Charlie W. jumped up and took the book from Charlie S..
"Chapter three," he read.
The escape of the Brazilian boa ... the summer holidays had started
"When's Dudley's birthday?" Bill asked
"June twenty third." muttered Harry. Kingsley added something to the notepad he'd been writing in.
and Dudley had already broken ... crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.
"And his parents don't see anything wrong with his behavior?" asked
"He told them that he didn't mean to hit her and that he said sorry. They believed him."
Harry was glad school was over, ... the lot, he was the leader.
"That sounds like how a group from my school days chose their leader." smirked Snape.
"Shove off Snivellus." snapped Sirius.
" if you would please continue." suggested Dumbledore. Charlie W. didn't look like he wanted to, but after catching his mother's eye decided to do as he was asked.
The rest of them were all ... he would be going off
"TO HOGWARTS!" shouted all the Weasley children sans Bill and Percy.
to secondary school and, ... Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.
"What kind of name is Smeltings?" Sirius scrunched his nose.
"What kind of name is Hogwarts?" shrugged Remus.
Piers Polkiss was going there ... other hand, was going to
"HOGWARTS!". This time Neville, Luna, and for some reason Emmett joined in.
Stonewall High, the local public school. ... down it - it might be sick."
"Harry!" George exclaimed through the laughter. "Why didn't you tell us you're funny?"
Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.
"From the sound of it you could've just walked away." snorted Rose.
One day in July, Aunt ... had it for several years.
"How do you know what several year old cake tastes like?" wondered Seth.
"Educated guess." replied Harry.
That evening, Dudley paraded around ... flat straw hats called boaters.
The room seemed split between humor and disgust. Harry was the one laughing the hardest, having actually been there to see it, while Alice and Rosalie seemed the most appalled.
They also carried knobbly sticks, ... good training for later life.
"Oh, great a whole school with the same mindset as these three." drawled Christian.
As he looked at Dudley ... it was her Ickle Diddykins,
"This woman's nicknames are truly horrible." a grimacing Alice chimed in.
he looked so handsome and ... everyone else's when I've finished."
"That seems like a lot of effort to avoid just getting you a uniform."observed Lissa
Harry seriously doubted this, but ... of old elephant skin, probably.
The cullen siblings laughed at Alice's horrified face and Rosalie's grimace.
Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, ... "Make Dudley get it."
"Brave man." joked Sirius.
"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."
"He told him to hit you!?" hissed Tonks. Kingsley made another note.
Harry dodged the Smelting stick ... life, had written to him.
"There's a whole vault full of fan mail at gringotts." frowned Bill "didn't anyone ever tell you?"
Harry shook his head looking shocked.
"I'll have to show you to it when we get back." he decided.
Who would? He had no friends, ... The Cupboard under the Stairs
"I think it may be time to start keeping a better eye on the letters Albus." McGonagall put in.
4 Privet Drive ... ink. There was no stamp.
"Someone hand delivered it?" pondered Eddie
"Something like that." grinned Ron.
Turning the envelope over, ... coat of arms; a lion,
Cheers from the Weasley children (sans Percy), Harry, and Sirius.
an eagle,
A cheer from Luna, and applause from Kingsley.
a badger,
At this Tonks tried to cheer loud enough to match the Gryffindor cheer.
and a snake
Snape smirked
surrounding a large letter H.
All of the above (and a few others), cheered or clapped.
"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle ... still staring at his letter.
Groans rang out
" I know I know," sighed Harry " stupid move."
He handed Uncle Vernon the bill ... "Dad, Harry's got something!"
"Brat." snapped Ginny, scowling at the book.
Harry was on the point of unfolding ... grayish white of old porridge.
"Well, I don't think I'll be eating porridge for a while" murmured Tonks.
"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. ... "Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"
"They act like they didn't know this was going to happen." noted Remus. "Was that not in the letter you left?"
"It was." confirmed Dumbledore.
They stared at each other, seeming ... that letter," he said loudly.
"It's not yours" huffed Leah. "God, this kid is more annoying than Seth"
"Hey!"
"I want to read it," said ... threw them into the hall,
Protests rang out, and it took a few minutes for the reading to continue, mainly because Charlie W. was one of the more enthusiastic participants.
slamming the kitchen door behind them. ... crack between door and floor.
"That's the better spot anyways." said Fred
"I know," grinned Harry. "But if I made it seem like I wanted the keyhole Dudley would want it."
"Sneaky."George replied impressed.
"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying ... Tell them we don't want -"
"Would that have worked?" questioned Harry.
"Someone would have been sent to speak to them." replied McGonagall.
Harry could see Uncle Vernon's ... stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"
The reaction to that was immediate. Madeye, , Remus, Bill, and the twins went stone faced. Snape clinched his fists in his lap, McGonagall's lips thinned till they nearly disappeared, and Sirius, Ron, Ginny, Tonks, and Neville looked like they might throw up. Luna and Dumbledore looked both capable of and inclined to murder, and looked like she might cry. Kingsley made another note, while Charlie W. reread the last sentence a few times to himself. Even Percy, who wasn't Harry's biggest fan looked shaken.
"What's wrong, it's not like that's the worst thing they've said?" Noted a started Hermione.
Those that knew looked at Harry and Hermione
"We'll discuss it whenever break for food or sleep, one of us will explain it." Remus promised.
Harry and Hermione shared a worried look, but nodded.
That evening when he got ... visited Harry in his cupboard.
"How'd he fit?" laughed Seth
"He didn't really, just his head." grinned Harry.
"Where's my letter?" said Harry, ... moved into Dudley's second bedroom.
"SECOND BEDROOM! That boy had two bedrooms and they make Harry sleep in a cupboard!?" hissed Sirius.
"Why?" said Harry. ... Dursleys' house had four bedrooms:
"FOUR BEDR-"
"Shut up Sirius." groaned Remus, rubbing his ears " You're going to give me permanent hearing damage."
one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt ... though they'd never been touched.
"Why are they keeping all those broken things?" marvelled Adrian
From downstairs came the sound ... didn't have his room back.
"What the hell is wrong with this kid?" Rose exclaimed.
"Bad parenting." suggested Bill
Harry was thinking about this ... Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -'"
"If he wanted to read it why did he let them know he had one?" sighed Alice
"He's not too bright." pointed out Jacob dryly.
With a strangled cry, Uncle ... around the neck from behind.
"Practicing were you?" snickered Ron.
"Practicing for what?" wondered Sirius. Ron's eyes widened into an 'oops' face.
"I'm sure it'll be in the book." interrupted Harry, as Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs.
After a minute of confused fighting, ... didn't fail. He had a plan.
Ron and Hermione groaned
"What?" asked a slightly pink cheeked Harry.
Hermione sent him an ' are you serious' look while Ron sent him one that clearly said 'you know what'.
The repaired alarm clock rang ... letters for number four first.
"That doesn't sound like a bad plan." pointed out Carlisle.
His heart hammered as he ... he'd been trying to do.
Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry as if to say 'see'. Harry huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
He shouted at Harry for ... Petunia had just brought him.
"Thank Merlin for that." murmured Tonks.
On Friday, no less than ... no one could go out.
"That might work short term," frowned Eddie "but sooner or later, and based on the size of Vernon and Dudley I'm guessing sooner, they're gonna run out of food. What was his plan for that?"
"I don't think he had one." admitted Harry "He was half mad at that point."
"Only half?" joked Christian.
He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" ... began to get out of hand.
"Began? You mean it wasn't before?" Jacob snorted in disbelief
Twenty-four letters to Harry found ... the two dozen eggs that
"Wait, wait, wait. They were inside the eggs? Like inside the egg shell?"objected Rose "That doesn't seem possible."
"We've been put into a room that is 'outside of time and space' to read books that detail our lives that we didn't write." Harry pointed out "And you find letters inside eggs hard to believe?"
Rose made a face as if she had swallowed something nasty, but had to admit he had a point.
their very confused milkman had ... badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.
"I hate to agree with that brat, but really that does seem like a lot of work for someone to get in contact with you." put in Emmett
On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon ... Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully
Most of the witches and wizards tried to hide their grins as they imagined the reaction of the large man when letters did arrive.
as he spread marmalade on ... air trying to catch one.
"Why didn't you pick one up off the floor?" inquired Charlie S.
There were more flying through the air than there were on the ground." replied Harry
"Out! OUT!"
Uncle Vernon seized ... threw him into the hall.
Once more protests rang out.
When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had ... pack some clothes. No arguments!"
"Somehow I don't think that's gonna work." grinned Tonks.
He looked so dangerous with half ... of passing cars and wondering...
"Wondering what?" asked Sirius
"I don't really remember, it was four years ago."
They ate stale cornflakes and ... dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly,
"Considering that the letter writer seems to know where you are, no matter where you go, that is probably the best idea." agreed Carlisle.
hours later, but Uncle Vernon ... Petunia duly late that afternoon.
"Bit slow on the uptake, isn't he?" snorted Christian
Uncle Vernon had parked at ... you weren't eleven every day.
"Would it make sense if I said that was very optimistically sad?" wondered Tonks sadly.
Uncle Vernon was back and ... was no television in there.
"You've got to be joking." groaned Remus
"Storm forecast for tonight!" said ... iron-gray water below them.
"It's like he wants them to drown." blurted out Jacob
"I've already got us some rations," ... chips each and four bananas.
"A bag of chips and a banana, is not appropriate dinner." fretted "Harry dear are you hungry?"
"No, . Thank you, though."
He tried to start a fire ... the thinnest, most ragged blanket.
"Sure, fine, just give the kid hypothermia. Why not?" burst out Charlie W., interrupting himself again.
The storm raged more and ... be warmer if it did.
"If the roof fell in you'd most likely be crushed." Eddie pointed out "And even if you weren't you'd be wet, and have nothing to block out the wind."
Four minutes to go. Maybe ... him - three... two… one...
BOOM.
Charlie W. yelled the line, causing most people to jump.
"Charlie Weasley!" reprimanded, with a hand over her heart.
The whole shack shivered and ... outside, knocking to come in.
"Well who was it?" demanded Seth.
"I don't know, that's the end of the chapter." shrugged Charlie W., as he got up and walked across the circle. "Your turn Professor." he said as he handed the book to Dumbledore.