Harry was exhausted and just wanted to go home, but he didn’t have a home. Grimmauld Place depressed him. He wanted to see Ginny or Ron, but just wasn’t able to face any of the Weasleys. He wanted to be alone and yet... he longed for his friends. Or a family. He looked to the left and saw a young blond man lying on a hospital bed. He couldn’t place him and frowned a little, but kept going, just not knowing where. Normally, he should be going home to his family, but he didn’t have one. The Dursleys never counted as a family for him, never. Harry stopped in his tracks and wondered why he suddenly thought of them. He hadn’t seen them in a year and didn’t even know if they were still alive. The young blond man… Harry’s mouth formed an astounded ‘O’ and he ran back. The young man on the bed was Dudley. He had lost at least two stone, that’s why Harry hadn’t recognised him.

Why was he here?

Harry opened the door and entered the room. It was definitely Dudley. He looked pale and slim and his breath was unaturally steady, just like Snape’s had been.

Before he could get any closer to him, he felt hands grabbing violently and a deep and familiar voice snarled into his ear.

“Don’t you dare touch him, freak.”

It was Uncle Vernon. Harry swore loudly and tried to break free. Tried to draw his wand.

“Don’t. Even. Try.”

Vernon roughly went through Harry’s robes, holding both his arms with one hand. When he found the Elder Wand, he roared triumphantly and threw it to the other end of the room. The holly wand fell out of his pocket and he kicked it away.

Vernon grabbed Harry’s messy mop of hair and dragged him, until Harry was standing up right. His scalp burnt like fire. For the second time in one day, Harry felt himself pinned against a wall.

“He was attacked,” Vernon spat. Literally. “By your kind. One of those freaks got to us and she started with Dudley. She pointed that thing at him and said crucify or something like that.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Bellatrix Lestrange?”

“Is she a friend of yours then?”

Harry shook his head, but Vernon didn’t seem to notice.

“We were lucky that her arm hurt or something like that, she hurried off. And Dudley… he might not wake up. And if he does, he might be a loony.”

Harry’s felt all the blood leaving his face.

“So you’re happy now, are you?”

Harry tried to negate that absurd statement, but Vernon suddenly held his mouth shut. He was obviously scared that Harry would scream and give him away.

Vernon threw him on the floor with all his strength and started kicking him in the face, his back and his belly. Harry looked up at his bright red face, his eyes wide open and knew that Vernon would go too far this time. He somehow had to escape or he would die at the hands of a muggle. But he was unable to move. He heard his nose break. One rib on his left side. His arm.

Vernon’s eyes were mad now, almost inhuman with rage.

“You… BOY… have ruined our lives from the moment you were brought to us.”

Every word was accompanied with a punch or a kick. Harry was in so much pain, he just wanted it to end. There was nothing to stay alive for anyway, he had served his one purpose. Maybe, if he died on Vernon’s hands, everyone would see that he wasn’t the hero they all expected him to be and leave him alone for good. Harry smiled at that thought.

“You’re laughing at me?”

Vernon kicked his lower stomach so hard that it took Harry’s breath away. He felt his bladder empty itself and wanted to die of shame. The door opened, and his aunt Petunia appeared with two cups of coffee which immediately fell on the floor when she saw Harry. She let out a piercing scream and behind her appeared Poppy Pomfrey.

Vernon didn’t notice it, and before Poppy could reach him, or her wand, he pulled both of Harry’s ears, raised his head and smashed it hard… hard against the floor.

That was the moment Harry heard a crack in his head and slipped gratefully into unconsciousness.