Chapter Three
Immediately after Harry walked into his Group home, he knew what to expect. Dullness. And he was right. The room around him held three old, scraggly looking couches all surrounding a television. It was currently turned off.
"Follow me." Rob said, breaking Harry's train of thought, "I'll give you the grand tour. This is the Hang room. Or, you could just call it where we sit when we have nothing else to do."
"Can't you just go outside?"
"No." Rob spoke sharply. "We are only to go outside when the Ar tell us we can, or if there's a fire or some emergency like that. We usually go out every other day for about and hour or two, three at the most."
"Oh" was all Harry could reply. To Harry, the Ar seemed like mad overlords who didn't want to loose their captives.
They continued walking around the main level of the building. Rob showed Harry the kitchen, dinning room, and the washroom, which held 10 stalls and 10 showers. Harry could not begin to guess how many boys were up above him in their beds right now if they needed this many toilets.
Finishing the main floors tour, Rob led him to a narrow staircase. "This leads up to the boys 7-15 area. It's about 11 right now so everyone's asleep." He led Harry about 20 feet away and revealed another staircase. "Up these stairs is where you'll sleep. Follow me."
Harry did as he was told. He suddenly had a question pop into his head and couldn't help but ask it. "If it's 11 P.M., then how come the sun was still out?"
"The gray sun never gives way to the peacefulness of a dark night. We live in the gray."
Harry pondered this answer and followed what felt like two flights of stairs until they reached a door. Harry thought he heard murmurs of voices. Rob stepped on the third to last stair that reached the top, and it creaked. Immediately the voices inside diminished. Rob opened the door to reveal two-dozen sets of bunk beds with many more folded up and set off to the sides.
"It's all right guys," Rob said, turning on a lamp to give light to the shade drawn room. "It's just me and a new guy."
"Strange time to get a new guy!" Spoke a man who looked to be about 23, who sat up on the bottom bed. "Why'd they bring him here now instead of morning?"
"Don't ask me Will. They just called me right before I came up here."
"Yea," Will replied, "We was wondering where you'd gone. Thought you might a slipped up here and was sleeping in a back bed, we did. Thought you might a been a bit tired dealing with all the kids. When we heard the creak we thought for a sec you might a been the Ar."
"Well, the Ar would've known you'd been awake. I heard you before I even reached the creaked stair!"
"Well, lets just get passed that. So, who's the kid?"
The eyes of all the guys of the bunk beds moved from Rob and Wills' conversation to Harry.
"This is Harry, everyone. Harry Potter."
About 2/3 of the people in the room's eyes flickered to his scar, showing Harry that some of them had been there too long to have been in his world when he got his scar.
"You're really Harry Potter?" said a boy who's bed lay at the foot of Wills. He spoke English with an Indian accent and looked to be about Harry's age. "Back home we learned all about you. At school my History of Magic teacher was making do five pieces of parchment on you and how you brought down You-Know-Who."
"Back away from him Jackson. It's his first day here and I'm sure he got enough attention for who he was back home."
"Still," Jackson said, apparently wide awake now and eager to talk, "It's nice to talk about home, even if we may never get-"
The room went completely silent as a sharp, rough knock hammered on a door two floors beneath them. The room reeked with the feeling of fear. As if on cue, everyone in the room dropped their heads to their pillows and shut their eyes. Rob grabbed Harry's shirt and dragged him over to the first available bed.
"Harry," Rob whispered, "get into the bed and pretend to be asleep. I have to go greet them. Hurry!"
Harry did as he was told as Rob bounded down the narrow staircase. By the time Harry had gotten into his bed, he heard another sharp knock at the buildings front door.
Three minutes later, when the knocking had not continued, Harry felt confident that Rob had answered and was doing what ever was necessary to keep the 'Ar' happy. Ten minutes later Rob had still not returned, but the stair creaked right outside the giant room. Harry felt the room get even tenser as the door creaked open slowly. Harry was now very glad his head was turned towards the wall. The deep breathing coming from what he could only guess was the Ar was scaring him more then even the Dementor's ever had. The creature walked the length of the room, and turned around and walked it again until it seemed satisfied with what it saw. It walked towards the door and closed it slowly with another loud creak. When the third stair creaked as well, Harry was sure he heard the group around him give a sigh of relief. Ten minutes later the stair creaked again but the door was shut quickly and a lamp was turned on.
"Just me guys, and don't worry, their gone."
An even more audible sigh was given from the beds.
"It's getting late anyway every one, lets just turn in."
With that, Rob turned off the lamp. Harry heard him cross the floorboards before he reached his own bed; un did the covers, and slid in himself.
Harry turned on to his stomach, and realized his forehead was glistening with sweat.
A/N-oooo scary Ar!! Next chapter will be Harry finding out what the Ar really are. And we'll find out why the older boys were breaking curfew before Harry and Rob entered.
Cool Quote
Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The great rain curtain of this world pulls back and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it. White shores, and beyond. A far green country under a swift sunrise. (Describing the wonders of death.)
-Return of the King (movie, some words stolen from last chapter of rotk as well, but if a different order.
-Gandalf
