A Street Kid Named Ghost
Rating: T
Warnings: Cursing, child neglect, abuse and abandonment, and gory details
Summary: Harry Potter has been missing for 5 years. He is now a boy living in an abandoned house with his 'family'—a gang of street kids. One day on his way home from work he finds a tabby cat that opens up a new world.
Background: This is a story where the Dursley's don't keep Harry and instead send him to an orphanage, he is kicked out (why? will be disclosed in story) and lives on the street for the next nine years of his life. He takes in other street kids to form his gang. Yes, Harry is still the boy who lived, but most everyone forgot him. He is 16 in this story.
Disclaimer: Sadly my wishes have not come true, Harry Potter is not mine.
ENJOY!
The-Boy-Who-Lived Missing!
By: Rita Skeeter
It has come to the attention of the Daily Prophet and this reporter that the vanquisher of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has disappeared.
Harry Potter was placed with his muggle Aunt and Uncle who are (or were) his only living relatives after the one year old's defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry brought it to the attention of the wizardring world that its saviour had disappeared when Harry Potter's acceptance letter was returned unopened. Upon further investigation it was found that while Mr. Potter had been left at his aunt's and uncle's, he had not stayed there.
It is unknown whether Mr. Potter has vanished on purpose, or was stolen or killed by remaining Death Eaters. We hope that Mr. Potter will be found safe and unharmed.
Five years later
Harry "The Ghost" skirted around the edge of a burnt out building. He was at the edge of London, in the Slums. He'd gotten his nickname for his pale white almost translucent skin and his ability to seemingly disappear. The other street kids thought the latter was just because he was good at fitting into a crowd. Harry knew different. It was because of his freakish abilities.
He was able to wish to be invisible and his wish was almost always granted. However, it was that freakishness that had gotten him kicked out of the orphanage that he had lived in until he was seven.
One of the more vindictive matrons had decided that his hair was too long and messy and had sheared it off. Harry had been beyond embarrassed when everyone had laughed at him. As he had fallen asleep that night he had wished that his hair was long again. When he had woken up all his hair was back. All the other boys in his room had called him freak and ran off to get a matron. When she came in she screamed about his freakish abilities and how he shouldn't be in the orphanage corrupting all the normal children. Harry had run away that night with nothing but the clothes on him and a small backpack with some food and an extra set of clothes. Since that day he had lived on the streets.
He quickly discovered that the world he thought was out there was a lie. There were no nice people. None of the adults bustling to and from work cared about him and whether or not he was okay. The older street kids were also vindictive and spiteful.
They had pushed Harry around until Harry had learned that he didn't like being bossed around and he left his old gang. He moved to a new side of London and started his own gang. Liza was the oldest, a year older than Harry. When Harry was nine she had taken him under her wing and taught him everything he knew. She was like the mother of their small group. Harry was the big brother the young ones turned to. Lena was the same age as Harry and his co-leader. She was very distrustful and the only truly trusted was Harry, although she was still energetic. Kat, Ed, and Mona completed the gang; they ranged from 6 to 9 to 10.
Kat was the baby of the group and whenever Harry was "home" she clung to him. He had found her lying in the sewer crying her eyes out when she was four. She, like Lena, was very wary and only let Harry and Liza touch her.
Harry was glad that he had his own little family, but he feared for them. Ed, Kat, and Lena all seemed to have the same freakish abilities as Harry. Harry knew that he was a freak and doomed to hell because of that, but he didn't want the same to happen to the rest of his 'family'.
He was walking past an alley way when he heard some boys yelling and the yowls of some poor creature. Harry couldn't stop himself, he tried but he couldn't help but see what was making those awful sounds. It was what Liza called his "saving people thing'. He just didn't like seeing other people, or creatures, being hurt.
He crept into the alleyway and saw three boys beating a tabby cat with sticks. The poor cat was yowling and trying to claw its attackers, but was too weak and hurt to reach them.
Harry stood up and walked over to the boys. "What the hell do you think you're doin'?" The three boys jumped and ran when they saw who Harry was. They knew that Harry could easily hurt them and feared him for that. It was this fear that Harry played upon to keep his family safe.
He made sure the boys were gone and knelt down next to the cat, ignoring the muck he was getting on his ripped up jeans. "Hey there, you poor thing, it's alright." The cat yowled and tried to get away from him. He pet the top of the cat's head, the only part that seemed uninjured. He shushed the creature until the yowls and attempts at freedom stopped. He realized that the poor thing was shaking, either from injuries or the cold Harry was unsure. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around the cat, ignoring the cold wind that immediately penetrated his skin. He picked up the shaking bundle and began walking home.
He stopped when he reached an abandoned building and opened the half rotted door. As he stepped into the darkness he was immediately pushed back by a shrieking auburn haired creature. He laughed and picked Kat up one armed, making sure that the cat was still was still safe.
He kicked the door closed and walked into the 'living room'. "How's my favorite little girl then?"
Kat immediately started talking. "You were gone forever 'ry! I kept waiting by the door but you never came. Lena said that you had to go to work, did you really get a job 'ry?" When Kate had been younger she had been unable to pronounce Harry's name, and instead referred to him as "'ry" since.
Harry smiled at the young girl and set her down on the moth eaten couch. "Yes Kat, I did get a job. I work at Matt's store, remember, the man who's helped us with food sometimes?" Kat nodded energetically and bounced up and down on the couch making the springs creak ominously. Harry smiled and pulled out a small candy bar. "Go share that with Ed and Mona, and tell Liza and Lena that I need to see them." The little girl squealed when she saw the candy and immediately ran off, making have to yell the last part of what he said to her.
"What do you need us for, love?" Liza questioned when she walked in, followed by Lena who bounded over to Harry. The girl wasn't one for much excessive physical contact, but being near her best friend always made her feel better. Liza and Kat were the only ones ever allowed to call Harry pet names, Liza because she was like Harry's older sister and Kat because Harry was wrapped around her little finger.
Harry gently set down his bundle and unwrapped it to reveal the injured cat. Liza sucked in a breath and sank down to her knees to see the creature better. "What happened to the poor dear?"
Harry sighed and plunked down on the floor, followed by Lena who leaned slightly towards the boy. "I found three boys beating her with some sticks. I stopped them as soon as I could, but I don't know how long they had been doing it." The boy answered. Liza ran out of the room and came back in a minute later with a bowl of warm water and some bandages and cloth.
"Help me clean her up." The older girl ordered her 'brother'. Harry complied and picked up one of the cloths. He dabbed it in the water and gently washed off one of the cat's paws.
An hour later the cat was washed and bandaged, snoozing in Harry's lap. Kat bounced into the room as Liza left. The little girl crawled open couch space on Harry's left side (the right being occupied by Lena). "What are we gonna call her, 'ry?" Kate chirped.
Harry shrugged. "No idea Kat. Why don't you name her?" The little girl's face lit up in excitement. Her nose scrunched up as she thought about it.
"Dolly!" she finally decided. Harry smiled at her happiness.
"Dolly it is then!" Kat clapped her hands and then put on her pout face.
"'Ry, will you read me a story 'fore I go to bed?" Harry looked into her wide, pouting eyes and immediately gave in.
"Course I will Kat, go and get the story you want to hear." Harry said, smirking when the little girl ran out of the room as fast as she could go.
"How did work go?" Lena asked in her quiet voice. Ever since Harry had found Lena she rarely spoke in front of people, and she always spoke very softly, always somewhat hoarse.
Harry leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes in exhaustion. "Pretty good, Matt said if I worked really hard he would give me a raise, so I worked my arse off. There was this one bloke that made me run around the shop and get everything for him. I think it was because he was too fat to walk through the aisles. But he kept changing his mind about things, and made me put things back and then go get them. But other than that, it was good."
Lena gave a soft smile that softened her hard features. "Kat kept running to the door or window when we heard something in the street, I thought she was going to die the way she kept going on." She said. Harry chuckled a little. The girl in question ran in with her book and crawled back onto the couch. Harry opened the roughed up copy of 'The Sword in the Stone'. As he began to read, both Lena and Kat leaned into him. Lena put her head on his shoulder, and Kat tried to bury herself in Harry's side.
When he finished Kat was already asleep. Harry closed the book and handed it to Lena. "Can you take Dolly while I go put Kat to bed?" Lena nodded and gently lifted the dozing cat into her lap. Harry picked up Kat and swung her onto his hip. He realized with a pang of sadness that soon she would be too big to carry, even if was tiny for her age. He walked up the rickety stairs to the younger kids' bedroom. Ed and Mona were already lying in the big bed the three shared, listening to Liza reading a book. Harry pulled back the covers and tucked Kat in. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and then gave Ed and Mona quick hugs. "G'night." He whispered as he tread down the stairs.
He walked back into the sitting room and saw Lena snoozing along with Dolly. He smiled and stretched out on the couch and dozed off too.
"Harry!" Liza admonished when she walked into the room. He jumped up, "Whaa?" Dolly jumped up too and stared at Harry, chest heaving. The three humans all looked at the creature. Harry leaned in closer and looked blearily at the cat.
"What's up with you Dolly?" The cat snorted at its new name and bumped into Harry's face gently. His glasses fell to the floor. "Damn it." He muttered as he put them back on. "Whatever, I'm gonna go to bed." The girls nodded and he picked up Dolly and walked out of the room and opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs.
"I know it's not much Dolly, but there's only room for two beds upstairs and that's for the kids, Lena, and Liza. I don't need a bed." He waved his hand and a small orb of light rose to the top of the cupboard. Dolly gave a soft mew of shock. Harry gave a sad chuckle as he clambered in and situated himself into a comfortable position, spooning around Dolly. "And of course, freaks don't deserve a bed." He said as the light went out.
Sooooooo, whatdya think? My muse decided to grace me with this idea while I was getting paint for my room. Please please please please please REVIEW! I thrive on reviews! I should have the next chapter posted in the next couple of days.