “I’ll hopefully see you sometime this summer.”

“I’ll owl you if I hear anything from Dumbledore.” said Ron, stumbling over his own two feet. Harry laughed besides his bad mood.

“Oh, shut up Harry.” he said, moping.

“I’m sorry.” said Harry, still laughing.

Ron huffed. “I’ll see you later.” he mumbled, walking away with the rest of his family.

Harry turned to Hermione, and gave her a quick hug. “Have a good summer.” she said cheerfully.

Harry just rolled his eyes. “Oh, I’ll try.” he said sarcastically.

Hermione then turned more serious. “Really, Harry, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to owl either of us. Promise me, okay?”

“I will, I promise.” he said, stunned by the amount of emotion he could see in her eyes. She quickly gave him another hug and walked off without another word.

“Weird.” said Harry.

***********************

It had been an hour since his friends had left him, and his relatives still hadn’t shown up. He sat on a bench, swinging his legs to and fro. He was so bored.

“This sucks.” he said to no one in particular. He had gone so far as to sing that utterly annoying song ‘ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall’ before getting a grip on himself.

He was beginning to think he should start walking, or at least go track down a cab, when he noticed an extremely large shadow looming over him. He knew without looking who it was.

“Hello, Uncle Vernon.” he said calmly, standing up and grabbing his things.

“Where have you been? I’ve been all over this damn station trying to find you.” growled Vernon, grabbing Harry by the collar of his shirt and dragging him behind him.

Harry looked exasperated at his uncle. “Where were you looking?” he asked, as if talking to an imbecile. “You pick me up in the same spot every time.”

This apparently wasn’t the greatest thing to say.

Vernon spun around on him so quickly he nearly lost his balance, as his uncle still had a firm grip on his collar. “Don’t you backtalk to me, boy!” he bellowed. “Or would you like to spend the rest of the summer locked in that blasted bedroom?”

Harry looked to the floor, never daring to make eye contact with his uncle. It wasn’t a good idea when he was in such a horrible mood.

“Well, are you even listening to me? Pay attention when I talk to you, freak!” he hissed, shaking Harry by the shoulders.

“No, please don’t lock me in the bedroom.” he pleaded. He had decided long ago that his worst fear was being locked in any room, no matter how large it was.

“We’ll see.” said Vernon, more happily. He knew he was in control of the situation, and that’s how he liked it. The child had to learn he couldn’t backtalk to a higher authority, namely him.

“Now, where did I park that stupid car?” he asked himself, walking away, knowing full well that Harry would follow him.

****************

Snape was pissed. He had graciously met the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, here, for apparent security reasons, on what he called ‘important business.’ The idiotic man had had the gall to say he had returned to the Dark Lord. If only he knew. He was a spy, not a follower, the idiot.

Now, he was about to leave for Hogwarts, but had paused when he saw an exceedingly bulky man shaking one Harry Potter. He knew it was late in the afternoon. By all accounts, all children should have left the train station by now. So, he wondered if he should be worried that an overly large man was throttling the boy-who-lived. He decided that Dumbledore would most likely kill him if he purposefully left the boy to harm, so he followed the two into the parking garage.

********************

Harry was struggling to put his own trunk into the trunk of his uncle’s car. It was heavy, and he was small for his age. He finally shoved it in, and slammed the trunk’s lid down hard. Harry knew he was being irritating, but he really didn’t care. This man knew just how to make him feel two inches tall, and he was so tired of it.

“Do you think you could be any louder over there?” asked Vernon, venomously.

Harry was smart enough not to make a smart ass comment; he didn’t want to get smacked. So instead, “I’m sorry, I’ll be more quiet.” he said, sounding almost defeated.

Vernon could see the depression and defeated look in his nephew’s eyes. He was looking forward to bringing the boy down a notch or two. He always had to ‘correct’ the boy when he came home from school. He always seemed more headstrong and defiant. If he could take him out of that school, he would, but he was afraid of that Dumbledore’s retribution if he tried it. However, it never took but a day for the blasted boy to remember his place. Not long at all.

As Harry was about to get into the car, his owl started to squawk loudly. Apparently, she didn’t want to ride in the car. ‘Join the club.’ thought Harry. She was being very loud, and flapping her wings, drawing the attention of the few people that were also in the parking garage. Vernon swooped down on his nephew.

“You shut that damn thing up!” he growled, standing in front of the boy and his bird. He was attempting to keep the other occupants of the garage to see what was happening. He certainly didn’t want the attention. However, the stupid bird wouldn’t shut up. “If you don’t quiet that bird young man, I’ll break its neck, I swear.”

And Harry knew it to be true. He could see it in his uncle’s crazed eyes. He was trying frantically to get Hedwig to calm down, and as soon as he got away from the car, she did.

“Good.” said Vernon menacingly. “Now get your ass in that car, right now. And keep that stupid bird quiet, or you’ll regret it.”

Now what was he going to do. Hedwig would throw a fit if they got anywhere near the car. “But, Uncle Vernon, she doesn’t like the car, can’t I just let her fly home?” he asked, hesitantly.

Vernon’s face took on a purplish hue, and Harry knew he was in for it. “You think I’m going to let that bloody bird fly home? It’ll draw attention.” he hissed, grabbing Harry, once again by the collar of his shirt, and pulling him until he was mere inches from his face. “Get the blasted bird in the car! Oh, I can not wait until we are rid of you! You’re nothing but a burden on my family. You’re a waste of space, you little brat. Dudley could have his play room if you weren’t there.” he stopped then, as if considering something. “Hmm…perhaps it’s time to put you back in the cupboard. It would have you out of the way, then.”

Harry thought he would cry. He hated closed in spaces. That stupid cupboard was the worst. He couldn’t stand it. And his uncle knew it. Harry could see the smile spreading over his uncle’s face.

“I know you enjoy it so much better than that bedroom.” he said, hatefully. “We’ll be able to move you in as soon as we get home.”

“No.” said Harry, before he had time to think. “Please, let me stay in the bedroom. I’ll stay out of your way! Please. I don’t like the cupboard!” he begged his uncle. And hated himself for it.

Vernon only smiled down at Harry. “No, I think you’ll like it better in the cupboard.” he said, patting him on the head. “Now get in the car.”

“I’ll tell.” he blurted out suddenly. “I’ll write my friend’s and tell them. They won’t let you keep me in there.” He regretted it the second the words left his lips.

“Oh really. And how, pray tell, do you expect to write your friends when you’re owl’s dead?” he spat.

Harry recoiled at his uncle’s voice. The man was serious. He was going to kill his owl. Harry turned to run, but his uncle grabbed his shoulders and spun him around, slamming him against the side of the car.

“And what makes you think your friends even care? They don’t care about you, Harry; you’re nothing but a celebrity to them. They’ll never like you for you, but for the name. I’ve heard all about it. Famous Harry Potter. No one likes you; hell no one even loves you. You’re nothing…”

“That’s enough.” Vernon spun around only to come face to face with one very pissed off Severus Snape.