Hi guys!
Just a oneshot that I felt the need to write today.
Sorry it's so short.
Correct my rating on this story if you'll feel it's inappropriate.
This story is dedicated to the teenage girl who committed suicide at my local shopping centre, the Bentalls Centre in Kingston yesterday. If only she had had someone to talk to her...I'm sure we all hope that she's in a better place now.
Harry Potter was walking around a shopping centre trying to take his mind off everything that had happened that year. Dumbledore's death had hit him hard and made him realise how hard this war was going to be to win. The muggle world was still functioning as normal and Harry found it easier to forget everything when he was in a crowded area surrounded with people with ordinary problems. The constant babble and endless conversations to eavesdrop on distracted him from the horrors of the world he had just left. The shopping centre was one with four floors- three above ground and a basement. There were shops all around of the square shaped building and there was a a gap in the centre with a barrier blocking the edge so that people could lean over and admire the massive water piece below. Turning right on a corner of the third floor, Harry saw a hulk standing on top of the barrier, leaning over the edge.
At first, Harry thought that it was one of those teenagers trying to impress their mates by showing how 'brave' they were but it wasn't until Harry saw the large gathering of people surrounding the man that Harry looked closer and saw that the figure was only leaning a bit too far to be showing off. With a shock, Harry stepped forward and heard the man's threatening calls: "I'm going to jump off, you know! It's all your fault!" Recognising the voice, Harry realised that the hulking figure was in fact his cousin, Dudley Dursley. A rush of thoughts entered Harry's mind. Dudley had always been happy, hadn't he? He had always got everything he wanted and he was the leader of a gang who all looked up to him. Why was he standing there, yelling to anyone who could hear that he was going to jump. Even security guards weren't interfering with him, although they were constantly muttering into their radios. No one wanted to step in to help. Whether it was for fear that they would be lashed out at or that they didn't want to get close to the edge themselves, Harry never did know, but he cautiously made his way through the crowd and approached his huge cousin.
A second too late, Harry realised that he probably wasn't the person to try and convince his cousin to step down and calm down. Dudley heard the whispers in the crowd stop and he turned his head. "You little freak! How dare you try to come near me!" Harry was shocked to hear Dudley yell with tears streaming down his face.
"Look, Dudley...I know I'm probably not the best person to try and talk to you but no one else seems to be doing it. I think you should really just take a deep breath and think about what you're doing. What could be so bad that makes you want to kill yourself?"
"I've been thinking about this day and night for weeks! What's the point of me living? What's the point of me living a life when I'm mummy's little boy and daddy's little tyke? I have no friends. No real ones anyway...I'm thick, ugly, fat...No one is ever going to want to spend time with me. I don't want to have to act any more. I don't want to be a good little son or a bully for my gang. No one is going to accept me for who I am and I'm so tired of it all!" This cry came straight from Dudley's heart and it was the last thing Harry had expected to hear.
"I accept you for who you are, Dudley," Harry whispered quietly. "Come off that barrier and we can talk properly. We can speak to your parents. I'm sure they'll understand, You could ask them to move to a new school. You could start from the beginning there. I'm sure you feel like it's the end of the world right now, but remember: happiness is like a boomerang. It comes back when you least expect it to. You can't give up now. You're only sixteen! You have your whole life ahead of you! You have plenty of time to start fresh. We could do it together. Just step off the barrier."
"Why should I believe you? You're a freak! How do I know you're not like all those other people who have lied to me?"
"Have some faith, Dudley. Trust me, just step off that barrier." Harry repeated.
To say that Harry was surprised that Dudley was actually inching down his right foot from the barrier was an understatement. As his oversized cousin slowly pulled himself down off the barrier, the crowd began to applaud Harry and Dudley. Inwardly cursing the spectators for their insensitivity of the situation, Harry moved forwards to Dudley and awkwardly held onto his arm and pulled him towards the lifts through the now diffusing crowd. Standing in the lifts with Dudley would have been a comical moment had the atmosphere not been so serious. The pair were desperately trying to look everywhere but at eachother: Dudley trying to mop up his tears with his sleeve and Harry fiddling with his glasses. With the tension in the confined space so thick that you could cut it with a knife, Harry felt the need to say something: "You know, I did mean everything I meant back there." As if by miracle, the brooding storm clouds that had hung over them lifted and Dudley's face visibly lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course" And the two cousins left the shopping centre to face Dudley's parents and help him to do everything he could to turn over a new leaf.
I'm sorry that this seems a little rushed but I felt the need to write straight from the heart today. Maybe I'll rewrite this in the future but I happy with this for now.
What was your favourite line?
Thanks for reading. I always appreciate reviews.