Vernon Dursley cared little for others at first glance. He seemed like all he wanted was to be considered a normal upper middle slog.
That was not always the case.
It was early March at eaton. He was working in the library putting away books. He enjoyed the quiet of the place. The carts would squeek and the books smelled like home. He felt a comfort there among the stacks.
The kid's name was Easton McDonnell. His family owned a chain of gambling dens along the Channel. He also was known by many to be well liked by all the girls. Vernon was putting away the books from the C section when McDonnell came up from behind and gave him the wedgie of a life time.
Vernon screamed making all the quiet heads in the place turn towards him. McDonnell still had him by the elastic and he was struggling to get free.
Madam Potter, the library's head, caught then sound and dropped her Wedgwood tea cup to run toward the commotion. The smell of over wrought tea wafted over the air.
"McDonnell!" she yelled. "Leave that boy alone. He's my best worker. Go torture someone else."
He released Vernon and ran off. Madam Potter helped him to a seat and pulled out her kerchief and wiped his tear stained cheeks.
"I hate that boy," Vernon hissed. "I don't like being the weird one."
The older woman slowly helped him to his feet. Her daughters were like him and McDonnell: one obsessed with being perfectly normal and vocal about how she hated her sister Lilly and the other perfectly happy to walk around with a boy who looked pale and drawn.
"Vernon I think you need to spend a little less time here. Get out a little bit," she said.
She handed him a number and on it was a name: Petunia.
He held on to petunia's hand as they entered the old hall. He was as nervous as he was. He took her up the stairs to the old room.
The library was oak paneled. Mayberry had a green leather bound edition of gullivers travels. Vernon just kept statig at it. He longed to touch it. But then he heard the sound of a wine bottle being uncorked and knew it was time to go.
He swiped wine glasses with lord chamberlain the school guidance counselor. He drank and drank, quietly in a corner. At dinner, he staggered through the first four courses. Game hen was good because it soaked up the the booze.
He saw the coat of arms on the wall. He finished then a mouse bouche and went for it. He stumbled of a fork on the floor. When he finished the emblem looked distinctly like a more erect item.
McDonnell quietly asked the headmaster to be nice to Vernon. He served one days detention and earned a life times worth of respect from McDonnell. And a host of jokes from his girlfriend Petunia.
Harry moved in late in 1980 and Vernon was horrified. If anyoen found out he had a nephew with that scar and his parents died because of some crazy sorcerer, well it would ruin him. McDonnell was an executive at his company and had not changed much over the years. He'd replaced wedgie's and beatings with late shifts and office pranks. And if someone were really unusal, he just figured out how to get them fired.
He rarely talked about his family. He didn't want to attract this arse's attention.