Harry was outside doing chores again. It was not long after his ninth birthday (not that he knew it) and his birthday present was yard work. The Dursleys had in the past thought he might have been too young for the work, but not any longer. The work was not overly complicated but it was strenuous. Much of the physical labor was too difficult for Harry. The watering cans were nearly his weight and the hose dragged on the grass making it feel heavier than it was. The physical labor was hard enough without the weather adding to it, but neither the weather nor the Dursleys were to be reasoned with.

So Harry was outside gardening. He would continue to be told to garden regardless if it was sunny, rainy, or windy. The days could be filled with blistering heat and sun strong enough to burn his skin. The Dursleys would care little if his face was burnt and peeling. The rain could soak him to the bone and as long as Harry didn't drip water on the floors the Dursleys wouldn't care. Being soaked would be unpleasant but what would make it worse is the chill that the air carried. Wind and rain were not a fun combination. In fact, Harry would argue that the wind was worse than the rain. Not only did the wind feel uncomfortable, but it also made his tasks harder. The wind would blow the weeds all over the yard. It would shake the branches of the rose bush making the thorny branches scratch his arms.

The weather was bad, but what was frustrating was the unpredictability of the weather. Harry had no power over the weather and he had no way of knowing what kind of weather there would be. If Harry could know if it was to be cold then he could add more layers. And if he could know if it was to be hot then he could bring an extra sock to wipe away the sweat so it doesn't sting his eyes. But he didn't have any of that.

It was not all bad though. In a way, Harry was lucky. While gardening, he had the freedom to explore the yard and look outside. The shed full of tools was full of treasures and surprises. Harry usually found little things like seeds for different plants or a tiny piece of chalk. It was these things that helped Harry endure the awfulness of yard work and the weather.

It was deep within the shed that Harry found a treasure greater than any other. It was tucked under a shelf near the back wall. It was a small wooden case. Harry at first puzzled over how to open it. There was no latch nor was there a lid. After some fiddling, Harry found out that he could slide the top off. It was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The mystery continued when he opened it up and found three tools. At first glance, two were strange-looking knives but the third was not like anything he had ever seen. He picked the one closest to the right up. It had a small blade and a curved handle. The second knife had a very similar handle but the blade was bigger. The handle on the third tool was something like one would see on a kitchen knife but instead of a straight blade, the metal was curved into a C-shape. Only one side of the C-shape was sharp as if it were to cut something out. Inside the box, there were two blocks of wood. The blocks of wood were a pale cream color and the size of a small glass of water. Under the blocks of wood was a strip of…something and a green rectangle. The green rectangle was soft, but Harry had no clue as to its purpose.

The mystery of the object's names and purpose was pulling at Harry and that was a problem. His curiosity always got Harry in trouble, but he had such a hard time resisting it. Harry looked outside the shed to make sure that the Dursleys were checking on Harry. Once he was sure that no one was sneaking up on him, Harry went back in. He picked up the tools and moved them to the front of the shed. He grabbed the smallest knife and pressed his fingers against the edge of the blade. It was sharp but didn't cut his fingers. When he held the handle, his fingers fit perfectly in its curved shape. Towards the end of the knife, there was an additional smaller curve that his pink fit in perfectly. The knives were for cutting something, but Harry wasn't sure what. The knives didn't look like those in the kitchen nor did they look like the other tools for gardening. Harry wished there was someone he could ask, but he knew the Dursleys wouldn't be helpful.

Putting them away and tucking them away in a hiding spot behind the lawn mower and a bag of fertilizer. He then went back to gardening. He grabbed gardening gloves and shears. He couldn't linger too much longer or the Dursleys would notice. It was time for him to beat back the creeping of the rose bushes. However, his mind lingered on the treasures and the mystery of their identity. What uses could the knives have? Were they for fighting? Probably not since they were very short. He half thought that they could be for abnormally small vegetables. Of course, it probably wasn't that either and the idea was a little silly. As he thought earlier, the shapes of the knives were far too different from the knives in Aunt Petunia's kitchen. None of Harry's ideas were quite right, but they still kept him distracted until it was time for him to help make dinner.

The path of the sun helped Harry keep time. It was getting closer and closer to sunset when Aunt Petunia slammed the door open. "Boy! Get in here and don't bring any dirt with you."

The door shut just as quickly as it opened. Harry rushed to put away the gloves and sheers while trying to dust off as much dirt and fertilizer from his body. Walking into the house, Harry scurried over to the counter that already had a peeler and cutting board. Aunt Petunia started a pile of vegetables that she wanted him to wash and peel. The pile of carrots and potatoes felt huge. He washed them and saw out of the corner of his eye that Aunt Petunia was working on prepping and cooking the meat. He peeled the vegetables as quickly as he could.

"Hurry up. No faffing around." Aunt Petunia never seemed pleased with his pace.

The process was familiar and soon dinner was completed. Aunt Petunia served and brought the food to the dining room. She had plated all of the food and there were no leftovers.

As Aunt Petunia was leaving to eat dinner, she said over her shoulder, "Clean the kitchen."

Harry watched as they all sat down as a family. Dudley and Uncle Vernon complimented Aunt Petunia on a delicious dinner. Before any of them noticed Harry staring, he started cleaning. He tossed the food scraps, his mouth watering at the idea of eating. The kitchen was close enough that he could smell the rich flavor of the meat and the sweetness of the carrots. The meat was probably juicy and the potatoes were surely soft. He wiped down the counters and started washing the dishes that were used. He finished cleaning before they finished eating so he stood off to the side, hoping that they would ignore him so he could rest for a moment. The last time that they noticed Harry resting off to the side, Aunt Petunia nearly bashed his head with a pan.

Aunt Petunia was scraping the last bit of food off her plate when she sighed and turned to Harry.

"Boy! Go fetch the dessert and then you can have a slice of bread." She then pointed the fork at him threateningly. "You better not make a mess with the crumbs."

Harry jumped but quickly moved to follow her directions. Aunt Petunia had made a pie that morning and it was resting on the counter. He grabbed a knife and cut slices. He then carefully plated them. The sight nearly made him cry with frustration. He took the plates and put them in front of his relatives. He rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of bread. He tried to savor the slice, but he was too hungry and it was gone within a minute. He then went to his cupboard. He could already tell that Aunt Petunia was not in a rewarding mood.

He sat down in his cupboard. Since the Dursleys were eating dessert, Harry was safe to turn on his light. He stared at his green man and his single yellow crayon. These were the only two treasures that Harry managed to keep and bring to his cupboard. They weren't mysterious like the treasure that he found early, but they were precious in a different way.

Staring at his green man, Harry whispered, "Do you know what those strange knives are for?" He waited for a response but expected none. "No? I don't either. How do you think we can find out?"

Harry was whispering in one of his quietest voices, but he was unlucky enough to catch the attention of Uncle Vernon. The strength of his fists banged against the cupboard door violently. It was strong enough that it shook dust loose from the stairs. The dust floated down irritating Harry's nose. Harry had to quickly put both of his hands on his mouth and nose in an attempt to muffle the sneeze. It must have worked because no other punishment came.

From under the stairs, Harry could hear the muffled conversations from the Dursleys. He could never sleep while they were still downstairs so Harry sat waiting for them to leave. He had waited so long that he felt his back cramp up from laying stiffly. After waiting for a lifetime, the Dursleys went upstairs. Harry turned off his light and went to sleep.

Harry slept restfully like he usually does after a day of gardening and he woke as abruptly as he always does. Aunt Petunia seemed to find enjoyment in jerking the door open and yanking Harry out. It was the only explanation Harry could think of for why she always does it. She dragged him into the kitchen before Harry even had a chance to fully wake up.

"Cook the bacon, boy."

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Harry went to the refrigerator. He opened the door and looked for the package. Cutting open the package, Harry set them aside. He grabbed a pan and added the slices of bacon. Quickly, the pan heated up and the bacon was sizzling away in the pan. He was still feeling a bit drowsy but he did his best to pay attention to the bacon. He wanted to make sure that he didn't forget to flip them and burn them. Harry usually made the bacon so he wasn't afraid of the bacon grease jumping out at him.

The rumble of Dudley and Uncle Vernon stomping down the stairs woke Harry further. Dudley loved distracting Harry making him burn the bacon. It was one of the most common ways that Dudley got him in trouble. Uncle Vernon grabbed the morning paper and set the coffee maker. Dudley had a few green toy soldiers and was playing with them at the table. He was making explosion sounds and his soldiers were dying gruesome deaths. Harry prayed for the little green men to stay alive. As long as the green men were alive, Harry was safe from Dudley bugging him.

With each death, Harry tensed a bit further. Fortunately, Harry was saved by an outside party.

Dudley had been keeping an eye on the clock and when he saw the time he shouted, "Mom! I'm going to the Piers' house today. His mom is taking us to the park."

Petunia looked up from where she was making a pie for dessert later, "Of course, my little Dudders."

Dudley groaned, "Mom! I'm not little anymore."

The smile that Aunt Petunia gave Dudley was gentle and Harry ached. He wished that she would look at him like that.

With the ache still in his chest, Harry decided to try something new. He grabbed the plate of finished bacon and went to Aunt Petunia. "I finished the bacon, Aunt Petunia."

Harry's words were quiet but the fact that he had spoken before he was spoken to drew the stares of Dudley and Uncle Vernon.

Uncle Vernon got up and stomped up to Harry, with one hand he snatched the plate, and with the other, he whacked Harry with the morning paper, "What? Do you want a reward or something?"

Harry went back to the kitchen and decided to not try that again. He grabbed a rag and started wiping the counters.

The doorbell rang through the house and Dudley ran. In the kitchen, they could hear the door open. Aunt Petunia went to greet them. Harry quickly dropped the rag and followed. Sometimes after Dudley left, Aunt Petunia would tell him to go to his cupboard so she wouldn't have to deal with him.

Standing at the entrance was Ms. Polkiss. Harry rather liked Ms. Polkiss. She always smiled at Harry and she seemed nice. Harry had no clue how she was Piers's mom when he was so mean to Harry.

"Good morning, Petunia. If you want, I can take Harry with us as well. I am sure you would appreciate a quiet day and I don't mind taking one more."

Aunt Petunia stiffened at the offer and tried to wave her off. "Harry isn't too loud and he's just going to be playing in his room."

"Nonsense, I insist. You and Vernon should go and get lunch together."

Despite Aunt Petunia's efforts, there was no polite way to keep Harry home. She pushed Harry to the door with a bit too much strength and Harry stumbled. He looked at Ms. Polkiss and the fringe of his hair hid his eyes a bit and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you for inviting me, Ms. Polkiss."

She smiled in return and directed him to her car. Harry was so excited! He was going on an adventure. Under her watchful eye, neither boy was mean to Harry for the entire trip. The small group arrived at the park and the other two boys threw the door open and ran before Ms. Polkiss could get out.

"Why don't you run along, Harry? You don't have to wait for me."

Harry shook his head and avoided eye contact. "Thank you, but I'd rather spend time with you."

Ms. Polkiss thought Harry was so sweet and shy. She knew that he didn't care much for roughhousing with the other boys so she tried to think of what might be fun for him.

"You don't have to keep me company. There is a library across the street. I can walk you there and you can look at the books."

Harry practically jumped in excitement. Libraries were usually safe since Dudley hated them and they only had books. Since Harry had hidden away in there so often, he got a lot better at reading.

Ms. Polkiss gently laughed at Harry's expression, "Alright, you don't have to say anything. I can tell that you're already excited." Her words were gently teasing and the smile startled Harry a bit. "So you can cross the street and say hi to the librarian for me."

Harry crossed the street and ran up the path to the library. Harry was more familiar with the library at school, but he had been to this one as well. It was a big building and Harry had been there with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. Usually only when Aunt Petunia was in a rush and she couldn't find anyone to watch Harry.

Entering the library, Harry immediately caught the attention of the librarian. She had seen this boy a couple of times and knew him to be gentle with the books.

"Hello. Are you here for the book circle?" Harry shook his head. "No? Okay, then what can I help you with?"

Harry was about to say 'nothing' when he realized that he had found the perfect person to ask about what he had found yesterday. "Uh…I found some tools and I was trying to figure out what they are used for."

The librarian, Violet, was intrigued. There weren't that many people that asked for her help and definitely not with such an interesting question. "Well, I can definitely help you out with that. The library isn't too busy right now so let's start off with your name."

"I'm Harry."

Seeing that he wasn't going to volunteer any more information, Violet said, "Hello, Harry. It's nice to meet you. I am the librarian and my name is Violet. So tell me what the tools look like and maybe I will have some ideas."

Harry described the knives and the case that they were in. Violet nodded and walked away. She turned back to see if he was following her. He wasn't. "Well come along. I think I know a book that could help you."

Harry hurried to follow her. When Harry had come to the library before, he always went into the picture book section. This time they went in the opposite direction. This side was full of tall shelves and the books were huge. Violet had led him to the nonfiction section. She grabbed a book that was thinner than most but was wider like his normal picture books. The cover of the book had a wooden bird. She flipped a couple of pages and read something. She then turned a few more pages and turned the book to face him.

"Is this what they looked like?"

The page was full of knives of different shapes and there was a small paragraph under each one. Most of the knives didn't look quite like his but in the corner of one page was a knife that looked really similar to the one that he had.

"Yes, ma'am" He pointed to the one that looked familiar. "That's it! So what do they do?"

Violet smiled at his manners, "They are whittling tools. They are for carving, or shaping, wood into new shapes." She closed the book to show the cover. "Do you see this bird? You can use those tools to carve wood into this bird with adult supervision, of course. They can be pretty sharp and they aren't for playing with, okay?"

She saw Harry nod and gave him the book. "You can look at the pictures and this book tells you how to use the tools, okay? When you are done with the book, you can give it to me back at my desk."

Harry grabbed the book gently and crossed the library. The side of the library with the picture books had small tables and chairs that were a good height for Harry. Looking through the book, Harry found out that the tools were for cutting into wood. The C-shaped one, or a hook knife, was used for spoons or for carving a hole in something. The other two were for cutting flat lines. Harry paused and looked at the front cover, "Whittling" was the title. It had a bird on the front. It was made from wood. Harry thought back to the tools. Could he make something using those tools? Maybe he could make a bird as well.

He opened the book again and flipped the pages until he found the page that showed how to use the tools. The knives made shavings like pencil shavings and it looked really messy. Harry would have to do it when he was supposed to be doing yard work so he could hide the shavings. Unless he found another option to hide the mess.

There were pictures of how to hold the knives and there were many different ways. Harry wondered why there were so many different ways. Not all of the pictures made sense but Harry figured out how to hold the knife, the differences in his knives, how to sharpen a knife, and what materials he needed. Looking through the pictures, Harry couldn't wait to go back home and use his treasures. He could make a bird so he could have a friend. There were other suggestions in the book but Harry didn't see the point in making a spoon or other things like that.

The flower, magic wand, a fox, and a bird were ideas that Harry liked. In the shed, Harry only had two big blocks so Harry decided that he would use those two to make a bird and a fox. If he found a good stick then he would make that one into a magic wand! There was an entire section in the book about making things with sticks and the coolest suggestion was a wand.