章 120: 0120 The Dursley's Abnormality
Dear readers,
I dedicate this chapter to the memory of Michael Gambon, who passed away today on September 28, 2023. He was the actor who portrayed Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of his time, in the Harry Potter films. He was the true embodiment of Dumbledore's wisdom and courage. He brought magic and joy to millions of people around the world with his unforgettable performances.
Rest in peace, Sir Michael. You will always be our Dumbledore.
Please raise your wands up for him.
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For most young wizards from wizarding families, the summer vacation time at Hogwarts is very wonderful. At home, they don't have to worry about those boring magic courses. They can sleep until noon every day, enjoying the softness of their beds and the warmth of their blankets. After lunch, they can take out the flying broom from the broom shed and fly freely around the lawn of the house, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their skin.
They can also play Quidditch with their friends or siblings, or explore the nearby woods and fields for magical creatures. They enjoy the pleasant holiday time, full of fun and freedom. The homework assigned by the professors at school will not cause them too much trouble, because their parents or brothers are all graduated from that school with qualified grades. It is easy to guide the young wizards to complete their holiday homework, giving them tips and tricks on how to write essays, brew potions, or cast spells. They can also borrow books from the family library or visit the local magical shops to get more information and supplies. They are confident and proud of their magical heritage and abilities.
In addition, all the wizarding families who are still rich will use the summer vacation time to take their children to visit the magical world's scenic spots and increase their knowledge. They can travel to different countries and continents, using Floo powder, Portkeys, or Apparition. They can see the wonders of nature, such as the Great Lake of Scotland, the Black Forest of Germany, or the Himalayas of Nepal. They can also visit the historical and cultural sites, such as the Ministry of Magic, the Leaky Cauldron, or the Gringotts Bank. They can learn more about the history and traditions of the wizarding world, and meet other wizards and witches from different backgrounds and cultures.
Harry coveted this kind of life, because by comparison, the days at the Dursleys were too bad. He hated living with his only relatives in the world, who treated him like a burden and a freak. He wished he could escape from them and find a place where he belonged and was accepted.
Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son Dudley are Harry's only relatives in the world, but if there is a choice, Harry would rather not have such a large family of relatives, and would rather grow up in an orphanage. Harry is not ashamed of his own thoughts, after all, the orphanage will not let him live in the store room under the stairs for several years, right? They will not starve him, beat him, or lock him up. They will not make him wear Dudley's old and oversized clothes, or do all the chores in the house. They will not call him names, or mock him, or ignore him.
They hate each other, and this hatred reached its peak after Harry's eleventh birthday, when he was admitted to that 'freak' school.
Harry was overjoyed when he received his letter from Hogwarts, and learned that he was a wizard. He discovered a whole new world, where he had friends, mentors, and adventures. He finally felt happy, and alive, and free. But the Dursleys were horrified and furious when they learned that Harry was a wizard. They tried to stop him from going to Hogwarts, by hiding his letters, moving to a remote island, and even attacking the messenger who came to deliver his letter, a half-giant named Hagrid. They failed, of course, and Harry left them with a bang, literally. He turned Dudley into a pig, and flew away on a flying motorcycle. He never looked back, and never regretted it.
In Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the young wizard Harry hated the most was undoubtedly Draco Malfoy of Slytherin School, a boy of family that was the most flagrant in the magical world, hated Muggles or half-blooded wizards. Draco was a spoiled and arrogant brat, who looked down on everyone who was not pure-blooded or rich. He was a bully and a coward, and always hid behind his cronies or his father.
The Dursleys were completely opposite, but not in a good way. The attitude towards magic of Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley was like people in the Middle Ages, wishing to send everything related to magic or things to the gallows. They were ignorant and prejudiced, and always denied the existence of magic or anything that was not normal. They were narrow-minded and selfish, and always cared about their reputation or their possessions. They were the worst kind of Muggles, and always hated Harry and his world.
Many nights when he had to hide in the bed and complete his summer homework with a flashlight, Harry had fantasized about what interesting sparks they would collide with each other if the Dursleys met the Malfoys. He imagined the chaos and destruction that would ensue, and the laughter and satisfaction that would fill him.
Of course, this is just Harry's fantasy of making fun of himself. Under normal circumstances, these two families are impossible to meet each other. They live in different worlds, and have nothing in common. They would never cross paths, or even know each other's names. They would never have any reason to interact, or even acknowledge each other's presence. They would never, ever, ever meet. Or so Harry thought.
Today is Saturday. Because of the shrinking potion paper assigned by the most annoying professor in Hogwarts, Harry almost didn't sleep last night, which directly resulted in him unfortunately missing the normal breakfast time of the Dursleys. He had to stay up late to finish his essay. He had to write about the ingredients, the procedure, and the effects of the shrinking potion, which was one of the most difficult and dangerous potions to brew. He had to use his own words, and not copy from the textbook, or else he would get a zero. He had to do his best, and not make any mistakes, or else he would get a detention. He hated the shrinking potion, and he hated the professor who assigned it.
When Harry came to the dining table in the kitchen downstairs with hurried steps, he found that there were only a few empty greasy plates on the table, and Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were sitting around the table watching TV. This was not surprising at all. Where Dudley appears, it is wishful thinking to have something to eat if you get up late. Dudley was a glutton and a pig, who ate everything in sight, and never left anything for Harry. He was always hungry and greedy, and never shared anything with Harry.
Seeing Harry standing at the stairway, his expression was not very pleasant. Dudley, who was fat and almost as young as a whale with a tuft of blond hair on his head, showed off the cream cake in his hand. His thick lips that were almost the same as sausages were smeared with cream. It looks like Uncle Vernon's thick mustache, which was always twitching and snorting. Dudley smirked and snorted, and took a big bite of the cake, making a loud and disgusting noise. He wanted to make Harry jealous and angry, and make him lose his temper.
"Uh, I had a nightmare last night, so–"
But Aunt Petunia, who had a horse face, strangely poked her little darling under the table and stopped him from laughing at Harry.
And Uncle Vernon, who loves to roar at Harry, did not yell at him that he was an ungrateful bad boy, but instead pointed his short and thick purple finger at the kitchen counter.
"There are still a few pieces of bread and fried eggs left for you, kid–"
When he said this, Vernon gasped, and his huge body that was bigger than Dudley shrank, as if he was trying to suppress his anger.
"Oh, okay!"
Harry said in a flat tone, as he looked at the two dry slices of bread that were supposed to be his breakfast. He knew that the Dursleys must have made a huge sacrifice to spare this meager food for him, instead of letting Dudley devour it as usual. They probably had to buy Dudley another new game computer or a remote control plane or something, just like the new color TV that was now hanging on the wall of the kitchen, adding to the clutter of electronic gadgets.
In fact, if this had happened in the summer vacation last year, Harry might have been astonished by the rare kindness shown by the Dursleys. But he had grown used to their strange behavior in the past two weeks. He had a feeling that they were hiding something from him, something that they didn't want him to know.
At first, Harry thought that they were in a particularly good mood because of some lucky event. The first week of the official start of the summer vacation, Uncle Vernon's company had given him a new car, a sleek and shiny model that he parked proudly in the front garden. He and Aunt Petunia had been loudly discussing its features and price, so that the neighbors on Privet Drive could hear them and envy them.
But later, Harry realized that there was more to it than that. He knew from his years of living with the Dursleys that no matter how good things were going for them, they would never treat him nicely for more than two days. There was something else that was making them act so unnaturally.
Dudley had turned his piggy face to the TV screen, where a cartoon was playing, but his large ears were pricked up, listening intently to the conversation.
Harry sat in his usual spot at the table, the farthest from the window, and chewed on his bread slices quietly, pretending not to notice the furtive glances that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged.
They were planning something, Harry sensed it, but he decided not to say anything. He wanted to finish his breakfast as quickly as possible, and retreat to his room, where he could be alone with his thoughts. He was not sure what the Dursleys were up to, but he doubted that it would be anything good for him. If he angered them, they might take away his food for the next few days, or lock him in his cupboard under the stairs, or worse. He had experienced all of these punishments before he went to Hogwarts.
"How are you learning, kid!"
Uncle Vernon finally broke the silence, his voice loud and gruff. He and Aunt Petunia seemed to have reached a consensus, after a long and tense debate. It was still Uncle Vernon who spoke, but he looked like he was swallowing a bitter pill. Every time he uttered a syllable, his shoulders twitched violently. Harry felt his body tense up, and he had a sudden premonition that he was about to find out what had been bothering him for so long.
Uncle Vernon's question was so unexpected, that Harry was stunned for a few seconds. He tried to figure out what Uncle Vernon was talking about, and then he felt a shock of disbelief and fear. He widened his bright green eyes, hidden behind his round glasses, and stared at Uncle Vernon incredulously.
If there was anything absolutely forbidden to mention in this house, it was anything related to magic. Harry had learned that the hard way, ever since he was a baby. The Dursleys hated and feared magic, and they hated and feared him for being a wizard. They had tried to stamp out any sign of magic in him, and they had punished him severely whenever he did something unusual or accidental. They had never spoken about his true identity, or his parents, or his school. They had pretended that he was a normal boy, a very bad and ungrateful one, who deserved nothing but contempt and cruelty. But now, they were the ones who brought up the topic of magic.
Harry felt like he was dreaming, and he wanted to pinch his cheek to see if he was awake.
"You mean in. Hogwarts.!"
Harry blurted out, without thinking. He saw Uncle Vernon's face turn from red to purple, and Aunt Petunia's thin shoulder blades poke through her skin, as she clenched her teeth. He realized his mistake, and quickly changed his words to something less provocative. He said nervously,
"I learned something, um, I will only be in the third year after the summer vacation, so there are still many things I don't understand–"
The kitchen was plunged into a weird silence again. Dudley pretended that he didn't care about this topic, but his ears betrayed his curiosity. Aunt Petunia stared at the greasy plates on the table, with a blank expression on her face, but her eyes were cold and hard.
And Uncle Vernon, his two fists the size of sandbags on the table, clenched tightly, trying to digest the shame of having to talk about this.
This weird picture was horrifying, and Harry felt a surge of nausea in his stomach. He wished he could escape from this nightmare, and go back to his normal life of being ignored and mistreated by the Dursleys. He didn't mind if he had to starve for a few days, as long as he could get rid of this awkward and uncomfortable situation as soon as possible.
But deep in his heart, Harry was also a bit curious and eager to know why Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, who hated magic so much, had decided to break their silence and talk to him about it. What had changed their minds? What did they want from him?
"Huh–kid–"
Finally, Uncle Vernon spoke again, his voice hoarse and raspy. He looked like he was struggling to find the right words, and he avoided Harry's gaze. But his question made Harry more confused, and even a little scared.
"–Do you have a way to treat people there."
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章 121: 0121 Vernon's Boss
Harry didn't answer the question right away, in fact, he was still in a state of shock that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had mentioned magic on their own, without any provocation from him. The confusion and disbelief in his eyes seemed to be a mockery and provocation in Uncle Vernon's eyes, and this also further pushed Uncle Vernon's tense nerves to the brink of breaking. Harry could see the veins on his uncle's forehead throbbing, and his face turning redder by the second.
"Answer my question, boy–"
Uncle Vernon finally stopped suppressing himself, he roared at Harry loudly, his voice echoing in the small kitchen. Hearing this familiar roar, Harry felt a bit more comfortable, as if everything was back to normal. He knew how to deal with his uncle's anger, he had done it for years.
"If you mean some minor problems, such as pimples, insomnia or some light injuries, maybe I can handle them–"
Harry hurriedly said, trying to sound calm and reasonable. No one likes the feeling of hunger, and that's the same for everyone, if possible, Harry would also try to avoid offending the Dursleys, even if they don't like each other. Although he didn't know why they were interested in this, he still answered the question truthfully, hoping that they would leave him alone after that.
"Is that all you can do?"
Dudley's sneer cut through the air, making Harry's ears ring. Aunt Petunia joined the topic, and looked at him suspiciously, her thin lips pursed tightly. She leaned forward, as if trying to read Harry's mind.
"What about more serious problems?"
To be honest, Aunt Petunia's question made Harry a bit unhappy, he was just a young wizard who had just graduated from second grade, what did they expect him to do? Moreover, when it comes to healing, it's hard to get around potions, and potions are the subject that Harry is least good at among all the magic subjects! He had barely passed the exams, thanks to Hermione's help and notes.
"–More serious problems, if you mean poisoning"
Harry remembered that in the first year of potions class, Snape seemed to mention something that had a strong detoxifying effect. It was a plant called bezoar, and it could cure most poisons. Harry frowned and racked his brains, trying to recall the details. The reason why he was so hard thinking was not because Harry was eager to show off in front of the Dursleys, but because he didn't want to give the Dursleys a chance to mock magic because of his lack of magic skills. He wanted to prove to them that magic was not useless, that it could do amazing things, that it was part of who he was.
At this moment, Harry suddenly missed Hermione a bit, if it was Hermione facing the Dursleys' questions, Harry was sure that her answer would make the Dursleys dumbfounded. She would have listed all the possible ways to heal various ailments, from spells to potions to charms, and she would have cited the sources and examples with ease. She would have made the Dursleys feel ignorant and foolish, and Harry would have enjoyed watching their expressions.
"Not poisoning, boy!"
Uncle Vernon, who was purple-faced, shouted, interrupting Harry's thoughts.
"It seems that those tricks can't make you smarter, can they!"
Harry, who was sprayed with saliva, immediately looked cold, he stared back at Uncle Vernon's eyes, and said unhappily,
"Wizards can deal with a lot of problems, how do I know what you want to ask!"
He had had enough of their questions, their insults, their disdain. He felt a surge of anger and defiance in his chest, and he wished he could use his wand to hex them all. But he knew he couldn't, he knew he had to follow the rules, he had to endure until he could go back to Hogwarts.
"Let me talk to him, Vernon."
Aunt Petunia stood up nervously as soon as Harry finished that sentence, and before Uncle Vernon exploded, she drove Uncle Vernon and reluctant Dudley to the living room, telling them to watch TV and calm down. Then she returned to the kitchen, glaring at Harry, who was not convinced, and said sternly,
"You should show respect to every member of this family, if it weren't for our mercy to take you in, your best outcome would be to become a homeless person who can only sleep under the bridge!"
Facing Aunt Petunia's scolding, Harry kept his face silent, because he had heard similar words countless times over the years.
Whenever Harry showed a questioning attitude in front of them, they would say so mercilessly, as if if it weren't for their shelter, his final fate would be to be locked up in a muggle prison.
They never cared about him, they never loved him, they only saw him as a burden and a freak. Harry knew that, and he hated them for that.
In the next ten minutes, the scolding came at Harry like a storm, of course, they were all old and clichéd words, even Dudley, who loved to see Harry being scolded, yawned and moved his steps to the living room to turn on another TV. He was bored of his mother's nagging, and he wanted to watch something more interesting, like a wrestling match or a car chase.
Taking advantage of Aunt Petunia's tiredness and gasping, Harry, who had only a trace of reason left and insisted on not leaving directly, asked gloomily,
"What do you want to do?"
Facing Harry's question, Aunt Petunia didn't answer right away, but kept a strange silence, Harry could see that talking about this might take a lot of courage for them.
"I've heard before–"
Just as Harry couldn't help but urge again, Aunt Petunia finally opened her mouth, she spoke in a slow and hesitant tone, and when she spoke, her already long horse face stretched even longer, as if she was trying to avoid looking at Harry directly.
"You have a hospital there, specializing in treating various… difficult and complicated diseases and whatnot–"
'A hospital for treating difficult and complicated diseases?'
Harry's eyes showed confusion, he wondered if there was such a place in the wizarding world. He had never heard of it before, he had never seen anyone get seriously ill or injured in his two years at Hogwarts. The only time he had visited the hospital wing was when he had broken his arm during a Quidditch match, and Madam Pomfrey had fixed it in a matter of seconds.
But soon, Harry realized that the question he was struggling with was very stupid, of course the wizarding world should have a hospital, he just didn't hear about it, just like last year he learned from Malfoy's mouth that there was a prison in the wizarding world that would make wizards feel terrified just by mentioning its name, called Azkaban.
In fact, these things are just the simplest common sense for children who grew up in wizarding families, Harry believed that Ron must know the name of the hospital in the wizarding world, it's just that for a little wizard like him who grew up in the muggle world, it's a novelty.
He wished he could ask Ron or Hermione about it, but he knew he couldn't, he had to wait until the summer was over and he could return to his real home.
"If I remember correctly, it should be called St. Mungo's–"
Aunt Petunia tried to say it lightly, to cover up the pain and shame of bringing up those unbearable past.
"How do you know?"
Harry was about to ask in surprise, but he reacted quickly and shut his mouth, because he realized that the person in front of him was his mother's sister, if his mother's teenage years were not living in a family as bad as his, she must have talked about the wonderful magic world in front of her family many times.
"Oh, well you're right, it's called that."
Harry said a bit nervously, hoping that Aunt Petunia wouldn't notice his lie. There was no doubt that he lied, because he didn't know the name of the hospital at all, and the reason why he lied was very simple, first, he wanted to figure out why the Dursleys would talk to him about the magic world, second, it was the strange pride. He was the one who received the orthodox magic education at Hogwarts, but Aunt Petunia knew something that he didn't know, which made Harry a bit unacceptable. He felt a surge of jealousy in his chest, and he wished he could know more about his parents and their world.
Ahem–
In the living room, Uncle Vernon, who was watching TV with Dudley, coughed heavily, and Aunt Petunia in the kitchen immediately knew that she should speed up the process, she took a deep breath, looked down, and looked expressionlessly at the pair of green eyes that always made her unhappy, and said in a calm tone,
"I think you should remember the company your uncle works for, right?"
"Grunnings, they make drills."
Harry glanced at the living room and said quickly, feeling a bit impatient. He didn't care about his uncle's work, he didn't care about drills, he didn't care about anything that had to do with the muggle world. He wanted to know what this was all about, what they wanted from him, what they expected him to do.
Aunt Petunia nodded slightly, looking satisfied, as if she had passed a test. She leaned forward, as if trying to get closer to Harry, and lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard by her husband and son.
"Then you should also remember who the owner of this company is, right, we've mentioned him many times when we talked about your uncle's work at home–"
This time, Harry didn't answer so smoothly, he frowned and thought for a while before saying slowly,
"Claude Watson. What about him?"
He vaguely remembered the name, he had heard it a few times when the Dursleys were bragging about their social status and connections.
"He has cancer."
Aunt Petunia said heavily, dropping the bombshell that made Harry's eyes widen in shock. He didn't know much about cancer, he had only heard of it as a deadly incurable disease that affected muggles.
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