And so had begun the second phase of Harry's life with the Dursleys. When ever he got punished for accidental magic (not that it was often since the binding was in place) it was Albus Dumbledore's fault because he sent Harry out of the magical world. When his uncle was denied the promotion he had wanted and worked hard for it was Dumbledore's fault because they couldn't move to a house better suited to entertain clients. When all of them wished there could be another baby in the house it was the thrice damned Dumbledore's fault that there wasn't.
All in all it hadn't been a bad life. Each year he was given additional new chores, the biggest of which strangely enough was tutoring Dudley. Petunia had seen that Harry was intelligent the way she and Lily were and that Dudley was like Vernon. Although Dudley hadn't liked being tutored by his cousin he did it rather than incur his Mum's wrath. Dudley liked to tease him and say, "Harry you are awfully girly, seeing as how you can keep house as well as Mum and like shopping." But aside from once when they were six, Dudley never deliberately dirtied the house after Harry cleaned trying to get him in trouble. Harry couldn't help but grin when he remembered that day. Aunt Petunia had looked at Dudley's smirk and Harry's panicked eyes and punished his cousin by making him do that weekend's deep cleaning, four times, until it was done to her satisfaction.
Harry's days had a planned sameness. He woke at six and got ready for the day then he and his aunt met in the kitchen. One would make breakfast for the family while the other made lunches, then they would eat. Harry and Dudley would go to school. After school Harry would come home while Dudley went to Rugby practice, or to wrestling or to the boxing gym. At home, Harry would do two loads of laundry and a touch up cleaning and start dinner before doing his schoolwork. When Dudley got home at 4:30 he would help him understand his homework and answer questions from his cousin. Tuesdays and Thursdays he would also quiz his cousin before running four miles. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he would finish dinner by six so he could eat before his kenpo classes. He'd get home by eight thirty, check Dudley's homework then go to bed by 9:30. He and Dudley were in the top six of their class. Although some kids at school picked on him for his non-school second hand clothes, perpetually messy hair, and dorky glasses, Dudley no longer picked on him as he had when they were small. Saturday mornings he did a through cleaning of the house, before going to his kenpo class for the afternoon. Sunday he would put dinner in the slow cooker as his Aunt made breakfast. The family went to church then Sunday afternoon was spent studying, reading, or drawing while his relatives watched TV. Sometimes if they went on an outing instead, Harry would sneak in and play on Dudley's computer.
Summers were spent doing chores for his relatives in the morning. Then spending the afternoons doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to earn a little money, or reading, or drawing with materials purchased from his earnings, and occasionally going swimming at the neighborhood pool. Most times his Aunt allowed him to come with them when they went on holiday, because she suspected odd, nosy, old Mrs. Figg from Wisteria Walk reported to Dumbledore. He never got to do everything that his cousin did on those trips. He'd never been to an amusement park for instance, but he had played in the sand by the sea and he had seen a few "educational" museums. Despite this, from his perspective going on the trips and being left in a hotel room with a TV and no one to tell him he couldn't watch and maid service, meaning no chores for him, was great.
His Aunt had allowed him to start Kenpo karate when he was seven. She heard that it helped with discipline. She also knew that Albus Dumbledore wouldn't be happy if Harry were a trained fighter, so she persuaded Vernon it would be a good thing. Harry showed a talent for it and his sensei offered to let him take additional classes in exchange for help cleaning the dojo. Harry had advanced to the point he had his third rank brown belt and helped with the white through orange belt classes on Saturday before taking his Weapons class. He was learning advanced staff and throwing stars. And Sensei spoke of him starting to learn sword soon.
He had been moved from his room in the cupboard back to the smallest bedroom when he could no longer stand without crouching. His Aunt had removed the crib and replaced the furniture in the smallest bedroom with mission style furniture, a bed, a desk, a chair and a small dresser. Harry's room had a different feel than the rest of the house but he liked it that way. His Aunt had noticed that Harry had an eye for line and color and she had decided when he was eight to reward him for his hard work, his good grades, and most of all for keeping his magic in check once a quarter by taking him shopping with her.
Harry loved those days even if it was "girly"as he cousin said it was. Dudley always had all the affection he wanted, Harry settled for what he could get. Harry tried to please his Aunt in all things because he could never make up for the price she and Uncle Vernon paid for taking him in. Aunt Petunia sometimes gifted him with a touch on the head and "well done", he lived for those moments. There were only two people in this world he hated, the evil wizard who killed his parents and Albus Dumbledore.
Harry's ninth Christmas saw him receiving the first non-clothing gift he ever got from his Aunt and Uncle, an art box with pencils, chalks, watercolors and an assortment of paper. For years Harry's Christmas and Birthday presents were usually his good clothes. Petunia supplied him with three shirts, two jumpers and two pairs of trousers for school, one nice outfit for church and social occasions, unmentionables, his karate uniform, a pair of trainers, a nice general purpose pair of shoes, and winter boots and then he had seven sets of clothes that were in good condition, a winter jacket, pajamas, dressing gown and swim trunks from the second hand store. He was sometimes teased about it but he figured it could be worse. He could be forced to wear Dudley's discards Dudley wore three sizes bigger and husky. Harry wore slims. Harry was touched by the new and different gift but was also confused he had long ago realized that for his relatives he was a means to an end. You want the house cleaned have Harry do it. You want Dudley to get decent grades have Harry help him. Harry was sure this gift was because of what had happened a week before Christmas, but that wouldn't stop him from enjoying it .
Harry had gone shopping with Dudley and Aunt Petunia It had been a snowy and cold day. The roads were very icy and Dudley had slipped and fallen in front of a lorry that was sliding instead of stopping. Harry had darted forward and done something, he wasn't sure what. First they were in front of the lorry then they weren't. He told police that his momentum must have made him and Dudley slide out of the way. They accepted his explanation, but Harry could tell from the gleam in his Aunt's eye she didn't believe it. He wasn't sure he did either because sliding wouldn't have left him tired and he had felt the radiating heat of the lorry's engine at his back. He hoped that he wouldn't get in trouble for doing it.
That day had changed many things Harry meditated on his memory and realized he had, in his panic reached through the wall that surrounded his core. He had known for many years courtesy of the meditation he'd learned in martial arts that everyone had a core light/energy that he could sense. But if his uncle was a candle and Dudley and Aunt Petunia were stove burners, he was a roaring bonfire. He was however cut off from it by a barrier. He assumed the barrier was the bind on his magic Dumbledore had placed. Harry started to deliberately try to touch his core while he meditated.