Chapter 2:  More surprises than one.

Harry suddenly gave a smirk and smiled to himself.  For what made him smile was a thought of revenge on his killer whale sized cousin Dudley Dursley.  Dudley was known as the 'Big D' amongst his toe-rag friends that tailed him everywhere, but he simpered at his mothers weedy nicknames of  'sweetums' and 'dinky duddydums'.  But whatever was dinky about Dudley, we'll never know.  Harry thought blissfully about the fun he could have tormenting ickle duddykins in front of his rat-like friends Piers Polkiss, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon.

Harry was brought back to earth with a bump upon hearing a loud rapping at the window.  For a moment this seemed strange as his bedroom was on the second floor of the house and why would anyone knock on his window by way of greeting and coming to meet him.  Well, that is answered by the fact again, Harry was an unusual boy and his acquaintances were all as strange if not stranger than him.  Prime examples were Professor Dumbledore himself, Hagrid the gamekeeper, and his new auror friends Mad-eye Moody and Tonks.  However none of these people were knocking at the window, it was his beloved snowy owl "Hedwig" cried Harry as he leapt to his feet to pull open his window to let her in.  She sat on her cage whilst Harry quickly removed the letter tied to her foot.  She gave a small hoot of thanks then flew down to drink some water and take a nap.

Harry turned the letter over and found it to be from his best friend Ron, he could tell by the almost illegible writing.  Ripping off the envelope and sitting back on his bed he began to read:

Dear Harry

Hope you are well and the muggles are treating you ok.  There is no need to worry though as mum and dad have been in constant contact with Dumbledore and have finally persuaded him to let you come over to our house to stay.  We will be coming to collect you on July 31st at 12 noon, midday.  You can then stay at the Burrow for the remainder of the holidays and come with us to the station to catch the train back to school.  Have everything ready so we don't have to suffer those dreadful muggles for long either. 

Hermione is coming over on the 1st August with her parents who will be staying for dinner and the night, before travelling home the next day.  Apparently they have to travel a long way by muggle car, all the way from Nantwich, a little village in the heart of England.  Apparently.  Dad is beside himself with excitement.

From Ron.

"Wow" said Harry aloud.  This was the one thing he had been waiting for in the short holiday that had already passed.  It was the first time he had felt truly happy since arriving back off the train from Hogwarts.  His friends hadn't forgotten him, as they never forgot him and they has tried desperately and succeeded to get the one thing Harry wanted most, to leave the Dursley's.  And the thing which topped it off best was the fact he was leaving on his birthday, the best present he could ever receive was this wonderful news.  Looking across the room at the old bashed clock of Dudley's he had repaired, it read 8:30am. 

Feeling as though nothing could deflate him at this point in time, Harry got up and dressed hastily in Dudley's oversized clothes, baggy jeans and a t-shirt as it was a beautifully bright day outside.  He hopped down the stairs two at a time and bounded into the kitchen and sat at his usual place at the table, grabbing a piece of toast from the rack and munching it straight away.  Now he came to think of it, he was ravenous.  "Must be all the hormones kicking into action" he thought.

Harry received his usual morning greeting of "Comb your hair" being barked at him by Uncle Vernon, who was looking at him over his daily paper and scowling.  "And what are you so happy about, heard  from those bloody wei-w-friends have you?" Harry smirking, assumed Uncle Vernon was referring to the order who were waiting for him on the platform to wish him all the best for the summer.  His uncle had a rather nasty encounter with them, as he usually did with anyone or anything to do with magic, and the memory was still painfully sore, both to his memory and his overlarge backside. 

Harry got up, turned to leave and shouted over his shoulders "Nope, I've just had the best news ever.  My friend Ron Weasley and his family are coming to pick me on my birthday.  I'm going to stay at their house for the remainder of the holidays before going back to Hogwarts".  Harry didn't care anymore, he wasn't ashamed and he was done if he couldn't even say what his school and second home was called.

"W-WHAT did you say, boy?" roared Uncle Vernon from the kitchen, jumping to his feet.  Harry knew this from the crashing and splintering of the fragile chair against Aunt Petunia's perfectly polished floor.  More noticeable was the minor earthquake which just happened to shake the house.  Harry thought it would probably register a number 6 on the Richter scale. 

Harry stopped and hollered back "MY BIRTHDAY, THE 31ST JULY, BUT OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER EVEN CARED.  I'M GOING TO MY FRIENDS HOUSE AND NOT COMING BACK HERE FOR ANOTHER WHOLE DAMN YEAR".

Harry had reached the front door and was turning the lock when a huge shadow fell across the hallway.  "And where do you think you're going laddie?"  Uncle Vernon bellowed, his face the colour of a deep purple puce. 

"Out" shouted Harry, "So don't think you can stop me doing anything anymore" pointing his wand right between Vernon's eyes. 

"Fine then, don't come back till sunset" called Vernon's gruff voice maliciously as Harry was half-way out of the door. 

"Don't worry, I don't intend to be" shouted Harry angrily back, taking his rage out on the door and slamming it shut behind him.

He was just about to curse and swear everything he knew when he turned and stopped dead.  From the bush in front of him directly outside the front door, was a pair of great big, huge green eyes staring directly back into his.

o0o