Destinies Collide

School and Slaughter

September 4th, 1988

"Harry, you've double-checked everything four times," Mr Wright pointed out as he put his pencil case back into his brand-new backpack. It was a dark blue colour that reminded him of his bed curtains or the sky at night and he told Mr Wright he could just carry his books but he insisted so he had to make sure everything was in it for his first day at the new school. "You've quadruple-checked, I'm pretty sure they won't mind if anything's missing on the first day."

Every teacher he'd had so far would disagree, but he didn't say that to Mr Wright. He knew Hermione would let him borrow anything he forgot, she told him so, but he didn't want to forget anything!

"Fine," Harry huffed but put the backpack on top of the trunk at the foot of his bed.

"Come on, we can read a book or watch something until bedtime," Mr Wright offered and he followed the man to the television room, "want me to grab the recording of today's Puddle Lane episode?"

"No!" he winced when it came out louder than he meant to but still shook his head in denial. At Mr Wright's questioning look, he looked down at the floor, "Hermione says it's for babies, 'm not a baby."

There was a sound of movement but he didn't look up until having to hold back a flinch at Mr Wright reaching for his hands to hold them in his larger ones, not at the contact but because he could see a bit of blood where he'd pulled at the skin around his nails.

"We'll get you something to fidget with later," he heard Mr Wright say before meeting his eyes, "did you get to watch it when you were smaller?"

"No," He looked back down at their hands, not sure if he'd said something wrong or- "please don't be mad at Hermione!"

"I'm not mad at all," Mr Wright assured but Harry just had to look at the adult crouched in front of him to be sure. Mr Wright mostly seemed sad, even if he was smiling a bit. "But Hermione probably got to watch all the shows for babies when she was one, and you didn't. There's nothing wrong with liking something that's supposedly for younger kids, just like there's nothing wrong with Hermione being a precocious little thing and reading my law books. People can enjoy different things at different times, and watching Puddle Lane or Rainbow doesn't make you a baby, okay?"

"I like the law books too! You know all those things and help people with them," Harry had to add because it sounded like Mr Wright was saying could like little kids' things just fine if he wanted, but what about what Hermione liked? Could he like those too? "What's pre-con-tious?"

"Pre-co-cious," Mr Wright chuckled, "it's when kids do things they're usually meant to do when they're a little older. You can like things meant for younger kids just as much as what's meant for older ones, there's no tutorial for growing up, Harry."

"Then it's a pretty bad game," Harry quipped, eyes immediately widening and trying to bring his hands up to cover his mouth, he hadn't meant to say that out loud! He's not supposed to talk back to adults.

Mr Wright's laugh cut through his panic enough to hear his response, "You're not wrong, kid."

~

September 5th, 1988

"You do all that ?" Harry had eyes like saucers as Hermione dragged him into Sandwood by their joined arms, dark blue backpack bouncing against his back at every quick step.

She'd been waiting for him at the entrance when Mr Wright led him to it and told him to go with Hermione while he went to talk to the Headmistress. His friend took it as a sign to tell him all about the things they got to study and the optional subjects, and she did four of the six optional classes! He'd told Mr Wright he wanted to do Latin since Hermione did it and he was learning that most spells were cast in it according to his new books, and maybe a sport now that Dudley wouldn't be there to run him off during Phys Ed, but not everything.