Meg and the twins followed us as we went to London Zoo, my second favourite place in the capital. Dad suddenly stopped and took me to one side. Mum glanced back before chivvying the rest along.

"Harry, I'm sorry." Dad said softly.

I looked up at him; his brown eyes were full of concern. "What for?"

"I was sharp with you this morning. I was worried about you're mother, and…"

"It's ok Dad. I should have listened to you."

He ruffled my hair. "Race you to Mum." He said with a smile. We ran to Mum, who when she noticed, screamed and sprinted to the gates that opened up to the zoo. She soon was hidden by the queue of people waiting to enter. Charisa came up beside me and slipped her hand into mine, thoughtfully. Will and Meg were talking near a small cage.

"Harry, do you think Daddy will be alright?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"I…I don't know."

Charisa said nothing; she just stared at the spot that my Mum reappeared.

"Come on then!" Mum said happily. Dad came behind Charisa and threw her over his shoulder.

"UNCLE JAMES, PUT ME DOWN!!!!!" She screamed as she tried to squirm out of his grasp. Dad just laughed. "AUNTIE LILY HELP!!!!!"

Mum glanced at Dad, who smiled sheepishly as he put Charisa down. Meg ran over to her and slipped her arm through Charisa's. Mum gave them the tickets and they went off on their own.

"Meet you at the café at 12" Mum called after them, and Will ran off to catch them up. I was left on my own with my parents.

We spent the best part of the day, acting as a family should do at the zoo.

"Mum, look, a baby ape." I said excitedly. Mum grinned.

"Look Harry, do you think that one is called James?"

I laughed, and Dad, who was standing behind her, picked her up and motioned to throw her into the bin. Mum screamed, tears of laughter streaming down her face.

Dad looked up at the big clock in the centre of the Zoo, it was 10 to 12. He put Mum down and started to walk towards the café, when he stopped suddenly. Mum, who had turned round to talk to me as she walked, smacked into him.

"James? Wha…?" Then she cut off, standing in front of us was a small family. Mum went very pale, very quickly. Then Dad saw Meg, Charisa and Will wander behind the family. Mum and Dad strode over to where my sister was. I saw the woman of the small family watch Mum, with a shocked expression on her face. She watched as Mum gave Meg a hug.

"Shall we get lunch?" Mum asked Dad, and Dad lent over to kiss her on the cheek.

"When did I get such a clever wife?" He said, with a twinkle in his eye. Mum laughed and pushed him gently on the shoulder.

We entered the coolness of the café, and while Mum and Dad ordered, Me, Meg and the twins set off to find a table.

The family we had seen sat on a table beside us. The man was quite large, and the chair beneath him creaked as he sat, his son was almost as identical to him as I was to Dad. The woman was tall and bony.

"Now Duddy, what would you like." The woman asked the large boy. He answers and she turned to the thin boy next to him.

Meg turned to me and mouthed "Duddy?" She looked at the boy with a weird smile.

I quickly disguised a laugh as a cough, and both boys whipped round to glare at me. The man glanced up and slowly went white, then the colour of porridge, then went red. It was a bit like watching a traffic light.

Mum came back, holding a tray in her hands.

"OK, a cheese burger with chips and a coke?"

"Me." Said Meg, holding her hands out. "Thanks mum."

"Veggie sausage with a salad and a chocolate milkshake, here you are Risa. Ham burger with chips and water."

She put it down in front of Will, and then Dad came up holding another tray. Mum quickly got rid of the first tray and sat down on the plastic seat next to Dad. He gave me my order then attacked his food, with indecent vigour.

The family next to us gave Dad a look that bordered on scared.

I lent closer to Mum.

"Who are they?" I asked, moving my head in their direction.

Mum looked over and her face suddenly became as still as stone.

"Petunia, Vernon and Dudley Dursley." She said quietly.

"Petunia…You mean your sister?" I asked in a shocked whisper. Mum nodded.

Soon everybody had finished and we left the little café. Will wanted to go to the reptile house so we all followed him. We were looking around quietly when somebody behind me knocked on the glass between us and a huge snake.

"Move." Said a voice.

"Don't do that, cant you see it's sleeping." I said, spinning round on the heel on my foot. I came face-to-face with my cousin Dudley and his friend.

"What and a skinny thing like you is going to stop me hey?"

"Dudley, Dudley, what are you doing." Came my Mum's sister's voice. "Get away from that boy." She said in a scared whisper.

Mum and Dad turned to see what the commotion was about.

Dudley left the snake and wandered over to where his father was. I stared at the snake.

"Sorry 'bout that." I whispered, to myself mostly. "We're supposed to be related somehow. I guess every family has it's black sheep."

The snake nodded.

I stared at it, my mouth hanging open. I had never heard of a snake talking to anybody before.

"You…you can hear me?"

It nodded again.

"MUM, DAD, YOU WONT BELIEVE WHAT THIS SNAKE IS DOING" Dudley shouted from behind me, making me jump. He lent towards the glass, which was suddenly not there anymore. The snake dropped down from the rail.

"Thankssss amigosssss." It hissed as it left the reptile house. I stared at it, then glanced up at Mum and Dad, who were watching me, in shock, they looked scared.

"Harry…" Mum started.

A scream sounded behind her and I saw Petunia scratching at the glass, trying to get Dudley out. She rounded on Mum.

"You… This has something to do with you…you freak…"

I got up and ran as fast as I could out of the reptile house.

"Harry…" I heard Dad shout after me.