haggle91

[haggle91]

Past chances

It was a fact universally know that the Dursleys regarded anything and anybody who could be described as different was bad. Well at least within number four Privet Drive, and unfortunately for Harry that also included him. You see Harry can do strange things, he once turned his teachers hair blue, he also somehow managed to appear on the school kitchen roof when he was being chased by his cousin and his gang. His family punished him for it all, he was always punished for letting the freakishness out.

That was why he'd spent the weekend locked inside of his cupboard with no food, he was only let out once in the morning and once in the evening so that he could use the bathroom ( he also used the time to sneak water from the bathroom taps). This time he couldn't understand why he was being punished as it was no way his fault. How can his aunt and uncle blame him for somehow making the glass disappear on the boa constructer enclosure at the zoo letting him escape, leaving Dudley to get trapped behind the glass in the enclosure (Harry had never been happier). But that doesn't mean he was to blame. He'd lost track of the amount of times his Uncle Vernon had told him there was no such thing as magic.

His freakishness was the reason he'd be attending St Brutus's Secure centre for incurably criminal boy's come September . He was strangely looking forward to it. For the first time since starting primary school he would not have to put up with Dudley and his gang (as they were heading to Uncle Vernon old high school Smeltings). He was looking forward to being left alone, maybe he'd even be able to make a friend without his cousin scaring everyone away. He'd be able to actually learn without the fear of doing better at school than Dudley and the beating that would usually follow. He'd learned pretty quickly how to hide his intelligence from everyone including his teachers he'd purposely get answers wrong on exams or just not answer them at all.

He could finally hear someone moving around upstairs meaning it was finally Monday morning and he'd be allowed out of his cupboard. He heard a hand as it rapped on his door and proceeded to unlock the door. "Up! Get up! Now!" His aunt was screeching as see made her way into the kitchen. Harry got up and headed straight into the kitchen to start making breakfast for the Dursley family (secretly hoping there would be left overs for him). His uncle and cousin both waddled into the kitchen as he placed breakfast on the table. They heard the click of the letter box and a moment letter the post clattering onto the door mat. " Get the post Dudley" said Uncle Vernon from behind his newspaper. "Make Harry get it" was the reply "Get the post, Harry" " Make Dudley get it" Next minute he was dodging a harsh swipe of his fist from Vernons fist. Harry gave in and wandered into the hall to gather the post from the doormat. There was a post card from Aunt Marge (Uncle Vernons sister) some sort of bill addressed to his uncle and oddly enough a letter addressed to him. Harry had never got a letter before. He had no other relatives beside the Dursley's, he had no friends no one who cared about him. So he had no clue who was writing to him. Looking at the letter there was his name written in lime green ink.

Mr H. J. Potter. 

The cupboard under the stairs, 

4 Privet Drive, 

Little Whinging, 

Surrey. 

Walking back into the kitchen, he handed over the post card and bill to Uncle Vernon.

Harry sat down at the table with his aunts leftover's and slowly began to open his letter. Vernon meanwhile ripped open the bill snorted and moved onto the post card

"Marge is ill," he informed the room at large " ate a funny welk..."

"Dad!" Dudley shouted "Dad! Harry's got a letter!" The letter was herded out of Harry's hand before he could read the contents.

"Hey! That's mine!" Harry said as he tried to grab the letter back. Uncle Vernon snorted.    "Who'd be writing to you?" He opened the letter properly. His face slowly started to change colour the more of the letter he read, going from red to green to grey.

"P-P-Pettunia!"He gasped. 

Dudley lent over from his place at the table trying to grab the letter, but his farther quickly snatched it out of the way. Petunia quickly took the letter from Vernon outstretched hand and began to read. The further she progressed through the letter the more likely it looked that she would faint. Clutching her throat and making a chocking noise, trying to form words.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

Suddenly realising that both Durley and Harry were still interested he kitchen.

Vernon mutters a " Get out both of you," stuffing the letter back within its envelope. Bother of them starting to protest immediately 

"Out!" bellowed Uncle Vernon dragging them both out of the kitchen by the collars. After being thrown into the hall the kitchen door was slammed in there faces.

Trying unsuccessfully to listen at the kitchen while both Vernon and Petunia had a murdered discussion about freaks and that freak school.

Over the next week things steadily got worse, more and more letters arrived first through the letter box before Uncle Vernon nailed it shut. The letters started arriving in weirder ways some came stuffed in egg shells others in milk bottles. The best came on Sunday morning as Uncle Vernon sat reading his newspaper, a letter came flying out of the fireplace. Quickly followed, by at least forty more flying out like bullets and proceeded to fly around their heads. Vernon grabbed harry around his waist to prevent him from grabbing a letter. Throwing Harry into the gall he quickly grabbed both his wife and son before slamming the livingroom door and demanding everyone pack a bag so they can leave.

"Where going away! Far away! Where they can't find us!" Vernon bellowed.

Dudley turned to his mother and muttered a " Daddy's gone made hasn't he!" and she just stood there and strayed at her husband dumbly before leaving the hall with her son to pack a suitcase. 

"It'll be just like a little holiday" she muttered to Durley as they made their way upstairs to pack a bag each.

They spent the day driving occasionally going back on them selves. When asked why Vernon muttered an " we'll shake 'em off.. shake 'em off.." and carried on. Stopping at a run down hotel for the night, none off them slept very well that night, between Dudley snoring and Vernon constantly muttering to himself about being followed. The next morning found them sharing w very unappetising breakfast when the hotel manager strolled over. 

"'scuse me but is any ov use a Mr. H. J. Potter? Onlys I gots about an 'undred ov dese at da front desk," she held up one letter so the could read the address; 

Mr. H. J. Potter

Room 17

Railveiw Hotel

Cokeworth 

Uncle Vernon steadily got a deeper shade of purple the longer the women spoke, climbing unsteadily from his chair.

" I'll relive you of them" he spoke dismissively as he followed her out to the front desk.

Once Vernon had burned all the letters, they set of again. At around mid day Vernon pulled up in a car park facing a tiny fishing dock and proceeded to get out of the car an lock them all inside. About an hour later he returned with a long thin package and a newspaper and some food which Dudley was quick to voice his appreciation for. He took them toward the dock and pointed to a large rock off the coast which looked to house a rather ramshackled hut, looking about ready to collapse. " that is were we shall be staying" he pronounced rather proudly "... And there is a storm rolling in tonight so well game to hurry." He proceeded to row them across to the small rock like island.

After arriving and ascertaining the condition of the inside of their temporary living quarters. Vernon produced the bag containing theory meager food rations. They all stuffed there starving bells with two slices of bread and a packet of crisps each conserving the rest of the bread for morning.

As night drew in a storm raged outside the rickety shack like promised. Spry from the sea sprayed both the rock and the shack that stood upon it shaking the building with the raging wind. Petunia found a pile of mouldy old blankets squared away in a closet within the only bedroom. She made Dudley a make shift bed upon the sofa before following Vernon within the bedroom. This left Harry to try and find a comfortable spot in which to sleep upon the floor.

Harry grabbed what was left off the newspaper his uncle had acquired earlier (the rest had been used as kiddling for the fire) pulling his blanket around him he began reading the front page absently noticing that today was the 30th of July meaning that he would be eleven in the next five minutes. He watched the clock steadily count down towards his birthday. Three minutes to go. Two. Suddenly he heard a thunk come from outside the hut, unlike anything he'd heard yet that night. One more minute. There is was again, what is it. Thirty seconds. Fitthteen. Ten - nine, Dudley snorted in his sleep. Four - three - two- one.

Happy Birthday Harry.

BOOM! 

The whole shake shook.

BOOM!

Harry sat up straighter, as Dudley fell off the sofa.

" where's the cannon" he mumbled still half asleep. 

BOOM!

Somebody was outside, knocking! Harry huddled into himself, terrified was an understatement to how he was feeling. 

BOOM! The knock came again.

Bringing Vernon and Petunia outfit the bedroom, Vernon carrying a riffle in his hands (so that's what was in the package).

"who's there?" he shouted " I'm warning you - I'm armed!"

There was a pause. Then -

SMASH!

The door was hit with so much force it came clean of its hinges with a feathering crash to land on the floor.

Harry looked up. 

There was a giant stood in the doorway. An actual gains. His face was almost entirely covered you couldn't tell where his thick wiry hair started and where his beard begin.

Harry was shaking.

At that moment the gaint started to try and squeeze himself through the door frame.

Vernon was shouting, Dudley had at some point moved to hide behind his father, both him and Petunia were there whimpering. Harry decided he didn't want to be there he'd gladly give up finding out what was in those letters if he was anywhere but here.

And then the giant turned his beady little eyes on Harrys face and smiled.

With a whimper and a load cracking sound Harry was gone.