The Dark Witch

P.O.V – Becky Sinclair

A bomb could have dropped and I doubt the pair would move an inch. They just stared at me, mouths gaping and eyes popping out, like I had just sprouted a second head. I swallowed hard, my palms beginning to sweat, “Um,” I began, I must have made some sort of mistake. Or maybe Harry just didn’t like to be sought out, “Um…”

The woman reacted to my stuttering like I had whipped out a gun and fired a couple of shots into the air. As she leapt in front of ‘Harry’, spreading her arms wide in front of him, like a shield, “You stay away from my baby!” She said shrilly.

I stepped back from the pair. Now it was my turned to be stunned. There was no way she could know of my, problems, and I was told Harry’s parents were murdered so… “So,” I began, thinking of the only words that could come to mind, “He’s,” I pointed to the mass of a boy the woman was attempting, in vain, to protect. She was far too thin to ever hope to shield him, “not Harry Potter?”

The woman shook her head wildly, as she firmly stayed in her position as guard.

“Well,” I began, briefly, looking at my feet while smacking my lips together, before raising my gaze back to the pair, “I guess I’ll be going then.” Nodding my head, I began to walk forward, towards them.

The woman gave a small soft shriek, jumping backwards and colliding with her son, who barely wobbled.

I rolled my eyes, raising my hand and pointing towards the street, “I have to get by you to leave you know.” She didn’t move. I sighed, placing my hands on my hips, “Oh come on.”

We stared at each other for a moment. A stalemate. Before she finally began to move aside, her expression unchanging. Her great lump of a son, however, remained steadfast.

I frowned, gesturing to my left, “You too.”

He didn’t move, just stared. His expression no longer stunned, but that of one who didn’t use their brain often and was just deciding now to have a thought.

I sighed again, taking another step towards him, maybe I could squeeze by…oh who am I fooling? I’ll never fit in between him and the van. Frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair, looking down at the pavement in front of me.

“I know Harry.” Said the lump suddenly, causing me to look up, eyebrows raised, “He’s my cousin.”

“Dudley!” Shushed his mother, frowning at him. He paid her no attention.

“He’s not here right now though. His freak school took him away already.”

Harry’s gone? To Hogwarts? But it doesn’t start for another week… I shook my head, “No wait,” I began, “he can’t be gone. Hogwarts…” Another small shriek from the woman, “Doesn’t start until next week.”

The mass called Dudley shrugged, “The bizzaro head of something or other, picked him up almost two months ago.”

I felt the world crash around me in that moment. Hogwarts started two months ago? Then what am I waiting for? Clearance? Have Mrs. Lankins and Mrs. Figg been lying to me? Or was this where my brain’s overactive imagination came to an end and I was seconds away from waking up in my “room”.

“Are you okay?” Asked Dudley stepping closer to me, his head tilted, face etched with concern, “You look pale…”

“Dudley!” The woman shrieked, but she seemed far away somehow…everything did. In my haze, I watched as Dudley was grabbed and hauled away by his mother, an amazing feat. I have no idea how she did it, must be a mother’s touch.

I reached up to clutch my head, the world was beginning to spin. I took a step forward, clutching the hood of the van for support. Closing my eyes, I could feel my head begin to droop.

“See. This is why you weren’t allowed out of the house.”

My eyes snapped open as I looked up to see Mrs. Figg, tartan slippers and all, standing at the foot of the driveway, Mr. Tibbles at her side.

“Well, come along girl.” She snapped, her grey hair sticking out in odd lumps from her hairnet, “I haven’t got all day.”