July 31st 1983
The sun slowly rose over the roofs of Privet Drive, Surrey. There was silence in the air, except for the birds chirping in the trees dotted along the road. Behind the door of 4 Privet Drive, the only sound came from the radio beside the kitchen table and the occasional crunch when Vernon Dursley bit down on his slice of toast.
Then,
Petunia walked into the kitchen, with Dudley walking beside her,
holding onto her trousers. She picked up Dudley and placed him on the
chair beside Vernon.
'Does my Ickle Duddykins want some toast?'
Petunia asked the toddler in a high pitched voice
The
reply was only 'Tust.'
'Why can't you speak like your
cousin?' Petunia asked rhetorically whilst putting some slices of
bread into the toaster.
'Because his cousin is different.'
Vernon mumbled
'Hawwy.' Dudley pointed towards the kitchen door, and a toddler, a bit taller and thinner than Dudley, stood in the doorway.
'Ah, Harry,' Vernon rose and picked up his plate. He walked over to Harry handing him the plate "Have a special birthday breakfast."
Harry looked down at the plate, and all that was on there was just a crust and a layer of crumbs. Harry turned away from his uncle and started walking towards the cupboard under the stairs. Vernon grabbed Harrys shoulder and forcibly turned him around.
'What do you say?' He asked angrily
'Thank you Unc...' Harry was interrupted
'I am Vernon, not 'uncle'!' His tone remained angry
'Sorry, Vernon' Harry frowned 'Thank you'
'Thats better,' Vernon seemed to relax 'Now go back to your room'
'Yes
sir' Harry nodded and turned around when there was a knock at the
door. Petunia was too busy sorting out the toast to hear it, but
Vernon's booming voice was loud enough for her to hear.
'PETUNIA,
DOOR'
'Yes
Vernon' He handed the half buttered toast to Dudley, before walking
over to the door and opening it slowly. On the front step was a
middle aged woman, with cropped brown hair.
'Mrs. Figg,' She
greeted her 'What do we owe this pleasure?'
'I
brought a present for little Harry.' She held up a box wrapped in
red paper with a yellow bow.
Petunia took the box with a smile
'Thank you'
'I'm sorry, but i must dash. I've got to feed the cats'
'I understand, Goodbye' Petunia watched Mrs. Figg walk away and when she was out of sight, she put the present in the metal bin just outside of the door. As she went to close the door, she noticed an elderly man on the other side of the road. He had long flowing white hair and a beard reaching his waist line. Instead of traditional clothes, he wore long red robes. Petunia knew who this was immediately and glared at him. She then slammed the door shut and walked back into the kitchen.
In the kitchen Dudley was sat on Vernon's lap as they read the paper together. Harry was sat on the floor with a piece of paper and a crayon. He was drawing what looked like a man, but was anorexic thin, with red eyes and slits for a nose. Petunia looks at the picture. 'Who's this?' She asks Harry.
'The man i sees' He replies
'When do you see him?'
'When i sleeps, and when around Missus Figgs house'
'Is he her husband?'
'No,' Harry places a hand over his scar as it starts to burn 'He the ghost of her house, she says i should no worry 'bout him'
'Well then, no need for this,' She snatches the picture from him and takes it to the bin outside. She places it on top the present in there and walks back in immediately, not looking back in case she saw the old man.
Little does she know, he was still there, stood opposite 4 Privet Drive. He walked over to the bin and picked up the picture. He scanned it through his half-moon spectacles and knew who it was. He also picked up the present from Mrs. Figg and turned away from the Dursley house. He started walking away from it down Privet Drive, and seemed to disappear only a few houses away.
