Chapter 3

The Letters From No One

After the incident at the zoo, Harry and I ended up serving our longest punishment ever. By the time we were let out it was already summer holidays and Dudley had already broken all of his birthday presents. He had managed to break his new video camera, crash his toy airplane, and knocked poor Mrs. Figg with his bike. I think he probably broke his own record of breaking stuff in the shortest amount of time possible. While we were both happy to be out of school, that didn't mean we got a rest from Dudley and his friends. He would invite all of his friends over and try to get their hands on Harry and play Harry hunting. Most of the time I was able to scare them off before they could lay a hand on him, but there were times I was locked in the cupboard alone for sassing back at Petunia and Vernon, playing a prank on Dudley, or blowing up and losing my temper. Those were the times that Dudley loved most because I wasn't able to save Harry from his thug friends. But jokes on him because whenever he would do that, I would just target him more once I got out. It helped that I was very good with hiding my pranks from my aunt and uncle. Harry and I also took the free time we had to go outside and walk around the neighborhood. We didn't have any money to do anything, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air and away from the family. We also, for once, had something to be excited about at the end of the summer. Next year we would be going to Stonewall public school while Dudley and Piers were accepted to attend Smeltings Private School. It was Uncle Vernon's old school so to say he was proud was an understatement. I honestly feel bad for the people as Smeltings, but if they made Uncle Vernon into the person he is now, then that's their own fault. One day we even got to have a nice day with Mrs. Figg while Petunia was out getting Dudley's Smeltings uniform. While before she would drone on about her cats, this time she just let us watch television and eat some chocolate cake. It was stale and tasted old, but it was chocolate so I wasn't going to complain. That night all Dudley could do was parade around in his ridiculous uniform consisting of a maroon tailcoat, orange knickerbockers, flat straw hats, and a walking stick. Vernon and Petunia couldn't stop weeping with pride, while Harry and I broke some ribs from trying not to laugh. The day that changed everything started with the most horrible smell coming from the kitchen. Turns out Petunia was dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for Harry to wear to school. She said everyone will be wearing things like that but we both highly doubted people looked like wrinkled elephants there. Vernon and Dudley came in later going to their usual spots on the table when the mail came in. This led to Harry and me having to be the ones to get the mail because Dudley was smacking us with that stupid walking stick. We went through each envelope looking to see what came from who, but there were two letters that shocked the both of us. There was one addressed to each of us reading,

Mr. H. Potter/Ms. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Both envelopes were thick and heavy, made with yellowish parchment, and it was written in emerald green ink. On the front was a seal with a strange coat of arms and a giant H. After being called back to the kitchen by Vernon wanting his mail, we slowly walked in putting the other mail on the table while we started to open ours. Before we could take a good look at them, Dudley had grabbed them out of hands.

"DAD! Dad, they've got something!"

"Give those back, they're ours!"

Uncle Vernon just laughed and sneered.

"Who would be writing to you?"

He turned the letters over and his face became paler than I've ever seen before. He could barely get out a word as he called to Petunia.

"P-P-Petunia!"

We each tried to grab the letter but he held it out of our reach. Petunia grabbed it and she became as white as a ghost.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

Before they said anything else they pushed the three of us out the kitchen door and locked it. The three of us were fighting to get our ears or eyes on any cracks in the doorway to try and figure out what they were saying.

"Vernon, look at the address - how could they possibly know where they sleep? You don't think they're watching the house, do you?"

"Watching – spying – might be following us,"

"But what should we do Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want –"

"No! No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer…Yes, that's best…We won't do anything…"

"But -"

"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took them in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"

After that Vernon left to go to work and the letters were gone. For the rest of the day, all me and Harry could wonder was what was in the letters that Vernon and Petunia wanted to hide so desperately. That evening when Vernon came home from work he pulled Harry and me aside. At this point I was fuming at not having our letters.

"WHERE ARE OUR LETTERS?"

"Don't take that tone with me girl! They were addressed to you by mistake and that's the end of it!"

"NO THAT'S NOT THE END OF IT! WHERE ARE OUR LETTERS? IT HAD OUR CUPBOARD ON IT!"

"Listen here, it was a mistake and you will stop this nonsense before I lock you in here for the rest of your LIFE! YOU HEAR ME?"

I just huffed and crossed my arms not wanting to get in any more trouble than I already was. He calmed back down before speaking again.

"Now, about the cupboard, your aunt and I have been thinking… the both of you are getting too big for it… we think it is time for you two to move into Dudley's second bedroom."

Harry and I looked at each other in confusion.

"Uh why?"

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS! Now take this stuff upstairs."

Harry and I shrugged our shoulders and went to get our few items from the cupboard. As we were walking upstairs we could hear Dudley's wailing.

"I don't want them in there… I need that room… make them get out…"

We got upstairs and headed for the extra room. Upstairs there were four bedrooms, one for Vernon and Petunia, one for Dudley, an extra room for guests (usually for fat arse Marge), and a room for all the toys Dudley has broken over the years. In the room with many broken expensive objects, a television, video camera, air rifle, and an empty cage that held a bird Dudley traded. Also shoved in the room was a small extra bed so there were two instead of one. They must have gone out and gotten a cheap one knowing both me and Harry couldn't fit on one. We each placed our things on our beds and laid down. While in the past we wanted this more than anything, today we would have given this up just to have our letters


The next morning was quiet, Dudley had thrown the biggest tantrum ever seen and he still didn't have his room back, and Vernon was oddly being nice to me and Harry. When the mail arrived, Vernon had made Dudley go get it, probably to prevent us from finding another letter. A moment later and my prediction was proven right when we heard Dudley exclaim,

"There are two more for them."

Vernon and Harry made a mad dash for the letters while I waited behind. I heard scuffling and imagined that the three of them are probably in one big dog pile. The only reason that I didn't follow was because I knew it would be pointless and be better to wait for a more proper time. I got up and casually walked to the hallway seeing what I thought I would. Vernon was on top of Dudley trying to wrestle the letters from him with Harry's arms wrapped around Vernon's neck. Vernon was able to get the upper hand and managed to get the letters and rip them to shreds. He sent the three of us up to our rooms while he went back to the kitchen. I was sitting on my bed while Harry was pacing back and forth.

"You could have helped me, you know?"

"It wouldn't have mattered, Vernon is like a raging bull at the moment and would have gotten the letter regardless. What we need to do is get downstairs early before everyone else so we can get the mail."

He looked at me like I was a genius, which I kind of am.

"Brilliant!"


The shrill sound of the alarm clock woke us both up at 6 am so we could sneak downstairs before anyone else. We dressed as quietly as possible then began to sneak downstairs. We got down the stairs quietly and were almost at the door when we stepped on something big, squishy, and ALIVE!

"AAAAARRRGG!"

The lights were clicked on and on the floor was a now irritated uncle Vernon. The fat pig thought of our plan before we did. We were yelled at for a half an hour before being sent to start making breakfast. When the mail came there were three letters for each of us but they were torn into shreds right before our very eyes. By the end of the day the mail slot was boarded up by Vernon thinking if they can't get delivered, then whoever is sending them will give up. The idiot has gone from stupid to crazy.


All of Vernon's efforts were in vain, because the next day, even more letters arrived. Of course they couldn't go through the slot so they were pushed under the door. Each letter was burned in the fire giving the house a burnt smell. He then boarded up any little crack in the door. Soon enough things got out of hand. The number of letters each time had increased and the next time we found them was inside a dozen eggs that were brought earlier by the milkman. Vernon being the loon he was, complained to both the post office and the dairy company. Sunday was the day he finally cracked. He was sitting in a chair in the living room with the happiest and creepiest smile I'd ever seen. He was muttering quietly to himself, but we could all hear.

"No post on Sundays. No letters today. Ha!"

But he was VERY wrong. Suddenly dozens of letters were flying from the fireplace and falling all around. Harry was jumping trying to catch one while I simply picked one off the ground. Before we could read any of them, an arm was around each of our waists being pulled away from the rain of letters and into the hallway. Petunia and Dudley followed us out and Vernon slammed the doors to the living room shut.

"THAT DOES IT! WE ARE LEAVING! I want everyone here in five minutes with a bag of clothes, NO ARGUMENTS!"

We each went our separate ways and came back in five minutes as requested. Dudley however was taking his sweet time trying to pack his VCR player. This earned him a smack in the head by Vernon, and was pulled downstairs and into the car. For hours he drove, making sharp turns, changing directions, muttering nonsense, while the rest of us had no clue where we were going. We never stopped for anything but gas. We had no food for the hours we drove and Dudley was wailing the entire time. All he could do was complain of hunger and missing his television shows. Finally we stopped at a small, run down hotel outside a random city. Vernon and Petunia had a room and me, Harry, and Dudley shared another. Harry and I shared one of the twin beds, but neither of us could sleep. In the morning we had to eat soggy cornflakes and canned tomatoes on toast. The owner came by claiming to have gotten hundreds of letters for us, but Vernon took them before we could. Before long we were shoved back in the car, and Vernon began driving to who knows where again. Every once and a while he would stop the car, get out, and look around, before getting back in the car and driving off again. It wasn't long before Dudley started his whining again.

"I want to go somewhere with a television, it's Monday, my favorite show is on tonight."

Crap its Monday, that means tomorrow is mine and Harry's eleventh birthday. It's not like we were going to do anything special, we never did, but it was still nice to know you're a year older. Finally, after hours of driving, Vernon claimed he found a place for us to stay. We each got out of the car to see Vernon pointing to something like a small shack perched on top of a huge rock out on the ocean. He then shuffled us onto a small rickety boat and sailed us to the shack. The sea was rough and we were sprayed with icy sea water the whole way. When we got to the shack and opened it up, it looked better on the outside. It smelled of seaweed and was freezing from the wind coming through the cracks. There were only two rooms and an empty fireplace. Vernon pulled a package out of his coat and handed us each a bag of chips and a single banana, this was our food? Vernon had officially lost his mind. He took the empty chip bags and tried to start a fire without success. When it came time for bed Vernon and Petunia got the lumpy bed in the second room, Dudley got the moth-eaten sofa with some raggedy blankets, while Harry and I had to share the worst blanket on the freezing floor. The rest of the family was passed out while me and Harry watched the time on Dudley's watch. As the minutes ticked closer to our birthday, unusual noises were coming from outside. The sounds were getting closer and louder until,

BOOM

The whole house shook as someone banged on the door insisting to be let in.