From Potions to Potter

Chapter 1: Dobby Trouble

"Remember, boy- one sound-" Uncle Vernon threatened Harry.

The threat had been enough to send quivers though Harry's entire body, he knew what would happen if things didn't go as his uncle wished. It wouldn't matter if it was really his fault or not, one way or another his uncle would make it his.

That didn't stop the evening to be ruined, and none of it was Harry's fault. He was going to listen, but the house elf had messed everything up.

Bloody Dobby, if I find him again...

Harry made the threat in his head, but knew that he wouldn't act upon it. He said it was for my own good, but it can't be. In the boy's mind if it gave his uncle an excuses to punish him, then it couldn't possibly be for his own good.

Harry had even warned the elf, "No," Harry croaked. "Please...they'll kill me..." But, that didn't stop the deranged creature from dropping the pudding, leaving Harry to take the blame.

"You think that was funny boy?" Several hours had passed, the mess had been taken care of and now there was nothing to protect Harry. He was now alone with his uncle in his room, a place he more than likely be staying at for a long while.

"No, sir." Harry was trying his hardest not to start shaking, he knew that look in his uncle's eye. He wished that he could use magic to protect himself, even accidental magic would be nice. But all his things from hogwords was out of his reach at the moment, especially his wand.

"I don't think it was either. Go get me my belt." The dreaded words, Harry couldn't stand them. They always were followed by a serious beating, Vernon would bring the belt himself if it was going to me quick.

"No." Harry knew that his voice shook, but he couldn't help it. I can't do it, I just can't.

Uncle Vernon looked as if he was ready to strangle the child. "Get my belt!" he roared, red faced. The belt that he spoke of hung by the closet as a reminder for Harry, and was a thick leather one.

This time words failed Harry, he meekly shook his head.

No one will ever know how the stare off would've ended, as Aunt Petunia had interrupted the argument by coming to the doorway with the item of dread. She didn't say anything as she handed it to Uncle Vernon.

Harry looked on nervously as the belt that was passed from one hand to the other. He knew that his Uncle was angry, the only question was how angry. How much will this hurt?

It didn't take his uncle long to show is displeasure at the events from earlier. Uncle Vernon pushed Harry onto the bed. Harry scrambled to run out the door. Perhaps if I get far enough away, he wouldn't be able to hurt me.

Vernon caught Harry easily and thrown him back onto the bed roughly. "You really shouldn't have don't that boy!" Vernon spat out.

Harry shut his eyes and tried to prepare himself for the pain. With as angry as the man was it was sure to be one of his worst punishments ever.

The belt slashed down though that air and lashed down repeatedly on the boy's back, legs and bottom. The skin never turned pink, it went straight to red. A dark angry red that matched his uncle's angry red face.

Harry tried his best to not cry, but eventually the tears rained down his face. He also knew the rules to never beg, but pleas for mercy and promised spilled out of his mouth at such a fast rate that it wasn't understandable.

Vernon was still so angry, even once he saw that the boy's entire back was a mess of bruises he didn't stop. Only once he broke the skin in several places did he slow down.

As the blood dripped Harry sobbed, unable to do anything else at all. He had never in his life seen his uncle so angry nor experienced anything so painful. And knowing that he would have to live with the bruises and welts until they went away on their own made it all that even harder.

Sometimes he could stand the beatings without a word or a sound, years of this kind of treatment had given him a high pain tolerance. But today was not one of those days.

Finally Vernon stopped his assaults on Harry. With one last snarl he muttered, "You got blood on my good belt."

For hours Harry laid there, too tired to move and in too much pain to sleep. His stomach growled, since he didn't have anything to eat all day.

Harry couldn't wait until he was back at school. Where he was accepted. Where he had friends and people that care about him. Where his relatives couldn't get to him. Where he would feel safe. Hogwarts was his true home.