The Boy-Who-Lived
By: hodorhodorhodor
As the Boeing 767 passed over the Atlantic Ocean, Captain Terrence Green knew something was terribly wrong. The throttle had suddenly stopped working causing the aircraft's engine warning lights to blink repeatedly at him and a sharp whistle to go off in his left ear. After thirty four years of being a pilot, he knew this could only mean one thing; the one thing that was the worst nightmare for anyone who ever operated an aircraft- dual engine failure.
"Peters start the APU. We need to make an emergency landing," Captain Green told his co-pilot, who's eyes widened. An APU was the auxiliary power unit on an airplane. It was a critical safety device that was designed to supply backup electricity to an engine if it suddenly became dead. If Peters's captain was calling for its activation, the aircraft and the two hundred and seven souls on board were in serious trouble.
Captain Green grabbed his radio and called out to the airport closest to their current location, "Paris Tower, BA Code 01326!"
The French air traffic controller was quick to reply, "BA Code 01326, this is Paris Tower, go ahead!"
Captain Green looked over at his co-pilot who was shaking his head as he frantically switched the APU on and off repeatedly. The green light that signaled the APU was working was not coming on. The backup power device had failed too. From the lurch the airplane suddenly made, Captain Green knew the Boeing 767 was quickly losing altitude.
"May Day! May Day! May Day! BA Code 01326 Five November Romeo Alpha Mike dual engine failure!" Captain Green shouted into his radio, trying the throttle again. No response.
After delivering the message, the pilot grabbed the intercom system. Through the cabin door, he could hear the cries of the frightened passengers as the plane descended lower and lower towards the ocean.
"This is your captain speaking," Green said over the radio, trying to remain as calm as possible in order to prevent complete chaos from descending upon the plane. "We have experienced operational difficulties that will require you to remain seated and buckled in. Please brace yourself for a water landing."
More screams could be heard as a result of this news, but the captain had to ignore them. The Paris Tower air traffic control officer was talking to him again.
"BA Code 01326, I repeat: do you read me?"
Captain Green picked up his radio again, "I read you five by five! Dual engine failure! Negative response from throttle! A water landing will be attempted! I repeat: a water landing will be attempted!"
Green looked over at his co-pilot, who was attempting to level out the plane. The younger man was the picture of desperation. Peters's grip on the yoke was so tight that Green could see the blood vessels popping out on his hands and sweat was gleaming off the other man's face while he muttered over and over again, "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
Unfortunately, it seemed Peters's efforts were going to be in vain. In front of them, the ocean was coming closer and closer at an alarming speed. If they did not slow the plane down now, everyone on board would die.
"Pull back! Pull back!" Green yelled at his co-pilot, but it was no use. They were going to crash.
In the last moments before impact, the captain managed to grab the intercom device one last time to shout to his passengers, "Brace yourselves!" before the entire world around them seemed to smack into a blue brick wall.
Seven year old Harry Potter was having a wonderful day.
The Dursleys had been planning a trip to Italy for over a year now. Aunt Petunia was thrilled to spend time on the warm beaches and work on her tan- "I need to look better than that horrid woman in Number 11 before summer starts!"-, Uncle Vernon wanted to eat as much Italian food as his whale-like body could consume- "Those Grease Balls might have spanked by us in the War, but they can still cook damn good food!"- and Dudley… well, he was just excited for all the souvenirs he was promised by his parents.
Harry was supposed to remain in Little Whinging just like on every Dursley family holiday. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told him that this was because holidays were meant to be enjoyed and his 'freakishness' would certainly ruin that possibility. This was why they had arranged for Harry's neighbor- the crazy cat lady, Mrs. Figg- to watch him for the week that they would be away.
A week without the Dursleys was like Christmas come early in Harry's opinion. It would be a week without weeding the garden or dusting the furniture or scrubbing the floors or any of the other terrible chores Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon could invent for him. He would be allowed to relax and read all the books he had checked out of his school's library before their March break. Harry was excited to delve into classics such as "Charlotte's Webb" and "Chronicles of Narnia." The seven year old was convinced it was going to be his best break yet.
But then, disaster struck for the Dursleys when Mrs. Figg's uncle had passed away two days before the trip. The deceased man had no next of kin and it was up to his niece to arrange the wake and the funeral services. She would need to leave town and was unable to take Harry with her.
Now, panicking at the possibility of their holiday being derailed, Uncle Vernon had phoned his sister, Marge, in hope that she could take the boy. Unfortunately Marge, a bulldog breeder, was attending a conference about canine nutrition on the continent.
"We can't just leave him here, Vernon. He's seven!" Aunt Petunia had argued with her husband, when he had suggested locking Harry in the cupboard for the week while they were in Italy. "What would the neighbors think?"
In the end, the Dursleys were forced to purchase a plane ticket to Italy for Harry. Despite it being in economy class- the Dursleys were in business seeing as they were above such mediocrity-, it was still very expensive, since it was bought last minute. The Dursleys were furious, but there was nothing they could do about it. Harry Potter was going to Italy whether they liked it or not.
On the morning of March 13th, 1988, Harry Potter had boarded flight 1326 in a fantastic mood. Even though he was stuck with his awful relatives for the week, he would still be going to another country. For a boy who had never left Little Whinging, this was a huge deal. He would be able to see all the sights that he had only been able to glimpse at in books- Rome, the Alps, the Mediterranean and the list went on and on. Harry knew this trip would be the highlight of his young life.
He took a seat between a man the size of Uncle Vernon and an old woman with wispy white hair who was clutching a pair of rosary beads. The man had glared at Harry when he accidentally stepped on his foot while squeezing by, but the woman had smiled at him.
"You're awfully young to be flying by yourself," she commented when he sat down next to her.
"My relatives are on the plane too," Harry assured her and pointed towards the Business Class section that had been separated by a curtain.
The old woman raised her eyebrows at his response, "Why are you stuck back here, while they're up there?" she asked him, her hazel eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"I got my ticket at the last minute," Harry muttered, not wanting to draw any more attention to the Dursleys. If Uncle Vernon found out someone was poking in his family's business because of Harry… well, he knew the most minor punishment would be getting locked in the cupboard under the stairs for a week. Harry did not want to think of what else his uncle would do to him if such a thing occurred.
Before the old woman could ask Harry more questions, a blonde haired lady in a navy blue blazer and pencil skirt walked down the aisle and told the passengers to start buckling up. The seven year old felt his heart begin to race. He could not believe he was actually going to fly!
While the lady in blue gave instructions about the life preservers, Harry wondered if flying on an airplane was anything like the dreams he sometimes had of the flying motorbike. Harry loved those dreams more than any other recurring dreams he had. There was wind in his hair, a bubbling sensation in his stomach and a rush of excitement the boy had never experienced outside his sleep before. The seven year old hoped the Boeing 767 would produce a similar reaction.
Suddenly, there was a rumble underneath his feet and Harry felt his entire body begin to vibrate. Above him, a sign blinked on and showed a hand putting a seat belt into the buckle and Harry mimicked the action.
'Here we go!' Harry thought as the plane pulled out of the gate and started creeping down the runway.
"Is this your first time flying, young man?" the old woman asked, taking a break from saying the rosary to look over at Harry.
The small boy nodded, "Yes, ma'm."
She smiled down at him, "My, my, you're awfully calm for your first flight," the old woman told Harry. "I remember when I took my Monica on a plane for the first time. The poor girl almost wet herself in fear!"
Harry was not sure if the old woman was making a joke about her daughter or not, so instead of laughing, he smiled back politely, "Don't worry ma'm; I used the loo before I got on the plane."
The old woman let out loud, barking laughs that attracted the glares of some of the other passengers, who were tense on account of their imminent takeoff. She ignored them and beamed down at Harry.
"I like you, young man," she said, still smiling. "What's your name?"
"Harry, Harry Potter," the small boy informed her and held out his hand, feeling warmth grow inside of him.
Harry was not used to hearing from many people that he was liked and especially not by adults. At home, he was constantly called a freak and a brat. At school- where he had to play dumb to lessen the wrath of the Dursleys for beating Dudley on exams-, he was dubbed as lazy and a troublemaker by his teachers. This was a welcome change.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter," the old woman said and shook his hand firmly. "I'm Elaine Kirk."
Before Harry could return the sentiment, a deafening sound filled the cabin of the airplane, making his teeth chatter. He looked out the window to see what was happening. Was there an earthquake?
"The engines are being turned up," the old woman explained loudly over the noise, while still fingering her rosary beads. "The plane needs a lot of power to get off the ground."
Suddenly, the aircraft began to move at a speed Harry did not think he had ever traveled in his entire life. His stomach was clenched tightly and his mouth began to dry up, but he could not stop grinning. This was fantastic! It was almost better than his dream!
After a few seconds of speeding down the runway, Harry felt a sudden upwards lurch and his back immediately pressed against the seat. They were climbing into the sky, gaining feet by the second. Harry leaned over Elaine Kirk, who had her eyes clamped shut and was muttering the rosary, to gaze down at London through the airplane's window. The huge city was getting smaller and smaller as they went up. It was wonderful!
When the plane broke through the thick, grey London clouds, the sight below him had made Harry's breath catch in his throat. The young boy had never seen anything more awe-inspiring than the top of the clouds. It did not seem natural to Harry. It was as if he had just landed on a different planet that had a grey and fluffy surface. The sight was absolutely beautiful and Harry wished he had a camera to capture the image forever. It would certainly be a lovely picture to look at while he was stuck in his cupboard. It would remind him of a happier time, a freer time.
After a few more minutes, the flight attendant informed Harry and the other passengers over the intercom that they were now over the Atlantic Ocean and gaining altitude. They would be allowed to remove their seat-belts and use the bathroom if they so desired. Once the announcement was over, Elaine Kirk opened her eyes again and rested her rosary beads on her lap. She looked visibly relaxed and smiled at Harry.
"Nice sight, isn't it?" Elaine asked, glancing out the window.
"It's beautiful," he agreed.
"Still makes me want to say the rosary, though," the older woman told him, regaining some of her previous wariness. "It's not natural for humans to be amongst the clouds... If flying wasn't so damn convenient, I would say leave it to the birds!"
"Why do you need those?" Harry asked, pointing at the beads.
The Dursleys had only taken him to church and youth group a few times when he was younger. After Dudley kept throwing a fit- "I want my telly! I'm bored! I'm bored!"-, they had stopped. This was why Harry was not very knowledgeable when it came to religion. Of course, he had still managed to pick up a few things from church, including how to use rosary beads. But from what he noticed about the beads was that people usually took them out during mass or during confession. Harry was not sure why they were with Elaine on the plane now.
"I don't trust airplanes, Harry," she told him. "I don't get how they get off the ground. I don't get how they stay in the sky. I don't get anything about them… The only thing I trust in is God. God will protect me no matter what happens to me… That's why I use the rosary beads- to keep in touch with God even at my darkest hour."
Harry did not know how to respond to that. The boy never really believed in anything. After all, if there was a loving and all-powerful God as they said at Church, why would he let his parents die in that car crash? Why would God allow him to live with people as terrible as the Dursleys? It did not make sense to Harry. The only thing the boy did believe in was that one day he would be free from Number Four, Privet Drive. It was what drove him even when he was locked away in the cupboard for days at the time, starving and miserable.
Suddenly, the plane gave a quick, downward lurch and several people cried out, either being tossed forward or into the aisle. Elaine grabbed Harry's hand very tightly and started saying prayers under her lips again.
"Ladies and gentleman, it seems that we are experiencing a bit of turbulen-"
But before the flight attendant could finish, the plane lurched downwards again, inciting more screams. The seat-belt sign was on again and people scrambled to secure themselves. Harry could hear babies crying and more prayers being muttered. However, what he no longer heard was the rumbling sound of the plane's engine.
'That's impossible,' Harry thought but when he looked out the window at the engine on the left wing of the plane, it was no longer vibrating. His stomach clenched immediately and every hair on his body was on edge. What was happening?
"This is your captain speaking," a deep, male voice suddenly echoed through the cabin's walls, cutting through the infants' wails. "We have experienced operational difficulties that will require you to remain seated and buckled in. Please brace yourself for a water landing."
The words provoked an instant panic. People around Harry started crying. Mother's were hugging their children in an attempt to soothe them. A couple across the aisle gripped each other's hands like a lifeline. Harry wondered what his relatives were doing in business class. Aunt Petunia was probably throwing a fit over Dudley. Did she even think about her nephew who was all by himself towards the back of the plane?
"This is it," Elaine whispered next to him, tears now running down her face, and started spewing what was all nonsense to Harry, "I should've said goodbye… I'm such a fool… But, I am going to be closer to you, God, and you, Mark... Yes, we'll be reunited again very soon."
Harry squeezed the old woman's hand, hoping this would comfort her, but she just cried more.
"And you poor, poor boy," Elaine muttered, cupping the side of his face. "You're too young… too, too young. Where are your relatives? Why haven't they come to say goodbye?"
Even at the brink of imminent death, Harry still could not admit how terrible the Dursleys were to another person. Saying goodbye to Harry was probably the last thing on his 'family's' mind. They hated their nephew. They were probably blaming the plane crashing on his freakishness at this very moment.
"I'll be okay," Harry told the old woman, ignoring the lurch in his stomach. They were falling at a sharper angle now. Death was moments away.
"Yes, you will be," Elaine agreed, caressing his face once more before praying out loud, "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee," The ocean was getting closer now, "Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," They were about 500 feet away, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death," Harry closed his eyes as he distantly heard someone yell to brace themselves, "Amen."
Black.
So, this is a project that I've been working on for about a month and a half now. I have a few chapters already written and I was planning to post them earlier, but then there was that terrible week of plane crashes and I did not think it was appropriate.
Please let me know what you think. I am more than welcome to suggestions. I have a general outline at the moment, but I'm still playing around with it. I appreciate any feedback I can get. Thanks for reading!