Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters I used.
Hope you guys enjoy! This is my first HP story, so constructive criticism is welcome :)
Note: I don't watch 'The Flash' but my brother does.
"...And everyone, remember, tomorrow is a very important day. The Board of Education is coming to..." The substitute teacher's monotone voice seems to fade out into the background as I struggle to keep my heavy eyes open. Everyone else is on the edge of their seats, eager to find out why the Board of Education is coming, but I, for one, am unfazed by this seemingly "very important" announcement.
Yawning, I blink slowly. Searching my mind for possible tactics to staying awake, and coming up empty, I finally decide to try something I read online once. I widen my eyes as much as possible, in a last-minute attempt to keep my eyes open.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see my best friend, Bria, give me a concerned look, probably questioning my level of sanity.
Scrunching up her nose, she eyes me apprehensively, and then, from out of nowhere, she turns to her backpack. Over the substitute's voice, and the eager whispers from around me, I hear the familiar sound of a zipper, and the sound of papers rustling.
I see her grab a pencil from off her desk, and jotting down a couple of words, she then throws the note to me.
It lands gracefully on the edge of my desk, and I force my half-closed eyes to read it.
You okay? Is written messily on the front, and the statement causes me to snort quietly to myself. I crumple the note, and toss it back to her, mouthing 'Do I look okay to you?'
Shrugging, she mouths back, 'You look like crap' And in reply I roll my eyes and turn away, not in the mood for the sarcastic, and crude comment that she's bound to say next.
My mind races, as I struggle to remember why I thought it was a good idea to stay up all night, watching 'The Flash'. I can only blame my lack of sleep on Iris and Barry.
One last thought crosses my mind, before my body can fully shut down. I guess I'll never find out why the Board of Education is coming.
"Harry James Patten!" A loud female voice yells, and I groan, covering my ears.
I open my eyes, squinting, to see a blurry - obviously enraged - figure standing there, with crossed arms, and toes tapping furiously.
"Mom!" I whine. "Just give me one more minute. I don't want to go to school just yet." My head pounds, and my ears ache. A small growl is then heard, and I clutch my stomach. I guess it wasn't such a good idea to skip breakfast today.
I rub my eyes sleepily, to clear up my vision, and bringing my hands down, I am faced with an unpleasant scene. My mom stands there, face red with anger and frustration, and the sheepish-looking sub stands by the principal. The sub's eyes nervously wander around the classroom, avoiding eye contact with me.
"Uh, hello Mr. Severus. How are ya?" I say nervously, trying to lighten up the situation. Mr. Severus just shakes his head, and says sternly, "What have you got to say for yourself, young man?"
And with these very words, I duck my head down, ashamed, and mentally prepare myself for the long speech that will come my way.
Little did Harry know, at this exact same moment, a large, brown owl swoops past the Dursley's house, and enters a life-changing letter through his house's mail slot.
And little did he know, his life was never going to be the same again.
The silence in the car is unnerving, awkward even. I'm sure my thoughts must convey on my face. The air feels heavy with unspoken words, and I can tell from the neutral, blank face my mom has plastered on, that she's trying her best not to explode on me. Every once in a while, her eye twitches, prompting her to rub her eyes wearily.
She hasn't said a word to me since she picked me up. And the complete absence of any talking, is beginning to freak me out.
I shift in my seat uncomfortably; The sun is high in the sky, and its heat burns into me. Sweat seems to spring up from out of nowhere, dampening my clothes and coating my face a bright red color. My collar begins to feel too hot and sticky and the seat-belt digs into my side painfully.
A voice in the back of my mind urges: Apologize to her!
But I can't seem to say a word. Every time I open my mouth, the words die in my throat, and I end up gaping like a dead fish. In the end, I just decide to stay quiet, and enjoy the silence, grateful that my mom isn't ranting on about how she's disappointed, and etc.
It isn't long until we return home, and turn into the old bumpy driveway. A grin creeps onto my face as I happily sigh. Home Sweet Home. My grin disappears, as I spot a familiar gray truck resting under the roof of the garage. An overwhelming weight crashes down on my tight chest, and my breath hitches.
Dad's home. I mentally groan. Dad's supposed to be at work, but mom probably phoned him and told him about the incident at school. I scowl, my eyes flicker to mom. She is gathering her stuff together, the same impassive look on her face.
But a resigned glint deep in her eyes tell me everything.
I keep my scowl unwavering, as I open the car door to get out, and slam it. I drag my feet to the house, silently counting every step it takes to get there. When we open the door, as expected, my dad is there to greet me.
I don't say hi. I don't say anything. Wordlessly, I manage to give him a sheepish smile and cross the room to the kitchen table, where he seats himself. He clears his throat, "Your mother told me about your little episode during school today."
I don't reply.
He narrows his eyes, and decides to go straight to the point. "No TV for two weeks, I'm taking away your iPhone, and every day, I expect you to be in bed by 9." Leaning forward intimidatingly, he adds quietly "Understand?."
I'm speechless. Words jumble up in my mind, and I can't seem to string together a word or two. Seconds tick by, and every second feels like an eternity.
"Do you understand?" My mom then says. I jump in my seat, and just blink at her. I kind of forgot she was here for a moment. I turn back to my dad, and gulp. The fear must be shown on my face, cause he then smiles, a triumphant grin gracing his features. "Good."
"Now, go wash the dishes." He yawns tiredly, as if I was some mess he just took care of. I open my mouth to protest, when my older sister Reva appears in the doorway.
Her hair's a rat nests, eyes droopy and dull. Freckles dot her pale face, and she suppresses a yawn as yet another cough erupts out of her throat. The robe she is wearing has specks of multi-colored stains everywhere.
"Hey Mom. Dad." She mumbles, acknowledging them with a nod of her head. She barely looks up from the phone that she tightly grasps in her right hand. "Hello Reva," My parents respond simultaneously.
"How are you, honey?" My mom says worriedly.
"Oh, the allergies seem to have gotten worse." Reva cries out, and slumps down on a chair. "Oh honey, I wish -" My mom's interrupted by an owl swooping by noisily, its outstretched wings flapping frantically.
"Oh my, is that a letter that darned owl's holding?"