Thanks to everyone who nominated and voted for Saving Harry in last month's DSTAs. Your enthusiasm is much appreciated!
Thanks, as always, go to the marvelous cwarbeck for her above and beyond beta work. My gratitude is extended to Peter/MyGinevra for listening to me, even if it is electronically. His current fic, The Hog's Head, is highly recommended, if you're not already following it.
Please note: If you've gotten this far in the story, you know how Harry is treated by the Dursleys. For those of you looking for a change of pace, I've included two more sources of angst.
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Saving Harry | ||||||
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Category: Pre-OotP, Alternate Universe, Buried Gems Characters:All Genres: Angst, Drama, Romance Warnings: Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 1040 Summary: What if JKR had never intended the Harry Potter series to be for children? How would Harry’s time at the Dursleys been written? This story focuses on the years Harry lived in the cupboard under the stairs at number four Privet Drive, as well as his first appearance at Hogwarts. The treatment he receives during his decade there is not described in fairy tale terms. The boy who initially develops is not the Harry Potter we know. The story is liberally AU, with different personality traits, events, and relationships used to reflect the changes in this very different Harry and the environment in which he grew up. In the end, through the assistance of a certain redheaded young lady, Harry ultimately finds the life he should have had and rediscovers the qualities he always had inside of him. While I am not a psychologist or child development expert, the symptoms, actions, and behaviors portrayed reflect the realities of child abuse. Appropriate disclosures will be contained in the Author’s Notes above the chapter when warranted. Hitcount: Story Total: 340848; Chapter Total: 18460 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Harry Potter’s world shattered. Seventeen words from Miss Rae, several days before the Christmas Holidays, were all it took. “I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but I won’t be returning after the Holidays . . .” Harry barely heard any of the words that had followed, “I won’t be returning . . .” His mind started spinning, threatening to run away from the new reality Miss Rae’s announcement had created. Harry sat, almost slumped in his chair, his mind racing, his body numb, but with an ache inside that he thought would consume him. Miss Rae has been one of the few good things in my life. The books, the reading lessons . . . she and Sammi are the only ones who treat me good, who’ve been nice to me. And Sammi had to go home early today. “I have a long-term family emergency that requires that I move back home. Home is in Cornwall, so there is no way I can continue teaching you. I hope you know that I hate to have to leave, but there are no other alternatives for my family. Do you have any questions?” Her students stared at their teacher, their minds still too numb to ask her anything. “Okay. Well, we have the rest of the week if you do have any. Class dismissed.” Harry continued to sit at his desk, after the dismissal bell rang, unable to move or even think about what he would do next. “Harry, are you okay?” Miss Rae looked at him with watery, distraught eyes. He looked up, and his world crumbled. The tears that had been held back when the Dursleys neglected him, the pain from the mistreatment he could do nothing about, the feelings of being totally on his own, of not having anyone who cared for him, pounded against the emotional barriers he had created and swept them away. The boy started crying and thought he would never stop. He felt a hand on his shoulder and sobbed even harder. The numb feeling that had settled over his body held a volcano at its centre, and he felt every shred of his being erupting in pain. Finally, gasping for air and with tear-streaked cheeks, he stopped crying, certain there was nothing left inside of him. Even though Miss Rae was kneeling next to him, she looked blurry and indistinct, as if she were already just a memory of the one adult that had cared for him. Harry quickly blinked his eyes until she came into focus. Her face almost caused him to break down again. She looked as heartbroken as he felt. He couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer and launched himself at his teacher, holding her as tightly as he could, feeling that if he let go, he would drift away and never be found again. She wrapped her arms around her student, holding him closely and whispering calming words. Many long minutes passed until they were ready to release each other. Miss Rae looked directly into Harry’s watery eyes. “You will be okay.” He nodded, desperately wanting to believe her. She smiled through her tears. “I was going to tell you this on our last day, on Friday, but now seems the right time.” She reached out, still kneeling so they were at the same height, and placed a hand gently on each of his shoulders. “Mr Potter, you are a very special young man. No matter what happens, I want you to remember that. Don’t let anything stop you. Will you do that for me, Harry?” Harry searched his teacher’s face, peering into her eyes. Within seconds, he had no doubts that she truly believed what she had just said. She thinks I’m special, not a freak, not a waste of space. He nodded and took a deep breath. “I will,” he whispered. “That’s my boy.” She smiled at him. “We can talk more, after school tomorrow, if you want.” He smiled, a lopsided but bright-eyed smile that almost broke her heart. “Thanks, Miss Rae.” She ruffled his always messy hair, and he slung the rucksack over his shoulders. When he got to the doorway, he turned around. “That was the first hug I can ever remember.” Miss Rae’s breath caught in her chest, as if it had suddenly turned into an immovable chunk of ice. As he waved goodbye, she thought, You are so much better than they are, Harry. Don’t ever let them convince you otherwise. Two days later, Harry’s world spun off its axis once more. Samantha wasn’t in class. With Miss Rae’s announcement, she had become Harry’s sole anchor, his only friend in class, the only one who ignored Dudley’s heavy-handed bullying. The school day finally came to an end, and Harry went up to Miss Rae as soon as the final bell rang. “I’m going over to Samantha’s house to see if she’s okay. Do you mind if I don’t stay and talk with you today?” “Not at all, Harry. That’s a very nice thing for you to do. I’m sure Samantha will appreciate your concern. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” “Bye, Miss Rae.” Harry had walked about halfway across the school playground on his way to Samantha’s house when he saw a red blur racing towards him. As the figure got closer, Harry could see it was Samantha, and she had tears running down her cheeks. She literally crashed into him, throwing her arms around his back, and crying into his shoulder, the moisture soaking through his shirt. After a moment’s hesitation, Harry put his arms around his distraught friend. As he held Samantha, Harry could feel sobs wracking her body and wondered if she’d held her tears all day. Her crying slowed and finally became hiccups as she tried to regain her breath. With a last shuddering gasp, she stepped back and stared into her friend’s face. “We’re moving, Harry,” she managed to whisper, before she was lost again. Sammi leaned against him, as if she needed something solid to keep her standing. Harry squeezed his eyes as tight as he could, trying to erase what Sammi had just told him. This can’t be happening. Please, not her, too. The boy desperately tried to hold back the tears that welled in his eyes. I can’t cry where everyone can see me. But he could feel one, then another tear, slide down his cheek. Sammi’s breathing slowed down. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she said, and her tears resumed. Her comment broke down Harry’s last barriers, and his tears flowed as heavily as his friend’s. Both children clung to each other, kindred spirits, who doubted they would find another in their new and suddenly changed worlds. When the tears finally ran out, the two friends shyly looked at each other, embarrassed about being so open with their emotions. Harry said quietly, “Number two.” Sammi looked at him, her head tilted to one side and a confused expression on her face. “What do you mean, number two?” “This was the second hug I can remember.” “Really?” Her friend’s admission was totally outside her experience, since she usually was hugged every day that many times before breakfast. “Really.” He nodded his head. “Who was the first?” Sammi asked. “Miss Rae, on Monday, after school.” Sammi nodded her head. “Let’s go home,” Harry suggested. Both kids took deep breaths and started walking. Within a few minutes, Sammi was chattering away, and both kids tried to ignore the other’s red-rimmed eyes. Harry learned her family would be leaving during Christmas break. Sammi’s dad had received a promotion — Harry wasn’t sure what that was, but Sammi said it was usually a good thing — but it required them to move to a city called Manchester. “It’s hours and hours away, Harry, so we can’t see each other very often. I told my da not to take the promotion. He just laughed and said he couldn’t do that. Friday will be my last day.” When they reached the intersection of Magnolia Crescent and Privet Drive, both kids stopped, not wanting to go their separate ways. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at school,” Sammi said. “Yeah. But it won’t be the same.” “No, it won’t. I just couldn’t go today. I yelled at my da, my mum, my brother, even our dog.” Harry snorted at the dog being yelled at. “I cried a lot, too. It makes me sad to move.” “Yeah, me, too. First, Miss Rae, now you.” “I’m sorry, Harry.” “It’s okay. Nothing you can do.” The boy laughed suddenly. “Tell your parents you’ll live with the Dursleys.” “We’ll both live in your cupboard.” “Might be a little crowded.” The smile still lit Harry’s face. “Nah, we’re both pretty small.” Sammi smiled back. “Time to go?” he asked. “Yeah, see you tomorrow, Harry.” “Not if I see you first.” Both kids laughed as they went their separate ways. Frida y felt like a funeral to Harry. Sammi arrived with a tear-streaked face and rough eyes from rubbing away the constant flow of tears she’d had since her da had announced the ‘good’ news. As soon as she sat down at her desk, she turned around. “My mum said to make this a good day, since it’s my last with you and Miss Rae. Will you help me, Harry?” Harry immediately felt a sharp burning sensation in his eyes. I can’t cry in class. Dudley and his mates would take the mickey out of me. I can’t let them know how I feel about Sammi and Miss Rae leaving. He took several deep breaths and tried to smile. “Yeah, I’ll help.” The end of the day finally arrived. The two friends waited silently until all the other students had said their last goodbyes and left the classroom. Harry could feel his breathing quicken, with less air going into his lungs, almost like he had to push to get the air inside him. Miss Rae looked over at her two favourite students. She could finally admit that undeniable fact to herself now that she no longer was officially their teacher. She saw two wonderful children, who couldn’t have been more the same or more different. She knew that Samantha came from a loving home, with two supportive parents, who loved her and her brother. They were treated well, fed and housed properly, dressed nicely, and encouraged to be their very best. With all that Samantha received from her parents, it wasn’t surprising she excelled at almost everything she did, and more importantly, was a sweet child. Harry, on the other hand, was unique. How he had become this quiet, funny, well behaved, highly intelligent young man was beyond her comprehension. By all accounts, he should have been a juvenile delinquent-in-training like his porcine cousin. If the rumours were true, he lived in a hallway cupboard. She knew from seeing his clothing that they were discards from Dudley. Their size disparity and condition made it even more obvious that nothing he wore had been purchased for him. From the first day of school, she had been concerned that Harry had been mistreated by the Dursleys, but as carefully as she watched, there was not one time where she could file a report on them. Despite this toxic environment, the young man had turned out as if he had the best parents in the world. Then, the thought occurred to her; maybe he had before he had been forced to live with the Dursleys. As Miss Rae walked toward Samantha and Harry, she steeled herself against the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She knew she had no choice but to leave the school and this area. Her parents’ medical conditions required her to be there to care for them. They couldn’t afford full-time medical help, and her older brother and sister had families. She was the logical choice, but that didn’t stop her from feeling she was abandoning not only her class and the school, but most especially the small boy who was looking at her with a sad smile. Miss Rae kneeled in front of the two children and held out her arms. Instantly, they moved towards her, wrapping their arms around her and each other, as she enclosed them in her embrace. She desperately wished she was just giving them a happy hug and wishes for the Holidays, and that she would be seeing them again in a few weeks’ time. But Miss Rae also knew she couldn’t say any of those things. She had to be positive for both children’s sakes. She pulled back slightly, so she could see her young friends. Both had tears silently running down their cheeks. “Hey, you two, this is a wonderful time of the year. No sad faces.” Both kids blinked rapidly to stem their tears and tried to put on smiles they obviously didn’t feel. Both were breathing raggedly and continued to hold onto their teacher like they would be lost if they let go. “That’s a little better.” Miss Rae took a deep breath. “I hoped to see both of you during the break, but my parents’ conditions have become worse, and I need to leave tomorrow.” “So, this is it,” Harry said quietly. “I’m afraid so. Now, don’t be so gloomy. Samantha, you have a great adventure in front of you, with a new city, new friends, new school and teacher, all sorts of interesting things to tell Harry.” Sammi tried to smile but didn’t quite make it. “Why do I feel so sad?” “What have you been thinking about the most?” The small girl answered immediately. “How I don’t want to go. How much I’m going to miss you and Harry.” Both Harry and Miss Rae swallowed hard, almost as if they were forcing their emotions down. “Samantha, it’s normal to think about what you’re leaving. I bet your parents have talked with you about that.” The girl nodded her head. “The answer is to think of the good things also, so you’re not just thinking about what you’ll miss. Does that make sense?” “Yeah. Thanks, Miss Rae. I’ll try.” “I know you will. Now, I have something for each of you.” Their teacher walked over to her desk, opened a drawer and pulled out two brightly wrapped presents. The green one went to Harry and the red package to Sammi. “Open them up!” The kids didn’t need any more encouragement and tore into the wrapping. Within seconds, both were smiling widely. “Thank you, Miss Rae,” Harry said. “This is great.” His present was a compendium of all things Arthurian. Harry immediately started flipping through the pages and was startled when a picture fell out. He picked it up and saw Sammi smiling back at him. “Where did you get this?” he asked. “Remember first day? I took pictures of every student.” Sammi immediately started looking through the personalized stationery and pencil gift set Miss Rae had given her. Her eyes lit up when she found her best friend’s picture. “Thank you so much, Miss Rae!” The little girl leaned into her teacher for another hug. Both students already had their teacher’s new address and phone number, so Sammi turned to Harry. “I’ll ask my mum for my numbers and get them to you. Okay?” He slowly nodded his head. “Okay.” Miss Rae smiled at the exchange between these sparkling five-year olds. “Harry, I need you to do me a favour.” He tilted his head towards his teacher. “I want you to write to Sammi and me every week. We want to know how you’re doing. Will you do that?” “Sure.” He nodded. “And Sammi, you write to us, too, and let me know if Harry misses a week.” Sammi’s smile lit her face. “I will — on my new stationery.” “Good. We’re agreed, then.” Miss Rae looked into Harry’s eyes. “I also want you to remember something.” Her breath caught sharply in her chest, and she briefly closed her eyes. “We — Sammi and I — care a lot about you. You’re not alone. Write or call if there’s any need to, beyond the weekly letters. You know what I’m talking about, right?” Harry nodded his head. “I will.” Miss Rae forced a smile onto her face. “I probably shouldn’t keep you any longer. Please remember, Sammi, Harry, that even though it hurts now, we all have wonderful memories of each other. Think about the good parts, okay? Really have fun in Manchester, Sammi. Let us know all about it. And Harry, keep in touch with us, for any reason. Alright? Come here, you two.” With one more hug and repeated thank yous for the gifts, the two kids reluctantly left Miss Rae. The teacher controlled her emotions until they disappeared down the hallway. With a huge sigh, her dam broke and the tears flooded through. ‘You know life’s not fair,’ she thought. ‘Both will be fine.’ She admitted to herself that she had no real worries about Sammi. It would be tough on her initially, but with her parents’ support, she would be fine. ‘God, I hope Harry will be okay. Those people he lives with scare me to death. I only hope he will contact me if things turn worse.’ Miss Rae looked through her desk drawers and book shelves one last time, turned off the lights, and walked down the hall towards the teachers’ parking lot, trying not to think that life was less fair to some people than others. Sammi held off her tears until they left the school building. As hard as she tried, they began to leak one by one from the corners of her eyes. Harry could see the glistening tracks her tears traced on her freckled cheeks. He moved closer to her and quietly said, “Think about the good things, Sammi.” “I’m trying so hard, but it’s not working.” She leaned against him. “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay. It is hard.” He could feel Sammi trying to calm down, but her breathing remained ragged and uneven. Finally, she seemed stronger. “I’ll be okay now. I really don’t like being a hosepipe.” Harry laughed. “A hosepipe? I’ve never heard anyone called a hosepipe.” “My da teases me sometimes when I cry.” “Oh, I thought he meant you were green and skinny.” “Oh, Harry, that’s really bad.” She grinned at him, and they started walking toward their houses, their conversation flowing like usual. Too quickly, they reached the intersection of Magnolia Crescent and Privet Drive, where a surprise awaited them. Sammi’s parents were standing on the corner, smiling at them. After introductions, the parents explained what they had in mind. “So, if it’s okay with your aunt and uncle, you can visit with us over the spring half-term. How does that sound?” Sammi’s father asked. “That would be great, Da!” Sammi reacted before Harry could even open his mouth. Both males laughed, and Harry agreed. “That would be great, if my relatives would let me.” Harry wasn’t sure how his relatives would react. Would they care? Would they be upset? “Let’s go ask them,” Mrs Stephens suggested. When they arrived in front of number four, Sammi’s green eyes locked onto Harry’s. “Thanks for being my best friend, Harry.” He smiled shyly. “Thanks for being my first friend, Sammi.” She squeaked and hugged him again. With a deep breath, she said, “I guess we should ask your relatives.” “Yeah.” And they headed up the walkway towards the front door. The door was locked, so he rang the doorbell. After a few moments, his aunt opened the front door. Her initial expression of irritation quickly turned neutral when she saw the adults standing behind her nephew. “Aunt Petunia, these are Mr and Mrs Stephens. They’re Sammi’s parents.” They both stepped forward with cordial greetings, while Aunt Petunia remained coldly disinterested. Mr Stephens said, “You may know that Harry and our Sammi are best friends at school. We’re moving to Manchester tomorrow and were hopeful they could stay in touch through letters, phone calls, that kind of stuff. Also, we would like to invite Harry to stay with us over the spring half-term. We’d cover any expenses, of course. We thought it would make their transition a little easier.” Petunia knew exactly what they wanted to hear. “How nice of you. That’s a wonderful idea. We’ll make sure he writes, and I see no problem with him staying that week with you. We can coordinate the details as we get closer to the break. How’s that?” Harry stared at this person who looked like his aunt but didn’t act or talk like her at all. He couldn’t believe his good luck. Now he had something to look forward to. “Thank you, Aunt Petunia.” “That’s settled, then,” Mr Stephens said. Mrs Stephens smiled. “It was very nice to meet you, Mrs Dursley. Kids, last goodbyes?” She took her husband’s hand and led him to the sidewalk to wait for Sammi. Aunt Petunia got the message, said, “Goodbye,” and walked back down the hall. Sammi whispered, “Now we have something great to look forward to.” “I can’t believe she said yes. I’ll write as soon as I get your first letter.” Harry took a deep breath. “Miss Rae’s right. It’s better knowing you.” “Definitely! Goodbye, Harry Potter.” She leaned in for a last hug. “Bye, Sammi.” As she walked towards her parents, he added, “Thanks for everything.” He watched them walk down the street, until they were out of sight. Think of the good things. He took a deep breath and walked into the house. Petu nia had always kept a watchful eye out for the mail. With the knowledge that her nephew would soon be receiving letters from that little red-haired girl and his former school teacher, she now went into full alert. Less than a week later, two letters arrived, addressed to Harry Potter. One was postmarked from Manchester; the second came from Cornwall. Petunia smiled to herself. Try to show up my Dudley. After a few more unanswered letters, they’ll think he’s not interested in them. This will teach him to try to make friends. The two letters were ripped into shreds then dumped, not in the kitchen trash, but in the large bin outside. Why they haven’t written? Harry Potter wondered. I bet they’ve just been so busy they haven’t had time. He sat down at the dining table and wrote ‘How’s it going?’ letters to his best friend and former teacher, and also wished them a Happy Christmas, which would be in two more days. “Aunt Petunia, would you mail these for me?” he asked. “I’ll be happy to, Harry. I need to go out for some last minute shopping. I’ll take care of them for you.” Then, she smiled at the boy. “Have you received anything from your friends yet?” “Not yet. I bet they’ve been really busy.” “Yes,” she replied. “I’m sure that’s it. Nothing to be concerned about.” She put the two envelopes in her purse. Later that day, when she was out shopping, Aunt Petunia took the two letters from her purse and dropped them in the trash bin. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Around noon on another present-less Christmas for Harry, the phone rang at the Dursleys. Harry heard his uncle respond, “No, there’s no one here by that name. You have the wrong number.” He hung up, and said to his wife, “You know how irritating those wrong numbers can be.” His wife nodded but smiled for some reason that escaped Harry. The last day of Christmas Holidays began gloomily, with slate-grey skies that held the promise of cold, miserable weather. Harry sat on the mattress in his little room, wondering why he hadn’t received a letter, a call, or a Christmas card from either of his friends. His chest and stomach felt like the weather. The chill inside reminded him that he no longer had any friends, let alone a best friend. Making it worse, Miss Rae also had left, and he wondered what her replacement would be like. A dull ache settled over the boy, so he lay down and quickly fell asleep. The next day the class learned their teacher for the rest of the school year would be a Miss Malgrim, a squat middle-aged woman, whose grey hair was pulled back in a severe bun. As she started speaking that first morning, several of the students cringed at the sound of her voice. Harry thought she sounded like a bull-frog that had a cold. Later, he and the two other advanced reading students went up to Miss Malgrim’s desk when the morning recess bell rang. “We had special reading classes with Miss Rae, once a week during recess,” Susan explained. Miss Malgrim looked at the girl like she didn’t believe her, so Harry added, “We’re better readers than the others, so she had us read other books.” Miss Malgrim had started shaking her head while Harry spoke. “No, no. We won’t be doing that. I have more than enough to do with all these lessons. I’m not about to add a special class for just you three.” Jonathan looked surprised. “But the other books are too easy for us.” “Well, you’ll just have to fend for yourselves. No one gets special treatment in my class.” The three students stared at their new teacher, then each other, and finally walked out of the classroom. Two friends of Harry Potter, one in Cornwall and the other in Manchester, were becoming increasingly frustrated. Each had sent two letters to Harry and had tried to call him once. Miss Rae and Sammi had exchanged several letters and even two phone calls, so they could discuss their concerns. Miss Rae could tell Sammi was hurt by the lack of response from Harry. His former teacher had been tempted several times to drive to Harry’s house, but ultimately decided doing so could create much greater problems for the boy. Just before the spring holidays, Sammi called her former teacher. “He hasn’t responded to any of my letters, and I’ve left messages with his aunt or uncle, but he’s never called back.” She started crying. “I’m sorry. It hurts. He was supposed to spend this holiday with us. I don’t think I can send him any more letters. I can’t stand him not writing back. I thought he was my friend.” “I know, Sammi. It’s not like Harry, is it? Just keep trying. There may be reasons we’re not aware of. Would you keep writing him, Sammi?” “Okay, but I don’t know how many more I can do.” “I understand.” In Surrey, Harry was frantic. Why haven’t Sammi or Miss Rae written or called me since they left? I’ve sent six letters to each of them, and Aunt Petunia has left three phone messages, since they won’t let me make phone calls. I’m supposed to stay with Sammi and her family next week. The boy sagged, as if the air had been sucked out of him. Miss Rae and Sammi didn’t mean anything they said. They’ve forgotten about me. They never cared. The Harry Potter who returned to school after the spring holidays bore no resemblance to the student Miss Rae taught during the first semester. He showed up each day, usually with a runny nose, but seemed to have left his brain at home. Miss Malgrim remarked to some of the other teachers at school about how dull the boy was. His eyes, his hair, his expression, even his voice was dull, and he had no energy at all. The substitute teacher wondered what Miss Rae had been thinking when she wrote all those glowing comments about the boy. Whatever had happened, and Miss Malgrim said it was none of her concern, that boy had disappeared over Christmas and spring breaks. Miss Rae sat at the kitchen table, forlornly looking out the window and taking a break from the never-ending responsibility of caring for her parents. As they often did, her thoughts turned to Harry Potter and Samantha Stephens. She shuddered, because those thoughts brought back memories that stabbed her heart. Mum and Dad seemed fine when I left the house to drive to Little Whinging. Harry would never have ignored the letters and phone messages from Sammi and me. Those awful relatives of his had to have been doing something. I just wanted the poor boy to know we missed him. Miss Rae closed her eyes tightly, willing herself not to cry. I was so focused on what I wanted to say to his relatives the cell phone ringing almost caused me to drive into the hedgerow. I almost died when the caller said she was the admitting nurse at the local hospital. I’ll never know why Mum was trying to cook something when I had told her lunch was in the refrigerator. Thank God, her burns were only first degree. I thought Dad would watch out for her, but he made the fire worse. If Mr. Moresby hadn’t been in his front yard, it could have been a catastrophe. I learned I can’t leave them alone for any amount of time. There’s no way I could take half a day or more to drive to Harry’s house, talk with him and his relatives, and drive back. Not now. I still feel guilty. Now, he probably thinks we never cared and abandoned him. Sammi’s parents knew she was unhappy and hurt by the lack of response from Harry. Tears flowed down the young girls cheeks. “Mum, can’t you or Da drive me to Harry’s house? I know something’s wrong. I think it’s his relatives. I need to help him.” Her mum gazed at her sympathetically. “I know it hurts, Sammi. But we’ve explained to you. We can’t interfere with Harry’s relationship with his relatives. I’m sorry, sweetheart.” She thought, it worries me what they would do to him, if we did show up unexpectedly. Sammi will get over this eventually. With each passing month that provided no communication, Harry’s puzzlement turned to despair, then despair to anger, and finally anger cooled into misunderstanding. He sat in his cupboard, his thoughts once again on Miss Rae and Sammi. This hurts worse than when Uncle Vernon is mean to me. Everything hurts inside, and it seems like it will never stop. I trusted Miss Rae. She said she would write and phone me. Why did she say she would, when she hasn’t done either? She said I was special. I can’t stand this! I’ll never trust another teacher or any adult. Sammi’s just as bad as Miss Rae. I thought she was my friend. I felt good when I was with her, but she lied, too. I’ll never let anyone do this to me again. The young boy grimaced and rubbed his stomach. He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and wrapped his arms around his body, slowly rocking until numbness replaced his thoughts. Slowly, he lay down on his thin mattress and fell asleep. |
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