Dumblewhore and Harreee
Harry entered the room, not looking up from the floor and sat on the chair he was familiar with opposite matron's desk. After 10 seconds of silence, he hesitantly looked up to see a man, incredibly old with grey hair and a long beard with a weird hat and clothes on was sitting next to matron.
"Hello my boy!" The strange man greeted him with a gleam in his eyes. He flinched slightly at being called 'my boy' as if this stranger knew him--he didn't know Harry, otherwise he wouldn't be talking to such a freak, just like matron had always said 'it's a pity party if anyone tries to be your friend, boy. Dont believe them. You don't deserve such a thing like friends."
"H-hello Sir." He greeted nervously. Who was this man? Was this who the teachers always warned him about, a pedophile? He couldn't be, he looked too nice.
"Can you take me for a tour of the building, my boy? Just a short one perhaps, old age is getting the best of my knees."
"Ofcourse sir," Harry replied. It was like an impulse to him now, only yes sir and yes ma'am never no unless it was a question. Never.
They went to the courtyard first, as weed covered and lifeless as it was, it still seemed to have some reaction to their presence. Turning slightly greener but that was probably his imagination.
Dumbledore handed him a bag of sweets and he couldn’t believe his luck. He was never allowed sweets before but the older kids said they tasted really good. He chewed a lozenge, fishing in the bag for it before feeling it crunch like glass between his teeth, sherbet exploding on his tongue like fireworks.
“I run a school, you know. The same school your parents went to.” Dumbledore said watching him with curiosity written all over his face, a headmaster was allowed to be curious about his students ofcourse.
What he said had threw Harry for a loop, matron said freaks don't deserve parents but apparently he had not one but two!? He swallowed the sweet and scratched his head, dumbfounded. Dumbledore continued.
“It’s a very special sort of school. Its only for wizards, like me, and like you. Would you like to learn magic, my boy?”
Harry shook his head, hastily.
“I’m too dumb...” He muttered quietly, “I won’t be able to get in 'cause I'm thick.”
“I’m sure that’s not true at all.” He said with a soft smile on his face.
“Ask her,” Harry jerked his head back towards the tall grey building where Matron lay in wait. “Can’t hardly see, even. I’m stupid.”
Dumbledore looked at him for a very long time.
“You haven’t had a very easy start in life, Mr Potter, and I’m sorry about that. I knew your parents – alot – and I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted… anyway. I am here to offer you something different. A place among your own kind, wixen or as you know them wizards from your silly children's tales. Perhaps even a way to channel all of this talent you have.”
Harry stared at him. What difference did it possibly make, if he was in one home or another? Matron never gave him sweets, and nothing round him smelt like magic at all, it reaked of dung instead. The kids at Dumbledore’s school, Hogwarts was it? They couldn’t be worse than the boys at St Edmund’s, and if they were by some unlucky coincidence then at least he could hold his own in a fist fight, now. But. There was always a ‘but’.
“What about my 'episodes'?” He asked, folding his arms, curious to see the old coot's solution to this. “I’m dangerous, y’know.” He remarked offhandedly.
“Yes, Harry, I know,” Dumbledore replied, sadly. He placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, very gently. “We’ll see what we can come up with for you, wouldn't want you excluded now would we? Just leave it with me and I'll find something.”
Harry shook his hand off his shoulder, hating physical contact and chewed on another sherbet lemon. They walked back to the depressing block of concrete he barely even considered a building in silence, both were satisfied that they understood each other and what they want now.
As soon as the strange man left, matron approached. Already knowing what was approaching, Harry hung his head low and avoided her eyes.
"Freak... you know what you did?" She snarled at him, "you little brat, you dare walk out of this building with that- that disgusting freak and talk to him!? I am glad he is taking you away!" She yelled. Grabbing his arm roughly and dragging him back to his cage. Harry whimpered pleadingly as she shoved him in and locked the door.
His knees were red and sore and his cheeks stained from tears he had cried during the night when matron opened his cage and let the other boys have some 'playing time' as she called it. Harry just called it abuse but many things have two names so why can't this be one of them?
He stood up shakily after he crawled out, avoiding the other children and heading to the library, his safe haven, the only place no ever child tread because noone enjoyed reading as much as Harry, even though he could barely see with his glasses he found that if he took them off he could see enough to know which letters are which! He only did it alone though, matron was so angry when she caught him that one time.
He got no food for a week! A whole week! He nearly fainted on the 6th day but matron insisted the punishment was kept so he wound up being skinnier than the other kids. Way skinnier. Like a sack of skin and bones.
The end of the chapter pookies <3♡♡♡