As twilight settled over Privet drive two shapes slipped out the back
door of number four. The first walked with purpose towards a group of boys
laughing on the streetcorner, the other watched him go before turning to go
in the other direction.
Harry Potter jogged down the street in an effort to put as much distance between him and Dudley's gang as possible. He knew that Dudley would be too afraid to beat him up, and watching his cousin's consternation whenever they ran into each other was rather funny, but Harry didn't feel like dealing with all of them tonight.
It was his sixteenth birthday and he'd received presents from all of his friends. Ron had sent him a guidebook to some of the more advanced seeker moves that included moving diagrams and pictures which showed the moves used during actual games. Hermione had sent him a book The Art of Defense: A Teacher's Guide to Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had to admit that it was an interesting read, especially since it was geared towards lessons and ranged from the essentials to almost unheard of hexes and curses. Inside Hermione had tucked a note asking about whether or not they were going to start up the DA again.
Harry hadn't really decided whether or not to start it up again. The year before it had been his only source of fun. But maybe they would have a decent teacher for DADA this year. Harry shrugged to himself as he jogged along. He would wait and see if it was needed.
He had gotten other presents too. A box he hadn't opened yet that trembled suspiciously whenever he had approached it had come from Hagrid. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to open it, knowing Hagrid it could be anything, and most likely a poisonous anything.
He had gotten candies from Dean and Seamus, he still had a few of the Chocolate Frogs left. Neville had sent him a little ball that looked like a marble when it wasn't in use but when Harry said his own name it would light up and hover over Harry's shoulder, making it much easier to do his homework late at night.
A few of the members of the Order had sent him things too, Moody had sent him a rather sinister looking device that Harry was afraid to touch, McGonagall had sent him a book on Aurors, and Lupin had sent him a letter saying that he had a present for Harry but didn't want to send it by mail.
Harry sighed as he brushed away a bit of the sweat that was beading on the back of his neck. The presents were wonderful, as was the cake Mrs. Figg had baked for him, but he would have given them all back to be able to see Sirius again.
He had relived that moment over and over again, Sirius falling through the veil with a grin still intact on his face. And then Harry had waited but Sirius hadn't come back. He didn't come back. Harry knew that it was his fault. If only he had swallowed his pride after Snape sent him away and asked him, begged him to continue teaching Harry oclumency. If only he hadn't looked into the Pensieve and seen that memory.
Harry grimaced, why had his father been such a git? He kept showing off, and messing up his hair. The snitch too, although Harry thought privately that that was kind of cool. Harry ran a hand through his own hair absentmindedly as he paused for a moment to catch his breath.
"Teach the little idiot right!" Harry straightened, that was the voice of Piers Polkiss, one of Dudley's gang. He could hear them now, laughing away and then the occasional thud that Harry knew only too well to be someone's fist meeting flesh.
Harry was steeling himself to interfere when someone else spoke, "Come on guys, lets go find something else to do." Harry raised his eyebrows, that was Dudley. Dudley walk away from a fight? Never.
"Come on Big D, he was asking for it!" said another of the boys, Harry couldn't bother to remember his name.
"No, just leave him alone. Come on guys." Dudley said.
"What'sa matter Dudley, you afraid of some little eleven year old?" Piers said. Harry inched forwards until he could see Dudley and the others just as Dudley smacked Piers in the face with a fist. Harry grinned, that was more like the Dudley he knew.
Piers was on the ground, one hand clenched to his nose. "Take it back Piers." Dudley said.
"Sorry Big D." Piers said. Dudley nodded and walked, Harry had noticed that Dudley was waddling less and less these days, over to the other boys. "Tomorrow night then, you bring the cigarettes Piers." Piers nodded from where he was on the ground, obviously cowed.
Dudley strode off and all the other boys slowly dispersed, leaving just one small figure lying on the ground. Harry walked over and put down a hand to help the younger boy up. "You're Mark Evans right? I'm sorry about that, my cousin's a git." The younger boy was looking at Harry in horror and Harry smiled embarrassedly, "I'm not really all that horrible you know."
"B-but you go to St. Br-Brutus'" Mark said.
"Well.yeah, but." Harry trailed off, not entirely sure about how to explain that one away. His aunt and uncle would kill him if he denied going to St. Brutus'. "Anyway, I'm sorry about Dudley."
Mark shrugged, "Er..he's not so bad as he used to be. Ever since sometime late last summer he's been a bit more decent. One night he was beating up one of my friends, just two nights after he beat me up for "cheeking" him. And then my friend was hiding from them in the park and he saw Big D go off with you.and well, he hasn't been so mean since then." Mark stopped speaking suddenly, remembering that he was talking with "that Potter boy". "I-er better go now. Dad will be waiting for me." Mark said.
Harry called out a goodbye as he watched Mark tear off towards his home. He was busy thinking about what Mark had said. He remembered that night well, any night with dementors involved was an occasion to remember. He wondered just what Dudley had seen when the dementor came towards him that had made him reluctant to happily administer beatings to anyone younger than he.
Harry headed slowly back to number four, scuffing his sneakers in the few leaves lying in the gutters. Dudley was in the garage, punching away at his punching bag. Harry stood and watched for a moment until Dudley realized he was there. "What do you want?" Dudley asked. "Come to point your little stick at me some more?"
Harry laughed, that had been rather amusing really. He and Dudley had been working in the garden earlier, he because Uncle Vernon demanded that he "do something to make up for having you around, attracting all these weirdos" and Dudley because lifting rocks about was a good way to get into shape. Harry had gotten angry after Dudley had gone into the kitchen for a fourth time for a Popsicle and had threatened to turn Dudley into a giant ice cube if he didn't stick around and help. Dudley had stuck around. But Harry shook his head, "No, I wanted to ask you something." He said.
Dudley shrugged as he kept up a constant rain of blows upon the punching bag so Harry continued. "What did you see when that dementor came at you last summer?"
Dudley froze and Harry was a bit disturbed to see his cousin tremble slightly. "Nothing." Dudley said finally, but Harry knew that he was lying. Dudley began to punch the punching bag again, his face flaming red.
"Come on, did you see all the chocolate on earth get destroyed? Everyone bigger and stronger than you? Get turned into a pig again? Not that that'd make much of a difference I suppose, you look enough like one already." Harry said. He was irritated that his cousin wouldn't tell him and he was irritable in general with being stuck in Privet drive and the constant thoughts of Sirius.
Dudley turned to face Harry, his face getting paler and paler as Harry spoke. "SHUT UP!" he yelled. He jumped at Harry before he could react, tackling him and pinning him to the ground. "You're always making fun of me! I know you hate me! I know you want to do all those things that you're always saying you'll do, but couldn't you just leave me alone for once?" Each sentence was punctuated with a blow, but each blow grew weaker and weaker as tears started to leak down Dudley's face. "I don't care if you turn me into a pig or a bucket of lard, or a ferret! I can't take you anymore!" Harry just stared at his cousin who rolled off of Harry and lay on the floor staring up at the ceiling. "I know you hate me, but couldn't you just leave me alone?" Dudley asked, staring at Harry.
Harry Potter jogged down the street in an effort to put as much distance between him and Dudley's gang as possible. He knew that Dudley would be too afraid to beat him up, and watching his cousin's consternation whenever they ran into each other was rather funny, but Harry didn't feel like dealing with all of them tonight.
It was his sixteenth birthday and he'd received presents from all of his friends. Ron had sent him a guidebook to some of the more advanced seeker moves that included moving diagrams and pictures which showed the moves used during actual games. Hermione had sent him a book The Art of Defense: A Teacher's Guide to Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had to admit that it was an interesting read, especially since it was geared towards lessons and ranged from the essentials to almost unheard of hexes and curses. Inside Hermione had tucked a note asking about whether or not they were going to start up the DA again.
Harry hadn't really decided whether or not to start it up again. The year before it had been his only source of fun. But maybe they would have a decent teacher for DADA this year. Harry shrugged to himself as he jogged along. He would wait and see if it was needed.
He had gotten other presents too. A box he hadn't opened yet that trembled suspiciously whenever he had approached it had come from Hagrid. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to open it, knowing Hagrid it could be anything, and most likely a poisonous anything.
He had gotten candies from Dean and Seamus, he still had a few of the Chocolate Frogs left. Neville had sent him a little ball that looked like a marble when it wasn't in use but when Harry said his own name it would light up and hover over Harry's shoulder, making it much easier to do his homework late at night.
A few of the members of the Order had sent him things too, Moody had sent him a rather sinister looking device that Harry was afraid to touch, McGonagall had sent him a book on Aurors, and Lupin had sent him a letter saying that he had a present for Harry but didn't want to send it by mail.
Harry sighed as he brushed away a bit of the sweat that was beading on the back of his neck. The presents were wonderful, as was the cake Mrs. Figg had baked for him, but he would have given them all back to be able to see Sirius again.
He had relived that moment over and over again, Sirius falling through the veil with a grin still intact on his face. And then Harry had waited but Sirius hadn't come back. He didn't come back. Harry knew that it was his fault. If only he had swallowed his pride after Snape sent him away and asked him, begged him to continue teaching Harry oclumency. If only he hadn't looked into the Pensieve and seen that memory.
Harry grimaced, why had his father been such a git? He kept showing off, and messing up his hair. The snitch too, although Harry thought privately that that was kind of cool. Harry ran a hand through his own hair absentmindedly as he paused for a moment to catch his breath.
"Teach the little idiot right!" Harry straightened, that was the voice of Piers Polkiss, one of Dudley's gang. He could hear them now, laughing away and then the occasional thud that Harry knew only too well to be someone's fist meeting flesh.
Harry was steeling himself to interfere when someone else spoke, "Come on guys, lets go find something else to do." Harry raised his eyebrows, that was Dudley. Dudley walk away from a fight? Never.
"Come on Big D, he was asking for it!" said another of the boys, Harry couldn't bother to remember his name.
"No, just leave him alone. Come on guys." Dudley said.
"What'sa matter Dudley, you afraid of some little eleven year old?" Piers said. Harry inched forwards until he could see Dudley and the others just as Dudley smacked Piers in the face with a fist. Harry grinned, that was more like the Dudley he knew.
Piers was on the ground, one hand clenched to his nose. "Take it back Piers." Dudley said.
"Sorry Big D." Piers said. Dudley nodded and walked, Harry had noticed that Dudley was waddling less and less these days, over to the other boys. "Tomorrow night then, you bring the cigarettes Piers." Piers nodded from where he was on the ground, obviously cowed.
Dudley strode off and all the other boys slowly dispersed, leaving just one small figure lying on the ground. Harry walked over and put down a hand to help the younger boy up. "You're Mark Evans right? I'm sorry about that, my cousin's a git." The younger boy was looking at Harry in horror and Harry smiled embarrassedly, "I'm not really all that horrible you know."
"B-but you go to St. Br-Brutus'" Mark said.
"Well.yeah, but." Harry trailed off, not entirely sure about how to explain that one away. His aunt and uncle would kill him if he denied going to St. Brutus'. "Anyway, I'm sorry about Dudley."
Mark shrugged, "Er..he's not so bad as he used to be. Ever since sometime late last summer he's been a bit more decent. One night he was beating up one of my friends, just two nights after he beat me up for "cheeking" him. And then my friend was hiding from them in the park and he saw Big D go off with you.and well, he hasn't been so mean since then." Mark stopped speaking suddenly, remembering that he was talking with "that Potter boy". "I-er better go now. Dad will be waiting for me." Mark said.
Harry called out a goodbye as he watched Mark tear off towards his home. He was busy thinking about what Mark had said. He remembered that night well, any night with dementors involved was an occasion to remember. He wondered just what Dudley had seen when the dementor came towards him that had made him reluctant to happily administer beatings to anyone younger than he.
Harry headed slowly back to number four, scuffing his sneakers in the few leaves lying in the gutters. Dudley was in the garage, punching away at his punching bag. Harry stood and watched for a moment until Dudley realized he was there. "What do you want?" Dudley asked. "Come to point your little stick at me some more?"
Harry laughed, that had been rather amusing really. He and Dudley had been working in the garden earlier, he because Uncle Vernon demanded that he "do something to make up for having you around, attracting all these weirdos" and Dudley because lifting rocks about was a good way to get into shape. Harry had gotten angry after Dudley had gone into the kitchen for a fourth time for a Popsicle and had threatened to turn Dudley into a giant ice cube if he didn't stick around and help. Dudley had stuck around. But Harry shook his head, "No, I wanted to ask you something." He said.
Dudley shrugged as he kept up a constant rain of blows upon the punching bag so Harry continued. "What did you see when that dementor came at you last summer?"
Dudley froze and Harry was a bit disturbed to see his cousin tremble slightly. "Nothing." Dudley said finally, but Harry knew that he was lying. Dudley began to punch the punching bag again, his face flaming red.
"Come on, did you see all the chocolate on earth get destroyed? Everyone bigger and stronger than you? Get turned into a pig again? Not that that'd make much of a difference I suppose, you look enough like one already." Harry said. He was irritated that his cousin wouldn't tell him and he was irritable in general with being stuck in Privet drive and the constant thoughts of Sirius.
Dudley turned to face Harry, his face getting paler and paler as Harry spoke. "SHUT UP!" he yelled. He jumped at Harry before he could react, tackling him and pinning him to the ground. "You're always making fun of me! I know you hate me! I know you want to do all those things that you're always saying you'll do, but couldn't you just leave me alone for once?" Each sentence was punctuated with a blow, but each blow grew weaker and weaker as tears started to leak down Dudley's face. "I don't care if you turn me into a pig or a bucket of lard, or a ferret! I can't take you anymore!" Harry just stared at his cousin who rolled off of Harry and lay on the floor staring up at the ceiling. "I know you hate me, but couldn't you just leave me alone?" Dudley asked, staring at Harry.