Harry Potter: After the Victory
Chapter 2:
It is a Saturday afternoon and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are out of school and don't have a care in the world. Except Harry does. They're on their way to seeing Harry's Uncle Vernon and the rest his "family." When they get in front of the door of the house on Privet drive, Harry hesitates to knock on the door. Instead both Ron and Hermione do it for him. The knock is so loud that Harry jumps. In case of any awkwardness, Harry has his wand at the ready(cruel memories have that affect). Aunt Petunia opens the door a bit flustered and a bit frightened at the same time because of the loud knock on the door. When the three friends look into the doorway, they see is Harry's Aunt Petunia with a baby in one arm and hand, and the door knob in the other. The next thing they see farther into the house is Harry's Uncle Vernon, lying on a sofa, coughing, with two blankets over him. All five people in this moment are speechless and staring at each other while the baby in Aunt Petunia's arm begs for the bottle in the kitchen. The first words are spoken by Uncle Vernon. He says in a nasty, grumpy, and coughing manner, "What are you doing here boy?"
Aunt Petunia's face is dry, tired, and surprised all at once as she stares at a matured nephew of hers. Uncle repeats his question again, "What are you doing here boy?!!!" Harry walks in first followed by his two companions. They all stand in front of Uncle Vernon who is lying down on the sofa in the living room, waiting for an answer, and coughing once every two minutes. Harry can tell that something is wrong with his uncle. Although to Harry, if something is wrong with Uncle Vernon then Harry must be doing spectacular because every time he was in that house and his uncle was getting his way, Harry was miserable. Finally, Harry conjures up from deep in the back of his brain, "What is wrong with you?" Uncle Vernon replies in a nasty tone, "I'm sick boy, can't you tell? Or do you need magic to use your brain?" A moment later after Uncle Vernon stops coughing again he says, "I gots something called cancer. And its in my bones so I can hardly move around most of the time. I got it a couple of months after you left. Your aunt and I had a child soon after the symptoms started to show. When it was born I found myself penetrated by the cancer to where I couldn't move for a week." Harry says, "So what now?" Uncle Vernon replies, "Well now I'm stuck here in this lot until I die or until its gone." Harry, "I hope you get better." Any other time Harry would have blown it off and walked out the door, but he somehow feels a small sense of compassion.
Uncle Vernon started talking again, "And after the baby was born we started seeing signs. Like the ones you couldn't explain when you were a little boy." At this moment Harry is at pure loss and cannot explain what he just heard. Ron and Hermione look at Harry and then realize what just happened also. "That's right boy……we had one like you", uncle Vernon says.
"I'm happy to here about your new child. Hopefully he isn't like his big brother", Harry says. As enraging as this may be to Uncle Vernon, he takes the comment and forgets it quickly. Finally the other family member in the room speaks out of know where and says, "So Harry are you going to try fix up your uncle?" In Harry's mind he knew this question would come eventually; he just didn't know what his answer would be. Harry knew that he could try, but he didn't think his efforts would even be satisfactory to what his uncle needs. Harry didn't want to say no, but he didn't want to give a mixed answer either. So Harry says this, "Although I learned a lot at the school you guys tried to keep me from, I don't remember learning how to cure cancer. But since defeating Voldemort, I have learned forgiveness. And I forgive you guys, but I don't know how to cure your cancer with magic Uncle Vernon." Uncle Vernon then says, "You always were a nutter you crazy fool."
Harry walks out of the door along with his friends because he did not go there for insults. Aunt Petunia follows them out while giving a harsh look at her husband. Then she says, "Harry….please forgive your uncle. He always was crazy and ignorant because he never understood. I know you may not like us, but please don't stay away from us. And I am sorry for treating you the way I did. Your mother was a good woman Harry and she would be very proud of what you have done. Please don't forget us, because one day Junior here might need some guidance from you." Harry turns around and nods at his aunt while staring at his baby cousin. Then he says, "There is nothing to be afraid of anymore…..raise him right."
