Breaking Free (Book 3 of the Lost Potter Series)

The Battle of Seven Potters Part 1

A/N: Due to the complexities of all that's happening in this chapter, I've decided to switch to a 3rd person semi-limited POV, where Harry's, Olivia's, and Draco's thoughts will be incorporated into this chapter as opposed to just one of them. Hopefully this isn't too hard to follow and lmk if you have any questions about it in the comments! Also a HUGE apology for the lack of updates, uni has been kicking my ass lately and I've had no time/inspiration to write :(

July 27th, 1997

That morning, Harry was summoned by the Dursleys downstairs an hour before they were supposed to depart. Harry had told Olivia and Draco that the muggle family had been forced to go into hiding, but wouldn't divulge where they would go. Draco wasn't entirely sure why the Dark Lord would care, but he himself also couldn't care enough to prod further.

Harry sighed at Vernon's yells and excused himself to go downstairs, leaving the other two to their own devices. They continued snacking, listening for any further yelling just in case they (aka Olivia, since Draco figured it wasn't his place) needed to intervene. However, when Harry returned, he did so physically unscathed and in quite the rush.

"Alright, time to grab everything, apparently plans have changed but no one's told me how so I guess we'll wing it," Harry said in his rush, grabbing Hedwig, his Firebolt, and a rucksack he'd packed. The other two shoved as much food into their mouths as they could, out of nerves if nothing else, and followed Harry to the bottom floor.

"Alright, they should be here soon," Harry breathed as he set everything down.

Olivia felt herself running her hands along the worn wallpaper, her gaping memory wondering what life would've been like if she'd grown up there.

"Are you going to miss this?" Olivia asked without thinking. She vaguely recalled Harry not having the happiest of childhoods, but decided not to retract the question.

Harry scoffed but hesitated before speaking, "Well, I sure hope not, considering how horrible it was to live with the Dursleys. . ."

"But?" Olivia asked for him, Draco just watching Harry with curious eyes as if he'd never considered someone liking a place like this.

Harry sighed, "Everything was simpler, I guess. Like the Dursleys hated me but predictably so— I knew what each day was going to bring. Like— oh Draco, you'll have quite the laugh at this—"

He lead the two of them over to a door underneath the staircase, Olivia and Draco looking at each other in confusion of what he was about to show them.

Harry pulled the door (which had a latch on the outside of it, oddly enough) open and pulled the chain to turn on the solitary lightbulb. There was some sort of cot on the bottom, with shelves and the whole space full of umbrellas, dusty shoes, and strange broken toys.

"I used to sleep in here, until I got my Hogwarts letter. This is where the Dursleys kept me, unless I was cooking or cleaning up for them. Blimey, it's small, I'd forgotten. . ."

While Harry looked oddly wistful as the space, Olivia and Draco were in various states of shock.

"You slept here? They locked a child under the stairs?!" Olivia screeched while Draco was still collecting how you were supposed to respond to something like this.

Harry nodded, suddenly not meeting either of their eyes, "I fit just fine, always was a bit of a runt back then."

The snappy reply of Haven't changed much, then died quickly on Draco's tongue, though Harry glanced at him as if he had expected it.

Olivia was just trying not to work herself into a rage, though she desperately wanted to summon those Dursleys back and give them a piece of her mind, "But Harry that's, that's endangerment. How did the idiots not get caught?"