Harry Potter: Rise of the Phoenix (unofficial book #7)
I don't own any of the characters and what not. All credit goes to J.K Rowling.
Fanfiction author- Last Rites (AKA Brandon M.)
Please don't copy this and publish it elsewhere, I really rather like it and it is my work afterall.
Dursley's Dilemma: Monday, June Week 3
It was still June, and had only been two days since Dumbledore's funeral. Harry Potter was back at the Dursley's as usual but had noticed a most unexpected change in his Aunt and Uncle, in which for once they were treating Harry with…respect. The change was practically overnight when the Dursley's had heard of Dumbledore's death. Harry sat in his room staring at the ceiling, with a peculiar look of suspicion on his face as he listened to his Uncle Vernon who was standing in his doorway. "Hello Uncle Vernon." Harry said simply, only glancing for a second at his uncle. His uncle looked
"Your Aunt wants to know if you would like…anything in particular for diner tonight." Uncle Vernon said looking ever so slightly pained, and with that he too started looking at the ceiling, as if it was a contest to see who could make the least eye contact. Harry was trying to make sense of this…request. Nothing like this had even happened before in any kind of remote happenstance. "You mean…for once in seventeen years I get to choose?" Harry said, actually surprised. It appeared his uncle had taken it as a sarcastic remark because his face turned ever a so slight shade of red. "Well boy, make up your mind already!' He gruffly shouted. Now he was looking at Harry.
Harry looked at his uncle and wondered whether they were trying to butter him up for something…maybe they would spring some unknown favor on him. Such as requesting he find another place to stay and never talk to them again. He wouldn't put it past them. "A salad will do fine." Harry replied not looking at anything other than the ceiling. "Okay boy, fine…alright." Chancing a glance Harry seen his uncle turning away looking slightly confused, closing the door behind him. Harry listened closely to hear his uncles footsteps walking away from his room and turned on his side and jumped out of bed. Smoothing his jeans out he hurriedly sat down at his small wooden desk against the wall and hastily pulled out a sheet of parchment he had brought back with him from Hogwarts. He really preferred that to the common office or notebook paper muggles used.
Pulling out his quill and inkwell he scribbled on the parchment:
Dear Hermione & Ron,
Your probably surprised to be hearing from me when we only left each
other two days ago. However, I thought I would just drop you a line and
tell you about the most peculiar change in the Dursley's. After hearing about Dumbledore's death they have become rather…kind for a change. Of course I am rather suspicious of this change but it's better than their usual manner. I just thought I would tell you about it.
-Harry
With that he rolled it up, tied it off and attached it to Hedwig's leg who was sitting on top her cage. "Hello Hedwig, sorry for interrupting your time off but would you mind taking this to the Burrow? Hermione is still with her Parents but I'm sure Ron will send it to her when he's done with it." Hedwig hooted softly in what Harry thought sounded like a confused tone. Harry thought that perhaps he had never given Hedwig such detailed instructions before. Walking across his room Harry opened his small window and let Hedwig fly out. Closing the window he stayed and watched as Hedwig vanished into the sunny sky. It would probably be a day before he got a response…if Ron bothered to take the time that is. He wasn't sure whether either Ron or Hermione cared to hear from him so soon….perhaps they were enjoying their time off. But it was just a letter after all. With that Harry opened his door and decided to risk a venture downstairs to perhaps spy on his aunt and uncle. Rounding the staircase railing at the bottom he peered around at his aunt and uncle who were talking in the kitchen. He could hear Dudley laughing in the living room.
Harry decided to sit on the other side of the couch and pretend to watch the t.v with Dudley but really he was listening to hear what his aunt and uncle were saying. Dudley glanced over giving Harry a dirty look. Dudley has been as surprised as Harry at his parents change of heart concerning Harry. So far he seemed to be trying to decide whether or not to hate Harry because of it…if it was possible for them to dislike each other more than they already did. Harry suspected that his aunt had urged Dudley to be nicer…which Dudley would ignore. However Dudley hadn't bothered Harry in years since Harry started attending Hogwarts. Harry focused on the conversation in the kitchen. "Petunia, I just don't see why we need to pamper the boy." He said roughly. Harry was guessing that Uncle Vernon was just going along with what his Aunt Petunia asked of him. Although Uncle Vernon did seem changed himself.
"Vernon, he doesn't have anywhere else to go now. We are the only family he has left because now he doesn't even have that kind old man to watch over him anymore." She said as she hurried around the kitchen checking her cooking food items and preparing dishes. This was a common scene for Aunt Petunia, however usually Harry only received something that took little effort to prepare, such as a wilted salad or what not. But today it looked like she had slightly more as she was using both the oven and the range to prepare the nightly meal. Harry however was suspicious that perhaps Dudley was simply hungrier than usual. With that thought Harry sniggered quietly to himself. With that Dudley looked over, "You like this show do you?" He asked stiffly making a hand movement towards the television screen. Harry suspected Dudley was just probing for information. Dudley wasn't one of the worlds great thinkers but he did have a moment every so often in which he actually seemed ever so slightly of human intelligence.
"Well actually yeah." Harry said distractedly. Dudley looked over at him grimacing when they both made eye contact. Harry adjusted his glasses while returning to his concentration on his aunt and uncle's conversation. "Well that's true Petunia, I feel sorry for the boy myself. But lets not spoil him now." Vernon Dursley said looking into the oven no doubt surveying whatever was cooking inside. Harry found his uncle's comment amusing in the least as he could not ever picture his aunt and uncle doing anything of the sort.
"Now dear….lighten up for a change." His aunt petunia said looking at his uncle as she stirred something in a pot. "Petunia, I'm being perfectly serious here." His uncle said rather loudly. "No dear, I meant your weight." Petunia said off handedly moving towards one of the kitchen cabinets above the counter top. Hearing that Vernon got as red as a radish. "Now Petunia-…" Harry didn't get the chance to hear the rest because his aunt cut him off mid sentence "No Vernon, we are the only guardians he has now and I feel right guilty for the poor boy. So just get it through your head that things are going to be different now." She said quickly. He could hear his Aunt shuffling dishes, no doubt getting the table set and the meal set.
Harry quietly got up and hopped up the stairs without anyone below hearing. Dudley might as well be comatose when there's nothing to distract him and he's in front of the television. As Harry got to the top of the stairs he heard his uncle call to him from down below, "Harry boy, get down here and eat." Luckily they wouldn't know he had listened to them right under their noses and he turned around and went back down the staircase.
Upon entering the kitchen Dudley was already shoving food in his trap, as if that was any surprise. His Uncle Vernon was picking through his food as if he didn't quite have an appetite, yeah as if that was ever going to happen. His Aunt Petunia saw him come in and said "Oh Harry…" Her words trailed off as seemed to have found a spot of dirty or the like on one of the counter tops and began scrubbing at it. Sitting at the table his uncle simply grunted and began eating his food. Much to Harry's surprise he actually had a fresh salad this time, made with a variety of vegetables and fruits. Something that had never actually happened before. By the end of the night Harry had even gotten some cookies his Aunt had baked (albeit, after Dudley and his uncle got to try them). But nevertheless things seemed to be getting weirder and weirder. Yet…Harry couldn't help but cry before he fell asleep.
Through the night Harry had nightmares in which he repeatedly watched Dumbledore tumble backwards off a cliff and Harry could never quite get their in time to save him. An hour later Harry had made his bed and was now reading a book on counter- jinxes to dark magic. When he heard a hooting sound and turned to find Hedwig perched outside his window, Harry crossed the room and let the snowy white owl in. Hedwig hopped over to her cage and stuck her leg out, and observed Harry as he quickly removed it. Opening it Harry read:
Hello Harry,
Glad to hear your doing better. I'm sure your better off than I am
being stuck here at the burrow with Fred and George visiting. They'll
be staying here until Bill and Phlegm's wedding which is in two weeks.
It's good to hear that those Dursley's are acting like respectable people
for a change. Anyways, I'll forward your letter to Hermione who is with her parents in Switzerland. But I was wondering whether your aunt and uncle would mind if Hermione and I came to visit for a day or two. Of course my parents are coming to pick you up at the end of this week, so ask your aunt and uncle and see whether they have changed for the better or not. I'll make sure to attach a note to see what Hermione thinks about it in your letter when I send it to her. Be sure to reply quick.
-Ron
Harry felt ever so slightly excited re-reading it, it was more of a lucky coincidence that he didn't have his friends over at the Dursley's when they were their usual selves. Setting the letter down on his desk Harry left his room and set down the stairs to ask his aunt and uncle…he wasn't sure but he thought just maybe he would get a yes. And it was something to look forward to even through he knew he would be getting to see them at the end of the weeks anyways.
Strangely enough the Dursley's agreed, even with Uncle Vernon's early protests and comments about juvenile delinquents in his home. But his Uncle Vernon stopped short of perhaps actually convincing his wife that such criminals shouldn't be seen anywhere near his house, so perhaps he too had a slight change of heart. But Harry had his fingers crossed, not because he thought Uncle Vernon would have any more of a kinder attitude with the passing of time, but rather that at least his aunt stayed on the kinder side of things.