A/N: Yes I am sorry about the confusing chapter. All that was meant to be like that. Dumbledore had suggested that they keep Harriet unknown. But they told their friend that they had a child. Never saying it was a boy or girl. So everyone thought that she was a boy. I mean Harry isn't commonly known as a girl's name. It'll be clearer either this chapter or later. Sorry about all that.
Chapter 3:
The Letters.
"Get up!" Cried Aunt Petunia from outside the cupboard. "Now." She was as waspish as ever.
"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry cried from inside. 'Of all the days to sleep in.' Harry thought. She got out of the cupboard to finish making breakfast.
Her Aunt went up stairs to get her fat lazy cousin Dudley up. "Hmm an owl. Reminds me of that movie Dudley watched last night. Wonder if he's the Goblin king." She smiled to herself. As long as she didn't tell anyone about this fantasy she herself would be safe.
"Mornin'." Uncle Vernon said to his wife and son. He completely ignored Harry and her cooking the food. "Smells good Petunia. Whites for Breakfast?"
"Toast, bacon, and strawberry jam." Harry looked down at the bacon to see if it was done yet. It needed a little bit more time. Dudley came behind her and poked her hard in the lower ribs. "Dudley. Not around the stove. You'll get burned."
Harry let out the breath she had been holding and took the bacon off the stove. Scooping it all out on three plates she started on the toast. All she would be allowed was toast, and if lucky marmalade. "Here." Aunt Petunia shoved a dress at Harry. Normally they would have given her Dudley's old clothes, but the neighbors would think it was strange that their niece was cross-dressing. She thanked her Aunt and put it down in her cupboard. She really hated the clothes she was given.
Most had been from when her aunt was her size. Before Dudley was born. So that meant they were out of fashion. But this one was different. It was currently new, and Harry was wondering what was up. It was a pale green sundress, matched her eyes.
"Get the mail" Her uncle roared at her. She went slowly into the other room. There by the door was a small pile of letters. She shuffled through them sorting out the junk for her Uncle. She was surprised to find one for her addressed on heavy yellow parchment. The letters were written in green ink and it seemed to shimmer under the light. There was no return address.
H. Potter
4 Privet Drive
Cupboard under the stairs.
England.
How someone knew so much about her was amazing. She walked into the Kitchen with all the mail in her hands. She handed the letters, all but her own, to her uncle. He didn't notice her letter. Dudley however grabbed it from her and shouted. "Harry's got a letter!"
She jumped up to her feet and shouted right back. "That's my letter."
Her Uncle Vernon grabbed it from Dudley and smirked. "Who would send a letter to you?" When he read the letter to himself her paled. Which was amazing because he always looked a slight shade of purple. "Harry Dudley, leave the room now."
"But I want to read it." Dudley squealed.
"I want to read it. After all it is my letter." Harry yelled. There would be hell if her Cousin got to read her letter and not her.
"I said out!" Aunt Petunia shoved both the children out of the room and shut the door on them. Harry was fuming. She wanted her letter. How could they know that she was living in the cupboard under the stairs? There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, but knew better. They didn't like her questions.
Through the door she heard her Aunts waspish voice. "They know where she sleeps Vernon. Do you think they are watching the house?" She cried.
Uncle Vernon threw open the door and glared at Harry. "You grab you things. You are moving into Dudley's second room. Now move it young Lady." She did as told. However she would rather have her letter.
Now she was lying down in Dudley's second bedroom. There was a TV which Dudley had put his fist through after he found out that his favorite show had been canceled. 'What a spoiled brat.' Harriet sighed.
Downstairs she heard her fat cousin roar at the top of his lungs. "I don't what Harry in my room. I need it for my things." At least it wasn't a total loss. Dudley had always been given books by his grand parents. This way Harry could be the first person to ever read them. She sighed. Some reason she felt the foreshadowing that this was only a beginning.
It the person knew which room was hers, then maybe this sender would know Harry hadn't gotten her letter. Tomorrow she would sneak down and get the post first. Then back in her new room she would read it. Nothing could stop her. Or so she thought.
**The next morning**
Harriet had woken up at five the next morning. As quietly as she could, she crept down the stairs closest to the railing. That way when her weight hit the floor there would be no creaking. Only feet away from the door and the post box. She took one more quiet step, and felt something squish under her foot. There was a noise, and Harriet jumped almost out of her skin.
"And just what do you think you were doing young Lady?" Turns out the thing under her foot and been Uncle Vernon's very round neck.
'Too bad I didn't crush it completely.' Her thoughts were as dark as her face. He had been waiting for her. "Sorry Uncle Vernon. I was headed towards the kitchen to start breakfast. Guess I was still to tired to notice I was headed the wrong way." She turned around when the sound of the mail hitting her uncles lap sounded. She jumped and wrestled him for the letters.
Her uncle was a lot heavier then she was, so he won. But Harriet had given him a run for his money. He tore up the letters. From the noise her Aunt and cousin came down the stairs, and frowned at the two of them.
The rest of the week had gone that way. Every time she got a letter, it was destroyed. Her uncle had even sealed the hole for the mail drop. Harriet wished there was a way to grab on of her letters before her 'family'.
Sunday her Uncle was very pleased. "Dudley… do you know why I'm so happy?" Dudley shook his fat head that made his neck roll and twist. Harry often wondered if there was a way to use his fat as candles. "What about you Harriet? Do you know why?"
"No post on Sundays." Harriet sighed. And by Monday, her uncle would have said they moved. All this to stop a letter getting to her. Suddenly a letter wiped past her uncle's nose. It was in the same heavy parchment as the others. "My letter."
Both Harriet and her Uncle dove to it. Uncle Vernon got to it first. Harriet stood frozen to the spot as her ripped it to pieces. There was a sound as if from the fireplace. Hundreds and hundreds of letters shot out. Harriet tried to grab one.
Her small hands clasped on the letter and she ran off. Her uncle shouted at her. If she could just get into her room before he got there. "Give me that letter." She reached her door and he pulled her by her hair to the ground. "GIVE MY THAT LETTER."
He pulled at it so strongly that it cut her hands. "No. It's mine." There was a strong struggle, but in the end her uncle won. "Give it back."
"That's it. I can't stand this any more. Pack you bags. All of you. We are going on holiday." He pushed her into her room and stormed off. "Bring only what you need." He bellowed through the whole house.
"This is really what I wanted." Harriet sighed. She grabbed a week worth of clothing. Which was all she really had. "Now I'll never get my letter." That's when she thought something new. If the person who was sending these to he knew that she hadn't gotten her letter yet, then maybe, just maybe they would come and take her far away from her family. "I can only dream."
One hour later she was in the back seat of the family car. Dudley was crying softly, because his enraged father had hit him for keeping them up. It seemed that Dudley was trying to pack a TV. Poor stupid git. Maybe this would do him good. But Harriet doubted as much.
"Vernon where are we going?" Aunt Petunia asked. "Vernon answer me." However he didn't. There was no way he would tell whoever was sending these letters to his niece where to find them.
They drove for hours. Until they go to a little hotel out in the middle of nowhere. "Everybody out time for bed." Uncle Vernon called. Harriet was out of the car, then her aunt followed. The last one out was Dudley.
They had two rooms. Harriet and Dudley had to share. Which was foul enough. Dudley kept farting in his sleep. Harriet swore that she'd die of toxic vapors. Then he started snoring even louder. Finally she got some sleep. Hoping that she'd get her letter some how.
Her dreams were of just that. She was seated at a table, and a man walked up to her and said something very different from how she was used to being treated. "Excuse the pardon miss, but you wouldn't be Harriet Potter, would you?"
She smiled and nodded. He handed her a letter in thick yellow parchment with the green writing. It said what she knew it would.
H. Potter
Room # 124
Second bed
Middle of nowhere
England.
However before she could open it Her Uncle forced her to wake up. He had done it again. Somehow he had a radar that goes off only when she was about to open her letter. Now she knew why she hated her Uncle. He was a monster. However this time there was no knight to save her, as there had been in every story.
They went down to have breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Am man walked over to them and coughed to let them know he needed a word with them. "I'm sorry but is anyone here named H. Potter?"
Harriet was about to say she was, but Uncle Vernon got to it first. "Yes I am." He said.
"Like Bloody hell you are!" Harriet shouted. The stranger looked at her with shocked eye.
Uncle Vernon covered cleanly. "Sir do you have teenaged daughters?" The man nodded. "Then you know that they get really moody around a certain time. Well that's whats going on here."
"You are a ruddy Liar!" Harriet yelled.
"Oh so does your daughter need anything? To soften the pain?" Vernon said no and the man went on. "Well Mr. Potter there are a bunch of letter for you up at the front desk. There are a hundred and twenty five to be exact. What shall I do with them sir?'
"Burn them." Petunia said. "We don't want any letters." Right after breakfast they were packed back into their car and drove off.
"What a week." Harriet sighed. They drove for hours on end. Making her angrier by the second. They had to stop sometime. But when would that be?
