Harry couldnt stop laughing. It was like a dam had burst inside of him. Here he was fighting against the ridiculousness bombarding him in the regular world, and then the most ridiculous real thing happens.

It was just so funny. So ironic.

Hed reached his breaking point. At least... for the moment.

He just had to laugh. And laugh. Because if he didnt laugh, he was afraid that he may start to cry.

Why couldnt he have a break, just for once?

He noticed that the giant man was looking at him funny.

Nothing new there. Except... if this was a person from his new school...

He needed to stop. He couldnt let them know that he was... weird. He didnt yet know how weird THEY were, and maybe if they werent really like him... if they didnt understand him either, maybe they wouldnt want him to come.

He had to try to be normal. Had to try to hide it from them.

But he couldnt stop laughing.

He had to stop laughing. Somehow.

He knew the answer.

He bit down on his tongue HARD.

Really hard. To the point he wasnt sure if his tongue was still attached. What if he swallowed his own tongue?

Maybe that would be for the best. At least then he wouldnt be able to talk and accidently give himself away.

He put a hand over his mouth. This served two purposes. It made it look like he was trying to make sure he stopped laughing, which would be a 'normal' thing to do, and it let him check for his tongue.

It was still there. His hand had come back bloody but his tongue was still there. That was good. He liked his tongue, even if he was scared of what might come out of his mouth because of it.

He was so happy that he was able to stop laughing. It was a point for him. Maybe he would be able to do this. Maybe this could be his fresh start.

He just had to keep it together. He didnt want the giant man to send any messages to the strange people spying on him. The witches and the wizards. He was sure that if they wanted to, the witches and wizards would have lots of ways of hurting him.

His stomach flopped with this thought. Maybe he didnt want to go. He didnt want to be even more scared. But...

But... he couldnt live the life he was living right now anymore. If he went away, maybe things would change. Maybe things could get better.

He had to hope. And because of that, he needed to make a good impression.

With that, he took some big breaths and walked up to the giant man.

The giant man looked at him with a smile, a little concern on his face, and gave him a clap on the back and a great big "Good to see ya Harry"

And Harry. Unlike with his art teacher, somehow managed to hold it together.

But the question in his mind, as he braved a quick glance at the huge man in front of him was, for how long?

—-

The magical world was incredible. As soon as Harry and the giant man, who he learned was named Hagrid, walked through the brick wall and into this place... Harry knew it would be better.

There were colors everywhere. And people. And everyone had so much energy. HE always had so much energy and so did these people! It was perfect, it was right, he was home.

He knew he still couldnt talk. How he wanted to talk though, how the words felt as if they were erupting inside of him begging for release. He wanted them to join this wonderful new world around him. But he knew.

He knew he couldnt take that chance just yet.

Sure, this world seemed like it made more sense then his old one. But that was just on first glance. And maybe it was just because he was so desperate, because he so wanted something to finally make sense.

He couldnt blow it now.

He had to stay in control.

He had to keep his energy down a bit.

He wanted to dance in the street in joy. In happiness. In relief.

His body wanted to move. So. He started to rock. While he and Hagrid went from store to store... Harry moved in whatever way he could. As subtly as he could.

Because he was still afraid.

Because. He wanted to avoid the fact... that he was still confused.

Even here, when people looked at him, he got the feeling that they knew something about him. That they knew more than maybe he knew about himself. It was as if they were looking through him.

And he felt as if he knew each and every giggle, each and every sign that he saw, was just there to threaten him. To scare him.

It was the same feelings he had at home.

Even with Hagrid. Hagrid had been so nice to him. But he didnt really know Hagrid. He didnt really know anyone here.

And as he thought more and more about it, his chest started getting heavier and heavier. Pretty soon he found himself gasping. Gasping for air.

He was down on the ground. The world was spinning around him yet again. This new world. This world that was supposed to be perfect. This world that was supposed to take him away from his problems, away from feeling like a freak. This world that was supposed to solve everything.

And he was messing it up. Already he was messing it up.

He was aware of people looking. He was in the middle of the street and he was aware that there were endless people coming from endless places in endless directions. And he was scared. Because he wasnt really sure, again, what was going on. What the people were looking at him for. Who was screaming.

He was screaming. It was him. Not them. But he wished they would stop looking. He wished the voices in his head, the ones telling him, suggesting to him all these things that he tried so hard to ignore, would just SHUT UP. He wished they would just leave him alone.

He started crying. And crying. And crying.

And then. He threw up.

He was shivering. The world was coming up to swallow him whole. He would be no more. He wouldnt be in any more pain. Everything would be right with the world. It would just suck him away and that would be the end of everything.

He waited for it.

And was surprised when the next thing that happened was he found himself held tight in big warm arms.

He sputtered. He couldnt stop. But this was so comforting. No one had ever really held him like this. No one had ever really protected him like this. No one had ever grabbed him when he was spinning, when the world was spinning, and held him tightly and securely like this.

He stopped. It was as if all energy inside him just... stilled. His body had had enough. And with a few sputtering gulps, Harry closed his eyes.

And tried to enjoy the feeling of not being alone.