Finding home

Katherine Knight has always been too much observant for her own good. Therefore, at twenty-five, she found herself rescuing a six-year-old boy from an abusive family without knowing that her choice would have turned her life upside down.

This story began when Katherine, a young nature photographer, was invited by her older brother, a teacher in a primary school in Surrey, to assist him in one of his geography lessons. It was early June and soon the summer holidays would have started. Her brother always made a special lesson before the end of the school year, inviting people he knew to show the kids various kind of professions. This time it was her turn.

Katherine and her brother Tristan grew up in a lovely home not far from London. Their father was an important manager in a big company and their mother a famous painter. They were caring and supportive parents, and they educated their children to be always kind and openminded towards the other people. Knowing how the majority of parents were in the years of her youth, she had always called herself lucky in that aspect.

Her father even indulged her when sometimes she asked to travel with him during some of his business trips, and it had been during those trips where she had wished for the first time to be able to capture the beauty of the places they were visiting. When she was seven, she received her first personal camera and from there her passion for photography grew exponentially, to the point it became her job after high school.

The day of the lesson Katherine woke up early in her apartment in London. She had decided to take the train to go to her brother’s school and she couldn’t leave too late. She dressed in a relative casual stile, she didn’t want to scare the children with her usual rock attire. At least they didn’t meet me when I was in high school, she thought, remembering her punk phase during those years, with improbable clothes and more improbable coloured hair. It was thanks to the punk movement that she had befriended the ones that would have become her best friends. They had shared many experiences together, from concerts to protests, and their friendship was still strong in the present.

Looking in the mirror she wished not for the first time to be a bit taller, so many people kept mistaking her for a young teenager. I could also use a trip to the hairdresser, she thought, looking at how her wild chestnut hair didn’t want to stay put. Grabbing her backpack and her camera she went in the kitchen for a quick coffee and a chocolate pastry, after her first journey in France she had quickly abandoned the salty English breakfast. With a last look to the apartment, filled with objects from different countries of the world, she closed the door behind her, ready for the unusual adventure.

Katherine arrived right on time to the meeting with her brother. Tristan was waiting for her next to his car outside the station and together they went to the school, located in a quiet area next to a park.

While Tristan greeted his students, Katherine took advantage and peeked through the door to see the children. It wasn’t a big class and most of the students was talking in groups while they waited for the lesson to start. Her brother announced the lesson to the class with his usual enthusiasm and called her in. When she entered, she was welcomed by a chorus of “Good morning miss Knight”. The children were all looking at her with expectancy. They were children from year 2, so they probably wouldn’t have liked to know the technical part of photography, in favour of listening to anecdotes of jobs she had taken around the world.

While she was talking, she started to notice the different reactions of the students. Most of them were politely listening to her as if it was a normal lesson, a little group was distracted and they were talking among one another, and then there was a boy who seemed captured by her words. Smiling, Katherine focused on him a bit more while she kept talking. He was a small boy, smaller than she was at his age and that was something, he had messy black hair and ugly round glasses, they seemed also broken. She felt a bit sad. Maybe his family couldn’t afford a new pair. And maybe they couldn’t travel a lot so that’s why the boy was so fascinated by her stories.

When she finished there was a polite applause and some questions, to which she was happy to answer. If every class was like that one, she could understand why Tristan had decided to become a teacher.

The bell ringed, meaning there was the lunch break before the next lesson. Katherine started helping her brother tidying the class while the children went out in the corridor. She was putting her block notes inside her backpack when she heard a thud and a voice saying, “Out of the way Potter, if we touch you, we could become freaks like you”. That’s mean she thought, looking up. Near the door there was a big blond boy towering the black-haired kid that she had noticed during class.

“Mr Dursley, I believe I had already told you that I don’t accept this kind of behaviour in my class.” Said Tristan with a hard voice.

The blond boy just glared him back and exited the class followed by another boy. Katherine watched the other child standing and then going to his seat silently. Not another student went near him. Katherine felt another wave of sadness watching him. He was probably bullied for his family status, and he had no friends, no child deserved it. The other boy had called him freak, something she had experienced too in the years before high school. She turned toward Tristan.

“Is this something that happens often?” asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. I tried to contact the Dursley family, but they don’t care if their son is a bully, especially when he bullies Mr Potter. Apparently, they are cousins, and they live together since they were little.” Said Tristan with a big sigh.

“Why do they live together? And why bullying should be fine for them?”

“Harry Potter’s parents died many years ago, and the Dursley took their nephew in their home. I think he would be better in an orphanage because that family is horrible. Terribly ordinary, the kind that hates everything that’s slightly different, if you know what I mean.” Katherine knew. She hated people like that, people who couldn’t enjoy the variety and the unique things the world had to offer. But according to the things Tristan said, a terrible thought appeared in her mind. The Dursley weren’t poor, judging from the appearance of their own son, they could have replaced the broken glasses, they could have given Harry nicer clothes, (the ones he had were too big), they simply didn’t want to. They allowed the bullying. The child was so small. They probably abused him in their own home, Katherine realized.

And watching that child again, alone, and silent, so small and with sad eyes, she realized another thing. She would never allow that situation to go on.

With the decision in mind, she went near the student, grabbing a seat and putting it near the boy. “Hello, I’m Katherine, did you like the lesson?”

The boy looked at her. He had bright green eyes. “Hello. I’m Harry. I really liked your stories.” Katherine smiled. “Why aren’t you having lunch with your friends?” She already suspected the answer, still it was better if Harry knew he could answer honestly.

“I don’t usually eat my lunch. Dudley takes it.” He made a face like he wanted to say to more, but then remained silent and Katherine respected it.

“It’s still important that you have lunch. You are young and you need nourishment.” Then she added, “Would you like to have lunch with me and Tristan? We still have time before your next lesson.” Harry seemed tempted.

“My uncle and aunt don’t like when I talk to strangers.” Answered. Oh look, a sensitive advice from them. “Tristan is your teacher, I’m sure they won’t have a problem with that, right Tristan?” she said, looking at her brother. He nodded. “You can come with us, Mr. Potter, don’t worry.”

“Then okay, thanks.” Finally, a little smile made into the face of the child.

Katherine followed Tristan and Harry to the school canteen, and they sat at a table with some sandwiches and water. Fortunately, the Dursley boy wasn’t there.

While they ate, Katherine tried to discover more about Harry’s home situation, but the boy looked very reticent to answer the questions. She and Tristan shared worried looks. Katherine was determinate to find the Dursley’s address and call the social services or pay a visit to them and take Harry herself.

After a while Tristan stood up. “We have to go in class Mr. Potter, goodbye Kath, see you later.”

“Goodbye miss Knight, thanks for the lunch.” Harry said, starting to follow his teacher.

“Goodbye Harry, have a good lesson.” Katherine watched them go. She cleaned the table and went out, thinking about how to solve that situation. Harry Potter didn’t deserve to stay with an abusive family.

That evening Katherine opened the door to Tristan and two pizzas. She smiled and went to kitchen taking two beers from the fridge and sitting with her brother.

“So, to what I owe this visit?”

“I made some research with the other teachers. Apparently last year one of my colleagues tried to send the social services to the Dursley. It didn’t go well.”

“That means I have to do something myself.”

“Do you want to kidnap the kid Katherine?” her brother had a slightly terror in his voice.

“It’s not a kidnapping, it’s a rescue,” replied Katherine, sipping her beer. Yes, she would rescue Harry, and she would raise him with love because the kid deserved love. Of course, she would ask him if he was okay with that plan, or else it would count as kidnapping.

“I know you won’t change your mind, so here’s this for you.” A paper was passed on the table.

Katherine read it and grinned. Privet Drive n.4. Tomorrow would be a Saturday and the perfect day to act.