Harry Potter, a small pale child with wild black hair, sat on his thin worn mattress rocking back and forth clutching the only two things in the entire house that truly belonged to him. A black panther that would purr when hugged and a majestic stag which would prance when nudged to do so. They had been gifts from his Daddy and his Papa and it didn’t matter how many times Aunt Petunia tried to throw them away or Dudley stole them from him they were always in his cupboard when it was time for bed.

Harry had vague memories of his Daddy and Papa but he had been so little when they had went away and left him here. Harry often dreamed that his parents would come back for him and take him away from here.

It was only two o’clock in the afternoon but Harry had already been locked into the small spaced that was his bedroom. He had asked his Aunt for more milk after Dudley had knocked over his half full glass. His Aunt and Uncle didn’t starve him. He was allowed the same serving size as Dudley. But when Dudley wanted more, and he always wanted more, he got it while Harry was limited to just the one portion. And never more then two glasses of milk a day, one with lunch and one with dinner.

However it wasn’t the punishment of being locked in the cupboard under the stairs that had him so anxious. It was the fact that he would not be able to finish his chore list before his Uncle came home from work. Five spankings with the belt for each chore not finished and there were eight things still on his list. Sometimes he thought that his Aunt wrote them out separately like that so that if he didn’t finish there was more to be punished for. Seriously wouldn’t clean the kitchen be simpler then wash the dishes, dry the dishes, take out the trash, wipe the table and mop the kitchen floor. Once Harry had made the mistake of pointing that out and claiming that he should only get the five spankings instead of the twenty five that each individual chore would cause, his uncle had tacked on ten more spankings for his lip. Harry had never spoken up about it again.

Vernon was less then pleased to find out the freak had asked for more then his share. As if they had money to waste on the little cretin. It was only the fear of more freaks coming round that kept the boy from an orphanage but he wasn’t about to have that bastard asking for the food from his sons mouth. When he swung open the cupboard and saw his nephew clutch the stuffed animals to his chest he grew even angrier.

“You have some nerve boy!” Vernon bellowed. “Asking for the food from my sons mouth, not finishing your chores and now I find you with filthy freakish toys! I’ll teach you to act out in my home! Get out here!” It was a snickering Dudley and an approving Aunt Petunia that watched as little Harry Potter was led out to the garage to get his punishment. All in all his punishment meted out sixty lashes with the belt and being sent to bed without supper.