By late June of 1991, London barely saw any sunlight, even in summer.
A steady drizzle had hung over the city for half a month. Only when the month was about to end did the heavy clouds finally start to thin. Compared to most places in the world, weather in the low twenties felt almost pleasant.
In a small park on Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, a thin boy in oversized, ill-fitting clothes sat slumped on a swing. His name was Harry Potter. He'd been living with his aunt and uncle at number four ever since his parents died when he was a year old.
Judging from his clothes, it was obvious he wasn't treated particularly well.
No one would be shocked, really. He wasn't their child, and school expenses weren't cheap. Before Vernon got promoted at Grunnings, his annual salary barely cleared a little over ten thousand pounds. Once the mortgage, car payments, and daily costs were paid, there wasn't much left to cover tuition for two boys the same age.
Even after the 1988 Education Reform Act removed tuition for public primary schools, mandatory fees still piled up. They were paying no less than they would've before the bill passed.
But the reason Harry was dragging himself back and forth on the swing today wasn't because he'd been horribly mistreated. Yes, he'd just been let out of the cupboard under the stairs, but he knew he'd earned that one.
He really shouldn't have made the glass at the reptile exhibit vanish during Dudley's birthday trip to the zoo. That huge Brazilian-born-but-never-been-there python had slithered right out afterward. And okay, Harry had laughed when Dudley toppled into the snake enclosure's pool like a soaked turkey, but even he knew he'd crossed a line.
Still, Harry could swear he hadn't done it on purpose.
Some things just happened around him, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. Like the time the school bullies chased him and he somehow ended up on the roof without knowing how he got there. If he could control it, Harry would've happily sent those bullies flying through the air instead.
He stared down at the pebbles under his shoes, nudging them back and forth as the swing creaked. His hair stuck out in every direction, and a stubborn tuft on top refused to lie flat, no matter how he pressed it down.
One of the pebbles skittered away after a careless kick. His gaze followed it automatically. When he lifted his head, his vision blurred for a second—someone was suddenly standing right in front of him.
Did I imagine that? Harry rubbed his eyes. He was sure that boy hadn't been there a moment ago. It was like he'd just… appeared out of thin air.
Unless Harry had simply missed his approach. He hadn't been paying attention, and the boy's footsteps might've been quiet.
"Sorry. I didn't hit you with that rock, did I?"
Harry spoke a little nervously, his eyes drifting upward until he saw a clean, delicate face. A boy. His black hair was a bit long and tied back loosely with a strip of cloth. His eyes were dark—not like Harry's bright green ones. He was thin too, though his clothes fit better, making him look cleaner and more put together than Harry.
"No," the boy said with a small shake of his head. He pointed at the empty swing next to Harry. "Mind if I sit here? I've been walking a long time and I'm a bit tired."
"Sure! Yeah, that's fine!"
Harry perked up. He didn't have many friends. At school, hardly anyone wanted to play with the "freak."
"Thanks." The boy nodded and gave a light smile. "My name's Lynn."
"Nice to meet you!" Harry grinned, then turned his head toward the boy on the next swing. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"Did you just move here?" Harry asked. He was sure he'd never seen this boy before.
"No, just passing through." Lynn shook his head. "I don't have a home. Or rather… wherever I go becomes home."
He patted the backpack slung over his shoulder. "Everything I own is in here."
"Oh…" Harry wasn't sure what to say. "Did you run away or…?"
"Literally what I said. The orphanage shut down. I escaped before they shipped me off to a new one where they treated kids like livestock. And one of the adults there looked at me the way a priest looks at little boys. For the sake of my backside, separating from them seemed wise."
Harry blinked. Then Lynn told him the hellish story of priests and young boys.
"That's awful."
Harry's face twisted. Suddenly, he felt a bit lucky. At least he hadn't been dumped in an orphanage. The Dursleys weren't great, but they kept him safe, sent him to school, and let him attend the same one as Dudley.
He didn't get birthday presents and wore hand-me-downs, but he ate enough, and even his tiny cupboard kept out the rain. He wasn't sleeping on the street.
"Are you planning to sleep here tonight?" Harry pointed at the park, where only two or three trees offered the barest shade. "There are some empty houses on Privet Drive. I can tell you which ones. You could hop the fence and sneak in. Even staying under the eaves would keep you dry."
"If you don't have food, I can sneak something from the kitchen later. Aunt Petunia will think Dudley stole it from the fridge. She won't suspect me."
"Thanks, but it's alright. I've got food."
Lynn waved it off with a smile. He was thin, but his clothes were neat. Next to him, Harry looked more like the one roughing it in the streets. Dudley's old clothes were far too big, even the ones from years ago.
"So, Harry," Lynn said, "why are you out here alone? Something bothering you?"
"I…" Harry scratched his messy hair and stared gloomily at the ground again.
"You probably won't believe me. About a week ago, it was Dudley's birthday. Mrs. Figg broke her leg, so Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon couldn't leave me with her. They took me to the zoo instead. And I messed up. I made the glass in front of the snake disappear. I swear I didn't mean to! I didn't even understand what happened…"
Harry looked up miserably. "You probably think I'm making it up. But I'm not lying. I don't know how I did it. It just… happened."
"What if I say I believe you?"
Harry's head snapped up. His eyes lit. No one had ever said that to him before.
"You… you don't think I'm making it up?"
"Nope."
Lynn lifted his hand. "I can do a few things that aren't normal either."
A pebble rose from the ground as if plucked by invisible fingers, floating into Lynn's palm.
"How'd you do that?!"
Harry almost fell off the swing. His eyes sparkled with shock and a yearning he'd never admit out loud. If he could control something like that… if he could control himself…
"Three years. At least three hours every day." Lynn held up three fingers. "I started practicing the moment I left the orphanage. Haven't stopped since."
"And that's not all. I can also…"
He vanished.
Harry whipped his head around. A hand tapped his shoulder, and he jolted so hard he almost threw himself off the swing.
"Teleportation? Wow! That's amazing!" Harry gasped.
"Something like that."
"Is it magic?"
"Not sure. I just call it a superpower."
Lynn sat back down, rocking gently.
"I did something like that once too," Harry said. "When some kids were chasing me at school, I suddenly ended up on the roof. Freaked the teacher out. Aunt Petunia got called in and yelled at. My dinners were halved for a week."
"Think I could learn it?" Harry's expression brightened for the first time that day. His strange episodes had only ever gotten him in trouble.
"No idea. Maybe."
"So… can you teach me?" Harry leaned forward, nervous and hopeful.
"My method…" Lynn frowned. After a short hesitation, he slowly shook his head. "I don't think you could use it."
"Why not?" Harry deflated instantly.
"Probably because…" Lynn's voice dropped, "you've never almost been stabbed to death with a knife."
Harry shivered. Only now did it hit him—someone wandering alone like Lynn must've lived through things Harry couldn't imagine.
Harry fell silent. In his mind, Lynn had clearly awakened his abilities after scraping past death.
"Just kidding."
Lynn suddenly grinned and patted his shoulder. He set his backpack down and rummaged inside.
A dramatic dun-dun-dun-dunnn~ kind of sound seemed to hum in the air as he pulled out something the size of a triple-stacked hamburger. It was a box marked with red and blue stripes, the red band dotted with yellow circles. It looked plastic, but felt cold like metal.
"Superpower Training Box. Use it three hours a day for three years and you'll awaken a superpower. But this one's second-hand, so it only works once."
"Uh…" Harry stared, lost and pitiful.
"I'm not lying to you, Harry. We just met, but I don't enjoy tricking people."
"Okay…" Harry had no idea how real any of this was, but given his own life, he wasn't one to doubt the impossible. And he liked Lynn.
"But even if the box doesn't work anymore," Lynn said, "I can still help you a little. My power's limited, but I'll do what I can."
"What's troubling you the most?"
Harry hesitated.
"I really do want to learn superpowers, but… that's not the biggest thing right now." He took a breath. "I want my aunt and uncle to not be so… scared of me. They're frightened of the weird things I can't control."
"I just want to get along with them. Even though I've caused them trouble."
He glanced at Lynn, hoping he understood.
"Will it make you happy?" Lynn asked quietly.
"I think so. If we could get along… yeah."
"It won't be easy." Lynn frowned. Just as Harry opened his mouth to say forget it, Lynn looked up again, a small, sure smile forming. "I've got an idea. Not a perfect one, but an idea."
"Really? You mean you can actually make my aunt and uncle…"
"Yes. But it'll cost you something. You want their acceptance, right?"
"Pretty much." Harry nodded. "So what do I have to give up? Are we making a contract or something…?"
"No, no. I'm not a demon. I don't want your soul. I like helping people because I want them to be happier. Life's ninety percent bitter, ten percent sweet. A little extra joy is worth it."
Lynn's expression was sincere enough to trust.
"So what's the price?" Harry still couldn't help feeling nervous.
"All I can say is that with my current ability, I can offer only one chance. As for the price, I can't tell you yet. But it won't hurt you. You won't get sick or die. You won't lose your health. You won't turn into a monster."
He rummaged through his bag again as that imaginary background music chimed.
This time, he produced a thin, square cracker.
"Eat this, and you'll get a whole new life. The change can be reversed, but not right now—I only have one."
"If you decide to go through with it, eat it. If not, then bring it back here tomorrow. I'll be staying nearby."
The cracker felt impossibly heavy in Harry's hand. Lynn's words sounded outrageous, but his voice was steady and his eyes were earnest. Even with all his doubts, Harry finally nodded.
"I'll think about it seriously, Lynn."
"Oh, and Harry—if you decide to eat it, head to the bathroom right afterward."
"Why?" Harry blinked.
"So it activates right away. That's how it'll change your life."
Lynn gave his shoulder a gentle tap, picked up his backpack, and strolled off.