*This chapter is more of an overview of their time at the Dursleys until the arrival of the letters to Hogwarts. It will cover some events, but others will be in future chapters.*
As Hagrid carefully placed the basket with Harry and Void on the doorstep of Number 4, Privet Drive, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. The night was cold, and a chill wind seemed to whisper doubts in his ears. Should he leave them here, all alone in the dark? But Dumbledore's orders were clear, and he had to trust the wisdom of the Headmaster.
Just as he was about to turn away, an impulse made him reach into his pocket and pull out his hankie, which was large enough to cover the two babies, made of Acromantula silk, and gently tuck it around the babies for extra warmth. As he did, he noticed Void, the older of the two, staring at him with eyes that seemed to ask why they were being left there.
Hagrid hesitated, a pang of guilt tugging at his heart. But before he could dwell on it further, the sound of footsteps approached. Dumbledore and McGonagall had arrived, and Dumbledore placed a letter on top of the basket.
"Dumbledore, is there no other place for them?" Hagrid asked, concern evident in his voice.
Dumbledore's eyes glinted as he replied, "No, Hagrid. This is the best place for them."
With a heavy heart, Hagrid bid them farewell and left on the bike, and Dumbledore and McGonagall Disapparated with a crack, leaving the babies on the doorstep.
The next morning, Petunia Dursley stepped outside to fetch the milk and found the basket with the babies. Reading Dumbledore's letter, she hesitated, unsure of what to do. But Vernon, her husband, was adamant. He wanted nothing to do with the babies and insisted on taking them to the orphanage.
As Vernon Dursley was about to start the car to take Harry and Void to the orphanage, a loud crack echoed through the quiet street. Albus Dumbledore appeared before them, his presence commanding attention in his flowing, tacky blue robe.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," Dumbledore began, his tone grave yet authoritative. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to take these babies to the orphanage."
Vernon sputtered in shock, "But why? We can't take care of them!"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with an intensity that made Petunia shiver. "Because, Mr. Dursley, the people who killed these babies' parents will not stop until they have eradicated all threats. That includes you and your family."
Vernon blanched, realizing the gravity of the situation. "What do you mean?"
Dumbledore's expression hardened. "I mean that as long as these babies are in your care, you will be protected. I will cast a Blood Ward around your house, tying your fate to theirs. As long as they are here, you, Petunia, and even young Dudley will be safe from harm."
Petunia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Dudley looked confused in her arms but was not affected by anything and continued to drink his milk.
Dumbledore then proceeded to take blood from both Harry and Void, as well as from Petunia and began casting the spell. The air shimmered with magic as the Blood Ward took effect, creating an invisible barrier that would protect the Dursleys as long as the babies remained under their roof.
As Dumbledore departed with the blood samples for his detection and monitoring devices, the Dursleys begrudgingly made their way inside, their expressions a mix of confusion and anger. Vernon, red-faced with anger, ranted about the inconvenience of having these "freaks" dumped on his family.
Petunia, although also frustrated, was not yet at the point of hating her late sister Lily and her Amara. She resolved to keep the babies out of sight to avoid gossip from nosy neighbours. She placed Harry and Void in a spare room and gave them each a bottle of milk, hoping to keep them quiet and unnoticed.
As the years passed, Harry and Void's treatment at the hands of the Dursleys grew increasingly worse. Petunia and Vernon, frustrated by the burden of caring for them, often left the boys to fend for themselves. There were times when they were left to starve, with food only provided when the Dursleys felt pressured by the neighbours' notice or the reprimands of an old man named Red, who seemed to be the only one concerned about the boys' well-being.
The Dursleys, however, managed to convince the neighbours that the boys were simply spoiled by their previous parents, and that Red was a senile old man whose ramblings were to be ignored.
By the time Harry and Void were three years old, Vernon's frustration had reached a boiling point. He began to physically abuse them, hitting them for even the slightest infraction. Dudley, observing this behaviour, started to emulate his father, often telling on Harry and Void for things they didn't do, or for minor transgressions.
The boys were forced to do all the housework and gardening, under the threat of not being fed if they didn't finish their chores. Despite the harsh treatment, Void would secretly steal food for Harry, ensuring that his brother didn't go hungry.
As Harry and Void grew, Void matured quickly, understanding their situation even at the tender age of three. He knew they were not wanted and that they were alone, even among strangers. The neighbours, despite occasionally noticing something amiss, chose to ignore them, leaving the boys isolated. The only person who showed any concern was the old man who visited occasionally, bringing them food or something to drink. Harry, shy and reserved, never spoke to the old man, but Void appreciated the small gestures of kindness.
Across the street, there was an old woman who watched them with an unsettling intensity, always surrounded by her cats, which added to the eerie atmosphere of their surroundings.
Void took on more and more of the household chores, often taking the blame for things to spare Harry from punishment. By the time they were five years old, Harry began to notice Void's sacrifices and asked him to stop, not wanting his brother to get hurt.
On a rare outing to the zoo, the Dursleys took Harry and Void to the reptile house, hoping to avoid any attention from the other visitors. As they approached the snake exhibit, Harry's eyes lit up with wonder. He pressed his face against the glass, watching a large, slithering python move lazily inside its enclosure.
Harry felt a surge of curiosity and whispered something under his breath. He felt some energy move in his body and, to his surprise, the glass of the enclosure disappeared, allowing both boys to get a closer look at the snake.
Void immediately moved in front of Harry, feeling a strange energy coursing through his body. As he did so, he felt drained of energy, but the glass remained transparent.
As Harry and Void stared in awe, the python turned and faced them, its gaze piercing. They did not notice that they were talking to the snake in an ethereal language of snakes for Harry and a different but similar language for Void.
Sensing Harry's fear and the Dursleys' panic, the snake slithered over to the Dursleys, positioning itself between them and the boys, as if protecting them.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a black snake with small bumps on its head and a purple-red line in the middle had been summoned accidentally by Void and was now bonded to him, hiding in his pocket and waiting to introduce itself to its new master.
As zoo employees arrived to get the python under control, the Dursleys, horrified by the spectacle, grabbed both Void and Harry, pulling them away from the exhibit. Their faces were pale with fear and confusion as they quickly ushered the boys out of the reptile house, ignoring their protests and questions about what had just happened.
This incident, while alarming to the Dursleys, foreshadowed Harry's and Void's latent magical abilities and the challenges they would face as they grew older. It hinted at a world beyond their understanding, where strange and wondrous things were possible, setting the stage for their journey into the world of magic and adventure that awaited them.
After the incident, Vernon was red with anger, and Petunia was frightened out of her mind. Dudley cried as he was scared by the python. Void and Harry were punished with no food for days and only survived by the kindness of the old man Red, who came when no one was around to give them some food. Void asked him to tell the police, but the old man said he did, and the police were under the thumb of a powerful man. Void, after this incident, started to keep a secret garden from the Dursleys. He kept the garden impeccable, and the best in all of Little Whinging, Surrey, and Petunia was delighted in that as she got to brag about it to all the neighbours and did not do anything about the veggies she found in the garden. With the garden's help, Void and Harry were not as hungry as before.
Void, after the incident at the zoo, also found a snake in his pocket and decided to keep it as a companion so Harry can have a friend to play with, along with a red bird that started to move in the tree in the back garden and a pure white cat that got along with the snake and bird. They, of course, kept this a secret from the Dursleys. If they found out, they would try and get rid of them
Over the years, Void and Harry had a few accidental magic which the Dursleys call freakishness, and they would be punished severely. The incidents increased as Vernon's punishments and Dudley's bullying almost killed them.
In an incident at school where Void was not around (he was helping a teacher with extra credit so he could get into a good school with a scholarship), Dudley corners Harry and beats him up, and no teacher does anything about it as Vernon was a big deal, being a manager with many of the families of these people under him. But Void, when he found Harry with black and blue bruises, beat the bullies up, including Dudley. Vernon was LIVID when he found out and punished Void severely, almost killing him. But Void kept control of the weird energy in his body to not affect Harry in some way and did not notice Harry radiating with anger and suddenly pushing Vernon away. Vernon was paralyzed for 3 days.
After the incident, the punishments were not as physical; they turned into mental and emotional punishments along with starvation. Void got even quieter and only talked if necessary, responding with "okay" to others, and only opened up to Harry and his pets.
When they were 7, they were too big for the cupboard under the stairs and were almost found when a boss of Vernon's came to the house for dinner. Fortunately for Vernon, it was at the end of the night, and he got them to leave before they found anything. Vernon was increasingly irritated by Void's defiant gaze and would often be on the verge of punishing him severely, but Petunia, fearing for the child's life and remembering the old man's warnings, would intervene. Instead, Vernon would redirect his anger towards Harry, punishing him and often locking both boys in the cupboard under the stairs, which grew smaller and more cramped with each passing year.
So Vernon moved them to the attic, which was bigger but not by much, and they could be locked in there from the outside much easier. Void was asleep for 3 days because of the beating he received and woke up to a crying Harry and an angry shadow—the black snake, Sera, watched him with worry, and Yue, the white cat, next to Harry, trying to calm him down. As he awoke, he said to Harry not to worry and that he would always be there for him and at least they got a bigger room out of it while laughing.
After the incident, Void was convinced that he and Harry were different because no child could survive what they had been through and the strange things that kept happening to them were even more convincing. So he tried to control it, and he succeeded, but he kept it a secret even from Harry as he was not sure if it was dangerous to practice or because he was always tired when he did that, so it may be harmful as he started to feel pain in his heel all the time when he did more of it. But he got Harry to try and meditate, which he found helped calm the energy and keep it from going wild out of control and having fewer accidents. He would try and summon things to him, whether it floating them to him or just teleporting them to him and even a shield of some kind he would secretly use when Vernon would punish Harry or when Dudley or other kids hit Harry.
As the years went on, Harry and Void bonded more with shared interests such as reading in the library where Dudley and his gang were not welcome because of their ' tendency to break books and write in them and exploring the neighbourhood when they were told not to return until late in the night. Their friendship becomes a source of strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
When they were 9, the punishments from the Dursleys, mostly Vernon, were only starvation now after another incident where Void pushed him when he tried to hit Harry. He never hit them again after they were only starvation or more chores.
Harry and Void's bond deepened as they endured the hardships of life with the Dursleys. They often found themselves locked in the attic or doing endless chores. Despite the adversity, they found solace in each other's company. The three animals—Shadow the black snake, Sera the red bird, and Yue the white cat—remained their loyal companions, providing not only friendship but also practical help.
Yue and Sera would go out at night to bring them vegetables from the garden, which they could eat in secret. Shadow would keep watch, alerting them to any approaching danger, while Sera would occasionally fly in through the attic window, bringing with it a sense of freedom and adventure.
These moments of camaraderie and the small acts of kindness from their animal friends helped Harry and Void endure the neglect and mistreatment they faced daily. They knew they could rely on each other and their animal companions to get through whatever challenges lay ahead.
Despite her negligence, Petunia was more afraid of her husband's actions towards the boys and felt guilty because, even though she hated her sister, she still came to love Harry and Void. The sight of their innocent faces often reminded her of her sister, Lily and Amara and the guilt gnawed at her conscience.
Petunia would occasionally catch glimpses of Lily and Amara in the eyes of the two boys, especially when they looked at her with longing or fear. These moments would soften her heart, if only for a fleeting instant, and she would secretly give them extra food, hiding her actions from Vernon.
When she discovered the presence of Yue, Sera, and Shadow, the animals that seemed to have befriended the boys, Petunia's heart softened further. She realized that these creatures were providing comfort and companionship to Harry and Void, something she and Vernon had failed to do.
Petunia began to leave out scraps of food for the animals, ensuring they had enough to give to the boys in secret. She would watch from the kitchen window as the creatures interacted with the boys, a sense of warmth and regret filling her heart.
This small act of kindness was her way of trying to make amends for the neglect they faced from the rest of the family. Deep down, Petunia knew that she could never fully atone for her past actions, but she hoped that these small gestures would bring some comfort to Harry and Void amidst the harshness of their daily lives.
As Harry and Void's eleventh birthday approached, the Dursleys, especially Petunia, grew increasingly anxious about the arrival of Hogwarts letters for the boys. Petunia, torn between her fear of the magical world and her desire to protect Harry and Void, struggled internally with the knowledge of the letters and what they meant for the boys' future. Her anxiety added to the tension in the Dursley household, which was already strained by Vernon's stubborn denial of anything magical.
On the morning of their birthday, a flurry of letters arrived, addressed to both boys. Vernon, enraged and unwilling to accept the reality of magic and Hogwarts, lost control. He gathered all the letters, muttering angrily about nonsense, and threw them into the fireplace.
The scene was chaotic, with papers flying everywhere and Vernon's voice booming through the house. Void, sensing the significance of the letters, tried to save one, reaching out desperately, but it was too late. The letters were quickly consumed by the flames, turning their dreams to ashes before their eyes.
Petunia watched silently, her heart aching for the boys she had come to care for in her way. Dudley, unaware of the true meaning of the letters, found the chaos amusing and laughed, adding to the turmoil of emotions in the room.
Despite the destruction of the letters, Harry and Void refused to give up hope. They clung to the belief that the letters were important many even a way to escape their dreary life with the Dursleys and find a place where they truly belonged. They made a silent vow to each other that they would find that way, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
With a loud thud, Hagrid knocked on the door of the small cottage where the Dursleys were staying. Vernon, startled, opened the door to find a giant of a man standing before him, holding a large, tattered umbrella.
"I'm here to deliver Harry and Void's Hogwarts letters," Hagrid bellowed, his voice echoing through the quiet island.
Vernon, taken aback by Hagrid's appearance, tried to slam the door shut, but Hagrid's foot was already wedged in the doorway.
"Ye can't ignore Hogwarts, Dursley! They're coming with me, whether you like it or not!" Hagrid boomed, pushing his way into the cottage.
Petunia, pale with fear, tried to protest, but Hagrid silenced her with a stern look. He turned to Harry and Void, who were watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.
"Yer a wizard, Harry, and Void, and a thumpin' good one at that. Yer a wizard, Void, just like yer brother," Hagrid said, his voice softer now, as he handed them their Hogwarts letters.
As Hagrid introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid and explained the truth about their parents and their magical heritage, a sense of wonder and excitement filled Harry and Void's hearts. Despite the Dursleys' protests and Vernon's blustering, the boys knew that their lives were about to change forever.