The day after.
“Wake up girl, you need to prepare breakfast.” She heard aunt Petunia shout at her, after she kept on banging on the door of the cupboard under the stairs of course, her room, to wake her up for the day, like any other day.
Ignoring the aches in her body, Harry did as she was told. It’s better if she's quickly done with it, than to suffer the consequences of her aunt's fury. Or worse...uncle Vernon's.
After she was almost done with preparing breakfast for the Dursleys, she immediately heard Dudley stomp down the stairs. She heard her aunt coo at him, like any other morning, which she cringed at.
But she did not look at them, for her gaze was only on the food in front of her. Her stomach growled at the sight of it, but she ignored it, she would eat afterwards.
Well she hopes that she will get some of the scraps of it at least, that is what she would get whenever her aunt would be in one of her good moods. Which was not all the time, Harry thought sullenly.
But it did not matter, she would always find a way to eat at least something during the day. There was that time where she somehow got a hold of one of Dudley’s many chocolate bars, which he was very possessive over, hiding his stash in many places around the house, but Harry would find each and every one of them, if she purposely looked for them, that is. But even then, she would only take one, which was enough for her.
Well she would get it that way, or…the other way. Which she still has no clue about, on how the food keeps on appearing next to her whenever she’d truly wish for it.
It was like magic!
But she would tell no one of it, for fear of being beaten up even more. For being freakish, she would be seen as even more of a freak then.
But she then thought of someone else at this, Godric.
The older boy she met at the swings last night, he was very nice to her.
And he also told her that she wasn’t a freak! That she was a very special girl. Here Harriet’s cheeks warmed up at the thought of him.
He listened to her, and asked her questions afterwards in interest, and he also spoke a bit about himself afterwards, whenever she would ask him any questions. No one ever was interested in her, not like how he was. Everyone else would just sneer at her, or avoid her, or look right through her as if she was invisible, but Godric?
He saw her.
He is her friend, her only friend.
Well, Harry thought so, seeing as friends are nice to each other, aren’t they?
But well, she would ask him today if she saw him again, that is. Which she was certain of!
She just knew it, she didn’t know how, but she did.
She then looked forward to the rest of the day, because it meant that she would see Godric again! It did not matter if her day wasn’t good, because if she could at least see Godric again, then that was worth it.
And with that Harriet got back to finishing preparing breakfast, especially after aunt Petunia ordered her to be done with it quickly, seeing as her Dudders was extremely hungry and impatient, what with him whining to her about it every second he couldn’t put some food in his mouth. He could have eaten his chocolate bars, but aunt Petunia forbid him from doing so, because he should first eat a proper breakfast before eating any sweets. Such is the standard, she would say.
And surprisingly, Dudley followed the order. Seeing as he got everything else whenever he would get into any of his spoiled moods, seeing as he was his ‘mama’s Duddikins’, yuck.
As she put the food on the table, with Dudley not even waiting for a second to attack the plates with the different spreads of food on them before they even touched the table.
‘He was truly the whale’s son, ‘ Harriet thought with a sneer, no self-preservation whatsoever when it concerned anything that was food that is.’ She thought when she glimpsed a look at her cousin, who was scarfing down food without even taking a break to breathe. He looked so round, round as a beach ball. A very apt nickname for him, well one she thought of that is.
Like with his parents.
And she then heard the familiar stomps down the stairs, ‘And speak of the devil and he shall appear.’ she then thought when she heard uncle Vernon walk down the stairs towards his place at the table, which was at the head of it, seeing as he was the man of the house and all. Well that is what he’d proudly say over himself, all the while he would puff his big belly proudly, making it appear even larger than it was, which was not a nice sight…her nickname for him was rather apt. The whale.
Uncle Vernon immediately opened the newspaper next to him on his side of the table then, when he sat down on his seat. She put it there, like any other morning. And while he read his newspaper, he would at the same time eat his breakfast and hum at the paper, he did not chew his food with his mouth closed, like his son.
Aunt Petunia, like any other time, would look at this with a straight smile, even though she was all about proper manners.
And speaking of her aunt, with her long neck and pinched face , she gave her the nickname of ‘the giraffe’, which all things considered fit.
‘But then again, wasn’t she insulting the animals by comparing them to the Dursleys?’ She then thought.
Listening to the conversation between the Dursleys after they were done with eating their breakfast, well with Dudley immediately indulging in his chocolate bars…which made her look at the sight of it in envy, seeing as she still hasn’t eaten anything, and also because there wasn’t any food left for her from the breakfast she made, but she would find a way to at least put something in her belly. And if she couldn’t then that was normal for her, seeing as she had grown quite accustomed to these moments of hunger, she knew how to ignore it.
But back to the conversation at hand, it seemed that Dudley would be going out with his friends today, they were going to watch the newest film at the Cinema. Harry felt relieved at this, seeing as it meant she wouldn’t have to endure his teasing of her, or his friends and his cruel games for the day, like the ingenious game they have come up with ‘Harry hunting’.
The bruises on her arms and legs from their rough treatment served as a constant reminder of their cruelty.
But they were nothing compared to the beatings she got from uncle Vernon. While they weren’t constant, the times he did lash out at her were truly terrifying. He grew the most angry whenever he would come home from work, and he blamed her for it, he blamed her for anything and everything.
Harriet recalled the times she would plead with him to stop, that she didn’t do it. Or the times she would also plead with her aunt to intervene whenever she was near, but her aunt always turned a blind eye to it. The helplessness she had felt during those moments were truly soulcrushing.
But Harry learned to accept it, and not scream out in pain anymore, seeing as she had become used to it. And it was better when she would be quiet, it meant she wouldn’t get more beatings.
Harriet then felt her mind going towards that dark place, the place she tried to avoid going to at all costs. It was a place of fear and despair, where she felt completely alone and trapped.
She fought against it this time, seeing as it wouldn’t do her any good. She had to think of happy things, even if she did not truly know of happiness. But she had to get out from there.
‘Godric.’ She then thought as though she inhaled her first breath after drowning from water, she summoned the image of her friend in her mind then. And it helped. Godric with his kind smiles (she liked it, whenever he would smile at her the most) and warm, understanding and pretty eyes.
Thinking of him brought her comfort and strength, a smile then spread across her face, replacing the pain and sadness from before with happiness.
Dudley seemed to have noticed this, seeing as he immediately had to say something about it to bring her down.
He sneered at her, and then taunted her about her lack of friends and that she did not know anything about fun, “What would a freak like you know about it anyways, you freak!” he then said, trying to get a rise out of her, and looking at his parents for approval all the while after everything he had said to her.
Which he of course got, well mostly from his father, but also from aunt Petunia, seeing as her being indifferent to it all meant that she thought the same.
It stung, but Harriet refused to let them affect her. Deep down she knew he was wrong, they all were.
She knew how to have fun, but they didn’t know of it, and she had a friend! But she kept quiet over it, seeing as it wouldn’t do her any good if she told them about Godric.
They would ruin her friendship with him if they were to ever find out about them. Just like how they ruined each and every attempt she had made into making friends with someone.
She had always thought it was because she was just that much of a dislikeable person, a freak, but that wasn’t true! Godric liked her.
She was then ordered to clean the table and do the dishes after the Dursleys have left the dining room.
Once she was done with the dishes, and she finished cleaning up the kitchen, and put everything in its place, and she was done with the rest of her chores for the day, Harry immediately went to the bathroom to make her look presentable for her outing for today, she was going to see Godric! Well, she childishly hoped that he would be at the place that they had met at, the swings.
After she was done cleaning herself and drinking a bit of water from the tap, seeing as she still hadn’t found anything to eat, and it would help stop the hunger for a while, she then made her way towards the front door.
She carefully opened it, after making sure not to create any noise.
Stepping outside, she inhaled the fresh midday air and felt a surge of excitement within her.
She was going to see her friend again.
As she walked down the street, Harriet’s mind was filled with thoughts of the previous day, of her encounter with Godric.
It was the first time she had truly opened up to someone, to someone who listened and cared. Meeting Godric was the best thing that had happened to her, he was like an escape from the harsh reality of her life, even if it was for just a little while.
She cherished that moment with him, and knew she would cherish each and every other moment she would be honoured to have with him from this day and any other day.
Harriet reached their meeting spot, yes she called it theirs, seeing as it was the spot she had met him at. It was a small park tucked away from prying eyes, and in the park was just a swing and some tables to eat at, but nothing more, there was only green surrounding the area, and Harriet liked it, seeing as no one came to this place anymore.
She looked around for any sign of Godric, but she did not see him yet. Which was okay, he would come later, she was certain of it. He might have some important things to do before he would see her. Harry understood.
She then took a seat at one of the swings, and softly pushed herself from it, and when she couldn’t seem to truly push herself farther than how she liked, she used some of her…magic to do so, no one was around, and it was much more fun this way!
A sense of worry started to creep in when hours seemed to have passed, with still no sign of Godric in sight, seeing as it was starting to get darker. But Harry pushed it away, he would come.
Just as she was about to give in to her anxious thoughts, seeing as a thought came into the foreground of her mind, that he did not see her as a friend, or that it was just her imagination, and the tears were starting to well up in her eyes because of it, she then spotted a figure emerging from the shadows of the woods.
It was Godric.
And without thinking, she immediately ran to his tall frame, and hugged him in relief, Godric stiffened in shock at the sudden action, before he relaxed himself and accepted her hug.
“You’re real, and you’re here. Thank you .” She said with tears falling down her cheeks.
The moon hung in the darkened sky as Godric found himself in deep contemplation. He had just brought the young Harriet back to her home, and thinking of the little one, and his encounter with her the night before, had left him with a lingering sense of wonder and intrigue.
There was something about the young child, something he could not quite put into words at the moment. There was something that drew him towards her, it was a peculiar sensation, one he did not quite understand, seeing as he had never experienced such a thing in all of the years he had walked upon the plains of this world.
He had seen countless of souls pas him through his immortal existence. He had witnessed the rise and fall of empires, he has experienced the rise and fall of human, and supernatural history. There had been a lot of children like young Harriet over the years, those who had been neglected, orphaned and abused, he had done nothing, nor had he felt anything at the sight of their suffering. Yet, in the presence of this young child, young Harriet Potter , he felt a stirring within him that he could not ignore.
Godric knew his nature quite well, his innate understanding of the human psyche, but the encounter from hours ago had challenged even his vast knowledge. He did not understand it. It had felt like an invisible bond had been formed between them, when he had first looked towards her innocent, and teary gaze. It was an unspoken connection that defied rational explanation, it was not like his bond with his childe.
He had somehow felt compelled to protect and take care of the young child, but Godric did not understand how it came to be.
He did not understand it at all.
But remembering her innocent bright green eyed gaze, (which surprised him, what with all he had come to know about the child,) that seemed to have brightened even more at the sight of him when she had talked so passionately about herself to him, and her innocent questions to him, which he had surprisingly answered in turn, her little smiles, that made him feel a sudden warmth at the sight of it, a feeling he had not felt for a long time, ‘She felt like the sun.’ he thought.
Lost in his thoughts, Godric contemplated the possible reasons for this inexplicable connection towards the child, and the feelings she evoked within him, ones he had thought had forgone him…seeing as he was a monster, who did not deserve to feel such a thing in the first place.
Was it her innocence, that was still untouched by the harsh realities that the world had brought upon her? Or perhaps her resilience, her ability to still find joy amidst such adversity? Or was it perhaps the way she reminded him of himself in the past? But even then, she had so much warmth, light in her, while it had been entirely snuffed out of him when he was a child.
Who is she? And what was she? For he was certain she was no mere human...
These questions burned within him then, urging him to delve deeper into the mystery that is the young Harriet.
He had planned to leave this night and return to the Americas.
There were matters that required his attention, obligations he could not easily set aside, he was certain of it. But now, a sudden shift in his priorities was undeniable. He could not ignore the pull towards the young child.
He would have to postpone his departure, if only for a little while longer.
With the wisdom he had acquired as an immortal, Godric had learned to trust his instincts. And his instincts told him that he had a role to play in the young Harriet’s life, a role that went beyond mere chance.
There was a purpose to their meeting, a purpose that had yet to reveal itself...
And looking up from his wanderings, he found himself before the entrance of the park from the night before, and sitting on the swing, as before, there she sat, as though she were awaiting him.
The little one then turned towards him, as though she had felt his presence, which surprised him. But what surprised him even more was her gaze then.
By her teary gaze, it seemed she had been trying to hold her tears in. But at the sight of him, she seemed to let them fall down her cheeks.
Godric did not understand why she cried upon the sight of him, did he do something to upset her?
But before he could further find an answer to it, the little one seemed to have jumped into his arms. Godric stiffened at this, before he then forced himself to relax at the action, however strange it was.
Or how it evoked strange feelings within him yet again.
The child continued to cry in his chest, wetting his shirt in the process.
“You’re real, and you’re here. Thank you .” She said in relief with tears falling down her cheeks.
Confused by what the young child just uttered, Godric only lifted his arms to hold the child to him in response, as though it were a natural thing to him.
He would not question it.
Leaning his head on the little one’s, he breathed her scent in, which brought forth a comfort to him for some reason, before he questioned her.
“Why would I not be real, little one?” He gently asked her, all the while he slowly rubbed a hand on her back, to comfort the girl.
It seemed to have worked, what with the way she had stopped trembling, and simply leaned into his touch like a kitten.
“I thought it was all just my imagination, that you weren’t real, because you did not show up here. I waited for you for hours,but you did not come, I…” She then shuddered, before she continued, “I thought that it wasn’t real, meeting you. Or that I…” she then stopped, which made Godric furrow his brows even more in question.
“Or that you what?” He then simply asked.
“That I irritated you, and that you changed your mind…That I am a freak, and that you left because of it.” She quietly said, with her arms tightening around him.
Godric stood still then, he felt his anger then building up within him, before he quickly pushed it back and answered after he felt her trembling in response because of the it.
How curious...
He then raised a hand to her head and sofly turned her face towards him, his eyes then met her teary bright green eyes once more.
Softening his gaze at the sight of it, he softly wiped the tears from her face.
“What did I tell you yesterday night, little one?” He simply murmured to her, making the younger girl’s eyes shine once more, as though she wanted to cry yet again.
But she stopped herself from doing so after she took a breath, before she answered.
“That I shouldn’t call myself that, because I’m not a freak. And because I’m special.”
Godric nodded at this,
“Yes, and do you think me a liar?”
This made young Harriet furiously shake her head in alarm.
“No! You aren’t, that’s not what I…” She then trailed in confusion, making Godric smile at the sight of her expression.
She truly looked like a lost fawn to him then.
“Do not listen to those thoughts then, Harriet, because they are simply lies. Do you trust me?” He then suddenly asked, surprising the young child by the question, but also himself for asking it.
For she shouldn't, what with her having met him the day before, at night as well, with a stranger at that...
The young one’s eyes brightened at the question, before she smiled at him, and Godric understood that she did trust him, for he felt it, that and the way she was such a transparent child.
“Of course I do, Godric. You’re my friend.” She simply stated as a fact,
Which made him freeze.
Harriet did not notice the sudden change in demeanor in her friend, for he as quickly gathered his bearings, but with something playing in his gaze afterwards.
Godric simply gathered her against him, before he murmured his acceptance of his new title as a friend to one young Harriet Potter.
“I am honoured you have bestowed upon me the title of your friend, little one.” He gently said, with a teasing lilt.
Young Harriet simply huffed at this,
“You’re most welcome, Godric.” she imperiously said in jest, before she leaned her head once more against his chest, making Godric then unconsciously softly graze his hand on her back once more, which satisfied the young girl.
The moment was then broken by a rumbling sound.
“Are you hungry, little one?” Godric then asked in amusement, which made Harriet embarrassed at this. And noticing this, Godric simply turned his gaze towards the young child, gifting her yet again with one of his gentle smiles.
“I have seen an eating place close to this park, would you like to join me there for a meal?” He then asked, which made Harriet, after some consideration, nod to him in agreement and gratefulness.