"The Letters from No One," Gideon narrated.
Lita and Nora, the two guests who had indulged in the books the most, exchanged a grin with each other.
"What are you two smiling about?" Astra asked.
"No spoilers, Astra," Nora said.
The recap of Harry's punishment started up this chapter.
The entire group sat there, frowning.
"Did they let you out for school?" Ava asked.
"Yes, they did, and it was right back to the cupboard after school," Harry said. "I managed to eat, don't worry."
"Not enough though," Kara said.
"Enough to survive," Harry said.
"Just getting started," Lita commented.
"And Dinky Duddydum's as princely as ever," Lena bitingly said.
"All of those presents, and he broke half of them already," Zari said. "Why even bother?"
"Because, the Dursleys created a monster," John said. "I swear, I've exorcised things less demonic than Vernon Dursley's pride and joy."
At this point in time, Harry found it hard to disagree with John's assessment.
"Continue," Harry said.
The recap of Dudley and his gang Harry Hunting followed.
"Mmm," Astra said through gritted teeth. "So, he started that bullshit up again the moment I disappeared."
"Well, it was like you were never there," Harry said. "Let this play out."
"I'm already not liking anything I'm reading about them," Astra said. "If anything, they got worse when Dumbledore shoved you back there after he wiped your memories. Did he put a spell on them to make them make up for lost time? To make them worse?"
"Actually, no, they're just that awful," Harry said.
Astra looked skeptical but let it go. For now.
The scene of Harry's preparation for his secondary school experience and his quip about Dudley's head going down the toilet.
The entire group roared with laughter.
"You have to admit, he's not going to put that one together any time soon," Sara said.
"Scoring off of Dudley lost its appeal after a while," Harry said. "But, it did make me feel better when I could do it."
"You know, if Smeltings put out pillars of society like Vernon Dursley, I would rather take my chances with this Stonewall place," Zari said.
"And Oswald Cobblepot," Harry reminded them.
"Yes, and him," Sara agreed. "With those ringing endorsements, how could Smeltings go wrong?"
More scenes showed Harry's time with Mrs. Figg, the uniform scene, and the mail scene.
"For a second, I thought Vernon was going to teach his son a bit of responsibility," Lena said. "Then reality came crashing down on all of us."
"And he told Dudley to hit you," Kara said.
"Vernon can't do his own dirty work," Astra said.
"Filthy coward," Mick grumbled.
Harry receiving the first letter happened next.
This detail caused the eyes of several people in the room to narrow.
"They had your cupboard on the letter?" Astra asked quietly.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Did they even look at the letters before they sent it out?" Ava asked.
"Don't know, if someone pointed it out, I'm sure Dumbledore would have told them he would take care of it," Harry said. "And they would believe him."
"Typical," Kara snorted.
"And you should have really hid that letter," Lita said.
"I was eleven, and shocked that someone sent me something," Harry said.
The scene showed right to the point where Dudley yelled that Harry had his letter.
"So in addition to being a pig, he's a rat too!" Mick yelled.
"Harry got something, so naturally little pig fuck junior doesn't like it," John said.
Astra had been on the edge of her seat. Harry was concerned she was not speaking although he could feel a chill coming from her heavy breathing. And her fists curling.
Vernon snatching the letter, the scramble to let the letter, and Vernon hurling Dudley and Harry out of the kitchen.
"What an entitled brat!" Kara snapped. "Are you serious? What right do you have to that letter?"
"And do you see him even take a whack at his own father?" Lena asked.
"I told you, I exorcised things less demonic than that," John said.
"Astra?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine," Astra said coolly. "Just fine."
The conversation between the Dursleys said.
"Stamp it out?" Mick asked.
Several pieces of glass shattered within the room. Harry turned to Astra who looked completely murderous.
"Ava, give me your time courier," Astra said.
"No, Astra," Ava said. "I'm not letting you murder the Dursleys."
"Don't you want to?" Astra asked.
Ava sighed and nodded slowly. Yet, she did not hand Astra the device.
"We all do," Kara said.
"This isn't right," Lita said. "And these are supposed to be the lighter hearted books."
"Nothing about a child being left in that environment can be light-hearted," Sara said. "Harry?"
Harry waved on for them to continue. He had been over this for a long time. Astra on the other hand, was dealing with this for the first time.
"Maybe we should take a break?" Nora suggested.
"No," Astra said. "Continue."
The scene of Vernon visiting Harry in the cupboard played out next.
The visuals before them caused a few raised eyebrows.
"Surprised he fit," Zari said.
"I could barely breathe," Harry remembered with a grimace.
Everyone winced at what Harry just pointed out.
"And now he thinks you're too big for the cupboard," Astra quietly said.
"He's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart," Sara said.
"Yeah, he really thinks that he's going to be able to trick whoever is sending that letter," Lita said.
"Thanks, I got that much," Astra said. "What more can this idiot do this chapter?"
"Stay tuned," Lita told her.
The description of the four bedrooms that the Dursleys had, including Dudley's second bedroom followed next.
Astra's fingers began to twitch. Thankfully no more glass shattered. Wisely, no one said anything. For the moment.
The scene of the second letter being delivered followed and the scuffle that followed.
"And Dinky Duddydums doesn't even get a slap on the wrist," Sara said. "Even after practically assaulting his father."
"He deserved it," Kara said. "Vernon, I mean. He created the monster."
"Well, yes," Sara agreed. "I agree he did. And I wonder what stupidity they're going to do next."
Harry has a plan.
And that caused several people in the room to groan.
"Oh, no," Ava groaned.
"My plans are generally good," Harry said defensively.
"Yeah, they tend to work out, sometimes inspite how unconventional they are, but you are a Legend at heart, no matter how much you try and be above it," Sara said. "Let's see what you've done this time."
Those who knew just grinned painfully.
The footage of Harry stepping on Vernon showed next.
"And to think that there would be women who would pay a lot of money for that," Lita quipped.
Zari, Sara, and Nora all snorted.
"What?" Mick asked.
"Never mind, Dad," Lita said.
Astra had been torn between amusement and horror. Kara and Lena high-fived at Vernon getting stepped on before realizing it was not much to cheer for given Vernon's following freakout.
Vernon's futile attempts stop the letters.
"Oh, Dursley, you are a maroon," Sara groaned.
"He won't quit, will he?" Astra asked.
"No," Harry said.
"And he can't be this dense," Astra said.
"He is," Kara said.
"How does anyone like that remember how to breathe?" Lena asked.
Harry shrugged, he had nothing to defend Vernon. Not that he tried.
Sunday Morning, featuring Vernon Dursley damning fate by pointing out there was no post on Sundays.
"Do you hear that sound?" Zari asked.
"Sounds a whole lot like Murphy cackling," Kara commented.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats to wait for the fallout.
Boom, there went the letter bomb. Letters everywhere in the Dursley household.
"And here's the moment where Vernon Dursley lost what passed as sanity," Lita said.
"Does that count as a spoiler?" Nora asked.
"I'll allow it," Ava said. "You can almost see that purple vein popping in his head."
"Wonder he didn't have a stroke," Mick said.
"If only," Astra murmured.
Vernon's freakout, complete with smacking Dudley across the back of the head.
Everyone blinked.
"If he hit Dinky Duddydums, he's really pissed," Sara said.
"He really thinks he can outrun them," Lena said. "Is he insane?"
Everyone blinked and stared at Lena.
"Right," Lena said. "To be fair, it was a rhetorical question."
Vernon running wild with Petunia, Harry, and Dudley along for the ride is shown. Including the no good, awful, terribly bad day of Dudley Dursley.
"Look at me, I can play you a sad song on the world's smallest violin," Zari said.
"I can actually do that for real," Nora said. "Dad taught me."
To demonstrate, Nora conjured a small violin and played a sad song for Dudley's oh so awful plight.
"The walls are closing in on you, Vermin," Astra said. "Run. You can't hide. And just wait until I get my hands on you."
"After the books," Ava warned her.
"Right," Astra said. "Will be able to relish the moment even more."
Because, Astra had a sinking feeling there was more. And she hated that feeling.
"You're pretty quiet, Harry," Kara said.
"Just enjoying the spectacle unfold," Harry said.
The scene at the hotel followed, along with the not so useful woman who had all the letters.
"Cokeworth," Sara said. "Isn't that where…"
"Yes," Harry said.
Sara said nothing else, although she did wonder.
"Just a little bit closer," Astra said. "Be afraid, Vernon, be very afraid."
Dudley's declaration that his father's gone mad followed.
"You think?" Astra asked.
"Have to say, I'm surprised he actually came to the obvious conclusion," John said.
"Guess he's smarter than his old man," Mick said. "Must get that from Petunia's side of the family."
"Any flashes of intelligence he might accidentally get, his certainly from Aunt Lily," Astra said.
"As rare as they are," Harry said.
The lead up to Harry's birthday, along with mentioning his old presents.
"Why did they even bother?" Sara asked. "If they're just going to put in the most minimal of effort."
"Because, they're petty like that," Harry said. "And want to tell me that they got me something. And I should be grateful. You know all that rot."
"And a coat hanger really tells you what they think about you," Lita said. "If you really think about what a coat hanger symbolizes."
Harry blinked. He had not thought of that.
"Not sure if that's what they meant," Harry said. "But, I would not be surprised."
"I really try to look for the good in people," Kara said.
"Well, you are the Paragon of Hope," Sara said.
"But, I really can't find any good in them," Kara said. "Am I bad?"
Kara knew Harry's childhood had not been a happy one. But knowing it and getting smacked in the face with it.
"No," Lena said. "They are."
"You're the best of us, Kara," Harry said. "But, you're not bad for seeing them as awful people."
Harry wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and she smiled.
The Dursleys and Harry's travels to the rock out on the sea were shown. Along with the sleeping arrangements.
"Vernon asked for letters?" Astra asked.
"Mmm, hmm," Harry said.
"Murphy is gearing up his war drums," Kara said.
"Can't say they don't have whatever is coming to them," John said. "Still getting off easy."
"Come on," Astra said. "Flood of letters."
Harry's count down leading to the big boom from outside.
"The entire lake is filled with letters?" Astra asked hopefully.
Harry just smiled in response. The rest of the group settled down.
"I lost any pity I had for any of them," Zari said.
"I lost it a long time ago," Mick said. "How can anyone be this stupid?"
"Well, Vernon's proven to take stupidity to new levels, with each passing chapter," Lena said.
"He's not hit bottom," Kara said. "There's further depths he could plunge."
Harry just grinned even wider.
"Our first guests will be arriving for the fifth chapter," Gideon announced.
"Well, given we're only finishing chapter three, we better get a move on," Nora said. "Let's see if this is glorious as I remember it."
Astra could hardly wait. Maybe now the fist of karma would pound Vernon Dursley to a pulp.
"Next chapter, Gideon," Sara said.
To Be Continued.