Jimmy

Chapter 3: Clouds Before the Sun

The three did go outside every day, but they took care to avoid Dudley's gang. It wasn't always easy--or possible. Often Harry would glance up while jumping rope or swinging or pushing Janey on the swing or playing jacks or three-square and see Dudley heading towards him. He would excuse himself and run for it. And after that first day, the gang never caught him. They would tire out while he returned to his game.

Mid-October, wet, chilly weather descended. It was almost always raining, sleeting, or even snowing, which is unseasonable for October. A few times it hailed. Harry, of course, had to walk through it.

One day, four days before Halloween, he was on his way to school through a particularly sloppy day. The temperature had dropped overnight. The bank clock was reading five below. The weather was a mix of freezing rain and snow. Harry was wearing one of Dudley's old sweatshirts because his aunt wouldn't take out Dudley's old sweaters until December and a windbreaker because Dudley (amazingly) hadn't outgrown his winter coat yet. Anyone could've told you that was not proper attire for a day as cold as it was, and Harry especially. He was shivering as he walked in addition to being soaked.

A large car pulled up beside him and stopped. The door opened and Janey leaned out. "Jimmy! Why are you walking in this weather without a coat?"

Harry shrugged. He was afraid of getting in trouble if he revealed that he didn't own a coat and that his aunt and uncle hadn't brought him with them.

"Well, hop on in. You've got six whole blocks to go. You'll freeze before we get there."

Gratefully, Harry climbed in and thanked both girls and Becky's father.

"No trouble at all," Janey told him.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to get sick," Becky added. "You'd have to miss Halloween!"

"What about it?" Harry asked them.

"Dressing up in costumes," Janey answered. "Trick-or-Treating. The works."

"I've never done that."

Both girls looked surprised. "What about Dudley?"

"He doesn't either. What do you dress up as?"

"Witches."

"Goblins."

"Fairies."

"Angels."

"Devils."

"Anything you want."

Harry frowned. "It sounds like magic."

"It is!" the girls said together.

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "That's why I've never done it, then. I'm not allowed. The Dursleys don't believe in magic. They say it isn't real. Dudley and I aren't even supposed to talk about things that aren't real."

Becky stared. "But magic is real. Princesses and queens and fairies and giants..." Her problem with R's seemed to be that she pronounced them with W's instead.

"No, Jimmy's right," Janey interrupted. "All the fairy tales lie. Magic is just made-up. So are fairies and giants and princesses and queens and talking frogs and happily-ever-afters."

"Especially happily-ever-afters," Harry said softly.

Becky's father glanced at the kids in the mirror. "What about your parents, Jimmy? What's their opinion on magic?"

"My parents are dead," Harry answered. Becky's father didn't force the subject.

The car pulled up alongside the school, and Becky's father let the three kids out. "Have a nice day, you three."

"Thanks, Daddy," Becky said with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks, Uncle Joseph," Janey added.

Harry nodded. "Thank you for the ride, Sir. Sorry about the puddle."

Becky's father gave Harry a funny look. "It's sleeting. Don't worry about it." He drove off. Harry stared after him.

"Jimmy?"

Harry turned. Janey was standing under a huge red umbrella.

"Come on, Jimmy, it's too wet to be standing out here," she said, pulling him underneath the umbrella. "Why were you so worried about the water?" she added as the two of them headed to the building.

Harry was startled. "Because I messed up his car. Uncle Vernon would have killed me if I'd done that."

"Jimmy, when one is speaking of the milk of human kindness your uncle seems to have received a very small cup. And I think it's gone bad."

Harry laughed and followed Janey into the school.