It Only Takes a Second

- XL -

(A/N: Hello everyone! I would like to remind everyone that this is a story, and I have close to no idea what happens during a court case, especially dealing with a custody battle. So please keep that in mind if you decide you want to critique my writing- this is a fanfiction and it's definitely not going to be realistic 24/7. However, if you can stick with me through that, I'm excited about what the next few chapters have in store! Also, there's a trigger warning on this chapter, as Harry tells his story, so be aware! Thank you for reading, and I hope you're still enjoying! Stay safe and healthy everyone!)

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"I find, Mr. Potter, that the beginning is often the best place to begin."

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Harry's mouth twitched into a small smile, and he glanced towards Tony, who gave him an encouraging nod. His mind flashed back to what Tony had said while he was helping him calm down in the bathroom.

If you ever get stuck, or upset, just look at me. Focus on me, and everything will be alright.

Now, Harry's eyes locked with Tony's and he gave a small nod in return.

"When I was fifteen months old, my parents were murdered. They didn't die in a car crash, like my aunt told you, they were murdered by a serial killer who also tried to kill me. That's where the scar on my forehead is from. Ultimately, he failed, and disappeared into hiding for eleven years- but I'll touch on that more later.

"My aunt was also incorrect in saying that she was granted custody because she was my next of kin. While that is technically true, I should have been placed with my godfathers, Sirius and Remus. It was my parents wishes that, if anything should ever happen to them, that Sirius and Remus raise me. However, a family friend of my parents was misinformed, and placed me in custody of my aunt and uncle, because he thought it was the safest place for me."

Harry tore his eyes from Tony's, and forced himself to look at Petunia, before stating the next part with eyes locked with hers.

"And he was wrong."

Harry broke eye contact with Petunia and glanced back at his family, all sitting there, taking in every word he was saying.

"It wasn't the safest place for me. Dudley was given everything he wanted, whenever he asked for it. While there was an extra room in the house that could have been mine, I was forced to reside in the cupboard under the stairs, while the extra room was Dudley's toy room, or TV room, and later on, the guest bedroom where Vernon had his 'loving rewards', as he called it, for me."

"I was solely responsible for all of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and gardening. Nobody else ever lifted a finger. If I messed anything up, or stumbled while doing it, I was punished for it. Severely. I did everything they asked me to, without even a mumble of protesting, and if I made any mistakes, and even sometimes if I didn't, I was punished for it. And these weren't any 'normal' punishments like my aunt said. Unless holding my hands atop a burning stove when I burnt the food even a tad bit, or making me sit in the freezer if dinner was even a bit cold, is considered normal. Or earning lashes from a belt, on a good day, and a whip on a bad day, for dropping something, making noise, or being to slow? These were my 'good' punishments, if you were curious."

Harry let out a small, dark chuckle. "Oh and how could I forget Petunia's favorite punishment? Withholding food!"

Harry shook his head, the cynical smile on his face gone. "I would go days at a time without food. Normally it was only three to four days, but if I especially irked them, I would go seven to ten days with only scraps that I could sneak from the trash. There were times when, if I would collapse or become too weak to do a strenuous chore, Petunia, my loving aunt, would slip me some cold, canned dog food through the flap in my cupboard door. I would crouch in the small storage space under the stairs, in the dark, trying to open the can of dog food with my hands like some sort of savage, and eat it- savor it- just thankful not to feel the gnawing pain in my stomach anymore."