Written For - The 365 Prompts Challenge, Charms Assignment #1
Prompts Used - (Location) 4 Privet Drive, (Prompt) Write about someone wishing someone away
Summary - Harry's been wishing the Dursleys away for years.
Notes - oof. I said one per day. Now I gotta catch up.
Title From - Dog Teeth by Nicole Dollenganger
Word Count - 618
"I wish the Dursleys would just disappear." Harry Potter was curled into a ball that night. His eyes were shut tight in fear of tears leaking out and his Uncle hearing, his small hands were clenched together into clubs for fists. "I wish they would just go away."
When he woke up the morning after, they hadn't gone. But he did go to Mrs. Figgs house, where she fed him a traditional meal from her part of India. She told him a story of growing up there, as she usually would, then one of the cats wandered in and she got distracted. When Harry went home, they left him mostly alone. They were starting preparations for Dudley's next birthday. He was turning ten.
Harry, of course, did not get a birthday party a month later. He instead went to Mrs. Figg's house. She did not make him a cake, but but she did get him a cupcake. When he blew out the candle, he had made the same wish as every other time, that he would be rid of the Dursleys.
The year later, he had no time for wishes or candles until later. But imprinted in the dust of that too-small cabin, he had his own miniature celebration at midnight. He barely had the mental capacity to make a wish, just a vague wanting in the back of his mind. It didn't particularly matter, though, because he was quite soon whisked away by a large man claiming Harry to be a wizard.
When his twelfth birthday came and he hadn't received a single letter from his best friends, all he really wanted was some time away from his muggle relatives. Just, like, five minutes was all he was asking. So, of course he went to bed on July 31 hoping and praying to anything above that he would wake up and they wouldn't be there.
His third year he was too overcome with presents from his friends to be negative. Any outside contact was good contact in the eyes of Harry. He was just dreading Aunt Marge showing up.
The year before his fourth year he was only concerned with his hopes for the World Cup. He gave no mind to the Dursleys or where they were or anything at all.
The summer before his fifth year, he was basically just sent back to second year. He had letters from Ron and Hermione, sure. But none of them held anything of value. He was out of the loop and angry, so he spent most of the days leading up to his birthday picking fights with Dudley. It would be no big surprise to anyone what his wish had been that night.
Sixth year he didn't think of the Dursleys. He was at the Burrow that year, and was more concerned about the war effort and food. He did not care about them other than the fact that he only had one more year with them. He would be over age soon.
Seventh year was when they finally left. They were somber about leaving their house behind, but not so much about leaving Harry behind.
It was almost a nostalgic occasion. He didn't get to have a petty grudge on his cousin anymore to distract him from the war. He didn't get the arguments that left him boiling and angry so he couldn't even think of Voldemort. It was almost bittersweet in a way.
But, also, it was so incredibly exhilarating. He had been hoping for this for years. He had been wasting his breath and wishes and prayers just so this would come.
Now he had to focus on the war. There was nothing left to do.