Freaks: Year One

A Close One

"You are though." Jasper said. "You fell off your broom once."

Harry put his head on the table.

"It's okay honey." His mother said. "Not everyone is good at flying."

"Yeah, but they don't get terrified when they are an inch off the ground." Ethan said.

Harry looked up. "You weren't even there."

"Yeah, but I can imagine it." Ethan said. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH. I AM GOING TO DIE, I CAN TOUCH THE GRASS, BUT I AM GOING TO DIE." Ethan laughed.

"Keep your voice down." Toby said, as people were looking their way.

Ethan shrugged. "Sorry."

Jasper shook his head in exasperation. "Sorry about him."

"No, it's fine." Harry said. He knew that many kids from different houses thought that his fear of flying was a bit odd, so he guessed that a non-magical or possibly a muggleborn who thought flying was cool would find his fear stupid. It was flying after all, but he did wish some of the kids at Hogwarts would stop making comments about it.

"Are you embarrassed of me?" Ethan asked Jasper.

"No." Jasper said. "Stop insulting him though."

"I am not, I just think it's funny."

Jasper sighed, and turned back to Harry. "So what were you saying about them being able to fly?"

"Well since I have a broom." Harry started. "I could always loan it to you, and your brothers could try it."

"YES!" Ethan yelled. All eyes went to him. "I mean it doesn't matter." He continued to eat, tapping his fingers against the table.

Jasper smiled. "That sounds great, but we live in a muggle neighbourhood, and I don't know if my parents would be okay with it. They are still...getting used to it all."

"You could always come to my place." Harry told him. He turned to his mum. "Is that okay?"

His mother nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Can we go there now?" Francis asked, quietly. "I want to see owls."

Jasper started to say something, but Harry's mum said, "If your parents are okay with it, you're welcome to come."

"Awesome!" Ethan exclaimed.

Jasper stared at Ethan. Their parents wouldn't be okay with it – well unless they didn't care, sometimes they really didn't care where they went. Sometimes they did, and sometimes they didn't. It really depended.

"Where are your parents?" Harry's mother asked. She hadn't commented on it before, but she did find it odd that Jasper was alone with all his younger brothers.

Jasper stared at her. "Oh, um..." He needed to think of something that would make sense. "At home–" He started.

"Work." Toby said.

Harry, and his mother looked at them, confused. Toby smiled awkwardly. "I mean dad is at work, and mum is at home."

"Dad doesn't work–" Started Francis, but Jasper interrupted.

"Yeah!" He said in a louder voice, cancelling Francis' voice out. "Our dad is working, and our mum is at home, you see." Jasper explained. "She is nervous about all this magic stuff, and since the Owl Post Office was close I decided to go myself, and take my brothers since they begged to come–"

"I did not." Ethan protested.

"Yes. You. Did." Jasper said, still smiling.

Harry's mum said, "Well I understand, but next time maybe go yourself or have your mum come with you, I am sure keeping an eye on four little kids is hard."