Looking back on the incident now, Harry couldn't believe at how his luck could actually fluctuate between two extremes within such a short amount of time. It was also, sadly, one of those times where Harry could with complete and utter confidence say he had acted like an idiot. Of course taunting Dudley had numerous benefits – such as releasing pent-up tension, proving once again that if a hippopotamus and a giraffe reproduced they'd end up with a pig, or even just feeling like he was giving back just a little bit of what Dudley gave him, but there was only one way the day could ever end; with Harry locked in the cupboard and Dudley gloating over the fact that the freak got his due.
It had all started a few months after Harry's 7th birthday. Strange happenings had been surrounding Harry for years now, but with the events including a shrinking jumper and the impossible regrowth of all his hair, Harry was wondering if his relatives could actually be right in a way – that some things were actually his fault! He listed them off in his head; strangers appearing and disappearing from thin air (which, yes, wasn't him specifically but still!), physically impossible shrinking and growth, his teachers' wig turning blue, all of these things had to tie together in some way or another! And Harry here was determined to find out.
The incident happened during an innocuous morning tea break. Harry had been going through with his usual plan for the day: avoid Dudley and his cronies at all costs. Normally this wasn't too hard as his fat bully of a cousin was easily sidetracked by all the other pliable, more easily targeted students. Today, however, Harry wasn't as lucky as he had accidentally managed to embarrass Dudley during their morning lessons. It wasn't as if it was his fault that Dudley didn't know the difference between America and Australia! The result of this: the gang was on the warpath!
It was as he had been trying to sneak around the playground corner on the way to the library that he had been spotted. The library, to Harry, was a sanctuary of sorts as Dudley's gang acted as if they were allergic to the large amounts of knowledge available inside the building. This was a relief for Harry as all students were allowed to sit inside and read during lunch period. He almost always took them up on the offer. Letting out a cry of triumph even as Harry cried out in despair, Piers Polkiss pointed out the shadowy form of Harry to the rest of the group.