The letter
Harry found himself being pulled by the arm, running through the huge store, by a new sister after shopping for new things and found himself being completely and utterly perplexed by the days events.
He had been terrified after hearing the Dursley's front door bang as though it was thrown off its hinges, then even more so by the tall man dressed in armor. This led to a rollercoaster of events drastically different to what he was used to. Having enough to eat, being talked to by everyone like he was normal, not berated by asking questions, being allowed new clothes than Dudley's cast offs, the list could go on, and in a strange way... he was enjoying it a little. The shock of a new country, city, people took it's toll on him, and while he wasn't sure he could trust them all yet, it was certainly seeming better than the 'home' he left behind for unknown reasons. He was curious as to why he wasn't still with the Dursley's but would ask later.
Rose stopped Harry's chain of thoughts by yanking his arm, causing him to fall back on a piece of furniture. It swayed backwards and forwards as he struggled to sit up and get his bearings, still panting a little because of the run, when Rose flopped down next to him, making it sway again sharply and Harry to fall on his back again with the force of the swing.
'Oh come on.' Rose grumbled, helping him up and adjusting his glasses to which he found they were on a large egg swing, complete with a multitude of pillows and was big enough for the two of them to sit on. He glanced at the price. $300.
'Uh, Rose? I don't think we're allowed on here.' he told her nervously, looking around for an employee who would come and scold them.
'Nah relax. I've done this heaps of times. All's good.' she added, noticing the concern on his face.
'Anyway, I thought you should join me in the great Ikea showdown. Y'know, since you don't look used to doing this I'll show you how fun it is. Though you are better at running then I thought you'd be.'
'It's because of Harry hunting. My cousin Dudley would get his friends to chase me for fun, and they would beat me up when they caught me so I got good at running away fast. It helps I'm younger and smaller. Also, isn't a showdown like a... battle kinda?' Harry said, mustering up the little knowledge he retained from sneaked glimpses of Dudley's games and TV shows.
'Jeez, and didn't your aunt and uncle do anything about it?' Rose asked, completely ignoring his question.
'No. They would never believe their 'precious Duddykins' would do such a thing. But he bullied half the kids in our class at school and all the smaller ones too, I saw it. They also didn't like me cause I'm a freak so he was allowed to bully me.'
'Your family sounds trash. You know you can just punch him back or something. I would. I've been going to martial arts classes since I was five. If you want, I could ask my mum if there's room so dad can sign you up, her friend runs it. You can learn like every style ever really, I'm gonna be a black belt in everything karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, tai chi, jiujitsu, judo, wing chun, aikido, all the Japanese jutsus, pradal serey, bokator, everything really. Might take a while though. Also probably all the different boxing and wrestling types just in case too. And stick fighting.'
'Sounds really cool, thank you. Not sure I'd be much good though. By the way, I'd still like to know what a showdown is.'
'Well here by this I mean doing fun stuff, scaring customers, a bit of parkour.. do you know what that is? It's jumping over furniture and stuff, they do it in all of the good movies.'
Rose demonstrated by leaping from the egg swing onto a nearby coffee table, sending the sale leaflets and price tag flying to the ground.
'Um, won't we get in trouble?' Harry asked anxiously. This kind of thing wouldn't have gone down well with the Dursleys whatsoever.
'I told you, it's fine, just a better way to look for your bed. Quicker too. C'mon.'
With that, she grabbed Harry's hand once again and led him through the aisle, spinning on chairs, running along desks and jumping on various sofas which Harry soon found himself enjoying and laughing along.
Unsurprisingly it wasn't long before the two rambunctious, unsupervised kids wreaking havoc in the store were noticed. Harry had been too busy opening and examining every bottom cabinet and drawer in a kitchen display while Rose stood on the counter to notice the person coming up until he felt and arm holding up his wrist and a stern voice saying 'What do you think you're doing, young man?'
He looked up to see a middle aged woman with sharp features, hair cut in a bob with side bangs and blonde highlights as well as a notably disgusted, outraged look on her face as though she was holding a raccoon who had gotten into her trash and ruined her garden, rather than a small boy.
'Uhhhh hello?' said Harry biting his lip nervously, 'Would you mind letting go?'
The woman tutted, 'The nerve! I bet you lot are not even taught proper manners at home then your parents leave you here when shopping so you ruin everybody else's day because they don't give a damn about what we feel. I'm going straight to the manager with you.' she scoffed.
Rose looked down on the woman then Harry then on the woman again, who had turned to the direction of the checkouts and attempted to drag a terrified Harry who looked up at her pleadingly.
The next thing he knew, Rose had jumped to the ground while grabbing the woman's arm with full force, resulting in her letting go with a banshee screech and him hestitating then starting to run in a random direction after Rose yelled at him to run and the woman shouted threats at him while exaggerating fake crying so much she could have won an award for worst actress.
He would just have to trust Rose's experience in this, and hope he would be harder to catch once they were split up.
Harry weaved through the maze of aisles and furniture haphazardly at breakneck speed in a futile attempt to lose any possible pursuers, knocking into furniture and pushing shoppers aside with quick 'Sorry's as they looked around at the sight of the kid shoving past crowds.
After the woman's voice died down and his breathing grew laboured, he decided that the best course of action would be to hide until the danger was over.
Looking around frantically, he decided a wardrobe was too obvious, he would still be visible under the desk... A bunk bed! He climbed up, to the top bunk and laid flat on his back facing upwards. He was sure he wasn't visible as it was too tall to look over, and there was no mattress, giving him additional space.
The bed itself was made of white and light green planks with curving steps on the right side which could be used as storage drawers as they were fairly large. It was long enough for two Harrys to lay one above the other, and wide enough for him to be able to sit sideways without his legs hanging off the side.
Some time went by, he didn't know how long as he never had a watch, but it felt like ages, stretching on mercilessly as Harry began to grow worried. What if they couldn't find him? What if they left? After all, they hadn't known him long so maybe they wouldn't care if he was left behind.
Once these worries became too nauseating for him to stand it, Harry stood up, then set off in the general direction of the checkout he had glimpsed from the height.
Upon reaching it, a weight fell from his shoulders as he saw Wintergreen talking to an employee, looking, quite worried, with Grant, Joseph and a rather sheepish looking Rose standing beside him. She noticed him walking up first and sent him a small grin and thumbs up which he returned, then she tapped Wintergreen who turned around and noticed him.
'Harry!' he exclaimed, putting an arm around him and smiling, 'Thank goodness you're alright! I was so worried when you ran off then Rose came back with this lady shouting at her. I sent the boys looking for you but they didn't manage and I was just informing security here of your disappearance.'
'I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to bother you, the woman freaked me out and Rose said to run...'
'Ah yes, Rose. I will be talking to her about her behaviour and influencing you, Slade will also have to know as I doubt either of you will be welcome here anytime soon.' Wintergreen informed him, shooting a stern look at Rose, who had the dignity to look embarrassed.
As if the situation wasn't bad enough already the woman from earlier noticed Harry and started shouting again.'Uncivilised brats! Why did you let them in here? That one attacked me, what kind of example are the giving to my little Amy!' pointing a finger at the pudgy toddler by her side.
The poor manager looked exhausted and sighed, 'Ma'am could you please calm down-'
'We should probably leave now so we don't make a scene.' Instructed Wintergreen, guiding Harry to the exit.
'Wait! I found a great bed!'
Line break line break line break
Grant's PoV
After returning home after the eventful shopping trip and several hours of agitation and cursing when setting up the new bunk bed (the instructions were terrible) and dismantling the old one, coupled up with getting an overexcited Harry and Rose who had had WAY too much sugar to sleep, Grant and Wintergreen were understandably exhausted.
The man had just left the house after reasurring Grant that his father was returning soon, so he was now waiting in the kitchen as the perpetual darkness that loomed above Gotham City turned, if even possible, much darker as if the remaining few battered rays of murky light had been ultimately snuffed out.
At last, the familiar sound of clattering keys rang out from the hallway outside and Slade entered. He looked, to Grant, even more weathered and deathly exhausted, his face being a herald of bad news.
Grant's heart sank.
What else?
Slade shuffled around the small kitchen, blearily blinking at the harsh overhead light and pouring himself a large cup of strong coffee and sitting at the table gesturing to Grant to close the doors who then sat opposite him.
'I have...something to tell you. As the oldest I guess you should know and... well...' He faltered before resuming, 'It's about Harry.'
Grant nodded. He had figured as such.
'You definitely know parenting is not my forte and I'm not one of them Wayne or Queen cranks picking up stray children as they go. The thing is... You know what, I'll just say it. Harry is magic.'
Staring at his father for a moment, Grant wondered just how much the lack of sleep was getting to his dad. Come on, magic? He probably couldn't even tie his shoelaces properly yet.
Slade must have noticed the look so he shuffled a piece of weird looking paper over to him. 'Read this, it explains it. Harry's aunt received this letter after his parents died when finding him on her doorstep when he was one years old.'
Hesitating, Grant unfolds the crinkled, yellowish paper and begins to read.
Dear Petunia,
It is with tremendous sorrow that I regret to inform you that your sister Lily and her husband James have tragically perished tonight at the hands of the dark wizard Voldemort. He was after their infant son, Harry, because a follower of his heard of a prophecy that a boy born at the time Harry was would defeat him. Harry miraculously survived and Voldemort was rendered to an inhuman state, but not killed.
I am writing this to implore you to take in the boy. I am aware that your relationship with Lily has deteriorated over the course of the last few years but you are his only family left. I do not mind how you treat him in the slightest, as long as he's alive and well enough to take on Voldemort when the time comes and make the ultimate sacrifice. It is unfortunate, yes, but a necessary evil for the greater good, and therefore one I must take, with a heavy heart, I assure you.
As you must certainly know, his magical powers shall begin to surface between 3 to 10 years old at most, you have to keep his heritage a secret from him so he is all the more eager to save the magical world when he arrives at Hogwarts, the one place where he will finally fit in and truly call his home. Do take care not to overly spoil him, perhaps not at all, as a big headed and arrogant chosen one simply will not do, and in the event of monetary worries I have taken it upon myself to send you a cheque to your bank account each month with a hefty sum for your kind cooperation. There are also magical wards set up to ensure all of your safety from Voldemort as long as Harry's alive and can call this place his home.
I hope to find you and your family well.
Regards, Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore.
Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
There were also some important looking seals and titles listed at the bottom of the letter, cementing Grant's dazed acknowledgement.
Harry was a wizard.
Apparently a powerful wizard.
A wizard who would have been raised as a pig for slaughter.
By probably abusive, wizard hating relatives.
'Uh dad, I... noticed some weird things when Harry mentioned his relatives...'
Slade sighed wearily, 'From what I saw and learned, they hated wizards, magic, the so called 'abnormal'. He was sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs wearing his cousin's old clothes and dollar store glasses; believe me, they weren't struggling whatsoever. Not only did his uncle have a well paid job plus the wizard cheques but he embezzled funds from his jobs. My err... company had to look into that which is how I came across him.'
'That's why you took him in?'
'Well, I don't know what came over me but I couldn't just leave him there with those beasts. I suppose now is not a good time to tell you he's officially your brother now.'
'What!?'
'I had the adoption papers signed and legalised today. I'll tell your siblings tomorrow.'
OK, now Grant was seriously worried about his dad. Sure, Harry may actually be a wizard and his dad was somewhat excused for bringing him here but adopting kids on impulse was definitely not a sign of perfect mental health.
'Wait, this thing mentions a school. And it says this Dumb-Old-Door guy is headteacher there. Do you think he might force him to go there and... brainwash him or something? It is all the way in England though so I'm not sure if he can.'
'Not if I can help it,' Slade retorted, 'We'll show him this once he's old enough and make sure he watches out once he goes there if he has to. I doubt they have issues with travel having magic. Also, this guy's plan seemed to bank on Harry being mistreated and wanting to go there and save the place since he wouldn't like his earlier life. We just have to make sure that never happens, and we can focus on that when the time comes.'
'Yeah, OK, but what if this evil dude comes to finish off the kid? It did say the protection was only at that place. Stupid name though. Sounds like he's mouldy. Mouldyshorts.' Grant grins at his joke. It's partially because he thinks it's a good one, partially to alleviate the sombre mood that entered along with his father in the kitchen. 'Though to be fair, any guy with that stupid a name probably wouldn't be a formidable enemy.'
'He's apparently.. between dead and alive, and I don't think this headmaster would only protect a house, so Harry might also have protection spells. And I didn't serve in the military for so long for nothing. I doubt any of these people who probably rely solely on magic would stand after a good ol' roundhouse kick.' Slade added with a grin.
Despite the reassurance, Grant still turned in his bed, unable to sleep with so many thoughts swirling in his head, like a merciless tornado, complicating his life. Yes, his dad had had a stint as Deathstroke but that was years ago, and it was really cool, and useful. Bashing up people for money didn't sound that bad and not too far fetched. Harry being a young wizard with a 'Dark wizard' after him and being his new adopted brother clueless of normal life after being raised by abusive relatives was certainly too much to handle.
Let's just hope that tomorrow won't get worse.