Harry is younger here. Harry is stimming as a kid and a teenager and not realizing it. TW for implied child abuse, young Harry having trauma responses, and Snape being a jerk.
Harry POV || 1990
The classroom is hot and stuffy. The walls are ugly and this chair is too hard. I rock back and forth in my chair, clutching my hair. I'm in detention, naturally. I can never behave, it seems. All I did was cover my ears in class because it was so loud.
"Mr. Potter, stop your fidgeting at once!"
The teacher snaps. I go still, hands still in my hair, staring at the floor. "S-sorry, Miss."
Next to me, one of the older kids sighs. He's a goth kid. He looks so cool. "Miss, he's not harmin' anyone. He's just... rocking."
I nod at him. I'm too nervous to talk. I get in trouble when I talk.
The teacher sighs, just as the intercom goes off. "Mrs. Henley, please come to the staff room."
She leaves without a word. The goth kid whispers, "Hey, buddy. You can do your thing now."
Phew! I go back to rocking, my hands playing with my collar. I hate my clothes. They're too big and stinky. This one shirt is the only thing that doesn't make me itchy and overwhelmed. Goth Kid looks so badass, I wish I had his clothes. I learned 'badass' from desk graffiti.
I timidly hide my face. "You...you look badass."
Oh no! Oh no! He's going to get mad! I cower and shrink away from him, but Goth Kid laughs. I sadly pout. I'm used to being laughed at. "I'm sorry!"
"No, no, no, kid! You're alright. Thanks for the compliment. Aren't you a little young to know that word?"
I look up in confusion, still rocking. Not mad? "I read graffiti..."
He chuckles, the smile fading. "What's your name, buddy?"
I obediently tell him, "Harry. Harry Potter."
He sticks out a hand, and I stare in confusion before remembering. I have to shake his hand. I don't like doing that. People's hands feel weird. I don't like sweaty hands!
Reluctantly, I shake his hand, quickly pulling away. His hands aren't sweaty.
He doesn't seem to mind. He grins. "I'm Derrick Abernathy. Nice to meet you, little man."
I nod. I never know what to do when people introduce themselves. Usually aunt Petunia or a teacher is right there. But they're not here. I don't know what to do. "Uh... hi, Derrick Abernathy."
He chuckles again. "You can just call me Derrick."
I nod once more. "Hi, Derrick."
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1991
Harry POV
The Great Hall is too loud. I'm covering my ears and rocking back and forth. I want to cry and run away and curl up in my bed! But I can't do that because they'll get mad!
"Oi...quiet down, you lot. Quiet! You're stressing out the first years."
Percy, Ron's big brother, tells off the older kids. It quiets down, finally. Hermione and Ron are looking at me. Oh no! "I...I... I'm sorry."
Across from me, Seamus is looking at me too. "Why are you saying sorry? You looked...upset."
Percy smiles a little. "He's just overwhelmed. Still getting used to the noise. Harry, you should eat. You don't want a stomachache."
Oh yeah. I look at the food around me, still rocking. I find one of the napkins and play with it. It's so nice. Very soft.
Finally, I decide on mashed potatoes and beef tips in gravy. That's simple. It smells delicious too.
