Author's Note: Sorry this chapter's so short... More coming soon! And,
hopefully, some more original stuff... It's tedious to re-write (and
probably to read) things that have already happened, you know? ::sigh::
The trip on the Hogwarts Express was basically the same as it was in his first year. Friends reminisced about the past year, looking forward to the summer (except in Harry's case) and the nest year. Ginny, Fred, and George did the most talking about the year to come. Hermione and Ron were rather quiet, and Harry didn't say anything at all.
Ron practically turned green when he caught Harry waving hesitantly to Draco Malfoy, of all people. Malfoy stared at him and turned away with a jerky nod. Harry grinned. Hey, it was a start.
Uncle Vernon met him at the station, glaring suspiciously at Mrs. Weasley when she hugged Harry. He edged away, and hurried Harry to the car. It was going to be a long summer.
Everything was relatively normal at #4 Privet Drive that summer - at first. Vernon and Petunia spoke sharply to him, and Dudley ran at the sight of him. Harry was content to let things stay this way, and spent his time doing homework (by flashlight in the dead of night), reading, or thinking about the next school year. When he was forced to eat in the kitchen with the rest of his 'family,' he watched the TV with Dudley. Nothing much was on - stock market changes, cartoons, an escaped convict by the name of Sirius Black, and, Aunt Petunia's favorite, the gossip channel. Harry sighed.
About halfway through the summer, he received his Hogwarts supply list. His stomach sank, however, when he found what was attached: a permission slip for trips to Hogsmeade on weekends. Harry had heard a little about the place. It was the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in all of England, and was a mini paradise for Hogwarts' staff and students, with interesting stores and an owl post office! He groaned. He would NEVER be able to get Uncle Vernon to sign this!
Then, the worst news came. Vernon's huge sister, Marge, was coming to visit. Marge hated Harry, and her favorite past time was being nasty to him. Neither he nor his cousin Dudley had any fondness for the woman, but, as Dudley was paid 20 dollars as compensation, he accepted her bone- crunching hugs, sloppy kisses, and, of course, her gifts. Harry tried to stay out of her way as much as possible, and Vernon and Petunia encouraged this. Especially when she brought her dogs. Marge's dogs hated him. Once, when the Dursleys had taken him to Marge's house for a visit, the vicious things had chased him up a tree, and "Aunt Marge" as he was forced to call her, wouldn't call them off until past nightfall.
However, he did find one positive thing about her visit. Uncle Vernon had made up stories to explain Harry's whereabouts the rest of the year. If Harry let anything slip, Vernon could beat him as much as he pleased, but his sister wouldn't forget it. So, if Harry stuck to the story and didn't pull any 'funny stuff,' Uncle Vernon would "sign the ruddy slip."
So, when Marge arrived, Harry Potter did his best to avoid her and to act 'normal.' Unfortunately, she had other plans for him. Whenever she saw him, she immediately engaged him in 'conversation,' insulting him and baiting him, dying to find as many things to berate him about as possible. When asked where he went to school, he described, as instructed by his uncle, life at St. Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. All went smoothly until her last night there, at the dinner table...
"Petunia, your sister was a bad egg. Ran off with a wastrel and here," Aunt Marge gestured to Harry, "is the result in front of us." Seeing that she had struck a cord with Harry, she immediately followed this up with further derogatory comments concerning his parents.
Harry shook with anger. The woman went on, throwing insults left and right, screaming at him whenever he dared to object. He tried to concentrate on the Quidditch Self-Service Broom kit that Hermione had sent him, but the shrill voice penetrated even this, his favorite subject. Finally, he lost control. Just as she was reaching the climax of her rant, she stopped. Her already blimp-like body had begun to swell. Her fingers grew to the size of sausages, and the buttons on her dress burst off. Slowly, like a giant balloon, she began to rise out of her seat with a yell.
"MARGE!" Vernon and Petunia yelled at once, and Vernon lunged forward and tried to pull his sister back to earth by one of her puffed-up feet. He yelled as he, too, was lifted off the floor.
In the confusion, Harry dashed to his cupboard; the door blasted to splinters before he reached it. Quickly, he heaved his trunk to the front door and ran up stairs. Yanking up the loose floorboard, he grabbed his schoolbooks, his birthday presents, and Hedwig's empty cage. Harry thudded down the stairs and to the front door. He pulled out his wand as Vernon came striding through the living room.
"CHANGE HER BACK! PUT HER RIGHT, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING-"
He didn't have a chance to finish, as Harry cast a silencing spell on him.
"She deserved it, Dursley, and you would too," he hissed coldly. "I'm leaving." So saying, he pulled his things out the door and slammed it behind him.
The trip on the Hogwarts Express was basically the same as it was in his first year. Friends reminisced about the past year, looking forward to the summer (except in Harry's case) and the nest year. Ginny, Fred, and George did the most talking about the year to come. Hermione and Ron were rather quiet, and Harry didn't say anything at all.
Ron practically turned green when he caught Harry waving hesitantly to Draco Malfoy, of all people. Malfoy stared at him and turned away with a jerky nod. Harry grinned. Hey, it was a start.
Uncle Vernon met him at the station, glaring suspiciously at Mrs. Weasley when she hugged Harry. He edged away, and hurried Harry to the car. It was going to be a long summer.
Everything was relatively normal at #4 Privet Drive that summer - at first. Vernon and Petunia spoke sharply to him, and Dudley ran at the sight of him. Harry was content to let things stay this way, and spent his time doing homework (by flashlight in the dead of night), reading, or thinking about the next school year. When he was forced to eat in the kitchen with the rest of his 'family,' he watched the TV with Dudley. Nothing much was on - stock market changes, cartoons, an escaped convict by the name of Sirius Black, and, Aunt Petunia's favorite, the gossip channel. Harry sighed.
About halfway through the summer, he received his Hogwarts supply list. His stomach sank, however, when he found what was attached: a permission slip for trips to Hogsmeade on weekends. Harry had heard a little about the place. It was the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in all of England, and was a mini paradise for Hogwarts' staff and students, with interesting stores and an owl post office! He groaned. He would NEVER be able to get Uncle Vernon to sign this!
Then, the worst news came. Vernon's huge sister, Marge, was coming to visit. Marge hated Harry, and her favorite past time was being nasty to him. Neither he nor his cousin Dudley had any fondness for the woman, but, as Dudley was paid 20 dollars as compensation, he accepted her bone- crunching hugs, sloppy kisses, and, of course, her gifts. Harry tried to stay out of her way as much as possible, and Vernon and Petunia encouraged this. Especially when she brought her dogs. Marge's dogs hated him. Once, when the Dursleys had taken him to Marge's house for a visit, the vicious things had chased him up a tree, and "Aunt Marge" as he was forced to call her, wouldn't call them off until past nightfall.
However, he did find one positive thing about her visit. Uncle Vernon had made up stories to explain Harry's whereabouts the rest of the year. If Harry let anything slip, Vernon could beat him as much as he pleased, but his sister wouldn't forget it. So, if Harry stuck to the story and didn't pull any 'funny stuff,' Uncle Vernon would "sign the ruddy slip."
So, when Marge arrived, Harry Potter did his best to avoid her and to act 'normal.' Unfortunately, she had other plans for him. Whenever she saw him, she immediately engaged him in 'conversation,' insulting him and baiting him, dying to find as many things to berate him about as possible. When asked where he went to school, he described, as instructed by his uncle, life at St. Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. All went smoothly until her last night there, at the dinner table...
"Petunia, your sister was a bad egg. Ran off with a wastrel and here," Aunt Marge gestured to Harry, "is the result in front of us." Seeing that she had struck a cord with Harry, she immediately followed this up with further derogatory comments concerning his parents.
Harry shook with anger. The woman went on, throwing insults left and right, screaming at him whenever he dared to object. He tried to concentrate on the Quidditch Self-Service Broom kit that Hermione had sent him, but the shrill voice penetrated even this, his favorite subject. Finally, he lost control. Just as she was reaching the climax of her rant, she stopped. Her already blimp-like body had begun to swell. Her fingers grew to the size of sausages, and the buttons on her dress burst off. Slowly, like a giant balloon, she began to rise out of her seat with a yell.
"MARGE!" Vernon and Petunia yelled at once, and Vernon lunged forward and tried to pull his sister back to earth by one of her puffed-up feet. He yelled as he, too, was lifted off the floor.
In the confusion, Harry dashed to his cupboard; the door blasted to splinters before he reached it. Quickly, he heaved his trunk to the front door and ran up stairs. Yanking up the loose floorboard, he grabbed his schoolbooks, his birthday presents, and Hedwig's empty cage. Harry thudded down the stairs and to the front door. He pulled out his wand as Vernon came striding through the living room.
"CHANGE HER BACK! PUT HER RIGHT, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING-"
He didn't have a chance to finish, as Harry cast a silencing spell on him.
"She deserved it, Dursley, and you would too," he hissed coldly. "I'm leaving." So saying, he pulled his things out the door and slammed it behind him.