"I'm the monster who's gonna devour you. It's begun. It's too late now, there's no goin' back!"—Claire Stanfield, Baccano!
Albus studied Harry while he explained who he was and Harry's origins. The boy sat cross legged on top of the table and rocked as Albus explained things. He seemed not to be paying attention at all, and showed no reaction to the story of how his parents died and of why he was so very famous among the wizarding world.
The poor boy must have been living on the street. Harry's hair hung over his eyes and he watched Albus through the messy strands. Albus was just about to tell Harry about Hogwarts when the boy's gaze snapped from his to the corner of the room, where a television sat. It was on, although the volume was low.
Harry got up off the table and walked slowly over to it, now completely ignoring Albus. He turned the volume up and Albus frowned, following after him. Breaking News was flashing across the bottom of the screen and they showed a picture of a building that looked as if it had been severely damaged.
"Harry, you must listen-"
"Shhh. I'm waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Albus' frown deepened but Harry didn't answer, instead turning his attention back to the television. Albus learned in the following minutes that the report was on an asylum for the criminally insane and that someone had attacked the building. The woman on the screen was speculating about who might have escaped in the chaos.
Several pictures of several men and women flashed across the screen but the prominent one was of a man with a painted and scarred face.
"…It is still not known who set the attack on Arkham Asylum in motion and the authorities have not shared yet what the motives might be. However, the attack was focused in one area and it is confirmed that at least one person escaped during the chaos. It has not yet been confirmed who but from the early reports, the theory at this point is that one of Gotham's most notorious criminals has once again been set loose-"
Before the woman could finish her sentence, Harry reached forward and switched off the television. "I'm done. We can go now."
"Harry…"
"We should go before he comes back," Harry said, his wide green eyes emotionless.
"Before who comes back?" Albus asked warily.
"You promised to take me away." The look in Harry's eyes turned innocent and frightened and Albus' suspicion turned to empathy immediately.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Fear, despite being one of the emotions that Harry never remembered feeling, was so very easy to imitate. And adults, they were so easy to fool. Even this old man because it didn't take long for the old guy to pull out an old shoe from his pocket.
"This, Harry, is a portkey-"
And that was it, really. They were off. Harry thought it best. No matter how interesting it would be if Joker walked in while the old guy was still there, he found it more interesting what he could do with magic.
Xxxxxxx
"We will still need to discuss your living arrangements." Albus watched the boy. He'd been watching the boy closely since he'd found him. There was something off. Something wrong with this child.
Albus didn't want to think of what his mistake had caused. He even avoided going into the child's head for fear of what he would find. Still, he was convinced that whatever damage two years living on the street had caused could be reversed. His plans would still work, he would make sure of that.
"Living arrangements." Harry did not look up from his food, nor did he show any interest in the other occupants of the Leaky Cauldron. It was one thing Albus supposed seemed normal, the fact that Harry ate as if he hadn't in years.
"Yes. I know what happened with your aunt and uncle but I still believe that your aunt's home is the safest place for you, Harry."
"My aunt?" Harry finally looked up and there was a smile on his face. Before Albus could question the look of that smile, a new voice interrupted them.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid was there, hurrying over, an excited look on his face. Harry still didn't look up from his food and he still looked uninterested when Albus explained that he had business to attend to and that Hagrid would be showing Harry Diagon Alley.
Xxxxxxxxx
Hagrid was easily appeased by the excitement on Harry's face as he skipped along beside the giant through Diagon Alley. Their first stop, of course, was Gringotts. Harry watched the goblins with a fascinated gleam in his eyes.
His main interest however, and the reason he hadn't yet slipped away from Hagrid was the wand shop. Unfortunately for him, Hagrid did make a mistake when he sent Harry in to get his school robes. He left. Harry was fast losing interest in the pretending game and was beginning to get a bit annoyed when the owner of the robe shop interrupted him and pushed him over to stand on a stool, only to leave him standing in the pinned up robes. There was another boy there, standing on a stool as well. Harry was contemplating the usefulness of keeping up the game when the boy spoke.
"Hello. Hogwarts too?"
He wondered what sort of things were sold in Knockturn Alley. That place sounded much more interesting.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy, who didn't seem to care that Harry hadn't answered him. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Harry chewed on a fingernail as he ran through the possibilities that magic could open up for him. He was sure there were all sorts of delightful spells he could learn. He could make art with a flick of his wrist and without even using a knife.
"Have you got your own broom?" The boy huffed when Harry didn't answer. "Are you listening to me?" He asked, affronted.
Harry tilted his head. He was bored. Bored and still annoyed. He stepped off the stool.
"What are you doing?"
Harry pulled the robes over his head.
"What are you wearing? You're not muggle-born, are you?" There was a sneer in the boy's voice then and Harry considered using the pins in the robes he'd just discarded to close the boy's mouth.
Harry glanced towards the front of the shop. The shop keeper was still being harassed by several girls and Harry was still considering doing damage to the kid next to him. He didn't like this game, this pretending to be a kid.
"Are you deaf? Or just stupid?"
Harry pulled the closed knife from his pocket, opening it and pressing the tip to his lips. He rocked back and forth a moment, his gaze on the other boy. The boy must have seen something in his eyes, that light that said he would, if he wanted, use the weapon because when he spoke again, there was a note of fear.
"What are you doing?"
Harry took a step closer and the boy tried to scramble back, falling from the stool in the process. Harry leaned over him with a grin on his face. It would be easy, so easy to close the kids mouth for good but…
"The game's not over yet." Harry straightened abruptly, waved to the boy and then turned on his heel to leave, going unnoticed by Madam Malkin, who was still preoccupied with the girls.
Xxxxxxxxx
Knockturn Alley was definitely gloomier than Diagon Alley. Harry wondered through it, stopping at random intervals to peer into the shops. Gloomier, but definitely more interesting.
"Are you lost, child?"
Harry turned at the voice and stared at the witch. She was old and just as grimy as the alley and there was a look in her eyes that Harry had seen before. He grinned and continued the game.
"Yes, I am. Can you help me?"
Xxxxxxxxx
People, Harry thought, as he wiped his bloody hands on the witches already stained robes were so easily surprised. The witches face was still fixed in that surprised look, actually. She'd been so easy, taken in by his age. Joker had called him the perfect killer once. No one expected him to turn on them with a knife in hand.
Harry pulled the wand from the witches limp fingers, studying it a moment. It wouldn't hurt, he supposed, to have backups. He skipped away from the corpse, twirling the wand and humming as he went.