Harry blinked blearily awake for the second time that night. Someone was crying softly a few beds over.
He reached for his glasses and put them on. As he made his way to the crying child, he realized that it was Andrew.
Andrew was eight. He had come to the orphanage two years ago and still had nightmares about his parents.
"Andrew," Harry said in a calm voice. When he got no answer he placed a hand gently on the younger boy's shoulder. He gave a small start and looked up to see Harry.
"Budge over." Harry told him. Andrew moved so Harry could sit next to him. Harry wrapped a comforting arm around the boy and they just sat for a while. Andrew sniffled a bit as he slowly stopped crying.
After a few soundless minutes, Harry wondered if he might have gone back to sleep, but then he heard Andrew's quiet voice, horse from his crying. "I had another dream about them." He paused and Harry just waited for him to continue. "It was late, and they were fighting again. Dad hit mum a few too many times and she just left." He paused again, lost in his memory. "Then he came into my room. He was really angry and smelled like beer. He… He hit me around and I could taste blood." Andrew shut his eyes and rested his head against Harry's side. His voice grew tighter, holding back more tears. "Then mum came back, probably to save me, and he pulled out the gun." His voice cracked at the last word. He took a few staggering gasps.
Harry had heard this story many times before, and knew of its tragic ending. But no matter how many times he heard it, he would always be there to listen to and comfort the boy.
That was what Harry was. He would comfort them when they cried, and stand up for them when they were bullied. He was their protector; one of the oldest of them, though he didn't know his true age. He'd been dumped at the orphanage when he was just a baby, and that was nine and a half years ago. Since they'd guessed him to be about a year old then, he was around ten now.
Andrew had calmed to the point where he could talk again, "He was gone by the time the police got there." He had a sad, distant look in his eyes, and Harry knew what he was going to say next. "It… it was my fault. If she hadn't come back for me…"
Harry cut him off. "No." He stated firmly before continuing in a gentler tone. "Even though she did come back because of you, it was because she loved you. There was no way she couldn't." Harry looked the younger boy in the eyes. "The only person to blame is your father, never you."
Harry could see that the message was starting to sink in, but he knew Andrew still wasn't entirely convinced. "All you can do now is live your life. Learn lots of things, help lots of people, and be the person your mother would want you to be. That way, once you die, you'll be able to tell her all about it." Harry, though he had never gotten involved with church, was a strong believer of life after death.
"How can you be so sure? That I'll ever see her again…"
Harry looked at the smaller boy who was barely holding onto the shreds of his childhood innocence. "Because I just know. Like the warmth of the sun on your face, you can't see it exactly; only where it comes from, but you can feel its warmth. "
Andrew smiled, thinking of his mother. "Thanks Harry." He said softly. He snuggled up against Harry and soon his breathing became more even and Harry knew he had fallen asleep.
Harry gently tucked in the boy and moved back to his bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he heard whimpering from the other side of the room. It sounded like the newest boy, a five year old named Jake. Harry sighed and sat up. It was going to be a long night.
The boys were outside during recess. Most were playing a game of tag, enjoying the bit of freedom before they had to go back inside for school, but Harry was sitting off to the side, watching the others.
Harry saw a large boy come by followed by several others. They stopped in front of Andrew and Harry stood up. He quickly made his way across the playground and stood beside Andrew, who was cowering in fear. "Hello." Harry said coldly. If there was one thing Harry hated, it was bullies who picked on those that were less powerful than them.
"Who're you?" asked the large boy who was clearly the leader of the rest. His tone made him sound highly stupid, and Harry knew the boy wasn't very bright.
"Harry. My name is Harry." He said, narrowing his eyes. "And you must be new here; otherwise you would have known that bullies aren't tolerated by me."
The boys behind him all laughed at this. It must have been a funny sight, a scrawny little boy threatening one who was over four times his size, if still the same age, but the others on the playground who had stopped to watch knew Harry's threats weren't empty.
"And what are you gonna do about it?" taunted the large boy in the middle. The boys behind him all chorused their taunts as well.
"Hit him hard!"
"Teach him some respect!"
"You tell him Big D!"
"I assume that 'Big D' is a nickname for something else?" Harry said. He spoke with a formal tone, something he always did when confronting a bully. It unnerved them.
"Name's Dudley Dursley," the large leader said. "What's your surname?" he asked in a gruff voice.
"I don't have one. I'm Harry, just Harry." He replied, waiting for the inevitable taunts that followed.
"Just Harry?"
"Harry No-Name!"
"Hahahaa!"
Harry thought the boys looked a bit like monkeys. He ignored the words that attempted to hurt him and focused on the matter at hand. "Well, Dudley, I think it would be in your best interest to leave those smaller than you alone."
"Oh, yeah?" Dudley replied in a stupidly. He couldn't think of anything else to say so he swung back his fist to aim at the smaller of the two boys in front of him. Harry expertly stepping in front of Andrew and raised a hand, palm facing Dudley as if to grab his fist. Dudley's fist stopped a centameter before Harry's hand when it hit a barrier. There was a crack and Dudley howled in pain.
"I warned you to leave those smaller than you alone." Harry said his voice crackling power.
Dudley cradled his hand and whimpered a bit. Harry thought he was close to pissing himself.
"I think it best," Harry said, reverting back to his formal tone. "To forget this ever happened. You hit your hand after getting angry and punching a tree. You will not harm or bully another for the rest of your time spent at our school."
Dudley nodded. His face showed his flickering emotions easily: Scared, furious, terrified, confused, fearful, angry, and scared again. He got up quickly and ran away with his friends following close behind.
Harry turned to Andrew. "Are you ok?" He asked gently.
"I'm fine now, thanks to you." He answered with a weak smile.
Harry smiled back. "I'm always here to help."
Albus Dumbledore stood hidden under the invisibility cloak watching the scene unfold. He was so proud of Harry at that moment, as he always was when he came to check up on the boy.
He watched as Harry stepped in front of the younger boy and he knew that Harry's parents would be proud of him as well.
Dumbledore chuckled to himself when he realized the irony of which Harry was protecting the boy from. It was his cousin. Harry had met Dudley Dursley, son of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and was standing up against him.
Dumbledore watched until he saw Dudley run away in fear and Harry begin to comfort the younger boy before he decided that he had seen enough. Dumbledore turned and disapparated with a pop.
Summer break came quickly and on a quiet day in mid-July Harry was sitting outside with the other children. A few were playing games, but most, like Harry, were simply sitting in the sun enjoying the nice weather.
One of the children pointed towards the sky. A dark spot could be seen, growing bigger. The closer it got, the more attention it drew. Harry looked up to see what was causing all the children to be so excited. Circling above and coming down closer and closer to the ground, was an owl.
Harry knew owls were nocturnal creatures, and shouldn't be out in the daytime, but he shrugged it off and watched the fascinated faces of the younger boys. He smiled, taking in their childish wonder. So few of the boys in the orphanages could still be considered children; they'd seen too much and lived through too many hardships to retain much of the trusting childish innocence. Harry loved seeing them act like the children they should be allowed to be.
Watching the excited faces of the other children, Harry didn't see that the owl they'd been watching was slowly descending down to him until it landed in front of him, clutching a letter in its beak.
Harry stared at it, confused. It hopped closer and set the letter in his lap before flying away and perching itself in a nearby tree.
Harry just stared dumbly at the letter in his lap. He picked it up and turned it over.
Harry
The Backyard
Boy's Home for Orphans
London
Harry made no move to open it. He'd never gotten any mail before, and was still numb with shock.
A six year old name Kyle nudged his arm. "Open it." He whispered.
Harry turned over the envelope. He broke the wax seal and pulled out the heavy parchment inside. He unfolded it and read out loud for the other boys to hear.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Harry,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress"
Harry paused as he flipped to the next page.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS"
There was silence as everyone realized what he had just read. Eager little Kyle was the first to speak. "Does this mean you're a wizard, Harry?" He asked excitedly.
That comment started a rush of questions and excited babble before Harry yelled, "Quiet!" Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak. "We don't even know if this is real." Harry voice was soft and disbelieving.
"Of course it's real! It was sent with an owl! This means magic is real! I knew it!" said Aaron, a loud nine-year-old.
"I don't know… even if it is real, how do we know we can trust these people?" Harry countered.
"Well, you have to try!" Aaron told him, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The other boys were all nodding along with him.
"I dunno… I wouldn't be able to buy any of this stuff… and I don't even have paper to write back! Mrs. Elmand would be furious if I took any from my school notebook."
"I can give you paper." Piped up a small boy named Cameron.
"And we can pool our money for the supplies!" said Kyle. The others all nodded, their faces shining with that childish excitement Harry so loved. How could he deny them this?
"I suppose…" Harry said, furrowing his brow trying to calculate exactly how they could go about getting this stuff. "But where would we even find all the supplies?"
It was Andrew that replied next, "The letter says you need black robes, so just look for people in robes and follow them! We have paper rout tomorrow, if we do it real quickly, we'll have time to look around London for other wizards!"
Harry wasn't sure if that would work, but he couldn't crush the excitement on his face by saying no. "Alright." He said, smiling slightly. "It's worth a try." The other boys all cheered around him. "But no one can tell any of the adults!"
"We won't." Andrew said. "It's not like they would believe us anyway."
Later that night, the rest of the boys were sleeping and Harry was still lying awake in bed. He thought of the letter that was tucked underneath his thin mattress. It wasn't likely that he would be able to go to such a school, even if it was real, after all he didn't have the money or the means to get himself there. But he couldn't help but wonder if the people at this school might know where he came from. Maybe they could tell him who his parents were.
Maybe they knew his last name.
Although he had long ago come to peace with his lack of an identity—save for a simple first name—he was still extremely curious.
But just what was he getting himself into?
-Annoying Note-
I'm taking a vote as to where Harry gets sorted at Hogwarts.
Each review is it's own vote!
Tell me in a review your ideas!
I'm open to having Harry make his own house or refuse to be sorted claiming he 'doesn't like labels'.
What do you think?
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