The Dark Pheonix by Skylar Kay Nash

It was the day after his response was due. No owls, and Harry hadn't told his aunt or uncle.

Harry steadied himself. He could make them hurt. He could make them suffer.

"Boy!" Vernon bellowed. Harry came to face his uncle in the living room.

"Prune the garden." Vernon demanded.

"No." Harry replied. Vernon rounded on him, incredulous, and enraged.

"What did you just say boy?!" He snarled.

"I said, No." Harry replied calmly. Vernon charged at Harry. The next moment, his uncle faltered, seeming unable to breath. Harry smiled.

"Not so fun, is it?" He said softly. Dudley came in. Upon seeing his dad, he raced to his side.

"Hello diddykins." Harry sneered. Dudley went to swing at Harry, when his fist turned on himself.

"You really shouldn't hit yourself, Dudders." Harry laughed. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he felt so alive.

Uncle Vernon collapsed, and Dudley passed out. Harry left the living room, left the house, and saw his aunt in the garden.

"Hey, aunt Petunia? Dudley needs you. He's in the living room." Harry told her. She raced inside. Harry smirked, shaking his head.

"Too easy." He said. A snake slithered from inside a bush. Harry watched it. He could have sworn he heard the snake muttering under his breath.

Harry followed it for a bit.

"What do you want?" The snake demanded.

"Where would I find more people like me? Wizards?" Harry asked.

"Follow." The snake instructed. Harry did. He came outside a pub called the leaky cauldron, where there was a ginormous man.

"An' Dumbledore sent me to fetch him, but the boy was gone. Vanished I tell yer." The man was saying. The bartender turned to Harry.

"Anything I can get you?" He asked.

"How do I get to hogwarts?" Harry asked. The giant man turned. "Blimey, it's yeh! I'v been looking all over fer yeh." The man said to Harry.

"Then tell me my name." Harry demanded. "Yer Harry Potter." The man beamed. Harry nodded.

"Will you get me there?" Harry asked. The man nodded.

"Firs, we need ter get yeh yer school stuff." The giant said.

He led Harry through a back door. He squinted at Diagon alley.
"Firs stop is gringotts. You'll be wantin' some funds." Hagrid mumbled. They made their way through Gringotts, got Harry's money, picked up a moldy brown package, and then Harry went to Madam Malkins, while hagrid went to Eeylops.

There was already a boy in there.

"Hullo," said the boy,

"Hogwarts too?" the boy asked politely.

"Yes," said Harry.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother’s up the street looking at wands,” said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.

"Then I’m going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first-years can’t have their own. I think I’ll bully my father into getting me one and I’ll smuggle it in somehow." Harry glanced at him.

“Does that often work?” He asked, curiously.

“Usually with mum. Dad’s a bit harder to persuade.” The boy replied. Harry considered this.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy asked.

"No," replied Harry. "Play Quidditch at all?" The boy pressed.

"No, and I don’t really know what that is." Harry answered, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

"Oh, it’s a wizarding sport, played on broomsticks. I play – Father says it’s a crime if I’m not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you’ll be in yet?" The boy asked.

"No. What houses are there?" asked Harry,curiously.

"Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and my favorite, Slytherin. No one really knows what house they will be in until they get there, do they? But I know I’ll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?" The boy said, smiling.

"Why?" said Harry. “Oh, thy’re a bunch of Lost puppies that lot, looking for friends, and they’re known to be quite dull.” The boy explained.

“Not the house for me.” Harry replied, imagining it. It sounded dull. "I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding towards the front window.

Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice-creams to show he couldn’t come in.

"That’s Hagrid," said Harry, annoyed.

"He works at Hogwarts." He added.

"Oh," said the boy,

"I’ve heard of him. He’s a sort of servant, isn’t He?" The boy asked.

"He’s the gamekeeper," sighed Harry. He was liking the boy more and more every second.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he’s a sort of savage – lives in a hut in the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed." the boy explained.

“Does he really?," Asked Harry nervously. "My father told me," said the boy, with a slight sneer.

“He’s the one showing me around, and helping to get all my school things.” Harry groaned.

"Why is he with you? Where are your parents?" The boy asked, alarmed.

"They’re dead," said Harry shortly. He didn’t feel much like going into the matter with this boy.

"Oh, sorry," said the other.

"But they were our kind, weren’t they?" He asked, a little repulsed.

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean." Harry replied.

"I really don’t think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they’ve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What’s your surname, anyway?"

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That’s you done, my dear," and Harry hopped down from the footstool.

“Potter." Harry replied.

“Really?” The boy asked, impressed. Harry nodded.

“You should meet my father. I’d like to introduce you sometime.” The boy said.

“Alright.” Harry agreed. “I’m Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.” Draco told Harry.

"Well, I’ll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said Harry.