Chapter 2 – Vanishing Act - HPOV

I sat straight up feeling disorientated. I had been in a deep sleep and now I was wide awake but my brain still felt like it was asleep. Alas no rest for the wicked. I needed to get up and slave after the Dursley's so they could have the perfect day, yet again. Petunia wrapped on the door once more "-are you up yet?"

"I'm coming." I called back while I scrambled to get dressed. I pulled on one of Dudley's shirts out of a pile that I had folded only the day before; I had grown out of my own few tops that Petunia had given me at the beginning of the year, so now I had resorted to wearing Dudley's large casts off once again. I pulled on a pair of shorts underneath the massive shirt, that the Dursley's thought was good clothing for a girl, and pulled on my socks and the boots that Astrid had given me. I loved these boots, the best thing I had ever been given.

Hakaan and Astrid Hansen were twins that lived on the other side of the Cul-de-sac with their mum Ama, the twins were a couple years older than me and they were about to start their third year at Stonewall, it was their SATs year, year 9 was an important year at the local secondary school, at the end of this school year they would choose their GCSE subjects for secondary school, while I would be starting my first year, year 7. Sadly, their dad Halvor had died a couple years ago, it was something that I had in common with them, because my parents had died when I was just a baby too, the Dursley's had told me that they died in a drunken car crash, not that I believed them, I had often caught them out in lies, they would say anything to not stand out, but unfortunately, true or not, that still left me to the mercy of the Dursley's.

I made it in to the kitchen before Dudley had made it downstairs; I wasted no time in starting to cook the bacon for their greasy fry ups. A lot had changed in the past year, though not as much as it could have. Up until then I had slept in the cupboard under the stairs and had had to wear Dudley's old clothes all the time. The problem with that is that Dudley, though the same age as me, is also 5 times wider than me.

But like I said, it had all changed last year when I started my monthly's. I hadn't had a clue what it was and started crying, I thought I was going to die but my teacher calmed me down telling me she'd call my aunt to take me home. I remember begging her not to call Privet Drive, that Petunia would be angry if she needed to collect me. My teacher took pity on me, she was kind and showed me how to use the pads that they had at the school but it wouldn't stay in the crotch of Dudley's old underwear. That's when the teacher finally clicked it all in to place.

That same day, while I went back to my classroom, the school had called Petunia in, they were worried that I wasn't living in the same standards that Dudley was. Dudley was always smartly dressed and well-kept, yet I was always in baggy boys clothes with messy hair and the fact I was wearing Dudley's old boxers as underwear, well it wasn't good enough. The social worker who had attended the meeting told my aunt that they were receiving money for me for a reason and that it should be used for me.

Petunia was grudgingly forced to buy a few items from the local supermarket or the charity shops. For the first time that I could remember I received new underwear and bras that actually fit, trousers and jeans, shorts and tops were also included. But the clothes had to last me for very long periods of time, the Dursley's would only buy my clothes once a year, so if they broke or if I grew out of them, then it was back to Dudley's old clothes.

My clothes may not have been the named brands like Dudley wore, not that he could wear much of those, due to his size, but they fit and they were mine. I was bought the cheapest uniform that could be bought and black trainers so that they could be used for school and PE. I remember that I had received a slap to the face that day and no meals at home for a week, 'to pay for the clothes that they needed to buy for me.' Petunia was also forced to finally get me a hair brush and bands so that I could finally start putting my hair up, but I had to learn what styles I could use while around the Dursley's as they hated the scar on my forehead.

That scar was one of the only things I really liked about my body; the lightning bolt shaped scar that sat above my right eyebrow. I was supposed to have received it in my parent's car crash, not that I remember it. My scar was normally hidden underneath my long deep red hair when I was around the Dursley's, but when I was doing PE, gardening or exercising then I put it up.

I loved to run; I had learnt from a young age, that if I didn't run, fast, then I would be hurt or left behind. I would run so fast that Dudley and his gang couldn't catch me, even as a young child I had to jog to keep up with Petunia, who marched on with Dudley in a pram while and I was forced to run to keep up and as I grew older I would run to keep myself fit, Hakaan helped with that, he was another fitness freak, living with the Dursley's had drilled some things into me, I refused to look like Vernon or Dudley.

Two years ago, through my running and my asshole of a cousin, I had met the most wonderful people in my life and things had changed more than even I realised at the time. Hakaan had spotted Dudley and his gang when they had started in on me, just like they usually did. Hakaan though, unlike the other local residents, school or passers-by, had intervened, since that day he had taken me under his wing. He became a big brother of sorts, and his sister Astrid became my sister, and Ama the mother I never knew.

They all had dark brown hair and large brown eyes, Ama had an accent from growing up on the border between Norway and Sweden. But personality wise they were all completely different. Hakaan was laid back but liked to be outdoors and always learning something new, he was very much like Ama in that aspect. Hakaan could play several instruments, was a black belt in Kick boxing and Kung Fu, knew numerous dance styles and loved to be hands on where Astrid was very girly, she liked fashion, dancing ballet, music and boys. She spoke fast but was very loyal, she didn't gossip but she had spoken to me about little things. And Ama liked to be pampered now and then but she didn't mind getting down and dirty either by camping, gardening or general maintenance. Over all I thought they were the most beautiful people I'd ever met.

Best of all the Dursley's couldn't say anything once I started hanging around with Hakaan and the Hensen's. The Hansen's were very much liked in the neighbourhood, so when I was invited to number 13 for tea a couple times a week, or when Hakaan started teaching me to dance or when he started teaching me martial arts my relatives couldn't say anything. Hakaan had been teaching me the guitar and the piano, one to better success than the other, I wasn't great but I was getting there after all we only had so much time that I could learn in. And when Hakaan wanted to take me to the zoo, cinema or even to event's, the Dursley's were only happy that I was off their hands and made sure to mention they would give me no money for my excursions.

Hakaan knew what my home life was like for me so he took it upon himself to make me try to forget it. It was thanks to Hakaan and Astrid that I even had a wardrobe sense. Astrid and Ama had found me trying to mend my leggings a few months ago, it was the Christmas holidays and I had broken the only pair that I owned. I had asked Ama if I could use a needle and thread to fix them in minutes Astrid had come downstairs with a bag of old clothes that didn't fit her anymore.

So as long as I kept them at their house I had clothes that I could wear. Petunia would be furious if she thought I was taking charity from the neighbours, double standards if you ask me, the first time that she found me in a top that she hadn't bought, she had called me ungrateful, a charity case and a beggar before she ripped it off my back and cut it up. She threw Dudley's t-shirt at me and told me that 'if I was going around begging then I could look like a beggar.' It only taught me to wear the Dursley's clothes over to Hakaans and then change there.

So, now here I was cooking breakfast for the Dursley's and I would only be allowed an apple and a dry piece of toast, but I couldn't be angry, today the Dursley's were taking Dudley and his friend to the zoo for his birthday. I had never been out with them before and though I loved the zoo, I couldn't find myself too upset that they didn't take me places as spending time with them was exhausting.

I knew they wouldn't send me to Hakaan's willingly, instead, on these occasions they usually sent me to Mrs Figgs. Mrs Figg is an older lady who lives a street over and though she's nice enough her house always smelt like cabbage and was full of cats. But today, it seemed that Mrs Figg had broken her leg so couldn't have me, they tried Vernon's sister Marge but she was on holiday. Finally, and reluctantly they tried Hakaan's but there was no answer and it was finally decided that I would have to go out with them.

I sat behind Petunia and though I was sat next to the perving Perking's boy the journey wasn't too bad. As soon we emerged at the zoo Petunia grabbed me by the arm, while the others made their way to the entrance.

"Any funny business girl, any at all and you will be locked up for a week without food. Do you understand me?" She hissed in my face, her grip painful on my arm. I nodded before she threw me away from her and into the side of the car; I didn't fall but it did hurt my arm.

The zoo was nice enough; the big cats had always been my favourite. Not for the first time, I imagined the tigers eating the Dursley's, Dudley and Vernon could probably keep them in meat for a few days, they could use Petunia as a tooth pick; these thoughts made my day a bit more pleasurable.

The Dursley's bought lunch for us all, a large greasy meal for them and Piers while I had a cheap sandwich that was on offer. It didn't bother me, most things were better than a plate of oil and my Tuna was actually very nice. It wasn't until the reptile house that things began to change. Dudley had rapidly been growing bored and could be seen starting to eye trouble up. I made my way away from the Dursley's and found a Boa Constrictor. She was curled around a branch basking in the heat. I read the sign next to the snake, it said it originated in Brazil but was bred in captivity.

"What's it like, being gawped at day in and day out? I bet it's annoying."

The snakes head raised up looking at me, its body slithered to the bottom of the vivarium before its head rose up to my head height. I frowned in confusion.

"Do you understand me?" I was sure the snake nodded but just then I was pushed to the side. I landed on the floor with a thud the wind knocked out of me, Dudley was now stood where I had been moments ago; he was stood up against the glass his chubby hands leaving sweaty marks on the glass. Just as the snake began coiling up again the glass for the terrarium disappeared making Dudley nearly fall in, using a bar, he just about saved himself but he was now screaming as the snake slithered out of the enclosure and towards the exit. The people around us started screaming all the while the snake made a bid for freedom.

Petunia meanwhile had her beady eyes set on me. I think it was safe to say that I was in trouble, again.