Cinderella, the short adaptation

Once upon a time… well that's how all fairytales start, don't they?

There lived a pleasantly well-off family named Potters. There was James the handsome and wonderful father, Lilly who was their elegant and caring mum and their son the sweet young boy named Harry Potter. They all lived in a fair sized home that had a dainty little yard near the back, with animal that they all enjoyed.

..But a fairytale isn't a fairytale when all is perfectly happy, right?

Sadly one night, as both James and Lily came home form an evening ball at the castle. Their coachman had drunken far too much ale and they went over the cliff and died. Young Harry was left with the house, the property and the money that went along with everything else.

He needed guardianship, so his mother's sister and her family moved into the house. Aunt Petunia wasn't the nicest lady anyone had ever met, and her husband, Vernon, wasn't much of a gent either. As for their son, one could only say, he loved to eat and did just that, nothing else.

Harry, the poor boy, was sent to the kitchens below to work. He woke so early in the morning, that often he'd be rise earlier than the birds and go to bed late at night that the owls outside were already getting ready for bed. He was not allowed to have rest or comfort, aside from the short period of time during dinner when he sat near the fireplace and the cinders.

What he ate were the scraps of food uneaten, if any and if there were no leftovers for him, the boy settled of a crumbling piece of bread that he shared with the mice around him. His old room was locked and the key thrown away, then his aunt and uncle sentenced him to sleep in the small attic room above, with nothing but maid's clothes to wear.

Poor Harry that was his life.

… Now as fairytales go, it can't all be that bad. So in comes the prince.

After years of heavy torture, the sweet boy named Harry grew up to be a fine young lad. He might have been slender for his age, but nonetheless he was a pretty creature to look upon.

One fine day with the clouds high above Harry was sent to the market. He was ordered to buy clothes for Dudley, for the prince was arriving today and in two day will claim his bride. A ball was to be held in the castle and there the prince would chose his bride.

So he went to the market, like any other day, in the rags that the Dursleys had given him.

The market was bustling with people, all shapes and sizes, some of them Harry even knew. There was the red-head boy that sold vegetables with his younger sister, his twin brother's selling fish a little further away; and the girl with unruly brown locks selling cloths in her family's shop.

He entered the small stall, fingering the money he'd been given, wondering to himself if perhaps this time, the Dursley's cheapness might not have been enough to purchase the right amount of cloth needed for their son.

There had been someone else with him, today. A slender young man with blonde locks, he couldn't see the face, so he shrugged it away—thinking to himself they'd never meet again anyway.

Nevertheless he greeted the girl with the smile, the traveler too. Both returned the gesture while he asked for the cloth. The girl shook her head trying to say, he lacked a few gold coins to make the purchase.

For Harry it was alright, he didn't mind; it meant he'd get to stay away from the house a little longer. With a nod of his head he left the small shop and headed back home for the rest of the money needed.

The ball was today and he wanted to go, a chance of freedom—not to be the prince's bride. But guess what? –of course the boy was not allowed to go.

Harry felt tears in his eyes, but did not cry.

..Now if no one was to save him, what kind of fairly would this be?

Down swooped the owl that he fed at night, perching itself on his shoulder. It fluttered its wings as to say do not cry. Everything will be alright, you will see.

Not a minute later passed, his rags were changed into the most elegance set of dress robes, he had ever seen.

Again the owl flapped its wings and the apple he'd been cutting became a carriage and those mice that he feed became horses.

..But of course everything ends at midnight.

He was warned by the owl to be back before twelve or else his dress would be rags and his carriage back into the apple again. He nodded and they rode off to the castle.

The hall was full with both men and women, wanting to dance with the prince. Harry felt self-conscious roll in at he entered slowly not to be seen, yet all eyes were diverted to him. Immediately his eyes were set on the tresses of blonde locks he'd met two days earlier in the market.

A moment later, silvery eyes met green when the man turned around.

He approached the young stranger with a shy smile on his lips and tugging the resistant other into an enjoyable dance.

They danced and they laughed but all was cut short when he glanced at the clock and midnight struck. He hurriedly apologized, saying that he must leave—a long short from almost running outside the castle walls. The blonde called after him, asking for even his name, but he was too much in a hurry and his glasses dropped on the floor too.

He hopped on his carriage and into the night they fled, leaving the young prince to pick up the specks.

It was only the following day the he realized that blonde he'd danced, laughed, talked to and accompanied the previous night was none other than the crown prince himself. Today the prince declared that he'd marry the person he danced with last night, the person whose eyes the glass would match.

Harry was both happy and sad at the same time; happy knowing that it was him with the prince last night and it was him to whom the glasses would match, yet he was sad, thinking of the prince's reaction when he found out that he was a lowly kitchen maid.

…again, it can't just end that easily, can it?

However the young Harry would not be given his chance, for his relatives knew he wore glasses. He could not have possibly been that young man in those gorgeous dress robes! They thought, yet took precautions anyway and locked him up in his small attic room.

It was mid-afternoon when the King's messenger came; carrying with him on a pillow was the specks. Harry banged and begged his uncle and aunt to let him out, but no—they refused.

The messenger had almost left when Harry got an idea and stuck his head out the window and asked for his chance. The man was uncertain yet followed his majesty's wish to let every available person in the kingdom try on the glasses and so he did.

Unwilling the Dursley's let him out of his prison and let him try on the glasses.

Thank heavens! He could finally see again he silently prayed as he read the words loud and clear for everyone to hear him. Everyone was shocked but the prince was exuberant when he heard his mystery dance partner was finally found.

So it ends, Harry left for the castle in the carriage with the messenger and there he met once again the friendly blonde stranger.

The End.