The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 27: One Step Back

Katie was worried.

As The Hogwarts Express got closer and closer to London, her worry grew.  She was not worried for herself.  She was looking forward to spending time at home with her family.  It was still a few years for her little sister to join her at Hogwarts and she missed seeing her every day.  She had done well in school, earning high marks in most subjects.

She was not worried about the coming school year at all.  She knew she would still be prepared scholastically.  She knew the Quidditch team will only get better.  No one was graduating and she doubted anyone else would surpass any of the starters.  It was a fry cry difference from the beginning of the current school year.

She was worried about Harry.

That should not have been a surprise.  Ever since she saw how he was at that first practice, ever since her first really good look at him, she had been worried about him.  He never left her mind completely.  She worried if he was eating, how he was sleeping, how he did in class, how he did on the pitch.

As the year progressed, her worries subsided a little bit.  Every time he sat with them, every time he willingly talked to them and interacted with them, she felt better.  Seeing his appetite increase, not quite to Ron level of good appetite admittedly but close, seeing him fill out a little soothed her.  Seeing proper smiles on his face, hearing him laugh, heartened her.  Accounting for the incident at the end of the year, which caused her worry to spike tremendously, he was practically a different child by the end of the year.

She was sure she did the right thing.  She was glad she noticed him.  She was happy the team rallied around him.

Now, however, she was worried that everything they did together was falling apart.

The team, except for the twins, were in a compartment with Harry.  Ron and Hermione were there too.  The twins popped in and out of the compartment during the trip, leaving a trail of merry chaos as they usually did.  The conversations were relatively easy though Ron and Hermione were still shy around the team, not quite interacting with them as easily as Harry did.  That made sense honestly.

At first, Harry's behavior did not make sense.  As the train chugged along the track he seemed to deflate, becoming more withdrawn.  He talked less, laughed less.  He shrank into himself.  He did it slowly, a slow change, one that went mostly unnoticed by almost everyone in the compartment.

Katie felt him trembling against her.  She moved her head down, "What's wrong Harry?"

He tried to shake his head.  "Nothing's wrong."

She took his hand and felt how clammy his skin was, how hard it shook.  "There's something wrong.  You can tell me."

He shivered.  "I'm scared," he whispered.

Suddenly Katie knew.  She almost cursed herself for taking so long to realize what was bothering him.  They were going back.  He was going back to his horrid excuse of a family.

She looked around the compartment, checking to see everyone was paying to their own devices.  She turned back to him.  "Harry, remember what we said to you this year?  Specifically what Angelina and I said?"

He nodded silently.

"What was it?" she pressed.

"I'm not a...freak," he whispered.  He flinched at saying the word.  Even hearing himself say it caused such a visceral and physical reaction.

"You are not," Katie said firmly.  "You do not deserve anything your aunt and uncle do to you.  Not a bit.  You're just...stuck for now."

He nodded again, his eyes not meeting hers.