Chapter 115 – First Impressions
A very disquieted muggle monarch and her husband were left reeling by the astonishing story told to them by their grandsons. The Queen was resilient, however. She knew she would be up to this challenge, whatever form it might take. She needed to set a good example for the rest of England, after all.
The first challenge was meeting the head of the school to which she was brought, a man she was told was a wizard. The princes told her that he'd asked to welcome her to Hogwarts (what a funny name!) School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a small reception with the staff and some Ministry of Magic officials, and then they would take dinner with the entire school in its Great Hall. She really did not have the clothes for public appearances – it seemed she just had the clothes she was wearing, actually.
A young woman had volunteered to help with the non-magical people getting acquainted with the school, the princes had told her. Amaranth Savoy, they said, had organized a most interesting program that had run for the "squibs" – which the princes said they were, people with just a bit of magic in them but not enough to actually do magic. Mrs. Savoy had offered to help the princes with any of the Queen's concerns, so she was summoned to meet with the Queen immediately.
Once again, this person seemed totally unaware of the protocol upon meeting a member of a royal family, but Mrs. Savoy was a lovely young woman, and seemed quite intent on being helpful.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, ma'am! My name is Amaranth Savoy. What can I do to help you?" Mrs. Savoy asked, without so much as a curtsy or "Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Mrs. Savoy," the Queen replied. "We seem to be in need of appropriate clothing, as no bags were brought for us."
"That's no problem at all, ma'am. For now, I'll just transfigure these clothes into whatever you want to wear for dinner, and I'll transfigure a set of nightclothes for you as well from a spare pillowcase. In the morning, the princes can arrange with the Headmaster for someone to bring you what you need. We aren't far, actually, from one of your own castles, I believe," she said, looking to the elder prince for confirmation.
"Yes, we're actually not far from Balmoral, Grandma. If you have things there that you need, we can get that tomorrow, I'm sure, or we can get things brought in from London, as you prefer. Everyone is waking up today, so I'll see if we can get your Lady-In-Waiting to pack for you."
"Oh, will you be staying here for a while, then?" Mrs. Savoy rejoined the conversation. "I know that the Headmaster has recommended that all the muggles stay here for now rather than get right back to their homes. We have food and everything that you need right here, so why put up with delays and queues for food? Makes good sense to stay put, I think."
With that, the chatty young woman slipped a small piece of wood from her sleeve, and pointed it at the Queen, who flinched. "I'm not sure of your style, ma'am. Obviously, we need something appropriate for an early July evening, so summer-weight, but covered because the castle can be chilly at night. A simple dress, maybe in a floral print, with a solid jacket? Let's see how this works, we can always adjust."
She flicked her wrist slightly, and the Queen suddenly realized that she was no longer wearing her heavy pleated skirt and warm shirt; she was now wearing a softly patterned shift dress with a jacket in the most lovely shade of periwinkle. Her sturdy loafers had also been replaced by more delicate but still sensible pumps that matched the jacket.
"Oh, my!" the Queen exclaimed in surprise. "How on earth . . .? This is quite fine, Mrs. Savoy, but how on earth . . . "
The older prince chuckled. "Welcome to the wizarding world, Grandma. You look lovely. Grandpa, you're next."
Mrs. Savoy didn't quite get Philip's suit right on the first try (the style was not that bad, but the lightweight wool fabric was the same periwinkle blue as the Queen's jacket). However, with some guidance from the princes, the style was tweaked and various grey shades tested, with a final result that was pronounced very acceptable by all.
The princes escorted their grandparents through the castle to the vestibule before the Great Hall, not entirely sure where the reception was planned. The Queen took the moving, talking paintings in surprising stride, nodding and exchanging greetings with them all as she passed.
The one castle inhabitant who made the greatest impression on her was one of the ghosts. Just as she stepped into the vestibule, he floated out of a nearby room and made quite a show of greeting the two princes, who seemed to know him rather well. The older prince made the formal introductions. "Grandma, this is one of the ghosts who live in the castle, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington. Sir Nicholas, my grandmother, Queen Elizabeth."
How horrible – the first person she met in the castle who recognized her and knew the general protocol to follow on meeting the reigning queen, and he was a ghost, whose head nearly fell off as he made a very elaborate bow!
The foursome was spared Sir Nicholas' flustered and fawning prattle when Kingsley Shacklebolt exited his Ministry offices upon hearing voices in the vestibule.
"Ah, Your Majesties, welcome, welcome indeed to Hogwarts!" he intoned in his deep, rich voice. He made a very correct bow, and responded as soon as the Queen extended her hand in greeting to shake his. While the shaking of hands was not a wizarding custom, he'd been well schooled in the muggle social protocols before his own assignment as a personal secretary to a Prime Minister a number of years back.
"Allow me to introduce myself: Kingsley Shacklebolt, here at Hogwarts as the on-site representative of the Ministry of Magic in Britain. Our Ministry established an office here when one of the castle residents was identified as the King of the Wizarding World."
The princes had explained at least part of that as they walked down to the vestibule, so the Queen was aware that she had a magical counterpart here. Shacklebolt's exotic African-inspired garb, imposing stature and deep voice made quite an impression. The Queen actually thought she'd seen him before, but could not place him.
"Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Minister of Magic Amelia Bones are most anxious to welcome you themselves. A reception for you is being held in one of the private rooms behind the Head Table. I'd be pleased to escort you there."
The Queen seemed momentarily unsure, and looked to her grandsons. Harry explained the situation for her. "There is a Head Table at one end of the Great Hall, the room where meals are taken. The Headmaster and Professors sit there, along with adult guests, visiting dignitaries and such. Everyone else sits at long tables that run the length of the room. Wills and I have been sitting with students, or sometimes with other squibs and guests at the castle. We'll be just fine."
The Queen nodded, reassured, although a bit put out that the younger royals were not shown more respect. Looking at Kingsley, she asked "Will we have the opportunity to meet the King of the Wizarding World?"
"Not at the reception, Ma'am. He's a student here, and sits with his classmates. I believe your grandsons have sat with him at times. You will be able to meet Mr. Potter's bondmate, who is a professor."
As they watched their grandparents walk off with the Ministry representative, the princes suddenly wished that they'd had a bit more time to explain things to their grandmother about Harry Potter and his bondmate – that might come as a shock.
The reception room was comfortably filled as Kingsley escorted his charges into the room. Mrs. Savoy's initial choice of periwinkle blue for her husband's suit was fully explained by the riot of color that greeted the Queen there.
Albus Dumbledore would never have recognized the Queen of England on his own, but when he saw the two people arrive in Kingsley's wake, he quickly drew the correct conclusion and immediately went to greet them. The Queen was quite charmed by the old, almost archetypical wizard, with his long hair and even longer beard, wearing robes of shimmering blue and silver. His Deputy Headmistress, with her pointy hat and tartan robe, was perfectly cast as a witch, in the Queen's eye. As she was escorted around and introduced to the various people assembled, the sheer diversity of dress and style amazed her.
The members of the oddly-named Wizard governing body shared a role, but could not have looked more different from one another. The Minister was a no-nonsense middle-aged woman, in rather plain robes in a deep red color. There was a tall, lanky gentleman dressed in drab brown street clothes, who could easily pass without notice in most English villages. He seemed to be with a smaller man with long curly hair and a mischievous smile who wore an ankle-length jacket in a deep blue satin brocade.
The man introduced as Lord Lucius Malfoy was in a category of his own. He was tall, regal, impeccably dressed in robes of sumptuous if brightly colored fabrics, immaculately groomed and incredibly bejeweled. Here was someone who put a tremendous amount of thought, time and money into his appearance! Not exactly the Queen's sort, but quite a sight to behold. He was accompanied by his wife, an equally stunning, extremely beautiful woman wearing opals that rivaled some in the Queen's own collection.
Among the last to arrive was a couple, but it was not immediately clear if they were husband and wife or possibly family. He was tall and she was of moderate height, but they had the same basic slim build, black hair and dark eyes. Her features were quite beautiful where his were, shall we say, dramatic. She wore a modest, colorful dress beneath a flowing robe, and he wore severe black robes. They immediately went to stand with a man who could only be described as the very picture of a Viking of old.
The Headmaster greeted them with particular enthusiasm. "Ah, Lord and Lady Brand, Severus, how wonderful to see you all! Queen Elizabeth, may I present Lady Diana Snape Brand, a member of our Wizengamot and representative of the Winter Lands. Lord Alrik Brand, her husband, is the eldest son of the leader of the Winter Lands." The Queen had no idea what or where the Winter Lands might be, but nodded graciously, nonetheless.
"And this is Lady Brand's brother, Lord Severus Snape, a Professor here at Hogwarts, a highly decorated Potions Master in the wizarding world at large, and the bondmate of Harry Potter," Albus concluded.
A flicker of confusion crossed the Queen's face at the reference to "bondmate." She had no idea what that was about, but she recovered quickly. She would have loved the opportunity to speak to the forbidding-looking man about his "bondmate," but someone else had arrived and she was being escorted off to meet the new arrival.
Albus was leading the Queen over to a woman who looked strange, but also strangely familiar. Augusta Longbottom had arrived wearing green robes of uncertain vintage, and one of her outrageous hats, complete with a large stuffed vulture perched atop it. Each woman seemed to have a glimmer of uncertain recognition as she looked at the other.
"Queen Elizabeth, may I present Augusta Longbottom, a prospective member of the International Confederation of Sorcerers."
The names did it. "Augie Greavington Longbottom?" the Queen asked, emphasizing the middle, maiden name.
Augusta smiled broadly at the use of her nickname and maiden name, names she hadn't heard spoken in many years. "And Princess Lillibet!" she replied.
Amid cries of happy surprise, the two old acquaintances briefly embraced, quite out of character for those who knew either of them.
Turning to her husband and the Headmaster, the Queen explained "When I was a youngster, my mother had a driver who also served as a bodyguard, Augie Greavington. She could drive any kind of vehicle, and if it broke down, she could fix it and have it back on the road in no time. My sister and I loved to go riding with her, always a little too fast, and we never had any trouble when Augie was with us. Oh my goodness, and the hats! Who could forget the hats with the vultures and hawks perched on them!"
Looking again at "Augie," the Queen went on fondly, "And you did not come with us when we went to Windsor. We did miss you so. I thought of you when I joined the Women's Auxiliary during the war as a driver and mechanic. Never quite as good as you were, but you would have been proud."
"Ah, Princess, you didn't have the benefit of magic when repairing the cars!" Augusta explained.
The two old friends were swept up in reminiscences until it was time for the group to head into the Great Hall for dinner.
X X X X X X X X X X
As the Viking opened the large door to the Great Hall, Vernon and Dudley got their first glimpses of the room. Petunia had stepped into the room first, to identify an appropriate place for them to sit, and they crowded in behind her. Food had not yet appeared on the tables, so they were not late. The noise level was high and no attention was paid to them.
There was an unusually large crowd tonight. All the formerly-sleeping muggles would be here, of course, and the Head Table looked about double its usual size, with at least one extra row, and everyone looked quite dressed up. Must be a Very Important Person up there tonight; she'd have to look more closely, once her family was seated.
Petunia led her family away from the four tables for the Hogwarts students, over toward the tables where she and the squibs had been seated these past months. She found open space toward the end of a table, where her bulky family members could slide in, rather than have to climb over the benches.
Vernon was looking all around with great suspicion and concern. He'd never been in a room with so many freaks and oddballs, and he didn't like that his family was exposed to this . . . element. For his part, Dudley looked rather frightened, although he did not seem to know why he was so scared.
"There, there, now Vernon and Dudley. This is where everyone takes their meals; they call it the Great Hall. Rather uncomfortable seats, I know," Petunia prattled on, "but you can deal with it. Now don't be frightened, but when it's time for the meal service, the platters just appear on the table, and you help yourself."
"Mummy, who are all these people?" Dudley finally blurted out, seeming to share his father's suspicions.
"The first four rows of tables are where the students sit, grouped according to their Houses. That is like you have at Smeltings, right, darling? They have four Houses here, so four long tables. I can never remember the names of the Houses – strange names, for sure, but I believe they are named for the founders of the school. They add rows over on this side of the room for guests, like us. The people at the House tables are all witches and wizards."
Vernon visibly tried to put more room between himself and those four tables. Dudley noticed, and immediately tried to do the same.
"These tables include some witches and wizards, but also the few of us who were awake after everyone went to sleep, and now all the people who have just awoken."
Dudley was now looking fearfully at a small girl seated a few spaces away from him. "How can who tell who the freaks are?"
Petunia smiled at her boy. "Mostly by their clothes, actually, although not all the witches and wizards dress in the odd style some of them follow. Anyone in a robe or really odd-style clothes is almost certainly a witch or wizard. But some people who are dressed in normal clothes are also witches and wizards – some of them dress like normal people. There are a few who look peculiar, physically, but surprisingly, many of them could pass as normal, aside from how they dress."
Dudley surreptitiously looked over to his right. The little girl was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of a popular children's cartoon character on it. Looking beyond her, he saw a man who he assumed was her father, in corduroy trousers and a button-down shirt, and a woman sitting across from them both in a printed shirt-waist dress. Dudley visible relaxed, assuming a family group dressed like that was not magical.
Petunia pointed to the front of the room, to the Head Table. "Up there is where all the professors sit. You can be sure, they are all witches and wizards. They seem to have guests; there's usually just one table, but they add a row or two sometimes. I can't quite see who all is up there, but they look rather dressed up, so I assume there's an important guest here tonight."
Then she pointed to the ceiling. "They applied some magic to the ceiling in this room so it always looks like the sky outside. I rather like that feature. Makes me more comfortable to be able to see the sky." Both Vernon and Dudley nodded their agreement. Finally, a positive use for magic!
A hush fell over the room, and the three Dursleys craned their necks to see what was happening up at the Head Table.
A most peculiar-looking old man had stood up, and was visible over the heads of the people seated at the tables. He looked like an old hippy, but was wearing what looked like a dress – truly a freak! He pointed a stick at his throat, and began to speak. Vernon was startled to realize they could hear him clearly, even though they were seated at the farthest part of the very large room and he did not seem to be yelling.
"Welcome, one and all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! We are thrilled tonight to welcome not only Minister of Magic Bones and a number of members of the Wizengamot and Ministers, but all of our non-magical family members, as well. We so rarely have the chance to bring our non-magical family members to visit Hogwarts, so it is quite a treat to share our very unique castle with you all."
There was a small smattering of applause, which seemed to surprise the man.
"I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts; my name is Albus Dumbledore." He gestured to an elderly woman to his left, who stood as he did so. "This is our Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, who probably met with many of you non-magical parents and family members when your Hogwarts students got their letters inviting them to attend here."
Vernon seemed bursting to say something – that woman looked like someone dressed for Halloween – he'd never in his life seen someone who looked more like a witch. However, the Headmaster wasn't done speaking.
"We hope that you will all remain here for at least another week or two, as the non-magical world gets itself sorted out. We have ample food and shelter for you all, and you will be safer and more comfortable here than at your homes. If you feel you want to leave, we will of course help you return to your home, but keep in mind that stores might not have goods, and some services might not yet be operational as you expect. Better to wait it out here, if you can."
"Those of your friends and family members who awakened this day at their homes, or offices, are seeing a message on their televisions that explains to them what happened. I assume your family members have shared that information with you, but we have gotten little silver disks" Albus gestured vaguely, and looked behind him for help in identifying them. Someone whispered to him and he continued. "Little silver disks called DVDs that contain a recording of the message so you can watch it yourselves when you go home. We don't have devices here on which you can watch them."
"We welcomed many people here to Hogwarts over the past few months, after everyone was sent to sleep. Among them were two members of the British Royal family, the young princes, who were awakened because they have a bit of magic in them. As we moved non-magical people with family at Hogwarts here to be cared from while they slept, our Ministry took care of a number of non-magical members of the British government, and members of the Royal family. At the request of the princes, we brought Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, to Hogwarts today, and are delighted to welcome them, in particular."
Vernon's mouth fell open when he saw the woman to the Headmaster's right stand up and give her trademark wave to the large room. She absolutely looked like the Queen, and there, a few seats away, was a gentleman who was the spitting image of Prince Philip. Were they imposters? What nonsense was this?
The Headmaster continued. "Enough of the greetings and welcomes, although I assure one and all they are sincerely meant. I believe it is time for our evening meal to commence." He gestured expansively with both arms, and without a single noise, suddenly, the tables were all laden with food.
A few muggles shrieked in surprise at the sudden, very magical arrival of their food. As most smelled the delicious aromas wafting from the food piled high on all the platters, they tucked in quickly. Vernon and Dudley could not smell the food, but its appearance was genuine enough for them.
Petunia reached for the serving fork and immediately began to place large portions of beef and chicken on her family's plates, adding several spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, and some Yorkshire pudding, and a few vegetables. Vernon remained suspicious; Dudley had seen the family seated nearby eating to no apparent ill effect, so he got right to it, shoveling food into his mouth as fast as he could. Vernon eventually overcame the worst of his suspicions, and took a tentative bite. He couldn't taste this any more than he'd been able to taste Petunia's cooking these past months, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the food, so he began to scarf down the large portions.
Petunia served herself last, the more modest portions that she favored, with more vegetables and some salad. It was very pleasant to have those available. She could never put more than two vegetables on her table at home, lest Vernon complain, and salads had to be offered sparingly, too. There was no taste for her, but she enjoyed the change of textures.
She daintily picked up her scramasax and began to eat her dinner.
X X X X X X X X X X
The wizards didn't quite know what to do with muggle royalty, but everyone got seated at the Head Table with minimal fuss. It seemed appropriate for the Queen to sit next to the Headmaster, and since she and Augusta clearly had so much to catch up on, Mrs. Longbottom was seated on her other side. After all the adjustments were made, Severus found himself seated between Philip and Mrs. Longbottom, essentially limiting his dinner conversation to Philip.
The elder royal looked a bit intimidated by the stern professor, but decades of attending all manner of diplomatic and political events had put him in less hospitable situations many times, so he gamely initiated a chat with Severus.
"Lord Snape, where exactly is this place? I gather we are in Scotland, but I've spent a great deal of time at Balmoral Castle and never saw anything to suggest that such a place as this existed, and I understand it's nearby."
"You are in Scotland, sir, but no muggle would notice the School unless you were invited here and knew what to look for. There are charms and enchantments in place to protect us, and one of those renders the building and its surrounds invisible to muggles."
"Muggles?" the prince asked. That was three times now he'd heard that word.
"Muggles are what we call non-magical people, " Severus explained. He paused for a moment, but decided it would be best to just help this little conversation along. Local geography seemed like a safe topic. "We are near a small village called Hogsmeade, which is on your muggle maps. It even maintains a connection to your Royal Mail. However, it is a wizarding community, and no muggles live there."
"Do wizards also live in London?" the prince wondered. You might be able to have a small community in a remote section of Scotland that could remain undetected, but certainly these people were not in a densely-populated place like London.
"Of course. Our Ministry of Magic's offices are in London, and our commercial center is there as well, with our wizard bank, our specialty shops, and such. Those places are also protected from muggle eyes with various spells and enchantments. Of course, some wizards choose to live in the surrounding community among the muggles, in London and even in suburban or rural locations. My own family home is in High Hill County."
"I don't believe I've ever heard of High Hill County, Lord Snape."
"It is an unplottable county, completely unknown to muggles, not on your maps. There are six unplottable counties in wizarding Britain, which basically means that they are part of our country but not part of muggle Britain."
"I believe the Headmaster mentioned that your sister is married to someone from the Winter Lands. Is that an unplottable county, too?"
""Unplottable, but not actually on British soil. The Winter Lands are in a place I think you would probably identify as Sweden, although it is not visible on Swedish maps." Severus was initially inclined to stop there, but the interest was clear on the prince's face, so he continued.
"A magical community of Vikings broke away from their muggle countrymen in the year 825, when their leader's son married a witch from Lindisfarne. British wizards helped them create the spells and enchantments to render their homeland unplottable – sadly, while the Vikings are a race of remarkably strong people physically, they are magically rather weak. They needed the assistance of Britain's witches and wizards to step out of view. They became nervous when a magical community began to expand in what is today Russia in about 1050, and sought a more formal arrangement with Britain. They became a Protectorate. They just recently transferred that Protectorate status from Britain to Mr. Potter."
The prince was chewing his food as if he'd forgotten how to swallow, he was so amazed by the information Severus was sharing. But he was extremely curious about this new world that apparently existing right under their noses, and had one more line of questions to pursue, if Severus would entertain a few more.
"I'm not an expert on the Peerage, Lord Snape, but I do not recall ever seeing that name among any lists of Dukes, Marquesses or Earls. Is your title British?"
Severus found himself almost entertained sharing small items about the wizarding world with this muggle, who was so obviously stunned with his disclosures.
"It is a title in the wizarding world, not from the muggle world. The heads of many of the ancient houses have used the titles Lord and Lady for many centuries. The wizarding world does not have a hierarchy of titles as I understand exists in your muggle world. We have just the one title. If someone has the title of Lord or Lady in this world, they are associated with one of the ancient houses. The titles pass through the male line as I believe is the case in your world."
"And how then is it that you have a King?" the prince wanted to know.
Severus indulged in a small smile. "We don't know, really. Since long before the time of Merlin, when the wizarding world has needed a King, one arises in our midst. I imagine that centuries have passed where there was a wizard who could have assumed that mantle, but there was not the crisis or situation that required he be called. When it is time to recognize someone as the King of the Wizarding World, there is a Calling. All the most powerful witches and wizards throughout the world will hear a bell, summoning them." Severus' smile was gone now, as he recalled his own painful encounter with the summons he could not answer. "When the time is right, they know it, and all go to whatever place they are summoned, where they recognize and greet the new King."
"The new King is your bondmate, I understand?" the prince asked almost gingerly. He wasn't entirely sure if that was an impertinent question, but he was filled with curiosity and could not resist.
"Yes, he is," was all the answer Severus was willing to provide.
"The Queen has expressed interest in meeting King Harry Potter. She had hoped we'd meet him at the reception, but Mr. Shacklebolt informed us that he is a student here, and honors his role at school."
Severus smiled at the thought of a Gryffindor honoring anything at this school; most of them existed for the purpose of flaunting and ignoring roles and rules, as far as he knew. He also imagined the look on Harry's face if he was called King Harry. However, that wasn't for the prince.
"His family is an ancient one, as well, so he is formally known in the wizarding world, even among those who are aware of his status as King, as Lord Potter. Harry grew up in the muggle world, you know. I suspect he will be very pleased to meet you and the Queen. The Headmaster has invited you and the others to enjoy an after-dinner drink in his office, and I will ask Harry to join us there."
X X X X X X X X X X
Vernon looked shocked as Petunia deftly stabbed at her food and popped it into her mouth. "What on earth are you doing, Pet?"
She looked down, surprised to hear that something was amiss. She'd not dropped food down the front of her blouse, and her food had not fallen off her dish, so it took her a moment to process her husband's concern. She realized he was glaring in fascinated horror at the scramasax.
"Oh, this. I seem to have a very strong allergic reaction to the silverware here. I don't know if it's something in the metals they use, or what, but I can't bear to hold the stuff. It feels like its burning my hands. One of their quaint customs involves the use of these old knives, like what was used before forks and spoons were invented. I discovered I can hold this without the burning feeling, so I started to use it. You do have to be careful," she went on, seeing Dudley watching her and looking for a spare scramasax of his own to try out. "The knives are very sharp. It's not uncommon for people to give themselves nasty cuts with them. I only started to use this when I could no longer hold onto a spoon or fork."
Vernon looked at her with some suspicion, but his interest in eating his own dinner soon outweighed whatever he thought of his wife's new piece of silverware, so dinner continued, largely without conversation.
"So, Petunia, do you think that is really the Queen herself up there, or is this their idea of a joke?" Vernon wanted to know, as he stuffed another bite of trifle into his mouth.
"That probably is the Queen. I volunteered to work in the greenhouses while I was here, because of the windows and light, of course, and when I gathered leaves from plants, the younger prince was the person who came by to collect what I gathered. We chatted every once in a while. I was initially thinking to ask him if anyone had ever told him he resembled the younger prince, when one of the women here told me he was the younger prince. I saw his older brother at times, as well. Lovely young men, actually."
Dudley had finished a serving of trifle, and was now working on a cobbler. "So, is he here? Harry?" he asked. Vernon's face clouded at the mention of his damned nephew, although Petunia seemed pleased that he'd asked.
"He's here tonight, I'm sure. He'll be sitting with his House, of course."
"Did you see him while you were here?" Dudley persisted.
"He stopped by when he heard I was in the Infirmary once, after I fainted, to be sure I was recovered, and I ran into him in the greenhouses several times. He was busy with his studies and such, and I was associating with a group of women like myself. He seems to have fit in well here."
Vernon harrumphed at that last observation. "He would fit in among the freaks, of course he would! Just you wait until I get my hands on that freak! How dare he, how dare they, interfere with our lives like this! It's all a plot, I tell you! They are up to no good, the lot of them."
Petunia looked pained at that observation. As much as she wanted to agree with her husband, she knew what would happen if she did, and she'd be mortified.
She did want to convey to Vernon and Dudley that Harry was in a very different position here, though. She had her doubts that Vernon would be able to get his hands on Harry here, either because the boy could use magic to deal with them or because one of these horrid people would intervene. She did not want her boys to be hurt, whatever happened.
"I believe you'll find that Harry is rather famous in this world," she offered
Vernon laughed derisively at that, although Dudley looked interested, so she pushed on.
"No, really, it seems that the wizard who killed his parents tried to kill him as well. Harry survived the curse that was intended to kill him, the first person ever to do so. That's where that strange scar came from. Just be prepared – some people here get positively weepy over The Boy Who Lived. That's what many of these people call him."
Vernon laughed harder at that news, and Dudley decided to copy his father in that.
"The Boy Who Lived! Not once I get my hands on him, right, Father?"
Vernon beamed with pride at his Dudders. None of the Dursleys noticed that the little family group seated nearby had overheard them and was scooting away from them as quickly as possible.