Shock to the System
Vernon Dursely exerted a heavy sigh of frustration as he pulled back the curtain and peered out to Privet Drive. Living here was the perfect existence, or so he had convinced himself many years ago. As long as he and his family lived in Privet Drive, nothing could ever go wrong. Or so Vernon had thought- but as naïve as he tried to be he knew his secret past was bound to unravel one day and the quintessential lifestyle he had grown accustomed to was going to be snatched from his sweaty palms. Vernon was snapped from his thoughts by a high pitched whine,
"Vernon! What are you doing? Get away from the curtains- what would the neighbours think if they saw you gawking out the window?" Vernon did as his wife, Petunia said and turned away from the window and let the curtain fall back into place.
"Vernon, whatever is the matter with you? You've been so stressed these last few days. If it's about Harry going to that school, I will personally see to it that the neighbours never find out." Vernon could feel his face flinching at the emphasis his wife placed upon his nephew, Harry's name. Harry had never been an important matter to him, or so Vernon would like others to think. He even managed to persuade himself into believing that to him Harry was nothing but a piece of filth. The boy wasn't a bad child or anything, he just aroused memories that Vernon would prefer to put behind himself. He wanted to be a good husband and a good father, and Harry might just prove to be the downfall to everything he endeavoured to be. Vernon stared lovingly at the bony face of his wife that balanced upon her long neck, at first he thought of Petunia as looking similar to a horse- but he grew to love her appearance more than any other woman's especially since his son Dudley was born.
Vernon wandered aimlessly into the kitchen where he knew his son would be. Sure enough, as Vernon entered he saw Dudley rummaging around the kitchen pantry obviously looking for a snack before breakfast.
"Morning Dudders!" Vernon perked himself up immediately at the sight of his rather large son and a cup of coffee awaiting him at the table. Dudley poked his large fleshy head with a blonde comb over out of the pantry,
"Oh morning Father. I have a question for you." Dudley drawled in between mouthfuls of various biscuits and treats, "What's an orca? I know it's probably a really rude word but some kids at school called me one and I wasn't sure what they meant." Vernon stared incredulously at his son, who was indeed looking rather like a whale.
"Uh," stalled Vernon, unsure of how to approach the matter, "Don't say that word to your mother son, it's rather offensive." Dudley nodded his head in agreement,
"I thought as much dad, but don't worry I sat on the mongrels." Vernon snorted out his coffee in a poor attempt to cover his laughter. 'Poor buggers' he thought to himself, 'Fancy being sat on by Dudley.' Vernon was beginning to imagine several children looking more like pancakes when Petunia came bustling towards him and placed a healthy serving of bacon and eggs in front of him.
"I thought we'd have a special breakfast to celebrate!" beamed Petunia
"Celebrate what dear?" Vernon asked wondering if it was his mother-in- law's birthday.
"Dad you can't be serious. We don't have to see Harry for the rest of the year- that's a cause for celebration if there ever was one!" Vernon managed to collect his thoughts and started to give a prepared, and ultimately fake, speech on his thoughts of Harry going to Hogwarts.
"I just don't understand, Petunia. Where could it have all gone wrong? I mean your sister wasn't of any heritage of that sort, your definitely not, Dudley's not and I am certainly not." Petunia was nodding her head furiously,
"But Vernon, let's not forget what kind of brand his father was." At the mention of Harry's father, Vernon felt a deep seated sickness.
"Dad?" Vernon could vaguely hear Dudley saying in the distance, "Dad? What's wrong? You're gone all pale! Mum- what's wrong with dad?" Sure enough Vernon's usually red and purple coloured face was now a sickly white, his eyes were fogging over and he could only just make out Petunia's worried face swimming before him.
"Oh Dudley no! Call the ambulance! Quickly, Daddy's in trouble- hurry!" Petunia was sobbing uncontrollably and Dudley had knocked the table over in an effort to waddle to the phone quickly. Vernon could feel himself sprawled across the ground convulsing violently but he had no control over himself.
"Speak to me Vernon dear. Say something!" Petunia was screaming in a fit of tears. Vernon could only form one word in his dry and swollen mouth,
"Harry."
Vernon Dursely exerted a heavy sigh of frustration as he pulled back the curtain and peered out to Privet Drive. Living here was the perfect existence, or so he had convinced himself many years ago. As long as he and his family lived in Privet Drive, nothing could ever go wrong. Or so Vernon had thought- but as naïve as he tried to be he knew his secret past was bound to unravel one day and the quintessential lifestyle he had grown accustomed to was going to be snatched from his sweaty palms. Vernon was snapped from his thoughts by a high pitched whine,
"Vernon! What are you doing? Get away from the curtains- what would the neighbours think if they saw you gawking out the window?" Vernon did as his wife, Petunia said and turned away from the window and let the curtain fall back into place.
"Vernon, whatever is the matter with you? You've been so stressed these last few days. If it's about Harry going to that school, I will personally see to it that the neighbours never find out." Vernon could feel his face flinching at the emphasis his wife placed upon his nephew, Harry's name. Harry had never been an important matter to him, or so Vernon would like others to think. He even managed to persuade himself into believing that to him Harry was nothing but a piece of filth. The boy wasn't a bad child or anything, he just aroused memories that Vernon would prefer to put behind himself. He wanted to be a good husband and a good father, and Harry might just prove to be the downfall to everything he endeavoured to be. Vernon stared lovingly at the bony face of his wife that balanced upon her long neck, at first he thought of Petunia as looking similar to a horse- but he grew to love her appearance more than any other woman's especially since his son Dudley was born.
Vernon wandered aimlessly into the kitchen where he knew his son would be. Sure enough, as Vernon entered he saw Dudley rummaging around the kitchen pantry obviously looking for a snack before breakfast.
"Morning Dudders!" Vernon perked himself up immediately at the sight of his rather large son and a cup of coffee awaiting him at the table. Dudley poked his large fleshy head with a blonde comb over out of the pantry,
"Oh morning Father. I have a question for you." Dudley drawled in between mouthfuls of various biscuits and treats, "What's an orca? I know it's probably a really rude word but some kids at school called me one and I wasn't sure what they meant." Vernon stared incredulously at his son, who was indeed looking rather like a whale.
"Uh," stalled Vernon, unsure of how to approach the matter, "Don't say that word to your mother son, it's rather offensive." Dudley nodded his head in agreement,
"I thought as much dad, but don't worry I sat on the mongrels." Vernon snorted out his coffee in a poor attempt to cover his laughter. 'Poor buggers' he thought to himself, 'Fancy being sat on by Dudley.' Vernon was beginning to imagine several children looking more like pancakes when Petunia came bustling towards him and placed a healthy serving of bacon and eggs in front of him.
"I thought we'd have a special breakfast to celebrate!" beamed Petunia
"Celebrate what dear?" Vernon asked wondering if it was his mother-in- law's birthday.
"Dad you can't be serious. We don't have to see Harry for the rest of the year- that's a cause for celebration if there ever was one!" Vernon managed to collect his thoughts and started to give a prepared, and ultimately fake, speech on his thoughts of Harry going to Hogwarts.
"I just don't understand, Petunia. Where could it have all gone wrong? I mean your sister wasn't of any heritage of that sort, your definitely not, Dudley's not and I am certainly not." Petunia was nodding her head furiously,
"But Vernon, let's not forget what kind of brand his father was." At the mention of Harry's father, Vernon felt a deep seated sickness.
"Dad?" Vernon could vaguely hear Dudley saying in the distance, "Dad? What's wrong? You're gone all pale! Mum- what's wrong with dad?" Sure enough Vernon's usually red and purple coloured face was now a sickly white, his eyes were fogging over and he could only just make out Petunia's worried face swimming before him.
"Oh Dudley no! Call the ambulance! Quickly, Daddy's in trouble- hurry!" Petunia was sobbing uncontrollably and Dudley had knocked the table over in an effort to waddle to the phone quickly. Vernon could feel himself sprawled across the ground convulsing violently but he had no control over himself.
"Speak to me Vernon dear. Say something!" Petunia was screaming in a fit of tears. Vernon could only form one word in his dry and swollen mouth,
"Harry."