The stones crunched softly under foot as Jimmy strode, head down and determined, down the long, twisting path that lead to the house he once knew. The trees on either side swayed gently in the light breeze, making the narrow entrance into the farm seem even more unwelcoming and foreboding to him, not helped by the slowly darkening skies as rain threatened to creep onto the land.
Cows who were quietly grazing, stopped and stared at this strange young man who was walking boldly into their master's domain. Keeping his focus on the quaint, somewhat run down house in the distance, Jimmy quickened his pace, his coat starting to billow out behind him as the wind took hold of it, almost as if nature itself was trying to hold Jimmy back. Bursting through the gate, narrowly missing the various chickens and ducks that scurried from his advancing march, Jimmy suddenly froze as he came face to face with the cracked, peeling green door that contained the creators of his troubled past.
His previous assured demeanor had vanished as Jimmy averted his eyes from the door that had suddenly towered high above him, representing the enormity of the task he was facing.
It had been six years to this very day when Jimmy had been branded an outsider, tossed out of this house as nonchalantly as one would discard litter. As traumatizing as that was, it was merely the final act of cruelty and torment that had been inflicted on him by two people who, in their eyes at least, never had a son.
Jimmy always was different from his parents. Thin and lanky with pale, white skin, Jimmy was a world apart from his working class, weather beaten, salt of the earth parents. Preferring books and knowledge to manual labor and dirt, Jimmy very quickly grew cut off from his ever distrusting family. Sean and Molly McKenna were honest people who had acquired their small patch of tranquil, vibrant paradise, far from those pesky city folk, through blood, sweat and tears. In their eyes, any other way of life was lazy and distasteful, worthy only of contempt. The one thing that the McKenna's longed for, above all else, was a son molded in their image, eager to take the reins from them as their bones aged.
As time passed ever onward, and as Jimmy became more and more apparent that he was something of a cruel joke inflicted on his parents, Sean and Molly began to victimize and abuse the poor child. With each cruel whack of unforgiving leather on Jimmy's innocent skin, the McKenna's vented all of their anger and frustration at this perceived injustice to them.
It was always going to be something of a relief to Jimmy when the emergence of his potential for magic cast the final nail in coffin of the McKenna's dream of having a "normal" son. Fleeing to the safety of Hogwarts, with the heartless cries of "We don't have a son!" from his tear engulfed mother still ringing in his ears, Jimmy always knew that at some point, he would have to return, to what end he was not yet sure.
What better time to return than the day of his release from The Trace? This new found sense of adulthood and freedom had spurred Jimmy to confront the people that still cast a long, dark shadow over him. The distant squawking of nearby crows nestled in the trees brought Jimmy's mind back to the door in front of him. Closing his eyes, Jimmy took a long, deep breath, trying to clear his emotions. When he had opened them, the door that had towered above him, blocking out the Sun, had shrunk back to it's original size. Taking heart from this change, Jimmy pushed the door open and stepped inside, the peculiar fact that it was unlocked had passed unnoticed.
Once inside the house, wave after wave of painful nostalgia crashed into Jimmy. The familiar pictures and furniture sent him tottering around the room. It looked just like it did all those years ago, still carrying the strange odor of what seemed like time itself was dying inside. Taking a picture of his smiling parents into his trembling hands, Jimmy became lost in the surge of anger and pain that swept through him, locking him in a staring contest with the picture that was broken, after what seemed like forever, by a cold, sharp yet familiar voice behind him.
"Hello, freak.....".
Jimmy barely had time to react, never mind turn around, as a swift blow to the back of the head sent him crashing into the wall in front of him, where he slumped to the floor. Looking up blearily at his attacker, feeling the warm sensation of blood stream down his face, Jimmy could just about make out the hunched over, hate filled figure of his father before a brutal kick to the jaw sent him spiraling into the cold abyss of unconsciousness.
Jimmy awoke hours later, his face bruised and swollen. Attempting to get to his feet, only to be met by cold steel bars blocking his path, Jimmy sprawled face first onto the straw covered stone floor. He knew instantly where he was, he had been imprisoned inside one of the cages that his parents used to contain fowl. Cursing his luck, Jimmy scanned the room for his cowardly father.
He didn't have long to look as Sean sat directly in front of his new prison, sneering menacingly at Jimmy, his weathered hands clasped onto his cane which he used to keep himself upright. "So..." Sean grumbled disdainfully "What brought your sorry excuse of a body back here, huh?". Jimmy stared angrily up at his father, not giving the sadistic old man the pleasure of knowing he was getting to him. "Now, now..." Sean sneered as he whacked the bars of the cage with his cane "I do believe I asked you a question, you miserable runt!". Jimmy's hands shook visibly with rage, he had hoped at least to have a brief period of civility before the shouting and hostilities began.
"You should never have returned here, "son"" snarled Sean, extra venom and emphasis being placed on what was clearly his most hated word. "Your mother has already been driven into an early grave thanks to you! Can't you leave her to rest in peace??" This news hit Jimmy like a tonne of bricks. "S-she's...dead?" he stammered weakly, "W-when? How??". Sean cackled manically at the sight of Jimmy crumbling before his eyes, "Oh yes, she died soon after we threw your wretched hide out of this house! She couldn't stand the shame of having such a freak like you as a son!" he said quietly, the hurtfulness of his words not being lessened with the volume. Jimmy slumped to the side of the cage, his already dazed mind stuck in a state of shock. Satisfied with his handiwork, Sean stumbled out of the room, leaving Jimmy to wallow in darkness and despair.
Jimmy sat rooted to the spot for what seemed like hours, his mind blank save for the bombshell dropped on him by Sean. He was in such a state that it wasn't until the dead of night that he remembered his wand. Pulling it out feverishly, he pointed it at the lock, muttering hastily under his breath. The door sprang open and Jimmy scrambled to his feet. Dusting himself off, Jimmy made for the front door. He was stopped, however, when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the picture he was holding earlier. It now lay shattered and broken on the floor, representing what was left of the McKenna family. Feeling a new sense of rage and injustice, Jimmy turned his back on the front door and crept stealthily down the hall to his parent's room. Once inside, and looking upon the sleeping figure of his so called father, Jimmy contemplated his next move.
It didn't take long before one word crowded out all other thoughts.
Crucio...Crucio....say it....Crucio...
As the voice in his head grew louder and louder, Jimmy began to tremble. What was happening? Was this really necessary? . Soon though, every moment of torment and persecution inflicted upon him by his father came flooding back to the forefront of Jimmy's mind. As the red mist descended over his eyes, Jimmy raised his wand and spoke into the night.
"Crucio"
The Sun crept slowly over the farmhouse the following morning, illuminating all before it with its warmth. Except for Jimmy. Wiping flecks of blood from his face and fixing his hair, Jimmy strode towards and out the front door, callously kicking a cold, lifeless arm out of the way with his boot as he passed, never to look back.
by Jimmy McKenna Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:51 am