Dudley usually hung out with his friends on the weekends, but this weekend he stayed in with his family and hung out with Harry. He was overall excited to have him at his school, which Harry thought was very strange behavior, and wondered if the wizards tainted their food with some personality changing potion. They talked about Smeltings things and Harry was introduced to Dudley's homework and teachers, and overall by the time his Smeltings things had taken the place of his Hogwarts things in his large trunk, he was ready to run for the hills.
Vernon met him at the bottom of the stairs in the evening he came down that Sunday.
"So, you're going to be normal now, right? No hocus-pocus?"
"No hocus-pocus," Harry agreed. He felt his wand by his hip out of sight, and it felt like some strange growth attached to his body; it was a part of him he – strangely – no longer cared to have. At least…not for now.
"And you're ready to start at Smeltings?"
"It seems like the only option." Overall, Harry had no idea why he was being so agreeable; it just seemed like the only thing he could do.
"You could stay here…" Petunia said, but she didn't sound too sure about it.
"The boy needs to stay in school, no matter what happens," Vernon said, lugging the heavy trunk to the car.
No matter what happens? Harry wondered, a small amount of anger appearing deep within him. If I die? If I run away? If everyone died or ran away from me? Would I still have to go to school? If I got married and had a dozen kids…would I still have to go?
"What's going to happen to the owl?" Dudley asked.
"I sent her to my friend Hermione last night. She'll look after her."
"What's her name, again?" He asked curiously.
"Hedwig."
Dudley smiled and said, "Like the big wigs in parliament?"
"Yeah," Harry said, even though that wasn't who he named her after, "because she's all white."
Dudley liked that.
It was only Vernon, Dudley, and Harry in the car. It was an hour drive to Smeltings, but it felt like the Hogwarts Express and seemed to take all afternoon. When they got there, Dudley was greeted by a large group of boys from all different ages. To meet Harry was the Dorm Leader, an older boy who introduced himself as Kenny Johansen.
"You must be Harry Potter."
Harry looked over his shoulder at Vernon, tugging out the trunk, then nodded back. "Yes, that's me."
"I'm here to take you to your room…my room, actually. I'll be your bunkmate."
"The Dorm Leader never had to share a room in my day," Vernon said, tisking.
"Normally we don't, but someone decided to enlist one more student than we have the room for, so I have to split mine." The dislike in Kenny's voice was obvious.
Vernon shut the trunk and went over the car door. Harry followed him, out of earshot of Kenny.
"Don't let him give you trouble," Vernon said, eying Kenny with dislike.
"How exactly am I supposed to do that? I'm sharing his room."
"Show him you're tough. Smeltings kids like to show off, and that boy looks like he wrestles."
"I'm not a wrestler, though."
"But you're quick. If he goes after you, just put your weight behind it."
"Thanks." Harry really wasn't sure if this past weekend was real or not, because his whole family was treating him like he was an actual person. He supposed that had something to do with his decision to hang up magic. "Really…thanks for doing this. I'll pay you back, you know – the tuition."
Vernon puffed out his chest and looked around to see if anyone was listening in, then he said, "I got a letter in the mail yesterday – the receipt for enrolling you. It looks like those people of yours paid already."
"Oh." Harry thought that was big of them.
"Making good by you?"
"Maybe."
Vernon got in the car and gave him a last look. Harry held up his hand in a wave, and Vernon pulled out.
"Get your stuff, Potter!"
Harry sighed, but just went with it. He lugged his trunk past Dudley and all the boys there were looking at him.
"Is he a fag?" One said quietly to another, not thinking Harry could overhear.
"Shut it, Bonk!" Dudley said, putting on his menacing face. Harry kept his eyes forward, following the leader, a smirk twisting the corners of his lips.
Settling in was harder than he expected. This was his first time going to a Muggle boarding school, and an all-boy's school at that. There was a time when he would have loved not having girls around, but these days every sideways look put him on edge. And Kenny – the Dorm Leader and supposed guide for all under his wing – wasn't much help in any way at all. He left Harry to get on for himself and went to dinner.
Harry, though starving, decided to skip it tonight and unpack. He pulled out his reading for tomorrow and got started on an essay about how he felt about the current Muggle novel, which he had never heard of before yesterday.
Some hours later, Kenny returned and plopped onto his own bed, turning on some music and playing it too loudly for Harry to concentrate. Harry knew this sort of behavior was coming, and didn't think fighting it was the right thing tonight. He just tried to ignore it and finish his book.
If I die, if I run away, if this asshole played his music all day, I would still have to go to school.
Harry wasn't bugged; he was just beginning to feel very, very tired.