Chapter Text
The summer sun cast its golden rays over the desolate Privet Drive, where an abandoned little boy named Harry Potter spent his days in loneliness and neglect. For years, he had endured the mistreatment of the Dursleys, his only family, who made it abundantly clear that he was unwelcome in their lives. But on this particular day, everything changed.
His Aunt was clutching something that looks like a letter in her hand with her face red shouting "Vernon! Vernon! It's here! The wretched thing is here. I told you they would send it!". She was rushing out the house to Vernon who's carefully bringing out Dudley's many presents.
"What is it, Petunia? Let me see." Grabbing the letter with his meaty hands. As he reads the letter, his face gets sour and sour. He puffed and looked at Petunia "We'll have to do it then." He meaningfully lowered his voice.
"Yes, yes, do that, it's about time. We've put up with it for long enough." She huffed then helped him put the rest of the gifts inside.
Harry was cooking in the kitchen. He was grilling the steak that the Dursleys wanted; celebrating Dudley's Birthday. Being careful not to let it burn, he tried to ignore the rumbles his stomach makes when turning the steaks over. He heard Aunt Petunia slamming open the kitchen door.
"Boy! That's enough. I'll take over. You get out. Vernon is waiting outside." She grabbed the spatula from his hands and shoved him out the kitchen.
Harry was confused. Did he do something wrong? He made sure all his chores were done. He didn't make any noise in his cupboard at all last night. His mind played out each scenario as he walked outside.
When Vernon saw him, he told Harry to get in. It was just the two of them. Vernon drove in silence. Harry wanted to ask where they were going but he didn't want to risk getting his Uncle angrier than he already was, so he sat in silence, heart beating anxiously. He looked outside, he didn't recognise the place. There were driving for two hours already, it looked like another part of London he never knew. It looked like it was abandoned. Shops are more closed than they are open. Fewer people walking on the streets. Rubbish piling up in the alleyways. He didn’t now why they were here. But he wasn’t going to ask.
They stopped at a small grocery shop. Uncle Vernon fished out some cash and gruffly handed it to him saying "Get the groceries, Boy. Follow the list and don't think about stealing."
Harry grabbed the money that was pushed into his hands and quickly got out. It was a 20 and there's a list with the money. Milk, Bread and Biscuits. He went inside to buy them quickly. Once he was done, he went out expecting his Uncle to wait for him. There was no sign of him; he couldn't find Uncle Vernon.
He searched the parking lots. He searched the nearby park. In his pockets they were the changes but he doesn't dare to call his uncle. He didn’t even know their phone numbers. Giving up and exhausted, he didn’t get the chance to eat before the car ride, he sat near the door of the shop. The day got darker and he got more nervous. Where is Uncle Vernon?
Uncle Vernon couldn't have forgotten about him, right? He clenched his ever growling stomach looking outwards hoping. People came up to him asking what he was doing there but he lied and said that his Uncle was on the way but had to settle some business before picking him up. His heart clenched. He hoped so. By far this feeling of dread and trepidation of abandonment is feeling like the worst punishment yet. At least with physical punishments he knew when it would be over. Tears started to gather and he blinked them away.
It was night. There was no one out and about now. Occasionally, a drunkard would sluggishly pass by. He crouched himself, getting their attention would be bad. Harry didn’t notice one of them came up behind him. Grabbing the back of his neck lifting him up, a drunk man got into his face leering “What the fuck are you doing here, Boy!? Can’t you see I’m trying to walk here!?”
His breath was bad. Harry let go of the bag of groceries, raising them in front of him. “Um, I-I’m sorry. I’ll get out of your way, Sir.”
The man noticed the bag of groceries. He reached out with his other hand, taking it.
“See, that apology sounds empty. I’ll take this as compensation.”
Harry tried to grab it back. He can’t take them. When Uncle Vernon comes back, he needs to have them ready. Or he might be punished more than he was already. “You can’t. I need them, please, give it back.” He struggled to get out of the grip still holding him.
The man let go just to punch him in the face. Harry fell, shocked by what happened. The drunkard continued by stomping on his stomach, forcing the air out of Harry’s lungs. “I don’t give a fuck, Boy.” He laughed leaving with the bag.
Gripping his stomach, exhausted and weak, Harry only watched the man walking away with the bag. He felt a few tears slipping away. At least he still had some of the balance money. Maybe if he’ll get some of the groceries, Uncle wouldn’t punish him too hard. When is Uncle Vernon coming back?
Midnight came, and no one was there, he gave up. Grudgingly, he went to the alleyway besides the grocery shop. He found a flattened cardboard box, he curled up on it and tried to sleep. Maybe his uncle will come tomorrow? It was lucky for him that this summer was hot. He slept curled up hoping tomorrow he could go home.
He was wrong. By the third day, he started fishing out anything he could eat in the dumpster. By the fourteenth, he no longer waited at the grocery shop nor anywhere near. No matter how long Harry waited and no matter how far he walked. He never saw the Dursleys again.