#i've been getting really down when mum goes off about dad this week and the last couple days she's been essentially ignoring me

[thistlekiss]

.

[flowers-for-em]

this is a two part vent lol (not really lol but you know im taking the edge off)

I've actual never done one of these on here so here goes absoluelty nothing (btw there might be swearing)

part one:

my birthday is coming up soon and we originally had plans to go away and i was super excited, but then my parents changed their plans and said we weren't going away for a few days, we were only going away for one day (on my birthday so that mean travelling on the day) and now they've changed it again and said we can't go away cause they have to feed one of our friends dogs for a few days. I get they're our friends and you want to get the right thing, but they've changed my birthday plans so much, it feels like they aren't putting in a whole lot of effort (for reference one year for my my sister's birthday we went to two different cities doing treetops courses it took a whole week to complete) They're saying that instead of going away for my birthday we'll use the money for when we go away to the eras tour concert which is two days after my dads birthday. So we're technically going away for two things my dads birthday and the eras tour which is for my sister because she is the hugest swiftie (so am i really). And i am super grateful to be going but it feels like they are putting me second to a fucking concert.

And so i babysit a girl on a regular basis its usually just whenever her mum needs me to look after her - im very flexible and things when it comes to that. But they are moving in like a week. So they want me to look after her on wednesday, thursday, and friday. Friday is my birthday and one of my relatives is coming up to visit and another wants to take us all out for lunch on that day. My mum said i'd babysit her on all those days. meaning on my birthday - which i guess i was never alright with in the first place - and when i started to protest and say it would be weird going out for lunch with my family my mother started questioning me and asking why it would be weird because we were doing a nice thing for her mother (because it was her last day of work.) and again it feels like im coming fucking second to someone else ON MY FUCKING BIRTHDAY?? idk its just (i supposed i never really had any high hopes anyway)

part two:

I visited my grandmother today. (she is the one who wants to take my family out for lunch on my birthday btw) It was great to see her we had a lovely catch up and everything. But when we sat down for lunch and she placed the plates in front of us say said this to me "you start with the salad hey em?" and i kinda brushed it off in front of everyone - it wouldn't've been a big deal if she hadn't done this shit before. She constantly makes subtle oh so subtle remarks about my weight about how i sit about what i eat (i could deadass be eating a piece of fruit and she'd say okay maybe its time to stop eating now) Then when she set our "dessert" i guess you could call it - it was just a cheescake she wanted us to try - when she set mine down she motioned to the fruit platter sitting on the table saying "put some fruit on it ems" and that would've been fine as well if she had addressed it to everyone and said it loud enough for everyone to hear. but no it was said to me and me alone. I remember this one time (it was one of the first times i noticed her making subtle remarks) when we were driving to the shops one day and she had offered me like a chocolate covered liquorice bullet. So i took two, so did she. (btw they are legit half the size of ur pinky finger) and she then turned to me and said "you know emma i always only take two of these otherwise it makes me put on weight you know? I like to savour them, just one or two." I was the only one in the car and had fucking taken the same amount as her. When i had come that afternoon and sorta told mum and dad what happened dad just brushed it off saying you know she didn't mean it like that and everything. Mum was a little more understanding saying she understood but idk really. It makes me very fucking insecure when my grandma makes little comments like that. And i don't think i could ever bring it up with anyone cause i doubt anyone in my family would actually understand.

sorry bout the long rants :)

[blubushie]

do you tell people irl you have aspd?

Hahahaha. No.

Listen. Most people don't know what the fuck ASPD is. But they do know what a sociopath is—or at least have their own idea of what one is, an idea which is practically always incorrect.

So me having to tell someone I have ASPD has always gone "Hey, I want you to know something about me. We're good mates and I figure you got a right to know. I have ASPD." And they always ask what ASPD is. "Antisocial personality disorder." And if I leave it at that I get dropped, cause people always look it up when they get home and I get dropped for lying by omission and not calling myself a sociopath and thinking I could "get away with hiding what it really is" or something. And if I do explain cuz they don't know what ASPD is, it goes "Aka sociopathy. I'm a sociopath." And then I usually get dropped cuz Things Start Making Sense and people have seen too many horror movies.

Or, y'know, I get fired from a job I really enjoyed cuz they consider me a liability. Cheers, M*lbourne.

So I just. I don't fucken tell people. I've got comorbidities and most of my ASPD symptoms/traits I can brush off on those conditions as traits of them. I have low empathy cuz I'm autistic. I'm aggressive because I have trauma and haven't learnt how to cope with it. I'm impulsive cuz of ADHD, I use aliases because of my job, I'm hypersexual because of the CSA I experienced, I do crime cuz I like money and I'm fucken gay, I don't know. I don't tell people about the conduct disorder I had as a kid preceding my trauma, or that I've used aliases long before I started my job, or that I was medicated for my ADHD and certain traits just never changed regardless of how high the dose was until we puzzled out it was because they just weren't the result of ADHD at all.

(Like run-on sentences. Unfortunately that's just how I talk. What's a semicolon?)

So yeah, I just. Don't fucken tell people. I was diagnosed in early February of 2019 at 18 years old as ASPD nomadic subtype with secondary paranoid traits (there's assumed to be a convergent type between malevolent and nomadic but I don't know the name of it and it's not a confirmed subtype, but there's suspicion that's my ACTUAL subtype if it's real), found out I'm also a psychopath when I went to a therapist in M*lbourne a few weeks, and I just. Don't fucking tell people.

My dad knows. Mum knows. My biological brothers don't, but my adoptive brother does. I've confided in mates from high school and I guess 2 years ain't shit cuz they'd all ghosted me after. I told my ex after we'd been dating 4 months and got an earbashing and she very briefly dumped me for a week to "figure things out". And I didn't talk to her a week, and there's nothing quite like desperately wanting to tell someone you're sorry and not being able to because you know you can be really intense sometimes and there's no way for you to approach someone to apologise without them being afraid. And that's hard—she knew about every symptom I had. It wasn't new. But you slap the label of sociopath on it, and now when she looks at you there's a fear in her eyes what wasn't there before. And she wasn't afraid before, when she thought it was just anxiety or autism or OCD or trauma. But "sociopath" is a scary word.

So no, I don't tell people. I let them get to know me first and learn that despite how weird or creepy or unsettling I can come off as, I'm actually harmless. And then if I feel I can trust them to not be ableist about it or turn on a dime and assume the worst of me—and only then—maybe I'll sit them down and be honest.

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Livbelogs Heartstopper S3

I was so thrown off by the first shot of the season being Tori, LOL, I'm used to the school corridor openings

I've missed Nick and Charlie's little 'hi's, they are always so sweet

"I'm gonna cook us a candlelit dinner." "With what cooking skills?" "With the power of romance!" HAHA, I wish that would help me cook too, Tao

"Living with you is like a dream." That's a very optimistic approach to getting kicked out of your house, Darcy

Charlie said: Beach days are not immune to my Dark Imaginings

"Do you have some on?" "No, I don't really burn, I just tan." Charlie said, wearing a full cardigan to the beach. However, everyone gets UV damage, put on some sunscreen

Nick menacingly apply sunscreen to Charlie is my love language, actually:

"We've only been dating for like three weeks but [whistles] it's been a whirlwind." HAHAH I love Tao telling anyone who will listen he's dating Elle

"Girls stick together." "I don't care, I hate gender." Love that for Darcy

Awwww, Isaac coming out to Charlie. I love that so much

I enjoy that every time Charlie goes to his Dark Imaginings Place, Nick is like, "Hey, have you tried curing your mental illness with a leetle kiss on the lips"

"When someone you love's in trouble, you'll do anything to help 'em." Tara and Nick are truly on parallel romantic journeys. It's tough being a support person for someone enduring trauma

OH NOOOO Charlie thinks talking about something is code for "Time to exchange 'I love you's" and Nick think it's code for "Time to talk about your eating disorder!"

Perhaps at the beach, with friends, right before leaving for three weeks was not the best choice of venue for this conversation, Nick

I hope Darcy's gran's nice, because Darcy's mum sucks

Tao's cooking struggle aside, I love how colour-coordinated this shot is, the walls and the lamp, Tao's apron, Yan's shirt, the accents of Elle's dress, they're really leaning into the pink and teal:

"We can have a romantic candlelit Dominos." It'd work on me, Elle

Charlie, sitting in Nick's bedroom where there are literally like 10 photos of him on the wall: I wonder if he loves me back

Charlie telling Nick he loves him through the bathroom door. That's one way to overcome your nerves!

Poor Nick, running through the street shirtless and shoeless. That's love!

"You're still damp." "You're the one who said I love you for the first time when I was in the shower." Charlie's never gone live this down. The grandkids will hear about this

"I saw you peeping at me on the beach." "I was not peeping." It's okay, it's... it's allowed! We're in love!" "So in love that you're gonna walk to my house with no shoes on?" I repeat, that's love

Nick's aunt is HAYLEY ATWELL? Both funny bc they keep watching Marvel movies, and because they love to use a really amazing actress for a short cameo. Olivia Coleman for mum, Hayley Atwell for aunt, Nick's family is incredible

Oh, I appreciate that we've brought back the happy fantasy sequence as well:

"Can you please not undermine me like that in front of him?" The vibes of Charlie's mum have never sat well with me

Can I make a confession? Mr. Ayaji and Mr. Farouk (Nathan and Youssef) are my favourite romantic plotline on this show

Oh, I see a sex warning on the season! Who's fucking on screen!

"You did so well." "Exams mean nothing." Tori proving it's a Spring family trait to be incapable of receiving compliments

If Charlie's eating has extended the point where he can't even be in a Nando's, I think he needs help

"You need a nice poster of a handsome boy up there." "I'm a lesbian, gran." "Your dad never told me that. You need a pretty girl up there, then." This seems like a good sign for Gran <3

"I'm worried. I love you." Oh Tori, I think you should be worried

"I never sat still and posed for them. I wish... I wish I'd sat still. I wish I'd sat still, and I wish I'd posed." There's something about Tao's line that makes me want to cry. It describes grief really well

Thank God for Isaac, Charlie needs his support right now

Gjjgjgjhh at Tori being a tumblr girlie. Relatable!

The "Do I Have An Eating Disorder Quiz" is not as fun as the "Am I Gay Quiz" but I admittedly I've also taken both

It's really good for Charlie to admit he has a problem, to vocalize it to Nick, but I understand it's hard when the people you live with make it hard to trust them. Heartstopper always cuts too close to the bone

"He needs help from a doctor or a therapist. Someone that understands eating disorders and knows how to treat them." I am so, so glad that Nick has Aunt Diane, Hot Hayley Atwell Aunt and Qualified Psychiatrist

I don't know if I've ever cried while watching Heartstopper before, but this episode did get me

"The sixth form boys get to wear trousers, so why can't I?" "You look so... you." I'm becoming more and more certain Darcy is going on a gender arc. We love a nonbinary lesbian

"So we're dating?" "We've been seeing each other all summer, so I hope we are." I love Nathan and Youssef 💘💘💘💘 And also Coach Singh, who completes the gay teachers alliance

I am SHOCKED no one's ever caught Charlie and Nick making out in this supply closet, it's like the third time! Also, unrealistic, blocked, it's too spacious for a school storage place

"This isn't Mr. Ajayi's hippy class, you're representing Farouk right now." Neg your boyfriend to convince students it's platonic

OH MY GOD. NICK'S POSTCARD OF CONCERN IS THE SWEETEST AND SADDESST THING I'VE EVER SEEN

Does Charlie gripping his shoulder have implications that it's the site of his self-harm?

"I'm so alone." "Okay, what are we? Your imaginary friends?" I've missed Charlie's cheeky remarks

Fascinated by Tao's instagram bio being, "Was shorter in a past life." What on earth does that mean??

CACKLING at Charlie walking in on the teacher romance. HA

"I have a lot of rules... It doesn't matter, it's stupid." "Uh, what happens if you break the rules?" Mr. Ajayi is such a good teacher

I know it's important to address, but I do feel like the eating disorder is like, the main plot of the season so far, which does make the show harder to watch

"Yeah, I read a book where there was an aromantic character, and then I thought about what happened with us in Paris and stuff." I do find it funny that they feel the need to justify why (or why or not) people know the term aromantic. Why can't people just know!

[Looking at Sahar and Imogen] "Seems a bit gay to me." Me too, Darcy

"You've just not been a very good friend lately, Tao. All you care about is your relationship." "Well, if you're so sad about being single, what happened to James?" There's a lot to unpack here. Firstly, I don't think it's necessarily fair of Isaac to criticize how people engage with their friends, when he also brings a book to like 95% of his interactions. I get it might be a comfort thing, but I would personally feel like that friend wasn't engaged with me if during every one of our hang-outs they were reading. So like, complaining that Tao cares too much about his girlfriend when he's still there, spending time with you, seems harsh. HOWEVER, dick move from Tao, who already told you he didn't like James back

"I guess I just like the idea of having a cool boyfriend, but when we were actually together, he was pretty boring." Maybe it's too early to call comphet, but have you heard of the lesbian masterdoc, Imogen?

"None of you are helping, but thanks." HAHAH rude, Isaac

"You got angry at Charlie for doing the exact same thing we've doing." Elle's got you there, Tao

"You all make it seem like being in a relationship is the most perfect, magical thing that anyone could hope for." Charlie and Nick, homophobically bullied to the point of self-harm and in consistent mental agony over someone they love having an eating disorder: What up

"What about the ones who don't fall in love with any gender? Do you think they're okay just being on their own?" "I don't think they're on their own. they've got loads of friends." Nick Nelson, man of my heart

"When I first realized I liked Charlie, I cried at an 'Am I Gay?' Quiz." We've all been there, Nick

Nick really said: For my birthday, I'd like to confront your parents about your eating disorder

And Charlie said: Fair play, it's your birthday!

Very, very proud of Charlie (and Nick) for asking for help

So grateful for the next episode cutting to Nick's dog, I am emotionally exhausted by everything so far

"I can't believe it's been two months." I thought for a second I'd missed something but I guess they're just referring to inpatient rehab

"Everyone can journal, Nicholas. It helps you process your emotions. If I didn't journal every day, I'd literally have a breakdown. "Alright, you don't have to give me the whole pitch again." Tara and Nick's friendship is the saving grace of this season

NOT THEM SPEEDRUNNING THE ESCALATION OF EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS THROUGH A MONTAGE. Crazy storytelling choice, but, honestly, helpful as a viewer

This montage has convinced me that Nick really, really needs to be seeing a therapist also

You know, all this said, this probably has really endeared Nick to Charlie's parents. Getting him to come to them for help

Nick is the CUTEST Captain America, perfect Halloween costume choice

Nick's reaction to Sahar and Imogen kissing is SO FUNNY. This is the opposite of how it was when he saw Tara and Darcy kiss. Instead of Bisexual Comfort, it's Gay Horror

(I did also get a cuter screenshot of the kiss the second time I tried, but it didn't fit the vibes of Nick's expression HAHAH)

Nick every time he sees a sapphic party kiss: I think I have learned something

I love that Tara and Darcy have fulfilled the Shrek and Fiona costume threat they made last season

Tao comforting Nick while he cries at the party. Sometimes love is hugging your crying, tipsy friends on the floor

"Can't I play the mentall illness card now?" "No, the S-word rule still applies to the mentally ill." I love that they can banter about the OCD and anorexia diagnosis

"I hope that when you get back, you don't feel like you have to lie to us anymore." If there's an autism quiz, I think Isaac should take it

I do absolutely adore the home video Tao made for Charlie

Olivia Colman must've been quite busy, because I do think Nick's mum would be a cornerstone of support for him in this

"I hope I get good mental health." "I hope I get a mum who can regulate her emotions." A tall order, my friends

"Can you just shut the fuck up?" GOOD FOR NICK, GET REKT DAVID

Charlie apologizing for abandoning Tori but still leaving anyway is both perserving his peace and such a brother move. <3 Oh, family!

Also, love that they were like, 'we realize it's been a tough season, here's a second, smaller dog'

"I never imagined finding a boyfriend and... and feeling so safe with him that I'd even think about, like, taking my clothes off in front of him." I did figure they were gonna talk about dysphoria and sex with Elle

I'm glad they're finally having a bigger party where no one's crying or experiencing an identity crisis or being kicked out by their mum

"I don't want to be just an experiment to you. Especially when you know you're the reason I realized I was bi in the first place." Oh, the Sahar and Imogen lore deepens

Looks like Charlie immediately spoke Tori finding someone she cares about into existence

Hahahahah the fireworks are a metaphor for whatever Elle and Tao are up to in the bedroom

I also didn't notice until rewatching it, but I do think their headmaster announcer is Stephen Fry. They love a starpowered cameo

Honestly, I think it's nice they're talking about sex. With how frequently Charlie and Nick are on top of each other, I thought it'd come sooner (no pun intended)

[Elle, lighthearted, joking] "Hey, be careful. We'll have another vomit situation." "Just need a night off from everything." Does Tara have an alcohol issue? Bc they've had her say this twice now while holding a drink

"Is he Tori's boyfriend?" "She won't confirm whether they're dating or not." Feels fitting

HAHAHAHA NOT ANTHONY BAILEY BEING THE INTERNET FAMOUS HISTORIAN. BOOKED AND BUSY, BABY! I'D SUBSCRIBE TO HIM TOO

Again, I did figure with an ep title like Body, Elle's radio interview was not going to be kind, but hoo boy

"You'll be hearing from me." YOU GET HER, ELLE'S MUM!

I know that's not at all what they're intending, but if they have sex right now, it will seem like Jonathan Bailey was so hot, they were compelled to have sex about it

What a bizarre season. It's half eating disorder, half sex

I don't know what Charlie just texted Nick, but I hope that it was "i'm ready to have sex" because that would be a VERY funny thing to do to Nick in class

"I should've expected it." Oh Elle, my sweet girl 😭😭😭😭😭

"Do you want to talk about it?" [Elle sighs, shakes head] "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Tao has become SO GOOD at talking feelings since dating Elle

The cut to Baby Farouk in the classroom when they ask Charlie to apply for Head Boy. Gay teen representation DOES heal your inner child

"Good luck, I hope you do get to have your sex sleepover." Me too, Michael, Tori's Maybe Boyfriend

"You don't have to be the strong one all the time. I learned that the hard way." I'm glad Tara's in a better place now

"I just don't think I would've had the courage to explore being nonbinary if it weren't for you. I mean, I probably would've gotten around to it eventually, but you made it feel so easy....and joyful." Tara and Darcy's relationship is also soooo nice. I love everyone's relationship

HAHAHAH Charlie's Dad looking on to Charlie encouragingly as he asks his mum about staying over. Dad's on board with the sex sleepover

Charlie has decided to ask for forgiveness instead, since permission didn't go that well

The janky projector teetering on a pile of pillows is taking me out, it's so true to life. Also, couple nominated for best jawlines. ALSO ALSO. Making a fanvideo of your loved one is V SWEET

"I'm just scared you won't get it." "But I'll try, I'll always try." THEY 💗

"But when you're not around, I um... I don't know. I guess I feel a bit lost." I'm sooooo glad Nick is finally asking for support 💟

We finally got an answer to who was going to have sex on screen! It was Nick and Charlie, which is reasonable, as they are the protagonists. Not that Tara and Darcy and Elle and Tao didn't, but it was a little less explicit as this time we saw clothes flying. I also like that they acknowledged sex isn't just penetration

I appreciate that Charlie kept his shirt on for sex. King of Knowing His Own Comfort Zones

"She was never very nice to me. She was controlling, and sometimes..." Charlie's Mum said: My parenting style is a product of generational trauma

"I would feel much less worried about you if you waited a few more weeks, just til your GSCE's are over. Can that be our compromise?" Charlie, wearing Nick's clothes after they just had sex: Sure!

"Girls and boys can just be friends." True, however, Imogen did try to get Nick to wear a Halloween couple's costume with her while Charlie was away. So. She's got some stuff going on

"I don't think I've ever liked a boy, actually." YEAHHHH IMOGEN DISCOVERING HER IDENTITY! It was comphet!

HAHAHAH I wonder what this pharmacist assumes about Nick, buying condoms and lube with three girls

"I just don't think I think tell you enough how important you are to me." I love Charlie being soppy with his pals

"What's this song even about, Sahar?" "That's personal." "I thought it was about Imogen." HAHAHAHA Tao

Nick upon learning there's one (1) gay rugby player at Leeds: I am applying to this university forthwith

"I'm afraid of being away from him. I don't know who I am without him." Oh, Nick

I looove Charlie looking at himself in the mirror and seeing the animations but not in a Dark Imaginings way. Body neutrality 💓

"I just figured we should have a conversation about, but now... I wish I hadn't sad anything." [Charlie, gently] "Do you want me to go and find her?" [Michael nods] Baby Brother, Relationship Rescuer

"I wish I was like you. You're... hopeful. You try." That is the moral of Charlie's story

I love that you can see Charlie growing more confident as he plays music for the crowd

I think the Michael and Tori dynamic and Isaac's face is suggesting it's a queerplatonic situation, which admittedly is a term I don't fully feel I understand, but good for them

They've really done well to work around Olivia Colman's absence thoroughout this season, but it is hilarious that Nick and Charlie have had so much alone time in his house

I love the return to the end of season cuddle:

[duskwoodgirl4life]

Chapter 9

A few weeks had passed and the new shop was coming along really well, everything had now been gutted; it was like a blank canvas for Jake and MC to remodel. Jake explained what he had in mind and MC drew up the plans. Once they had finished they were ready to hand over to the workmen to start work.

It felt like a long six months but it was totally worth it, there were still some little jobs to finish but everything was looking amazing. While Jake was busy with the workmen MC was working on the new website adding a lot more stock and repair options for customers.

While trying to work MC had been feeling sick she just put it down tomsometbing she had eaten. As the days went on she was feeling more and more sick so she decided to go to the doctor's. She hadn't told Jake where she was going otherwise he would have wanted to go with her.

At the doctor's they asked her all kinds of questions, one being was she pregnant but MC just dismissed the idea. So to make sure she gave them a urine sample and it was sent off to be tested. It was a long couple of days wait when she got the results back MC was indeed pregnant.

MCs POV

How am I going to tell Jake that I'm pregnant? We haven't been together that long and now this is happening. We haven't even spoken about the future yet we haven't even talked about marriage. He's not going to want to be with me now, not when he's just opened up a new shop for the business.

I'm going to have to find myself somewhere to live, where do I even start. I've got nine months to get all this figured out what the hell am I going to do.

MC started to pace up and down with a panicked look on her face, Jake had just gotten back home when he saw what MC was doing. He put his stuff down and walked over to her putting his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump.

Jake: Hey, are you okay? You look worried

MC: Oh, erm yeah…

Jake: MC you're acting strange what's wrong?

MC: Okay, here goes Jake there is something I need to tell you, I'm pregnant

Jake:

MC: I know this is something we never talked about and you are probably not ready for all this. I get it I'll just figure out somewhere else to love you don't need to be in the baby's life

MC went to walk towards the bedroom when Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. He kissed her softly on the lips and she moaned into his mouth as his hands cupped her face.

Jake: MC I am over the moon that you are pregnant, I'm sorry I didn't say anything my brain was thinking about how I get to be a dad and you a mum.

MC: You really mean that Jake?

Jake: of course, I love you MC your my world

MC: I love you to Jake

Jake: You know we should look for a new place to live

MC: You think so? What's wrong with the apartment?

Jake: Well for one it doesn't have a garden for our bundle of joy to play in

MC couldn't help but smile at all the things Jake was saying, she started to wonder just how lucky she had been. Finding Jake was the best day of her life. She loved him so much and now she gets to have his baby they both get to be parents.

A couple of weeks had passed and the shop was now open and was doing better than ever Jake was busier than ever. It seemed that people outside of duskwood would travel from Colville just to have Jake repair their computers, laptops, phones, anything tech Jake knew how to fix.

In-between answering customers requests on the website MC was looking for a new place to live. There weren't many options in duskwood and she was about to give up when she found the perfect place. It was a 3 bedroom house with a white picket fence with a medium sized front garden. At the back the back garden was massive, plenty of space for a baby to play.

MC went to check if Jake was with a customer before she showed him the house, he was just finishing up when MC came from the back of the shop.

Jake: Hey beautiful, someone looks happy

MC: I am very, specially with the man of my dreams

Jake: And who would that be?

MC: You of course silly, before we get distracted I've found a place for us.

MC showed Jake the place on her laptop Jake loves everything about it, Jake said they should call the estate agent and request a viewing. MC pulled her phone out and contacted the agent right away; she arranged for a viewing later today after the shop had closed.

After the shop had closed MC and Jake walked to the house it wasn't far from the shop. While walking they could hear someone shouting MCs name when they turned round it was Hannah.

Jake: don't worry MC I'll deal with her

MC: why doesn't she just get the message

Hannah: Oh hey, glad I caught you guys I just wanted to say no hard feelings after what happened

MC: What is it you don't get? Don't your ears work? Or are you really that stupid? Maybe it's just both leave us alone

Hannah: I just want to be friends with you both

MC: come on Jake we need to get going

MC grabbed Jake's hand and they both walked off leaving Hannah standing there shouting at them.

Hannah: fine if that's how you want to be I'm going to tell the others about this and they will all be on my side.

An hour later MC and Jake had finished viewing the house, it was everything they had wanted. The agent left them alone for a moment while they talked it over.

MC: Jake, as much as I love this house can we really afford it?

Jake: don't worry about that MC I've got more than enough money tucked away

MC: You have? Why have you never told me?

Jake; I'm sorry if I didn't, that wasn't my intention

MC: So how much do you have?

Jake: well with everything we did to the shop £5.3 million

MC: WHAT!! you have…..

Jake: It was money my grandparents left me when I was little. I just left it in the bank and let it work for me. I made a few investments and they paid off.

MC: wow! I can't believe it

Jake: I am sorry I never told you

MC: it's okay, I'm glad you told me now

After a few more minutes of talking the agent came back over and Jake made an offer on the house. The agent contacted the owner and they accepted the offer all MC and Jake needed to do was sign the paperwork. After everything was signed they were given a move in date. On the way back to the apartment they saw Cleo and Richy walking towards them.

Cleo: hey you two haven't seen you in ages how are you?

MC: Hey, we are both good. How's things with you?

Richy: can't complain the garage is doing so much better now thanks to you MC

MC: Don't mention it, i was happy to help with the revamp

Cleo: we spoke with Hannah awhile ago

Jake: I guess you are taking her side in all of this

Cleo: No, what she did was wrong I can't be on her side not after what she did to MC

Richy: Cleo is right, the way she's been acting is wrong I can't take her side either

MC: What about the others?

Cleo: you know what a sucker for baby's Jessy is, Lilly will always be on her side, Dan hates what she's done too.

Richy: He said he's going to stick by her tho for the baby's sake..

The four continued to talk. They told them about the baby and the new house, they were so happy for them they said if they needed any help on moving day to let them know. They arranged to meet up at the weeknd and catch up some more.

[bumblee-stumblee]

Sorry, I'm so annoyed about something and I need to vent to someone 🙃

I was out with my sister in our local High Street and we decided to get bubble tea, and as it was quite nice, we decided to sit down on the bench outside the shop. There were quite a few people around enjoying the market etc so it was fairly busy out.

Then a "homeless" man approached us (he's not homeless, he lives in housing the council gave him. In fact a lot of "homeless" men take the bus into the town for the purpose of begging and don't even live in the local area). The homeless guy goes "Hello ladies 😁" and both of us are already shaking our heads no (we don't carry cash since lockdown anyway). Instead of walking away like most, he got really aggressive. "You don't know what I was going to say 😠".

I instantly got on the defence. We were sat down, we had already tried to ignore him and he was persistent, and if we got up and walked away there was a high chance he'd follow us. We're also young women so the fact he got aggressive when we said no made me start to feel really unsafe.

I said, "I don't care, the answer is still no." I didn't shout or yell, and kept my voice level.

Him, "I had the same reaction from those other guys down there!"

Me, "I still don't care, go away."

Him "You don't even know what I was going to say 😡. I'm just talking to you."

Me, "You approached us, we don't know you, so why did you come up to us? We don't know you, you could be dodgy, why are you talking to us?"

Him "I hadn't even said anything yet. Afhddhrsgjdh... You're stereotyping me!"

Me "Do I look like I care? We don't know you. Go away." (Stereotyping 🙄. If he had been in a suit I still would have reacted the same way as he was a strange MAN approaching two young women).

Then he started insulting me as he walked away like, four eyes, you should get your eyes fixed (I wear glasses, so great insult there, not 🙄). He went further down the high street and kept glaring back at us. We had wanted to check out the market, but my sister no longer felt safe and wanted to go home. He wouldn't have been able to do anything as there were people around (I'm also martial arts trained, so in the unlikely event that anything DID happen, I could defend us), but we were still like, no we should leave.

Got home, told my dad who was like shrug, should've just ignored him and was really unbothered by it. Talked to my mum who said oh yeah, everyone has complained about him, he's really aggressive. I watched him follow a woman into the bank. My mum was walking through that area earlier that week too and had been approached by 5 different homeless men. She said yeah in that situation you needed to tell him where to go because he would have carried on even if you walked away or ignored him.

It just made me so mad. He saw that we were young women and approached us, and when we said no got aggressive. I just wanted to drink my bubble tea and enjoy time with my sister I don't want to have to talk to random men I don't know. And when people are like, but he's homeless 🥺 I'm like, I read the news. Almost every day there's a story of a woman having been killed by a man, if one approaches me that I don't know I'm not giving them the time of day.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

I hate that people seem to think homeless men should be given some sort of leeway or special treatment when an incident or harassment happens. Those same people wouldn't put up with it but expect others to do so.

Your dad shrugging it off really bothers me, some men think women are just overreacting most of the time and it's hurtful when this sort of apathetic response comes from a parental figure.

You don't have to give them any time of day, i hope your next outing is better and though you're trained my best advice is that physical contact should ALWAYS be a last resort in a confrontation or self defense. Run, personal alarms, pepper spray and physical self defense if you have to, is how I've told my younger sisters to react when confronted by men.

I would rather the loss of a purse or money than the loss of life. Please be safe out there.

[riverstardis]

child of mine:

it's grace's birthday!

hugo running away :(

sam got grace a new phone which connie isn't happy about

grace hasn't been taking her epilepsy medication and refuses to take it so connie says she has to come into work so she can keep an eye on her??? because we all know connie always does a great job of keeping an eye on grace in the ED...

david's back!

alicia's walking in behind connie, sam, and grace and cal and ethan walk up behind her and cal goes "i wonder how grace feels about her new step mum? do you think you're gonna all go on holiday together maybe? what's it called, blended family?" while ethan seems to be avoiding looking at her. cal mate leave her alone!!

of course connie immediately tells noel to watch grace. when she says she's going to watch her she never actually means she's going to do it herself does she. she also says she can have her new phone once she's done her physio exercises?? girl it's her birthday give her a break!

oop sam just shared my sentiment. "she needs rest days, she needs time for her muscles to recover" "right so suddenly now you're an expert in physio?" "she's doing too much" "how would you know, you're not with her everyday?" "neither are you." OUCH SSJDJDFF i do not like him but unfortunately he seems to be the voice of reason when it comes to grace

elle and dylan see sam with grace and elle's like "you'd think he'd have more things to worry about than just hounding us" RIGHT??

oop elle says "connie still thinks she's safe" and dylan goes "what on her salary? i'd say she's the biggest prey" that's a good point actually. and if connie lost her job she'd have a lot more time to spend with grace. but i doubt sam wants that cause then it would be even harder for him to get a look in

so if david wasn't really ready to come back to work after years off, how is he ready to be back after a few weeks?

charlotte's been discharged

oh molly drover! she's asking for zoe😬

louise booked a table for her and jez at some fancy restaurant but he can't afford it

connie gives grace a cupcake as a peace offering, apologises and lets her have her new phone... could've been fine if she hadn't hidden her meds in the icing to trick her into taking them

david saying he knows what it's like to want everything to just stop and how much harder it is to get up and try again :((

aand grace has discovered the pill :/

grace goes "you tried to drug me" and connie's trying to defend herself but then realises that she spoke and realises that sam isn't surprised and grace is like "i've always been able to talk. i just didn't want to talk to you because i hate you." and connie goes "well you know what sweetheart, the feeling is mutual." umm wtf :/// and then grace has a seizure

david tries to apologise to robyn but max gets protective of her. poor david :(

connie tells sam he should take grace for a while

connie telling hugo's dad "he's clearly very upset. he just needs a little bit of love, and a little bit of support." you might want to try taking your own advice connie. and by that i mean with grace not hugo! do NOT take on someone else's child because you're finding your own a bit too difficult!!

charlotte is managing to make a lot of noise without moving at all. not even her mouth lol quite a realistic looking doll i'll give em that

ah mo effanga?

lmaoo jez doesn't want to tell louise he can't afford the restaurant so he tells her he's getting an early night and she goes to alicia upset and alicia's like "come on, let's drink gin and talk about how rubbish men are" and then immediately turns to ethan who just happens to be passing and invites him to the pub with them man she is DOWN BAD😭😭😭😭 it's odd that louise seems to have no reaction to this whatsoever though?? surely she would be wondering what the hell alicia's doing inviting a man to their complaining about men session? maybe alicia just knew that ethan was gonna decline so she did it to get herself in the mood for the complaining about men shjsjddjk

connie agreeing to take hugo for a few days??? wow it's a good job you got grace out the way so you can spend all your time with someone else's child isn't it

aww robyn letting david hold charlotte🥺 and jacob not accepting his resignation :)

one episode to go...

[automatismoateo]

My Dad is planning to marry a hardcore Christian and has told me there is no room for me in his life anymore via /r/atheism

My Dad is planning to marry a hardcore Christian and has told me there is no room for me in his life anymore Let me preface this by saying I live in New Zealand. My dad is a widower (good riddance, my mum was an awful woman) and was set up on a blind date 4 months ago. They hit it off immediately. The woman is extremely religious and now has him attending church every Sunday and other miscellaneous church events. He says they plan to get married around November, and I need to be gone by then. Why do I live with my dad as an adult (33) daughter? I'm disabled and unable to work. I'm at the point where I will likely be transitioning to a wheelchair later this year. I have to take 15 pills every day, 2 patches every week, and drink these awful sachet mixes twice a day. My dad is in denial about it and has been for years, despite my diagnoses, and frequently tells me I just need more of this or that vitamin. It's literally my brain and other various organs not working properly. I cook and clean for him and contribute to groceries. I pay my own bills and contribute to his. He goes away sometimes and I look after the house while he's gone. He told me today the line in the title. He said it was because of his rejuvenated faith and because I'm a staunch atheist. He told me he wasn't comfortable expressing his beliefs around me and therefore I couldn't live with him anymore. He said it's time for me to struggle (as if I don't already lol) and get a job and live somewhere else. Cool, okay, but like - I have this medical certificate from my doctor saying "unfit for work" and I'm on welfare so I can't afford shit. And I'm going to have to find somewhere that's wheelchair friendly. And somewhere safe, because last time I went renting, I was violently sexually assaulted by my flatmates and robbed blind, so there's that fear, too. Dad said not to worry because "We'll come visit you!" Not sure I'd want him to after this tbh. Out of everyone in New Zealand, why did I have to be related to the super religious nutjobs? My Dad's family are all conspiracy theorist anti-vaccine anti-women's rights nutters. My dad isn't as bad as them and I thought he'd calmed right down, but this new girlfriend has brought back that religious fervour in him and now all I'm getting from him is "I'll pray for you" and "it's god's will" and stupid shit like that when he used to say "I hope you feel better". I've lost my dad and I hate it. My sister and her family are super religious, and my agnostic brother lives far away in the UK, so no support from him. Any friends I have also live overseas. This was long and really ranty, sorry. I think I just needed to unload. Thanks guys. Submitted February 07, 2024 at 01:57AM by TheBadKneesBandit (From Reddit https://ift.tt/uoCf8h3)

[deathdoesntkillyou]

the dream I had which is now cannon in my heart

(The only way this is even vaguely related to what we've been doing is that it started when Sylvie got sick in the way that things like that get you thinking about what's important etc)

But anyway, the dream was about Maggie and her namesake nan because I vibe that Johnny visits her (first at home in her caravan where she's getting cared for by his sisters and then in the home she gets put in eventually when her Alzheimer's gets worse) every week like a dutiful son and his wife and kids only go on special occasions when they've gotta so Maggie goes with him from when her nan is in the home and she can (because she's the daughter of Ali and she'd insist regardless of however young she may be)

So like I said, when Sylvie is a sick kid she decides that she wants to see her nan more like oh I really should while I still have her and she sneaks and goes whenever she can and the staff let her even though she's only 12 because they recognise her from coming with her dad and she's doing no harm (plus jali will say it's okay when they inevitably find out, even though they don't necessarily know how often she is going, including when she's supposed to be at school (because like her mum she's a wild child so nobody is automatically assuming that's where she is cos she could be off anywhere doing anything and often is/was lol)

A wholesome time is being had despite the nan being deep in her dementia and not able to talk or know her/basically confined to a chair and as time passes a bed, because nevertheless this gal chats away and they look at photos or she sings to her or they have lunch together and she helps feed her, does her hair and paints her nails etc etc all the cute things, sometimes she just draws the nan while they listen to music (which is foreshadowing and handy for later when her nan dies and she gives all these drawings to her dad, including ones she did of her when she was younger from said photos they look at)

Years pass how they will (it was unspecified in the dream, she got older than 12 but she was still a teen idk) and sometimes as the nan got worse she didn't want long visits or was asleep when Maggie came so she ended up making friends with most of the carers + other residents (she's her mother's daughter and makes friends easily) and I've always vibed she likes making clothes especially costumes so picture her throwing a lil Halloween party for the residents who are able to go and making Christmas decs and singing Christmas songs and hiding chocolate eggs all around this home at Easter etc etc, all the while only the peeps closest to her even know she does any of this cos she isn't shouting about it, basically she's a full time volunteer without thinking of it like that

But of course, the day comes when her nan dies (again it was kinda unspecified in the dream but she ended up going into hospital dying basically and poor Mags couldn't go and say her goodbyes because there is so much extended gypsy fam always visiting that she couldn't even sneak when one of them wasn't there and it was really sad*) so she stops visiting the home obvs cos she's really sad but runs into one of the younger carers coincidentally one day when she's in town and they have a lil catch up and she's like we all 'we miss you' + '[one of the residents she made friends with] is having a 90th birthday party, you should come' so she did go and it slayed and she decides to come back and keep visiting again, thinking she'll just go like once a week or every so often and it'll be chill but DUH she ends up going almost as often as she did before, doing all kinds of different shit with different residents, having a whale of a time and living her best life (p.s this did not happen in the dream but as I'm writing this down I'm thinking of the potential for her to get with someone's grandson if we wanted a ship for her, like in that book, cos you know these old ladies would all be trying to pimp their fam out lol)

Long story short, she kept it up and they offered her a job when she finished school which she took and I love that because it's not something she planned (like her mother she's into all sorts of things) but it's just a job she falls into and really enjoys * There was a whole part in the dream about the funeral btw, she (and Ali) did get to go but even though all they were trying to do was pay their respects and serve a lewk, the gypsy fam were SO mad and didn't want them there because it was a full blown traditional affair despite the nan not being a gypsy as we now know, Johnny was sticking up for her while also trying to stop things kicking off but ultimately his dad put his foot down and told her (and Ali) to leave cos he didn't want the drama and felt like he was being shown up as he's clearly on the side of the gypsy fam about it and tries to pretend Maggie and Django (who wasn't there) don't exist

They left cos not trying to cause a scene actually but just before they did there was a whole heartbreaking moment where Maggie said to her granddad in gypsy lingo something like sorry for your loss (idk if they have their own equivalent of things they like to say but if they do it was that vibe because she put her all into it) trying to be nice and respectful and saying it with ALL the feeling in the world cos she loved her nan so much by this point but everyone was simply fuming and didn't take it the right way

So this was when she decided to change her name because not only a fuck you all he's my dad too but fuck you all I'm gonna have my nan's whole name cos she's my bestie and ILY and y'all didn't even visit her unless you were forced

[wtfuggg]

1st?

Writing this for myself. I think. I don't really know what I'm doing starting this; probably the same reason that I've bought 6 journals from Whitcoulls and not once have I made it past 4 entries. I think I love the idea of having my thoughts in one place so I can reflect back and see what I thought at a specific time. Such a shame my memory stretches back to max last weekend.

Like, my memory now is horrifically bad. I don't even recall what I had for lunch yesterday, let along what I did at work today. My grandma had Alzheimers, so maybe it's started making its way down to me. Finger's crossed it isn't but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised, I feel like my dad's side of the genetics (aka my fucked up hairline) is predominent in my make up. Sad right?

Anyways, I wish I could just reflect back on my life and instantly recall what I felt. I wish I could look back in time and remember what I thought when I was in the closet? Or what I felt when my mum passed away? Or when I was in love with my best friend's American flatmate? God I wish I had written down my thoughts more often, time is flying by incredibly fucking fast. And it's scary. And it's daunting. And its all the synonyms of "frightening" you can think of.

Here goes my first entry. Digital this time, so maybe I wont be as ceebs when it comes to this in comparison to when I grab a pen and paper and I feel like I'm in an indie little film x

Bur for real, I wanna start this little blog off with how I'm, feeling right now. Right now is Friday the 15th of September 2023. A week prior to my one year anniversary at work. A year and a month since I've moved to Auckland. 2 years since I graduated uni. 2 years since my mum died. 3 years since covid. God, isn't it weird how you think of time through milestones? Like why can't everyday just be a milestone. I guess its self explanatory - and I guess I'm only frustrated that I can't remember my life.

I'm already ceebs writing this not gonna lie hahahaha, but I'm gonna push through but maybe I break this down into more bit sized chunks. Next one I'll do a piece on how I push people away, maybe sprinkle a little bit of self pity and self loathing into that one xox

Right now, I feel like I'm going through it - but not in the same way that I've gone through it in the past. I think it's some sort of growth, but I couldn't be certain. I really have no idea what I'm feeling. I wish I could say. I mean a few nights ago, I was ranting to my flatmate how I'd wanna go back to Christianity, then the following day I was sending Gavin Caselegno messages asking him for dick pics? Like I cant seem to make my mind up. God it must be so exhausting to be around me. I pity myself. I pity anyone around me to be honest. Don't think anyone should be around me. Why? Cause I'm fucking up and down man, every single day. I could be happy one moment and be depressed as fuck the next. It's a constant cycle of being inconsistent. If it's tiring for me, I can't even begin to imagine what it'd be like for anyone in close proximity to me. Or maybe I'm just overthinking this too much. No one actually cares. Genuinely no one. So maybe I just live my life how I wanna live it lol.

I think it's all catching up to me - being indecisive that is. I feel my entire life has been a mask - I don't really know myself and thats why I cant control my emotions. In fact, for a little while i thought everyone was faking their emotions cause i didnt feel any. Probably up until 2021, I genuinely thought that there was something wrong with me cause I never felt any 'real' emotion. Or If i did, I didn't think they were real, or I didn't have the emotional capacity to rationalise them. I mean, don't get me wrong, I feel all the emotions, but empathy is something I dont think I have.

That's another thing too. I'm so fucking selfish its insane hahahaha, Like I feel like I'm only ever concerned about myself. But so be it, am i right? No one's ever been there for me. Friends drift away, relationships drift away, even family, who i thought would be forever.. also drift away.. how fucking sad hey. Mateeeee honestly now that I'm starting to unpack this I feel like this will take way longer than anticipated lol. maybe this can be my little therapy book x

Kinda tired writing - so maybe i give this up and save it for another time. My flatmates are also watching a fucking show and I can't sleep and its grinding my gears damn. Anyways, okay signing off. Gonna check back in soon x

[nooneelsecomesclose17]

Blankets

Here we go. I'm aiming for a fic a day throughout December. I have about 12 written so far so we'll see how it goes. They're from varying universes that I've created and varying lengths so hopefully there's something for everyone.

I'll try and add the AO3 link before I post but it might not always happen. I will add it though at some point.

*****

(AO3 link)

How could one distraught little boy just disappear.

Aaron had been at work when Robert called, his voice breaking as he told him Seb was missing.

"I just went to get him a clean t-shirt after he spilt his drink over himself and when I came back he'd gone."

He'd gone home straight away. Worried out of his mind, already texting the family to get them to help search. Robert had been pacing frantically when he got home and he clung to him like a little child. Aaron knew he couldn’t let his own worry overtake him, he had to be strong for Robert first.

“I don’t know what to do Aaron, what if someone’s taken him, what if…”

“You can’t think like that. He’s just wandered off. We’ll find him, I promise.”

He’d left him then, telling him to let him check out his favourite places before they called the police, just in case he’d taken it upon himself to go to the playground without them, telling Robert to stay with the others in case Seb turned up, and he’d started searching worrying about how much the temperature had dropped in the short time he’d been in the house.

It was only three weeks since he’d come to live with them full time, the loss of his Mum in an accident still too raw for him to even start to settle in. They’d tried their best to keep everything normal for him, to make everything just the same as it was the times he’d visited but clearly they’d missed something.

He’s just taking one more look around the playground before admitting defeat when he hears a shuffling sound from the train.

“Seb?” He doesn’t get an answer, just more shuffling and he catches a glimpse of Seb’s yellow jacket. Creeping closer he pulls out his phone.

*I’ve found him, we’ll be home soon.*

When he reaches the train he crouches down by the side of the hollow engine, the space just big enough for a child and his heart stops pounding when he sees him, when he’s sure it’s him.

“Hey little bug, what are you doing in here?” He sits on the ground so he’s facing him. “Me and Daddy were ever so worried.” Seb doesn’t answer, just keeps staring at him. “I bet you’re cold. How about, we go home so Daddy can see you’re ok, and then maybe he’ll make you your favourite hot chocolate?”

Seb shakes his head, and Aaron sighs, knowing Robert will be going frantic at home waiting for them.

“You know me and your Dad, we love you so much and all we want to do is make sure you’re ok, and we can’t do that unless you tell us what’s going on. How about it?” Nothing but he can see Seb’s face change and he thinks he’s getting somewhere. “You know, it’s ok to be scared, I get scared all the time. Do you know who helps me when that happens?”

“No.”

“Your Daddy, because he’s so strong and he always knows the right things to say and he gives the best hugs. I bet you could really use a hug right now eh?” He gets a little nod. “Well I promise that your Dad is waiting at home and he wants nothing more than to give you the biggest hug in the world. So, how about it? Shall we go home?”

He held out his hand and slowly but surely Seb edges his way out until his hand is clutched in Aaron’s.

"There we go, let's get you home and warmed up."

The minute they're in the door Robert's there, scooping Seb out of his arms and whispering to him. Aaron just sinks into the chair letting the twins climb all over him, all the worry he'd pushed down while searching coming out.

“They were worried.” Robert’s by his shoulder, nodding at the two of them, clinging on tight. “I don’t think they understand why he’s here all the time, or why he ran off…then again nor do we.”

“Tell you what why don’t you warm him up, let him watch TV a bit and calm down, while I talk to these two. Then I’ll see if Mum can have them for a bit while we talk to him. We’ll sort this out Robert, promise.” Robert doesn’t look convinced but goes back to Seb. “Right, come on you two monsters, let’s got upstairs for a bit.”

They follow him, always do, like little shadows and he settles them all on Ella’s bed, Ben one side, her the other.

“What’s wrong with Sebby?”

“He’s just sad that’s all. You know how he used to spend some time here with us and some time with his Mummy?"

“With ‘Becca?” He nods at his daughter.

“Well now he lives with us all the time.”

“And that’s why he’s sad?” Ben asks, clutching onto one of the many cuddly toys Ella’s bed was home to.

“Kinda. He’s sad because his Mummy isn’t here anymore. Do you remember when we went to Spain to say goodbye to Daddy’s grandma?”

“Because she died.” Ella tells him and he nods.

“Yeah, well Seb’s Mummy died too and he’s sad because he misses her.”

“Like we miss you when you go away for scrap?”

“Yeah, only tons more because I always come back don’t I? But Seb’s Mummy can’t.” He puts his arms round both of them seeing them look sad. They met Rebecca a few times and she’d often bring stuff for them when she dropped Seb off. At first it had set his teeth on edge but in the end he’d realised it was just way of dealing with feeling uncomfortable around them even though they all got on well enough. “So for a while he’s going to be really sad, and some days he won’t feel like playing with you or watching TV, and other days he will.

“Do you think if I drew him a picture he would like that?”

“I think he’d love it. Tell you what, why don’t we pack some pens and your books to take to Nana’s. Me and Daddy need to talk to Seb a bit so Nana’s going to look after you and then we’ll all have tea at the pub later, ok?”

“Yeah! Nana has chips!” Ben’s off the bed and running into his room before Aaron can stop him.

“And you’ll make Seb better?”

“I’m going to try sweetheart. We just have to be extra nice to him for a bit yeah. Good girl. Right, pack your stuff while I call Nana.”

When he’s dropped them off at the pub he heads back to the house, no idea how to even start to get Seb to open up to them. His Mum had given him a few ideas but he had no clue if they’d work or not.

When he's gets inside he finds Seb on the sofa, cuddled up to Robert, underneath the bright blanket that lived on his bed and he was clutching his cuddly giraffe that he’d had as a baby.

"He hasn't said a word.” Robert whispered.

"He will when he's ready. Now, I promised him one of Daddy Robert's special hot chocolates.” He nods at Robert. "They always make everything better."

While Robert goes to the kitchen, Aaron takes his place, tucking the blanket back in around his son.

"There, you’re much warmer now hey?” They sit in silence, the only noise from the TV and Robert moving about behind them.

"Here we are! Three hot chocolates with extra marshmallows." Robert sits so Seb is tucked between them. "You want to talk yet mate?" Seb shakes his head.

"You know when we first moved into this house it felt really strange." Robert stares at him, obviously wondering what he's trying to say. "There were all these new noises and it was a new bed, and it was all just a bit strange.' '

"My room is too dark. It's scary," Seb all but whispers.

"Even with your nightlight?” He nods. "In that case I reckon we should go shopping to find a better one."

"We can do that. Listen Seb, I know you’re missing your Mum and Aaron and I probably don't do things the way she would but you can't run off like you did. We were really scared. "

"You were?"

"Yeah. We love you so much."

"You didn't come and see me." Robert looks at Aaron over Seb's head. It’d been years before, when he was tiny after he’d first gone with her and Ross. They didn’t even know he remembered any of it, he’d never mentioned it before. "Moses said it was 'cos you didn't like me."

"Oh mate, no. I promise you. Me and your Mum...we weren't always friends and we had a bit of a row when you were really little, but I promise me and Aaron never stopped missing you.”

"That's right. It just took a while to make friends again that's all, but it was all sorted out and you were getting used to staying here sometimes weren’t you?” It sounds so simple put that way, nowhere near to amount of hurt they'd suffered when Rebecca had refused them access until they could convince a court that the things she'd said weren't true. Too many times he'd found Robert in tears at missing him. For all he made nice with her Aaron had never forgiven Rebecca for that even if it had been sorted out pretty quickly, it had felt like years without him.

"I miss Mummy."

"I know you do bug. I wish we could make it better, really I do."

"Listen to me a minute mate, when I was little my Mummy died too and I was really sad too." Aaron itched to hold Robert, knew how much it hurt talking about Sarah. "But it helped to think about all the fun things we used to do together. Do you want to do that?"

"Yeah."

"How about we write them down, then you can look at them whenever you want. I bet Aunty Liv has loads of nice notebooks somewhere we can use." Seb nods. "I'll go and find it. Daddy can find a nice pen. He has far too many" He was pleased to see Seb giggle a bit at that, he was always teasing Robert for having hundreds of pens everywhere.

"That's a great idea. That'll be something really lovely to look back on. we can put photos in two of you want. You go upstairs and fetch the box and we'll get started."

When they’ve got what they were searching for and are waiting for Seb, Robert turns to Aaron. "Are you sure about this?”

“I think it’ll help him. Mum suggested it. You know they had that memory box for Grace, she said it helped them.”

“Yeah, but that’s not what I meant. I mean you doing this with him, listening to stuff about her.”

"She's his Mum."

"You know what I mean."

"It's fine. Promise.” He squeezes Robert’s hand as Seb runs back down the stairs. “I told Mum we’d go for tea after, is that alright bug?”

“For chips?”

“If you insist. Right then, where do you want to start?”

They’re sat there for two hours before Seb declares he’s done. They’ve written down everything he’s said and they’ve looked through all the photos he has, the little bits and pieces that means something to him. There’d been tears, laughs and gradually Aaron had seen Robert start to calm down. Ever since he’d received the call to say Rebecca had been killed he’d been feeling guilty, had been wound too tight and nothing Aaron could say would help. He’d thrown himself into making everything perfect.

“Did it help bug? Because if not we can think of something else, or if you want to talk to someone, someone who isn’t me or Daddy, we can sort that too. You just have to tell us.”

“Ok. Can I put this in my room? Somewhere special.”

“Yeah.” Robert forces out. “Of course. Off you go, then we’ll go to the pub and find the others.”

When he’s gone Aaron turns to him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell your face then.”

“I’m just…how do we know we’re doing the right thing?”

“We don’t. All we can do is try our best. Like I told him, he can talk to someone else if he wants. We can find him someone, some help. But…you need to calm down, he’s going to pick up on your worry.”

“I know it’s just…” He checks Seb can’t hear. “When he says stuff like he did, it makes me hate her all over again, but I can’t let him see that.”

“So talk to me, rant at me, or Vic, or if you want, a therapist. She kept him from us, that’s not changed because she died. I’m just as angry, but it’s not going to help him. All we can do is make sure he knows we love him, that we’ve always loved him. We have to make sure Ben and Ella know that too yeah, because we can’t neglect them to focus on Seb.”

“I…” He sees his face, the horror that he might’ve done exactly that without knowing.

“We haven’t…I’m just saying, it’s easy done, and we can’t.”

“How are you so sensible?”

“Common sense ain’t it. We’ll get through this and he’ll be the happiest little boy in the world.”

“Yeah. I couldn’t do this without you, you know that don’t you?”

“Course you could, but you don’t have to. I’m going nowhere.”

“Daddy! I put it next to my bed so Mummy’s always close.” Robert plasters on a smile and gets up to hug him.

“That’s a brilliant idea mate. Right, shall we go to the pub and see if your brother and sister have sent Nana Chas grey?” Seb nods, laughing as Robert tickles him, carrying him out the door, Aaron following on shaking his head at his boys.

[duskwoodgirl4life]

Chapter 9

A few weeks had passed and the new shop was coming along really well, everything had now been gutted; it was like a blank canvas for Jake and MC to remodel. Jake explained what he had in mind and MC drew up the plans. Once they had finished they were ready to hand over to the workmen to start work.

It felt like a long six months but it was totally worth it, there were still some little jobs to finish but everything was looking amazing. While Jake was busy with the workmen MC was working on the new website adding a lot more stock and repair options for customers.

While trying to work MC had been feeling sick she just put it down tomsometbing she had eaten. As the days went on she was feeling more and more sick so she decided to go to the doctor's. She hadn't told Jake where she was going otherwise he would have wanted to go with her.

At the doctor's they asked her all kinds of questions, one being was she pregnant but MC just dismissed the idea. So to make sure she gave them a urine sample and it was sent off to be tested. It was a long couple of days wait when she got the results back MC was indeed pregnant.

MCs POV

How am I going to tell Jake that I'm pregnant? We haven't been together that long and now this is happening. We haven't even spoken about the future yet we haven't even talked about marriage. He's not going to want to be with me now, not when he's just opened up a new shop for the business.

I'm going to have to find myself somewhere to live, where do I even start. I've got nine months to get all this figured out what the hell am I going to do.

MC started to pace up and down with a panicked look on her face, Jake had just gotten back home when he saw what MC was doing. He put his stuff down and walked over to her putting his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump.

Jake: Hey, are you okay? You look worried

MC: Oh, erm yeah…

Jake: MC you're acting strange what's wrong?

MC: Okay, here goes Jake there is something I need to tell you, I'm pregnant

Jake:

MC: I know this is something we never talked about and you are probably not ready for all this. I get it I'll just figure out somewhere else to love you don't need to be in the baby's life

MC went to walk towards the bedroom when Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. He kissed her softly on the lips and she moaned into his mouth as his hands cupped her face.

Jake: MC I am over the moon that you are pregnant, I'm sorry I didn't say anything my brain was thinking about how I get to be a dad and you a mum.

MC: You really mean that Jake?

Jake: of course, I love you MC your my world

MC: I love you to Jake

Jake: You know we should look for a new place to live

MC: You think so? What's wrong with the apartment?

Jake: Well for one it doesn't have a garden for our bundle of joy to play in

MC couldn't help but smile at all the things Jake was saying, she started to wonder just how lucky she had been. Finding Jake was the best day of her life. She loved him so much and now she gets to have his baby they both get to be parents.

A couple of weeks had passed and the shop was now open and was doing better than ever Jake was busier than ever. It seemed that people outside of duskwood would travel from Colville just to have Jake repair their computers, laptops, phones, anything tech Jake knew how to fix.

In-between answering customers requests on the website MC was looking for a new place to live. There weren't many options in duskwood and she was about to give up when she found the perfect place. It was a 3 bedroom house with a white picket fence with a medium sized front garden. At the back the back garden was massive, plenty of space for a baby to play.

MC went to check if Jake was with a customer before she showed him the house, he was just finishing up when MC came from the back of the shop.

Jake: Hey beautiful, someone looks happy

MC: I am very, specially with the man of my dreams

Jake: And who would that be?

MC: You of course silly, before we get distracted I've found a place for us.

MC showed Jake the place on her laptop Jake loves everything about it, Jake said they should call the estate agent and request a viewing. MC pulled her phone out and contacted the agent right away; she arranged for a viewing later today after the shop had closed.

After the shop had closed MC and Jake walked to the house it wasn't far from the shop. While walking they could hear someone shouting MCs name when they turned round it was Hannah.

Jake: don't worry MC I'll deal with her

MC: why doesn't she just get the message

Hannah: Oh hey, glad I caught you guys I just wanted to say no hard feelings after what happened

MC: What is it you don't get? Don't your ears work? Or are you really that stupid? Maybe it's just both leave us alone

Hannah: I just want to be friends with you both

MC: come on Jake we need to get going

MC grabbed Jake's hand and they both walked off leaving Hannah standing there shouting at them.

Hannah: fine if that's how you want to be I'm going to tell the others about this and they will all be on my side.

An hour later MC and Jake had finished viewing the house, it was everything they had wanted. The agent left them alone for a moment while they talked it over.

MC: Jake, as much as I love this house can we really afford it?

Jake: don't worry about that MC I've got more than enough money tucked away

MC: You have? Why have you never told me?

Jake; I'm sorry if I didn't, that wasn't my intention

MC: So how much do you have?

Jake: well with everything we did to the shop £5.3 million

MC: WHAT!! you have…..

Jake: It was money my grandparents left me when I was little. I just left it in the bank and let it work for me. I made a few investments and they paid off.

MC: wow! I can't believe it

Jake: I am sorry I never told you

MC: it's okay, I'm glad you told me now

After a few more minutes of talking the agent came back over and Jake made an offer on the house. The agent contacted the owner and they accepted the offer all MC and Jake needed to do was sign the paperwork. After everything was signed they were given a move in date. On the way back to the apartment they saw Cleo and Richy walking towards them.

Cleo: hey you two haven't seen you in ages how are you?

MC: Hey, we are both good. How's things with you?

Richy: can't complain the garage is doing so much better now thanks to you MC

MC: Don't mention it, i was happy to help with the revamp

Cleo: we spoke with Hannah awhile ago

Jake: I guess you are taking her side in all of this

Cleo: No, what she did was wrong I can't be on her side not after what she did to MC

Richy: Cleo is right, the way she's been acting is wrong I can't take her side either

MC: What about the others?

Cleo: you know what a sucker for baby's Jessy is, Lilly will always be on her side, Dan hates what she's done too.

Richy: He said he's going to stick by her tho for the baby's sake..

The four continued to talk. They told them about the baby and the new house, they were so happy for them they said if they needed any help on moving day to let them know. They arranged to meet up at the weeknd and catch up some more.

[oikirstein]

Scene:A neighbourhood on a street called Privet Drive. An owl, sitting on the street sign flies off to reveal a mysterious appearing old man walking through a forest near the street. He stops at the start of the street and takes out a mechanical device and zaps all the light out of the lampposts. He puts away the device and a cat meows. The man, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, looks down at the cat, which is a tabby and is sitting on a brick ledge.Dumbledore: I should have known that you would be here...Professor McGonagall.The cat meows, sniffs out and the camera pans back to a wall. The cats shadow is seen progressing into a human. There are footsteps and MINERVA MCGONAGALL is revealed.McGonagall: Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true, Albus?Dumbledore: I'm afraid so, Professor. The good, and the bad.McGonagall: And the boy?Dumbledore: Hagrid is bringing him.McGonagall: Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?Albus: Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life.There is a motor sound, and the two professors look up to see a flying motorcycle coming down from the air. It skids on the street and halts. A large man, RUBEUS HAGRID, takes off his goggles.Hagrid: Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall.Dumbledore: No problems, I trust, Hagrid?Hagrid: No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There you go.Hagrid hands a baby in a blanket over to Dumbledore.McGonagall: Albus, do you really think its safe, leaving him with these people? I've been watching them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really areDumbledore: The only family he has.They stop outside a house.McGonagall: This boy will be famous. There wont be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.Dumbledore: Exactly. He's better off growing up away from all that. Until he is ready.Hagrid coughs and sniffles, he is crying. He clears his throat.Dumbledore: There, there, Hagrid. It's not really good-bye, after all.Hagrid nods. Dumbledore takes a letter and places it on the baby, who is now at the foot of the door. The baby has a visible lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.Dumbledore: Good luck...Harry Potter.The camera pans into the scar and the opening title shows:HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

Almost ten years after the: DURSLEY's home. The camera pans on a sleeping boy, almost eleven, with a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

There is a click, and knocking. Outside, a tall woman, PETUNIA DURSLEY, raps the door.

Petunia: Up. Get up. {Knocks} {sighs} Now! {Smacks door of closet which is the boys bedroom}

A large, tubby boy, DUDLEY DURSLEY, suddenly comes running down the stairs above the closet. He stops half-way down and goes back, jumping on the staircase.

Dudley: Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!

Dudley laughs, comes down the stairs and runs for the kitchen. The boy, HARRY POTTER, tries to come out of the closet, but is pushed back in by Dudley.

Petunia is in the kitchen, where Dudley has gone.

Petunia: Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!

A larger man, VERNON DURSLEY, is sitting at the kitchen table.

Vernon: Happy birthday, son.

Petunia and Dudley giggle together. Harry comes into the kitchen, dressed in rags.

Petunia: Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.

Harry: Yes, Aunt Petunia.

He sets to work.

Petunia: I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.

Vernon: Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!

Harry: Yes, Uncle Vernon.

Petunia leads Dudley over to the family room, where there are a vast amount of presents. Dudley stares.

Dudley: How many are there?

Vernon: Thirty-six. Counted 'em myself.

Dudley: Thirty-six?! But last year last year I got thirty-seven!!

Vernon: Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!

Dudley: I don't care how big they are!

Petunia: Oh, now, now, now. This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, Pumpkin?

Scene:

Outside, morning. The happy family is heading to the car. Harry goes to get in but is stopped by Vernon.

Petunia: This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I'm really looking forward to it.

Vernon: I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week. Get in.

Scene:

The zoo. The family is in the reptile house, looking at a large BOA CONSTRICTOR.

Dudley: Make it move.

Vernon raps the glass of the cage.

Vernon: Move!

Dudley raps the glass much harder, and Vernon winces.

Dudley: MOVE!

Harry: He's asleep!

Dudley: He's boring.

Dudley and his parents retreat to another enclosure. Harry is left with the snake.

Harry: Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you.

The snake looks up and blinks.

Harry: Can you...hear me? {The snake nods} It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often? {The snake shakes its head} You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there, do you miss your family? {The snake turns its head in the direction of a sign which says, Bred in Captivity} I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.

The now awake snake has attracted Dudley's attention. He rips over to the cage, knocking Harry to the floor.

Dudley: Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!

Dudley puts his hands on the glass wall. Harry, from the ground, glares at him. Suddenly, the glass disappears. Dudley wretches forward.

Dudley: Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!

Dudley falls into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water. The snake gets out of the exhibit, stopping in front of Harry.

Snake: Thankssssssss.

Harry: Anytime.

The snake starts off.

Man: SNAKE!

There is a lot of screaming as the snake heads for freedom. Dudley gets up to get out, but the glass is now back over the enclosure. He is stuck. He pounds the glass.

Dudley: Mum, mummy!

Petunia: {Sees him} AHH!

Dudley: Mum, help! Help me!

Petunia: My darling boy! How did you get in there?!

Harry: {Grins and giggles}

Vernon glares down at him and Harry's grin disappears. Petunia continues screaming: How did you get in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!

Scene:

Back at the Dursley's. Petunia and a bundled up Dudley come in.

Petunia: It's all right. It's all right.

They disappear around the corner. Harry and Vernon enter. Vernon slams the door and shoves Harry against a wall, taking his hair.

Harry: Ow!

Vernon: What happened?

Harry: I swear I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!

Vernon: {Scoffs and shoves Harry into the closet} There's no such thing as magic!

Scene:

Outside, some time later. An owl flies by the house and drops a letter, which zooms in the letterbox. It lands away from the house and hoots.

Harry, inside, goes to collect the mail. He sorts through the letters and sees his, addressed to him. He goes into the kitchen, hands Vernon the rest of the mail, and walks around the other side of the table to see his letter.

Vernon: Ah, Marge is ill. Ate a funny whelk.

Dudley: {Sees Harrys letter. He runs and grabs it} Dad, look! Harry's got a letter!!

Harry: Hey, give it back! It's mine!

Vernon: {Laughs} Yours? Who'd be writing to you?

The family gathers to look at the address. There is a broken seal on the letter. The family looks up and Harry gulps.

Scene:

Another owl flies by with a letter and drops it off. Inside, Vernon grabs a handful of letters and rips them up.

In the closet, Harry hears a whirring noise. He looks out at Vernon drilling wood over the letterbox opening.

Vernon: No more mail through this letterbox.

Scene:

Outside, Vernon and Petunia appear. Vernon is about to head off to work. Petunia kisses his cheek.

Petunia: Have a lovely day at the office, dear.

She stops, looks and sees a bunch of owls.

Vernon: Shoo! Go on!

Scene:

Inside. Vernon is tossing letters into the fireplace. Harry comes around the corner. Vernon grins evilly and tosses more in.

Scene:

Living/Family room. The family is sitting around, Harry is serving cookies.

Vernon: Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Dudley?

Dudley shrugs.

Harry: {Hands cookie to Vernon} Because there's no post on Sunday? Ah, right you are, Harry. No post on Sunday. Hah! No blasted letters today. No, sir. {Harry sees a shadow outside the window. Outside, millions of owls are perched.} No sir, not one blasted, miserable---

A letter shoots out of the fireplace and zips across Vernons face. There is a rumbling and then zillions of letters come shooting out of the fireplace.

Dudley: AHH! Make it stop! Please make it stop! {He jumps on Petunias lap}

Petunia and Vernon: {Screaming}

Vernon: Go away, ahh!

Dudley: What is it? Please tell me what's happening!

Harry jumps onto the coffee table to grab a letter. He gets one and starts to run away. Vernon jumps up as well.

Vernon: Give me that! Give me that letter!

He chases Harry and grabs him before Harry gets into his closet.

Harry: Get off! Ahh!

Vernon: Ahh!

Harry: They're my letters! Let go of me!

Vernon: That's it! We're going away! Far away! Where they can't find us!

Dudley: Daddy's gone mad, hasnt he?!

Scene:

A house, on a rock island somewhere out at sea. The family is sleeping, with Harry on the cold, dirt floor. He has drawn a birthday cake which reads, Happy Birthday Harry. Harry looks at Dudley's watch, which beeps 12:00.

Harry: Make a wish, Harry. {Blows}

Suddenly, the door thumps. Harry jumps. The door thumps again and Dudley and Harry jump up and back away. Petunia and Vernon appear, Vernon with a gun. The door bangs again and then cracks open, and a giant man appears.

Vernon: Who's there? Ahh!

Hagrid: Sorry 'bout that. {He puts the door back up}

Vernon: I demand that you leave at once, Sir! You are breaking and entering!

Petunia: Ooh.

Hagrid comes over, grabs the gun and bends it upwards.

Hagrid: Dry up, Dursley, you great prune. {The gun fires}

All: Ahh!

Hagrid: {sees Dudley} Mind, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more along than I would have expected. Particularly 'round the middle!

Dudley: I-I-I'm not Harry.

Harry appears: I-I am.

Hagrid: Oh, well, of course you are! Got something for ya. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point! I imagine that it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh. Baked it myself. {Hands Harry the cake} Words and all. Heh.

Harry: Thank you! {Opens cake, which reads: Happee Birdae Harry.}

Hagrid: It's not every day that your young man turns eleven, now is it?

Hagrid sits down on the couch, takes out an umbrella and points it at the empty fire. Poof, poof! Two sparks fly out and the fire starts. The family gapes.

Harry: {puts cake down} Excuse me, who are you?

Hagrid: Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Course, you'll know all about Hogwarts.

Harry: Sorry, no.

Hagrid: No? Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your mum and dad learned it all?

Harry: Learnt what?

Hagrid: You're a wizard, Harry.

Harry: I-I'm a what?

Harry: A wizard. And a thumping good one at that, I'd wager. Once you train up a little.

Harry: No, you've made a mistake. I can't be...a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just... Harry. Just Harry.

Hagrid: Well, Just Harry, did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? {Harry softens his expression} Ah.

Dudley: {whimpers}

Hagrid hands Harry the same letter that has been sent the past while. Harry opens it.

Harry: Dear, Mr. Potter. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Vernon: Hell not be going! We swore when we took him in wed put an end to this rubbish!

Harry: You knew?? You knew all along and you never told me?

Petunia: Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful? I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak! And then she met that Potter, and then she had you, and I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as ... abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you.

Harry: Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!

Hagrid: A car crash? A car crash kill James and Lily Potter?

Petunia: We had to tell him something.

Hagrid: It's an outrage! It's a scandal!

Vernon: He'll not be going!

Hagrid: Oh, and I suppose a great Muggle like yourself's going to stop him, are you?

Harry: Muggle?

Hagrid: Non magic folk. This boy's had his name down ever since he was born! He's going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts' has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore.

Vernon: I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!

Hagrid: {whips out umbrella and points it at Vernon} Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me.

Hagrid sees Dudley eating Harry's cake, and points the umbrella at his rear. A grey tail grows.

Dudley: Ahh!

All: Ahh! {family chases Dudley}

Harry: {laughs}

Hagrid: Oh, um, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic.

Harry: {Nods} Okay.

Hagrid: {checks a clock} Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Best be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm? {Leaves}

Harry grins, looks back, and grins again.

Scene:

Streets of London. Hagrid and Harry are walking.

Harry: All students must be equipped with...one standard size two pewter cauldron and may bring if they desire either an owl, a cat or a toad. Can we find all this in London?

Hagrid: If you know where to go.

They go to a corner store and enter, The Leaky Cauldron.

{Music and talking}

Barkeep Tom: Ah, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?

Hagrid: No thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business today. Just helping young Harry here buy his school supplies.

Tom: Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter.

The pub goes silent. A man comes up and shakes Harrys hand.

Man: Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.

A witch comes up and shakes Harrys hand, as well.

Witch: Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last.

A man in robes with a turban on his head appears. It is PROFESSOR QUIRRELL.

Quirrell: Harry P-potter. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you.

Hagrid: Hello, Professor. I didn't see you there. Harry, this is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

Harry: Oh, nice to meet you. {Puts out hand. Quirrell refuses}

Quirrell: F-fearfully fascinating subject. N-not that you need it, e-eh, Potter? Heheh.

Hagrid: Yes, well, must be going now. Lots to buy. Heh.

Harry: Good-bye.

The two leave into a back room winery in front of a brick wall.

Hagrid: See, Harry, you're famous!

Harry: But why am I famous, Hagrid? All those people back there, how is it they know who I am?

Hagrid: I'm not exactly sure I'm the right person to tell you that, Harry. {Taps the brick wall clockwise with his umbrella. The blocks shift and open up to reveal a hidden, busy street.}

Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley.

Harry grins broadly as they step into the street and walk down it. An owl screeches.

Hagrid: Here's where you'll get your quills and ink, and over there all your bits and bobs for doing your wizardry.

Harry is amazed as they pass by shops and owls and bats. The camera pans on a broom store, where a group of boys are crowded around a shiny broom.

Boy: It's a world class racing broom. Look at it, its the new Nimbus 2000! It's the fastest model yet.

Harry: But, Hagrid, how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money.

Hagrid: Well there's your money, Harry. Gringotts, the Wizard Bank. T'aint no place safer, 'cept perhaps Hogwarts.

Inside the bank, they walk down the shiny aisle, passing tiny creatures working.

Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly are those things?

Hagrid: They're goblins, Harry. Clever as they come goblins but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stick close to me. {Harry sticks to him.} {Hagrid clears his throat as they approach a counter with a goblin in it.} Mr. Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal.

The goblin looks up.

Goblin: And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?

Hagrid: Oh. Wait a minute. Got it here somewhere. Hah. Here's the little devil. Oh, and there's something else as well. Professor Dumbledore gave me this. It's about you-know-what in vault you-know-which. {Hands Goblin letter wrapped in string.}

Goblin: Very well.

Scene:

Racing down the depth caverns in a cartlike structure. The cart stops, a goblin, GRIPHOOK, clambers out.

Griphook: Vault 687. Lamp, please. {Hagrid hands him the lamp and he walks to the vault} Key please. {Hagrid hands him the key and he unlocks it}

The room is filled nearly top to bottom with coins. Harry is amazed.

Hagrid: Didn't think your mum and dad would leave you with nothing, now didja?

They continue on through the cavern.

Griphook: Vault 713.

Harry: What's in there, Hagrid?

Hagrid: Can't tell you, Harry. It's Hogwarts business. Very secret.

Griphook: Stand back. {Slides finger down the door. Clank. Clank. The vault opens to expose a small white stone package. Hagrid hurries in and scoops it up. The eerie light it was shining with disappears.}

Hagrid: Best not mention this to anyone, Harry.

Harry nods.

Scene: Outside in the street, walking.

Harry: I still need...a wand.

Hagrid: A wand? Well, you'll want Ollivanders. No place better. Run along there, but wait. I just got one more thing I got to do. Won't be long.

Harry goes into the store, quietly. He looks around. There are shelves of wands, but no people.

Harry: {Softly} Hello? Hello?

There is a thunk. A man appears on a ladder and looks at Harry. He smiles.

Ollivander: I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. {Picks a wand} Ah. Here we are. {Harry holds it but just stands} Well, give it a wave.

Harry: Oh! {waves. All the shelves come crashing down. Harry jumps and hurriedly puts the wand back on the counter.}

Ollivander: Apparently not. {Gets another wand.} Perhaps this. {Harry waves at a vase, which blows apart.} No, no, definitely not! No matter...{gets a wand} I wonder. {Hands wand to Harry. Harry glows under it.} Curious, very curious.

Harry: Sorry, but what's curious?

Ollivander: I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other feather, just one. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar. {Points to scar}

Harry: And...who owned that wand?

Ollivander: Oh, we do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things...terrible, yes, but great. {Hands Harry his wand.}

There is a knock on the window.

Hagrid: Harry! Harry! Happy birthday! {Has a snowy owl in a cage which hoots.}

Harry: Wow.

Scene: Later, eating supper. The two, Hagrid and Harry, are at a long table, eating soup.

Hagrid: You all right, Harry? You seem very quiet.

Harry: He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this. You know, Hagrid, I know you do.

Hagrid: {Sighs and pushes bowl away} First, and understand this, Harry, 'cause it's very important. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go. And his name was V-...his name was V-...

Harry: Maybe if you wrote it down?

Hagrid: No, I can't spell it. All right. His name was Voldemort.

Harry: Voldemort?

Hagrid: Shh!!

{Harry looks around}

A flashback ensues, consisting off a cloaked man walking towards a house, breaking in with his wand, and proceeding to terrorize. Hagrid narrates.

Hagrid: It was dark times, Harry, dark times. Voldemort started to gather some followers, brought 'em over to the dark side. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him, but nobody lived once he decided to kill 'em. {Harrys mother, LILY, screams as she is killed by Voldemorts wand} Nobody...not one. Except you. {close-up of baby Harry.}

Harry: Me? Voldemort tried to kill...me?

Hagrid: Yes. That ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. A mark like that only comes from being touched by a curse...and an evil curse at that.

Harry: What happened to Vo-...to You-Know-Who?

Hagrid: Some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion. Nope, I reckon he's out there, still, too tired to go on. But one thing's absolutely certain. Something about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous, Harry. That's why everbody knows your name. You're the boy who lived.

Scene: London Train Station. Up on a crossing bridge, Harry (with cart and owl) walk beside Hagrid.A couple look at Hagrid.Hagrid: What're you looking at? {Looks at watch} Blimey, is that the time?? Sorry, Harry, I'm gonna have to leave you. Dumbledore'll be wanting his...well, he'll be wanting to see me. Now, uh, your train leaves in 10 minutes. Here's your ticket. Stick to it, Harry that's very important. Stick to your ticket.Harry looks at his golden ticket.Harry: Platform 9 ¾? But Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9 ¾. There's no such thing...is there? {Harry looks up and Hagrid has vanished.}Scene: Harry is walking down lane between trains. A man rushes by.Man: Sorry.Harry sees a train master.Harry: Excuse me, excuse me.Trainmaster: {talking to woman and child} Right on your left, ma'am.Harry: Excuse me, Sir. Can you tell me where I might find Platform 9 ¾?Trainmaster: 9 ¾? Think youre being funny, do ya? {Leaves}A woman, daughter, and four boys walk by, pushing carts.Mrs. Weasley: It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles, of course.Harry: Muggles?Mrs. Weasley: Come on. Platform 9 ¾ this way! All right, Percy, you first.A tall boy with red hair comes forward and runs towards a brick wall. Amazingly, he disappears right into it. Harry is amazed.Mrs. Weasley: Fred, you next.George: He's not Fred, I am!Fred: Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother!Mrs. Weasley: Oh, I'm sorry, George.Fred: I'm only joking. I am Fred. {He runs through the wall, and is followed by his twin brother.}Harry shakes his head in disbelief.Harry: Excuse me! C-could you tell me how toMrs. Weasley: How to get on the platform? Yes, not to worry, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well. {pan to a red haired boy who smiles} Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if youre nervous.Ginny (daughter): Good luck.Harry takes a breath and runs at the wall. He shuts his eyes and emerges on the other side a magnificent station with a red train and bundles of people. A whistle blows, and Harry sighs with relief.Scene: The train is traveling through unknown country. Pan to inside compartment, where Harry is sitting. The red headed boy, RON, appears, dirt on his nose.Ron: Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full.Harry: No, not at all.Ron: {sits across from Harry} I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.Harry: I'm Harry. Harry Potter.{Ron goes agape.}Ron: So-so it's true?! I mean, do you really have the...the...Harry: The what?Ron: {whispers} Scar...?Harry: Oh, yeah. {lifts up hair}Ron: Wicked.A trolley comes by the compartment, full of sweets.Woman: Anything off the trolley, dears?Ron: {Holds up mushed sandwiches} No, thanks, I'm all set. {smacks lips.}Harry: {pulls out coins} We'll take the lot!Ron: Whoa!Scene: Eating bundles of sweets.Ron's rat, Scabbers, is perched on Ron's knee, a box over its head.Harry: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?Ron: They mean every flavour! There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe. George sweared he got a bogey-flavoured one once!Harry quickly takes the bean he was chewing out of his mouth.Harry: {picks up blue and gold package} These aren't real chocolate frogs, are they?Ron: It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about 500 meself.Frog: Ribbit. {The frog jumps onto the window and climbs up, then leaps out the window...disappearing.}Ron: Oh, that's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them to begin with.Harry: Hey, I got Dumbledore!Ron: I got about 6 of him.Harry: Hey, he's gone!Ron: Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you? {Scabbers squeaks} This is Scabbers, by the way, pitiful, isn't he?Harry: Just a little bit.Ron: Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?Harry: Yeah!Ron: {clears throat} Ahem. Sun-A girl, HERMIONE GRANGER, with bushy brown hair appears at the doorway.Hermione: Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one.Ron: No.Hermione: Oh, are you doing

magic? Let's see then.Ron: Aghhhemm. Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!{Zap. Nothing happens. Ron shrugs.}Hermione: Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example...{Hermione goes over and sits across from Harry. He points her hand at his glasses and Harry tenses} Oculus Reparo. {The glasses, which noseband is battered, are repaired. Harry takes them off, amazed.} That's better, isn't it? Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger...and you are...?Ron: {full mouth} I'm...Ron Weasley.Hermione: Pleasure. You two better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon. {Gets up and leaves, then comes back and looks at Ron.} You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there. {Points} {Ron scratches his nose, embarrassed.}Scene: Darkness, the train blows its whistle and pulls into an outdoor station. Hagrid walks along the side aisle, with a lantern. People begin pouring out of the train.Hagrid: Right, then! First years! This way, please! Come on, now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!Harry and Ron walk up to Hagrid.Hagrid: Hello, Harry.Harry: Hey, Hagrid.Ron: Whoaa!Hagrid: Right then. This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me.Scene:A number of boats are plugging across a vast lake, where up ahead a huge castle can be seen. People are in awe.Ron: Wicked.Scene: On a higher level, Professor McGonagall is waiting. She raps her fingers on a stone railing, and then goes to the top of the stairs to greet the newcomers.McGonagall: Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cupNEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, a scared looking boy, spots his toad sitting near McGonagall. He jumps forward.Neville: Trevor! {McGonagall stares down at him} Sorry. {He backs away.}McGonagall: The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily. {leaves}DRACO MALFOY, a slicked back evil looking boy speaks up.Draco: It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. {Students whisper, Harry Potter?} This is Crabbe, and Goyle {nods to thugs} and I'm Malfoy...Draco Malfoy. {Ron snickers at his name} Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley. Well soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Dont want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. {extends hand.}Harry: I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.Draco glares. McGonagall returns and smacks him on the shoulder with a paper. He retreats with one last glare.McGonagall: We're ready for you now.She leads everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall, where there are four long tables with many kids, as well as floating candles. The roof appears to be the sky.Hermione: It's not real, the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.McGonagall: All right, will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbldedore would like to say a few words.Dumbledore rises from the main table.Dumbledore: I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch {signals to ragged old man with a cat with red eyes} has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you.McGonagall: When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will

be sorted into your houses. Hermione Granger.Hermione: Oh, no. Okay, relax. {She goes up}Ron: Mental that one, I'm telling you.Harry nods in agreement.Sorting Hat: Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...Gryffindor!!(Cheering)Hermione jumps off with a smile.McGonagall: Draco Malfoy.Draco saunters up proudly. The tattered hat nearly freaks before touching down on Dracos head.Sorting Hat: SLYTHERIN!Ron: There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasnt in Slytherin.McGonagall: Susan Bones.A small, redhead goes up.Harry looks around and spots a black haired, pale teacher, SEVERUS SNAPE, looking at him. His scar hurts.Harry: Ahh! {puts hand on forehead}Ron: Harry, what is it?Harry: Nothing...it's nothing, I'm fine.Sorting Hat: Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!McGonagall: Ronald Weasley.Ron gulps and walks up. He sits down and the hat is put on.Sorting Hat: Ah! Another Weasley. I know just where to put you...Gryffindor!!Ron: {Sighs}(Cheering)McGonagall: Harry Potter.Everything goes silent. Harry walks up and sits down.Sorting Hat: Hmm...difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?Harry: {whispers} Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin.Sorting Hat: Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. Its all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness! There's no doubt about that! No? {Harry whispers: Not Slytherin...anything but Slytherin} Well, if youre sure...better be...GRYFFINDOR!!There is an immense cheering and Harry goes to the Gryffindor table.Fred and George are also there, and cheer: We got Potter! We got Potter! Harry sits down.McGonagall: {dings on a cup} Your attention, please.Dumbledore: Let the feast...begin.Food magically appears on all the tables, and the hall is filled with awe and chatter.Harry: Wow.Draco looks at all the food, raises his eyebrows and digs in.Ron stuffs his face.SEAMUS FINNIGAN, a tiny boy, speaks.Seamus: I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.Neville laughs.Harry is sitting next to Percy. He leans over.Harry: Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?Percy: Oh, that's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house.Harry: What's he teach?Percy: Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrells job for years.Ron, having just finished a chicken wing, reaches into the bowl for more, and a ghostly head, SIR NICHOLAS, pops out.Ron: Ahh!Nick: Hello! How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor.Numerous ghosts come pouring from the walls, sailing along.Hufflepuff ghost: Whoo-hoo-hoo!Girl: Look, its the Bloody Baron!Percy: Hello, Sir Nicholas. Have a nice summer?Nick: Dismal. Once again, my request to join the headless hunt has been denied. {Begins to leave}Ron: Hey, I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!Nick: I prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind.Hermione: Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?Nick: Like this. {Grabs head and pulls it to the side. His head is hanging on just by a thread.}Ron: Ahh!Hermione: Eugh.Scene:Percy is leading the Gryffindors to the staircases.Percy: Gryffindors, follow me please. Keep up. Thank you.Boy: Ravenclaw, follow me. This way.Percy: This is the most direct path to the dormitories. Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases...they like to change.The camera pans up and we see a vast amount of staircases, people walking on them, and some switching places.Percy: Keep up, please, and follow me. Quickly now, come on. Come on. {They begin walking up the stairs}Neville: Seamus, that picture's moving!Ron: Look at that one, Harry!Harry: I think she fancies you.Girl: Oh, look! Look! Who's that girl?Man in painting: Welcome to Hogwarts.Girl: Who's that?Scene:Approaching the Gryffindor dorms. They come up to a large painting of a large woman in a pink dress.Woman: Password? Percy: Caput Draconis. {The woman nods and the painting opens to reveal a gape in the wall.} Follow me, everyone. Keep up, quickly, come on.Girl: Oh, wow.Percy:

{Inside common room} Gather 'round here. Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boys' dormitories, upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find that your belongings have already been brought up.Scene: Mid-night. Harry is sitting by a window in his pj's, with his owl, Hedwig. He pets the owl and looks out the window, sighing with content.

Scene: Morning. Harry and Ron are running through the stone halls to their class. They rush in. In the class, a tabby cat is sitting on a desk.Ron: Whew, amazing, can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?The cat jumps off the desk and turns into Professor McGonagall. The two boys are amazed.Ron: That was bloody brilliant.McGonagall: Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Maybe if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocketwatch, maybe one of you would be on time.Harry: We got lost.McGonagall: Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats.Scene: Snape's potions class. The students are chattering, sitting near steaming cauldrons. The door slams open and Snape comes rushing in.Snape: There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few {looks at Draco, who smiles}, who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper {Draco looks on} in death. {Draco raises his eyebrows.} {Snape sees Harry, writing this down, in, his view, not paying attention.} Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confidant enough to not...pay...attention.Hermione nudges Harry in the ribs. He looks up.Snape: Mr. Potter. Our...new...celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? {Hermione's hand skyrockets. Harry shrugs.} You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar? {Hermione's hand shoots up again.}Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfbane?Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?Scene: In the great hall, probably midday. The students are all working on homework.Seamus is trying a spell on a cup.Seamus: Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum. {Looks in cup and shakes head.} Eye of rabbit, harp string hum...Harry: What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?Ron: Turn it into rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before...ZAPOOF! The cup explodes. There is laughter amongst the students. Suddenly, a flock of owls start coming into the hall from the rafters above.Ron: Ah. Mail's here!The owls soar by, dropping parcels to students. Harry gets nothing. He sees the newspaper Ron has put down.Harry: Can I borrow this? {Ron nods} Thanks.Neville is unwrapping a gift. It is a clear ball with gold around it.Seamus: Hey, look! Neville's got a Remembrall!Hermione: I've read about those. When the smoke turns red {the smoke turns red}, it means you've forgotten something.Neville: The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten.Harry: Hey, Ron, somebody broke into Gringotts. Listen, Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to.Scene: Outside, flying practice. The students, Gryffindor and Slytherin, are lined up in two rows with brooms by their sides. The teacher, MADAM HOOCH, comes down the line. She has short hair and hawk yellow eyes.Hooch: Good afternoon, class.Class: Good afternoon, Madam Hooch.Hooch: Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon. {to class} Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!Class: Up!Harry's broom flies into his hand.Harry: Whoa. {Hermione stares as the class continues.}Draco: Up! {broomstick flies up and Draco smugly grins.}Hooch: With feeling!Hermione: Up. Up. Up. Up.Ron: Up!! {His broom flies up and conks him on the nose} Ow!

{Harry laughs} Shut up, Harry. {laughs}Hooch: Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. {Class mounts} When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2...{tweet!}Neville immediately lifts off. He looks quite frightened.Neville: Oh...Hooch: Mr. Longbottom.Girl: Neville, what are you doing?Students: Neville...Neville...Boy: We're not supposed to take off, yet.Hooch: {Neville begins soaring away} M-M-Mr. Longbottom Mr. Longbottom!Neville: AHH! Hooch: Mr. Longbottom!Neville: {soars away} Down! Down! Ahhhh!Harry: Neville! {shouting}Neville: Help!!!Hooch: Come back down this instant!Neville: AHH!He soars through the sky and hits a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he is screaming. He begins to zoom back towards the group of students. Hooch holds out her wand to stop him.Neville: Help!Hooch: Mr. Longbottom! {Neville approaches. The students scatter and Hooch dives out of the way. Neville goes through the scatter and up a tower.}Neville: Ahhhh! Whoa! Ahhh! {zooms past a statue of a man with a sharp spear. Neville's cloak catches on it. He is flipped off the broom and hangs there.} Oh. Ah...help! {He wavers, then the cloak rips, and he falls, catching on a torch, but then slipping out and falling to the ground.} Ahh!Hooch: Everyone out of the way! {She runs through the group, and they scatter.} Come on, get up.Girl: Is he alright?Neville: Owowowow.Hooch: Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get. {Draco reaches down and grabs Neville's Remembrall, which has fallen. Hooch begins to lead Neville away with her.} Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch. {Exit.}Draco: {snickers} Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass. {Laughs.}Harry: Give it here, Malfoy.Draco: No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. {hops on broom and soars around group, then through.} How 'bout up on the roof?? {soars off and hovers high in the sky.} What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?Harry grabs his broom and runs to get on it. Hermione stops him.Hermione: Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly. {Harry flies off.} What an idiot.Harry is now in the air, across from Draco.Harry: Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!Draco: Is that so? {Harry makes a dash for him, but Draco twirls around his broom in a 360.} Have it your way, then! {He throws the Remembrall into the air.}Harry zooms after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as he is about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working/watching, he catches it, and then heads back to the group. The students all cheer and run to see him.Boy: Good job, Harry!Boy 2: Oh, that was wicked, Harry.McGonagall: {appears quickly} Harry Potter? Follow me. {Harry sullenly follows her. Draco and his goons laugh.}Scene: Professor Quirrells classroom. He is inside, teaching, holding an iguana.Quirrell: An iguana s-such as this is {McGonagall approaches the class and stops Harry: You wait here.} an essential in-gredientMcGonagall: Excuse me, excuse me, Professor Quirrell. Could I borrow Wood for a moment?Quirrell: Oh. Y-yes, of course. {a boy, OLIVER WOOD, gets up to leave and Quirrell continues.} And the vampire b-bat...{eerie roar.}McGonagall: Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I have found you a Seeker!Scene: Harry and Ron are walking through crowded halls. Sir Nicholas and a lady ghost float by.Nick: Have you heard? Harry Potter's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew hed do well.Ron: Seeker? But first years never make their house teams! You must be the

youngest Quidditch player inHarry: A century, according to McGonagall.Fred and George approach and walk along with Ron and Harry.Fred: Hey, well done, Harry, Wood's just told us!Ron: Fred and George are on the team, too. Beaters.George: Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad. Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch.Fred: Brutal. But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally... {They break off from Harry and Ron, who walk across a courtyard.George: But they'll turn up in a month or two!!Ron: Oh, go on, Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too! {Hermione jumps up from her work and comes to join them.}Harry: But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?Hermione: You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood.Scene: The three approach a trophy case. Hermione points at a plaque of Quidditch players. One lists Harry's father as a Seeker.Ron: Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too.Harry: I-I didn't know.

Scene: The three are walking up a staircase. A railing pulls in...Hermione looks, but continues walking.Ron: I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do.Harry: Who doesn't?The staircase shudders and begins to move. The three grab the railings.Ron: Ahh!Hermione: {Gasps.}Harry: What's happening?Hermione: The staircases change, remember? {The staircase stops, in a new place.}Harry: {taps Ron} Let's go this way.Ron: Before the staircase moves again. {They all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark room.}Harry: Does anyone feel like...we shouldn't be here?Hermione: We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden.Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, the caretaker's cat, MRS. NORRIS, comes running in and meows. The group jumps.Harry: Let's go.{meow}Ron: It's Filch's cat!Harry: Run!The group runs. Flames are lit as they go. They get to the end of the corridor, to a door. Harry grabs the handle, but it's locked.Harry: It's locked!Ron: That's it, we're done for!Hermione: Oh, move over! {pushes through and pulls out wand} Alohomora. {The door opens.} Get in. {They bustle in.}Ron: Alohomora?Hermione: Standard book of spells, Chapter 7.Filch appears at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looks at him.Filch: Anyone here, my sweet? {meow} Come on. {exit.}Hermione: Filch is gone.Ron: Probably thinks this door's locked.Hermione: It was locked.Harry: And for good reason. {Ron and Hermione turn to stand with Harry. There is a massively huge three headed dog sleeping in front of them. The dog, FLUFFY, begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more...noticing the intruders.}All: AHHHHHHH! {The three bolt, running out of the door. They turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. They get the door shut and run.}Scene:Back in the Gryffindor room. They are breathless.Ron: What do they think they're doing?? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school.Hermione: You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?Ron: I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three! {they begin to climb the stairs to the dorms.}Hermione: It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something.Harry: Guarding something?Hermione: That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed...or worse, expelled! {turns and leaves, shutting the door to her dorms.}Ron: She needs to sort out her priorities!Harry nods.Scene: Outside, day time. Oliver and Harry appear, carrying a trunk. They put it down.Oliver: Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each time has seven players, 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and a seeker that's you. There are three kinds of balls. {picks up a red one} This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. {Points to a faraway Quidditch pitch.} The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. {throws ball to Harry.} With me so far?Harry: {throws back} I think so. What are those? {points to two squirming chained down balls.}Oliver: ...You better take this. {hands Harry a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two boys watch it.} Careful now, it's comin' back. {The balls comes whizzing down, and Harry cracks at it with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue.} Eh, not bad, Potter, you'd make a fair beater...Uh-oh. {The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.} Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But the only ball I want you to worry about is this...the Golden Snitch. {hands Harry a walnut sized golden ball.}Harry: I like this ball.Oliver: Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see.Harry: What do I do with it?Oliver: You catch it...before the other team's seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this,

Potter, and we win.{The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Harry keeps an eye on it.}Harry: Whoa.Scene: PROFESSOR FLITWICK's class. The teacher is very short, and is standing on a bunch of books.Flitwick: One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers? {Hermione raises hers.} Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone. {All} The swish and flick. Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then.Draco: Wingardium Levio-saaa.{All practice.}Ron: Wingardrium Leviosar. {whacks with wand numerous times.}Hermione: Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, youre saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar.Ron: You do it then if you're so clever. Go on, go on.Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.Hermione: {crisply} Wingardium Leviosa. {The feather glows and lifts up. Ron puts his head on his books dejectedly.}Flitwick: Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!Seamus begins swishing at his feather.Seamus: Wingard Levosa. Wingard Levosa. {Flitwick to Hermione: Well done, dear.}BOOOM!!! Seamus' feather explodes. Flitwick gasps.Flitwick: Whooaaa! Ooh.Harry: I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor.Scene: Neville, Harry, Ron and Seamus are walking through a courtyard with other students all around.Ron: It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!Hermione bustles past, sniffling.Harry: I think she heard you.Scene: Night, in the great hall. It is Halloween. Everyone is eating candy, and Jack O'Lanterns are keeping the place lit. There is chatter.Harry: Where's Hermione?Neville: Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon...crying.{Ron and Harry exchange glances. Suddenly, Professor Quirrell comes flying into the room, screaming.}Quirrell: TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!! {stops and there is utter silence.} Thought you ought to know. {falls over in a dead faint.}The room is silent, and then everyone freaks, screaming and running.Dumbledore: SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE! {Everyone stops.} Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons.Girl: Hufflepuff, this way!Boy: Stay together!Snape looks aghast, and he disappears through a doorway.Scene: Percy is leading the house down a hall.Percy: Gryffindors...keep up please. And stay alert!Harry: How could a troll get in?Ron: Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes. {Suddenly, Harry stops and pulls Ron aside.} What?Harry: Hermione! She doesn't know!The two run off, down corridors. They start running down a hall when they stop, because there is a grunting noise. Harry pulls Ron into a doorway and a large, ugly TROLL thunks by into a room.Harry: He's going into the Girl's Bathroom!Scene: In the bathroom, Hermione emerges from a stall, wiping her eyes. She stops when she sees something. The troll is standing there. Hermione backs up, into the stall just as the troll raises its club and smashes the top part of the stalls. Hermione screams. Harry and Ron come bursting in.Harry: Hermione, move!The troll smashes the remaining stalls.Hermione: Help! Help! {The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll.}Ron: Hey, pea brain! {Ron throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and goes to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Hermione. Harry cringes.}Hermione: Ahhh! Help!Harry gets out his wand. He runs forward and grabs the troll's club, and is lifted up.Harry: Whooa! Whoa, whoa! {He lands on the troll's head, and is hurled forward, then back, and his wand goes up the troll's nose.}Ron: Ew.The troll snorts, and whips around.Harry: Whoa, whoa whoa!The troll gets Harry off its head and is holding him by one leg, upside

down. It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down. The troll swipes again.Harry: Do something! {swipe}Ron: What? {swipe}Harry: Anything! Hurry up!Ron grabs his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waves her hand.Hermione: Swish and flick!Ron: Wingardium Leviosa! {flick. The club is lifted out of the troll's hand and hovers above its head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down. (Ron: Cool.) It hits the troll's head and the troll wavers, then drops Harry, who crawls away, and comes crashing down, hard.Hermione approaches carefully.Hermione: Is it...dead?Harry: I don't think so. Just knocked out. {He grabs his wand...which is covered in goo.} Ew. Troll bogies.Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell come rushing in.They all gasp.McGonagall: Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, both of you!Ron and Harry: Well, what it is...Hermione: It's my fault, Professor McGonagall. {The teachers, and Ron and Harry, gape}McGonagall: Ms. Granger?Hermione: I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead.McGonagall: Be that as it may...it was an extremely foolish thing to do. {Harry looks at Snape's leg...which has a large cut on it. Snape notices and covers it up, glaring at Harry.} I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part, Ms. Granger. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. As for you two gentlemen I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points...will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck. {Snape and McGonagall exit.}Quirrell: Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh. {Exit Ron and Harry and Hermione.} {Troll roars.} Ahh! Hehe....Scene: The next morning, in the great hall. The gang is sitting, eating. Harry is twirling his food on a fork.Ron: Take a bit of toast, mate, go on.Hermione: Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today.Harry: I'm not hungry.Snape appears.Snape: Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you...even if it is against Slytherin. {Leaves, limping.}Harry: That explains the blood.Hermione: Blood?Harry: Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping.Hermione: But why would anyone go near that dog?Harry: The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret.Hermione: So you're saying...Harry: That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants.{An owl screeches. It is Hedwig. She is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off.}Hermione: Bit early for mail, isn't it?Harry: But I-I never get mail.Ron: Let's open it.{They open it.}Harry: It's a broomstick! Ron: Thats not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!Harry: But who...?{He sees Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.}Scene: Inside a Quidditch tower. The Gryffindor team is marching towards the starting gate. They reach it and stop, behind a closed double door.OIiver: Scared, Harry?Harry: A little bit.Oliver: That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game.Harry: What happened? Oliver: Er, I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head 2 minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later.Harry gulps and looks straight ahead as the doors open. They mount their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. The commentator, LEE JORDAN, is talking from a tower.Lee: Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!!!{Cheering. Close-up of Gryffindor students. They are cheering. Neville: Gryffindor!}The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest

amongst. He looks down.Lee: The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game.Hooch: Now, I want a nice clean game...from all of you. {looks at Slytherin. She kicks the trunk, and the bludgers zoom out.}Lee: The bludgers are up...followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game.The snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle.Lee: The Quaffle is released...and the game begins!Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and a chaser, ANGELINA JOHNSON, zooms past Slytherins towards their goal, and throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.Lee: Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor! {He presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindors name.}Harry, in the air, claps.Harry: Yes! {a bludger zooms by him.} Whoa!In the stands, Gryffindor cheers.Hagrid: Well done!Lee: Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint.Flint dodges people and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Flint, who glares. Johnson and KATIE BELL pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Johnson takes it, throws, and once again scores!Ron and Seamus: Yay!Harry: Yes!Lee: Another 10 points to Gryffindor! {ding.}Gryffindors: Yay!The Slytherins decide to get messy. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Oliver blocks.Flint: Give me that! {he grabs a beaters bat from one and whacks a bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver in the stomach and he falls to the ground.}Crowd: {Booing}Harry is visibly upset.Slytherin laughs.The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over George (or Fred) and scores. Harry is upset again. Slytherin cheers.Flint: {to other members} Take that side!They box Johnson in and sent her into the capes covering one of the towers. She falls down in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again. Suddenly, Harry sees the Snitch. He starts to head off after it and then his broom starts bucking and turning.Harry: Whoa! Whooa!Hagrid: What's going on with Harry's broomstick?Hermione looks through binoculars at Harry, then at Snape, who is muttering something.Hermione: It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!Ron: Jinxing the broom? What do we do?Hermione: Leave it to me. {She hands Ron her binoculars and leaves.}Harry is knocked around, then falls, dangling by one arm from the broom.Ron: Come on, Hermione!Hermione is hurrying up a tower. She appears underneath Snape and touches his cloak with her wand.Hermione: Lacarnum Inflamarae.A spark ignites and Snape's cloak catches fire. Hermione leaves.Man: Fire! You're on fire!Snape: What? Oh! {knocks the man back, who falls into Quirrell, who then also falls. Snape bats out the fire and acts as though nothing happened. The broom stop bucking, and Harry climbs back on. The Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. Harry takes off.}Ron: Go!Hagrid: Go go go!Harry rams the Slytherin Seeker, then is butted out. He returns, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. The boys follow, but they approach the ground quickly. The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and Harry pulls up his broom as he follows the Snitch, feet above the ground. Harry stands up, and steps forward, trying to grab the ball. He goes too far, and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling on the ground. He gets up and lurches.The crowd gasps. Hermione appears beside a tower to see.Hagrid: Looks like he's gonna be sick!Harry lurches and the Snitch pops out of his mouth. It lands in his hands.Lee: He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!Hooch: {Blows whistle} Gryffindor win!All: YAY!Draco: No!Hagrid: Yes!Hermione: Whoo-hoo!McGonagall: {Giggles happily}Harry raises the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and his team, cheers.Crowd: Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor!

Scene:

Harry, Hermione and Ron are walking along a path with Hagrid, talking.

Hagrid: Nonsense. Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?

Harry: Who knows. Why was he trying to get past that 3 headed dog on Halloween?

Hagrid: Who told you 'bout Fluffy?

Ron: Fluffy? Hermione: That thing has a name?

Hagrid: Well, of course he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the

Harry: Yes?

Hagrid: Shouldn'ta said that. Don't ask any more questions. That's top secret, that is.

Harry: But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it!

Hagrid: Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher.

Hermione: Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Snape wasn't blinking.

Harry: Exactly.

Hagrid: {sighs} Now, you listen to me, all three of you. You're meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.

Harry: Nicholas Flamel?

Hagrid: I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that. I should not have said that. {Exit.}

Harry: Nicholas Flamel...Who's Nicholas Flamel?

Hermione: I don't know.

Scene: Christmas. The camera pans up to a snowy castle, then to Hagrid, who is bringing in a large tree. Inside the great hall, students are leaving and ghosts are singing (Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas...) Hermione approaches the empty tables, wheeling a cart. She goes to Ron and Harry, who are playing chess.

Harry: Knight to E-5.

A piece moves across the board.

Ron thinks for a moment.

Ron: Queen to E-5.

A queen walks over to E-5 and clinks the knight away.

Hermione: That's totally barbaric!

Ron: That's wizard's chess. I see you've packed.

Hermione: See you haven't.

Ron: Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there!

Hermione: Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel.

Ron: We've looked a hundred times!

Hermione: Not in the restricted section...Happy Christmas. {exits.}

Ron: I think we've had a bad influence on her.

Scene:

X-mas morning. Hedwig is perched in the boys' room, and Harry is asleep in bed.

Ron: {calling from downstairs} Harry, wake up! Come on Harry, wake up!

Harry gets up and runs to a balcony overlooking the common room, where Ron is standing next to a tree. He is wearing a sweater with an R on it.

Ron: Happy Christmas, Harry.

Harry: Happy Christmas, Ron. What are you wearing?

Ron: Oh, Mum made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!

Harry: I've got presents?

Ron: Yeah!

Harry: Oh! {Harry runs down the stairs.}

Ron: There they are. {Ron sits on a couch arm and eats jelly beans as Harry picks up a silver wrapped package. Harry takes out the card.}

Harry: "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."

Harry opens the present. It is a cloak.

Ron: What is it?

Harry: Some kind of...cloak.

Ron: Well, let's see then. Put it on.

Harry puts the cloak on, and all of him disappears except for his head.

Ron: Whoa!

Harry: My body's gone!

Ron: I know what that is! That's an invisibility cloak!

Harry: I'm invisible??

Ron: {gets up} They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you.

Harry: {comes over} There was no name. It just said, "Use it well."

Scene:

Late at night. A lantern and hand appear, but nothing else. The ensemble walk through the dark library and into the Restricted Section. The lamp is put down, and the cloak removed. Harry appears.

Harry: {Reading books} Famous fire eaters...15th Century Fiends...Flamel...Nicholas Flamel...where are you?

Harry picks up a book and opens it. A man's face appears.

Man: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Harry slams the book shuts and puts it back.

Filchs voice: Who's there?! {Harry whips around, grabbing his cloak. The lamp falls and shatters.} I know you're in there. You can't hide. {Harry puts on his cloak and creeps around Filch.} Who is it? Show yourself!

Harry runs from the room, breathing heavily. He gets into the hall, where Mrs. Norris is. The cat meows and begins to follow him. Harry runs around a corner, just as Snape and Quirrell appear. Snape pushes Quirrell into the wall.

Quirrell: Severus...I-I thought...

Snape: You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell.

Quirrell: W-what do you m-mean?

Snape: You know perfectly well what I mean. {Snape senses something. Harry stops breathing. Snape reaches out to grab something, but doesn't. He whips his finger back in front of Quirrell's face.} We'll have another chat soon...when you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie.

Filch appears, carrying the broken lamp.

Filch: Oh, Professors. I found this, in the Restricted Section. It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed.

They all dart off. A door opens, and closes. On the other side, there is a vast, empty room that has a large mirror in the center. Harry appears and walks over to the mirror. In it, he sees two people appear.

Harry: Mum? {the woman nods and smiles} Dad? {nods and smiles. Harry reaches out to touch them, but only gets the mirror. Then, his mother puts her hand on his shoulder. He puts his own hand on his own shoulders, as if trying to feel her there.

Scene:

The boys' room. Harry comes whipping in, invisible.

Harry: Ron! You've really got to see this! Ron! You've got to see this! {pulls back covers. Ron wakes up.} Ron, Ron, come on. Get out of bed!

Ron: Why?

Harry: There's something you've got to see. Now, come on!

Scene:

Back in the mirror room. Harry and Ron appear as if magically and Harry runs to the mirror.

Harry: Come on. Come. Come look, it's my parents!

Ron: I only see me.

Harry: {moves over} Look in properly. Go on. Stand there. There. You see them, don't you? Thats my dad

Ron: That's me! Only, I'm head boy...and I'm holding the Quidditch cup! And bloody hell, I'm Quidditch Captain too! I look good. Harry, do you think this mirror shows the future?

Harry: How can it? Both my parents are dead. {Harry smiles sadly.}

Scene:

Another night. Harry is sitting in front of the mirror. Dumbledore appears behind him.

Dumbledore: Back again, Harry? {Harry turns around and stands up.} I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does. Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly as he is.

Harry: So, then it shows us what we want? Whatever we want?

Dumbledore: Yes...and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. Now you, who have never known your family, you see them standing beside you. But remember this, Harry. This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live. {Harry looks back at the mirror.}

Scene:

Daytime. It is all snowy. Harry is out in a main courtyard, bundled up, with Hedwig on his arm. He stops and she lifts off, soaring away into the sky. When she returns, it is spring time.

Scene:

In the library. Harry and Ron are seated, reading. Hermione comes up with a huge book. She thumps it onto the table. Harry jumps.

Hermione: I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid? I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading.

Ron: This is light?

Hermione: {glares} Of course! Here it is! "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

Ron and Harry: The what?

Hermione: Honestly, don't you two read? "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."

Ron: Immortal?

Hermione: It means you'll never die.

Ron: I know what it means!

Harry: Shh!

Hermione: "The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday!" That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor...the Philosopher's Stone!

They all look at each other.

Scene:

Nighttime. Hermione, Ron and Harry are running across the wet ground to Hagrids hut. They knock on the door and it opens.

Harry: Hagrid!

Hagrid: {clad in oven mitts and an apron} Oh, hello. Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today. {Closes door.}

All 3: We know about the Philosopher's Stone!

{Door reopens.}

Hagrid: Oh.

{They all come into Hagrid's small hut.}

Harry: We think Snape's trying to steal it.

Hagrid: Snape? Blimey, Harry, you're not still on about him, are you?

Harry: Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why.

Hagrid: Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone! He's not about to steal it!

Harry: What?

Hagrid: You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today.

Harry: Wait a minute. {Ron and a big black boarhound, FANG, meet. Fang sniffs Ron.} One of the teachers? Hermione: {sitting in a large chair} Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments.

Hagrid: That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me.

{Hermione looks at Ron, who is being sniffed in the face by Fang. Ron shuffles away.} Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe, not a soul knows how. Except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I shouldn't have told you that. {A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.} Oh! {Hagrid hurries over and grabs something} Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! {puts the thing, an egg, on the table. The group crowds around.}

Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?

Hagrid: That? It's a ... its um...

Ron: I know what that is! But Hagrid, how did you get one?

Hagrid: I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid off it, as a matter of fact.

The egg rattles and cracks. Pieces fly off as a dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.

Hermione: Is that...a dragon?

Ron: That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania.

Hagrid: Isn't he beautiful? Oh. Bless him, look. He knows his mummy. Hehe. Hallo, Norbert. {The dragon squeaks as it looks at Hagrid.}

Harry: Norbert?

Hagrid: Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?

Ron: {laughs}

Hagrid: Don't you, Norbert? {raises fingers back and forth across Norberts chin} Dededede.

Norbert backs away, hiccups and blows a fireball of fire into Hagrid's beard.

Hagrid: Ohh! Oooh, ooh, ooh, well...he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course. {Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window.} Who's that? {The person scampers away.}

Harry: Malfoy.

Hagrid: Oh, dear.

Scene:

The three are walking back through a corridor. An owl screeches.

Harry: Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I met him.

Ron: It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows.

Harry: I don't understand. Is that bad?

Ron: It's bad.

They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears.

McGonagall: Good evening.

Malfoy appears smugly beside her.

Scene:

McGonagall's classroom. The three accused are standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while Malfoy is feet away, smirking.

McGonagall: Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken.

Harry: 50?!

McGonagall: Each. And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention.

Malfoy nods, then his smile vanishes.

Draco: Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said..."the four of us."

McGonagall: No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates.

Harry, Ron and Hermione grin, and Draco sags.

Scene:

Outside, at night, the four students are being led to Hagrid's hut by Mr. Filch.

Filch: A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming. {Draco gulps, and Hermione rushes by.} You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest. {Hagrid appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.} A sorry lot this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?

Hagrid: {sniffs and sighs} Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.

Hermione: Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind.

Hagrid: Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? {Filch rolls eyes.} What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all.

Filch: Oh, for Gods sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you.

Draco: The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are...{a howl sounds}...werewolves!

Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. {Draco looks frightened.} Nighty-night. {Exit.}

Hagrid: Right. Let's go.

Scene: In the forest. The group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.

Harry: Hagrid, what's that?

Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something. {Harry suddenly sees a large cloaked figure walking through the trees. He looks at Hagrid.} So, it's our job to find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.

Ron: {weakly} Okay.

Hagrid: And Harry, you'll go with Malfoy. {Draco grimaces, and Harry nods.}

Draco: Okay. Then I get Fang!

Hagrid: Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward. {Fang whines.}

Scene:

Harry and Draco are walking through the forest, Fang leading. Draco has the lamp.

Draco: You wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff.

Harry: If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared.

Draco: Scared, Potter?! {Scoffs} {howl} Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared.

Scene:

The group approaches a flat ground with gnarled roots all over. Fang stops, then growls.

Harry: What is it, Fang?

Up ahead, a cloaked figure is crouched over a dead unicorn, drinking its blood. The figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth.

Harry gasps and grabs his scar, which is hurting.

Draco: {A look of pure fear} AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHH! {runs away, with Fang} HELP!!!!!

Harry is left by himself. The figure slides over the unicorn and rises erect. It advances towards Harry, who backs up, but trips. He crawls backwards. Suddenly, there is the sound of hoofbeats. A figure leaps over Harry and lands near the cloaked figure. It is a silver centaur, FIRENZE. It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.

Firenze: Harry Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you.

Harry: {rises} But what was that thing you saved me from?

Firenze: A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life.

Harry: But who would choose such a life?

Firenze: Can you think of no one?

Harry: Do you mean to say...that that thing that killed the unicorn...that was drinking its blood...that was Voldemort?

Firenze: Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?

Harry: The Philosopher's Stone.

Suddenly, a dog (Fang) barks. Harry looks up and sees Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Draco appear.

Hermione: Harry!

Hagrid: Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You all right there, Harry? {Harry nods}

Firenze: Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck.

{Close up on the dead unicorn.}

Scene:Gryffindor common room. Right after 'attack.' The group is around the fire. Hermione and Ron are seated, but Harry stands.Hermione: You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?Harry: But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants the stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll He'll come back. {Sits down.}Ron: But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?Harry: I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight.Ron: {Gulp} And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final!Hermione: Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?{The boys shrug.} Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched. {Harry smiles slightly.}Scene:Some time later. In the outdoor courtyard. The three are walking.Hermione: I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable.Ron: Speak for yourself. All right there, Harry?Harry: My scar. It keeps burning.Hermione: It's happened before.Harry: Not like this.Ron: Perhaps you should see the nurse.Harry: I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming. Uhh! {He rubs scar and then sees Hagrid across the field, at his hut.} Oh. Of course! {runs for hut.}Hermione: What is it?Harry: Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one? {They approach Hagrid, who is playing the Harry Potter theme on his flute.} I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? {Hagrid stops playing.} What did he look like?Hagrid: I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up.Harry: The stranger, though, you and he must have talked.Hagrid: Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, "After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem."Harry: And did he seem interested in Fluffy?Hagrid: Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said, "The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep."The three gape.Hagrid: I shouldn't have told you that. {The three take off.} Where you going?! Wait!Scene:McGonagall's classroom. The three come tearing in and run up the aisles between desks. They pass a ghost and stop at the desk.Harry: We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!McGonagall: I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London.Harry: He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Philosopher's Stone.McGonagall: {shocked} How do you knowHarry: Someone's going to try and steal it.McGonagall: I don't know how you three found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly. {They leave.}Scene:After exiting McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.Harry: That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy.Hermione: And with Dumbledore gone{Snape suddenly appears behind them}Snape: Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?Hermione: Uh...we were just...Snape: You want to be careful. People will think you're {Harry glares madly at Snape, who looks shocked} up to something. {Exit.}Hermione: Now what do we do?Harry: We go down the trapdoor. Tonight.Scene: Nighttime. In the Gryffindor Common Room. The three friends come down the stairs and begin to walk across the floor. They stop when they hear croaking.Harry: Trevor.Ron: Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!Neville: {appears behind a chair} Neither should

you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?Harry: Now, Neville, listen. We wereNeville: No! I won't let you! {stands} You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you. {holds out fists.}Hermione: Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this...{takes out wand} Petrificus Totalus.Neville is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground. Hermione puts her wand back.Ron: {Gulp} You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant, but scary.Harry: Let's go. {Walks by Neville} Sorry.Hermione: Sorry.Ron: It's for your own good, you know. {Exit.}Scene: The three are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.Hermione: Ow! You stood on my foot!Ron: Sorry. {A flame lights. Hermione draws out her wand and points it at the door.}Hermione: Alohomora.The door opens and they go in.Ron: Wait a minute...he's....{a blow of air, and the cape flutters off them.} Sleeping.Harry: Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp. {They approach the sleeping dog.}Ron: Uh. It's got horrible breath!Harry: We have to move its paw.Ron: What?!Harry: Come on! {grabs paw, which is blocking the door.} Okay. Push! {They strain and move it. They open the door.} I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. {Fluffy's eyes open.} If something bad happens, get yourselves out...Does it seem a bit...quiet?Hermione: The harp. It stopped playing.Drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.Ron: Ew! Yuck! Ugh. {All three kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. It breaks the harp and dives at the three.}Harry: Jump! Go! {They all jump through the trapdoor.}Ron: Ahh! {gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines.} Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really.Harry: Whoa! {The plant begins to move towards them.} Oh. Ahh! {The plant ties them up.}Hermione: Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster.Ron: Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below.Ron and Harry: Hermione!!Ron: Now what are we gonna do?!Hermione's voice: Just relax!Harry: Hermione! Where are you?!Hermione (from below): Do what I say. Trust me.Harry relaxes and is sucked through.Ron: Ahh! Harry!Harry falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione goes over to him and he stands up.Ron: Harry!Hermione: Are you okay?Harry: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.Ron: Help!Hermione: He's not relaxing, is he?Harry: Apparently not.Ron: Help! Help me!Hermione: We've got to do something!Harry: What?Hermione: Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology. {Ron: Help!} Um Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, {The snare shuts Ron's mouth} it's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight! {takes out wand and points upwards.} Lumus Solem! {A beam of light shoots out. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls below.}Ron: Ahhh!Harry: Ron, are you okay?Ron: Yeah.Harry: Okay.Ron: {stands} Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!Harry: Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology.There is a sound.Hermione: What is that?Harry: I don't know. Sounds like wings.They enter into a room filled with golden "birds."Hermione: Curious. I've never seen birds like these.Harry: They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door. {They come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.}Hermione: What's this all about?Harry: I don't know. Strange.{Ron creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.}Ron: {rattles lock.} Alohomora! {Shrugs} Well, it was worth a try.Hermione: Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be 1000 keys up there!Ron: We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle.Harry: There! I see it! {points} The one with the broken wing! {He looks at the broom.}Hermione: What's wrong, Harry?Harry: It's too simple.Ron: Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!Harry nods and grabs the broom. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Harry. He climbs on, swiping at them.Ron: This complicates things a

bit!Harry pushes off into the air. He flies off, after the key. The others follow him. Harry grabs the key.Harry: Catch the key!He zooms by and throws the key to Hermione, who catches it and heads for the lock while Harry distracts the other keys. Hermione puts it in the lock.Ron: Hurry up!The door opens, and Hermione and Ron rush through, followed by Harry. They shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.Scene:They enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.Hermione: I don't like this. I don't like this at all.Harry: Where are we? A graveyard.Ron: This is no graveyard. {sighs} It's a chessboard. {Walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and GIANT players. Harry and Hermione come up with him.}Harry: There's the door.They walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as they reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.Hermione: Now what do we do?Ron: It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight. {They all take their places.}Hermione: What happens now?Ron: {aboard a horse.} Well, white moves first, and then...we play. {A pawn on the other side moves forward. Ron studies the game.}Hermione: Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?Ron: You there! D-5! {A black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump.} Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!The game continues. Pieces smash each other, boom! Boom!Ron: Castle to E-4! Smash! Ron: Pawn to C-3! Smash! Boom! The Queen turns, and smashes a piece! Harry, Ron and Hermione wince. The Queen turns again. Both Ron and Harry study the game.Harry: Wait a minute.Ron: You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King.Harry: No, Ron! No!Hermione: What is it?Harry: He's going to sacrifice himself!Hermione: No, Ron, you can't! {Ron closes his eyes.} There must be another way!Ron: {turns to face Hermione.} Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you. {Harry nods.} Knight...to H-3.Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops.Ron: Check.The Queen turns and advances. Ron breathes faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stops. SMASH! Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.Ron: Ahhhh!Harry: RON! {Hermione starts walking to him.} NO! Don't move! Dont forget, we're still playing. {Hermione moves back. Harry walks the diagonal in front of the King.} Checkmate. {The Kings sword falls onto the ground victory. Harry breathes out and then the two run to Ron. They bend beside him.} Take care of Ron. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right...I have to go on.Hermione: You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard, you really are.Harry: Not as good as you.Hermione: {smile} Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Harry, just be careful.Harry nods and stands, walking away.

Scene:Harry walks down a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it. It is Quirrell. Harry yelps and grabs his scar.Harry: You? {Quirrell turns around.} No. It can't be...Snape. He was the oneQuirrell: Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"Harry: B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me.Quirrell: No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse.Harry: Snape was trying to...save me?Quirrell: I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween.Harry: Th-then you let the troll in.Quirrell: Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone. {Quirrell turns back to the mirror and Harry's scar hurts.} But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?{A raspy voice, VOLDEMORT, calls.}: Use the boy.Quirrell: Come here, Potter, now!Harry walks forward shakily.Quirrell: Tell me. What do you see?Harry looks in the mirror. He sees himself. His mirror self brings his hand into his pocket and takes out a red stone! The mirror self winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, Harry reaches to his pocket. There is a lump. He gasps.Quirrell: What is it?! What do you see?!Harry: I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup.Voldemort's voice: He lies.Quirrell: Tell the truth! What do you see?!Voldemort's voice: Let me speak to him.Quirrell: Master, you are not strong enough.Voldemort's voice: I have strength enough for this. {Quirrell unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. It is Voldemort who appears kind of like a snake. He stretches out and faces Harry via the mirror.} Harry Potter. We meet again.Harry: Voldemort.Voldemort: Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!Harry turns and runs.Voldemort: Stop him! {Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. Harry is stuck.} Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!Harry: {shakes his head} Never!Voldemort: Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back. {In the mirror, Harrys parents faces appear.} All I ask for is something in return. {Harry takes the stone from his pocket.} That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone! {Mother and father vanish.}Harry: You liar!Voldemort: Kill him!Quirrell soars into the air and smashes into Harry, one hand on Harrys throat. They fall to the steps. The stone falls out of Harry's reach as Quirrell chokes him. Harry strains and squeaks. Suddenly, Harry puts his hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke furls from under his hand.Quirrell: Ahh! Ahh! {backs up. His hand is crumbling into a mountain of black ash.} What is this magic? {hand dissipates.}Voldemort: Fool! Get the stone!Quirrell: {Walks forward, but Harry puts both hands on his face.} Ahhhhhhhhhh!Quirrell backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward. His whole body is ash. He falls to the floor. Harry gasps. He looks at his own hands and hurries over to the stone. He picks it up and sighs, when he hears something. Turning, Harry sees a dust clouds with Voldemort's face. The cloud rushes forward, right through

Harry!Voldemort: Arrrhhhhhh!Harry: Ahhhhhhhhh! {Voldemort flies away. Harry falls to the ground, unconscious. He holds the stone in an outstretched hand.}Scene:The hospital wing. Harry is bandaged, lying in bed. He awakens, puts on his glasses, and sits up. There are cards and candy all over. Dumbledore approaches him.Dumbledore: Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?Harry: Admirers?Dumbledore: What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. {Both smile.} Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs.Harry: Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione? Dumbledore: Fine. They're both just fine.Harry: But, what happened to the Stone?Dumbledore: Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around.Harry: But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?Dumbledore: {sits on the bed.} He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die.Harry: How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next...Dumbledore: Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me thats saying something. {Smile both.}Harry: Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?Dumbledore: Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? {Harry shakes his head.} It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark. {Harry touches his scar.} No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin.Harry: What is it?Dumbledore: Love, Harry, love. {Pats Harry's head and stands up.} Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee...{takes brown bean and eats it.} Mm. Alas. Earwax.Scene:Harry approaches a room where up on a stairwell balcony Hermione and Ron are talking. They stop when they see Harry and lean over the railing.Harry: All right there, Ron?Ron: All right? You?Harry: {shrug} All right. Hermione?Hermione: {smile} Never better.Scene:In the great hall. All students are seated, and green banners with snakes on them are around the ceiling.Dumbledore, at the head table, nods to McGonagall.She dings her glass and the chatter stops. Dumbledore rises.Dumbledore: Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. {Clapping. Harry and Hermione hide their heads.} Third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. {Clapping.} In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. {Clapping.} And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House.There is immense cheering.Students: Whoo! Yeah!Draco: Nice one, Mate! {sees Ron looking at him and sneers.}Dumbledore: Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last minute points to award. {The Gryffindor students look up.} To Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 50 points. {Applause.}Harry: {Pats} Good job.Dumbledore: Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess {Ron looks at Harry and mouths, 'Me?' Harry nods, and mouths, 'You!'} that Hogwarts has seen these many years...50 points. {Applause} And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points. {Immense cheering.}Hermione: We're tied with Slytherin!Dumbledore: And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom.Immense cheering erupts. Neville is unbelieving, and sits there while cheering

gets louder. Draco is downfallen.Dumbledore: Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of direction is in order. {Claps. The green banners change to Gryffindor red and yellow.} Gryffindor wins the House Cup!Cheering.Hagrid: Yes! {grins}All students stand and throw their hats into the air, except Draco, who smashes his down onto the table.Seamus: Neville! {Shakes his hand.}All rub each other's hair and jump around, cheering and laughing.Lee: Yeah! We won!! {Jumps with Harry, who looks back and grins very widely.}Scene:The outdoor train station. Students are walking around, getting in the train.Hagrid: Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on. Go on. Come on. Hurry up.Harry hands Hedwig to a train man, and walks to an open door of the train with Hermione. Hermione waves to Hagrid, who waves back. Hermione gets in the train.Hermione: Come on, Harry.Harry: One minute. {He walks over to Hagrid.}Hagrid: Thought you were leaving without saying good-bye, didja? {Hagrid takes a red album out of his coat pocket and hands it to Harry.} This is for you.Harry opens the album and sees a picture, moving, of him as a baby with his parents. They are all smiling and waving. Harry smiles.Harry: Thanks, Hagrid. {Shakes Hagrid's hand, then hugs him tightly.}Hagrid: Oh. Go on...on with you. {Harry lets go.} Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of his.Harry: But Hagrid, we're not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts. You know that.Hagrid: I do. But your cousin don't, do he? Eh? {chuckle} Off you go.Harry walks away, back to the train door where Hermione and Ron are waiting.Hermione: Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?Harry: I'm not going home. Not really.The train whistles and they climb aboard. As the train starts to leave and the camera pans up over the whole scene, Harry waves out the window to Hagrid, who waves back and then waves more to other students as the camera pans far back, then the credits begin.

omg. everyone is going to hate me for flooding the dash. i KNOW i’m gonna lose a follower from this. but yknow what? harry potter is love and harry potter is life.

[punkscowardschampions]

Jac & Amelia

Jac: So, you got your room 🙌 What other wins did freshers bring you? 😄 Amelia: Yeah, thank god Amelia: it's been full on enough without adding travel sickness Jac: Never going to fly when class starts either Jac: it's just slightly more inventive than coming down with the 'flu' every Monday morning, but not enough Amelia: bit intense to start crashing on my new friends floors too, I don't want to be THAT gay Jac: 😂 Jac: I doubt they'd mind Jac: but having a base that isn't totally covered in crochet decor is a plus Amelia: now that freshers is over and they're going to 🤞 they never see those hook ups again maybe Amelia: still, not the first impression I'm trying to make Jac: Oh God, tell me about it Jac: I am not trying to have people I've got to avoid for the next 7 odd years Jac: not trying to make it like home like that Amelia: very relatable Amelia: even though I have no need to count that high Jac: Is your course 3? or 4? Amelia: depends if I want to go to Canada, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA or the UK for a year Jac: Oh wow Jac: 🦪 Amelia: that emoji is the gayest Amelia: so yeah probably Jac: Very O'Keefe of you Jac: can't give up the 🎨 quite yet? Amelia: 😂 Jac: I've met THE perfect girl for you, oh my GOD Amelia: because I'm going to travel to Edinburgh for 🦪 after dodging a 3 hour commute Jac: She's American, you could convince her Cork has a lot to offer beside 🦪 Jac: but actually, she is UNBEARABLE, and I'm trying very hard to be nice and give everyone a chance rn Jac: she does Art History, despite the fact she seems to know less about art than I do Jac: doesn't stop her 🔊 Amelia: 💔 you put your mean girl years behind you too soon, I'm SO proud though Amelia: and I'm sure Savannah appreciates it just as much Jac: 😏 I can feel the sincerity Jac: I know though, talk about completely crazy Amelia: if you want sincerity I can totally believe she'd follow you there as if nothing happened Amelia: are you okay? Jac: I think the prestige probably beat the off-chance I'd also be there but I appreciate the belief Jac: Yeah, actually, I am Jac: it went well, better than I could've or would've imagined before Amelia: alright, that's a relief Amelia: not that it's been playing on my mind or anything since the ✨ livened up my feed Jac: I would've got in touch sooner Jac: It did cross my mind, that you'd see Jac: I also didn't wanna encroach on your freshers' experience at all, that idea won out Jac: It must've been a shock for you and all Amelia: I get it, because likewise obviously Amelia: plus you seemed like you were coping, and it's not the same as before, you have people to go to now if you aren't so Amelia: I don't know, it seemed too dramatic to come at you all !!!!!! Amelia: which is why I didn't Jac: I wouldn't have bitten your head off Jac: but I see and appreciate that logic Jac: not to mention previous experience would say I actually would so Jac: She's changed a lot too, in those 2 years Amelia: good Jac: Yeah, turns out she had a pretty rough time of it too Jac: which, obviously, but I wasn't really in a space to think too much about that back then Amelia: was likely to be more 🥀 than 🌹 living with her dad, and everything that happened with her mum Amelia: I'm not surprised even if I couldn't be very sympathetic then Jac: I can't believe I was zoned out Jac: I didn't even know about her mum Amelia: you had loads of your own shit going on, it'd be more unbelievable if you were tuned into hers Amelia: I didn't know how bad it was, or didn't want to hear it, whichever Jac: Jess made it sound like the world and his wife knew Jac: I feel awful Jac: but her mum is doing better now, and they're trying to mend their relationship, so, that's positive Amelia: it always feels like that in my 🏠 but I would've told you if I'd realised Jac: It isn't your fault remotely Jac: like you said, sympathy about it wasn't at the forefront of your mind Jac: and you can't be blamed there Amelia: I'm genuinely glad things are getting better, the last thing she needs is to feel like shit for leaving her mum again if they aren't Jac: I know you are, you aren't a monster Jac: even if you and Savannah had your differences, and the obvious situation from there 'til now Amelia: that's enough sincerity though, the last thing I need is Savannah Moore trying to be my friend again Amelia: you can keep her Jac: 😂 Alright Jac: about that though Jac: things have changed, between us too Amelia: okay Amelia: what does that mean? Jac: Well, I told her, this time Jac: that I'm not straight Jac: and neither is she Amelia: she really has fucking changed Jac: She hasn't also come out, there's no label on it or anything Jac: but she likes me back Jac: you deserve to know, and would, regardless of where we were in our relationship Jac: I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear though Amelia: thanks, I guess Amelia: for not waiting for the 💍 announcement Jac: Things haven't moved quite that fast Jac: although, yeah Jac: I know Amelia: It's still Savannah, I doubt she's had a TOTAL personality transplant Amelia: you probably wouldn't like her if she had Amelia: so I'll keep an eye out for that post and put my congrats on it Jac: No, she's still her Jac: and I doubt her plans include a 💍 that could be bought on a student budget Amelia: true Amelia: I'll send some 💐 she'd NEVER put in the 🗑 Amelia: just the 💌 I'll actually bother to write, you know, like a normal person Jac: There goes the mystery Amelia: because of course you wouldn't recognise my handwriting Jac: I've checked your homework over enough times Jac: I doubt anyone else is rushing to send us a bouquet so Jac: process of elimination Amelia: there you go then Jac: but I have told my brother and that Jac: on the off-chance you catch him and he's dying not to bring it up Amelia: bit rude of him not to try and gently break the news Jac: Assumedly either thinking I've imagined the whole thing all over, or it'll all fizzle out before there's any need to go there Amelia: or I'm thriving so hard there's no need to bring me down 1 week in Jac: Obviously that too Jac: but you know that wasn't my intention, yeah Amelia: it's obvious you're not thinking about me, don't worry Jac: Okay Jac: do you want me to leave you now? Amelia: Why would I want that? Jac: Plenty of valid reasons Jac: to process, to not, you just don't feel like talking to me at this precise moment Amelia: what's to process? the bit about her not queerbaiting you the entire time is new, the rest isn't Jac: That's not nothing Jac: it changes the whole thing Amelia: not for me Jac: Alright then Amelia: you were hung up on her every second, what's changed for you is that was a least a bit mutual Amelia: I don't need to process any of that, it doesn't involve me Jac: It's still new information, that's all Amelia: not really Amelia: I probably should have guessed anyway Jac: If I didn't, I don't see how you could've Jac: she didn't even then so Amelia: too late to become a 🔮💎💫 gay, I hear you Jac: 🕵 is definitely a better idea Amelia: maybe I'd just really love to be able to say 'it's just a phase, mum' about something Jac: You've had plenty Amelia: name one Jac: [that boy band I said they liked lol] Jac: for starters Amelia: that wasn't a phase that was me lying that I cared Jac: yeah, okay Jac: you knew all the lyrics 'cos you cover was so deep Jac: no need to lie, they had some tunes Amelia: I knew all the lyrics because there was about 5 lines repeated over and over Jac: uh-huh Jac: you had badges all over your school bag Amelia: because you've never fully committed to a lie, oh wait Jac: There's no need to be a bitch Amelia: 😂 Jac: No, I'm not super ready to laugh about that time in my life, as it goes Amelia: okay Jac: I'm going to leave you to it now Jac: Good luck with your first proper day, hope it all goes well Amelia: actually wait though Amelia: I didn't mean that Amelia: I'm sorry Jac: Alright Jac: I know you're upset, or pissed off Jac: but being a better person doesn't extend to being a punching bag for you to get that out Jac: you can feel it, obviously, but that's just unproductive for you, and not gonna happen from my end Amelia: I know Jac: and I know that's what I did to you Jac: so it probably seems fair, or justified at least, that you get to now Jac: but it wasn't right, and an eye for an eye, you know Amelia: no, it's not fair, I wasn't being, that's why I'm sorry Jac: You don't need to stoop to my lowest Amelia: I'm trying, okay Jac: Yeah Jac: and I accept your apology Amelia: thanks Jac: should I not have told you? Amelia: I think that'd be worse Jac: I thought the same Jac: unless you were going to block me on the sly, then you would have seen Amelia: maybe I should now, I don't know Jac: If you want to Jac: to take some time Jac: or more permanently Jac: it's up to you Jac: obviously my offer of being friends still stands but I understand Jac: as I said, this changes things Amelia: yeah, if we let it Jac: You can't help how this makes you feel Amelia: but why should I let her take everything again? Jac: Savannah isn't actively doing that Jac: but if you want to keep trying, so do I Amelia: we worked hard at getting here, me and you, that's not about her Jac: True Jac: You don't have to be friends with her now, that's not it Jac: just accept that she's my girlfriend, and a big part of my life Amelia: does she know? Jac: About what happened between us? Jac: No Jac: she doesn't know a huge amount about those two years, for me Jac: I plan to tell her everything Jac: but it's a lot to throw at her in a sitting, especially unasked, you know Amelia: it'd really fuck with her freshers, for sure Jac: Right Jac: all for having the hard but necessary conversations Jac: but there's a time and a place Jac: I don't want her to feel like I'm trying to make her feel bad for me, either Jac: like 'look what YOU did' because nah Amelia: too 🥀🥀🥀 Amelia: it can wait, neither of you are going anywhere Jac: That's my logic Amelia: she'll get why you waited Jac: I hope so Amelia: come on, it'll be harder for you to say than it'll be for her to hear, she's a LOT of things, but she won't want you to go through that before you're ready to Jac: You're right Jac: it just feels like secrets, and that feels like 10 steps back Jac: but it isn't that Amelia: I'm sure even she hasn't had time to tell you everything, she'd need to be chatting non stop Jac: True Jac: if you're ever done talking about yourself and your life, that's gotta be a sign you need to get out more, right Jac: there's always more to say Amelia: right Amelia: stop being so virgo-ish about it and give yourself a break Jac: 😂 okay Jac: I just need lectures to actually start Jac: so I can freak out on that instead Amelia: same Jac: are you more 😁 or 😱 Amelia: 😕 Amelia: over 😣 Jac: You'll be fine Jac: let me know how it goes though Jac: I'm interested Amelia: okay 🤓 Jac: Well there's a lot of overlap Jac: obviously, you can usually do them as a double discipline but I wanted to go pure Psych Jac: doesn't mean I'm not 🤔 Amelia: yeah Jac: 🤏🤓 fine Amelia: we're not strangers Jac: I remember Jac: so, what are your new mates like then? Amelia: great, obviously Jac: It's a good thing you aren't taking English Jac: that description leaves a lot to be desired Amelia: what do you want me to say? Jac: Isn't there anyone in particular? Amelia: there's a whole course full of people Jac: Yeah, I like one of my profs, he's really cool Jac: but I don't know anyone on my course that well yet either, they all seem nice enough though Amelia: of course you do Jac: it's so refreshing in comparison to the teachers at our school Jac: even if he acted like a base level human, it'd be a step up Jac: but he knows his stuff, and he's down to help me get ahead, what more could I want Amelia: literally nothing Jac: But I'm still not into dudes so I won't commit that cliche, don't worry Amelia: a real weight off my mind Jac: sure Amelia: 😏 Jac: I've already done loads of prep Jac: can basically chill in his class this whole term Amelia: you can but you won't Amelia: 🤓🏆⭐ Jac: we're not strangers Amelia: maybe we are 🤏 because reading's the only prep we were given but I've already done it Jac: Not really Jac: you just pretended you weren't 🤓 Amelia: no, I just actually wasn't 🤓 about school Jac: plenty of other things Jac: you can't hide the 🤓 Amelia: it's not 😳 I literally can Jac: not from me Amelia: that'd be 10 steps back Jac: try 10000 Amelia: no thank you, that sounds exhausting Jac: you've got a 🛏 Amelia: yeah, I don't know who's more thrilled, me or my dad Amelia: getting to pretend he's allergic to pets for another year at least Jac: result Jac: won't have to fake seduce him on your behalf either Jac: I'm most thrilled Amelia: Savannah is Amelia: undoubtedly Jac: Yeah, that ain't something I ever want to explain 😂 Amelia: she'd be less understanding about it Jac: None of us are understanding that Jac: sorry to your father Amelia: 😂 Jac: I think your mum would snap Jac: go full psycho Amelia: probably Amelia: they're very 😍🥰😘 right now Jac: that's nice Jac: bit gross but good Jac: she won't call you every 10 minutes Amelia: she can try but I won't answer Amelia: the friend I like best will be here soon Jac: Sounds promising Jac: I'll leave you to it for now, for real Jac: you better get ready Amelia: you're so Amelia: you Jac: what does that mean? Amelia: I don't need 👗👠💄 Jac: what's that, a humblebrag? Amelia: hardly Amelia: it's a compliment for you, you're cute for caring Jac: It's not cute, I just like to look nice Amelia: oh so you don't think I look nice? Amelia: rude Jac: everyone looks better for effort Jac: that's simple facts Amelia: anyway, I meant it's cute you care about my social life this much Jac: because I really need you being a loner to worry about Jac: no tah Jac: obviously I'm happy for you Amelia: you don't need to worry about me whatever happens Jac: It's not optional Amelia: okay Jac: I never stopped Amelia: you can stop now Jac: That's just what being friends is Amelia: I'm no expert Amelia: have to take your word for it, if anything Jac: I know you care about me too Amelia: but you're thriving so I don't have to worry Jac: I guess Jac: it's not just for the bad times though, is it Amelia: I hope not Jac: it's not Jac: come on Jac: pull yourself together and at least do 1 out of 3 👗👠💄 Amelia: fine, I'll put shoes on Jac: that's what I like to hear Amelia: 🙄 just because I'm ignoring my mum there's no need for you to take over from her Jac: I still can't do any handicrafts so unlikely Amelia: Savannah is unlikely to wear a homemade 🧣 so I think you're fine Jac: she loves anything thoughtful but I ain't gonna start there still Amelia: 💐 Jac: Naturally Jac: both our rooms look like a florist already Jac: makes up for the shabby walls and carpet you can't do much about Amelia: any time you'd like to fully lean into the 👵 I'll do you an embroidery hoop or something Amelia: very chic Jac: they do sell a lot of that sort of thing in the charity shops Jac: I'm sure your 🎨 will be better than whatever the actual 👵 decided to do 🖼 Amelia: SUCH a compliment, I have no idea how I'm not 😳 Jac: Charity shops are in Jac: I'm not going to call it thrifting, I'm not even half-American, wouldn't be able to take myself seriously Amelia: good, please don't Jac: vintage, upcycling, all acceptable Amelia: for my mother Amelia: I'll take how 'modern' my room here is Jac: I suppose that does make a change Jac: I love the buildings though, the architecture Amelia: 🎨 Amelia: yeah, would be inspiring if I had any time Jac: Is Cork by the coast? Jac: I know nothing about that area Jac: I'm like NEXT to the beach, it's incredible Amelia: it's one of the largest natural harbours in the world, if that doesn't make you want to come and visit me, well ?? Amelia: it has it's own lovely architecture Jac: You should work for the tourism board, honestly Jac: good speech, that Amelia: 🤷🏻 Amelia: I'm here for the 🤓 and you're already interested in that Jac: I'd go to Italy, if I were you Jac: but then, Denmark might have the most interesting criminal practices and laws, so that's a good choice too Amelia: you'll visit me there then, yeah? Jac: I forgot about Sweden, but those three are the real ones to consider Jac: and we can sort visiting when we're even a bit settled Amelia: okay Jac: we've only just left Amelia: thanks for that obvious reminder Jac: 😏 Jac: you know what I mean Jac: give me a chance to get my diary in order before you're saying I'm avoiding you or whatever Amelia: give you a chance to miss me, you mean Amelia: you've got one right now, because I have to go get ready Jac: Oh, if we had to wait for that, you'd never see me again 😉 Jac: have fun 👠👠 Amelia: 💔 Amelia: bye

[peggysousfan]

Agent Carter An Au Series

Phew! Chapter 9 is done!! 

Daniels POV:

Its been two weeks since Peggy was sick. Ever since then she has asked me to make her tea and almost every night, we've had dinner together. I don't remember how it started, but one thing lead to the next, and we were always running into each other in the hall and then... having dinner. I'v never smile or laughed this much in my life. Even with the ass hats at work, coming home and being able to talk to Peggy and have dinner, its a nice peace and quiet. Tonight we were having a simple pasta I got from a restaurant on my way home from work. Right now Peggy is telling a story about her brother, and I am laughing my ass off.

"No he didn't. C'mon Peggy." Her laughter fills the room and rings music in my ears.

"I cross my heart, Daniel. I'm not lying. He really did!"

"Wait wait wait," I need a moment to stop laughing, but its not happening. "So you're telling me... that your brother got soo drunk," and now Peggy's laughing again. "That he got up out of his seat, in front of EVERYONE and danced on the bar.. and FELL?!" Shes been holding back her laughs, but not this time, because now her laughter burst like I've never heard.

"Yes! And he-" She can't stop laughing and its amazing. "He.." She tries to compose herself. "Oh god- he ripped his trousers... and had to explain to mum and dad.... He had to explain why he had on no pants!" I can't believe this! For the next few seconds we both are laughing hysterically. That is, until Peggy gasps and grabs the table.

"Peggy?" Her eyes are wide and she looks like shes in pain. "Peggy!?" I say with more worry. Her hand disappears from the table and is placed on her stomach. "Peg? Whats wrong?" She finally looks at me and her lips are wide open.

"Daniel..." She gasps again. "Oh my god.."

"Peggy? Whats wrong?" I get out of my seat and walk to her, only to notice a wet spot on the floor. Oh no...

"Daniel.. I think my water just broke..." Holy shit!!

"Uhm.. right... uh.. wh-what do I do?" She looks at me and all I see is fear.

"I think you should call a doctor!" Her breathing is heavy and shes starting to panic. Dammit! Right okay, call a doctor. I rush down the hall and half way down the stairs I run into Mrs. Keller.

"Mr. Sousa? Whats going on?"

"Pe- Mrs. Carter, she just went into labor!" Instead of panicking, she simply patted my shoulder and started to head up stairs. "She asked me to call a doctor."

"Oh theres no need for that, I'll handle it. You go on to your apartment, it will all be over soon." She smiles calmly and I follow her upstairs. When we get to Peggy's apartment, Mrs. Keller walks in, and I get a glimpse of Peggy. Shes holding the frame of her bed, hunched over and in pain. Mrs. Keller glances at me and glares. "Go on now, this is ladies work." I hesitate, not wanting to leave Peggy, but theres nothing I can really do, so I leave. I stay up and pace around until I can't take it anymore. I leave my apartment and run into Ms. O'Brien.

"Mr. Sousa? You look like somethings happened, are you okay?"

"Peggy just went into labor." As I blurt this out, her eyes get wide and her mouth falls open. She rushes into her apartment and I'm left alone. A few minutes later she comes back out.

"Peggy's okay, for now.The only thing we can do is wait. "I nod my head and lean against the wall. "You should probably get some sleep. You won't do her any good pacing and hurting yourself." I give in to her advice and head to bed. I feel like Peggy was waiting for me to leave, because when I lay down, I hear her scream...

Several hours later:

I didn't think it was possible, to fall asleep hearing her scream in pain, but I did. It wasn't until I heard a different scream, that woke me up. A baby crying, more like. I get up and get dressed, the head to her door. Knocking gently, Ms. O' Brien opens the door.

"Come in," she says, and so I do.

"Colleen?" Peggy calls out.

"You have a visitor." As I enter the room, Mrs. Keller glares at me and tells Peggy that if she needs anything, to just let her know. She looked over at her as if to say hell would freeze over before she did that, but she nodded her head anyway. When Mrs. Keller leaves. Peggy speaks.

"Couldn't wait to meet her, could you?" Peggy smiles tiredly.

"Her? Its a girl!?" I grin.

"I told you it was. When will you ever listen to me," Colleen says. Peggy and I both laugh. Colleen leaves to room and goes to the bathroom.

"Shes right over there," Peggy points to a bassinet right in the corner of the room. I peek over to see her and she has a full head of light brown hair.

"Shes beautiful," I say, and she is. She has Peggy's button nose. I look over at her and shes smiling.

"Could you bring her to me?"

"Me?!" I wasn't expecting that..

"Well you are right next to her." She smirks. I lean down and pick her up; shes so small and delicate. She stirs in my arms and wiggles to get conformable. I hand her off and she starts to fuss.

"Whats her name? Have you picked one out yet?"

"I have actually. In memory of her father..." I look at Peggy and shes smiling at the baby. "Stephanie. Stephanie Marie Carter." Marie!? I must have looked as shocked as I felt. "What?"

"Huh? Oh, uh.. nothing."

"Daniel..." She stares me down and I cave in.

"Its just... Marie," I stop and can't help but smile. "Marie was.. my mothers name."

"Wait, What!?" I nod my head and laugh, and so does she.

"You're just having a go at me, aren't you? You're just joking." I look her in the eye and shake my head. "You're being serious?" Peggy smiles brightly and the baby gurgles. "Well what a happy coincidence... It was my grandmother name, I wanted her to be named after the two people are cared about during the.. hard times in my life."

"Did you tell him?" Colleen comes up from behind.

"I did, and you'll never guess what." Peggy tells her about the name and we all laugh about it. "It was meant to be" I look at Peggy and she looks at me, and it seems like everything is right in the world.

[sunnyie-eve]

Somebody To Love (Part 15- New Life)

(Ben!RogerTaylor)

Word count: 1,722

Warnings: None small Fluff

—————————————————

Once we got back home from tour me and Roger talk about what were we going to do for our wedding. I've always wanted a big wedding but always being busy there would never be time for one. "Instead of going to the courthouse and just sign papers... What about we do a small family and friends wedding like in a backyard? Make it a cute backyard or park wedding... Something like that?" He asks as there was a knock at my door. "Yeah, that's cute. Mary? What's wrong?" I ask seeing her crying. Oh Freddie must have told her...

"Come on in, sweetie." I lead her over to the sofa as Roger watches from the kitchen. "Freddie told me he's bisexual but I corrected him and told him he's gay. It just hurts, Alice. I'm just tired of the I love you but..." She cries and I hold her in my arms. I look back at Roger and he goes to my room to give us space. "I'm so sorry Mary." I rub her back. "Did you know?" She sits up to look at me. "I sorta did... I was putting the pieces together when I saw him and Paul together all the time. I really wanted to tell you Mary, but it wasn't my place to tell you. Please don't be upset with me." I hold her and she shakes her head, "I'm not upset with you. I think it would have been worse if you told me over the phone on your." She starts to smile.

"Is that a ring?" She picks up my hand looking at the ring. "Yes, Roger asked me to marry him on stage in Rio." Her mouth drops open and quickly smiles, "AHHH CONGRATS!" She hugs me and I tell her she can sleep in my guest room for tonight.

~

Roger didn't want to wait long any longer to have our wedding so he made a date that literally was next week. It's literally only been two months since he asked me to marry him. Also not only did Roger buy a new house for the two of us to move into, but he also bought my parents a new house with a lovely plot of land for our wedding. When my mum found out all of the news she was in tear no stop so happy. Today me and the rest of the wives plus Mary were going to look at dresses. "What you girls going to do today?" Roger asks as I open the door letting Veronica in with little Robert, Michael, and Laura.

"I'm so sorry I had to bring them. My mum and dad couldn't watch them today." She gives me a weak smile. "It's fine, Veronica. I want to see baby Laura." I put my arms out and she gives Laura to me. "Look at you! You are such a cutie." I kiss her forehead and Roger laughs at me. "What are you laughing at?" Veronica asks him holding Michael in her arms while Robert ran over to him. "It's funny seeing Alice with a baby." He says picking up Robert making me and Veronica laugh. "I forgot you never seen Alice babysit for me." She says as there was another knock at the door.

"Yea, Another baby." Roger answers the door letting Chrissie in with baby Jimmy. "Hello girls." She smiles walking up to us. "I should get going and leave you girls alone. Have fun darling." Roger puts down Robert and gives me a kiss before taking off. "Roger said to let myself in." Mary says opening the door. "Everyone is here now." I smile still holding Laura. "When are you and Roger going to try for a baby?" Chrissie asks me as we start to get ready to leave. "Umm I don't know." I smile as we carry the babies out to the car putting them in their seats. "Mommy, I ride with Awice." Robert says holding onto my hand. "That's fine with me because Chrissie and Jimmy were going to ride with me." I say and he jumps up and down. "I don't mind at all. Mary would you like to ride with me?" Veronica asks Mary and she takes that offer.

When we get to one of the dress shop a few customers looked at us since we had so many of us. "Alice, darling! I picked out a few dresses you might love." The lady who I called yesterday smiles leading us towards the dressing rooms. I end up trying on three before the one I loved which was the last one. "Alice, you look so beautiful!" Mary claps her hands making Robert do the same making us all giggle at him. "I agree, that's perfect for your little backyard wedding." Veronica smiles and Chrissie nods her head agreeing. "Is that the one?" The worker asks me and I smile at her, "It's the one." I go back to change into my regular clothes.

"Alice, I've been thinking and I feel like you are keeping a secret." Chrissie smiles at me making the other two rush over to me. "What secret?" Veronica asks smiling like an idiot. "When I asked about her and Roger having a baby. She smiles but I saw her cheeks turn pink." Chrissie pokes at my cheeks and I start to blush. "You are aren't you!" Mary squeals and the other two wait for an answer. "Yes." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "AHHHHH!" They all scream and hug me. "When are you going to tell Roger? How long are you?" Veronica holds my hands. "About two months." I say and the gasp. "Had haven't told Roger yet?" Mary hits my arm. "Not yet but I know I need to." I rub my arms.

~

"You girls know, I was hoping you and your babies would be gone by the time I came home right." Roger said walking into living room taking a seat next to me. "Sorry, we were just leaving." Chrissie smiles and Veronica winks at me while Mary helps Veronica with the babies. "Veronica, aren't you forgetting one." Roger points at Robert, who was napping, with his head on my lap. "Nope, he wanted to spend the night with Aunt Awice. Thank you again, Alice." She smiles at me, "No problem, you have those two to worry about." I was goodbye as they walk out the door.

"You're good with kids." Roger kiss the top of my head. "Yep, plus I love them so they aren't a problem for me." I smile as Robert starts to wake up. "Mommy weave?" He asks and I tell him yes. "You ready for something to eat?" I ask and he jumps in the sofa. "Food!" He giggles falling onto my lap. "Roger, watch him while I make the food?" I ask setting him in his lap. "Sure." He says bounce Robert in his legs.

As I was in the kitchen making food I could hear Roger and little Robert a laughing storm in the other room. "Food is ready!" I call for them and Roger rushes over to the table hold Little Deacon in his arms. "You know, I can't wait for our own little guy or girl." Roger smiles at me and I smile back. "Really? Then I guess you're lucky." I smile at him putting their plates down. "Wait... What? Are you pregnant?!" He puts Robert down and rushes over to me. "Surprise." I smile and he spins us around. "I'M GOING TO BE A HUSBAND AND A FATHER!" He yells giving me small kisses all over my face.

After eating and talking to Roger about the baby and the wedding, we decide it was a good time to get some sleep. "Really? He's sleeping with us?" Roger crosses his arms looking at Robert laying in the middle of the bed. "When I spend the night at Deaky’s and Veronica’s he'll always cry to lay with me." I say as Robert cuddles into my arms. "I take it back... I don't want a baby. It's going to steal you from me." He laughs laying down in bed with us. "Goodnight Rog, Love you." I say closing my eyes. "Goodnight Love, I love you too."

~

A week flashed by and so did the entire wedding. Roger actually cried when he saw me in my dress walking down to him. After the ceremony we all ate and drank, well I couldn't do to being pregnant, which we told everyone about and they were even more happy. Hell even my entire pregnancy went by in a flash since I stayed home instead of going on tour. Baby Felix was due at anytime so Chrissie and Veronica sorta moved in to keep an eye on me.

"Girls, I think Felix is ready to come out." I say calmly getting up off the sofa. "Wait, What?" Veronica asks starting to panic. "OH HE IS A COMING! NOT A DRILL LADIES!" I start to shout and the grab my bag rushing me to the car. "I'll stay here and call someone to watch the kids and I'll call the boys and your family." Chrissie says as me and Veronica drive to the hospital.

Giving birth was absolutely the worse pain anyone could ever go through. I didn't even get to have family in the delivery room because once me and Veronica got there the baby was ready. The doctors were shocked at how I went into labor so quickly and dilated so fast. So once everyone got here Felix was already out. "Your family is here, Mrs Taylor." The nurse said as my mom and dad walked in with Poppy, Thomas, and Harry behind them. "Aww he's such a cutie!" I mom bends down and I hand him to her. They all get a chance to hold Felix before more people started to come in.

"Sorry Love, I would have been here faster!" Roger burst through the door with the boys and Chrissie and Mary following behind him. "Do you want to hold your son?" I ask handing the baby over to him. "I can't believe you're finally here." He says studying Felix's little face. "It's my turn to hold him!" Brian puts his arms out making me laugh.