Alright!
Calm down! Mayleesa,
maidmarian62,
Lady
Grizabella and everyone who has had the patience to bear me out, please
let me explain all… J
Lost
Souls.
Harry
awoke. A Dragon was hovering thirty feet in front of him and was huge. All
around, there was nothing but blackness.
"You
are good Harry. You could be great," growled the Dragon.
"Who
are you? Where am I?"
"I?"
the Dragon roared. "I am the facilitator of your dreams. Come with me. Come
sweet Harry."
"What?
Get away from me!" Harry thrashed around, but could not move any further away
from the Dragon.
The
Dragon moved closer. "You choose. Either you were caught on that bike…"
Suddenly,
the blackness around them faded in the countryside scene once more, with its
rain and the narrow lane and Harry riding a bike blindly around the corner into
a small red car. Harry was transfixed at his appearance.
"…Or
perhaps you would prefer someone else on the bike?" The Dragon smiled at Harry's
shocked face as the scene shifted and Jasmine was riding away from Harry,
blindly rounding the corner and into the car.
"From
here, she looks much more fragile than she makes out." Harry grimaced as the
scene slowly moved Jasmine and the car closer and closer together.
The
Dragon fixed him with a stare that it could have learned from Uncle Vernon. Harry
nodded with resignation.
Blackness
folded in around Harry like a pair of leathery wings. Yellow blazing eyes and
grinning teeth disappearing into the bottomless blackness.
Harry
awoke with a man looking into his eyes. Rain thundered down all around and he
realised he was back in the countryside again.
"You
bloody idiot!" sighed the man, obviously relieved that Harry was fine. "Anything
broken? Can you stand?"
The man
was middle-aged and smelt like he was a pig farmer or something similar. Harry
mentally checked himself and noted he had a terrible pain in his leg. Looking
down, he noticed blood but could move his toes so took comfort from that.
"You
were lucky boy. The bike took the blow, as did my radiator!" fumed the farmer.
Harry
was shaky and was glad to be helped into the car by the man. He also threw in
the remains of the bike into the open back and got in to start the car.
"Right.
Let's get to hospital and have you checked out." Harry nodded and sat in shock
all the way there.
The man
turned out to be called Jim. His car seemed ok apart from the dent in the
radiator and buckled bumper. The car was 'an old banger anyroad' and was a
relic from his time up in Doncaster as a farmer. Jim went on to explain how,
what with this and that, the farm had to go, but he kept a small holding down
here with his brother and their family.
At the
A & E, they patiently waited for two hours to be seen. Harry was conscious
and the doctors seemed too busy with others to help. Jim kept offering to ring
Harry's family, but Harry said he could not remember the number.
Eventually,
a nurse checked out Harry's leg and checked Harry's head for signs of
concussion. The leg needed two stitches and a stinging anti-septic clean before
Harry was given the all clear.
Jim
helped Harry into his car and demanded to take Harry home. "It's the insurance
you see? I've got to take you home and sort it out with your folks. Okay?" lied
Jim. Harry did not know any better, so let Jim take him home.
As they
drove, Harry asked "So, where are your family then?"
"Sorry
Harry?"
"Well,
you said you were living with your brother and his family."
"Oooh,
well, my Gladys ran off two year ago. Don't know where she is. Still see my boy
Raymond once in a while though. Am just at my brother's until things pick up
again like."
"Well,
I must warn you – I am not living with my family either. It's my uncle and aunt's
place. And they're awful."
"Oh,
well, but there family is the main thing. And there's owt you can do about
family." Jim smiled and Harry felt a little better.
"Shame
about the bike though." Said Jim catching Harry glancing in the rear view mirror
at the wreck in the back. Harry fell silent again.
Jim was
glad to get Harry home and revealed he had no intention to get insurance
agencies involved as he led Harry up his path home.
Uncle
Vernon answered the door and looked at the pair dragging the smashed bike.
"You
been causing trouble again boy?" he snarled.
"Harry's
been in an accident. No harm done, although the nurse says he must rest that
leg up for a day or two," said Jim jovially.
Uncle
Vernon glared at the bike and then at Jim. "And how much is the damage going to
cost, hmmm?"
"I've a
dent in the bumper and owt else. As long as the boy's healthy that's the main
thing."
"I didn't
mean how much we owe you, I meant how much will it cost for you to get Harry
another bike?"
Jim
stared at him dumb-founded. "Well blow me! You really don't care about this boy's
life do you!" And with that, he turned and stormed off, pausing only to slam
the gate behind him and shout "Harry, first chance you get, get the hell out of
this place!"
Uncle
Vernon turned to lambaste Harry, but Harry had already snuck up into his room,
closed the door and hid his head under his pillow. The rain thundered down
outside.
"Someone
help me…" he whispered tearfully.
As
Harry slept, Hedwig tapped on Ginny's window many many miles away.
TO BE
CONTINUED…