Death is but the Next Great Adventure

Malfoy's Debts

In the last chapter: Term starts again and everyone returns to Hogwarts for the spring. Harry confronts Dumbledore about his living arrangements for the summer, but his concerns are ignored and it becomes clear that he will have to return to his relative's house for the summer until Sirius' trial. Dumbledore talks to Harry about the Philosopher Stone. Ron, Dean, and Seamus go after the stone, but get caught part-way through and Voldemort is chased off on the back of Quirrell's very alive head. Harry is awoken that night to find the stone under his pillow and Death advises him to use it to help Voldemort return to his more alive and sane state of being.

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Returning to the Dursley's wasn't like ripping off a Band-Aid, it was like getting your fingers caught in a wood chipper and slowly being dragged in. First there was surprise, then there was confusion, and finally there was outrage. Initially, Vernon had tried to force Harry bodily out of the house, but between brawn and magic, the latter usually wins.

When they realized Harry was staying, Petunia snatched his wand away and locked it away in the safe in their room. Vernon then grabbed Harry by the back of the neck and practically dragged him over to the cupboard, threw him in, and bolted it shut. The quick and unexpected act caught Harry off guard and gave Vernon the upper hand. Harry sighed as he listened to his trunk being dragged up the stairs over his head and being thrown into his aunt and uncle's room. Next, Harry heard the fridge being opened and closed several times, before they apparently moved on to the pantries.

Eventually, the long train ride and chaos of an entire school year caught up to Harry and he passed out on the familiar too-small cot he'd grown up with.

Later, Harry was jolted awake by the loud buzzing of power tools right outside his little door. Frowning deeply, Harry sat up and listened carefully. It seemed as though his uncle was drilling both into the door frame, and then the door. If Harry had to chance a guess, he'd say locks considering all the clanking of metal he could hear from the other side of the door. When Harry reached out his magic to touch the locks, his suspicions were confirmed and he found at least six heavy duty locks in increasing complexity.

Finally, Vernon began bolting something to the door that wasn't a lock. When Harry felt it out a little more, he was startled to find that it was just a steel plate that would have to be unbolted just to get the door open.

Insane. These people are complete nutters!

Later that night, after the house had long since quieted down, Harry felt the slight dull ache of hunger creeping in on him and he tried to summon some food from the fridge. Only, nothing came. Harry tried again and felt out with his magic, but using his magic to feel out like this for too long was draining. From the brief sweep Harry did through the kitchen, he found absolutely no food in the house.

That's what that noise had been earlier. Harry thought to himself, as he felt a slightly elevating panic. He couldn't summon food from any of the other houses around them, the distance would weaken the summoning spell too much and just cause whatever food he tried to summon to smash into their walls. He couldn't transfigure food either because transfigured food wasn't safe to eat and could cause major health problems later on down the road.

So . . . short of blasting his way out of the cupboard and robbing the nearest house, he was stuck without food for the first time in a long time.

Harry tried to sleep through it, sure that he'd be let out and fed in the morning, but Harry was now unused to trying to sleep through hunger pains, and ended up staying awake through the entire night. Come morning, Harry was still locked in the cupboard while the smells of bacon, eggs, sausage, and toast wafted through the little grate on the door from the meal Vernon had picked up from a local diner.