> there are scenes of abuse in this chapter <

It was chaos. Absolute madness. Harry couldn't decide if it was the best thirty seconds of his life or the worst.

The words had just flown out of his mouth, and oh Merlin, their reactions were bloody priceless.Dudley stared at him, all the while gaping like a fish as Uncle Vernon turned a lovely maroon color; Harry thought it suited him rather well.

"You're what?" his aunt whispered, frightened to her core. "Please tell me I heard it wrong."

"I'm gay," Harry repeated, his expression bored and dull. "I like men."

"No!" Uncle Vernon roared. "Not under my roof, you don't!"

Harry started to feel irritation boiling under his skin. "Oh, sorry, let me just go tell my body to change the way it's wired."

"It's unnatural! It's- it's dangerous! Dudley, get away from him before he starts grabbing at you," Vernon exclaimed, ignoring him. Dudley gave Harry a look of fear before climbing out of his chair and racing at top speed to stand beside his father.

"You, boy, go to the cupboard!" Vernon roared. Harry flinched a little at his voice before reluctantly standing up from his chair.

He felt despair stab at him as he shut himself inside his tiny room, locking the door with a sigh. Moments later, Dudley left to go upstairs, and Harry watched through the shutters of the door. He had probably been sent to his room so Vernon and Petunia could discuss things without him blabbing it out around Harry. Unlocking the door and opening it ever so slightly, he tried to overhear their conversation.

"Mad. Completely mad!" Vernon was exclaiming. "Something needs to be done about this!"

"We could always send over to, you know," Aunt Petunia whispered. Harry took a step outside the cupboard to hear. "That way, he will be off our hands, and they can fix him for us."

Fix him? He needs to be fixed, now? Harry gnashed his teeth together and furrowed his eyebrows. The only people needing fixing here were those psychos!

There was silence as if Vernon had paused in thought. "I suppose. But what if he tells someone about-"

"He won't," Petunia reassured. "You know the boy's terrified of you at heart. Give him a good beating or two before he goes, and he won't ever tell a soul about how we treat him." Another pause.

"You're sure about this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Petunia laughed. "It's like all our dreams coming true!"

Pain swelled in his chest. He knew that they didn't want him, but he had hoped, deep inside, that the Dursleys truly cared for him.

"I'll think about it," Vernon said thoughtfully. "We'll tell the neighbors that he'd been accepted at Durmstrang Institution, if they ever ask."

Harry rolled his eyes. Those two would never stop worrying about the damn neighbors."Now, excuse me, I'm going to teach my nephew a lesson."

At once, Harry went back inside the cupboard and shut the door silently, locking it once again. A few seconds later, he heard heavy thuds coming from the direction of the living room. Three loud knocks sounded at his door.

"Open up, boy," Vernon growled. Harry swallowed largely but didn't comply. He heard a noise of frustration coming from the other side of the door. "Open it up now, or I'll break down this door!"

Harry took a deep breath and rid his face of any emotion before unlocking the door. He closed his eyes when he felt thick, gnarly hands bury themselves in his hair and dragged him out of his hiding space roughly. He felt hot breath in his face and willed himself not to gag.

"Look at me," his uncle demanded. Harry abandoned all fear and opened his eyes. Vernon's face was an ugly red color and contorted with rage. "You take back what you said now, and I won't hurt you."

"What good will that do?" Harry asked angrily. "It doesn't change anything. I'm gay, and I'm gay, and I'm gay! I'm a fucking homosexual, and I like men!"

He was thrown to the floor and felt the wind knocked out of his chest.

"There is no such thing as homosexuality," Vernon said distastefully. "You're not right in the head!"

Vernon placed a foot on Harry's throat, and green eyes widened, looking desperately at his attacker. He struggled valiantly, but his small frame was nothing compared to Vernon's brute strength. Choking and gasping for air, he prayed and prayed for someone to save him. It felt like hours had passed when his body finally gave up and his vision blacked out.

Harry woke up in his small and pitiful bed inside the cupboard under the stairs. His throat burned and stung, and his side felt like it was on fire. Grunting, he sat up and pulled up his shirt to examine the damage.

Harry's waist had multiple dark bruises, and his hips sported a colorful blob. Just wonderful. Really fucking great. He got out of bed and ignored the pain shooting up and down his body. Because when you're Harry Potter, you have to learn to deal with shit like that.He walked up the stairs and into the bathroom, reveling at the refreshment he felt when the cold water touched his damp and sweaty face. He took a quick shower before making his way downstairs again.

The living room was silent. Petunia and Dudley didn't spare Harry so much as a glance as they stared lifelessly at the TV. When Harry sat down on the sofa, Dudley let out a little squeal of fear and ran off to his mother's armchair. Harry's eye twitched.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and in came a jubilant Vernon Dursley. "It's done, Petunia"

Petunia got up from her chair and smiled brightly. "It has? How wonderful!"

"They'll send in a letter in a day or two, the lady said," Vernon carried on, all business-like as if he wasn't about to ship his nephew off to God knows where.

"But she said that for a boy as troubled as him, there was a very high chance they'd send a reply straight away with the acceptance letter!"

"Acceptance letter to what?"

The two turned to look at Harry and rolled their eyes.

His uncle ignored his words. "I'd start preparing myself if I were you, boy."

"And why's that?" Harry asked, confusion marring his features.

"You're going to Hogwarts."

***

wow i really went there when i wrote this scene. i'm sorry