IV
Harry refused to look away from the giant man. He stared at him. Watching the giant man's every move.
The giant man didn't seem to mind. Staring back at him, a small nice smile on his face.
A lie.
His smile was a lie.
Harry didn't like his smile. Harry didn't like his lies.
"Harry... this way."
His chin was tugged on. Harry pulled away from the touch. Refusing to take his eyes off the giant man.
A sigh. "Riddle..."
Harry watched as the giant man smiled.
Riddle was his name.
Riddle like a trick question.
Dudley had played many riddles on Harry.
Harry didn't like riddles.
Riddle walked up to Harry, a series of fingers slipping soothingly down Harry's arm. He tensed at the touch; didn't retract.
"Look... Harry..." Riddle crooned.
Harry felt his hand settle onto his back. Between his shoulder blades.
He was touching Harry.
Harry didn't want to look away.
"Harry, look." Riddle said again, fingers rubbing at his spine.
Harry stared at him, unmoving.
Until he did look away. The hand slipped, and his attention snapped back to the giant man.
Riddle smiled at him.
Harry's stomach twisted; he didn't like Riddles smile.
He glanced away again. Riddle didn't move. Harry looked at the machine a man and the friendly lady had rolled into the bright room.
He'd woken up to the noise of squeaking wheels and the soft touch of Riddle touching his arm.
The giant man touched him a lot.
He was trying to trick Harry with touch.
Harry won't let him. He won't fall for the trick again.
The friendly lady smiled at Harry. Directing him with a tap of her finger. It was a chin rest.
Harry hesitated, glancing at Albus with his blue eyes that saw too much. He glanced at Riddle with his trickery smile.
Harry leaned forward, felt the hand steadily follow his movement. His stomach lurched.
His chin rested onto the plastic thing the nice lady had tapped with her finger.
"Harry..." The friendly lady called.
Riddle tapped two fingers against his spine when Harry didn't respond to his name. Harry blinked, looked up.
A burst of air shot into his eyes.
Harry gasped, fell out of the chair. The three people around him were quick to act as Harry tried to run.
Riddles large hands grabbed at his sides, pulling Harry into his chest. Albus ran in front of the bed, blocking the familiar darkness Harry craved. The friendly lady knelt beside Harry.
Cooing words slipping from her lips as she tried to touch Harry's cheek. He flinched violently away from her. Tried to wiggle out of the giant man's arms.
He was unsuccessful.
"Should've warned him..." Riddle crooned.
"... Get it out of the way," The friendly lady sighed.
"Will you need to start over?"
Petunia watched from the door as Vernon held Harry underneath the steaming hot water. Her body cringing away as Harry cried, screaming to be let free.
His slick body wiggling out of Vernon's hold, racing for the exit. Vernon caught him. "Now that you've run boy! We'll have to start over again!"
Harry struggled in Riddles arms. Breathing escalating with panic.
Let go.
Let go. Let go. Let go!
Harry choked on a cry, his throat dry and worn with cobwebs as he tried to use his voice after so long.
It didn't work.
He struggled as mangled noises came out.
The friendly lady was in front of him. Hands on his face.
Harry shook off her hands, clawed at the giant man as he climbed over his giant form.
"Tom!"
Harry ran for the door. His legs working exceptionally well as his shaking hands grabbed onto the door handle.
Arms wrapped around him, pulling Harry away from the door. A click quickly followed as Albus locked the door.
Locked the door.
Locked the door.
The door was locked.
Harry went deathly still at the clicking lock of the door. Everyone freezing with him as Harry huffed.
His body vibrating in the arms of the giant man.
Locked in with the giant man.
Giant man...
Giant man...
"Put him back in the chair, Tom."
"Lock the boy in Petunia."
Uncle Vernon.
Uncle Vernon. Albus.
Uncle Vernon.
Keep him inside.
Don't let him out.
Keep him contained.
Can't let him out.
Freak.
Boy.
Freak...
Harry curled into himself, arms wrapping around his head as his legs pulled to his chest.
Hiding.
He hides.
No one can see him.
Harry is invisible.
Harry can't be seen.
...
"Too delicate of a state..." The nice lady says.
Only feet away.
Two. Harry approximated.
The locked door was five.
He could run.
Run.
He was good at running.
Dudley rarely caught Harry when he ran.
The giant man had almost lost Harry when he ran.
Harry can run.
Run out.
Run away.
Run far far.. far away...
"If he's to identify... need him to... see properly..."
The people's words began to fade in and out. Harry understood.
He understood them.
Harry didn't want to understand.
A hand curled tightly around his shoulder. Reassuring in its squeeze.
Harry wanted that hand off him.
Off him.
Get off him.
Off him.
Get off of him!
Harry's jaw clenched, teeth scratching together as his throat bobbed. Adam's apple jumping up and down in quick sessions.
"Harry," The nice lady called.
Harry didn't react to his name. He hardly remembered what his name was.
It was so rarely spoken before the giant man put him in that room.
He hadn't heard that name 'Harry' since he was put in that room.
"Harry," she called again.
Harry didn't respond. He didn't react.
The man never touched Harry when he stayed still. Unresponsive to his presence. Vernon never barked at him when Harry didn't move.
He was used to being ignored. Ignored was good. Ignored meant he didn't get kicked. Ignored meant he didn't get his hair ripped. Ignored meant he wasn't yelled at. Ignored meant he didn't feel pain.
Harry's chest moved quickly as he remembered Vernon. He hadn't thought about his relatives in a while.
He'd thought about the book with its bumpy texture. He thought about whether he should eat his food fresh. Or wait until his stomach begged him for food.
For some way to stay alive.
Harry didn't want to be alive.
He wanted to be back in that room.
He wanted to rot there.
Die there.
Be forgotten like always.
"... Do the test later..." The giant man suddenly crooned.
The lady seemed to disagree.
Silence followed. Eyes bore into Harry.
"Fine." The lady said.
The squeaking of the wheels distanced itself from Harry. Arms were around Harry.
He kicked from those arms.
Harry was placed on the bed. The door unlocked.
Two people left.
The arms retracted.
Harry was left in the room alone.
The door clicked behind the giant man.
Locked in a room.
Harry was... locked in a bright, small room.
He was... he was... locked again.