novelraw Chapter 1 Grandpa Alfred from America
Chapter 1 Grandpa Alfred from America
Harry lowered his head and kept twisting the hem of his worn-out shirt, almost poking a hole in the faded fabric.
She didn't understand why she was called into the dean's office again. She had been very good for the past three days, except that when she came to the orphanage on the first day, she unknowingly set fire to the hair of a little boy who wanted to hit her. stir up anything.
On the contrary, she quite liked the orphanage, she ate and went to bed on time - her appetite was already very small, and she could eat enough in the orphanage.She didn't have to get up in the morning to cook for her aunt's family, and she didn't have to sleep in the cupboard, and Dudley would stomp her feet every time he passed by, making her covered in ashes.
She is still very sad about the tragedy of the plane crash of her aunt's family. No matter what, her aunt is her last relative.
According to my aunt, her parents died in a car accident, so now she can't understand why tragedies always happen to her.
Aunt Irene, who takes care of the girls at the orphanage, said that everything is God's will.Harley was very unconvinced about this. If this is the case, then God must really dislike her.
Just like aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers and classmates at school, I don’t like myself in worn-out boys’ shirts.
Harley wiped her face with her shirt sleeve and brushed her messy hair a few times. She hoped that she could be tidy so that the headmaster and the little friends in the orphanage might like her. She really wanted someone to like her.
I heard from Mary that after she has been in the orphanage for a week, she will receive a uniformly made skirt—Harry can look forward to it.
Harry had been thinking so much, but the dean still didn't come in.Through the window glass, Harry saw that the dean was talking with an old man, and the old man's eyes fell on himself through the glass window from time to time.
Harley could only continue to wait, and her thoughts drifted back to the scene where she was taken to the orphanage four days ago.
When the social worker showed up at Mrs. Figg's house, she looked very reluctant for Harry to leave, but Mrs. Figg usually didn't show that she liked her?
Mrs. Figg kept blocking the social workers, saying that she would send a letter to a professor named Deng, but the social workers insisted on taking Harry away.
She also remembered that Aunt Irene said that children on their birthday can get a small piece of cake.Today is Halle's birthday, and she is officially 8 years old from today.
And what she is most worried about now is, if she spends so much time in the dean's office, will she miss the first exclusive cake in her life?
She never had a cake of her own, she only got a chance to have a bite or two on her cousin's birthday - depending on how fast she ate, because the cousin always snatched all the cake.
At this time, the dean and the grandfather finally finished talking.Harry saw that the old man walked into the office under the leadership of the dean.
Under Harry's curious gaze, the dean pulled up a stool and sat in front of Harry, while the old man and Harry sat on the dean's comfortable soft sofa.
The dean is a strict aunt, and Harley doesn't hate her, and maybe she will like her in the future.
"Harry," the dean smiled, which meant that he hadn't caused any trouble. Harry carefully observed the expressions of the two adults and came to this conclusion.
"This is your relative," the director said to Harry, pointing to the old man next to Harry, "he is your mother's uncle, and he is here to pick you up today. You don't need to stay in the orphanage anymore."
Harley was shocked by the sudden news. She saw the old man from the dean, and then saw the dean from the old man, and didn't know what to do.
If she is still a relative like her aunt... She would rather stay in the orphanage, she will not be hungry anymore, and she will not wear her cousin's shirt anymore, she will receive a small skirt soon...
Perhaps it was Harley's frightened eyes that surprised the two adults, and they looked at each other.
The dean said softly, "What's the matter, Harley? Are you unhappy that someone picked you up?..."
At this moment, the old man raised his hand, signaling the dean to let him speak.
The old man got up from the sofa, squatted down in front of Harry, and looked straight into her eyes.
"My name is Alfred, you can call me Grandpa Afu, isn't your name Harry? Harry Potter?"
Harry nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I am your mother's uncle. I still remember her when she was a child. Your eyes are exactly the same as your mother's. I rushed back from the United States when you were born. I can still remember when your parents hugged you when you were just born. When, their happy expressions, you are such a small group..."
"Can I not go with you? I want to stay here..." Harry's voice became smaller and smaller. She knew it was impolite to interrupt an adult, but if she didn't say anything, she was about to cry.
"Can you tell me why?" The old man asked patiently and softly.
Harry wept quietly and kept shaking his head.
"Harry, I heard something from the dean... about your physical condition, I'm sorry, I didn't know about Penny before... I didn't treat you as my own, and I too... just found out about your parents' special place', and what a great sacrifice they made."
The old man stretched out his hand to hold Harry's little hand, and took out a clean white handkerchief with the other hand to wipe away the tears on Harry's little face.
The old man's hands were rough, but it made Harry feel a rare closeness and warmth.
"My aunt said... said... my parents died in a car accident... said it was my father's fault..." Harry cried a little out of breath, with snot and tears covering his face.
The old man also wiped Harry's little nose, which was not dirty at all.
"Your aunt...and her husband have concealed some key facts. I will tell you in detail later, when you are ready, okay?"
Harry nodded, and then shed two more tears.
"...please take an old man's word that I'm not like your aunt and uncle, I'll never do that to you; I've raised more than one 8-year-old boy... 8-year-olds as strong as you .* If you come with me, I'll have you as my own child, and you'll have an uncle who can do anything, and four brave older brothers - none like Dudley. They'll all love you as much as I do. "
The old man looked at Harry with gentle eyes, and made a promise to Harry word by word.
"You'll come to America with me, live in a big house, and you'll have your own room—any color room you want. You'll have lots of toys. I'll cook for you every day— — but you can’t eat whatever you want, you’re still growing, you have to eat more vegetables and less sugar.”
Hearing what the old man said, Harley gradually stopped crying, and she asked tentatively in a low voice, "Can I... have a small skirt?"
The old man smiled, and Harry loved those wrinkles around his eyes.
"You can have as many little dresses as you want, but you have to pick your own. I raised five boys who didn't know how to buy things for girls. How? Are you a girl who can make up her own mind? Make a decision? Know what color you like? What animal do you like?"
Harry nodded vigorously. She likes red and yellow, puppies, and all small animals, except maybe snakes. Snakes always want to talk to her and ask her to let them go. Harry can't do it at all, only one Apologizing vigorously, she doesn't like the feeling of needing to apologize to everyone all the time.
"Harry, who has her own opinion, is willing to go to the United States with Grandpa Afu?"
Harry thought for a while, then nodded slowly. She has no relatives in England, and she doesn't have many friends to play with as she does housework at home every day—it seems that there is really no reason for her not to want to leave.
Grandpa Afu gently wiped away the remaining tears on Harry's face, combed the messy hair that blocked his eyes, and paused when he brushed the lightning scar on Harry's forehead inadvertently.
"Does it still hurt here?"
Harry shook his head, this scar has been there since he was a child, because of this, his cousin Dudley laughed at him every day for being ugly, "a disfigured monster", he said.
"It's okay, Halle, your uncle and brothers have a lot of scars too, it's a medal that life gives us."
Harry half understood, but she could vaguely feel that it was a compliment.She stared blankly at Grandpa Ah Fu's gentle smile, thinking that this was the first time someone praised her ugly scars.
Grandpa A Fu did not let go of her little hand, but squeezed her little hand lightly, "How is it? Would you like to leave now? Your future uncle is also here today. I have to go through some procedures with the dean to adopt you, After that, you can live with us completely."
Harley stood up following Grandpa Ah Fu's gentle strength, and suddenly realized very clearly how worn and shabby the men's shirt was on her body... and Grandpa Ah Fu was wearing exquisite and straight adult clothes, and the shirt was shining white...
She felt that she must smell bad too... and messy hair... and silly round glasses...
Grandpa Afu is going to regret it, and that uncle, Harley wants to shrink herself into a ball again.
Contrary to Harry's expectation, Grandpa Afu hugged himself, and Harry sat in his arms, his hands naturally wrapped around Grandpa's neck.
Feeling the warm embrace of Grandpa Ah Fu, Ha Li felt that she was about to cry again.
"Harry is a strong girl." Grandpa Ah Fu said to Harley as he walked out of the dean's office. "While I go through the adoption procedures, can you stay in the car with your uncle first? Uncle will Take you to eat cake, if I remember correctly, today is your birthday."
Harley really wanted to stay strong in front of Grandpa Ah Fu, but the long-lost warmth and happiness hit her so violently that she couldn't hold back her tears.
Grandpa Afu handed her a clean handkerchief (Grandpa Afu is amazing, there are so many handkerchiefs), gently patted Harley on the back, and carried her out of the orphanage gate, in a shiny black car He stopped before and slowly put Harry down.
Sure enough, there was a tall uncle standing beside the car.After Harry stood still, the uncle squatted down, turned out a puppet teddy bear from behind, and handed it to Harry with a smile.
Harry looked up, looked at Grandpa Afu, turned around after Grandpa Afu nodded, and hesitantly reached out to take the cute teddy bear—this was the first plush toy she owned.
"Thanks... sir," Harry whispered, and she really liked it.
"You're welcome, I'm Bruce Wayne."
The nice-smelling uncle stretched out his hand, and Harry embraced the plush teddy bear with one arm, and spread out a small hand to hold the uncle's broad palm, shaking it, feeling like an adult.
"You can call me Uncle Bruce."
Harry nodded and said seriously, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."
The author has something to say:
*Both Bruce and Dick witnessed the murder of their parents when they were 8 years old.