Disclaimer: Don't own Seamus though I wish I did. Harry Potter/A Song For a Ragged Boy. For this story to work you kinda have to ignore the fact that these sort of places were shut down in the 80's ok? If you can't handle that, don't read. Starts before

Hogwarts but then It'll just to after k?

R for child abuse, rape and plain angst. Don't like, don't read-don't say I didn't warn you and if you flame me I will be given no choice but to find you and....I'm calm, I'm calm. But I did warn you.

To Save A Raggy Boy

Prologue,

Pre-Hogwarts,

The belt rose and fell, again and again bringing forth cries off pain from the small boys mouth. Seamus Finnigan flinched from his place in the line as they were forced to watch. All the boy had done was go past a painted line on the floor to pick a flower and this was his punnishment.

"This is wrong," Seamus muttered.

"What was that?" Father Green stopped mid strike to turn to the lines of boys. "Who spoke out of turn?" He brandished the strip of leather with coins in the ends like a weapon. "Who? Own up or it'll be double the trouble when I finds out who did it!"

"It was me Father," Seamus said quietly, stepping foreward. Father Green walked up to him quickly, swinging the strap up and then down catching Seamus on the cheek. The blow was repeated, landing this time on his eye brow.

"Let that be a lesson to yer," Father Green snapped. The poor boy knelt on the floor, blood dripping down his back sobbed. "Get to your classes!" The boys turned as one before going inside the building, well except for Seamus who had a rather rebelious streak.

He walked strait past Father Green and helped Paddy, the poor boy, to his feet, slinging his arm around his shoulders so he could take the boys weight easier. Father Green hit him on the back with the strip of leather as he passed but did nothing more, luckily.

He helped Paddy to the boys toilets and got a towel, wetting it before gently pushing it to Paddy's back. This movement brought a hiss from the trembling boy who wiped at his wet cheeks with his hand. Footsteps behind them made both turn but they found the only non-violent Father, Father O'Brian coming towards them with the first aid box.

"You'd better get to classe Finnigan," he said quietly as he took over washing the blood from Paddy's back.

"If it's alright Father, I'd like to stay and help you with Paddy," Seamus said respectfully. This was the only Father he was ever respectful to. Father O'Brian nodded, frowned and took Seamus by the chin, inspecting the two cuts caused by the lash earlier.

"Wash them out and I'll put something on it when I'm finished with Goddard."

Seamus thanked him before using a wet flannel to wipe the blood from his face, flinching as it stung. He watched Father O'Brian put some cream over the cuts and then bandages. The same cream was then spread over his cuts.

"Now get back to classes, the both of you, and try not to get on Father Green's bad side again."

"Today boys you'll be memorising a seperate poem each, one that I have picked out for each of you..." Father Harold, not as nice as Father O'Brian but not too violent unless you were really naughty was saying as the boys entered the room. All eyes stared at them, taking in Paddy's tear stained cheeks, the single cut not bandaged on the back of his neck and Seamus's face. "Welcome back, please take your seats."

"Yes Father," both boys said before sitting in their places.

"I will now hand out the poems for you to remember," As he was moving around the class James Freeman whispered to Seamus,

"How long is it till we get out?" James wasn't a bright boy, infact he was the slowest boy in the class. Barely able to read and not able to write he was bullied by all but Seamus.

"A long time James, a long time." Seamus would be 11 on the 3rd of August, then it would only be 3 years before he could return home. He'd been their since he was 10, his father didn't like the fact that he turned out to be a freak like his mother and had paid to have him sent away. Both boys stopped talking when Father Harold came up to them.

"Finnigan, memorise the poem marked in this book, Freeman the paragraph underlined in this," 2 books were placed on the desk. Seamus's was 'Poetry of the First World War' and James was 'The Railway Children', a child's book but the only types of books James could read.

"T-the R-rall-Rii-Raaiil-way," James struggled to read the title.

"Railway," Seamus offered.

"Thanks, The Railway Chil-dren. The Railway Children," he managed the title proudly. "Sir? Sir how long have we got on this?" he asked suddenly.

"Till next Friday," Father Harold said. Seamus sighed and began to read his poem,

"In Fla-Flanders Fields the pop-poppies blow, betwen, no between the crosses row on row."

"Your good at reading Seamus, I'll never be as good as you," James said sadly.

"Yes you will, look I'll help you with this. See here, Chapter One, you see how it makes Chapter?" Seamus asked. James nodded slowly. "Now what does the next line say?"

"They we-were not railway," the word was slow and he looked at Seamus for a nod of approval, "children to beg-in begin with. I don't su-sup-ose-suppose they had..."

"Keep going, you'll get it eventually," Seamus went back to his poem.

"You just wont learn will you?" Father Green asked Seamus as he was forced to strip down to his boxers in the playground. Seamus was shivering by the time he was done and his feet were numb. "You'd better hurry up and learn boy or I'll have to make the punishment worse."

With that the strap rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell catching Seamus across the shoulders again and again. He didn't cry, just gasped in pain as the cuts grew larger, blood dripping down his back. He bagan to get weak, tears finally began to fall and his legs gave way. The blows didn't stop as he knelt on the floor, rather increased until Father O'Brian did something both brave and foolish.

"Father Green!" he called, catching Father Greens wrist before he could deal another blow. "I think that's enough father, we don't want him dying do we?"

"No, no of course not," Father Green took some calming breathes and turned to the other boys. "Get to your classes boys. Now!"

Father O'brian knelt by Seamus and used his own handkerchief to wipe Seamus's face before he helped him to stand and took him inside slowly. Seamus was sat on Father O'Brian's own bed as his back was treated.

"You need to be more careful Seamus, try not to get on his bad side," Father O'Brian advised kindly as he wound a bandage around Seamus's cheast.

"I don't try to, I just do," Seamus admitted sadly. "It doesn't matter father, it's not the first hiding I've had."

"I know, but I'd rather you try and make it your last," Father O'Brian smiled at him, gently touching Seamus's cheek. "Now away with you, or you'll get into more trouble."

A/N Should it be Seamus who gets raped or another boy? I can't decide or else I'd have written more.