Chapter Text
Harry Potter is not a normal boy.
Strange things tended to happen around him. Like the time Aunt Petunia cut his hair so short with longer uneven tufts here and there. Harry had cried himself to sleep that night, dreading what the other children would say at school. But when he woke up, his hair had grown back as if nothing happened!
Today, he turned Mrs. Emerick's hair blue. He didn't mean to, honest! One minute she was standing over him scolding for how he had done on the math test, saying that he's never going to amount to anything and that he's too stupid to learn math - and the next, her hair was bright blue! Mrs. Emerick screamed at him to march down to the principal's office and Harry's heart sank. 'I'm going to be in so much trouble,' Harry thought as he anxiously bit his lip walking to his destination. He walked slowly and deliberately, taking his time and shuffling his trainers on the ground. Harry placed his hand on the wall as he walked, feeling the slightly bumpy concrete wall. He arrived to the office to see Mrs. Synder, the secretary, glare at him as he took a seat and waited.
Harry sat in the principal's office for a long, long time until Aunt Petunia showed up. He looks down at his feet and swings them back and forth while being so quiet Harry might as well not exist in that office.
The distinct clack, clack, clack of heels echo down the hallway and the office door swings open.
Aunt Petunia was tall and thin, often reminding Harry of a giraffe with how tall she could be on her tip-toes when craning her long neck to eavesdrop on the neighbors and their gossip. She wore a sundress, and might have been pretty if not for the sneer of disdain on her face.
"I'm here for my nephew Mrs. Synder. What trouble has the boy landed himself into this time?" Aunt Petunia said haughtily.
"I'm sorry to have to call you here once again, Mrs. Dursley. Harry played a joke on Mrs. Emerick, turned her hair bright blue. He hasn't said how, but Mrs. Emerick and the entire class saw him do something." Mrs. Synder said, peering over her glasses at Petunia.
Aunt Petunia sighed. "You know I try my best with him, but his parent's alcohol and drug abuse left its mark on him. Not to mention the car crash that killed them." She sniffed disapprovingly. "Who doesn't have their baby in a carseat? I'll never understand it. Vernon and I have tried everything to curb his destructive tendencies."
"I understand Mrs. Dursley. Have you considered getting Harry tested? He may have some sort disability that could explain the misbehavior."
"No, we haven't." Aunt Petunia said tersely.
"Here, dear. I took the liberty of printing out some leaflets for you and your husband to look over. There are also some cost-reduced places, which may help. I've noticed Harry often comes in to school wearing, well." Mrs. Synder looks at Harry disapprovingly. "I'm sure there are some nice thrift stores in Surrey you can go to if you are struggling." She said condescendingly.
"Is that all? I'll keep that in mind." Aunt Petunia spats as she snatches the leaflets forcefully. She turns and grabs harry by the arm, forcing him to his feet while digging her nails in painfully. "We're leaving Fr- Harry. Say goodbye to Mrs. Synder now."
"Bye, Mrs. Synder. I'm sorry." Harry says quietly.
"Make sure you say that to your teacher young man. I don't want to see you in this office again, you hear me?"
"Yes, Mrs. Synder." Harry mumbles.
Aunt Petunia opens the door and marches Harry out of the school, Harry tripping over his feet as she forces him to walk faster by yanking on his arm painfully.
“Just wait until Vernon hears about this! Having to waste my time going to the school for you, in the middle of the day no less! And th- the nerve of that woman to insinuate that we’re poor!” Aunt Petunia rants as they approach the car.
“Get. In.” She hisses.
Harry scrambles to get into the car, sitting on the floor. Freaks aren’t allowed to sit in the actual seat, not like good boys like Dudley.
Petunia slams the door forcefully and gets in to start the car. “And now, we have to get you tested, of all things! As if the glasses weren’t enough. Do you know how much money that will cost us Freak? Of course not. You’re too stupid to even realize how much you cost us.”
Harry sat quietly, tears welling in his eyes and his chin wobbled.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Harry said softly, almost a whisper. He was feeling quite small indeed.
"I don't want to hear a word out of you." Aunt Petunia ground out.
The rest of the drive was full of tension and silence until eventually they reached Privet Drive.
Harry's stomach twisted and turned the whole ride, but now he felt it sank as dread washed over him as Number 4 Privet Drive came into view.
The car parked and Petunia got out, opening the side door. He climbed out quickly, not wanting to incur more of her wrath. She loomed over Harry as they walked up to the house, with each step Harry felt more and more like he was walking towards his doom. His palms started to sweat and he began to bit his lip.
Aunt Petunia fished for the house keys in her purse while Harry shuffled slightly from foot to foot. The keys turned the lock with a click and Aunt Petunia pushes him roughly into the house, closing the door quickly behind her.
Harry ducks his head and waits for Aunt Petunia to tell him what to do while they wait for Uncle Vernon to come home. 'Will it be chores? Cooking? Or will I be in my cupboard?' Harry thought.
"You ungrateful little brat! After how much we do for you, you do your freakishness at school for everyone to see?" Aunt Petunia spits, grabbing him roughly and yanking him towards the basement door.
Harry dug his heels into the carpet. "Please! I'll be good! Don't put me down there!" He cried.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll go down there or Vernon will hear of this!" Aunt Petunia says as she descends into the basement, yanking him forward.
"I'm sorry! Please, I won't do it again! I didn't mean to, honest! Why don't you believe me?" Harry pleaded.
"Because you are your mother's son!" Aunt Petunia says venomously.
They reach the bottom of the stairs and Aunt Petunia opens a closet door. "Go in, Freak."
"No! No! I'll be good! I promise!"
The closet is small, much smaller than his cupboard. And it's so, so dark. Anything could be lurking in there, waiting for Harry. He can already feel the spiders crawling on him, their spindly legs scurrying around and their grotesque bulbous bellies full of flies settling on his skin.
Aunt Petunia loses her patience and shoves him in, Harry slams into the wall hard. The light begins to dim as the door closes with the distinct click it always has. He can hear the other locks being put into place.
"No! Don't leave me in here! Let me out! Let me out! Please!" Harry screams as he pounds and kicks at the door blindly.
A loud bang reverberates as Aunt Petunia hits the door sharply. "Enough of your nonsense! Hush up!"
He continues to pound at the door calling for his Aunt for a long time. His fingers claw at the door, leaving new scratches in the well worn grooves. The door is testament to how much he hates the closet, it is marked with his many attempts to be heard-to be remembered that he was down here. Harry’s afraid that one day they might just forget entirely that he is down here and he will be trapped forever and ever.
"I HATE YOU!" Harry yells in frustration, tears rolling down his face as he gives up and sits down. The closet is small enough it is just enough room to stand in, if one was a normal sized child. But Harry has always been small for his age and can still sit somewhat comfortably in the tiny space.
He places a hand on the door and weeps, tears streaming down his face. Underneath his hand he can feel the divets and grooves of the door from his scratching.
Harry waits a very long time for Uncle Vernon to come home. He hears the front door open, but it doesn’t slam shut. ‘Must’ve been a good day at work’ Harry thought.
Then voices pick up and Harry knows Aunt Petunia told Uncle Vernon what happened. A tear rolls down his cheek and he sniffs, pulling his knees close.
"BOY!" Vernon bellows as he thunders down the stairs.
The locks on the door came undone and the door swung open violently. Harry looked up at his Uncle with fear, his warm brown skin now ashen pale with wet tear streaks down his face.
"What. Did. You. Do." His Uncle growls out.
"I don't know! I didn't mean to, honest! One minute her hair was brown and the next it wasn't! I don't know how it happened!"
"The last thing we need is people at school seeing your freakishness!" Uncle Vernon reaches down and grabs Harry by the hair, pulling him upright. "We take you in, out of the goodness of our hearts, and this is how you repay us?"
"I'm sorry Uncle."
Vernon raises his hand and Harry holds still and squeezes his eyes shut tight. His cheek burns as his Uncle screams in his face.
Vernon pushes him to the ground and kicks Harry as he scrambles to get his knees pulled to his chest. Harry holds his head and waits for the beating to be over.