Harry Potter - Before Hogwarts

5

"Up!" yelled Aunt petunia for the third time, Harry knew that if he didn't get up from bed she would come in and pull him out. He threw off the ragged blankets and made his bed as best he could. Aunty yelled for all kinds of reasons, she'd pull his hair if his bed wasn't tidy enough. He hoped it was perfect, but somehow she always managed to see things he missed. Sometimes he couldn't believe how good she was at spotting things he couldn't, it would take Harry minutes to see them. 

He fumbled around, turning on the light before making his way to the kitchen. He could hear his aunt but couldn't find her, a blur appeared beside him before the pain hit. SMACK! 

"Your bed is a mess!" she squeaked before hitting him again with the newspaper. "When will you learn you disgusting boy!" Harry felt tears in his eyes but would not let them fall. 

"I'm sorry Aunty" Harry said rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"How many times! Aunt Petunia!" she said walking into the kitchen. Harry struggled to say her name right and whenever he tried, Dudley laughed at him. 

Harry caught another big blur walking toward his Aunt, Uncle Vernon. 
"Good morning Petunia" He said in a gruff voice, the sound of a kiss following. 
"Where's Duddy?" she cooed mentioning her son.
"Little tykes still asleep" he said before turning to Harry.
"Don't stand around boy, go get the newspaper" Harry had forgotten his daily job, as he was too busy trying to make out what tie Uncle Vernon had picked for today. 
"Yes sir" Harry said turning around sharply to do as asked, in his hurry Harry hit his head on the counter, pain shooting across his forehead. The tears were instant and Harry didn't care to hold them back. 

"Stupid boy! Watch where you're going!" Vernon yelled walking past him. "Clumsy" he grumbled getting the paper himself.

Harry heard a 'tsk' as Aunt Petunia crouched down in front of him. This close Harry could make out her features, she wasn't happy. 

"Stop crying you're fine. You're not bleeding" she stood up but continued to look down at Harry. The throbbing increased but Harry tried to calm himself. He hadn't seen the counter.

She tsked again before walking into the living room where Vernon was sitting on the lounge. 
"Vernon" she started, annoyance in her tone. "You don't supposed.." He looked up from the paper, frowning. 

"Suppose what?" His gruff voice asked. 

"Do you think the boy is blind?" she responded. 

"Wouldn't surprise me if the boy was defected, given who his parents were." he responded. Harry wasn't sure what they meant. Blind? Defe-what?

"Should we do something about it?" she asked. 

"I'm not wasting money on him. He does nothing to deserve it"

"He's 5 Vernon, he'll be starting prep school soon. You see how he squints around like an idiot, we can't let people see him like that. I couldn't handle it if someone thought we had a broken boy living with us. He's already abnormal" Her voice was full of venom.

The pain in Harry's head started to subside, but the throbbing remained. He hoped it would go away soon. He wanted to ask what those words meant, but he knew better than to speak, speaking usually ended in being smacked or pushed aside, or with Aunty's usual reply of 'Don't ask questions'.

"I supposed your right, call up and take him today if necessary. And if he does need glasses, nothing expensive!" Uncle Vernon yelled.

~                    -                  ~ 

7

They broke. Harry couldn't believe they'd broken. He'd been running away from Dudley and Piers, he was quite fast for someone his size, but that didn't stop him from tripping over the tree root, he had planned to climb it in order to get away from them. He picked up the two pieces of plastic, that used to be one.

Snapped right down the middle.

What would Aunt Petunia say? Could he hide it? He shoved the broken glasses into the pocket of his baggy shorts. Once Dudley's, but had been given to Harry once they no longer fit him.  The shoelace in the belt hoops was all that kept them up. He sat under the tree, his sore ankle resting on his knobbly knee. He'd either lost Dudley or they'd given up chasing him. He waited under that tree, ignoring the bell to go back to the classroom.

"I don't think I could find my way back without my glasses anyway" Harry mumbled to no one in particular. He once again found himself wishing for the comfort of his mum and dad. Wishing they would come back already and take him away.  He wished he knew why they left in the first place. Staring at the clouds, he started to daydream. 

He dreamed of his parents, of flying motorbikes, of presents and desserts, but the dream he lingered on the most, was what it would be like to have a friend.