-oOoOo-
Monday 2nd September. St Andrews P. S. Crawley.
Harry, Hermione, Dudley and Neville were enjoying their first ever break at their new school. The kids were desperate to do a bit of exploring but were currently waiting on Susan and Luna, both girls had been experiencing a completely different type of desperate. That the six made up almost a quarter of the primary one class at St Andrews had them settling in very quickly. The lovely sunny day was calling to them through the large glass windows of the single story brick structure. While they waited, the three boys couldn't help but smile as Hermione raved about how much she'd enjoyed her first class and was looking forward to more.
The smiles changed the instant that a voice they all knew well cried out in obvious pain. The four were moving at speed in the direction of the shout without a word having to be spoken between them. They rounded a corner to see a large boy with blond hair was currently trying to part Luna from hers. "Listen squirt, when I say I want your lunch money, you hand it over. That's the way things work here."
His two friends were laughing while holding Susan by the arms. The four showed no intention of slowing down as they raced along the corridor.
"Oh, what's this? Your little friends..."
The big bully's words were cut off and his grip on Luna's hair broken when Dudley and Neville hit him. There were no punches thrown or fighting moves used, their concern for getting Luna free saw them just run straight into him at speed. The top of Dudley's head caught the bigger boy just above his chin and burst his mouth open. Neville's shoulder hit the big blond in the chest as all three ended up on the ground, the two younger on top.
Harry and Hermione flew at the other two that were holding Susan. Both these boys had witnessed what just happened to their friend so now knew these kids weren't going to stop. They aimed punches at their inrushing would-be attackers. Susan was struggling like crazy now and it threw their aim off. Harry was missed completely as he barged into the bigger boy, forcing him to release his grip on Susan to maintain his balance. Hermione wasn't so lucky and the boy's punch caught her on the cheek. Her yelp of pain signalled a change in the fight as both bigger boys suddenly found themselves knocked off their feet and about five yards along the corridor. Harry was standing there, fists clenched and seething with anger when a shout froze them all in place.
"What's going on here?" Demanded a teacher they hadn't met yet, effectively ending the fight.
-oOoOo-
Duncan Murdock was used to getting his own way. His father was a local shop owner and, more importantly, leader of the local council. He wasn't sure what happened earlier but someone was going to pay for it. Duncan's lips were burst, one tooth was broken and at least one more knocked loose. He didn't really have to fake the tears as he spun his story about being violently attacked in the corridor, Duncan was in a lot of pain and not getting much sympathy from the headmistress.
The three ten year old boys thought they would rule the school this year, only to be knocked on their arses by a gang of five year olds on their first day back. Duncan wasn't worried though, after today the six of them would be gone from St Andrews. Between his BAFTA winning performance in the headmistress's office and his father's influence, those primary one brats were toast! There was no other outcome possible.
They were dismissed and walked out the office, past the six who had attacked them. Duncan would have liked to give them all an evil grin but that wasn't possible at the moment. He was waiting on his father arriving to take him to the dentist, confident in the fact that he'd never see these little thugs again.
-oOoOo-
Claire Stewart had been a teacher for twenty-nine years, the last eight of them as headmistress of St Andrews, yet had never seen anything like this. Six primary one children allegedly attacking three older boys they'd never met before. Entirely unprovoked, and on their very first day of school too? There was something fishy about this and Claire was determined to get to the bottom of it. To add even more intrigue, all six students were listed under two local addresses yet appeared unrelated.
Jenny in the office was trying to get hold of some parents but it was time to have a talk with the kids. As they filed into her room, she couldn't help but notice that the three girls had been crying, and the three boys were trying to comfort them, most unusual.
Claire tried to put them at ease, she wanted to get to the truth here and needed the group to relax and be comfortable. Getting into a fight and then ending up in the headmistress's office on their first day must be quite traumatic for them.
"I'm Mrs Stewart, your headmistress. As this is your first day and we don't know one another yet, could you tell me a little about yourselves? I'm particularly interested in why you are all listed at only two addresses."
Dudley was sitting with a bump on his head and blood on his new St Andrews school jumper. He decided to speak first. "I live with Harry and we're cousins, Hermione lives next door. We grew up with Neville, Susan and Luna as all our parents and guardians used to share childcare one day a week and work the rest. We all wanted to go to the same school and, because three of us stayed close to St Andrews, we all came here."
The kids had all been well coached on how to answer these types of questions, they just didn't think they would need to do it today with the headmistress. Neville went next, "Harry's mum is my godmother and both my parents work with Susan's guardian."
Luna chipped in with her bit. "My mum is best friends with both Neville's and Harry's mum, they've been best friends since they all went to school together."
Hermione couldn't sit there and not say anything. "I met Harry when we were at the baby and toddler clinic, we've been best friends ever since. Uncle James bought the house next door to ours and we live in both."
The knock on the door stopped any more being said as Jenny introduced the Potters before showing them into the room. "Ah, Mr and Mrs Potter, I'm Mrs Stewart. I'm pleased you're here as I was just about to ask the children what happened today. Will any of the other parents be joining us?"
"I think you'll find that the Grangers and Potters are listed as the emergency contacts for the whole group. After dropping the kids off this morning, the Grangers had to return to work, we weren't expecting an emergency on the first day." Lily was now hunkered down, examining the forming bruise on Hermione's cheek and not missing the blood on Dudley's jumper. "I'm also very interested in what happened here. We left our children in your care yet find Hermione bruised and Dudley bloody!"
Dudley tried to put her mind at rest. "It's not my blood mum, the big prat had Luna by the hair."
Luna gave a weak smile, "He didn't know my friends were just around the corner waiting on us."
Susan started the story from the beginning. "Luna and me had gone to the toilet. On the way back, we were so busy chatting that we never saw the three boys. Luna bumped into one of them and apologised right away. He quickly grabbed her by the hair and said sorry wasn't good enough, it was going to cost Luna her lunch money. We both said no way and the other two grabbed me by the arms, the biggest one now pulled Luna's hair harder and made her cry out. I was struggling to get free and then I spied these four coming racing round the corner. Neville and Dudley pushed the boy off Luna. Harry knocked the boy down on my right but the one still holding my left managed to punch Hermione in the face before Harry could get to him. When he knocked the last one down, the teacher came and shouted."
Lily was certain how Harry had managed to knock both boys down and wanted to direct attention away from it. "Dudley, how did you get blood on your school jumper?"
"My head hit the boy in the mouth and then Neville and me landed on top of him."
James was also keen to wrap this up before awkward questions could be asked. "Headmistress, what happens now?"
Claire thought carefully about her answer before replying. "I've already spoken to the three older boys. As you can imagine, they told a slightly different story. I would like to assure you, St Andrews doesn't tolerate bullying in any form so I will be making arrangements to speak to them again." Both parents and the six kids were pleased to hear this but Claire wasn't finished yet. "I feel that I must point out that had the children fetched a teacher, the problem would have been quickly dealt with. I can appreciate seeing their friends in that situation could influence their decision, that doesn't change the fact that it was the wrong one. As this is their first day, I'm prepared to let this incident go with just a talking too. Do you all agree?"
Lily and James both nodded their heads as he children appeared relieved. James attempted to explain their actions. "These children have been raised together since they were toddlers. It's understandable they would react that way when one of them was being bullied. We'll have a good talk about it when we get them home."
Claire was happy with that. She fully expected to hear from the senior Murdock today but she would be ready for him. Finding out his precious and perfect son had been 'beaten up' by two five year olds would have his blood pressure rising.
The kids were all leaving school with their heads down until James cheered them up. "I think after that, we could all do with some ice cream! Just don't mention it to the Grangers."
-oOoOo-