The Boy Who Wanted to Live

Flashbacks

Harry sat on the carpet of Dudley's room rolling a marble around on the floor. 

"Hey, dud?" 

"Yeah?" Dudley asked from nearby.

"Will you tell me about the magic?" Harry asked, laying his cheek on the floor. 

Dudley got off his bed and sat down next to Harry. 

"You know it's against the rules," Dudley said, softly.

"Why is it against the rules?" Harry asked, laying his head on his cousins shoulder. 

"It's because..." Dudley paused before wrapping his arm around Harry's small frame "A long, long time ago there was a little boy named Charlie..." 

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Dudley walked outside the house and saw Harry standing over a dog that was whimpering. 

"Charlie!" He yelled, angrily. "Leave him alone!" 

Harry turned and glared at his cousin. Dudley glared right back and walked up to the smaller boy with black eyes. 

"Charlie you let that dog go! Now!" Dudley yelled. 

Harry let go of the dog's tail and glared at the elder boy. Dudley watched as the dog ran off, before grabbing Harry's hand and leading him back to the house. 

"You know better, Charlie. You know you can't do stuff like that. You'll hurt someone." Dudley said, rubbing his forehead "You'll get caught by mum and dad and they'll put you in the cupboard again! If you want to be able to stay in my room at night you have to stop this!" 

Charlie- or rather, Harry- looked down and followed Dudley upstairs. 

"I'm sorry, Dud." Harry whispered, weakly. 

"It's okay. I know you don't mean it. You don't mean to hurt people." Dudley hugged Harry to himself and sighed, petting the boys hair soothingly. "You just need to remember that they are weaker than you. You have to be gentle, kay?"

"I just wanted to pet the puppy." Black tears fell from the eyes that held the stars and Dudley sighed. "I don't want to hurt anyone" 

"I know... Look I'll.... I'll figure out something so you don't have to worry about that anymore. But, I'm warning you, Charlie, if I find out you hurt someone then I will have to tell mom and dad. Got it?" 

Charlie/Harry nodded and held up his pinky. Dudley wrapped his own pinky around Charlie's and smiled sadly. 

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"My name is Hannah" 

Was this a test? Did Dudley set this up?

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Harry looked in the mirror and black eyes stared back at him. 

"No!" He thought as his fist smashed into the reflection "I won't let you take over!" 

"Harry?" a girl asked

"Hannah" Charlie said, smiling as he turned around to lure the little girl closer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dumbledore's Office ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dudley calls him Charlie." Harry said, looking down. "He hurts people. Dudley is the only one who can control him." 

"Why do you think that is?" Dumbledore asked, trying to take in this information best he can.

"I don't know... I guess it's because he's the only one who was nice to me" Harry shrugged. "Neville reminds me of him sometimes"

Harry frowned before smiling and looking at his professor and wiping away his tears "I feel better now, Professor. Do you think I could come back to talk to you again sometime?" 

"I'd like that, Harry."