The Boarding School | h.s

forty one

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Harry's POV

Going to lessons and actually sit in class with my "peers" was something I could never get used to and apparently they couldn't either. Likewise, my teachers seemed pretty surprised once I walked inside the classroom, but didn't say anything about it. It was crazy how even they forgot that I was a student too and that I should be treated like any other. They should be surprised about me not going to classes, not about me making an appearance after so long, as if they already expected me not to show up. I couldn't complain though; I wasn't exactly in hell. Despite everything, people still respected me and teachers didn't expect much from me, just like it had always been. But even though things remained how I left them, it felt so different. When a teacher talked to me I was rather polite, and I wouldn't demand a particular seat, I would just sit at a random spot, and I didn't make fun of people when they answered a question wrongly or had a stupid doubt, because I was in the same boat, always have been.

Once the day was over and the lessons came to an end, I remembered something Summer and I had both forgotten: she had practise today, and I knew once she remembered it she wouldn't miss it. That meant that I had more or less an hour and a half to kill until I could be with her.

As I walked back to my room, I dug into my pocket to grab my keys and unlocked the door. As soon as I opened it, I stepped on a yellowish envelope that was on the floor. I groaned as I picked it up and placed it on my desk. Hansen must have passed by in the morning to leave it there as he usually did at the end of each month. The envelope contained my monthly allowance, but I wouldn't even bother opening it. It felt like the money he gave me was a way to tame me, or as a treat for not running away. Even though the quantity of money was quite reasonable and tempting, I had never used it, not even a cent. I was too proud for that.

As always, I knelt down on the floor next to my bed and pulled out a cardboard box from underneath it. Even though I would never use the money, I couldn't simply toss it away. Hansen had been secretly delivering them to me since the very first month that he and my mum locked me away in Hudson. Only naturally, the box was filled with envelopes, not quite reaching the top. I placed the latest allowance inside and closed the box, but something in the back of my mind told me not to close it. I looked at the numerous envelopes in front of me, and curiosity pulled me to them. I reached for one of the many and opened it. There were two ten pound notes inside. Twenty pounds.

I stared at the pile in front of me. If I had twenty pounds in only one of the envelopes, how much money would I have in total? I started to count the number of envelopes, opening them every time to see if they had the same quantity, which they had. I had in total twenty-four envelopes, which meant I had four hundred and eighty pounds in total.

I let that sink in for a second. First of all, I was impressed that I actually did the maths, and second of all, I could not believe the amount of money I had. It was all mine, and I could use it for whatever I wanted.

No, my subconscious reminded me, you are not going to use Hansen's stupid money.

I closed the carton box and placed in under my bed, not giving it a second glance and I sat down on my chair.

Four hundred and eighty pounds.

It was way too tempting. I had the money right there in front of me, and if it were any other guy I wouldn't even think twice before using it. But I was a man of my word, and I swore that I would never use that dirty money. I knew that if I told Summer that I had that amount of money she would freak, saying that I was an idiot for not using it since she obviously had had difficulty with money, but I refused to use it, I was too proud.