Adrift ( hiatus for rewriting )

1. But he can go through mine.

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PART I - BEFORE 

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Chapter one - But he can go through mine. 

It was the start of the summer before the fourth year and Harry woke up, late as usual, no matter how many times he tried to force himself to wake up on time he needed his rest to heal the beatings he usually received from his Uncle Vernon the night before. 

He heard repeater banging on his door, 

"Wake up Freak. Breakfast!" Aunt Petunia screeched from the opposite side of the door. 'Breakfast' while for most people meant getting breakfast, was actually for him, making the breakfast before Uncle Vernon woke up. Harry jumped op wincing at the sting of pain he felt from his back as he stood. He gently stretched careful not to rip open any scabbed wounds.  

He pulled on his standard grey shirt, blue jeans and placed his glasses on his face and hurried downstairs. He set about making a classic English breakfast just how Uncle Vernon liked it. As he was setting the table he heard Dudley come down. 

"'Sup Harry?" Dudley asked. 

Since he had been going to Smeltings Dudley had worked hard on getting all of his 'baby fat' as he called it to go away, though he was still slightly chubby, like the equivalent of Neville Longbottom in his first year.  

"Nothing much. Good sleep?" Harry responded.

Dudley shrugged and took one of the three plates from Harry's hands and placed it on the table. 

"Eh, you were upset most of the night, weren't you? I could hear you cry. Are you okay?" Dudley returned. 

Dudley wasn't oblivious to the actions of his father, it was just that he couldn't do much about it but help Harry clean and bandage his wounds. 

"I'm fine, it's not as bad as the last time," Harry replied. 

Both boys winced as they remembered a few nights ago when Uncle Vernon got especially mad when Harry accidentally slightly burnt the bottom of his steak. Let's just say that they had to cut out parts of his shirt to get them out of the wounds. 

"Promise me that when you get the chance you'll get out of here?" Dudley said. 

He placed a comforting hand on Harry's slim shoulder. Harry nodded and smiled at his cousin. 

Suddenly they both heard the galumphing steps of Uncle Dursley as he ploughed down the stairs. Dudley quickly sat down at the table and Harry rushed to the sink where he started washing the pan. 

"Good morning Dudders." Uncle Dursley greeted. 

He plonked himself down in his chair, his sides bulging out off the sides. He ignored Harry as usual and dug into his breakfast. Aunt Petunia gracefully walked into the dining room and sat down. She delicately cut her toast and eggs into insanely small pieces before daintily placing it into her puckered mouth. Uncle Vernon picked up the morning paper and flipped through the articles with his oily fat fingers sipping his straight black coffee with a sprinkle of sugar in the other. 

"Ha, another company crumbled down to the ground. Dudders, I hope that you will help keep our company strong, eh?" Uncle Dursley chuckled. 

Unbeknownst to Uncle Dursley, Dudley actually wanted to become an architect. At school, he had found out that he had quite the knack for drawing blueprints and buildings. His art teacher had praised him for it. Yet without a proper response, Dudley winced slightly and nodded weakly. 

"Boy!" Uncle Vernon shouted. 

Harry rushed towards the dining table. 

"Yes sir?" he asked. 

"Don't you have any freaks to go to? I don't want you here." Uncle Vernon spat out. 

Harry wanted to yell and fire curses at Uncle Vernon for calling his friend's freaks but he held it in and simply said, 

"Proffessor Dumbledore wants me to stay here for better protection."

That was true, Dumbledore had called Harry to his office before the train left and told him so. Uncle Vernon frowned angrily and stabbed his meal with his fork. Harry breathed a shaky sigh of relief and scurried back to the kitchen. 

After breakfast, Harry washed up and headed to Dudley second room, no, his room only to find Uncle Vernon there already. Harry whimpered knowing what was going to happen. Uncle Vernon smiled creepily and pushed Harry into his bedpost bruising his back, he then locked the door. He unbuckled his large leather belt, it hung loosely in his meaty hand. Harry crawled away from him in fear but hit the wall. Fear evident in Harrys eyes Uncle Vernon lunged forward roughly grabbing Harry's shoulder and throwing him to the ground. He stalked towards Harry roughly throwing him onto his hands and feet as strike one came down. Then two, three, four, Harry lost count after a while, all he could hear was the splattering of blood, the whip as the belt swung through the air and the slap as it came down on his back. His eyes were unfocused and in a haze, his head was throbbing as he tried to keep his cries and screams in but it didn't work. He screamed and screamed and screamed. And Uncle Vernon enjoyed it more and more and more. 

Harry didn't know when Uncle Vernon stopped, when he came to Dudley had rushed into his room holding a bowl of water, towel and a large roll of bandages. Together they removed the bloodstained shredded shirt from his body and cuts, Dudley cleaned Harry's wounds and then carefully with Harry's help bandaged them up. For every whimper that came from Harry's lips Dudley quietly shushed him. Harry pulled on a clean pair of shirts and pants after that. 

"Harry, you have to get outta here," Dudley said. 

He was very worried about his cousin, how much longer he could endure. 

"I know," Harry responded, "I'll figure it out."

"Can't you ask your friends?" Dudley wondered. 

"Hermione is on a vacation in Italy with her parents and I don't want to intrude on the Weasleys. They don't need to be burdened any more than they already are with me." Harry sighed. 

"You know you aren't burdening them, Harry," Dudley said. 

Harry opened his mouth to respond when they hear a tick-tick against the barred window. 

"That owl won't be able to get in." Harry worriedly said. 

"But, he can go through mine,"  Dudley stated. 

He pulled into the hall where they quietly crept into Dudley's large but very messy room. The smart owl had gone to Dudley's room and was outside his window. Harry opened the glass and the owl flew in delivered his letter and left. Harry opened it. 

Dear Mister Potter, 

We, us goblins, have made a grave mistake of allowing some persons to transact alarmingly large amounts of money from your account.  We request your immediate presence to resolve this issue. 

This letter is a port-key and once you say 'Gringott' you will be port-keyed to the lobby of Gringotts. 

We deeply apologise,

Head Goblin. 

Harry looked over at Dudley who had been reading over his shoulder. 

"Harry, this is your chance to go!" Dudley cried.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked hesitating.

"Of course! You have to go!" Dudley responded. 

Harry grinned and stood up and whispered,

"Gringotts."

The last thing he saw was Dudley waving and then he felt a lurch and a weird sensation spread through his body.