Reflection
Chapter 2 - The Start of It All
"Harry! Harry wake up!"
"Huh- what are- oomf!" Harry shoved his brother off him, who had resorted to jumping on him to wake him up. He rubbed his pained side, he was sure that it would bruise. Just another to add to the list of "Harry Potter's Misfortunes" he supposed. He heard his brother snickering off to the side, obviously enjoying his pain and discomfort.
"What was that for?" He mumbled. His brother grinned.
"Well I needed to wake ya up didn't I?" Wake him up? Like that? He wanted to argue that you don't jump on people to wake them up, but instead, he just sighed, not willing to start fighting with his brother.
"Why did you need to wake me up?"
"Well it's breakfast, isn't it? Mom and dad want us to come down and eat," Harry frowned at him.
"Why do they want us for breakfast?" His parents weren't strict on breakfast, as long as you had three meals a day, it didn't matter too much when it was they ate. His brother shrugged.
"Don't know, something important though I guess," he told him.
"You couldn't have knocked on the door?" His brother rolled his eyes.
"Stop being such a baby Harry, get dressed would ya?" His brother turned back around and went out the door, not closing it of course. He sighed and grabbed some pants and a t-shirt from his dresser. He shoved them on and ran a hand through his hair before going out the door himself. He walked down the stairs and couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. What was so important? He remembered back to a few nights ago, something he hated remembering. The old balding man telling him how he was going to be leaving his family.
Was this it? Was the man telling the truth? Was he gonna leave his family.? He reached the bottom of the step and his gaze drifted over the little old table that had had the missing trinket on top of it. He shook his head and opened the kitchen door.
"These are good, mom!" He heard his brother's voice exclaim with food in his mouth. Pancakes, he rolled his eyes. Andrews favorite. His mom and dad were laughing at Andrew as he attempted to talk with food in his mouth. But he didn't laugh, he couldn't find anything funny about what was going to be discussed.
Once he had walked closer to the table did the others notice him.
"Harry, hey, do you want some eggs?" His mother asked him. He had been hungry before, but he lost his appetite after figuring out what this was about.
He sat down at the table, looking down at his hands. There was a slight silence before Andrew did something else stupid that made his parents laugh, but he didn't notice. They continued to have breakfast and Harry's dread continued to grow. It reached its peak once he saw his parents give each other a look.
"Kids...we- we have something to tell you," his mother started, Harry wanted to cry, he wanted to scream and yell and tell them how it wasn't fair, but he just kept staring at his hands. His dad started talking.
"There are people out there: bad people who don't like us much. And they want to, get us. Get you. So...we've decided for your safety that we're going to leave for a bit." His dad explained.
"Leave?" Andrew asked, "where would we go?" His parents gave each other another look.
"Well, Andrew you'll be coming with us to one of the unlisted Potter vacation homes. Harry, we-" his mother looked over to his father again, "well you could always come with us of course, but it would be...safer if you were to be put somewhere else, separate from us." Harry didn't answer, he couldn't, if he tried all that would come out would be a strangled gasp.
"Harry sweetie, please answer us. If you'll leave, you'll go to your aunt's and uncle's for a bit, they'll take care of you. You don't have to leave, but it'll be safer," His mother told him, the unspoken "for Andrew" was as clear as day though. For Andrew. It was always for Andrew. Never Harry, always Andrew. His parent's love was never much compared to the love they held for Andrew. He never received the same amount of praise for doing the same things.
It was always about Andrew. Andrew, Andrew, Andrew, Andrew, Andrew.
But, if he made it all about Andrew, then would his parents would love him more? Maybe if left, he would be treated like Andrew too?
"I- you'd be safe?" He asked still looking down.
"We'd all be safer." His mother said quickly.
"Wh- when are we leaving?" He asked them.
"Soon, so we've got to decide what we are going to do. We'll let some people we know move in for a bit so the bad men don't suspect anything until we can come back."
"I-" part of Harry wanted to say he would go with them, that he didn't care if it was safer for Andrew, that he wanted to stay with them. But he was desperate for his parent's affection, he needed them to love him, so despite his instincts telling him not to, "I'll go."
He finally looked up, to see the looks on his parent's faces, to gouge what they thought about him; if maybe they loved him more now. All he saw was a relief. Relief for Andrew. He felt like crying, but he held it in. His father smiled at him.
"Thank you, Harry now let's hurry up, we've got to go." His brother frowned.
"Now? We're leaving now? But- but what about our stuff?" Andrew obviously wasn't happy that he didn't have time to pack.
"Don't worry, you can bring your trunk with you, Andrew, but Harry my sister, and her husband...well they're still muggles, so it would be best if you didn't take your things with you." His mother said apologetically.
"I- can't even have my books? My toys?" Harry felt an even stronger urge to cry.
"I'm sorry Harry, but once we come back to get you, we'll buy you as many books and toys as you want." He just looked down again.
After a small silence, his father clapped his hands. It seemed that woke everyone up because there was a sudden rushing to pack clothes and belongings. Harry, on the other hand, took his time walking up the stairs. Stairs he would not walk up and down for years to come. He reached the hallway, a hallway he wouldn't walk through for years to come. He reached his door and pushed it open, something he would not do for years to come.
He took a couple of steps into his room. He looked around, staring sadly at the contents he had gotten so familiar with. He figured it wasn't such a big deal. He would only be gone for a couple of years. But he couldn't help but despair. Everything he had known was falling apart in front of him.
He walked towards his closet that held his trunk and clothes.
Why did the bad man have to attack them anyway?
He shoved a couple of shirts and pants into the trunk.
Why was it that the other bad men couldn't leave them alone?
He shoved the rest of his clothes into the trunk.
Why did he have to leave his home for his brother?
He walked through the house and outside.
Why was everything always about Andrew?
A scruffy-looking man was talking with his parents. He turned and said something to him, he said nothing back.
Why couldn't his parents love him?
His parents said something to him. Maybe "we love you" but he didn't notice. The man grabbed his shoulder and apparated somewhere.
Why did no one love him?
They were in front of a normal-looking muggle house in a normal-looking muggle neighborhood.
Why did no one care for him?
The man had knocked on the door. He was arguing with the owners of the house now.
Andrew.
He didn't notice when the man pushed him into the house and apparated away.
He isn't loved because of Andrew.
He didn't notice when the man that could pass for a walrus grabbed his arm and yelled at him.
He isn't cared for because of Andrew.
He didn't notice when the fat man grinned wickedly.
Because he isn't Andrew.
He didn't notice the fat man unlock the golden clasp that was on the cupboard under the stairs.
Because he isn't as good as Andrew.
He didn't notice as he was shoved into the cupboard. He didn't notice as the little door slammed and the sound of a clasp being shut roughly rang out. He didn't notice as the little air vent that permitted a slight bit of light to come through the cupboard was shut. And as he was shrouded in darkness, he made a promise.
I'll be better than Andrew Potter ever will.
Ok, that's that chapter done. If anyone sees any writing errors or anything, feel free to correct me by the way. Just say what chapter the error is and what it is.
Signing off,
Aith3r
