Chapter 7: Summer Vacation

After Dudley's twelfth birthday party, Vernon and Petunia took their children (they consider Harry as if he also was their child) to their recently bought summer home in Majorca. "Kids, this is your first time in Majorca." Vernon told Harry and Dudley. "Make the best you can of the two weeks we'll spend here."

"Yes, Dad/Uncle Vernon!" Replied Dudley/Harry.

Upon arriving, they noticed another family arriving at the next door. They're a couple with a buck-toothed girl. What the Dursleys didn't expect was the girl's reaction upon seeing Harry. "Excuse me, are you Harry Potter? I've been reading about you in The Rise and…"

Vernon Dursley interrupted her. "Excuse me, young lady. Don't you think you should introduce yourself?"

"Oh, my manners." She said embarrassed. "My name is Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Vernon Dursley. These are my wife Petunia, my son Dudley and my nephew Harry."

"Is my daughter bothering you, Mr. Dursley?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Not at all, Mr. Granger." Vernon replied.

"Hermione Granger?" Dudley asked. "The girl held hostage by Voldemort last year?"

"Dudley!" Petunia scolded her son. "You shouldn't remind the poor girl of that!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Dursley." Hermione calmly said. "What really scared me is that he said You-Know-Who's name."

"There's no point on fearing a name, Hermione." Harry replied. "What you should fear is Hogwarts."

"Harry, I understand your reasons not to trust Headmaster Dumbledore but I don't think he'll bring another Philosopher's Stone." Hermione said. "What's Beauxbatons like?"

Harry and Dudley spent a good deal of the Majorca holiday discussing magic with Hermione. When they returned, they restarted working on their homework. After a successful business meeting with the Masons at July, the 30th, the Dursleys started to prepare themselves for Harry's twelfth birthday the next day. For the occasion, Vernon and Petunia took Harry, Dudley and a friend of Harry (from primary school) to the movies. When they went back home, Harry found a Nimbus 2000 just like Dudley's waiting for him. While Harry was still recovering from the surprise, an owl dropped a package and a letter from Gabrielle Delacour wishing Harry to have a happy birthday and inviting both Harry and Dudley to spend the rest of the summer vacation with her family.

"May we, Dad/Uncle Vernon?" Dudley and Harry pleaded with him.

Vernon started discussing the situation with Petunia. "I don't know. Petunia and I don't even know the Delacours."

"We could schedule a visit." Dudley suggested.

The next day, Harry and the Dursleys got a visit from the Delacours. Vernon and Petunia wondered what Apolline Delacour saw on a man who's not anywhere near as attractive as her but were too polite to ask. After a long talk, they all agreed to have Petunia going to France with the kids.

They all enjoyed seeing Paris' landmarks and sent Vernon several postcards. What made it more fortunate was the fact Albus Dumbledore went to the Dursley household. "What do you want here, Mr. Dumbledore?" Vernon angrily asked.

"I came here because I realized Harry needed special training for when Voldemort comes back." Dumbledore explained. "Therefore I came here, on behalf of the Wizengamot, to pick him as a ward of the Ministry."

"Mr. Dumbledore, I'm afraid I can't let it happen." Vernon replied with no fear of retaliation.

"Mr. Dursley, as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I can pick any underage Wizard in Britain as a ward of the Ministry whenever I feel it needed."

"Then it's the most fortunate that my nephew is in France for the remainder of his summer holiday." Vernon replied with a smile. "And, since he and Dudley already study in France, we might as well move there."

"NO!" Dumbledore yelled. "It's already bad enough he attends Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts. If he's away from England year-round, it'll be a disaster."

"Then you'd better not to interfere with our lives, you meddling old coot." Vernon firmly said.

"As the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, I can have Harry brought from France." Dumbledore threatened.

"Nice try, Dumbledore." Vernon replied. "But I know that confederation's French representative doesn't like you anymore than I do and that he can keep you from getting the needed votes to gain support for this."

Conceding, a disgruntled Albus Dumbledore went away wondering if it'd be worth it to get Sirius Black officially cleared to get custody of Harry Potter.

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