He pushed himself off the swing in slight midair and landed on his feet with practiced ease. Harry strode towards the hole in the fence and crawled through it, careful not to get his shirt caught on the pieces of wire that was sticking out in a few odd places.

He turned and wandered back along the street the park was connected to and paused outside the stranger's house. Harry glanced at it curiously for a moment until he could delay the inevitable no further and had to face the return to his own residence. Sighing, Harry pushed open the front door and stepped inside, the scents he hated burned his nose as always but he tried to ignore it.

Simon glanced over at him and nodded with approval before he turned back to the TV where the news was on. Emile was home too, Harry noticed, as he saw her cutting lemons in the kitchen. She appeared to be using the sliced pieces to squeeze the juice and to make a sour lemonade.

'Can I try it?' Harry wondered.

'Add some sugar water and you can.' Emile allowed.

Harry did as he was asked by tipping several spoonfuls of sugar into a jug of water and than poured in the lemon juice. He grabbed a glass and served himself a small portion of the modified lemonade to taste.

'Mm, nice.' He grinned. 'What's it for?'

'It's for you to take to school tomorrow.' Emile replied.

'Oh, okay.' Harry was confused of the beverage option but shrugged as he didn't really like their water much anyway. 'Wait, that's tomorrow?'

'Yes. I have your uniform on your bed.' Emile told him. 'It's second-hand but it'll do. Also your bag and books are there too. Don't wreck them because they cost money.'

'Okay.' Harry replied again with a small sigh.

'Good.' Emile exhaled as though relieved. 'Now get something to get, have shower and head to bed.'

Harry nodded and sipped the last of his lemonade before he went through the fridge and heated up some leftover pasta with tomato sauce and mince. It wasn't the same as a fresh meal but it filled him up nonetheless. Despite his rather dull day, Harry was quite tired and was eager to get to bed. Perhaps this was a result of his interrupted and horrid rest the night before? Either way, Harry showered quickly and put on his pajamas as he looked forward to a full nights rest.

He was about to climb into bed when he heard loud murmurings coming from downstairs that didn't quite sound like a hushed conversation and yet had the feel of one. Frowning curiously, Harry tip-toed out of his room and over to the top of the stairs to investigate.

'How much did you spend on the boy's stuff?' Simon asked Emile in a clearly suspicious tone as he strongly disapproved of her actions.

'None more than necessary.' She answered in an equally distrustful tone. 'Why?'

'We've got rent to pay, in case you haven't noticed.' He scowled with a raised voice.

'If you didn't drink so damn much it wouldn't be a problem!' Emile snapped back at him.

Harry flinched dramatically when he heard a loud sound as though something being slammed against a hard surface, something solid and involving glass.

'What's going on?' Harry panicked as he rushed downstairs and saw a beer bottle broken on the floor beside the table and Emile was backed towards the kitchen, staring at it with wide eyes.

'Get to bed, brat!' Simon shouted at him.

'I was just...'

'NOW!' Simon roared and Harry almost fell over with shock and fear. He turned and rushed up the stairs but stumbled on the top step and fell. Harry lay there for a moment and listened intently to see if he had been discovered.

'Oh, yeah...take it out on the boy.' Emile accused. 'As though you're not the one with the bloody problem!' She yelled at Simon.

'You're lucky to even stay here with him.' Simon argued back just as loudly. 'If it were up to me, you'd both be out on the street!'

'It feels like we are, you lazy scum!' Emile and Simone continued at it while Harry crawled into his room and curled up in his bed.

The shouting increased and Harry had to press his hands against his ears just to be able to think straight. He was scared that Simon would hurt Emile since she was always mocking him and he had a scary temper.

Occasionally there was a loud, unidentifiable sound amidst their verbally violent quarrel. Their volumes increased and swearing was mixed into their words as they fought. Harry tried desperately to block them out while he shook with fear and tears made tracks all down his cheeks and leaked onto his pillow.

Harry dug a hand under the pillow and yanked out his blanket to clutch it to himself. He cuddled it for all the warmth and safety he felt it could posses.

'Cody!' Harry was roughly shoved awake the following morning which startled him and he sat upright instantly.

'You've got school so get up.' Emile scowled at him and Harry noticed a coloured bruise on her forearm although it was partially concealed by her deep purple shirt.

'Are you okay?' He asked her worriedly.

'Just be ready to go in twenty minutes.' She replied and left the room.

Harry hugged his blanket once more before he concealed it away underneath his pillow and dressed into his dark school pants and light blue uniform shirt. Once he shoes, socks and cap were on, he grabbed his grey bag and shoved his books inside it before he pulled it onto his bag and adjusted the straps. He rushed downstairs and located his lunch box and drink bottle while cautiously glancing around the room.

Harry made himself some jam on toast and was relieved that Simon didn't appear to be in the house at all. Harry finished and hurried outside to join Emile who was impatiently waiting for him a few feet away.

'I'll take you to school because it's only a short talking distance from where I work, but you're walking home in the afternoon, deal?' She asked him.

'Yeah, okay.' Harry nodded as though he actually had a choice.

'Where do you work?' He wondered as he had frequently tried to think of what her job was.

'That's none of your business.' Emile told him and than half-answered it anyway. 'It's mostly boring stuff half the time and answering phone calls, that kind of thing.'

'Oh.' Harry agreed that it did sound like a rather boring thing to do all day.

They reached the school gates ten minutes later and Emile continued walking without pausing even saying goodbye. Harry watched her leave and than entered the school grounds. He observed a group of children his age playing basketball nearby his right while at his left a group of girls played hopscotch. Already feeling left out, Harry approached the main doors of the brick building just as the bell rang.

He had located the office on his own and the office lady showed Harry to his new classroom where the teacher was already going through attendance.

'Oh, you must be Cody.' The chubby teacher smiled at him and he nodded with shyness when everyone in the classroom turned to stare at him. He put his bag away on a hook near the wall and approached the front of the classroom as the teacher had gestured him to.

'Everyone, this is our new student Cody Evans.' She told them and looked down at Harry. 'Is there anything you'd like to tell us about yourself, Cody?'

'No.' Harry mumbled without daring to even glance up from where his gaze was glued to the floor beneath his feet.

'Very well, have a seat.' She nodded and returned to calling out attendance.

Harry exhaled with fleeting relief and moved to the only available seat in the third row between a dark boy and a girl with pigtails. Neither glanced at him and it seemed Harry was destined to be ignored everywhere he went.

He still wasn't sure why everyone constantly called him “Cody Evans” when he was so certain that his name was Harry, but over the years he had come to realize that if he tried to let people know this they looked at him oddly and no one ever believed him. He'd gotten quite used to having two names and it only bothered him from time to time but the boy was determined to never forget his real name because it was an important part of the parents and new mother he had lost over the years; to them he was Harry Potter and if one day he shall return to Erin, than that was who he wanted to be.

He would even often daydream about being two people. To him, Cody Evans was the invisible boy who lived with people that were happier when he wasn't around and Harry Potter was the normal boy everyone loved and who had a real family. And when the strange man was around, Harry mused about being “Harry Evans”, a mix of both where he wasn't quite loved but he was noticed in a more friendly kind of way.

The day progressed ordinarily with various lessons involving spelling, map usage and history. At lunch Harry sat with two boys that had invited him to join them even though neither spoke to him the entire time and otherwise forgot he was there. Harry didn't mind too much as he drank his lemonade and ate his ham sandwiches.

He had decided that school wasn't too bad in itself but in comparison to the place he lived at...school was the best place in the world.

As time progressed to the point where the school day was almost over, Harry's curiosity began to fade and was replaced with the dread of returning to that horrid house.

He fidgeted in his seat when the teacher announced their weekly writing assignment because he was concerned that it would be impossible for him to complete. The task was to write about what type of person a real hero was, in their own words. They would then have to read it aloud to the entire class.

Harry had peaked over the shoulders of others and knew that some of his classmates were doing it on doctors, police officers and military people, but Harry whenever Harry thought of the word “hero”...he pictured the dark stranger who lived across from him.

The bell rang as it always did around three in the afternoon and yet Harry felt is piercing his ears like an alarm bell announcing a fire. The teacher dismissed them and everyone began to gather their things because he was the only one who wasn't in an eager hurry to leave the school grounds and go home.

'Don't you take the bus?' One boy asked him as they walked down the corridor together.

'No. I walk.' Harry shrugged as he fought to recall the boy's name but couldn't as his hands began to sweat with nerves and he knew Simon was likely to be home.

'Oh. Well, see ya!' The turned and boarded the bus.

Harry looked around towards the exit of the school grounds where parents waited to pick up their children and true to her word, Emile was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and walked out of the gates, lightly brushing past the families as he ducked his head and strode forward.

He hadn't been watching where he was going as he walked and didn't notice when two older boys paused their pacing ahead of him. As a result, Harry dumped straight into them with enough strength for someone to assume that he'd deliberately shoved them.

'Oi, watch it!' The pale boy snapped and turned around on the spot to glare down at him.

'Sorry.' Harry replied quickly but miserably and the boys started laughing.

'Looks like a wimp.' The other boy with a red cap placed over his curly hair chuckled. Two other boys their age joined the little group to find out what was so amusing.

Harry backed away from them as all four of the taller and certainly stronger boys stared down at him and chuckled. He gulped and quickly crossed the nearest street to avoid them and proceeded to walk home although he could heard them yelling after him. Harry panicked when he turned around and saw that they were chasing him with unnerving speed.

Seeing no other option, Harry took off at a run and struggled to remember the way back to Spinner's End as he picked up speed and just charged ahead like a bull going to battle.

It was clearly not his day when he glanced over his shoulder to see if he was still being followed and in that split second, he ran head-on into something black...or rather, someone.

'Sorry!' Harry gasped as he stared up at the familiar stranger but darted to hide behind his hero when he could still hear the boys shouting to him and calling him awful names.

Harry gasped desperately for oxygen as he hid behind Severus and clutched to the man's robes, fearful of the older boys and hoped that his hero wouldn't let him down by shoving him into harms way.

'Where's the freak?' A boy with glasses asked as he and the other three looked around the street for Harry.

Severus narrowed his eyes at them and placed a hand near his left side to protectively cup the back of the scared boy's head. The situation had instantly reminded of the marauders as the boys searched for the one they had hoped to bully.

'You have no business here. I strongly suggest you to leave!' Severus snarled nastily at the youngsters and they wisely chose to turn around and depart rather quickly.

He turned around and glanced down at the little boy who had latched himself to his robes. Harry glanced up at the man and bit his lip tearfully.

'I won't hurt you.' Severus reminded him and didn't have the cruelty in him to move when the boy lunged at him and clutched to him desperately. It broke his heart because the similarities between his childhood and the situation this boy was in were far too close to be anything but equally problematic.

'Make it go away!' Harry's sobs were muffled against the man's robes. Severus wished it was that easy. He was not a man who coddled anyone or knew how to show compassion and despite everything he had done for the boy so far, he really didn't know that much about how to handle children. However, somehow he knew exactly what to do because there was something that guided him...Severus thought of all the things he had wanted most when he had been this boy's age.

'Hush, child.' Severus tried to silence the boy but the child was too distraught. Trying to get through to him, he crouched before Harry and yanked him off his robes. Severus gently but securely gripped Harry's arms to restrain him from either clinging to him again or leaving.

'Listen to me.' Severus said firmly but not unkindly. 'If anything happens, I want you to come to me.' He said and reached into his pocket to extract a very large, black button. With one arm free, Harry reached up to wipe his eyes dry with his sleeve but otherwise focused on the ground and blushed.

Severus discreetly cast a spell on the button and handed it to the boy.

'If you think you're in danger or something isn't right. Rub this button three times and close your eyes.' He instructed.

'I promise you'll be right outside my door and I will keep you safe from anything.'

'Anything?' Harry whispered and stared at the button in his small hands, not once even questioning if what the man had said was really possible.

'Yes.' Severus nodded because by Merlin he would fight Voldemort himself if he had to! No child should go through what he had and Severus was not about to let this innocent child fall victim to a doomed life of darkness and loneliness.

'Now, go on.' Severus nudged the boy towards the house across the street and straightened upright into a standing posture.

Harry nodded and turned towards his own residence. He stepped inside the house with his button clutched in his small hand as he calmed his breathing and ignored a majority of his emotions. He saw Simon scribbling notes on a newspaper at the table while Emile cleaned up the beer cans that littered the living room.

'Hey.' Harry greeted them dutifully and shoved his button into the pocket of his school pants. Neither even looked at him as he spoke so Harry turned and made his way upstairs where he lay sprawled out on his stomach on the floor with his schoolbook and a pencil. Poking his tongue out slightly, Harry set to work on and barely noticed the hours that passed him by as he continued to lay there amongst his homework.

'Boy!' Simon called up the stairs later and Harry jumped to the sound, which caused a small puncture in his work.

'Coming!' Harry stood up quickly and rushed downstairs.

'Get something to eat and head to bed. I don't want to see your face.' Simon scowled at him from the couch.

The place was otherwise rather empty; it seemed that Emile had once again gone out for a poker game with her friends.

Harry said nothing else towards the mean man and merely nodded with obedience as he grabbed some crackers, chunks of fruit and a piece of toast.

After eating his makeshift meal, Harry headed back up the stairs for a shower and than busied himself with putting his school things away where they belonged. With consideration, his button was shoved underneath his pillow in exchange for his soft, blue blanket.

As Harry closed his eyes and cuddled his treasured blanket for warmth, he thought about the piece of paper that rested inside his school bag and smiled to himself as he was quite proud of his work and didn't mind the concept of reading it aloud to the class in a few days. He sighed relatively contently as dreams overcame Harry and drifted him away from the harsher reality.

----

My Definition of a Real Hero by Cody Evans 

 

A lot of people think a hero is someone who wears a uniform and puts out fires or fixes peoples bones, but I think those people are just really smart and have important jobs. I think a real hero is someone that sees things other people can't. They know when someone needs saving in a way that no one else can. Because a real hero doesn't get cats out of trees, chase fast cars or apply stitches because they're someone special who can see when you're sad and knows how to make it better. He can show up and make the scary things go away without having to do anything, it's almost like magic!

I think everyone who is sad or scared has a hero to look over them but we don't always know it because real heroes don't get metals or anything like that, they are just needed for a moment and then they're gone again.

Real heroes are hard to find because a lot of people who need help are invisible to the rest of the world and it takes a really magical hero to find them. But I think that they don't mind looking for us because it's part of being a hero and without them the world is only full of sadness and scary stuff.

I think the best hero is one that hides in the shadows and you never know he's there but then when you need help the most, he comes out and saves you. He makes everything bad go away...because that's what real heroes do.