The Other Potter

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dear Uncle Vernon

Percy and Harry Potter started living with their aunt's family after Lily and James Potter were reported dead.

After that horrible night, Percy woke up to see that the events weren't just a really bad dream. His parents were dead, and he was alone with his younger brother, in a house were they weren't welcomed.

What a great start.

Not knowing what had happened after he blacked out, he accepted the new place he was now in. After all, there was nothing else to do. Even if he missed mommy and daddy, he had to be strong to protect his little brother.

The first years in that house weren't exactly perfect, but they were better than the ones to come. Until he turned 5, his aunt at least gave him and his brother food and clothes, while his uncle only complained about having to spend money on them. But, after his fifth birthday, things turned out for the worst.

His uncle, thinking he was old enough, ordered him to cook and make difficult chores for a child his age. At first, when he did them wrong, he would yell at him about how useless he was, but, as time passed, every little mistake was a reason to turn violent with him.

Percy only accepted this situation because he had to take care of Harry. He knew that, if they were to leave that house, they would be taken to an orphanage, where they could be separated forever. At least, that was what he saw on the TV.

He didn't want that. He had to protect his only family left.

So, the first time uncle Vernon hit Harry, Percy made a deal with him: he would take both Harry and his beatings, he would be the best of boys and obey his uncle, and in exchange he wouldn't hit Harry.

The deal worked out perfectly. When Percy or Harry made mistakes, uncle Vernon would keep quiet until the night, when he went to Percy's room to beat him. No one else in the house knew about their "little secret".

Like this, the years passed, Percy getting worse wounds each time, but always making sure Harry was alright.

There was one time when uncle Vernon broke the deal, because Harry pissed him off so much that he "couldn't" hold back. Percy, being the smart child that he was, threatened to call the authorities and demand child abuse. Since then, his dear uncle didn't dare to lay a finger on Harry.

When Percy wasn't doing chores for the Dursleys or being abused by his uncle, he was either taking care of his wounds, talking with Harry or reading in his room. Despite having dyslexia, there was nothing else he could do to get rid of the boredom, and soon he started loving books, even if he got frustrated sometimes for not being able to figure out the words. Because of this, and the hard situation he had growing up, Percy became a mature child really fast.

He still remembered the night his parents died, often having nightmares about it. Because neither aunt Petunia nor uncle Vernon told Harry, Percy was the one that introduced him to the very little knowlege he had of the magical world. They often tried to practice their magic, Percy going as far as being able to perform spells if he was lucky enough, but, after their uncle discovered them and gave Percy a beating worth to remember, they stopped doing it.

This way, between chores and books, Percy grew up in a somewhat decent atmosphere...

Or, at least, it could've been called like that, if it wasn't for what his dear uncle Vernon often did to him.