Running Away

Running Away

Behind me is Dudley. He and his gang. They ambushed me on the way home from school. There is no one that cares about me. Why should I care about them? There is only one instinct that I follow: survival. Why should I care if they think that what I'm doing isn't manly? It's the only smart thing to do. Behind me Piers catches up and kicks me. I guess that I only took them by surprise by running.

I feel his foot find contact with me, and am hurled to the ground. I am in shock, and have a big bump on my brow from hitting the sidewalk.

I lay there for what seems like hours until someone finds me. They call up the Dursleys, whom they found out were my guardians through my identification card. When at the hospital they find that I have a slight concussion. If there really is a god, then thank him. My relatives would kill me if it was much more.

I'll be staying in the hospital for a couple of day until they've done some tests on me, to make sure that I'm not permanently damaged in any way.

The first two days I'm bedridden. There are a few other kids in my room. One of them had an accident, but can't remember it. She has some internal bleeding in her head from the accident. An other is a young boy that is only a few years younger than me that has a fractured leg from a car accident. I get to know both of them. I watch the boy learn to walk with crutches. I hope his leg will heal soon, if at all.

The two days pass by, and the first girl I spoke of was moved to a different place. Everyone else has gotten visitors, except me. But it's nice to have some friends, no matter how short it will be. It reassures me that the only reason I don't have any, is because of Dudley and his gang. I'm able to walk again today. I go to the place where all the kids are playing. I find out that these twins had appendicitis, but ignore the fact that they should be in bed resting. They keep on getting up and playing with the other kids, only to have the stitches done again.

Is this what normal life is like for most people? The hospital food actually isn't as bad as everyone says it is. It's much better than what I usually get, at least. I get to choose what I wanted for breakfast too. It wasn't just, "You get this, and that's final!" No, I get a choice. Tomorrow the tests are going to be done. I wish I could stay here forever.

I'm doing the tests now. The test I'm doing right now, they have all sorts of suction-cups on my skull with wires attached to it. They did x-rays on my first day. They can somehow make sense out of some diagram that is printed out.

Afterwards I go to this big white machine. I can't remember what it does, but I've got to hold my head so that the machine is exactly above the bump. There they say that I'm done now! Does that mean that I can finally go to sleep? I'm tired. They tell me that they'll call up my guardians, and tell them that they can pick me up tomorrow. I wish I could stay here with the people that care for ever.

At night I ponder. Should I run away? They said that I'm well enough to leave. Couldn't I leave tonight and be away from my relatives? But where would I go? Whom do I know that would take me in? Am I actually worth it all? But the doctors acted like I was...does that mean I am? I think I will run away. I don't want to go back there. I'd do anything to get away from them. A small voice in my head says, "Even die? For that's what you most certainly will do, if you're out there, alone on the streets with no money and shelter."

Maybe it's right. I can't just run away. I don't have any choice. But another voice says, "You always have a choice. Run away, child. Run away. If you run now, we'll guide you to someone who will take you under their wing."

That voice sounds really nice. The kind of voice I've always imagined my mom having. I might already be eight, but that doesn't mean that I've ever given up hope that my parents spirits are still watching over me. I can't get rid of the feeling that this is my mom. I decide to trust her.

I change into my old clothes, get up, and escape from the hospital. I follow the instructions that are now also coming from a male voice that I think is my dad. They lead me out into the wilderness, I find food and shelter with their help. Finally I reach a run-down hut. Well, actually it's a little bigger than a hut, because it has a few rooms, so we'll call it a very small house. I feel a sense of familiarity and joy about the place. But it's been tinged with some sadness too.

I knock on the door. A little latter a young man opens the door for me. He's dressed in some weird clothes that look a little like a dress. He sees me, and obviously recognizes me from somewhere. Then out of the blue he hugs me. He ushers me inside, and I enter. He tells me to sit in his sofa, while he calls someone up. I think he was going to call someone called something like Albatross the Dumpier of Doors. But instead of going to the telephone he goes to the fire, throws some powder in it, and says the man's name. I screech when the head of an old man appears in the fire. They start talking about me. Wait, I didn't even tell this guy my name, how did he know it?

Albatross finally says that he'll come, and vanishes from the fire. The young man, whom I found out is called Re Mess, steps away from the fire, and out comes the old man. I scream again. How can people come out of flames? He starts to speak to me, "Harry, why aren't you at your relatives' place?"

"Because they're mean, and I ran away." Well, what does he think? Why else would I be here?

"Are you aware of any of your past?"

"I know that my parents died in a car-crash, that my name is Harry Potter, and that my birthday is on July 31^st." This man seems to know so much about me, why did he ask those questions? Everyone knows that.

"I afraid that the first statement isn't true, young one. Remus, why don't you make us some tea?" I am totally confused by this man's statement. I tilt my head to the side with a face of confusion.

"Sure thing, proff-no, Albus." So, is he Albatross or Al Bus?!

He starts to tell me everything. I am to say the least shocked. I am a wizard? Of all people out there, little ol' me? I find out that it's Al Bus, not Albatross. When Re Mess gets back, Al Bus asks me if I'd like to stay with Re Mess, and asks him if he'd like me to stay. I find out that Re Mess is a Where Wolf...can't say I know what they are though. So I'll stay at Hogs Warts during full moons. All this is fine with me, as long as I never have to return to the Dursleys. This I am assured that I won't have to. My dream has finally come true: I have a real family.

THE END