Magical Days - Pottertalia

The Past

((TW: Physical abuse (italics) and suicidal thoughts (bold)))

Chapter 4

That Thursday, Elizabeta came to school with Arthur. The blond had told her all about his situation at school, how he was always the victim to Donald and his friend group, as well as the entire past behind it. 

"I was bullied since you left. I was always alone and with my magic, they thought I was a freak," Arthur had explained. "So, they started calling me all sorts of things. Funny at first, they asked if I could move this guy's table, said I should find someone with the same ability. Then they started saying I was a freak, that I should find freak friends, that I should go to a freak school..."

"Well, they have what they want now, don't they?" Elizabeta had replied.

Arthur sighed. "By September, yeah. But, it didn't stop there." 

Donald smirked as he approached Arthur. The shorter boy groaned mentally, he didn't want to go through this again. Donald was strong, and he always knew exactly what he was doing. Arthur couldn't fight back, but he also wasn't going to let himself get down just yet. 

"Good morning, Kirkland," said Donald. He had brought two of his friends, who Arthur recognised as Baines and Weldon.  He only knew the last names of the two boys, as Donald approached everyone with their surnames. Donald's last name, Arthur knew, was Croft. 

"Good morning, Donald," replied Arthur respectfully. It wouldn't work, he knew that. He always thought it was worth a try, though. He just wished there was someone here to protect him from these three, every day, but he didn't dare tell anyone. Not his parents, not the teachers, no one. He knew they'd choose Donald's side. 

"Shut your stupid face, Kirkland." Donald rolled his eyes and motioned for Baines and Weldon to follow him, the three of them getting closer to Arthur. Arthur backed away, but he felt his back against a wall, and he swore under his breath. 

He was expecting the usual; insults, the occasional slap in his face, laughter. Not at all what actually happened.

This time, instead of a "look at the scared freak" or similar insult, Donald started off with a punch in Arthur's stomach. And not a soft one either. Arthur let out a choking sound as he clamped his arms over his stomach, leaning forwards from the force that came with it. 

"On your knees, freak," sneered Donald, and Arthur anxiously did as he was told. This was rewarded by a kick in the face, causing Arthur to yelp. He felt his nose bleeding as he fell down on his side. He got kicked in his stomach, his shins, his chest, his face, and he felt more numb with every hit he took, until he whimpered, tears streaming down his face, bruised, bleeding, broken. After fifteen minutes of begin kicked, punched, slapped, sat on, jumped on, and any other way of physical hurting, Donald, Baines and Weldon left, leaving Arthur battered, bruised and broken, to save himself. 

He laid there until Lukas came along. 

Lukas seemed to have heard the yelps and cries Arthur had let out, called the hospital and had gone there with him. That is where their friendship had started.

"And Lukas had been saving me ever since." 

((So for those of you that skipped the flashback, Arthur got beaten up by Donald and some of his friends and Lukas found him afterwards and called the hospital.))

Elizabeta had bit her lip. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was scared of how you would react..." Arthur had replied in honesty.

And on Thursday, Elizabeta refused to leave Arthur's side for a second.

Arthur would go to the toilet and Elizabeta waited outside the bathroom door, but Arthur knew that wouldn't help. He got beaten up inside the toilet briefly, and he had to pull down his long sleeves, no matter how hot it was in the building. 

"Arthur," asked Elizabeta when she noticed, "Why are your sleeves down?" 

"I was cold," came Arthur's weak reply.

"Are you lying to me, Arthur?" asked Elizabeta. 

"No, why would I be lying?" replied Arthur, just as weakly.

"Because I know you wouldn't get me in trouble," sighed Elizabeta. "Now tell me, what happened?"

"They beat me again," whispered Arthur. Elizabeta sighed, "I'll kill them, I swear."

"No, Lizzy, don't kill them," pleaded Arthur. He was afraid she'd get herself badly hurt, even though he knew Elizabeta was strong, and could probably take some of the guys. He doubted she could take all of them at once, though. 

"Why wouldn't I?" asked Elizabeta. "They hurt my best friend." 

"You won't, because I don't want you to get hurt," whispered Arthur. He didn't know if he could stand her getting hurt at all.

"I won't get hurt," sighed Elizabeta. She knew she probably would.

"But if you do, though-" 

"Ssh. I won't."

"Do you promise?" asked Arthur. She couldn't, not without breaking it, and they both knew it.

"I promise."

She didn't keep it.

An hour later, Elizabeta had attempted to teach the boys a lesson. She got three of them, before being attacked, with words, fists, feet, heads... People threw rocks at her, stood on her, hurt her in any way possible.

And Arthur could only watch.

He hated it, he hated himself, he hated Donald and his gang, he hated it. He hated his life. But he just could not hate it enough to end it. He couldn't, and sometimes, he hated that too. 

Elizabeta had broken her fingers from being stepped on, she was bruised, bleeding, and crying, her eyes red. 

Arthur had picked her up, although with difficulty, and brought her to the school nurse, who called the hospital. He felt horrible. Maybe, just maybe, he really was better of dead.

He shook his head, he shouldn't think that. It wasn't true, and he knew it. Many people would disagree. Still less than those that wouldn't, though... 

No. He had to think of his parents, of Lukas and Elizabeta. 

He closed his teary eyes and imagined what they'd look like at his funeral.