Alternate Reality: Simply Slytherin
Chapter Three
It had been several weeks since his venture into the wizarding world, and Harry was hungry for more. For the first few mornings he would wake up with a start and think he had imagined the whole thing, only to discover his trunk sitting by the desk, and his owl staring at him. He would pull out his wand and run his fingers over it, hardly believing his eyes. Every day he pulled out the single ticket for the 'Hogwarts Express' and inspected every inch of it.
The Dursleys had been surprisingly civil since his return. Well, more civil that was natural for them. They, for the most part completely ignored Harry, which in Harry's opinion was quite the improvement. They sill ordered him to do things, but not nearly as much as they had before. He was now permitted to eat meals at the table, not that this was particularly a good thing. Vernon would turn a pale shade of violet and refuse to acknowledge his presence; Petunia would sniff dismissively; fawning over her 'Duddykins' and Dudley himself would simply eat his meals, glare at Harry, and if possible, steal Harry's meager morsels. Finally, giving up with the whole family Harry would take his meals up to his room and study his new books.
He found them fascinating. Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and History of Magic. Each topic opened another door into the strange world he had never known, providing an ample amount of information. Drinking it all in with every page he switched from one book to another. Late into the night he would sit on his bed and with the light falling through his window he would read. Charms and Transfiguration held his interest for a little while but he soon grew bored and moved on. Potions he found particularly captivating. There were brews to alter one's hair color, skin color, even the eye color. Ingredients that contained magical qualities only found in certain areas of the world. Each potion required perfect timing, and precise instruction.
Once finished with the potion book he cracked open his Defense text, soon growing bored after the third paragraph. It was a complete guide for a stone found in the belly of a goat. Casting it aside he skimmed the headings of the Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic before flipping off the light and crawling under the covers.
The next morning his aunt's shrill voice broke into his dreamless sleep, waking him instantly.
"Well are you going to lay there all day? Get up, you have work to do!" with that the horse-faced woman left, heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
Sitting up, Harry slid on his glasses and blinked back the morning light. Changing his clothes he scrambled down the stairs, chiding himself for sleeping in. What if he had been at Hogwarts? Would he have been expelled for being late to class?
Making breakfast he slipped a few pieces of bacon into his pockets with half of a cold biscuit. After breakfast, he was given his list of chores and sent to work.
By late afternoon Harry was exhausted. He had cleaned the bathroom, kitchen and Dudley's bedroom; washed the car, the driveway and windows; weeded and watered Petunias garden; and now had to repaint the garage door and house.
Paint brush in hand Harry stepped back to observe his handiwork, he had managed to paint about half of the garage door, but was much to short to reach farther up. He had rummaged around for a ladder, but the only one he had found had a broken leg. He tried to open the door; maybe a chair would help.
Vainly turning the handle he stepped back and muttered under his breath. The Durlsleys were all out, and had apparently seen fit to lock all the doors. Perfect. Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't very well leave the garage door like that, but he couldn't find any way to finish it. Suddenly his eyes rested on a broom in the far corner of the garage. He bit his lip uneasily but seemingly making up his mind, Harry made a wild grab for it.
Making sure the bristles were cleaned thoroughly with the garden hose, he dipped the broom in paint and made an upward sweeping gesture.
Shoulder's aching, paint droplets covering him head to toe, Harry reclined under the shade of a tree, thankful for the short rest. He had finished the garage door, as well as a good portion of the right side of the house. His oversized shirt clung to his small frame, but he was too tired to bother with it. He could see the twilight begin to appear, the warm sun receding into the west.
Why the Dursleys weren't home was beyond him but his stomach growled at him reproachfully. Digging into his pockets he pulled out the pieces of breakfast he had stowed away for emergencies. Devouring the meager bits of food he watched the last rays of sun finally disappear.
A car could be heard coming down the street, its headlights reflecting off of Harry's glasses. Recognizing the familiar company car Harry stood and approached the driveway, shielding his eyes from the light. The car parked and two forms emerged from under the hood; an extremely beefy man and a thin horse faced woman.
"Boy! Why isn't this house finished? I thought I told you to finish your chores by the time we came home!" Vernon was turning a deep scarlet and Petunia's lips had completely disappeared. She grabbed his arm in a vise-like grip, dragging him to the front door.
"After we took you in and provided for you…we fed you, gave you clothes, put a roof over your head and this is how you replay us? Think you can just skip out on your chores, ignore your betters. I thought we taught you better manners…" on and on Aunt Petunia ranted until they were inside.
Sent to his room without dinner and a vibrant red mark across his left cheek Harry picked up a book to read. Opening the front flap he caught his train ticket as it fluttered out. He read it again but instead of the usual smile in his face when he thought of Hogwarts he frowned. He sat up on his bed and read the ticket carefully. This couldn't be right.
~
HOGWARTS EXPRESS
Platform 9 ¾
King's Cross Station, London
Admit One
~
Platform nine and three-quarters? That couldn't be right, there was no such thing. He remembered going to the train station with Petunia and Dudley to see Vernon off on a business trip when he had been very young. There had been platform nine and ten, but he couldn't remember a nine and three-quarters. The Station presented yet another problem. How was he to get there? He groaned. All this time for nothing!
With both his relations as unhappy with him as they were it would be almost impossible to get a ride to King's Cross! Flinging himself onto his broken down mattress he ran through possible ideas of how to get a ride. Thinking until his uncle pounded on the door for Harry to turn his lights out, the boy stroked the feathers of Caesar, as he had decided to nickname him, long into the night, thinking.
The next day at eleven o'clock a car pulled up to the Dursley home, Dudley Dursley stumbling out with his eyes full of sleep and his blonde hair mussed. The enlarged boy waved as the car pulled away, a figure in the back seat waving in return. Dudley shuffled through the front door, oblivious to his cousin's watchful stare.
The minute the front door closed, Harry crept to the door and listened for the footsteps on the stairway. Opening the door nonchalantly Harry ran a cool gaze over Dudley's expensive clothing. "What ARE you wearing?" he remarked, disdain dripping off his tones.
"What do you mean?" said Dudley, chancing a look down his front. His shirt alone was worth a good fortune, a company brand name plastered all over the front.
"You do know that, that particular brand is out of season? It's that new brand that is all the rage, now. I'm surprised you had the courage to actually go to a sleep over with those clothes. If you continue like this, you'll be the laughing stock of Surrey." Harry drawled, watching from the corner of his eye as his cousin took the bait.
As if on queue the obese child's eyes widened considerably and with a shout he proceeded to run down the stairs, calling out, "MUM!" Dudley wailed, his numerous chins waggling with every pronunciation. "I NEED NEW CLOTHES!"
Smiling with satisfaction Harry could already hear his aunts' voice, trying to calm her Duddikins. "But, sweetie pie, what is wrong with the clothes we bought you last week?"
As Dudley began again on how he was the laughing stock, and nobody loved him Harry quietly returned to his room, satisfaction etched in every fiber of his being.
It was much later that afternoon when he was permitted to come downstairs and finish painting the rest of the house. By that evening Harry still hadn't finished but the Dursley's were much too distracted to care very much. Vernon had received a raise and Petunia was filled to the brim with the latest gossip around the town.
Relieved that no one was particularly upset at him over anything and that he had managed to escape scrutiny, Harry cleaned himself up before dinner, running his plan over in his mind for a final time.
"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked politely when there had been a lull in the conversation.
"What is it?" Harry mentally breathed a sigh of relief at not being addressed as 'boy'.
"I was wondering if I could get a ride to King's Cross station on Tuesday."
"What for?"
"I need to catch the train to school."
Uncle Veron's eyes seemed to cloud and his visage darken, but the next moment he glared at his dinner and ground out, "You can accompany Petunia and Dudley when they go shopping."
"Thank you, Uncle Vernon." Harry inwardly whooped for the victory, careful not to allow the grin to surface on his face.
The next couple days Harry avoided as many confrontations as possible, completing his chores to the best of his ability, taking the verbal and sometimes physical lashings with acceptance. He praised each hour as it passed, because each was leading him closer to the proverbial heaven.
Finally the day had arrived. Harry could have exploded with excitement and unease. What if nobody liked him? What if he was expelled? What if…
The thoughts continued until Aunt Petunia rapped sharply on his door for him to awake. Masking his excitement with sleepiness and indifference.
The morning routine played itself out as usual. Harry made breakfast and saved the worst for himself. Afterwards he cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, keeping a sharp eye trained on the clock. It was almost after ten when Petunia came into the kitchen as Harry was scrubbing the oven. Her arms were folded and she had a less than pleasant look on her face.
"You better clean up and change, Dudley and I are leaving soon."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry put the cleaning things away, rushing up to the bathroom to wash away the smell of cleaning solution.
Cleaned, changed, and packed, Harry was dragging his Hogwarts things down the stairs, straining with all his might. A bruise on his left flank was burning and he bit his lip so hard it turned white. Several minutes later he was out the door and in the car.
"It's about time. If you had dawdled any longer, you might have missed the train, then where would you be?" Aunt Petunia's voice grated on his already taunt nerves.
"I wasn't dawdling, Aunt Petunia. The trunk is heavy."
"Don't talk back to me or I might miss the turn to King's Cross. Mind you I wouldn't even be driving you if Dudley wasn't in need of new clothes. My poor Dudders…"
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Dudley needed new clothes like he needed another chin. Dudley seeing the beginnings of smirk on his cousin's face stuck out his leg and effectively quickened him hard in the shins. Harry sucked in a breath of air and glared at his obese relative.
"What was that Dudley? Did you say something?"
"It was Harry, mum." Dudley whined.
"Was he doing anything to you, Duddikins? Did he hurt you?"
"I didn't do anything to him! He kicked me in the shins!" Harry stated, feeling a bruise starting to form.
Aunt Petunia made a right turn and didn't seem to hear what Harry said. Not-so-soon enough, they arrived at the train station.
~
Harry is already showing signs of being devious…
ZeonReborn: ^_^
HecateDeMorte: Yay!
Dracoqueen456: * suspenseful music plays *
Serpent of Light: The bat thing is still pending I have an idea that would be humorous and the Weasel (wink) twins would be involved. That Irony name thing is a splendid idea.