Hermione Granger and the seven taller wizards

Chapter 3

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She felt like her body was on fire, every particle going apart and putting itself back together. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't open her eyes.

Hermione finally managed to resume consciousness when her stomach emptied all its contents.

She stood up on her feet feeling a little drowsy but immediately regretted it as dark spots swarmed her vision. Before going unconscious Hermione saw a mop of dark hair run towards her.

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Harry was beaming with happiness. His lovely aunt Petunia had given him the leftovers of the lasagna he'd cooked the night before. He hadn't felt so stuffed since she got him that delicious roast beef last Christmas.

Vernon hadn't bothered him at all the past few weeks. This made poor little Harry paranoid. For the short five years of his life, he'd never escaped a beating for more than a few days.

Harry felt like a mouse hiding from a cat, him being the mouse and Vernon being the cat. Dudley had also been acting weird. He'd stopped calling Harry names and mainly kept to himself. This frightened poor little Harry. Even the smallest of sounds had him scurrying to his cupboard.

The cupboard wasn't a safe enough place to protect him from Vernon but Harry always felt at calm there. It was his home, his safe haven.

Harry knew even if he would be offered a bigger room his cupboard could never be replaced.

Harry was forced from his thoughts when his uncle's heavy footsteps could be heard nearing the cupboard. He quickly tried to hide behind his cupboard's entrance but his attempts seemed to be in vain. Instead of entering Harry's cupboard Vernon stormed past it to the bottom of the stairs and called Dudley down.

This got Harry curious. Uncle Vernon had never seemed so angry towards Dudley.

Harry pressed his ear against the cupboard's door.

"HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT OUR FAMILY BY KISSING A BOY!"

"I-I'm s-sorry daddy"

"Don't call me that! You're not my son anymore!"

"B-but"

"No buts. No son of mine kisses other boys"

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Uncle Vernon was furious because Dudley at the tender age of five had kissed a boy. It would have been fine if it had been a girl but his own son had kissed another male. No homosexuals were going to be accepted in his house.

All memories of playing baseball and watching movies with his son were washed from his mind.

He told Petunia of the incident but she didn't understand.

Vernon had been planning to let Harry heal for a few weeks and then beat him down to the bone but after his former son's actions, he just couldn't do it to him anymore. Sure Harry was a freak but at least he wasn't kissing another boy like his former son had. Vernon decided Harry would just have to wait for now while he thought Dudley why boys should never kiss other boys.

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Harry hadn't been beaten by Vernon for three years now. Ever since his uncle had heard of Dudley kissing a boy Harry's whole world changed. He didn't get to eat a lot but that was normal for him. For the first time in forever, Harry's magic didn't have to constantly heal his body like it used to. Now his magic was enough for Harry to finally started getting taller.

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Dudley's punishment for his "wrongings" as Vernon called it was house arrest for three years. Dudley never went outside during the period of these three years. He didn't get to meet his friends and he also started getting smaller food portions. His mother had tried making it better but she had no power. Vernon wasn't the man of the house he was the emperor. Even if she had tried going against Vernon was impossible.

After such a long time in isolation with only his parents as company Dudley noticed how wrongly they all treated Harry. His nephew had done nothing wrong and Dudley didn't understand why they had all treated him in such a horrible way.

He wanted to approach Harry but felt he didn't deserve talking to him after all the things he had let his father do to him.

Even so Dudley made a promise to himself to protect Harry from his father no matter what. He owed it to him.

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Harry had grown from his short height of 3'4 to a shocking 4'9. He was even taller than Dudley!

Speaking of him ever since the kissing incident Dudley hadn't called him names like Harry had grown used to.

Harry had gotten used to his lack of beatings and could only pray it would last.

His prayers weren't answered.

After three years of peace, Vernon called him out of the cupboard.

"Missed me boy"

The lashes thundered on his back one after the other. How stupid of him to think it was even remotely possible to escape Vernon.

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Even if his back protested Harry just had to get out of the house. So he ran, and ran, and ran until he stumbled upon a park. The park was empty just like Harry wanted it to be. He didn't have the energy to be around people.

Even if Harry had gotten used to the abuse in his earlier years, his three years of peace had made him sensitive to the pain again. At first, he didn't feel anything but as he started swinging back and forth on a blue swing the pain came all at once like a shockwave.

His ribs ached, his back burned like fire, and blood was oozing from the countless of scars on his back. Because of Harry's severe abuse in his younger years even with three years of rest old wounds were opened.

It was utterly silent. Night had taken over the sun and moonlight softly touched the ground.

Then and there Harry could finally rest properly. His eyes started to become heavier and heavier with every second and eventually, he got some well-deserved sleep.

At dawn, just before the sun claimed the sky, Harry woke up shaking and sweating. It had been a very cold night but by some miracle, he'd survived.

As he stretched his limbs girl appeared out of nowhere with a loud crack. Her eyes stayed open for a few seconds before closing.

Before the girl tumbled to the ground Harry ran towards her and managed to catch her just in time.

He noticed a little cut on her upper arm. Out of instinct Harry reached forward and ran his hand over the cut. To his amazement as soon as his hand touched it the cut healed itself.