Harry's Halloween

It was Halloween in Little Whining. The Dursley's very normal and beautiful home was dark, because they didn't hold with Halloween, even though Dudley had a minor fit over not being allowed to Trick-or-Treat. Instead, they took Dudley out for dinner with promises of "normal" candy after.

But because they couldn't find a babysitter, the other member of the household, Harry, or "freak" as he was called by his relatives, was sitting, shivering, in a shed the backyard. Auntie Petunia didn't want him to get up to something in the house, or even worse go out for treats he didn't deserve, so he had been locked in the gardening shed, and was currently sniffling and wishing he could be warm and yes, even trick-or-treat.

Harry was very hungry as he hadn't eaten in 2 days due to not completing his chores to his Aunt's specifications. This happened frequently. He had never really had candy, because candy wasn't for freaks like him, but he had smelled its rich aroma before and knew it was special. How he wished he wasn't cold, and had a costume and could trick-or-treat and be like normal children who were not hated.

He listened to the sounds of groups of children in the distance laughing and enjoying the evening. He closed his eyes, and wished that he was a warm black Halloween kitten with green eyes, so he could crawl out of the shack under the door. It was big enough for a rat or kitten, but too small for Harry.

Suddenly he jumped. He must have fallen asleep. That wasn't a good idea if it got much colder. Then he realized there was much more light available. He looked before him and realized the door had become huge and the crack underneath was now big enough for him to squeeze under.

He smiled and could hear a rumbling noise like a cat purring. He reached for the huge door and looked down in sudden shock. That wasn't his arm, it was a paw, a black paw covered with lovely black fur and the rumbling was him, purring. He was a small black kitten, a Halloween kitten.

Maybe he could run away. He hated it here, he hated school, and especially he hated his life, which was filled with hard work, pain and hunger. As a cat he might be able to find his own food and never get close to people who were cruel.

It was worth a try. If whatever this wonder actually was disappeared, he would have tried. He needed so badly to do something or he would never grow up. He knew he would die here and probably be thrown away like trash.

He crawled under the door. He was less cold and his eyes could see much more in the night. He followed a group of children, a little frightened at disobeying and exalted at the same time. He was doing something for himself.

The cute little kitten was noticed but it was Halloween and people only commented on the cuteness.

Harry realized that in this form he couldn't get candy. He made his way behind a brick wall and thought. Wishing had made him this little creature, maybe he could turn into a cat capable of trick-or-treating. He concentrated, his little body still, and wondered if this was the magic that Vernon Dursley hated so much. Maybe so.

Then once again it seemed like he had been asleep. He could still hear children laughing and walking along. He stood up and realized he had two legs again, but he was still black and furry. He looked at a window in the house whose yard he was hiding, and saw in its reflection a child dressed in a black cat costume, with black whiskers, a long tail and green eyes. He smiled.

At the first house, his timid cry of "trick-or-treat" brought an older woman who looked curious. "What a lovely costume," she said, "But where is your bag."

There were rules for survival in his small life, one was never tell a grown-up the truth when a lie will work just as well. "Other kids stole it," he said softly.

"Oh no," she said, immediately sympathetic. "I'll get you a bag, child," and she returned with a plastic bag and a tray with candy. "Because they stole your candy, I'm going to give you your choice of 4 pieces," said the woman magnanimously.

Harry had never had anyone be so nice. This lady lived way down the block and wasn't one of Aunt Petunia's friends. He smiled at her and said politely, "Thank you so much. Happy Halloween."

He picked out 4 different candies and left, his little tummy crying out for sustenance. He pulled the smallest out and unwrapped it with his nailed claws and popped it in his mouth. Flavor, sugar, wonder exploded on his tongue. This was what food was meant to be. A joy. His little tummy rumbled and accepted this offering of life and the boy smiled.

He walked to the next house and received candy again, a large bar of chocolate. He went on and on in the night, occasionally eating something, and feeling his always depleted energy grow. Harry didn't understand that he was starved all the time, and that his magic was sucking up all the energy from the candy in a more efficient fashion then it would have if he were a muggle, he only knew his tummy was finally for once happy and that he felt stronger the more candy he ate.

He came to a smaller house at the end of the walk way before the park and this time a very old lady came and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, young man, but I have no candy for you," she said.

Harry looked at her and realized that while she had a house, she was poor. "Are you hungry?" he asked, worried for her because she was simply kind and polite. "I can share candy with you?" She wasn't after all a regular grown-up. They were rich and powerful and hit small boys. Their smiles never shown in their eyes, while this older person's eyes shone with kindness.

"Why you sweet boy," she said, "I don't have candy, but I have cookies I just made. Come in and I'll share them with you."

Harry smiled and said, "Then I will give you some of my candy if you like. I have lots."

So he walked in the shabby but neat house without fear, only normal caution. He sniffed the air and smelled vanilla and cinnamon. "It smells nice." He said politely.

She lead him into the kitchen and put out two plates and a pot of tea, "take a seat," she offered.

"Would you like tea or milk?" She asked. Now Harry had tasted milk, but never had tea, so he answered, "Oh, please, tea would be lovely,"

The little old woman poured them both steaming tea and showered Harry with different wonderful cookies.

"Now I have candy too," said Harry generously, and showed her his gleanings of the evening. She oohed and ahhed appropriately and selected a few small offerings and smiled at him.

"Most people don't bother with an old lady," she said conversationally, "This is a rare treat for me, having nice company."

Harry carefully sipped his tea, his eyes shining with wonder, and ate each cookie neatly. "You make wonderful cookies," he exclaimed, "I've never had such nice cookies."

Actually, Harry had only had a few spare cookie crumbs in his whole small life, but he wasn't going to mention that.

They discussed tea, cookies, and candy and had a very nice talk. Harry had never smiled so much in his life. The old woman looked at him kindly and had kind of a motherly look to her that Harry was attracted to. She was Mrs. Gray and he was Harry and they found they were friends.

"It's getting late now, Harry," she said gently, "and I must get to bed. Please come and visit me again."

Harry grinned in response and decided that he would love to visit Mrs. Gray in future.

"Do you like cats?" he asked rising from his seat and carefully putting the chair in place.

"Oh yes, very much," she responded.

"There is a little black kitten in the neighborhood. If you see it, maybe you could feed it. It's a nice kitten," said Harry.

"I'd be delighted."

She escorted him to the door and he waved to her until he was out of sight. It appeared too late to do more trick-or-treating, so Harry tied his bag around his waist, and turned back into a kitten. After the strange rush he looked and didn't see the bag, so he hoped it was with him like his clothing was. Then he dashed into the woods.

He liked the woods, although he had few chances to go there. Dudley was scared of them and didn't follow Harry on his Harry Hunting days, so the woods were an excellent place to be alone and safe on those few times he'd been kicked out of the house.

Of course, now he was a kitten, and he knew he would be a delightful morsel to some larger animal, so he took great care in his movements. He climbed a large tree with a hole in it. He quietly now changed back to a boy and retrieved the candy. Happily he ate a few more bars of chocolate, and put his treasure in the tree's hole, which was far above ground. Then he changed back into his kitten form, noting happily he was getting faster at it, and crawled into the hole under his bag and fell asleep, purring gently into the night. He dreamed of chocolate and kind old women and freedom.

This forest was the beginning of a large track of land that was ignored by many except hikers. And even those enthusiastic about hiking never did more than a day hike and stayed near the perimeter of the forest.

Many creatures lived in the forest, the further in the more dangerous. It was the beginning of a magic wood and that was why so few people visited there and why it wasn't a national park or used for lumber.

All the beasts there knew the feel of magic and while Harry didn't realize it, he was very magical. Most beasts stayed away when they felt his aura with a deeply instinctual reaction.

But in the woods, an Owl felt the child's magical aura and flew to him. She found the hole and the sleeping kitten and recognized that this was a wizard and meant to be her companion. She clicked her beak and made her way into the hole, covering the purring mite of fluff with glowing white feathers and fell asleep.

When Harry woke he was very warm and felt better than he had in a long time. He looked up and thought for a moment that it was still dark until a lovely fluffy feather tickled his nose. He sneezed and something much bigger than him moved.

Immediately awake with years of training from being beaten, his eyes flew open and he tensed, tiny claws ready.

"Fear not, human child," said a soft voice, "I am your friend."

Harry stiffened and nearly turned into a boy, but realized he would end up smooshed inside the hole or be pushed outside and fall.

"Who are you?" he asked politely.

A warm chuckle was the response, "You are very brave, little one. I am an owl, and I also am your familiar. My magic recognized you from deep within the forest and I came to you. I will never hurt you, little one, you are part of my heart. Open up your magical sense and you will know it."

Harry liked the sound of the warm voice and realized he was hearing it differently, more inside his head than outside. He could also hear a beak clicking and other noises and realized he understood all this magically. Deciding he was safe, although still careful, after all Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley all lied constantly, he answered back, "I'm understanding you inside my head." Silently, he drew back from the mass of feathers and looked up at a massive white owl, "You are beautiful!" he said, "You are the most beautiful owl in the world."

The great owl crooned down at the kitten, "You are easily impressed, little one, but I do appreciate hearing I am beautiful. Do you feel my magic calling to you?"

And Harry did. It was sparkling like the stars he could never see, warm like sunshine when he sat for a few minutes in the backyard waiting for his next order and wild like wind singing through the tree branches.

"I do. It's beautiful too."

"It is, little one. But yours is also beautiful and that called me to you. Will you let me be bonded to you, so we are always friends and companions?

"You wanna be friends with ME?" asked Harry, surprised. No one wanted to be friend with a freak.

Then it occurred to him that what was freaky in his life was this magic. That was why the Dursleys hated him so much: magic. He considered magic for a moment and all the joy it had brought him through the day and this night. Magic was wonderful. He was sure it could be bad, but so far, it was sheer exultant life and joy.

He was being nudged and crooned over by the owl. "Yes, I very much want to be friends with you, little one," she was saying so gently, so happily, as if it was the greatest thing in the world besides being beautiful. He wasn't a bad disgusting freak, he was a wonder.

The boy in kitten form began to purr and rub his head against the owl and whispered, "I will be your friend forever," and felt magic course through him and into the owl. He also felt the owl's own magic reach out and embrace him.

He spent the night purring softly and loving his new friend.

At pre-dawn, his eyes snapped open and he heard mice in the distance foraging among the plants on the forest floor.

Harry spent days catching mice, which were surprisingly tasty in kitten form, being chased by predators. Being Dudley's punch toy had prepared him for constant attacks. He was fast and always ready to fight or run away. He was also learning about Magic from Hedwig and sleeping with his wonderful new friend. Her feathers were so warm, it was like everything he had ever wanted. Hedwig was a combination Mom and friend, he had enough to eat and no one was beating him.

He had discussed his life with Hedwig. "I don't want to go back to the Dursley's. They are mean and bad and don't feed me enough. I'd rather live on mice and sparrows. The eating is better. Also, I want to stay with you, and I'm afraid they would try to kill you, just because I love you."

Hedwig looked at him and said, "You must practice being a human from time to time. You must not forget human ways. Someday you will receive a letter to go to Magic school and you must attend. I agree, the Dursleys deserve to be turned into mice and eaten. "

They both giggled.

"Vernon would be a very large mouse, and would probably make us sick."

"Could be," was his wise friend's response. "If he tasted like his personality, we would definitely get sick."

Harry lost some track of time. It was very cold outside and he was glad of his soft furry coat. He was getting better at finding mice as he learned to use his little nose to sniff out their dens.

He would go each day to the nice lady's house and get a bowl of milk. He always purred and rubbed against her legs and she always spoke kindly to him. Mrs. Gray would bend over and gently run her fingers through his fur and he would purr for her.

One morning he ventured to her house and there was no nice lady and no milk. Harry loved the milk and the nice lady, and began to worry. Was she sick?

He checked all about the little house. Her garden was not kept up as usual. Her lights were all off, but it was day light out. He sniffed at each door and window and was proud to have the strength to jump from the ground to the window sill, where he perched precariously and looked in. Finally he saw her in bed, and she looked very ill.

Harry leapt down from the sill and looked around. No humans. He turned back into a little boy. He had improved his magic and now was wearing nicer clothing. He tapped at her side door but heard nothing. Then he turned the knob and found the door open. That was more worrisome. He had noticed she always locked her doors.

He called out to her, and heard nothing. Fearing now that she had died, he ran into her bedroom and found her in bed and showing signs of a fever. Her cheeks were red and her forehead was very hot.

Now Harry was never taken care of when he was sick, but he knew how Aunt Petunia cared for Dudley when he was sick with flu, and often had Harry running back and forth preparing things so he put a kettle on, made her weak tea and got more blankets for her.

Then he put cool wet cloths on her forehead and she began to open her eyes.

"Little Harry," she said, "How did you find out I'm sick."

"Your door was open and I was worried about you. I'll take care of you, just tell me what to do," he said softly.

She smiled, "I should have gone to a doctor, but I got worse and worse. Bring me aspirins and a little glass of water. The aspirins are in the cabinet in the loo."

He fetched what she asked for and then set up a bed tray and gave her toast and the hot tea. She smiled at him.

"Oh the house is such a mess," she worried, "I'm ashamed I haven't felt well enough to do my usual chores."

"Just tell me. I can cook and clean and garden," said Harry

She sipped at the tea and took a tiny bite of the toast, "Oh this is so delicious. I was so thirsty and hungry but too weak to get up. Thank you."

Harry sent a mental call to Hedwig and told her the situation. She called back to him and told him that she would come too.

In the meantime, he found a defrosted chicken breast and used it to make chicken soup with things she had in the kitchen. He brought it in proudly, and hoped she would like it.

"Oh my goodness," Mrs. Gray exclaimed when she realized it was home made soup. "This is delicious. You made this for me?"

"Yes," Harry replied happily, "I'm so glad you like it."