“Harry Potter Makes His Own Destiny”

Chapter 8 "Back To The Dursleys"

Harry woke up screaming. "Uncle Vernon, don't hit me anymore, Please! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please stop!"

Pip appeared quickly with a cool washcloth, "Its alright Master Harry it was just a dream." he said as he washed Harrys forehead, trying to calm him down.

Harry was breathing really hard and couldn't catch his breath. He looked at Pip and choked out, "I can't breath." Pip put his hands on Harry's chest and imediately Harry breathed easy as a warm feeling spread out and around him from the little house elf's hands.

It was Harry's first night back with the Dursley's. Dinner had been a nervous and extremely quiet affair after Harry's little nap earlier that day. He had no idea what Professor McGonagall had said to the Dursleys but he was grateful. He looked at the clock as he finally managed to calm down, 4:37 am.

"Aw man, Pip, whats wrong with me?" Harry said as he noticed that he wasn't just wet from sweat. "How can I be this great wizard everyone expects. Even with the advanced magick that I can already do, I can't stop being so scared of a nightmare that I wet the bed." Harry said as he brought his knees up and put his head in his arms as the tears started to flow.

"Master Harry, that is an easy one to answer, everyone gets scared. Even Professor Dumbledore does, and tis said Master Dumbledore is the only one you-know-who was ever afraid of too."

"But what does Dumbledore have to be afraid of?" Harry said between sobs.

"Well for one, I knows he is scared that he hurt you too much by not checking how these Dursleys was treating you. He's real scared that you are hurt beyond healing. But I tells him I will help you get over the hurt. You is the boy-who-lived. I knows how your parents were, I remembers them. I knows you can get over this. You is real strong."

"I'm not strong, I couldn't even stand up to Dudley and his gang, they even got the other kids to not be my friend out of fear."

"All you needs Master Harry is confidence. I will help you with that cause I know your parents are real proud of you and they is sorry they had to leave, but you has a lot of people that loves and cares for you, I know, cause I is one."

"Really" Harry looked up.

"Yep, I knows the Dark Lord was really powerful, but you beat him at just a year old. Now you can already do spells that wizards years older than you have trouble with." Pip said as he waved his hand over Harry, returning him and the bed linen to a clean and dry state. "Now you need to rest, Madame Pomfrey said you has a broken arm and leg that need to heal correctly before school. She tolds me the magickal casts she put on shouldn't stop yous from moving about but you must rest for them to heal rightly."

"But what about my chores? I'll do my share and if the Professor's talk doesn't have Dudley doing his share then I would hope you would do his share so I can rest."

"Absolutely not Master Potter!” Pip was horrified,” I will dos your chores and your cousin WILL dos his."

"Well then I will help you. Please, no matter how they treated me, I need to do at least some of it."

From the look in Harry's eyes, Pip knew he was loosing the argument. He just hoped the other house elves at Hogwarts never heard about this, it would be far to embarrassing to admit his charge did his own chores. "I will lets you help with the garden then, at which time you will be studying your herbology textbook."

"Wonderful, I was hoping to study all my stuff before school. Do you think you could help me with other subjects too? I really would like to have them all done by school."

"Yes Master Harry, I would be very glad to help you. Now you rest and I will gets you some breakfast and we will get started."

"Thanks Pip, thanks a whole lot for everything." Harry gave the little elf a hug and layed back down.

“No need for thanks, sir, this is what gives a house elf life meaning.” Pip practically skipped out of the room.

Out in the hallway Petunia was glaring at her husband and child. "Trying to deny what he was was one thing," Petunia said quietly, "But out right torment is something else. I may not have liked my sister and her lot, never wanted anything to do with them, but I never completely hated them. She was family. That witch was right, that makes Harry family as well. I can't believe I've let this go on. I quess I am as much to blame as you two. I stopped seeing him as even a person, we all did.” Petunia turned toward her husband with tears welling up in her eyes, ”He has broken bones Vernon, you did that. Dudley, you didn't just bully him, you kept him from making friends. You chased away any one who ever said 'hello' to Harry. How could you? What sort of a son have I raised? The both of you doing things to cause me to have to take the side of their kind? It makes me really angry." Petunias eyes had shifted from tears to anger and seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter as her anger increased. Vernon and Dudley seeming were getting pushed against the wall and started to rise as well.

"I need to go do some thinking, find your own breakfast." She quickly stomped down the stairs and out the front door.

The remaining two Dursleys just slid down the wall from about a half foot up, and continued on down till they were sitting on the floor. They looked at each other bewildered, until Vernon spoke, "Son we best be doing some soul searchin too, and stay out of your mothers way, and for heaven's sake, stay away from Harry. If you can't say anything nice about a person, don't say anything to them at all. That's always been my motto."

"Yes dad." Something is definitely changing around here, Dudley thought, might be time to change with it. Dudley had been given food for thought lately, so he decided to try it for a change, thinking that is.

* * * * *

After Harry had his breakfast he figured he should probably learn more about wizarding culture. So jumped right in with the extra books he had gotten about the wizarding world, only stopping when owls delivered the newspapers he had subscribed to. When Pip brought in his lunch at 11:30, Harry had skimmed through all of them and had lots of questions Pip was more than happy to answer. They kept at it, with Pip helping him learn basic wizard culture and bringing him his meals, getting to know each other better. Much of the second day was spent with Pip telling Harry about his parents and their friends, as well as all the teachers and other adults that would most likely be in Harry's life.

Harry had spent a lot of time reading in his young life. He used any books he could get his hands on to take his thoughts away from his situation. He had even studied an old book he found on speed reading. The leasons he had learned from the yellowing pages were finally coming in handy. Harry kept jumping from book to book to keep from getting too bored with any one subject and to give his brain time to process the information. By the end of the first week, Harry had nearly memorized the first two chapters of every text book for first years, and only needed Pips help a little to master the basics he was learning. The Dursleys remained very scarce, in fact Harry hadn't seen them all week. Harry hadn't been outside his room except for the bathroom all week because he had been too absorbed in his studies, but now it was Saturday, and Harry realised he needed a break after Pip had mentioned that he really needed fresh air to heal well.

As they were going out to the garden they passed through the living room where the Dursleys were watching television. Harry's magickal casts were becoming more visible and would continue to do so as the magick was absorbed into Harry's body. Harry was wearing short pants and a t-shirt and so the casts were quite noticable. Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. Harry caught Uncle Vernon's eyes, and Vernon quickly looked down. Harry stood there for a few minutes making uncomfortable faces, then finally shrugged and said, " I'm going to go work in the garden." The Dursleys said nothing. With nothing else to say Harry and Pip just left.

Outside Harry took a deep breath and couldn't believe how clean the air seemed. Harry felt as though he was finally free to be himself... whatever that was. Harry had worked in the garden before and had always had a connection to the various creatures living there. They would always seem to radiate towards him, and he liked that, they kept him company. When ever he could find an excuse, Harry had spent time in this garden.

As he began weeding he saw the little grass snake (natrix natrix) that had made its home there. "Hello there little snake, how is your day?" Harry said as Pip began glancing around nervously.

"You sssspeak my language?" The snake looked up in surprise.

"Master shoulnd't be doing that." Pip whispered quickly.

Harry looked over at Pip, "That snake just spoke to me Pip!" Harry turned back to the snake. "What do you mean your language?" Harry said excitedly.

Pip began tugging on Harry's shirt. "Master needs to stop doing that!” a little more insistant now. ”Someone could be watching."

"Doing what? Talking at a snake?" Harry shrugged as he looked back at Pip. "Whats going on Pip? I don't get it."

"You mean you doesn't know you is a parselmouth?" Pip asked in horror.

"What's that? Oh...talking to snakes?" Harry said as thought he was beganing to understand.

"No, tis a special ability! Is associated mostly with dark wizards, tis said he-who-must-not-be-named could do it." Pip replied he shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.

"What are you saying? I'm actually talking in another language? It doesn't sound any different to me. I thought I was speaking English and the snake understood somehow." He still didn't understand exactly what was worrying the house elf.

"No no! Tis a magickal language Master Harry, you can understand it, but to everyone else it sounds like parseltongue.” Pip grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt,” It sounds like hisses. You musn't be doin it in public. Peoples will be thinking you is a dark wizard!" The poor fellow was frantic and near hysterics.

"Aw c'mon Pip, you know me, I'm not a dark wizard, and after Voldemort, oops sorry, you-know-who, and the Dursleys, I don't plan on becoming one."

"Yes, I knows Master Harry,” but Pip looked like he wasn't quite sure he really believed what he had just said, ”Others will not! Best not let them sees you talking to a snake."

"Alright,” Harry decided he couldn't win this argument, ”but right here and now we're alone and I would like to get to know this little snake. Besides, if I practise, I will learn to control it better so it doesn't happen by accident, right?" Harry said, not ready to give up on using his new ability. ”Besides you side mostly dark wizards, not only dark wizards could talk with snakes.”

"I suppose so, but I still don't likes it. But yous remember is hard to be sure yous is all alone in the wizard world.”Pip had his arms crossed by this point and a frown on his pathetic looking face.

Harry turned back to the snake, who had been watching this exchange with curiosity.

"Whatsss that all about?"

"Oh nothing," Harry replied, "Its just that the ability to talk to snakes seems to be frowned upon by the wizarding community."

The snake just shook his head, "Ah, thosse ssssilly men with their sssticksss." which made Harry laugh. "Anyway, my day issss fine."

"What? oh yes, I asssked you that, didn't I, may I asssk your name?" Harry said.

"I like the name Archimedesss, masssster." the snake replied.

"My name isss Harry Potter." Harry said. "But whatssss with the massster bit?"

"Firsst, the ability to speak with ussss isss a rare gift indeed. When sssnakess find a wizard who hasss sssuch a gift, it isss cussstomary to pledge our loyalty. Sssecond, the-boy-who-lived isss indeed an honourable perssson to pledge ssssuch loyalty. If you will accept, I will gladly pledge that loyalty to you." Archimedes said very calmly.

Harry was a little stunned to say the least. He didn't want to insult the snake. Having another friend to talk to is always a good thing, so Harry wanted to accept this offer. "I am not comfortable being followed blindly by any one or anything. If you choosssse to be my companion because you sssee worth in me, then it would be my honour to consssider you a loyal friend. But, pleassse don't do thiss jusssst becaussse it is cusstomary."

Harry offered his hand for Archimedes to climb upon. The snake's small, cool body glided up Harry's arm and right into his pocket for a little more warmth, then went to sleep.

Pip glared at him uncertainly, until Harry looked his way. Then the house elf looked down and began digging his toes into the earth.

"Don't worry Pip,” Harry tried to reassure him. However, it didn't seem to help anything.” Well, worry or don't worry, whatever you wish. I've been beaten down for who I was. I won't stop being myself anymore just because it frightens some people. But I promise you, I won't try and flaunt my skills. Those who want to be my friend will be so because of who I am inside, not just what I can or can't do. Anyone else wouldn't be a true friend, and I don't need those kinds around me." Harry then went back to his weeding.

After a long while the house elf was still digging his toe into the ground. Harry finally broke the silent without looking up. ”Pip, I have no intention of being a dark lord or a dark anything else. You should realise that by now.”

“Yous know what they says is paved with good intentions. Yous have said you is unsure about who you is.” Pip stopped moving his foot and just stared at the ground. “I watched the young Dark Lord from a distance, before he became so dark. He didn't starts out as evils as all that. It was laters he gots drunk with power for powers sake.”

“Alright.” Harry got up and walked over so he could sit down next to Pip. ”You are right, intentions aren't enough. Starting today, I will choose who and what I want to be and become. I will not allow myself to become Voldemort, no matter how tempting it seems. But talking to this little fellow in my pocket is not evil. Think of what he can teach me about the world from his point of view.”

“You has a point,” Pip nodded and looked up at Harry with hope for the first time he started talking to the grass snake. ”But yous don't know how some magickal snake-creatures is nasty. Is in their nature, to hurt other things just to see them hurt. Just like cleaning and helping in house elf nature. Just like asking questions is Harry's nature.”

“I'll remember that, and you remember that caring is also in my nature. I've been hurt to many times and too deeply to enjoy watching anyone else suffer.”

Pip looked deep into Harry's eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of his soul. Finally, Pip decided that if any one was able to defeat the Dark Lord when he came back, it would be Harry. To do this, he would need to have such a strong character that true friends would not doubt him, no matter what other wizards thought of this ability or any other Harry developed along the way. Pip realised to build that sort of trust, Harry would not be able to hide this talent from his closest friends. Hopefully, these painful years Harry had lived through would allow him to understand who should be trusted with such sensative information and who should not. Pip realised Harry had to make key choices about the road he would take in life, even though the boy probably did not. Yes, Harry was indeed beginning to grow up. Finally, Pip smiled at Harry and then went in to prepare an extra special meal for the whole family. Harry sat there in the garden for a while longer, trying to figure out what made the bloody elf so happy all of a sudden.