As always, thanks to DemolitionxLovers and everyone else who reads AND REVIEWS (hint, hint)! And as always, ideas will be welcomed.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and Harry had been dragged along shoping with his aunt and Dudley. Aunt Petunia wanted to buy some more clothes for Dudley, and thought they could make a day trip of going to London, much to her son's excitement. Going to London meant a long car journey (A/N that is relative to a child – it is about two hours I think from Surrey to London – if anyone knows, I would love to!) and a long car journey always means a new game. All Dudley ever did was watch TV, play games on his computer, and beat up Harry.
His cousin was less excited – he would most likely be left with Mrs. Figg, as always, but the old lady had gotten an urgent call from someone, and had to go to Scotland for a week. (A/N I wonder where she went?) Harry would have to go too! When he heard the news, he concealed a grin, and tried not to make it too clear how happy he was. Going to London! Wow!
They went to the edge of London by car, and then got the underground to Oxford Street where both boys were dragged in and out of many clothes shops without stopping. In C&A (this is actually a real shop, I don't own it and it used to be there, but isn't anymore), a tiny man with a violet top hat had bowed to Harry! He was shocked and scared, especially when after asking her nephew furiously if he knew the man, Aunt petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything! When Harry looked back, the strange little man had gone, but the boy just assumed he had gone into a different part of the shop.
It seemed to be a day for strange things too! When Dudley started to complain about the long walk back to the station, they all trekked onto a double-decker heading towards Oxford Circus Station. A wild-looking old woman dressed in what looked like a dark green dressing gown waved merrily at Harry. Startled, he waved back with one small hand, and unconsciously moved closer to his aunt, and further away from the stranger. Petunia may have hated, even loathed her nephew, but she still looked after her, and Harry craved the support that a child can only receive from a nearby adult who they know will look after them. His aunt clothed him, gave shelter and food – Harry was never abused or neglected to illness, but he knew he wasn't loved – he wasn't even sure what exactly love is.
When the frightened boy looked back for the strange old lady, she was gone. He was confused, he didn't think there had been any stops, but she might have gone downstairs when he wasn't looking. People had a habit of vanishing when Harry was looking – he wasn't concerned.
It was December 1984 and Aunt Petunia had decided that it was too cold to let her nephew go around the house without a jumper on. She had gotten hold of one of Dudley's old jumpers, the worst one Harry had seen yet. It was a revolting old jumper – brown with orange bobbles. Harry may not have been very old, but even a three-year-old would know it was horrid, and Harry was four and half! All he wanted was not to have to wear that revolting old thing. He promised what God was listening that he would be upset with his chores for a month if he just didn't have to wear the terrible thing.
Above his head, aunt petunia was still trying to pull it over his head. He was obedient, and had his arms up for the jumper, but he just didn't want to wear it, and it just didn't want to fit! It seemed to Harry, that the harder it was pulled it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a glove puppet, but it certainly wouldn't fit Harry, even a year ago. Thankfully, aunt petunia didn't notice that the sweater hadn't started out like that, and instead blamed the wash. To her disgust (and his great relief), she could not punish her nephew for this – how could little Harry have shrunk the blasted thing?