Chapter 5

Suburbia stretched out in all directions, brown tile roofs and brick chimneys, merged with the sallow evening sky. Nothing stands out here. Nothing draws the eye's attention. Everything is uniformly neat and predictable. All the lawns are tidy. All the hedges are trimmed and all the cars are washed. The streets are cleaned each night at two am. The papers arrived at 5am and supper at 6. So ends another day in Little Whinging. Harry was just a dark spot among the endless sea of rooftops. How could anyone find him here? Harry sat on the Dursley's roof and watched the sun set below the suburban landscape. Harry felt his future was as grey and formless and the view in front of him.

Suddenly, a girl about Harry's age popped up the ladder onto the Dursley's roof.

"You gonna stay up here all night?" Said she in a cheerful voice.

Harry was startled back for a moment and dropped the paintbrush he was holding and had to scramble very close to the edge of the roof to catch it before it dropped off.

"Who are you?" Harry said now with a palm full of paint to the girl on his roof.

"Oh I'm Chloe, Chloe McMichaels, I live next door. I've seen you painting and I thought I'd come over and introduce myself." She said as she extended her hand.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Sorry" Harry said as he went to shake her hand and remembered the paint. He pulled he hand back and wiped the paint on his pants and offered the hand again.

"Nice to meet you." Harry said. "Actually I wouldn't mind staying up here all night. It's kind of peaceful."

"Yeah, it is. I've noticed the Dursleys can be a little loud."

Harry gave a small laugh, "Yeah, a little"

Chloe sat down next to Harry and joined him in watching the setting sun. Chloe had short dark brown hair, which looked almost black in the evening light. Her skin was very pale, like she hadn't been I the sun all summer. She was small and had a frail quality about her, which was in complete contrast to her forward personality. Her large dark eyes seemed to be able to take in the entire view of Little Whig all at the same time.

"I've already had the pleasure meeting you cousin, Dudley. Or is D. I think he likes to be called "the big D" now. He comes into the shop were I work. You know The Penny and Pence Snack Shop at the corner. I've never seen you there though."

"No, I don't get out much."

"Hum, I see. Well, you are cousins, right? You don't look much like cousins though." Chloe said as she looked right at him and lightly touched his hair.

"'Er, Yeah, He's my cousin. His mom and my mom were sister."

"Were……..Oh I see." She stopped for a moment and looked at the fading light. "Well, You should come by sometime. It's good to get out sometimes. You know."

"HARRY! HARRY! GET DOWN HERE SUPPER." Aunt Petunia yells.

Her shrill voice made Harry startle.

"I'll be down in a bit, Aunt Petunia."

"NOW, HARRY!"

"Listen, I've got to go."

"Well, ok. I see. But you should try to stop by. You should get out more. You seem a little jumpy." Chloe said.

"Chloe, Could you try not to let my Aunt see you when you come down." He said to her apologetically. "She's not very understanding about me being distracted from my work. She's kind of a…… Well, we're not on the best of………"

"I understand, I'll wait up here for awhile before a come down. I'm sure they won't notice anything while they're eating." Chloe said close to Harry's ear.

Harry gave another small laugh. Chloe shuffled quietly with Harry to the edge of the roof. Harry got on the ladder and Chloe handed him his brush and paint. She wrapped her arms around her legs and watched him descend. Harry looked up to her one more time and saw her dark eyes glowing with amber light from the street lamps.

Harry spoke again to her quietly, "It was great to meet you. I hope……."

"HARRY! TODAY!"

Harry gave her an embarrassed smile and Chloe waved good- bye to him.

While Harry prepared the Dursley's supper all he could think about was Chloe crouched on top of the roof. How long would she stay up there? He strained his ears and listened for any movement but Dudley had returned home and the volume in the house increased. Why was he already trying to think of ways to see her again?

Chloe came back down the ladder when she heard the sounds of eating. She saw Harry serving the Dursleys. She saw Harry eating from the pots and pans in the kitchen, while the Dursleys sat at the table.

"That I don't understand." She said quietly to herself before she went back to her own yard.

"Harry, Harry, get in here." Mr. Dursley said. "Dudley has got his qualifying match for West Essex Boxing Tournament tonight and we're all going. So I want to get his things together and don't forget the water and tape."

"Yes, sir"

Another of Harry's duties this summer had been to be Dudley's water boy and sparing partner.

All those hours he had spent pounding on Harry when they were younger had finally paid off. Dudley was the best young boxer in Little Whinging and the Dursleys couldn't have been prouder. Their mantle was filled with trophies, metals and photos of Dudley's accomplishments. The hours of boxing practice had trimmed Dudley down. He was still a large framed boy but he was in the best shape Harry had every seen. He was also much taller than Harry was. The boxing had another unexpected affect. Dudley wasn't cruel to Harry anymore. Dudley channeled he aggression to the ring. His trainer kept him focused on the sport and he had little time of anything else. Dudley had friends from the gym, not a gang of street thugs.

Harry was also in the best shape of his life. His natural quickness made him the perfect counterpart in Dudley's training. Harry had unusually fast reflexes from Quidditch. Dudley was somewhat slow and his trainer encouraged them to practice together so Dudley could learn how to counter a quick opponent. Harry could bob and weave away from Dudley's fists with lighting speed. Harry rarely landed punches on Dudley but when he did they had little affect. Harry wasn't as strong as Dudley. On the other hand when Dudley landed a punch on Harry it was usually the end of the training session for Harry. Dudley worked the heavy bag and lifted weights and had a powerhouse punch. Harry carried a large bruise on his ribs from a punch he received the previous week and was concerned a rib might be broken.

Harry returned to the living room with Dudley's duffel bag.

"Sir, will I need my gloves as well."

"No, Dudley will be warming up with the rest of the contestant at the gym." Uncle Vernon said while he checked the contents of the bag. "Tape, pre-wrap, shoes. Did you put in his spare mouth guard he might need his spare mouth guard."

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, it looks like we're ready. This could be big for you Dudley but don't be nervous, you're ready." They said as they fussed over him on the way to the car.

Harry climbed silently into the backseat of the car and looked at the neighbor's house as they backed out. He noticed he was smiling again for the first time this summer.