A/N: okay, in the last chapter, Harriet was forced to go to Daisy's party with Daisy's
friends, and got her Uncle angry. He hit her hard, and she ran. She ran into a special boy
named Harry. Literately. That's for the people who skipped the last chapter for sensitive
reasons. No more Child abuse. I swear to Merlin. So, I'm really sorry Chapter one took
forever, I hope it doesn't take as long for this chapter. I would also like to thank my
wonderful readers. They're amazing, even though most of them forgot to leave a
review!! (Evil eyes inserted here) JK, JK! So I've used about half of a page, so I'm
going to shut up about now… Enjoy the chapter!
Harriet Portman: The Beginning
By Laffiel Starfighter
Chapter two
Freak Show
I giggled, not even trying to stifle the sound. "Are you making fun of my name?"
His face seemed to have fallen.
"No! No!" I said quickly. I'm just laughing at the irony of this. You see, my
Name's Harriet Portman."
Harry laughed. "That is ironic." He removed the paper towels. "That looks better."
I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, pondering the question I wanted to ask
him. "Is…is it possible that I could sit with you and you're family? I REALLY don't
want to be hurt again." I looked down at my shoes.
"Er…Yeah. I could use someone to sit by. But I've got to warn you, my uncle
Doesn't sound much better than yours. I smiled. "I'll decide that for myself."
Harry and me immediately became friends. It was always easy, I found out, to
talk to Harry. We had a lot in common as it turned out. Harry's parents had died also when he was young, and he lived with his cruel Aunt and Uncle.
When we first reached the seats where Harry's Aunt and Uncle were sitting, they
Had been asking me questions. But as soon as they caught glimpse of my scar, they turned to each other and stared in dismay.
Then they ignored me. Which didn't really bother Harry and me. While clowns ran around in the ring, I told Harry about my dream with the dark figure. He gasped.
"I have that dream every once in a while! This is so weird!" He said excitedly. Then the ringmasters booming voice echoed around the tent.
"And now Ladies and gentlemen, we present the most horrible sights you will ever see. The freakiest people you will ever see. They are the freak show!"
Both Harry and me watched in horror as ten different almost normal looking people came out. My face turned into one of almost pure anger.
"How can these freaks live with themselves?" Harry's aunt asked.
I turned around, my cheeks burning, my eyes glowing with anger. "They are people! They are people even if they are a little different!" I said angrily.
People were yelling insults at the people in the ring. I went down towards the edge of the ring, and swung myself down into the ring.
"Oh look at that girl! She has a funny mark on her head!" yelled a man above me.
"Harriet!" called Harry running down after me. The ringmaster stepped in front Harriet, his tall figure loomed over her.
"Let them leave! Only a heartless man would put them through something like this!" I cried angrily.
Harry was by my side now, holding onto my shoulder.
"You listen here girl, this is the real world. We're not in you're bloody nursery now. Go the hell back home." The ringmaster said coldly, still holding his arm out so I couldn't pass him.
My eyes turned cold, hard, black colour, (so Harry told me later,) and suddenly, the cage behind him that held the world's largest known python, (472 feet from what they heard earlier in the circus,) disappeared. Leaving the python to go wherever it pleased.
The ringmaster screamed and ran to the entrance. The snake came dangerously close to me, and I stiffened in fright, in fact, too frightened to run away.
"Thannkssssssss, friendssssss. That wassssss nisssssse of you." The snake hissed. Wait, was I hearing a snake talking?
"You can talk?" I asked, utterly astounded. This was really confusing. "Yesssssss."
"Oh, er…. You're welcome then." The snake flicked out his tongue, and slithered out of the tent.
"Did you hear that?" I asked, worried that I was starting to lose my mind. "Yeah, the snake was talking that was really weird."
"Yep." I said
"Harriet, daddy says he's going to murder you when we get home. Ha-ha!" She noticed Harry and smiled.
"Who's that? You're boyfriend? Kind of cute!"
"HARRY POTTER!" Harry's uncle bellowed.
"Oh. Great." Harry muttered. He turned to me, a sad look on his face. "Bye Harriet. It was nice meeting you." Harry began to walk away.
I wanted to stop him, I really did! But, if I did, I would get in even more trouble with my uncle…and possibly even with Harry's uncle. But if I didn't…I might never see him again.
"Wait!" I yelled, grabbing onto Harry's arm. "I'm sorry I made your uncle mad at you. I'm really, really sorry." He looked at me with sympathy.
"It's fine, really. I'm more worried for you, he said that he was going to murder you! I'm really glad to have met you anyway. I mean, what's my uncle going to do? Ground me to my room, where Dudley keeps all of his old toys? That could be fun. I could finally get a go at the computer I wanted to try."
I gave him one last glance before turning on my heel, "See you then." I said glumly. "See you."
When I finally got home and every one of Daisy's friends had left, Uncle Paisley practically through me in the attic.
"You will not come down. EVER!" He yelled up at me.
"Thank you for tossing me up. I don't know how I ever would have gotten up! I would need like…a ladder or something!" I said pointing at the ladder resting against the wall, with sarcasm dripping from my voice.
Uncle Paisley stamped away, under his breath I could hear him saying, "Damn stupid girl!"
I pressed my lips together, feeling tears form slowly in my eyes. I marched over to the window and flung it open, and looked up at the gloomy, cloudy sky.
"I wonder why I keep having that dream with that dark figure." I thought to myself.
A black figure was flying towards me. Horrified, I stood up and started backing up into the roof. I was trapped. Whatever, or whoever was coming for me had me trapped. The figure continued to come.
I felt like I was paralyzed. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't think. The figure landed on the roof, between my only exit and me. The window.
Looking closely at the figure, I stumbled back in surprise.
Beside me was a dark, black owl, with a letter attached to her leg.
The owl stepped toward me, holding out her leg. Taking the hint, I kneeled down and took the letter. The owl took off and landed on my shoulder, her talon safely away from my bare shoulders.
The letter was sealed with wax, and it had a name on it. Hogwarts.
Dear Miss Portman,
We are please to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. The Hogwarts express with leave at 11 o'clock sharp on September 1st at Liver Street Station. Enclosed with this letter is school supplies needed for all 1st year students. Please reply by owl as soon as you get letter.
Hoping to see you attending Hogwarts,
Professor McGonagall
Vice Headmaster
I read the note over and over again. How could this be true?
"Okay. This is really weird."
A/N: So this chapter is longer, and I know that that pleases my wonderful reviewer Potty and the Weasel. I also would like feed back on the story thus far. Like what do you think about it? Good, bad, horrible…. sexy? Tell me! Also, I absolutely LOVE my reviews. I seriously tape them up in my locker. No joke. And flames help me too. They help me to beat up the gangstas in Spiderman 3, so flame on baby!