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"Come on, boy, do you think this is a chauffeur business?" Uncle Vernon grunted. Harry jumped. He hadn't noticed that Uncle Vernon had come up behind him. With a final wave to his friends, Harry picked up his large suitcase reluctantly and treaded his fingers through the loop on the very top of Hedwig's cage. Then, looking ahead at the retreating backs of the Dursleys, he ran to catch up with them.

With some effort Harry managed to stuff the suitcase in the trunk. He climbed into the back seat of the car with Hedwig, rather taken aback at the fact that Dudley wasn't complaining of the seating arrangements. Suddenly, a thought brought a smile to his lips. They still don't know I can't do magic! He'd been too depressed to think of the fact he'd just mentioned to Ron a few minutes ago.

"I learned a lot a Hogwarts." He said cheerfully to the silence of the Dursleys. "And thank you for the Christmas present. It was really too much."

Uncle Vernon went pink and grunted in reply.

"And guess what?" Harry went on merrily, "Dudley, I can change you into a goat. Show you when we get home?"

Dudley had been purposely not looking directly at him the whole time. Now he squealed with such horror that Harry couldn't suppress a guffaw.

At this point Uncle Vernon lost it. "Listen to me, boy, you are not to do any ma- present any of your abnormality this summer, or you are out of the house in a second. Are we understood? And that crazy owl had better be controlled."

Aunt Petunia let out a little gasp, as if she were afraid that Harry would turn her husband into a slug. Harry sulked at the prospect of Uncle Vernon not being afraid of him, this early in the summer. He said nothing. Dudley, upon seeing this, turned his frightened pig face into a weak smirk, but kept silent as well.

Only when they finally reached 4 Privet Lane did someone speak again -Uncle Vernon. "Do you think you are going to keep that owl in your room? Get him in the garage. I don't want screeching all night."

Harry snapped. He closed his eyes and stretched out his hands flat in front of him. "Onumbskullhead Nonrev!" He murmured. This was part of a rather complicated Transfiguration spell that Hermione had mastered as extra credit. She had tried to teach it to Ron and Harry but they were both too impatient and unwilling. Of course, even with Hermione it could have no effect whatsoever without a wand, but the Dursleys didn't know that.

"Vernon!" Shrieked Aunt Petunia, who had been silent until now.

"Stay back boy!" Uncle Vernon said huskily, trying to hide the fear from his voice. Dudley had dived behind the gardening shed. Harry continued to chant: "Onumbskullhead Nonrev, Onumbskullhead Nonrev, Onumbskullhead Nonrev, Onumbskullhead Nonrev…" The Dursleys looked so panicked, Harry broke into a laugh. Now it was Uncle Vernon's turn to snap.

"Do you think that was funny, boy? After all the hard labor we go through, raising you on our own money, letting you sleep in our house, eat our food, and you- you-" He fell silent as Harry pulled out his wand.

"Please?"

Uncle Vernon looked at Harry darkly in defeat. "She will not make any noise, do you hear? And no- no magic." He said the word with as much detest as Ron would have if he'd been forced to say 'Voldemort'.

"Yes, sir." Harry said a little reluctantly after a slight hesitation. Well, at least he could still get back at Dudley, who had only just now begun to creep out from behind the shed. Aunt Petunia was still standing with her hand over her mouth.

"Well? What are you all standing and waiting for? Get in!" Vernon snarled. Harry took caution not to bump poor Hedwig's cage against the sides of the door. The Dursleys had an amazingly narrow door for two people the size of Dudley and Uncle Vernon, and Hedwig was already dazed and anxious for a chance to spread her wings.