Chapter 2: Dursleys vs Fitzherberts
Having graduated from his second year at Hogwarts, Harry had to endure another miserable summer with the Dursleys. He was covertly doing his homework one night and practicing the spell 'Lumos Maxima', but had to pause several times to make sure he wasn't caught by his uncle. He was now getting used to hiding his magic from the Dursleys. The following morning, Harry's brutal Aunt Marge visited the 4 Privet Drive. Like Harry's aunt and uncle, Marge Dursley spoilt Dudley rotten and relentlessly tortured Harry due to his wizarding status, but little did she know that she would get her comeuppance for it that night. The Dursleys were all having dinner and forcing Harry to cook and wash the dishes; but he was far more than just the male counterpart of Cinderella. He was a wizard, something that the Dursleys never showed appreciation for from the very beginning. Their medieval attitude towards magic has always disgusted me from the day I discovered it. We lodged with Mrs Figg, a squib who was covertly spying on the Dursleys, and reporting their terrible treatment to Dumbledore. But Dumbledore, as always, stood firmly behind his decision to keep Harry there; he had to be protected from the Dark Lord. As I peered through the fence behind the garden of 4 Privet Drive, I saw the Dursleys having dinner and forcing Harry to wash the dishes. 'I genuinely wonder why Dumbledore left him here, at times', I confessed to Eugene. 'Why's that, Blondie?', he asked. 'They are the worst kinds of muggles that our world could imagine; they hate the wizarding kind, no wonder Professor McGonagall wanted Dumbledore to think it over'. 'They *are* the only family he has', he told me. 'Yes, I know', I sighed. 'But, the fact is, why did he have to leave Harry in the hands of a family with such an attitude towards our world?', I asked. 'I think that Harry would be far better off growing up away from the Wizarding World until he was ready', he replied, trying to defend Dumbledore's decision. 'I guess you're right', I sighed. I felt it would be foolish to distrust Dumbledore.
Back at Number 4, Marge allowed her nasty dog, Ripper to drink her brandy, which was sickening. She started lambasting Harry's parents, directly in front of Harry. Her remarks about the Potter family made Harry's blood boil with rage. He had never heard anyone, not even Vernon or Petunia criticizing the Wizarding World in such a way. We were secretly listening to their conversation. This was to have severe consequences of Marge. 'What is it that the boy's father did, Petunia?', she asked. 'Oh, nothing. He didn't work; he was unemployed', she answered. 'And a drunk too, no doubt?', she asked again. Harry was shuddered by this remark. 'That's a lie', he growled. He then turned to the Dursleys. 'My dad wasn't a drunk!', he growled at Marge. He was starting to lose control of his magical abilities, which caused Marge's glass to shatter in her hand, startling the Dursley household. 'Don't worry Petunia. I have a very firm grip', she assured them. 'I think it's time you went to bed', Vernon told Harry, fearing the situation could escalate. Not caring one iota about what Harry thought, Marge continued her defamation of the Potter family. 'Actually, it has nothing to do with the father, it has to do with the mother. You see, all the time with dogs, if there's something wrong with the bitch, then there's something wrong with the pup', she continued. It was the final straw for Harry. Angered by Marge's comments about his mother, he slammed the plates down on the floor and yelled 'SHUT UP! SHUT UP!'. Marge was blissfully unaware that she was in for it. Harry had finally lost control of his magic. His uncontrollable rage caused him to inadvertently blow Marge up into a giant balloon. Eventually, she grew to the point that her necklace was destroyed and some of the buttons on her blouse came undone, knocking Dudley out. She then floated out of her chair and hit the ceiling. Marge then glided through the conservatory and up into the evening sky. A horrified Uncle Vernon attempted to pull her down, without success. We could hear him howling at the top of his lungs 'PLEEEEEEAAAAASE! MAAAAAAARGE! COME BAAAAAAAACK!'. Harry knew he was in for it, not only at the hands of the Dursleys, but even worse, at the hands of the Ministry; using magic outside Hogwarts was strictly forbidden. He tore from the dining room and sprinted up to his bedroom to pack his stuff and make a desperate bid for freedom.
Eugene and I both feared that Harry would never be able to return to the Wizarding World again, let alone Hogwarts, so we decided to rescue him from the Dursleys. We dressed in the most muggle-like fashion we could imagine. Having been sorted into Ravenclaw, we thought it would be essential to use our wit and ingenuity whenever possible. I was wearing a white sweater, a short blue skirt and a pair of blue sneakers, and I also decided to go sockless, while Eugene wore a grey business suit. We were both convinced that the Dursleys would be less suspicious if we dressed in a muggle-esque fashion. I pointed my magic wand on the front door of 4 Privet Drive and quietly said the unlocking charm 'Alohomora' to break in. Dudley was quick to alert his parents. They knew immediately that it would have something to with Harry. How could a muggle break into their house so easily? 'Good evening, Mr Dursley. My name is Rapunzel, Rapunzel Fitzherbert, and this is my husband, Eugene', I said, with a forced smile, and with all the patience I could muster. 'Rapunzel? I take it this is something to do with my nephew, Harry Potter?'. My smile faded as I sighed and said 'I'm afraid so, Sir'. Vernon had blown our cover. 'Dumbledore sent you here, didn't he?', he asked, growing increasingly suspicious. 'Yes, now where the hell is Harry?', I asked him with a stern expression. 'I would advise you to leave this house at once, please', he said, trying his best not to explode at us. 'We're not going anywhere until you hand Harry over!', Eugene barked back at Vernon. Vernon decided that there was no point in trying to stay calm, and so ensued a heated argument. 'WE ARE NOT LETTING POTTER GO BACK TO HOGWARTS! WE NEED TO KEEP HIM UNDER CONTROL!', Vernon roared. 'HE HAS MADE OUR LIVES A MISERY EVER SINCE HIS PARENTS GOT THEMSELVES BLOWN UP BY LORD VOLDYTHING!'. I know he was referring to Lord Voldemort. 'BUT HE DIDN'T DO SO ON PURPOSE, DURSLEY!', I growled back at him. 'YOU THINK THE WIZARDING KIND ARE FREAKS! WELL, YOU'RE WRONG!', Eugene continued. 'WELL LOOK WHAT POTTER DID TO MY BLOODY SISTER!', Vernon retorted. 'SHE INSULTED HIS PARENTS, FOR GOD'S SAKE!', I screamed, getting up close to Vernon and yelling only inches away from his face. 'You insolent little bitch', Vernon whispered. His voice was now eerily quiet, and I knew I had gone a step too far. Petunia and Dudley looked on, visibly concerned. For they knew what was about to happen. With a savage, thunderous roar, Vernon attempted to grab me. We both whipped out our wands, making him back off.
Our argument with Vernon had almost escalated into a violent confrontation. I was now growing increasingly angry at Vernon's defamatory remarks about not only Harry, but the wizarding kind as a whole. 'YOU ARE NOT TAKING HARRY BACK TO HOGWARTS, END OF BLOODY STORY! AND DON'T YOU DARE SUMMON THAT CRACKPOT OLD FOOL, ALBUS BUMBLEBI-'. I cut Vernon off before he could complete his sentence. He was about to refer to the great Albus Dumbledore as 'Albus Bumblebitch', and he had already referred to him as a 'crackpot old fool', the very words he had used to describe him when Hagrid first told Harry he would be under the finest Headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen. Unfortunately for Vernon Dursley, there is one thing I have always had in common with Hagrid; a hatred of muggles insulting Dumbledore in such a way. I grabbed Vernon by his left shoulder and forced him into the wall, pointing my wand threateningly at him. 'I'm warning you, Dursley. If you ever speak ill of wizarding kind in front of me again, believe me, you're going to regret it', I said calmly. 'You're all mad, all of you', he responded, his ire building again. 'EVER SINCE WE GOT LANDED WITH HARRY BLOODY POTTER, YOU WIZARDS HAVE MADE OUR LIVES A MISERY BY ALLOWING HIM TO GO TO THIS INSANE SCHOOL AND TEACHING HIM TO USE MAGIC, AND THANKS TO YOU, WE CAN'T CON-BLOODY-TROL HIM ANYMORE!'. For me, it really was the final straw. He had already pushed Harry to the end of his rope, and now he had done the same to me. Instead of using magic, I resorted to the age-old muggle technique of physical combat. I punched Vernon in the jaw, so hard, that blood started pouring out. The punch knocked him backwards and into the dining table, but not before Dudley and Petunia caught him. We had now come to blows, just as Eugene had feared.