Authors Note: How's the pacing of the story? Is it too slow? Then again I'm sticking close to the book so I want it to be a bit long. But please let me know!
Thanks to Ima! For the first review! I'd love to hear what you guys think of it. I've gotten a flood of alerts/favorites but only one review. Well at least you guys like it if you're putting it on your alert list.
This chapters going to be a bit longer then the first two because I want to speed things up a little big. I'm combining the day at the zoo with Harry receiving his letters and the family moving to the shell cottage.
Next chapter will be Hagrid showing up and explaining to Harry that he is indeed a wizard. They go to Diagon Alley and have a ball (chapter 5).
Remember to check the poll! There are no votes and it makes me sad because I'm still on the fence about what to do about making the story more AU.
The sound of Dudley Dursley stomping on the stairs woke the young Harry Potter from a deep sleep. He had been dreaming of a perfect life, with his mother and father in a nice cottage, yet it was interrupted by his cousin.
"Wake up! Wake up!" Dudley yelled, jumping up and down on one of the stairs, which made Harry's cupboard shake and dust fall into his hair. Harry mumbled under his breath about being awake and slipped on his glasses.
As Harry was coming out of the cupboard Dudley ran past him shoving the door back against him causing Harry to fall back into the cramped space. There was nothing Harry could do except to sigh. He climbed back out of the cupboard and proceeded to the kitchen.
"Boy!" Vernon called, "Get in here and get breakfast!" The sound of Vernon's voice made Harry hurry to the kitchen. He had endured years of verbal abuse from the large man and knew what to expect from him.
Going into the kitchen Harry quietly started cooking breakfast for the family. Dudley was counting his birthday presents, upset that he only had thirty-eight which was only three more then the year before. His parents placated him by promising to buy him three more gifts on the way home from the zoo.
Harry served them breakfast while Dudley ripped open his gifts. The black haired boy was always amazed at the amount of gifts his cousin got, especially when the chubby boy was getting his third computer in the course of a year. Among the gifts were balls, a punching bag, numerous articles of clothing and a mired of other things that Harry couldn't see over the mountain of discarded wrapping paper.
"Dudders, your friends will be here soon, go get ready." Petunia said, giving her son a kiss on the top of the head. It was then Vernon turned his attention to Harry, who was cleaning up the dishes.
"Since we have no choice but to take you with us to the zoo, you had better behave yourself. If not you will be locked in your cupboard for a month." Vernon growled, to which Harry could only answer with a 'yes sir'. It was rare for Harry to go out with the whole family as he generally didn't exist. He didn't want to ruin this chance to go out so he would make sure to be on his best behavior.
In no time they were at the zoo, looking at the lions, polar bears and the birds. The final exhibit the group was going to see was the reptile house. Harry finished his icy lemon pop before heading into the dark and cool room.
He found Dudley tapping on the glass of a rather large boa constrictor. Harry could only frown at the sight of the snake having to endure Dudley's wrath. A sigh of relif escaped his lips when Dudley finally left to go see another reptile
"Sorry about that" Harry said to the snake, not expecting any type of response back. But when the snake rose to look at him in the eye he was startled.
"I'm used to it." The snake hissed, causing Harry's eyes to widen even more at the fact that he could understand what the snake was saying.
It was then Dudley came back over to them, calling out to anyone that would listen that the snake was looking at him. He pushed Harry out of the way in order to get a better look. Harry felt a rush of anger course through his body, once again he had been pushed aside as if he didn't matter. The young boy was getting tired of always being shoved aside as if he wasn't human. In the blink of an eye the glass that allowed viewers to see into the tank. Dudley had pressed himself against the glass and ended up pitching forward when the glass suddenly disappear. He had landed in the tank with the snake. When the large boy relized this he started to cry out, even more so when the snake slithered over him in order to get out of the tank. Harry couldn't stop from snickering at the prediciment that Dudley had found himself in. For once Dudley was experiencing something bad, and he wasn't liking one bit of it.
"Thanks mate, I'm out of here," the snake hissed giving Harry a nod before making its way out of the reptilian house.
"Dudley!" Petunia screamed, finding her son trapped behind the glass. Harry's eyes widened in surprise at finding his cousin trapped behind the glass. He couldn't hide the smile and giggle of laughter that broke free at the ridiculous sight of Dudley trapped in the snake tank. He thought it was an excellent place for his cousin to be.
Harry felt a large hand clamp down on his shoulder and knew he was in deep trouble even though he didn't do anything wrong. "Home. Cupboard. Now." Was all Vernon could say as the park staff worked to get Dudley out of the tank.
Harry spent the next month in his cupboard with the exception of meals and bathroom breaks. He was glad to be out of his cupboard and able to be in the fresh air again. He was back to serving breakfast to the Dursley's as if nothing had changed. The young boy heard the mailman drop the days mail through the slot and went to get it.
Picking up the mail he leafed through it, eyes widening at the sight of a rather thick envelope. There on the front written in elegant, emerald green ink was his name followed by his address which said Cupboard Under the Stairs. Harry stopped dead in his tracks wondering why there was a letter addressed to him. Never in the ten years he had lived with the Dursley's he had never received anything.
He opened the letter his eyes stopping at the image that was at the top of the page. It was a crest of some sorts divided into four quadrants with a badger, snake, raven and lion occupying each section. Around the crest were the words Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The sight made Harry's blood run cold, his heart started to hammer in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, it had to be some sort of sick joke that Dudley made up but even he wasn't this smart.
"Hey!" Harry heard Dudley yell from the entrance of the kitchen. "Dad! Harry's got a letter!" The vibrations of Dudley storming to get to Harry could be felt through the floor. Harry was tired of always being second to Dudley and letting him take everything from him.
"It's mine, you can't have it," Harry said defiantly. He was skinny enough to slip through Dudley's grasp but was caught by Vernon in the kitchen.
"Give me that," Vernon said, his face already turning a shade of red. The large man grabbed the letter from Harry and proceeded to skim it. Harry could hear him mutter words that sounded like magic, wand, and cauldron before his uncle scoffed and crumbled up the paper. "This is utter nonsense, rubbish. Do you understand me boy?" Vernon asked, glaring at the small boy in front of him.
"Yes Uncle Vernon." Harry said, unable to look the man in the eyes so he stared down at the floor.
"Back in your cupboard. I don't want to see you again until tomorrow." Vernon said, pointing a blotchy red finger in the direction of the hallway. Harry had no choice but to return to his cupboard.
The next morning Harry was released from his cupboard to find a stack of letters on the table. He could only watch as Vernon burned them one by one with a match.
"Everything is perfectly normal, yes sir." Vernon said more to himself then to the rest of the occupants in the room.
While Vernon was busy with burning the letters, more of them were coming through the fireplace at a rapid rate.
"Vernon! The living room!" Petunia screamed as she ran into the kitchen. Vernon quickly got up from the table, knocking down his chair in the process. He ran into the living room to see hundreds of letters flying from the fireplace.
"We're leaving!" Vernon shouted as Harry happily made to grab for as many letters as he could. Vernon and Petunia had run upstairs to pack a few things before they left the house.
"Mummy where are we going?" Whined Dudley as they stuffed everyone in the car.
"Somewhere far away from here." Vernon said, flooring the gas pedal and leaving Number 4 Private Drive as fast as he could.
Preview of Chapter 4:
The sound of the door crashing down was muffled by a loud clap of thunder. When the lightning struck seconds after it illuminated the small cottage as well as a giant figure in the doorway. Dudley screamed like a girl while Harry looked on in utter amazement. He had never seen someone so large and tall before. Who ever it was could barely fit through the door.
"Harry!" The figure said before stepping into the light.