Oh my goodness. I did not expect this!

Thanks so much to: Cas86, GiantCookie, River-Mel.O.D, The Paper Princess, jack3160, sbernardod, theflyinfoote, and Com-scholar

Also, I am very grateful for my first review. Extra thanks to The Paper Princess. I'm glad you're enjoying this. I didn't think it would get this much attention.

Queen of Disaster, Book 1: The Stone of Immortality

Chapter 3

Constricted

Piers Polkis was a rat-faced punk who had been friends with Dudley for quite some time. He had brown hair that was cut close to his scalp, although a little too long to be called a buzz cut. His nose was hooked and his teeth were pathetically large. He had failed a grade, making him twelve, and due to this he was already sporting bouts of acne. His mother smiled brightly behind him, unaware of his nasty, mean ways. "Happy Birthday, Dudley!" She smiled brightly, pushing Piers forward. "I'm so sorry I can't stay. I have an appointment, you see."

"Of course!" Aunt Petunia shouted so ever cheerfully. "We're happy to take care of him!"

"Thank you so much." Mrs Polkis stared down at her son tightly for a moment. "Make you you behave, you understand?"

"Of course, mum."

He walked in and it seemed wiped the wind out of our lungs. He was a good liar. He was a rat. It was rats did and do and what they forever will do. Vera stared from behind her proud Aunt and Uncle, proud of her cousin Dudley to have made such a good, friend: a fine example of a strapping young man that will which lead the future! That was their exact words, no joke. That was primarily Harry's job.

Especially when even thinking around the Dursleys.

If she tried to joke, Vera usually felt herself grow sad. She didn't like feeling like that. At all. It made her furious at them. Strange things seemed to happen with her moods. She had been beaten from the last one. Badly. That was the reason Uncle Vernon had even got his knife out. Normally, he seemed to worry, but he also oddly knew that nobody would save them. They had tried and now they were gone. Vera didn't know what happened to them, she could only speculate that Uncle Vernon was some sort of murderer.

He might have had some shady business connections she knew nothing about.

Dudley showed off his new video games and bragged that he got thirty-six and that he was promised another two in London. Of course, he didn't like to mention the huge fit he through about originally only getting thirty-six. He would look most uncool if he did so. Even Dudley knew that. He knew a lot of things that he didn't like to share with the rest of his family.

And she knew that the moment Dudley leaned down to whisper into Pier's ear, she knew what they were talking about. His voice pitched excitedly as if only talking about one of his games. Vera supposed she was. A game that is. Dudley and Piers were eleven (and twelve) respectively and they were no longer just children, but adolescents, aka, the era of puberty.

Vera knew that Piers had given Dudley a few naughty magazines to look at and they were already speaking the crude language of teenagers. Vera knew that much due to how often Aunt Petunia complained about it; as well as Uncle Vernon (although unlike Aunt Petunia) Vera caught the winks that Uncle Vernon gave Dudley.

She stared at them hardly.

A few weeks ago, one of the boys had nearly strung her own shirt off of her. She thought it had been Malcolm, but Dudley had chickened out, luckily for Vera (although it barely helped anything at all) and told him to stop. Malcolm did. But the others boys had begged Dudley to mess with her. He had refused. And she had just promised him that she would take off her shirt and let them look at her bare chest if he "forgot" to tell on Harry for mouthing off.

Vera would rather be gawked at than be touched by her Uncle Vernon.

Uncle Vernon found any reason to beat her.

And lately his own eyes had begun wandering.

Vera was young, but she knew things, alright.

Through books, through common sense, and other things.

She knew that it would be so long until he touched her in more inappropriate ways than which he already did.

She was already bracing herself for the days, she knew they were coming soon.

Vera had grown to accept how little she could do.

They had tried.

It had failed.

But she knew that one day when she and Harry were older; she knew that whatever thing they could do, it would grow stronger. Vera had come to realize that with their extensive fear of the word "magic" and "sorcery", as well as creativity in general, she had a feeling that she knew what it is. That she knew what she could do and she knew they feared it and she while she could dream of turning them into toads and squashing them, she had to wait. She could barely control it as it was, much less turn people into toads.

Vera had a feeling she wasn't that type of witch.

She was far from being an ugly, old hag.

They let Number 4, Privet Drive, and eventually they left the village of Little Whinging all together. Vera was smushed into sharing a seat with Harry in hopes that the police didn't seem to notice too poorly fed and dressed children sitting together. She knew that aside from the green eyes, she and Harry didn't look alike. That was the truth, unfortunately, because she thought Harry looked like a little Angel. Vera was told from the day she could properly listen that she was a whore, a future red-headed vixen that was destined to steal men and commit sin. Aunt Petunia told her that. She often made her repeat it.

Yes, there was no way that Vera was an ugly, old hag.

Her Aunt Petunia had long taken that role onto herself.

Vera thinks its because of her red hair. Not only did she share the same name as the adulterous Guinevere, she shared the same hair color. She had fire for hair and green eyes to match. The colors of an evil, wicked deceiver. But she also knew that her red hair had to come from somewhere. Aunt Petunia hated Vera more than she hated Harry and Vera only had a vague idea as to why.

It took over an hour and some few minutes to get to the zoo.

Vera did not like London.

It was loud, smelly, and crowded with all types of people.

She figured she didn't like people.

Do you see the problem now?

She made sure to walk behind her Aunt and Uncle and cousin. Her pale, small hand was clasped around Harry's rough one. Vera was assigned inside chores and Harry was given the long, arduous chores outside. This was because that Vera was often beaten so much her body just couldn't take the work nor did they risk anyone wanting to see or get concerned.

When the got inside the the zoo, which took ages to get tickets, but they were able to do it, they were to follow behind their Aunt and Uncle.

"Are you excited?" Harry asked quietly.

Vera shrugged. "Not really. This is for Dudley's birthday, remember that."

Harry didn't want to. He wanted to enjoy himself. He wanted to see the lions and the monkeys and the bears and pretend that for once; everything was normal. Vera was angry all the time. Which he understood, but she let it control her and it worried Harry, it did.

"Not even for dolphins?"

"Maybe a little bit for the dolphins."

Harry knew that was just to make him happy, however.

The birds were first and Harry found he did not like birds too much, but the parrots were most exciting. One even said "Hello!" to him! It acted so happy and good-natured. The Dursleys would never let Harry have a parrot. They had quickly moved past them though because Dudley wanted to see gorillas. Personally, Harry could understand why; Dudley just wanted to see his alternate reality. He and Uncle Vernon were the size of gorillas, but without all of the muscles.

Harry looked at the big apes, lazing about, he turned his head. The next exhibit after this was the snake exhibit? Harry had always liked snakes as well. He had found a few in the garden, but nothing that would stay around him. Snakes were, especially the ones that were smaller than your hand, more often afraid of humans that what people thought.

"I want to see a cobra!" Dudley obnoxiously yelled. "Mum! Hurry up! The gorillas aren't that exciting!"

Aunt Petunia kept trying to take pictures, before she was forced to put the camera away. Harry saw Vera looking at the Orangutans. He motioned to her. She followed after them. Silently of course. Harry didn't understand how she wasn't the least bit excited. Sure, it was with the Dursleys, but they never got to go anywhere but the house and school. It was like their luck was beginning to turn around.

He saw Dudley banging on the glass of a- of a-

His heart stopped.

That snake was the biggest snake he had ever seen in his entire ten-year life. He stepped over to it, making sure not to disturb Dudley as he did so. "Rise you bloody snake! Dad" Dudley turned his head over to get Uncle Vernon's attention. Uncle Vernon stepped over to it, banging his fist against the glass.

"Sorry Dudley. Can't control these animals, it's why they're locked up in cages!"

Dudley ran over to a more active snake (Vernon following), leaving only Harry. He stepped forth, looking at the magnificent creature. It was long, a Brazilian Boa Constrictor. "Sorry about them." He whispered to it. "They're the real animals."

The snake's eyes seemed to widen and it rose up, pressing its head against the glass.

"How is it in Brazil? You must miss it."

The snake pointed at the sign, with its head.

"Oh, you were born here?"

The snake nodded.

Harry blinked: "Can you understand me?"

It nodded again.

"Dad look it's moving!"

And Harry felt his own small form crumpling down the ground as he was pushed. He couldn't help it. He felt the buzzing of his gift and the air seemed to grow heavy. The next thing he saw was that there was no glass and that there was a screaming Dudley falling into the glass-less exhibit. He nearly laughed at the sight.

People began to scream for the snake was slithering out of its cage. It looked at Harry as it did so. "Thanks, amigo." It flicked its tongue and tried to slither as fast as it could. Harry was in shock.

"Harry!" Vera had him by his arm, pulling him up. She looked frightened.

Harry knew why. He felt dread fill his heart as he realized what exactly had just happened. Another freakish thing, that's what. Another terrible thing that Vera would have to protect him from.

"Did it hurt you?"

What. Oh. The snake. "No? No of course not? Did you hear it?"

Snakes weren't supposed to talk but that one had.

"Hear what?"

"The snake! It was talking!"

"Harry, don't say these like that." She flicked her head around. "At least, not now."

And it took one glimpse at Uncle Vernon's accusing face to regret everything that had happened today.

He bit his lip and prayed to God that Vera wouldn't die tonight. Not just physically, but mentally too. Harry couldn't handle it. He couldn't. Vera was his rock, his emotional support. He couldn't lose her to the Dursleys, not when she had worked so hard to stay alive and here with Harry. He had to come up with a plan.