The day had broken crisp and clear, the cirrus clouds blowing in the stiff breeze. Harry Potter had exulted in the morn, cleaning as many of the roses of dead petals, clipping the hips and storing them inside a pocket. Just the thing, for Vitamin C. Sustenance, in other words, if of a most bare and mean variety. Some might have called it starvation rations, but, then again, them's not the ones that knew a gnawing belly as well as Harry Potter did. It was midmorning, Tuesday, before he was done with the outside chores. Dudley wasn't up yet, which was all to the good, because Harry Potter knew that the fat porker would want to be outside in such nice weather. Harry Potter was careful to be busy, always, when outside. You never knew who might be looking.
Inside he was, before Dudley came down, demanding breakfast that Harry could never make quick enough for him. Well, there it was. Bacon and eggs, toast and biscuits, everything splayed out on the table in front of Dudley. Harry liked weekdays best in the summer - he got fed then, Dudley's leavings. On the weekends, his aunt was just as likely to have him throw out the extra - over some made up excuse or another.
Dudley left to see Piers - probably to be around some playset somewhere... And Harry set out a sigh of relief. In less than an hour, Harry had most of the day's chores done, and he curled up quickly inside his cupboard, a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling as he read. His eyes were bad, and likely to get worse at this rate, he considered. Yet, he never dared to contemplate reading outside. What would the neighbors think? he heard, in his aunt's voice. Worse, they might mention it to his uncle. It was nearing the end of June, and he was rereading the book on fixing plumbing. Every single skill he learned, meant something done quicker.
Yet, outside his cupboard, there were still an hour's left of chores done. With deliberation, he had discovered the exact amount he was required to do while his aunt and uncle were home to supervise. He always left that much, and if Uncle Vernon was upset, he often got more.
That was the way it was.
[a/n: yes, yes, magic is coming. It'll come faster if you leave a review!]