Letters to The Boy Who Lived

8. Innocence- Colin Creevey

Dear Harry~

I'm to teach you about innocence in this letter. This is my story.

Click, Click, Click.

"Colin James Creevey!" I heard my father yell across the room. "You put that camera away before I take it!"

Scared, I ran out of the room. I knew my father would stay true to his word. My camera would be gone before I could protest. 

Slowing down, I walked outside, into the summer air, breathing heavily. Okay, so I hadn't exactly run four miles. But I was short and skinny, and pretty weak. I guess that's why I liked taking pictures so much; you didn't have to be quick. Usually.

Even if I did have to be quick, I always seemed to be able to get a picture if I wanted it bad enough. It was as though I grew wings while I was behind my camera. I could run for a long time if I was following something I wanted a picture of. I would never tire or fall if I was climbing a tree for just the right shot.

It was almost magical, the difference I felt while behind the lens. That's where I excelled. That's where I didn't feel so much like the annoying little pest, and more just like a little bird, observing everything. 

I decided to go inside as the skies darkened. A couple of shots of the moon, and I took my precious camera back inside. 

"Colin, you spend far too much time behind that camera." said my father gruffly. He wasn't usually this harsh. Usually, he was happy and was always making little jokes up for me and my younger brother, Dennis. But perhaps I'd pushed him too far this time.

"But, Dad..."

"No buts." He interrupted. "You can go put it away and wash up for supper."

"Yes, sir." I trudged up to my room, but stopped at my mother's voice. She seemed to be talking to my father, and so I hung back to listen.

"...It's the one place Colin feels happy and secure," I heard my mother say. "Take it away and you take away our innocent little boy."

Innocent. Hm. Well, I'd never thought of picture taking as innocent, but I supposed it fit. I did feel sort of carefree and happy. Maybe that's all that innocence is.

Whatever my photography was, innocent or otherwise, it gave me the strength of a hundred horses. And that alone was enough to make me happy.

 Harry, hold onto your innocence. You will never know when it will be torn from you.

~Colin

***

Yay Colin! Sorry if this one is a little confusing, guys. I tried hard, but I found this one very difficult. So yeah. If you don't understand, the gist of it is this:

It's before Colin knows he's a wizard, and remember that he comes from a Muggle family. Basically, he is thinking about his photography and how it all seems sort of magical to him. 

Our next character is Fudge, so be looking in the next week or so! Ta-ta for now!!!!