(Double quotes mean it was from the book)

One Year Later

Darla stared out the window at her Harry's retreating back as he headed down the street. She wondered who had angered him this time. Ever since he had returned home from school her parents and brother were meaner to him than they had been before, if that were even possible. She was happy to have him home again, along with Dudley.

She had been very lonely without Harry or Dudley around during the school year. She had missed walking into the kitchen to find Dudley's large bottom hanging out of the fridge as he looked for food, she had missed their arguments, and Dudley's teasing. She wasn't sure what she missed about Harry since they had never had a close relationship, but she had missed him.

"What are you doing Giraffe?"

A voice asked from behind her. She turned to see Dudley standing in the door way eating out of large bag of pretzels. She flinched as he grinned, showing food all over his teeth.

Her brother had gotten larger over the school year and she felt revolted seeing him at times. She didn't understand why her parents couldn't see that he had gotten so large and gross. She was scared for his health, something she had let him know over and over again but he didn't listen.

"Dudley, why do you have to eat so much?" She asked. "I don't care if mum and dad say it's just baby fat, it's not!"

"The men in our family are meant to be huge" Dudley said. "Well except if you are the freak."

"Harry is not a freak and it's not healthy to be your size Dudley." Darla lectured.

Dudley laughed, spraying the pretzels on to her face. Darla began gagging as she wiped her face off. She knew he had done that on purpose, it was favourite past time, grossing out his sister. She glared at him and sat down on her bed with her arms folded.

"Harry is a freak Darla. Why do you think our parents treat him the way they do?"

"They don't like things to be different." She answered. "I think it's neat that he is a wizard."

"Yeah, really neat." Dudley said sarcastically. "Going off to a school to learn magic tricks!"

"You're just angry because that giant man gave you a tail!" Darla retorted.

The memory still made Darla laugh. She remembered clearly what had happened the year before. They had been having breakfast and Dudley had been poking her with a stick that was for his school year at Smeltings. Harry had gone off to get the mail and had returned with a letter that had made both her parents go mad. Her father had gotten rid of the letter and then had finally given Harry the toy room.

Every day after that more and more letters came. Darla and Dudley, along with Harry tried their hardest to get a letter but their parents had always managed to stop them from getting one. It finally got to the point that their father took them out of the house to a motel where more letters showed up. Their father then took them to a shack in the middle of the water where he believed that the letters couldn't get to them.

Instead a giant made showed up at the shack and told them all that Harry was a wizard and that he would be going to a school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Darla remembered staring up at the giant man in disbelief and fear as she hid in a corner behind her father. Her father said something that angered the giant man because he pointed an umbrella at Dudley that seemed to have magic powers in it and gave him a pigs tail.

Darla was surprised that her parents let Harry go. The giant also said that Harry was famous because an evil wizard had killed his parents.

"I'm going to tell dad that you said that." Dudley said. "He said you weren't supposed to tease me about it."

"You aren't supposed to tease me about my neck." Darla said. "So I'll tell him you called me a Giraffe."

Dudley grunted and stuffed more pretzels in his mouth before turning and leaving the room. Darla got up and looked out the window to see that Harry was returning. He was kicking a rock and glaring, she wished she could talk to him.

-

Darla entered the kitchen feeling tired. She had been awoken by her fathers angry yelling at Harry because his owl had woken him up. She still couldn't believe her cousin owned an owl and she wondered why exactly anyone would want an owl in the first place. Her father insisted on keeping her locked up because he was afraid Harry would send letters with her to his friends. She wondered how an owl would deliver a letter, it didn't seem possible.

Then he was yelling at Harry for something else. Everyone looked angry though as she entered the kitchen and took her place at the table. She grabbed a piece of toast and started to eat, remembering that it was Harry's twelfth birthday. She wondered if she should say something to him about it.

""Now, as we all know, today is a very important day."" Her father suddenly said and Darla felt surprised, her father never said that on Harry's birthday. It was usually just a grunted Happy Birthday and some cheap used gift. ""This could be the day I make the biggest deal of my career.""

Darla almost groaned aloud but she held it in. She had forgotten that her father had people coming over for dinner that night for some career deal. If it paid off he would buy them a summer house in Majorca. Darla wished she was Harry at that moment, he didn't have to go. She knew the dinner party was going to be boring and she'd rather not be there. Her mother expected her to sit pretty and pretend to be interested in the conversation, but not say a word. Little girls were meant to be seen, not heard.

Darla stared down at her plate and jumped as Dudley poked her.

"Don't!" She whined.

"Dad asked you a question." He said with a smirk.

"Yes daddy?" She asked.

"Where will you be tonight when the Mason's arrive?" He asked but he was smiling, as if he expected this from her.

"Oh, erm, I'll be with mum in the lounge sitting pretty? When they come in I'll say 'Hello Mr. and Mrs. Mason, I'm very pleased to meet you.'" Darla said.

Dudley smiled at her and shook his head. He mouthed something at her that she didn't quite catch because at the moment her father was asking Harry what he would be doing. He looked miserable as he grunted a reply. Darla stuck her tongue out at Dudley and began eating again as her parents continued to talk about what they would be doing. She was in the middle of her bacon when Dudley poked her again.

"What!?" She exclaimed.

"Do you have any ideas about what you should say at dinner to the Masons?" Her father asked in a patient voice. "Mummy is going to compliment Mrs. Mason's dress and Mr. Mason's golfing skills."

"I don't know." Darla said with a shrug. "What is Dudley going to say?"

"You'd know that if you were listening." Dudley said. "I'm going to tell him that he's my hero and I wrote about him in school."

Darla choked as she started to laugh. For the first time that morning her father frowned at her and he hit her in the back to stop her from choking.

"Come on Darla, let's go." Her father said as Darla caught a glimpse of Harry trying to hide his laughter.

Darla glanced at her mother and knew right away what she should say. "Mrs. Mason, you are so pretty. I hope I will grow up to be a fine lady just like you."

She held in a giggle, not wanting her father to get angry with her again. Her mother applauded her excitedly and Dudley rolled his eyes at her. Her father just simply beamed. Darla quickly asked if she could excuse herself and got up to get out of the room quick before she would start laughing again. She hurried up to her room to change. She laughed to herself as she pulled out the clothes she would wear for the day.

Once she was dressed she decided to work in the vegetable garden. As she went outside she saw that Dudley was taunting Harry again. She shook her head and walked over to the garden and kneeled down. She was lost in thought until she heard shouting. She looked up to see her mother yelling at Harry before giving him a list of chores to do.

Dudley made fun of him for a while before getting bored. Slowly, Darla made her way over to Harry where he kneeled at the flower bed, working on the roses she and her mother had planted.

"Want help?" She asked.

"If you want." He grunted.

"Happy birthday by the way. It must be cool to be turning twelve." She said.

"Thanks." He said. "But it really isn't that great."

"Maybe not for a boy. And you can't prune the roses that way, you'll ruin them. Here, I'll show you." She said as she watched him for a moment.

"Well," He said finally smiling. "You'll have to tell me next year when you turn twelve."

"So what is your school like?" Darla asked. "It sounds so cool. I think you are so lucky. I don't think you are a freak by the way."

"I know." Harry answered. "But your mum and dad don't want me talking about my school."

"They aren't around and Dudley is gone. He won't rat, I saw him leaving with Piers Polkiss." Darla answered. "Please Harry! It sounds so fascinating."

She looked up and saw her mother watching them, but she didn't stop Darla from helping Harry. Harry looked at her mother nervously too before telling her in a low voice about his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He also told her that Hogwarts had four houses called Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"What house are you in?" Darla asked.

"Gryffindor." He answered.

"Slytherin sounds neat. It reminds me of snakes. Didn't you talk to a snake at Dudley's birthday last year?"

"Slytherin is for people who are evil." Harry stated. "They are all unpleasant people."

He explained to her about a boy named Draco Malfoy who was his enemy and worse bully than Dudley. Darla stayed with him for the day, eager to hear as much as she could about Hogwarts. He seemed happy to be telling her all about it. He didn't even mind when she followed him around as he mowed the lawn talking.

"I wish I could go." She told him. "Mum wants to send me to some school for prissy girls. It's supposed to teach me about manners and to act like a lady. But I would rather go to Stonewall."

"You wouldn't want to go." Harry told her as they washed the car. "The reason your parents are the way they are with me is because I am a wizard."

"I'm their daughter." Darla said. "They would never treat me like that. I think it's guilt because your mum died and my mum never wanted anything to do with her. She hates you mum's memory and you are a memory of her. She doesn't hate you."

"Yeah." Harry said with a laugh.

"No I think it's true!" Darla said. "Mum always gets so upset when I mention your mum now. I tried finding out about her all year but she wouldn't tell me anything. I think that if I was a witch though, they would realize that they haven't treated you right."

"Listen Darla, you are not a witch." Harry answered. "I think you'll be very happy at your school."

"I know." Darla said sadly. "It's wishful thinking; I've always wanted magical powers though. I don't understand though, our grandma and grandpa weren't magical were they? How did your mum become a witch?"

"Just as my friend Hermione is. She was born a witch even though her parents weren't one. It happens a lot and the Muggles have to keep it quiet."

"I doubt they would believe it anyway." Darla said with a shrug.

They worked in silence again until it got late and her mother called her to come in. Darla thanked Harry for letting her spend the day with him before running inside. She knew her mother would be angry that she was all dirty again, but she had let her do the yard work. She had watched her and Harry all day.

"Walk in the News paper dear." Her mother said. "I don't know why you would want to help him do the chores."

"I just wanted to spend time with him mum." Darla said. "Is that a crime?"

"It is when we have important people coming over and you need to stay clean. I hope that boy wasn't putting ideas in your head." Her mother answered.

"He wasn't. I just wanted to talk to him and it's his birthday you know."

"Just go have a bath. You need to be dressed and ready for the Mason's."

Darla hurried though the house and up the stairs. Dinner smelled good and she couldn't wait to eat the delicious dessert that was sitting on the fridge. She took a long warm bath before changing into the dress that her mother had placed in the bathroom for her. As she left the bathroom almost an hour later. She passed Harry down the steps as her uncle hissed a threat at her and the doorbell rang.

"Hurry princess, in the lounge." Her father whispered.

Darla hurried into the lounge and her mother pointed at an armchair and told her to sit like a lady.

"Remember to stand when they come in and sit after they sit." Her mother whispered.

Darla heard Dudley asking to take the Mason's coats. A few moments later an older man and woman entered the room. Even though they were older they still looked young. Mrs. Mason was dressed in a pretty white dress; she had her brown hair piled up in a bun and wore a lot of makeup. Mr. Mason had black hair that was slowly turning grey and thinning out. He was dressed in a black suit.

Darla quickly stood up. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Mason it's very err I'm very pleased to meet you." She said flushing at her mistake.

"A very beautiful little girl you have there." Mr. Mason said with a nod as her father offered them seats.

"Thank you." Darla said politely.

"How old are your children now Vernon?" Mrs. Mason asked.

"Dudley is twelve and Darla will be eleven at the end of August. This is my lovely wife Petunia." Her father said with a large smile that showed his teeth.

"Yes, we've heard so much about you Petunia. It's nice to finally meet you." Mr. Mason said.

"And I am happy to meet you too." Her mother said.

Her father poured them drinks. Her mother left the room to get dinner ready on the table while her father began talking to Mr. Mason. Mrs. Mason smiled at Darla and began asking her about school and her grades.

"And what school will you be going to in the fall dear?"

"Frances School for girls." Darla answered.

"Oh yes, I've heard of it. It is a very good school and I'm sure you'll be happy there." She said nodding.

Moments later her mother returned and they were to go to the dining room. Darla followed behind everyone while Dudley took Mrs. Mason's arm and led her to the dining room. Darla wondered if the Mason's figured out that everything they were doing was rehearsed. They had to know by her mother's fake laugh, no one would ever fall for it.

Dudley and Darla had to wait until all the adults were seated before they could sit down. A few moments into eating she felt her mother prod her.

"You are very pretty Mrs. Mason." Darla said. "I hope I can grow up to be a fine lady like you."

"Why thank you dear." She said as Dudley gave Mr. Mason his line.

It could have been Darla's imagination but she thought that Mr. Mason didn't buy it. He had a small frown on his face as he glanced at her father. He must have caught it too because he quickly launched into his golf joke. Darla felt restless and suddenly they heard loud squealing coming from upstairs. She saw her father freeze and her parents glanced at each other before her father jumped up.

"Dudley must have left his television on again!" he shouted looking as though he had thought of saying that fast. "The little tyke."

"Mum, I'm bored." Darla whispered in her mother's ear.

"After dessert you can go to bed, I know it's hard for children to sit through an important dinner." Her mother whispered back. "But please dear, try to look interested."

Darla sat up straight as her father came back. He was chuckling and he gave Dudley's shoulder a gentle pat and as he lectured that he shouldn't leave the television on.

"So, how did that joke end?" Mr. Mason asked interested.

Things seemed to go smoothly for a little while longer, Darla wondering what it was that Harry had been doing when they heard a loud smash come from the kitchen. They all jumped up and ran into the kitchen to see Harry covered head to toe in the pudding that had looked so delicious. Darla's mouth dropped open; he couldn't have done that on purpose she thought. Maybe he had wanted a sample and had accidentally dropped it.

Her father made him clean the kitchen while they all returned to the dining room. He explained to them that Harry was his nephew and meeting strangers disturbed him. Darla tried to nod to make this seem true but she had trouble holding back a laugh. It seemed everything would be ok until an owl flew into the house and dropped a letter onto Mrs. Mason who ran from the house screaming. After a very angry Mr. Mason left her father shooed both she and Dudley up to bed.

"Poor Harry." Darla murmured to Dudley as they went upstairs.

"Poor Harry? I wanted that pudding and he ruined it." Dudley snarled.

"All you ever think about is food." Darla responded.

The next day her father had Harry locked into his room and put bars on the window so he couldn't escape. Darla felt so sorry for him and she wondered why he smashed the pudding, and why he had used magic. According to Dudley the letter the owl had brought had said that Harry wasn't suppose to do magic outside school and he would be expelled if he did it again.

Darla kept looking for opportunities to sneak into Harry's room. For one, she knew her mother wasn't giving him enough food, but she also had to know why he did it. She finally found her chance when Dudley was out with friends and her mother was out talking with the neighbours. She knew this could take hours. She found the key on top of the fridge and hurried up the steps to Harry's room with some sandwiches and juice.

She found him lying on his back staring up at the ceiling. He looked surprised to see her.

"Hi, I brought you some food." Darla said.

"You can get in a lot of trouble for this." He said not taking the sandwich she offered him.

"Mum is talking to the neighbours. She'll be out there for a while." Darla said. "Anyway, she won't check her shows are coming on soon."

Harry took the sandwich. "Thanks."

"So why did you use magic to smash the pudding?" Darla asked.

"It wasn't me." Harry answered. "It was a house elf."

"A what?" Darla asked.

"A house elf. They are like servants; they do house chores and stuff I guess. This one was called Dobby and he was warning me not to go to school." He said feeding some of the meat to the owl.

It was a very pretty snowy owl. Darla walked over to her and wondered if she would bite.

"Why?" She asked.

"He just said I was in danger. You can pet her through the cage, she won't bite." Harry said. "I wish I could let her out so I could let my friends know about this. Your parents don't want me going back to school. They want to keep me locked up."

"Maybe I can talk to daddy." Darla said petting the owl.

"Don't do it Darla." Harry said warningly. "I'll find away out. The school will probably wonder why I'm not there."

"They won't keep you locked up for that long." Darla said. "And if they do I'll let you out myself when it's time for school to start. I'll do it at night so they won't know."

"You'll do that for me?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Darla answered. "I love my parents a lot but what they are doing isn't right. You're going to school Harry. Don't worry."

--

It seemed he didn't have to worry either way since one night Harry escaped. Three of his friends came in a car and helped him get out the room. She a long with everyone else was awakened by Hedwig, Harry's owl. She jumped put of bed to protect Harry as her father ran to Harry's room. Dudley waddled after her just to watch Harry get yelled at.

The sight that met their eyes wasn't something anyone expected to see. A ford Anglia was outside Harry's room. Three boys were in the car; Harry was just stashing Hedwig in the car as her father ran toward him to stop him from leaving. Go Harry she thought, hurry! Her father yelled for her mother as the boys in the car helped pull Harry into the car and they drove off.

"Yes!" Darla muttered under her breathe as her brother and parents stared out the open window shocked.

She heard Harry shout something from the car window. Her father and mother turned to look at each other.

"How did he do it?" They asked at the same time.

Dudley just looked shocked and disappointed. Her parents turned to them and told them to go to bed. Darla felt sad that she wouldn't see Harry again for almost a year. She felt sad when she thought of that. She wanted him back; they had gotten closer over the days they had spent together. She knew what to talk to him about now.

Then the next morning the letter came, the letter that changed the fate of her life.