Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with the Harry Potter franchise nor the great author, J.K Rowling ! This story was just created for fun, not to impersonate the lovely author herself.

Chapter 4: Oliver with a New Twist

Harry was not in West Wickham anymore.

Instead, he was sitting in the back of a police car while the American and Wickham pair drove him to London. Despite what the Secretary had said, the rest of his stuff was not searched for in the abandoned building, and they even taken away the rest of his possessions, citing that they were 'potential stolen goods,' so Harry only had his glasses left. He knew those, too, were stolen, so during the escort, he hid away his glasses in his pocket in fear that he would be blind as a bat again.

Typical adults who keep meddling in his life. Harry's thoughts drifted away from that frustration and shifted to the reality of how he ended up in the back of a police car. How did this even happen?

It is strange that only two days ago, Harry was living with the Dursleys. Then suddenly, the fight happened and his whole life had changed─whether for the worse or not, he did not know. Something ticked off Dudley, and because Harry defended himself, the Dursleys threw him into an cleared alleyway like he was some unwanted dog. Harry had planned to get away from the Dursleys for quite some time, but it was only a dream at that point. Harry had not meant to actually leave the Dursleys because he had no idea what he could even do. He would not admit it to himself, but he was scared of leaving.

Fear kept him in Privet Drive. It was the same fear as well as ambition that gave Harry his quick wits and tongue, and it helped him survive this long.

But he felt liberated. No more being a punching bag by the beach ball in the Dursley household, no more swings of a cooking pan by Petunia, nor the swats of the belt from Vernon. No more long hours toiled by the garden and household doing chores made that Harry feel worn out, and no more feeling the pains of hunger stretching out days, because of stupidity. He was free─to live in another cage.

Whatever was at the Orphanage, surely it was better than how the Dursleys treated him. Harry knew of the horror stories from the system, just as many children would be sometimes threatened by their parents when they misbehaved. Even if it's just another cage, he thought. He knew there was a risk, but it was worth it.

"Hey, Derek, welcome to your new home," the policeman stumbled upon Harry's alias.

There it was about a block away. He pressed his face against the window glass and gazed at a large stony building with a huge black fencing. How dreary. If buildings could have auras, Harry felt that it was bleak, like a dullish gray, and perhaps even depressing. Maybe the true atmosphere of the Orphanage was within the structure itself, and not of its exterior.

The police car had stopped at the gates. At the left side of the gates was an intercom system. Paul lowered down his window and pressed the big gray button. White noise was emitted for a while until a voice of a squeaky woman came on.

"Newcomer, eh? I'll open the gates for you," the gates started opening. "Walk through to the main foyer, and you will meet Madam Lefebvre." The the intercom was shut off, and the tar-black gates opened up wide.

The police car entered into the old parking lot, and parked into a spot among many.

Apparently, there were very few visitors on that particular day, if any at all. The officers and Harry had walked towards the entrance. Harry noticed how the doors were dented and worn out, especially when they screeched open. Once inside, the first thing noticed by Harry was how the oak hardwood flooring was shiny and squeaky. Not so bad. The walls were a light yellow, aging, but certainly cheerful, and there was a large old staircase laid out in the middle of the main room. Though, the details were fuzzy since he put away his glasses in his pocket.

A woman with graying hair came down the creaky stairs. She had a red cane in her left hand, and a key in the right. Her peppered hair of dull brown and silver was tucked snugly into a tight bun. Madam Lefebvre wore a clean and professional-styled navy blue dress, though she seemed snobbish with her neat nails and overuse of makeup. Harry started to hear his heartbeat thumping while he sweated. The place was too clean, and the Madam herself seemed like a neat prick as well based on her appearance. It seemed as if there were really strict rules in place, because not one sound came from upstairs, nor were there any sounds of children playing. Maybe he was wrong and those horror stories were true, and the Dursleys were nicer. If only he hadn't thrown that punch back…

"Welcome to Alcott Orphanage. I am Madam Lefebvre, the head. Our lovely co-owner, Ms. Pritchard, will be here shortly to help with any paperwork. If you two gentlemen do not mind, I will show the boy to his room." Her accent is of french origin, and it almost clashed with her weary voice. Between the smoothness of the language against the harshness of her voice, it did sound like a horrible paradox. This woman screams fake, Harry frowned. The officers sat in two seats where the woman had motion them towards. Harry made a last glance at the officers before he followed the woman upstairs. She oddly enough, didn't use her cane to aid in her movement.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

It was too quiet. Where were the other children? No sounds of laughter were booming among the thin walls, and the place almost seemed as if no one was living there.

On the second floor, there was only one spare room, Room 256. It must be his room. Madam Lefebvre took the brass key and inserted it into the barren door. When the door opened, he found that there was very little inside the room. The walls were white and the wooden flooring was very worn compared to the bright oak in the hallway. There was a window, cabinet, old iron radiator, and a bunker bed to fill in the empty place. It was absolutely better than a cupboard, but still very small and bleak.

Harry felt pride that he finally had a room and it was not a cupboard. He sat down on his bed taking in the sights, also wondering who was sleeping in the other bed.

"I assume you can read, darling?" Her voice was dull.

"Yes." replied Harry. As long as he didn't have to write.

"There are rules for all that live within this residence," She handed him a piece of rolled parchment, as well as his key. Through the slight bleeding of ink through the parchment, the green-eyed boy could see it was a very long list. The french lady's tone quickly turned ice-cold, "if you are found breaking these rules, do not expect light punishments. I best be off downstairs helping Ms. Pritchard with your papers. Your roommate will bring you new belongings." Harry raised an eyebrow, so he did have a roommate.

The old woman turned towards the door, but then abruptly stopped, "say child, pray tell your name."

"Ha─Derek Smith, madam." Harry stumbled on his fabricated name.

It seemed that the woman was missing a few screws in the head, and it was best be not to provoke her in any way possible. He quickly learned in the Dursley household how to react around unstable people, and his Uncle had the misfortune of being of them.

"Humpf," Madam Lefebvre had pranced away from the room, and closed Harry's door. He could hear the head descending down the creaky staircase. Harry sat down on the lower bed, though he was not sure which bed was his. He took out the square glasses from his pocket and put them on. He could see much more clearly.

"Pst! Hello Derek." It was a boy's voice.

At the crack of Harry's door, there was a chubby boy with sandy blonde hair. He had coffee brown eyes, and an expression plastered all over his face screaming 'troublemaker.'

"Are you my roommate?" Harry was direct, but kept a cool expression. He had no idea if this boy was friend or foe.

"Yes I am, and that's my bed," Cody snickered. Harry got off the bed and stood, holding the paper in his hand. My name is Cody. Me and the rest of the second floor sneaked to the playground. Want to join us?" He sounded sincere.

"I'm not sure. I need to figure out how to get my stuff." Harry was conflicted over having fun or staying in case Madam Lefebvre came back. Normally, he would have jumped for the moment, but his new caretakers were unpredictable.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get you all set later. Don't be such a twat. Madam Leffy always scares the newcomers with the rules. If you get out of her hair, she will not cross yours. What's the worst that can happen?" Harry was giving Cody credit for trying hard.

"Okay. Where is this playground?" Having a little fun may not be so bad after all.

"It's three blocks away. Follow me!" Cody was careful in keeping the door from creaking. Harry followed him, and still being cautious, locked his room.

Past the super-clean hardwood floors, they made way to Room 224. Cody pulled out a key and then unlocked the door. Then Cody took out his key, and made a wedge in the floorboards. Three of them popped off easy. Harry was shocked, seeing a hole in the floor.

"It's a well-known secret over all the boys in this floor. Don't tell Madam Leffy or Ms. Pritchy if you are smart enough." admonished Cody.

Harry only nodded.

The two boys went inside of a pitch-black passageway within the floor. There were no lights and many cobwebs, though Harry didn't mind, as after all, he grew up with spiders in his tiny cupboard. After climbing in the hole, Harry could see a faint light in the distance. Cody somehow wedged the floorboards back into place from Room 224.

"Come on, Derek. I know it's a bit dark, but can't you see the other side?" Cody turned away from the entrance.

"I see it. Three blocks you say?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, three blocks. It's bloody great and Madam Leffy never knows we are gone!" Harry could tell Cody was smiling, even in the pitch-black.

After sifting through the cobwebs and the dark, Harry could see there was a thin crack that let out light. Harry could hear a scratching noise, and then makeshift wall was opened from the inside. The broken part of the wall was hidden in some shrubbery. Any passersby would never see how the boys enter and leave the orphanage besides through the front door. Cody again showed Harry the way, and then covered the wall haphazardly.

"You have to show me sometime how to get a key to that room." Harry stated.

"Maybe." The blonde boy had a mischievous countenance.

"Where do we go?" Harry shrugged.

"This way!" Cody started to run off towards a street.

Harry kept up with Cody. Eventually, the roguish boy slowed down a bit. Two blocks left. During the time walking, the boys had opened up to each other. Both found that they had some things in common and the chatter became serious quickly.

"My cousin was a lousy one. He had a girlfriend the last I remember; ran off with her into the sunset so to speak when he was ready to leave. I heard she got knocked up," chuckled Cody. He turned to Harry, and had an amusing expression. "Do you know any of your cousins?"

"My cousin is mad. Resembles a giant beach ball. He calls it 'Harry Hunting', when he feels like giving me a punch. Harry had a face of disgust. "I-"

"Hairy hunting? Does he smear dog hair all over you or something?" Cody asked.

"Harry is my-" Harry stopped himself. He carefully chosen his words, hoping his new-found friend hadn't noticed the slip up. "...like I said, Cousin is mad."

"Why would he call you Harry? You don't look a bit hairy to me."

"No," Harry snickered. "Anyway, he usually throws the punch at me for no reason. Then comes my aunt angry that I hurt her poor son."

"That's sound pathetic." Cody interjected.

"Yeah, well, somehow my Uncle and Aunt thought that I became some freak they needed to leave by the road or something... They shoved a bag at me, and told me to pack quickly."

Cody looked at him seriously.

"They left me in some alley. I walked for hours and hours until some police officers found me. That's how I ended up at the station, and the Deputy placed me in this orphanage."

Harry sighed. No point in hiding that.

He could have said 'None of your business,' but something about that golden boy made Harry tell what happened. There were some feelings of anxiousness, and doubt whether it was the right time or place to divulge such a secret.

Cody nodded. It was no light confession. Both were quiet for a bit.

In the distance, there was an old playground. Many children, mostly boys, likely from the orphanage were playing various games.

"You need to meet my friends." With the previous conversation pushed aside, Cody had a gaping smile.

The two boys ran in the playground. A summer day with many rays, it was no wonder all the orphans didn't want to be cooped up in the Orphanage. There were many boys with old hand-me-downs. Some of the boys were only barely past the age of their toddler years while others were almost old enough to hold a job. All had sneaked out of the orphanage, with no sense of responsibility. Careless and free.

"Yo, Chip and Zafar! Meet the new kid, Derek." Cody walked towards two boys.

One was a tall person who looked to be of middle-eastern descent, while the other was a short, pudgy ginger with many freckles. The tall guy seemed a couple of years older than Harry, and had a demeanor that would scare most pranksters away. No one would want to mess with him. The freckled kid seemed timid and shy. It seemed as if the older one was like a bodyguard to the shy ginger. Harry Potter came up to the trio to properly introduce himself and hopefully get on their good side. The tall boy and his friends looked incredibly intimidating, and if possible to have them as an ally, Harry would be fortunate.

"Hi, my name is Derek." Harry took out his hand to shake theirs.

"Chip" said the pudgy ginger. He shook hands with Harry.

"I don't trust you." Presumably Zafar was the tall one. He gave Harry a nasty glare.

Harry frowned at that, "You barely know me as I barely know you. It's not fair to judge me if you don't know how I act," defended Harry.

"Very well, but don't think I am not keeping an eye on you. Harm this Blondie or my Ginger friend, you are not going to have a happy time here." The middle-eastern kid softened. "My name is Zafar."

Harry and Zafar shook hands.

Zafar was a harsh and very cold kid. Harry was wondering what the tall kid had a problem with. It was as if Zafar had a personal problem or something with Harry, but he never met—or had he? It was very strange. There was no Dudley Dursley that made Zafar hostile, but only Harry himself had created that accordance. If the social climate in the Orphanage was harsh, then there was an understanding of Zafar's actions. Harry would just have to find out later.

The four of the boys played. Obviously, there was distance between Zafar and Harry, and the rest of the orphans were not very accepting of Harry. It was nice of them to let Harry take part, and the green-eyed boy never had friends in Privet Drive. The culprit of Harry's lack of a social life was of a family. The Dursleys. There were a variety of games, and after playing for many hours, the orphans were tired and hungry. It was dinner time very soon. All of them seemed to have skipped lunch, if the orphanage even served it.

The sun was starting to set. The boys had started to walk towards the Orphanage, three blocks ahead. It was a strange miracle that the orphans were almost invisible, and none of the drivers they passed by had taken real notice that a mob of young juveniles had no adult supervision. There were many Londoners that walked on foot to get to their destinations. In other essence, the boys were just a group of many within the busy streets of the great English city. After the three blocks had passed, the group of orphans waddled their way to the secret passage. One boy apparently had coined it as the 'Thrifty Way', but most of the boys laughed it off as a ridiculous name. The rumor goes that the term was accepted as an unofficial name, but it truly is inane. A short and beefy boy had opened the passageway shrouded by the foliage and shrubbery. Harry Potter could barely see the method in how the crack was opened. All the boys went tumbling inside quickly to not alert any pedestrians and drivers. All the boys were in darkness for a bit, climbing to the second floor, and it was a miracle that the co-owners never noticed the children gone, or had they?

At the other side, the boys could make out the light. Another boy had volunteered to thrust in the key to open the floorboards. Tumbling out of the floor inconspicuously as they could, all the boys fell out and went into their rooms to freshen up before dinnertime. The door was soon covered in dust and dirt from the dirty feet and what else came from the floorboard. Using his key, Harry had unlocked his door, made an unofficial wave at his new-found friends and went into the room. Cody went to get his new stuff.

"What a strange day.." Harry mumbled.

Dirty as he was, he changed into fresh clothes similar to the kind he worn today when Cody came back. Madam Lefebvre would never notice even the glasses that he wore suddenly and she's too strict with her rules anyways. The rules. Harry opened the thick bundle, removing the twine and opened it. Inside was very neat and small handwriting.

The Rules and Regulations of the Alcott Household

We, the co-owners, Miss Ceri Pritchard and Madam Élaine Lefebvre ask that all the children of Alcott Orphanage follow all these rules. Failure to comply will be dastardly consequences listed in the following.

Be at the breakfast table by 7:00 in mornings. During school days, the time will be pushed to 6:30.

Bedtime is at 21:00 sharp.

Arrive to dinnertime at 19:00 sharp every night.

No horse playing business in front of the owners.

Soliciting is forbidden.

Flirtation, romance and snogging is not permitted within these walls.

Foul language and failure to respect elders is unacceptable.

Take care of yourselves. Brush your teeth twice a day, tuck your shirts in your pants, wash your hair regularly and brush it. Bathe regularly and adolescents must wash their faces. If you need sundries such as deodorant please let us know.

All clothing must be deemed acceptable. No tears and holes. Low cut tops, high dresses and skirts are not permitted for the ladies. Shoulder straps must be three finger thick at least. For the gentlemen, belts are mandatory, no underwear showing. Spikes, skulls, and unusual hairstyles or colors are not permitted.

Adults will not be interrupted while talking.

No parading through the lobby. Running outside in large groups while storming through the entrance, dirtying everything is to be avoidable.

Proper table manners at the table are required. If you fail to know of this etiquette and are new, then we will pull you aside quietly to teach you.

Noise levels must be down. Laughter and running in the hallways are not permitted. We don't want to hear you.

Call the adults by our proper names. There will be no name slandering of the caretakers.

Bullying is not permitted. Give us evidence and report such behavior. They will be dealt with.

Illegal activities, Gangs, and Drugs are not permitted.

Stealing and Black Markets are prohibited. We will find out what you are smuggling or stealing. Keep your nimble fingers to yourselves.

Pets are not allowed.

If you have a religious affiliation or allergy that prevents you from eating a certain food, please let us know. The last thing we need is a kid eating a peanut and jelly sandwich, only to stop breathing. Your health is important to us. If your glass prescription is inadequate, please let us know so we can get funds for it.

Summer work and Homeworks must be completed in this household. We take the education of our orphans very seriously. It is expected of our children to be good students with healthy work habits and passion towards their work. Unhealthy work habits and studying is unacceptable within this household. Mandatory attendance in school is required unless of need in medical attention.

We expect a very neat and orderly household. It is up to the children on how it must be done, but floors must be beaming, carpets spotless, tables wiped off, clean kitchen and dishes. Laundry must be done by the children to be taught skills when they leave for success. Walls and windows should be washed, and furniture should be dustless. This place is a place for well-behaved youngsters, not scoundrels, keep it that way. Rooms will be inspected regularly. Rooms must be kept clean and organized.

If you break these rules within a month. in exception to illegal activities:

The first infraction is a verbal warning.

The second infraction is taking away your entertainment. Toys will be taken for a while.

The third infraction will be taking away of mealtimes.

Fourth infraction will be a spanking.

Fifth infraction will be a report to the police.

Sixth infraction will be your last. You will either go to a new home, or if the crime is illegal, expect prison.

Harry read the long list of rules. It was strict, but it seemed better than what the Dursleys could offer. He noticed that there was only five minutes before dinnertime. Putting back rules in the tight bundle it was, Harry grabbed his key and opened the door. Many children were already walking down the stairs.

Creak. Rickety. Creak.

Following the other orphans, Harry found himself in a very large room. How they could afford the giant table, Harry would never know. Deputy Brooke done Harry well. In the sea of faces, Harry spotted Cody waving at him to come over.

Harry sat himself down next to Cody and his two other friends. All the orphans were chatting.

"Each floor every three days rotates on who makes the food, who cleans the tables, and who does the dishes. This time, our floor does the dishes." Cody interjected.

"Thanks, Cody." Harry smiled. The boy was very mischievous, but also kind. Too kind.

The day may have been strange, but Harry had loads of fun. Maybe the orphanage was not so bad, and he could thank Deputy Brooke for placing him in a good home. Life was stable once again, though Harry wouldn't know how to keep his secret of weirdness. He hoped that he wouldn't do strange things, like appearing on roofs at St. Grogory, but it was not guaranteed. Dudley was not there to make him feel insecure, and if the boys and girls within the orphanage left him alone, maybe he could just be normal for once.

For that night, Harry was happy.