Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Allergies
By Mystrivin
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Feet pounded on the pavement.
The sound echoed hauntingly.
The boy was small and thin, scrawny even, wearing clothes so large they made him look like a wooden puppet. He risked a glance behind him, flashing his green eyes at his pursuers. Some distance behind him, a gang of boys of varying sizes and shapes chased after him. Most notable was the one that lagged in the back, a pudgy lad who was so large, his footsteps seemed to make the ground vibrate with his sheer weight.
"Come on, Dudley! Hurry up!" One of the boys goaded. The large boy, Dudley, only seemed to nod imperceptibly as he ran, mouth wide open to gasp the much needed air. While this game was his idea, he really hated the fact that they had to chase the scrawny boy. Why couldn't he just stand still and get caught?
The culprit of Dudley's thoughts turned a corner and rushed through an open door into his school, hoping that by running through the hallways, a teacher may be able to intercept this crazy game of "Harry Hunting".
No such luck.
He whizzed by the assortment of crude drawings and colorful mascots, each breath sending pain down his throat and into his lungs. He didn't know how much longer he could run. Only that they were chasing him. For a moment, he wished that there was somewhere in the school that would keep him safe. A place that would keep all of those nasty boys away.
As if it appeared out of nowhere, he spotted the entrance to the school library. Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed in and stopped dead in his tracks. Harry looked this way and that, trying to figure out where the best hiding spot was.
"There he is! Get him!"
Harry's head whipped around so fast that the librarian was sure that he would feel that the next day. While she had her guesses about the situation, she decided to wait and see. If her suspicions were correct, then it would be better to wait it out and remove the bullies when they got into the library. Harry ran into the maze of bookshelves and found the only dark corner of the library, where the bookshelf so close to the wall, light failed to pass through. He shuffled into the tight corner and huddled down, trying to give off the impression of a book, yet each breath shallow and short and each heartbeat louder than Dudley's footsteps.
The gaggle of boys pounded into the library and looked to and fro, searching for their prey. The librarian all but glared at them. They did not seem to see her. If they did, they were showing clear disrespect to a staff member and essentially desecrating her sacred library with their mere presence. Not to mention chasing a boy ragged without reason.
"Where is he?" Dudley growled out to his mates.
"I'm sorry, you must keep your voice level down or I must ask you to leave." She stated with barely restrained impatience. Suspicions confirmed, she was enraged that 'recess' gave children license for what was clearly a violent situation. She would have to bring it up in the next staff meeting.
In favor of ignoring her, Dudley gave the orders to fan out and search. Effectively hidden from view, Harry felt like his heart was jammed in his throat. His hand flew over to cover his mouth, breath coming out rapidly through his nose. Squeezing his eyes shut, he wished that they would just go away. He wished with every beat of his heart that they would just get out of the library and leave him alone.
Then, a very curious thing happened.
The boys pursuing Harry all sneezed simultaneously.
The librarian blinked her eyes in confusion. That was strange. Then, it happened again. More violently. Followed by sniffles. Taking this as her cue, she stepped out from behind the counter and rounded them up.
"Out you go. The library has absolutely no place for sick children." She declared, glad for the excuse to get these children out of her domain.
They followed obediently, having no choice in the matter as each sneeze came more forcibly than the last and with quick succession. Once out, their sneezes became more distant and infrequent, sounds of grumbling fading into the distance.
Listening carefully as they retreated, Harry began to calm down. As soon as he was sure they were gone, he sucked in a deep breath, filling his lungs with much needed air. He gulped at the air for a few moments, relief flooding his body. Shaking, he uncurled slightly, afraid to believe his luck. Could this library really become his sanctuary?
After seeing the obnoxious boys out, she headed into the corner that she believed the boy ran off to. Indeed he was there, sitting on the ground squashed between the bookcase and the wall, wide eyes staring blankly at the bookshelves before him. At least he's quiet, she mused.
"Are you alright?" Her tone was kind, carrying with it genuine concern for the boy before her. He looked as if he hadn't been eating properly. And all that running around with his bony body couldn't be healthy.
Harry looked at her with his viridescent eyes, trying to determine if she was friend or foe. She seemed nice enough. It was like she drove them out of the library. He swallowed and smiled cautiously.
"I think so..."
"Well, you won't need to worry about them, it looks like they're allergic to the library." She smiled at her own joke. Her eyes scanned over him, trying to discern if he had been harmed. He was thin and scrawny, needing more sustenance and rest from the looks of it. Other than that, he was none the worse for wear. Satisfied, she turned to leave.
"Allergic?" He asked.
She paused and turned around, pondering if she should indulge the youngster.
"Go look in section PF98.7, there should be a book about it over there. Let me know if you need help finding it. It should be titled 'Allergies'."
And so Harry did.
Author's Note: The idea came when I read in a fanfiction "when Harry found that Dudley and his gang were allergic to the library." Don't remember which one it was, but I thought it would make a nice short one-shot. In any case, that was fun. Let me know how you liked it. Critiques and reviews appreciated.