Wool's Orphanage

" . . . Benjamin Magnus Adelwen."

I hear a final breath and then . . .

A woman had died, I can feel it. My new mother is no more.

I open my eyes but couldn't see anything except blurry shapes. I remembered that newborn babies couldn't see anything properly since their eye muscles weren't strong but I liked to see. To see the world was beautiful and to live like this, I couldn't even imagine.

I hear a voice but I couldn't identify if it was young or old, my hearing wasn't perfect either, it seems, though I could identify that it was a woman. She was saying, "Unbelievable, the boy was born at the same time as the other one."

I heard a sharp noise that scared me, not being able to see was really messing with me. I opened my mouth to let out a soft gasp and it made people turn to me. Hey, I may be only seeing blurs but I could see a bit at least.

I heard a voice say, this one was male, "He has such beautiful eyes. Wouldn't you agree, Emily?"

A soft chuckle and then the woman I had heard before responded, "Yes, he does. It's almost magical how cute he looks."

I let out a small chuckle, which could only be a baby's giggle and then heard some laughter at my actions.

This sucks.

Suddenly, I had a thought.

My birth had killed a woman and . . .

I shook my head.

This may be my choice but clearly, this woman was going to die giving birth, since I couldn't have changed the birth of this body. So clearly, I am innocent.

I tried to think that.

My eyes were watering.

I tried to suppress my feelings.
_

So, the other baby that was born at the same time as me, remember him?

Yeah, as soon as I was cleared to be sent away to my nursery by the doctor, the man took me to that baby. His mother had died too, I heard from his mutterings.

This baby was too silent.

I hate you, baby body.

I tried to look at the baby with me. He looked like a baby, from his shape at least. He had green eyes, that's all I could tell. He had no hair and I cannot see anything else.

I blinked furiously.

I could make out more suddenly.

That's it, I can do it.

I want to see the child.
_

The boy had wisps of black hair on his head and his expression could only be described as bewildered as if he still couldn't believe he was born.

Why does he have this expression?

I wanted to say something and a sound escaped my mouth, "Ba!"

Shit.

The baby giggled suddenly, his expression one that I expected from a snickering monkey. The baby continued giggling until he almost fell.

I giggled at him, no shame.

"Aw, look at that, Harry and Benny are playing together." I heard a female voice.

It was a woman in her late thirties who had already greying brown hair. She looked like an average British woman, to me at least, but I had never gone to the UK in my previous life, so I wasn't sure.

Harry, that's the boy's name.

Benny.

I hate this woman.

I mean, honestly?

"Ha!"

Harry's smug about the fact, it seems.

I am almost sure that he is reincarnated too, based on the fact that he and I were getting along. I let out a small huff and Harry smirked at me, it looked supremely weird on a baby.
_

It has been almost a year, since Harry and I were adjusting to this Wool's Orphanage. It is a poorly funded yet well-kept orphanage, though the funding was being increased. It seems as if Harry knew this place in his previous life since he was almost crying when he heard its name.

During this one year, I had finally been able to walk. It took too much time, no matter how much the matron congratulated me about doing it early.

I learned that Harry's full name was Harry Charles Potter, which was weird because I remembered a James Potter from the future, and he was one of the two people because of whom I died.

Harry also did some weird tricks, like sometimes levitating things to him or summoning water from the air. It was cool to watch and I was always amazed to see them.

Harry said, "Benny, come."

And, of course, the horrid nickname hasn't died yet, courtesy of Harry and Matron Mary, or whatever it was, I never bothered to remember it.

He took us to our room and then sat on his bed. He sighed unnaturally and ran a hand through his short yet messy black hair. He said, "Ben, I have something to tell you."

Whenever we were alone, we tried to talk like fully grown people, because even if we never confirmed to each other, we knew that we were reincarnated.

I sat on my bed and leaned back against the wall. I asked, "What do you want to tell me?"

He took another sigh and then said, "Magic is real."

I had already figured that out.

I said, "I know. I died through magic and then -"

I couldn't speak.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I cannot.

Harry, figuring this out, asked, "Did you meet Death who gave you another chance at life?"

I shook my head and then nodded it, to indicate that it was as false as true. I did meet Scott, who was probably the God of Death, and he did result in my reincarnation, but he didn't personally do it, They did.

God, I don't even know their names.

Harry said, "I see. Anyway, since we have left our old lives, we will not ask anything about it, right?"

I said, "No, we won't. Much."

"Much?"

"Well, you sound like you know what is magic. I honestly don't know what it is, except that it exists, thanks to me dying." I said, as casually as I can. I still have bad feelings attached to that memory in particular.

Harry thought for a minute and then said, "Well, let me start. So . . ."
_

I was five now.

Harry and I went back on our promise and disclosed everything to each other. That happened after we were almost separated from each other when a man wanted to adopt Harry.

I hate this.

I hate having this almost as much as it warms me.

I have a friend.

I have never had a friend.

It feels so good.

I still couldn't tell what happened after my death, except that I received this boon which made my life a game, sort of.
_

Harry had told me about this Patronus Charm and how he once taught children a Disarming Spell. It was clear to me, according to him, that there were levels of how good they work. Sometimes, you get an animal from your spell and other times, you do not. Sometimes, you just disarm your opponent and other times, you make them banish away from land into the air and then their weapon in your hand.

I want to do this, but without the weakness. I want to do this without a wand.

Being stubborn is sometimes good.

It was at the age of seven when I did my first accidental magic.

It was nothing special and something that I would have dismissed as a supremely rare chance of luck. So, basically, I had slipped on the last step of the staircase and instead of falling on my nose, I had seemingly stuck to the stair by my feet and then stood back up straight.

Harry, who had run to help me then, had later told me that I had let out some accidental magic and did a sticking charm, which seemed more logical than my toes balancing my entire body on a stair.

I had asked then, "Can I do it again?"

Harry shook his head and said, "It is very difficult apparently, or so I have heard. You can accidentally kill yourself like that, according to what a friend of mine said."

"You mean that Granger woman?"

". . . Of course."

Now, look, I am not saying that Granger was dumb or anything, but I didn't know why or how she apparently decided that trying to do accidental magic with no accidents is lethal. Therefore, I will take my chances.

Every day, in the morning, when Harry woke me up and left, I would try to summon my broken alarm clock to myself. It never worked but it wasn't like I needed to learn magic early, I can function like a normal guy anytime.
_

My eighth birthday was just around the corner, which meant Harry's birthday is approaching as well. It was awkward for me to learn that since I was so sure that I had set the correct date when I was creating my character.

Apparently, I had accidentally typed in July, instead of the month right after, and now, I have a birthday early, which has caught me off guard many times.

Harry groaned as he turned in his bed, "I don't wanna go to school."

I rolled my eyes and reminded him, "Today's Sunday, dummy."

He sat up with a grin on his face, he never liked school.

Well, neither did I.

I assume that is because we are apparently the smartest kids since Einstein, according to Miss Nelson. Look, I don't know why, I am more likely to be a dull screw rather than a smart kid, I just know the Art of Bullshitting (It is Level 59, even!) successfully and I have studied more than everything in the curriculum, which I found shocking for some reason.

Harry asked, "What should we do today?"

I answered honestly, "I don't know, mate, my life had been the internet, poems and writing for quite some time before it turned to depression, anxiety and unfunny jokes. I really don't how to live normally anymore."

Harry shrugged and said, "Neither do I. I lived as an alcoholic workaholic, who just wanted a time to be bored rather than complaints and paperwork. And let me tell you, having that as your schedule for fifteen years is not a good thing."

Harry and I apparently decided to play chess for some reason which we both don't know. We get trounced by children in chess sometimes, we shouldn't be allowed to play it. Though, I was really happy to know that I play chess better than Harry.

Harry muttered to me, "I really hate this type of chess, so boring. When we go to Hogwarts, I am going to buy a Wizard's Chess for both of us. That's one good game."

I looked around us and saw children staring at us for playing our least favourite game, I whispered to him, "Is it really that different?"

Harry nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as he said, "Totally. It may not seem that different but seeing it and playing it feels completely different. Ron taught me how to play it."

I asked him, "Senior Weasley Kid #6?"

He nodded, though he was frowning, and then said, "Please don't call him that. Ron was my best friend, Ben."

I asked sarcastically, "Then what am I? Broken leather?"

Harry smiled and said, "Of course not, you are broken tape."

I chuckled and then said, "Don't worry, Harold, your Ronny will not be tainted by my impure words."

"My name isn't Harold, dumbass."

"Of course, it isn't, Harrison."
_

"Bloody hell."

I stared at the clock in my hand and then put it back on the nightstand. I again tried to summon it but couldn't do it again. I said, "Aw, shucks!"

Harry looked at me and then back in front of him. He asked nervously, "We're gonna die, aren't we?"

I kept staring ahead of me, not being able to move. The fire was still spreading and the people in black robes, whatever they are called according to Harry, cackling and killing children.

I stared fearfully at them, knowing that I will probably be killed again if I didn't do anything. I asked Harry, "What're we gonna do?"

I looked at Harry to see a cold face, one I had never seen on him. He looked at me and I could see that he was scared as well but I also knew that he will save me.

He said, "We are going to run."

I looked at the dead matron and then asked, "What about the dying people?"

He closed his eyes and then opened them, Harry said, "We - we have to go, they will kill us as well. It's better - yes, it is - that some survive than none at all."

I couldn't move.

I wanted to vomit.

Panic gripped me.

I could hear a dull thud and then gasped.

I didn't know what was happening but I did know that someone was dragging me away. I let out a sound, "Harry?"

Harry's voice came as he said, "Yes, it is me. I know it is hard to see people die, that never gets old, trust me. You just learn to deal with it."

I looked down at the ground, my vision focussing again as a tense nervousness filled me and panic started to recede, I knew nothing can happen now, we are too far away from the Orphanage. I let out a tired sigh and then fell to the ground.

I said aloud, "I just saw people who I liked getting killed and some - some monsters doing that magic killing thingy, and I - I want to help them, but - but, I - I cannot, and - and - I -"

I couldn't speak.

Harry hugged me.

I felt blank.

Harry said sadly, "I have always lived a terrible life, with only me teaching myself whatever I knew, sometimes with a little help from Sirius, Ron, Hermione or Ginny. I was always surviving, living was hope for me. You, on the other hand, always lived hopefully, I envied you for this before. But now? I pity you.

"I never knew the life that you knew, it was always hard for me. Now, you are dragged into my mess, this magic stuff, and I, I will help you, okay?"

I nodded, too tired to speak.

"Sleep. We will be surviving in this forest or on the streets from tomorrow."

AN: I have a problem with my device which does not really hurt me in any way that matters but is annoying as feck.