Growing Pains Chapter 4
He walked into Harry's bedroom, he had not been inside since it was used as his own second bedroom, he sat down on the bed and looked around, it was a mess, the bin was overfilled and there was books and clothes piled up next to it, he bent down and picked up something from the floor, it was a photograph, but it was not a normal photograph, as the people in the picture were moving and laughing, there was young pretty girl in the picture , with a red headed boy on one side of her, and Harry on the other, he stared at the picture, Harry looked so happy, Dudley had never seen him like this, he turned the photo over in his hands there was writing on the back, it said " me Hermione and Ron", he turned to look at the people in the picture again, and wondered if the girl in the photograph was Harry's girlfriend.
He carried on looking around the room he saw something shiny on top of a book, he picked them both up, he held the shiny object in his hand, it was a badge, with a C on it, Dudley ran his fingers over it, he wondered what its significance was momentarily lost in thought, he then turned his attention to the book
"A history of magic" he muttered inquisitively
He rolled on to his belly, and began to look through the pages, he read of goblins and legends and of wizard wars, until finally he gave way to sleep.
When he awoke the next morning he forgot where he was
"Dudley" his father shouted
"In here" replied Dudley
His father opened the door
"What the blazes are you doing in here? Vernon shouted
Dudley watched his father's eyes move to from the open book that lay open on the bed, and then back to his son,
"OUT" roared his father
Dudley picked up the shiny badge from the bed, and slipped it into his pocket
"GET OUT" raged his father again.
After an afternoon of sulking, Dudley emerged from his bedroom after hearing noises coming from Harry's room; he pushed open the door, and found his mother wearing pink magnolias cleaning,
"What are you doing?" Dudley asked his mother
"I'm getting rid of anything to do with that FREAK" she replied a little erratically
By the time I'm finished, it will be like he never existed,
Dudley was taken aback by the hostility in his mother's voice
"What did he ever do to you to hate him this much?" he asked of his mother sadly
"He lived didn't he" she screamed at her son, "he should have died with his parents, instead of burdening us, and ruining our lives, we never signed up for this
"neither did he" screamed Dudley at his mother, he's out there right now fighting a war, don't you care that he might die"
His mother seemed surprised at Dudley's outburst, it obvious that Dudley did not speak to his mother like this often.
How dare you speak to me like that, his mother shouted, "you are no better than us, you hated him to, I don't care what happens to him, and as long as I never see his filthy little face ever again?"
Dudley felt his head spinning, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, he ran down the stairs stumbling as he went, before collapsing in to a chair, by the kitchen table, how had he not seen this hatred towards Harry, or maybe he had and not cared, he felt resentment towards his mother, how could she hate him so much, it's true Dudley had hated him growing up, but that wasnt true now, he would never wish him dead never, Dudley got lost in his own thoughts, of Harry and his own childhood, as tears rolled down his cheeks, he heard a noise, like a static noise, he walked across the kitchen, and found the noise was coming from the small brown radio, he listened carefully, he could hear a voice or voices, but it was hard to tell what they were saying through all the static, he finally made a few words out.
…………………………….safe………………………………..potter………………………………..miss granger
………………………….family's…………………..together………………………….australlia………………….
And then the radio went silent, Dudley wiped his tear streaked face, and tried to work out what he had just heard, he repeated the words over and over in his head.
Who had been talking? What did it mean?
One thing was for sure Dudley thought standing, up he was going to find out.
