Chapter 6 – Family

Later that night, after Tae Kwon Doe, Harry lay on the sofa, watching television, with his feet in his uncle's lap. He felt safe and content, as he always did around his uncle. The small living room was dimly lit by the light from the fire burning in the grate and had a cosy; lived in, feel to it.

"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked quietly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" answered Vernon

"Do you know anything about my parents?" He knew he and his uncle were only related by the adoption potion, and that his mother had been his aunt Petunia's sister. Vernon sighed.

"Not much to be honest,"

"What were their names?" He was slightly surprised he hadn't asked this before, but then again, he'd never asked about his parents before either.

"Your mothers name was Lily," Vernon screwed up his face in thought, "Petunia never mentioned your father's name, though it could be James, as that's your middle name, but Petunia had an Uncle James, so I'm not entirely sure, sorry Harry."

"That's ok; did Aunt Petunia say what my mum was like?" Vernon sighed; he hadn't wanted to tell Harry this for a few years yet.

"I'm sorry Harry, but Petunia didn't really like your mum."

"Why not?" Vernon could hear the pain in Harry's voice, and it made his heart ache.

"She… She didn't like magic." Harry was hit by a sudden memory. A tall woman was shouting down at him.

"She didn't like me either, did she?" Vernon shook his head.

"I'm so sorry Harry, I wasn't planning on telling you this until you were older, and I didn't want to lie to you." Harry nodded, "You know your toy stag?"

"Prongs," said Harry, nodding again.

"Eh?" He hadn't realised it had a name.

"Yeah, it's written on the label, I only noticed a few days ago, its really faded."

"Oh, well, that was the only thing of your own you had before we moved here." Vernon said quietly, "It was left with you on the doorstep." Harry looked at his uncle, his green eyes full of hurt. He shook his head,

"It doesn't matter anymore. We're both happy, right?" Vernon nodded, "Then that's all that matters, lets leave the past just there, in the past." He got up and left for his bedroom.

Vernon poked his head around the door an hour later, to find Harry sitting on his bed, practicing guitar. Vernon had given it to him last Christmas, it was the only hobby he had that Liam didn't share in. Liam was content listening to music, and singing. Whereas Harry had been more curious to how it was made, so Vernon had got him the guitar, and he had weekly lessons in the town.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," said Vernon, sitting on the bed beside his nephew.

"Don't worry 'bout it, I just wish I knew more about my parents."

"I'm sure you'll find out more someday," said Vernon, "after all, it's only four years until you're off to Hogwarts." Harry nodded, excitement bubbling inside him, as it did whenever anyone mentioned Hogwarts. Carrie had been re-telling the stories of Fabian Prewett's days there for as long as he could remember.

Vernon looked around the room.

"I think we need to get you a new wardrobe," he said, "This one's falling to bits." He inspected the wardrobe he'd put together with Carrie all those years ago.

"I s'pose," muttered Harry, then his eyes lit up, not always a good sign; "Could I paint it m'self?" he asked eagerly. Vernon chuckled.

"We'll see, Harry," The boy had such a creative spirit. Sometimes Vernon wondered what life would have been like if Petunia and Dudley hadn't died. Would Harry be so creative and outgoing if he'd spent his life in a cupboard? Vernon doubted he would have many friends. Dudley would have over-powered anyone who tried to be friendly, if the year the two had spent together was anything to go by. The thought of the little boy Dudley could have been still made Vernon's heart ache, he'd never even been given a chance at life before it was snatched away from him. Harry looked at his Uncle, and could tell he was thinking about his family.

"Uncle Vernon?" he asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, boy," Vernon hugged his nephew, "You go get ready for bed and I'll read you another chapter."

Harry brushed his teeth, removed his contacts and changed into his pyjamas and crawled into his bed. Vernon sat down and Harry snuggled close to hear more of the BFG. He loved to be read too, even though he read a lot by himself, he always preferred to hear his uncle's deep gravely voice, especially when he made the voices.

"Dream-catching," read Vernon, "The Big Friendly Giant put the suitcase on the ground…"

"…When, at last, they emerged out of the mist and came again onto the hot yellow wasteland, all the other giants were sprawled out on the ground, fast asleep." He closed the old worn book.

"Can I have another chapter?" asked Harry, hopefully.

"Not tonight, Harry, it's late." He tucked Harry in, and made to leave.

"Uncle Vernon? Are giants real?" Vernon could hear the fear in his nephew's voice.

"I'm not sure, anything's possible, but I doubt they're anything like they are in the story,"

"Okay," another thought occurred to Harry, as thoughts do when sleep is delayed, "Uncle Vernon? Are you posh?"

"Pardon?" Vernon was confused, where had that come from?

"Billy MacPhee said you talked posh," Vernon thought about it. Harry had developed a Scottish accent from Carrie, Liam and the other kids he played with. It wasn't strong, but it was there. Vernon however, still had a middle-class, Surrey accent.

"No, I wouldn't say I'm posh, Harry," said Vernon, "but my accent is slightly more "posh" than most other people around here."

"Oh, ok," Harry closed his eyes and rolled over. Vernon turned off the light and left the door half-way open. His nephew had always been full of questions, he had an inquisitive nature, it one of the wonderful qualities that made him Harry.

A week later, Grace bounced to her first day of school between Harry and Liam. Carrie couldn't help smiling at her daughter's excitement, but didn't miss the mischievous smiles, and sly glances Harry and Liam kept exchanging. They reached the gates and Grace ran off to find her friends from nursery. Carrie placed her hands on the boys' shoulders, as they made to follow.

"Do I want to know?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. The boys glanced at each other before grinning and shaking their heads.

"Just don't get suspended." The boys had pulled plenty of small pranks over the last two years, but always kept the more destructive ones for the first day of a new term.

All day their new teacher was kept on edge as Harry and Liam exchanged glances and smiles, every now and then bursting into laughter. By lunchtime Mrs Munro was a nervous wreck.

"They just keep smiling! I know they're up to something," she declared to the other teachers. She looked towards the primary one teacher, Miss Sinclair, and the primary two teacher, Mr Cameron, for help. They shrugged

"They'll strike when you least suspect it, just be prepared,"

"Yeah, keep your guard up,"

Outside the staffroom door, two seven-year-old boys grinned at each other.

By quarter past two, Mrs Munro was beyond paranoid. There was only fifteen minutes left of the school day, and Harry and Liam were yet to strike. All of a sudden Mrs Munro broke, and began screaming.

"What have you done!?" she yelled, her eyes popping out their sockets, "Why haven't you acted yet!? Why do you keep laughing!?" She was breathing heavily, her hair wild from racking her fingers through it. The boys glanced at each other, and grinned.

"We figured it would be more fun to make you paranoid." Said Liam

"And we were right!" grinned Harry, and the whole classroom burst into raucous laughter. Mrs Munro broke down into tears at her desk, as Ms Hill, the headmistress, stormed in.

"What have you done this time?" she shouted, grabbing the two boys by their collars, and dragging them to her office.

Not for the first time, Carrie MacCloud had been called at the local hospital where she worked, to discuss her son Liam Prewett and his best friend Harry Potter. This time however, when she arrived at the school, she didn't have to go through the "I'm disappointed, you're grounded," routine.

"Excuse me?" she asked, "You dragged my boys to your office, made me rush off from work, and kept the boys half an hour after school because they didn't prank their teacher?" Ms Hill fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair, but wisely said nothing.

"C'mon boys," she hurried the two boys from the office, trying desperately to keep from laughing.

A/N. hi! sorry this took so long, I was kinda swamped with school work, and was generally pretty busy. thanks to goldengirl2, who sent me a pm, asking if i was going to update, that gave me, for want of a better phrase, a kick up the arse. thanks to everyone whos reveiwed previous chapters, and please reveiw this one, constructive critisism is very much needed. =P

thanks for reading my ramblings,

katie