Disclaimer: I borrowed Harry, Remus, Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley. They actually belong to J.K Rowling.

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Harry was so angry at his aunt and uncle he could hardly control it. His hands shook as he cleaned up the pieces of ripped paper that Uncle Vernon had left on the ground. He stomped over to the trash can and threw the paper in. That's when he noticed them start to smoke. Before he could react, the paper lit on fire and began to melt the plastic bag the trash was in. Panicking, Harry grabbed the pitcher of water from the table and threw it on the flames. They went out immediately and left the smell of burnt paper and plastic behind. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon smelled the smoke and came running in.

"What the blazes did you do boy?" Uncle Vernon yelled angrily. Aunt Petunia glanced into the trash can and saw the remains of the fire.

"Did you light the trash on fire?" She asked angrily. Harry, eyes wide in fright at his aunt and uncle's fury, shook his head no.

"What do you mean no?" Uncle Vernon asked incredulously. "The evidence is right there. Do you think we're stupid?"

Yes, Harry thought. But instead he shook his head no again and tried to explain.

"The paper lit itself on fire. I threw it in the trash and it just burst into flame, I swear!" Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other darkly.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Uncle Vernon asked, his wide red face getting very close to Harry's. "Do you really expect us to believe that the paper just spontaneously combusted?"

"It's the truth." Harry said defiantly. "I swear."

"How dare you stand there and tell us lies you nasty, insolent, little wart!" Aunt Petunia spluttered, very white faced.

"Cupboard. Now. We'll talk about your punishment later."

Harry, glad to escape, brushed past Dudley who smiled gleefully and muttered, "Oh you're in for it big time," and ran to his cupboard under the stairs. He locked the door and threw himself down on the bed. Why did this always happen? He couldn't explain why bad things always happened around him. They just did. He hadn't meant to shrink Dudley's sweater, turn the teachers wig blue, or light the trash on fire. Weird things just happened around him and his aunt and uncle acted like he was trying to make them happen. He didn't know how to explain to them that he would stop it if he could.

He slept badly because he spent all night worrying about how Uncle Vernon would punish him and what Miss Anderson would say about the form.

The next day Uncle Vernon was already gone for an early meeting by the time Harry got up so he was spared more yelling. His aunt didn't give him any breakfast but he expected that. Her pursed lips and silent demeanor told him that she hadn't forgotten anything that had happened the night before.

When they got to school Harry trudged into the building feeling hungry and slightly defeated. Elena waved at him from across the classroom and came over to talk.

"Hey Harry," she greeted him cheerily. "How's it going?" He shrugged.

"Not that good actually." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"How come?" Harry sighed.

"I got in trouble last night and my aunt and uncle refused to sign the form letting me be in the accelerated program. Now I don't know what to do." She looked slightly shocked.

"What do you mean they refused to sign the form?" She asked. He shrugged again.

"I don't know. I guess they just don't want me to do it." She shook her head in disgust.

"That's ridiculous. We need to talk to Miss Anderson about this. Come on let's do it now before the bell rings."

"It doesn't matter," Harry muttered. "I mean, I don't want to bother her or anything. I just won't do it. It's not the end of the world."

"Won't do what?" Miss Anderson asked coming over.

"Nothing," Harry started to say but Elena cut him off.

"Harry's aunt and uncle won't sign the form letting him be in the accelerated program," she said. Miss Anderson turned to look at Harry, her eyes filled with concern.

"They won't let you?" She asked, "Or you don't want to?"

"I do want to," Harry protested. "Really I do. They just don't want people to think that I'm better than Dudley and they think I'm not smart enough."

"Well that's ridiculous." Miss Anderson scoffed. "Didn't they read the form?" Harry nodded.

"My uncle read it," he said. And then added as an afterthought, "And then ripped it up and threw it on the floor."

"He did what?" Miss Anderson asked in shock.

"He threw it on the floor and told me not to ask any more questions." Harry answered looking at the ground. Miss Anderson took a deep breath to calm herself. She was frustrated with Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's lack of cooperation and total disregard for Harry and Dudley's education. If Dudley didn't want to learn than that was fine with her. But Harry did and they just weren't letting him. Well she wasn't okay with that.

"How about I call them this afternoon and see if we can't work something out? Would that be okay Harry?" She asked. Harry thought about it, still avoiding making eye contact with his teacher.

"That probably won't help," he said softly.

"Well we might as well give it a shot. I'll call around 4:30. See if I can't get them to reconsider." Harry looked up at her; his eyes were wide and full of fear.

"Do you think that will work?" He asked.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "But I've got to try."

At 3:30 Elizabeth Anderson sat at her desk making notes on a piece of paper about all of the things she wanted to mention to Petunia Dursley when she called in an hour. She tapped a pen on the desk with impatience but jumped when there was a slight knock on the door. Remus opened it and stuck his head through.

"Mind if I come in?" She shook her head no and he stepped inside.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He said.

"No, no. Not at all," she said smiling. "I am going to have to kick you out at four thirty though."

"Oh?" He said raising an eyebrow. "How come?" She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I have to call a parent about something. Oh wait, this actually applies to you. I have to call Harry's aunt about why they won't let him be in the accelerated program." Remus's eyebrows furrowed.

"They won't?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No. And it's for some stupid reason too. The poor kid is just so upset. He's trying to pretend like it's not a big deal but I can tell he's really disappointed."

"Well with good reason! Is there anything I can do to help?" Remus asked. Elizabeth pondered that for a moment before saying,

"I don't see what. I'm going to call but besides that I don't see what we can do." Remus looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Not that I'm advocating for this or anything," he started, "but couldn't you just lie to them and say Harry isn't doing it but let him do it anyway?"

"I actually thought of that." She answered. "But his cousin is in the class and I'm afraid he would tell. I'm just, I'm afraid to get Harry in more trouble." Remus nodded.

"I understand," he said. In his mind he saw James and Lily's outrage at the Dursley's behavior. Lily would be ferociously angry, her face turning the same color as her hair.

"Petunia!" She would yell, her green eyes blazing. "How dare you treat my son this way? How dare you take opportunities away from my son like this? You're being ridiculous and you know it. Stop taking your frustration with me out on Harry." And James would be right alongside her.

"Vernon please be reasonable," he would say. "Harry's a great kid. Why won't you let him have this?" But of course they would be angry with Remus too.

"Moony," James would address him. "Moony you see what Lily's sister is doing to my son. Aren't you going to do something about it?"

"What am I supposed to do James?" he murmured quietly. Elizabeth looked up from her notes.

"Did you say something?" she asked. Remus came crashing back to reality.

"What? Oh no I didn't."

"That's funny. I could have sworn I heard something." Remus shrugged and she dismissed it.

"Alright. Well, I guess it's time to make that phone call." She sighed. It was obvious that she was dreading it.

"Don't call," Remus said making a snap decision. She looked confused.

"But I-"

"Calling is impersonal and she'll probably hang up on you. Let's go talk to the Dursleys in person instead."

"Do you think that will work?" she asked, worried.

"I don't know. But it might and I have to do something to help. James would expect it." It was the first time since the night in the coffee shop that Remus had mentioned either of the Potters, and was ultimately the reason that Elizabeth decided to trust him.

"Well if you're sure," she said slowly.

"I am."

"Then let's go."