Harry walked slowly behind Uncle Vernon, struggling with his trunk and
Hedwig's cage, as he was led to the car. 'Nice of him to help. thought
Harry sarcastically. He'd only just said good-bye to Ron, Hermione and the
rest of the Weaslys but he was missing them already. Especially because he
knew that he had to bear two months with the Dursleys in Privet Drive, but
Mrs. Weasly had said that he might be able to stay with them for a while.
At least he had somethingto look forward to. He had made his mind up that
he as not going to worry about Voldemort, there was nothing he could do
until he had some solid news.
Uncle Vernon hadn't said anything to Harry at all. When they reached the car Harry heaved his heavy trunk into the boot. None of the Dursleys, who were now all sitting inside the car, offered him any help, but then they never did. Once his trunk was successfully put away Harry went to go and sit down in the backseat and put Hedwig's trunk next to him but when he turned to look beside him he expected to see his cousin Dudley. But this boy couldn't possibly be Dudley he was far too ...thin. He wasn't exactly skinny. Far from it. He was still quite plump and had the same piggy look about him, but the thing was that the last time Harry had seen Dudley he could have easily out weighed a killer whale. "Wow! You look er different," said Harry barely able to surpress his shock. Dudley just smiled nervously at Harry as a way of saying hello, he was too afraid of Harry to do much else. An explanation of Dudley's new shape was to follow.
"He's been to afraid to eat sweets since your lot nearly killed him with that blasted toffee!" said Uncle Vernon angrily as he tried to concentrate on getting out of the station car park.
Harry grinned, remembering the time when Fred Weasly had 'accidentally' dropped one of his 'ton-tongue' toffees on the floor, and Dudley, who was on a diet, greedily picked it up and ate it. Which resulted in his tongue being almost 4ft.long before they would let Mr Weasly shrink it to normal size again. "Well its done him some good hasn't it?" said Harry.
"GOOD! He nearly died!" screamed Aunt Petunia swinging round to face Harry, her hands gripping firmly to her seat.
"And there'd better not be any more funny stuff happening this summer!" yelled Uncle Vernon, his face purpling.
"Don't worry there won't be," said Harry coldly. He didn't want anymore magic happening at Privet Drive either, because if there was he would get in trouble for performing underage magic and he'd be expelled from Hogwarts. The rules on underage magic were very strict, he once got a warning from the Department of Underage Wizardry when a house-elf ruined one of his Aunts puddings. On the other hand, he had gotten off with blowing up Aunt Marge, but that was because Cornelius Fudge was concerned about him, and his attitude towards Harry had changed considerably since then.
The journey to Privet Drive was not enjoyable at all, there was a very tense silence, broken only by the occasional hooting of Hedwig who would get a fright when the car jostled violently as it went over bumps. When the car eventually turned the corner into Privet Drive Harry was unusually glad, he would soon be able to get out of the way, up to his small bedroom. If you could call it a bedroom, a large, dusty box-room would probably be more accurate. But when the car pulled into the drive there was a surprise waiting for Harry - sitting on the window sill was a large tawny owl carrying a letter. "Whats that ruddy bird doing on my window?" demanded Uncle Vernon.
"I think its got a letter for me." said Harry, puzzled. Who would send him a letter on the same day he left Hogwarts? "Well you'd better go and get it before the neighbours notice!" Harry sprang out of the car and rushed over to the owl and gave it a grateful pat on the head before it soared away. He was about to open is letter when Uncle Vernon yelled over to him- "You boy! come and get your things and take them up to your room." Harry pocketed his letter and went to get his trunk and Hedwig.
With great difficulty Harry heaved his trunk upstairs to his dismal room. "I bet you want to stretch your wings don't you?" he said to Hedwig, she hooted merrily as he went to open the window and then the cage door. Once Hedwig had soared out of the window Harry flopped down on his bed. 'This summer is going to be terrible, he thought, ''Especially now Voldemort is back. Harry wondered what he might be doing but stopped. It was useless wondering about it, anyway he'd already decided not to think about it. As he rolled over he heard something crumple in his pocket. The letter! How could he have forgotten? He pulled it out of his pocket. It was slightly wrinkled but that didn't matter. He ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter it read:
Dear Harry,
I hope you are OK. Try not to worry about things. There is nothing you can do. Anyway the real point of this letter is to say that I will be coming to visit you tomorrow around lunchtime. I know its short notice but this way your family can't say no! I need to tell someone in your area of the new circumstances and give them orders from Dumbledore. Looking forward to seeing you! Take care
Sirius.
Harry couldn't believe it! He read the letter again, just to make sure it was saying what he thought it was saying. Sirius would be coming tomorrow. Wait until he told the Dursleys! He could just imagine their faces going suddenly pale and their eyes widening with sudden fear, as they believed Sirius was a murderer. Harry had conveniently 'forgotten' to tell them that Sirius was innocent. He leapt off the bed with a whoop and then walked casually downstairs, letter in hand, pretending nothing had happened.
When he walked into the living room the Dursleys were all watching television and pretending that they hadn't seen him come in but he noticed that Dudley went tense when he walked in. Harry stood in front of the TV and cleared his throat loudly to attract their attention and let them know that he was going to say something. "What is it boy? And be quick I'm watching this!"
"I um just got a letter from Sirius, you know, my godfather -"
"And?" said Uncle Vernon, who had gone rather pale and tense.
"And he wants to come and visit me."
"W-what when?" said Uncle Vernon looking positively panic stricken, suddenly sitting up straight in his chair. "He said he'd come over tomorrow lunchtime."
"Oh my goodness Vernon!" Exclaimed Aunt Petunia in a very high voice, Dudley looked as if he was about to throw up. Harry would have laughed at the effect this had on the Dursleys, it was just as he had imagined, but if he laughed he would surely get into trouble and he didn't want to get Uncle Vernon too mad. "You - you write back right now and tell him he's not coming!" thundered UncleVernon.
"Well I would but its too late now, even if I did write him a letter he wouldn't get in time because my owls out hunting. Besides he wants to see me and you don't want to go upsetting him now do you?" Harry said very coolly, he hoped this worked he really wanted to see Sirius, not that it mattered if Uncle Vernon said no anyway. He seemed to be thinking it over while Dudley and Aunt Petunia sat frozen with fear and anticipation.
"Well he'd better not expect a meal or - or anything else!" said Uncle Vernon trying not to sound as if he'd just lost to Harry "OK." said Harry simply as he walked out of the living room. As soon as he closed the door behind him a huge grin broke out across his face. Things were starting to look a lot better Harry thought
Uncle Vernon hadn't said anything to Harry at all. When they reached the car Harry heaved his heavy trunk into the boot. None of the Dursleys, who were now all sitting inside the car, offered him any help, but then they never did. Once his trunk was successfully put away Harry went to go and sit down in the backseat and put Hedwig's trunk next to him but when he turned to look beside him he expected to see his cousin Dudley. But this boy couldn't possibly be Dudley he was far too ...thin. He wasn't exactly skinny. Far from it. He was still quite plump and had the same piggy look about him, but the thing was that the last time Harry had seen Dudley he could have easily out weighed a killer whale. "Wow! You look er different," said Harry barely able to surpress his shock. Dudley just smiled nervously at Harry as a way of saying hello, he was too afraid of Harry to do much else. An explanation of Dudley's new shape was to follow.
"He's been to afraid to eat sweets since your lot nearly killed him with that blasted toffee!" said Uncle Vernon angrily as he tried to concentrate on getting out of the station car park.
Harry grinned, remembering the time when Fred Weasly had 'accidentally' dropped one of his 'ton-tongue' toffees on the floor, and Dudley, who was on a diet, greedily picked it up and ate it. Which resulted in his tongue being almost 4ft.long before they would let Mr Weasly shrink it to normal size again. "Well its done him some good hasn't it?" said Harry.
"GOOD! He nearly died!" screamed Aunt Petunia swinging round to face Harry, her hands gripping firmly to her seat.
"And there'd better not be any more funny stuff happening this summer!" yelled Uncle Vernon, his face purpling.
"Don't worry there won't be," said Harry coldly. He didn't want anymore magic happening at Privet Drive either, because if there was he would get in trouble for performing underage magic and he'd be expelled from Hogwarts. The rules on underage magic were very strict, he once got a warning from the Department of Underage Wizardry when a house-elf ruined one of his Aunts puddings. On the other hand, he had gotten off with blowing up Aunt Marge, but that was because Cornelius Fudge was concerned about him, and his attitude towards Harry had changed considerably since then.
The journey to Privet Drive was not enjoyable at all, there was a very tense silence, broken only by the occasional hooting of Hedwig who would get a fright when the car jostled violently as it went over bumps. When the car eventually turned the corner into Privet Drive Harry was unusually glad, he would soon be able to get out of the way, up to his small bedroom. If you could call it a bedroom, a large, dusty box-room would probably be more accurate. But when the car pulled into the drive there was a surprise waiting for Harry - sitting on the window sill was a large tawny owl carrying a letter. "Whats that ruddy bird doing on my window?" demanded Uncle Vernon.
"I think its got a letter for me." said Harry, puzzled. Who would send him a letter on the same day he left Hogwarts? "Well you'd better go and get it before the neighbours notice!" Harry sprang out of the car and rushed over to the owl and gave it a grateful pat on the head before it soared away. He was about to open is letter when Uncle Vernon yelled over to him- "You boy! come and get your things and take them up to your room." Harry pocketed his letter and went to get his trunk and Hedwig.
With great difficulty Harry heaved his trunk upstairs to his dismal room. "I bet you want to stretch your wings don't you?" he said to Hedwig, she hooted merrily as he went to open the window and then the cage door. Once Hedwig had soared out of the window Harry flopped down on his bed. 'This summer is going to be terrible, he thought, ''Especially now Voldemort is back. Harry wondered what he might be doing but stopped. It was useless wondering about it, anyway he'd already decided not to think about it. As he rolled over he heard something crumple in his pocket. The letter! How could he have forgotten? He pulled it out of his pocket. It was slightly wrinkled but that didn't matter. He ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter it read:
Dear Harry,
I hope you are OK. Try not to worry about things. There is nothing you can do. Anyway the real point of this letter is to say that I will be coming to visit you tomorrow around lunchtime. I know its short notice but this way your family can't say no! I need to tell someone in your area of the new circumstances and give them orders from Dumbledore. Looking forward to seeing you! Take care
Sirius.
Harry couldn't believe it! He read the letter again, just to make sure it was saying what he thought it was saying. Sirius would be coming tomorrow. Wait until he told the Dursleys! He could just imagine their faces going suddenly pale and their eyes widening with sudden fear, as they believed Sirius was a murderer. Harry had conveniently 'forgotten' to tell them that Sirius was innocent. He leapt off the bed with a whoop and then walked casually downstairs, letter in hand, pretending nothing had happened.
When he walked into the living room the Dursleys were all watching television and pretending that they hadn't seen him come in but he noticed that Dudley went tense when he walked in. Harry stood in front of the TV and cleared his throat loudly to attract their attention and let them know that he was going to say something. "What is it boy? And be quick I'm watching this!"
"I um just got a letter from Sirius, you know, my godfather -"
"And?" said Uncle Vernon, who had gone rather pale and tense.
"And he wants to come and visit me."
"W-what when?" said Uncle Vernon looking positively panic stricken, suddenly sitting up straight in his chair. "He said he'd come over tomorrow lunchtime."
"Oh my goodness Vernon!" Exclaimed Aunt Petunia in a very high voice, Dudley looked as if he was about to throw up. Harry would have laughed at the effect this had on the Dursleys, it was just as he had imagined, but if he laughed he would surely get into trouble and he didn't want to get Uncle Vernon too mad. "You - you write back right now and tell him he's not coming!" thundered UncleVernon.
"Well I would but its too late now, even if I did write him a letter he wouldn't get in time because my owls out hunting. Besides he wants to see me and you don't want to go upsetting him now do you?" Harry said very coolly, he hoped this worked he really wanted to see Sirius, not that it mattered if Uncle Vernon said no anyway. He seemed to be thinking it over while Dudley and Aunt Petunia sat frozen with fear and anticipation.
"Well he'd better not expect a meal or - or anything else!" said Uncle Vernon trying not to sound as if he'd just lost to Harry "OK." said Harry simply as he walked out of the living room. As soon as he closed the door behind him a huge grin broke out across his face. Things were starting to look a lot better Harry thought
