Chapter 1
I remember the day I they took Leo away. It was the day that everything changed for me, and a day I will never forget. My name is Harriet, and I'm 15 years old. In my hometown, there aren't many things a teenager like me can live for. At school, I'm the nerd girl in my class, I like say the 'Hermione Granger' but nobody actually gets that except me, and in my school it's not cool to be into stuff like reading, or TV drama or sci-fi, just X factor and the latest boy band or whatever else. No friends no support, life was hell until he came along. His name was Leo, and his was the first friend I ever had. I still remember the day that he arrived at the school.
"Stand up and introduced yourself." The teacher had said, and he walked up to the front of the class, surrounded by the whispers and muffled giggling of the kids to his left and right. I just buried my head further into my copy of harry potter and the deathly hallows. Leo turned to face the class and grinned, and said "hello, I'm Leonardo" "like Leonardo di caprio?" said one of the girls "no. di Vinci" he said bluntly. I peered up over the top of my book. He was a tall boy, and he had mousey brown curly hair and freckles, and full moon glasses. Of course, my brain immediately thought 'harry' but I shook it off.
Later that day, I was sitting outside at lunchtime on my bench in the far corner of the dull grey court yard, reading as normal. One of the reasons why I loved reading these books was because I felt that the characters were really real, and my friends, my only friends, and I treasured them. Talk about emotional investment but I just couldn't help it. Harry potter was best, I simply loved Harry and Ron, and I loved Hermione like a sister, I felt she was just like me, nerdy and bullied for stupid reasons but still strong, and the weasley family were my own family.
The hunger games really meant something to me as well, I found myself imagining being in Katniss's situation, what would I have done? The writing which just kept me turning the page again and again and again and again, I couldn't help myself, but at Rues death, I near broke down to tears.
Twilight…..I don't know, I tried but I found myself becoming hugely depressed and eventually gave up.
TV shows as well were a huge comfort to me, not X factor and that kind of thing, oh no, I loved Doctor Who. I remember the moment when he'd just blurt out with the most random stuff and I'd just love it, the moments when he'd have to make a terrible choice and you would just hold your breath, and when those monsters show up like the weeping angels or the daleks or the cybermen and you'd jump out of your skin or your heart race into your mouth, and when you have to say goodbye to one of the doctors or a companion and your near tears because you don't want them to go, you want them to stay, and be by your side as your friends forever.
Sherlock Holmes as well, the modern version. Nobody at my school will watch it, they say it too difficult to understand and are just for nerds anyway, but I don't care. I love Sherlock and Watson, Sherlock always showing off his incredible intellect and Watson always tagging along and (trying) to keep Sherlock from being too rash, and ultimately being the invaluable ally, solving impossible crimes, and every now and then you guess the answer before they reveal at the end and as a nerd, it's one of the most empowering feelings in the world.
I don't understand why nobody at this school appreciates how I feel towards these people who are my most beloved friends, though they may not exist. I've tried to show them, but they just won't listen "you're such a nerd" "why don't you just marry him then?" they don't understand that I would, oh I would if only I could. That day when Leo arrived, I for the first time was reading the 7th harry potter. I'd wanted to read it desperately ever since it came out, but the school library didn't have it and there is no library near my house, I couldn't afford my own copy as I had no money and no job, and of course my parents would never even touch that kind of thing. There just those kind of people.
I got the book from my dear, dear aunt for my birthday a few days ago and had barely stopped reading since, but as I sat there shaking on that park bench, clutching the heavy book with white fingers, I almost wished I had never read. A few cold salty tears slid down my cheeks, and dripped on the crisp new clean pages, and I bit my bottom lip. I knew it was stupid, to cry at the death of someone who never existed, but he had existed, in me. He was my beloved brother, my friend; I who had none had him. I thought of Hedwig, of my beloved dobby, and I could barely hold back my sobs as I read of my Brother Fred's death.
"hey, nerd" laughed a cold cynical voice I looked up in surprise, having been so absorbed in reading I had not heard HIM COMING, the Draco malfoy of st Tomas high, Peter Kale. "What do you want?" I said miserably. "Hey she's crying, hey look everybody she's crying!" shouted Peter delighted, and kids gathered round laughing. As per usual, I hide my face in my book. "Is this what you were crying at?" said Peter, snatching it out of my hands "No!" I shouted, grabbing for it, but peter was much taller than me and held it way up over my head "whoops" he said mockingly, pushing me away. "Give it back!" I yelled "give it back right now!" Peter held the book clumsily and read.
A grin soon spread across his face. "What? Is this it? You were crying over this?" he laughed loudly and shouted his crowd of onlookers "one of her boyfriends has died." The crowd laughs as peter say to me "he's not real idiot" "you…you don't understand…." I whimpered, reaching desperately for the book, I could never forgive them for laughing at Fred, who was now dead fighting for what he knew was right, fighting for his freedom, his friends.
"Fred? God that's such a stupid name, was his mother brain dead?" laughed Peter "STOP IT!" I screamed "that's enough" said a voice. I vaguely remembered it, but I could remember from where. Then that's new kid suddenly appeared next to me, and put an arm round my shoulder. It was him who had been talking, just then. Leo. "What do you want?" said Peter indignantly "I want you" said Leo coolly "to give the girl back her book and leave her alone" I didn't completely understand what was happening, this had never happened before.
"What?" said Peter Stupidly "In other words, get lost before I hurt you" said Leo darkly, staring Peter straight in the eye. There was a long pause, before peter tossed me the book muttering "keep the stupid thing. Come on guys" and he and other kids wandered off, throwing Leo dirty looks. From that day, Leo was my first real life friend. He stopped the other kids from picking on me and he liked all the same books and shows as me, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, The Hunger Games, and of course, Harry Potter. Leo liked Doctor who the best though, he was always talking about the different episodes and the doctors (5th generation was his favourite) and the monsters (we both agreed weeping angels were the scariest)
He appreciated my true love for the harry potter books, and in time with his support I recovered from the many deaths of my friends in that dreaded 7th book. He listened as I talked about the endless adventures I imagined myself having with harry, Ron and Hermione, he told me about his, and it was amazing. I'd never had anybody I could share these things with before.
Then came the day that I thought would never come, the day that Leo was taken away from me. I remember I had arrived at school, so happy after watching the last episode of doctor who and wanting to talk about it with Leo because I knew he'd want to talk about nothing else. I padlocked my bike to the railings and was about to run into the school, barely noticing a shiny black car pull up in front of the school gates. I ran through the corridors calling out Leo's name, becoming more worried as I looked in every classroom but still couldn't find him anywhere.
"Leo!" I shouted, not looking where I was going, and ran straight into Peter, falling to the ground "watch where you're going!" he snapped "where's peter?" I muttered, picking myself up. Peter smirked at me nastily and said "he's leaving" "what?!" I gasped "yeah, right now actually" said Peter taking delight in my horror "so say bye to your boyfriend quick, he's going to some specialist boarding school and I doubt he's coming back" I didn't wait to listen to the end of Peters sentence as I raced for the front gates, thinking of the black car. There, I saw him, Leo. There was a woman in a black suit and sunglasses holding the car door open for him, and he was getting inside.
"Leo!" I shouted. Leo turned to look at me, and shouted "Harriet?" I reached the car and grabbed Leos hand "you can't leave!" I said trying to pull him out of the car "please don't leave! Don't leave me here!" "I…I have to" said Leo, pulling away from me "I wish I could explain Harriet, but….look I have to go now" "Leo!" I shouted, as he got into the car and the door was shut behind him by the woman in the suit. I glared at her, but she paid no attention to me, and instead pulled open the front car door touching her ear piece saying "Got him. Yes sir. Right away sir." "No!" I shouted pulling on her arm "no! Don't take him, please!" She brushed me off as if I were nothing more than an annoying fly and got into the car.
"Stop it!" I said, beginning to cry "just stop it! Please! He's all I have! He…he…he's the only person I can talk to about harry." The woman froze mid closing the car door. There was a long pause as I stood there shaking, wondering why she had stopped. Suddenly the woman got out of the car again and turned to look at me, whipping of her sunglasses revealing beautiful brilliant blue eyes that examined me closely. She was tall and very pale and with black short cropped hair that shone in the early morning sunlight. "What did you just say?" she muttered "I…I said he's the only person I can talk to" I mumbled "yes, yes, after that" she said "um…I can talk to about harry?" I said uncertainly.
The woman paused for a moment, before opening the car door Leo had just stepped into "who is this girl?" She asked him. "That…that's Harriet." Said Leo "she's my friend, she…I think she's like me but I though seeing as you only asked for me that I somehow got it wrong" "what is he talking about?" I asked "the woman turned to me and said seriously "young lady, can you tell me what was the most traumatic event of your young life?" I thought for a moment before answering "the battle of Hogwarts"
The woman smiled at me and said "what is your name?" "Harriet Long" I replied "Harriet, please get in the car" said the woman holding the door open for me "where…where will you take me?" I said, unsure. "To a new school which you will be attending from now on, for people like you, and Leo" I thought about home, about school, about my family, and I looked at Leo who was grinning at me from the car and this woman who was smiling at me kindly. To get away from it all and to go to someplace batter seemed too good to be true, and I knew not to take rides from strangers but Leo was with this woman and if Leo was going then I guess I had to go to, and so I got into the car. The door was shut behind me, and the woman got into the driver's seat touching her ear piece again saying "situation sir. Code blue. A girl, potterhead. Bringing them now sir" and with that, the car drove away from the school, my past life.