บท 5: Breaking the camel’s back
- "SHUT'UP YEH BIG BEARDY AND GO SIT ON THIS COUCH BEFOR' I DROWN YEH INTO THE SEA! YEH' HEAR MEH!"
Hagrid stopped what he was doing as he looked bewildered at Dudley who looked ready to take a bout. Strangely, Hagrid believed that the boy in front of him was really capable of executing his threat. Hagrid sat back on the couch while Dudley continued to look at him directly into his eyes before showing him the letter. Everyone in the room couldn't ignore Dudley now.
-"Let me put this clear for all. Harry won't gonna have his letter if I don't have mine, understood Keys Keeper" shouted Dudley inflexible.
- "Yer letter, but…"
- "YES! Mine and my letter. So hand it over, big guy or this one's gonna meet the fireplace intimately." replied Dudley waving the letter.
Hagrid, the Dursleys and Harry all seemed to have received an electroshock, but for different reasons. Harry finally remembered that his cousin also got a letter on the same day as he had. If Harry were to receive a letter today, wouldn't that mean that Dudley ought to have one too. But if that's true, it would mean that Dudley would be... like him?!
The Dursleys were paralyzed in fear, unable to do anything. One would have to conclude that their greatest fear was about to come. Hagrid kept staring at Dudley in amazement before all of a sudden a memory seemed to come back to him. The Giant reached for his coat and pulled out another letter that looked exactly like Harry's. As Hagrid unveiled the envelope, Petunia shouted a little cry of fright and Vernon fell on his large bottom, his legs seemingly no longer able to carry him. Although Dudley was a little worried about his parents' condition, he did nothing to stop it. He was tired of not knowing anything and the giant in front of him held an item that belonged to him and that could answer all of his questions. Questions he had never told anyone before.
Hagrid examined the letter carefully before his eyes widened to their limit so much he was surprised. He brought his attention back to Dudley as if it was the first time he was seeing him.
- "Gallopin' Gorgons… Blimeyh! Yeh've got one too!… I remember that Dumbledore gave meh two letters, but I thought they were only for Harry. Yeh know… just to be sure… Never believe yeh could be...That yeh're…. Neverminds, take it." finally Hagrid said, a bit confused.
Dudley did not wait for Hagrid to come to his senses to snatch the letter from his hand. Once in his hand, he examined the yellow envelope that was addressed in green ink to Mr. D. Dursley, The Couch next to Mr. Potter, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. Dudley could not help but blink bitterly once again when reading the address, whoever intended these letters for him seemed to greatly value Harry. After the nauseous moment passed, Dudley gave his letter back to Harry, who immediately opened it for fear someone else would grab it from his hand, and started reading his own letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Dursley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Dudley looked at the letter from top to bottom, not knowing whether they were a joke or not. A lot of questions galloped in his head at that point. First of all, why did they need an owl. The answer quickly came to him as Harry, just as confused as he was, asked Hagrid. The giant did not take long before taking a feather from a pocket and scribbling a coarse letter on an old parchment piece before pulling an untidy owl from its coat in the most common way, but only for Hagrid. The Giant then handed the letter to the owls, who took it in his beak, before heading towards the door and throwing the bird in the midst of the storm. Dudley and Harry looked at the scene, more confused as the other.
- "Done it. Good to have taken care of it, would yeh think? Where was I again?" began Hagrid.
But before he could do anything, Vernon came back to his legs and placed himself in front of the giant, his bravery returned and his cheek fiery red.
- "They are not going' BOTH OF THEM - But more especially Dudley!" declared Vernon.
- " I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him - I mean Harry - for yer son… that's yer son." grunted Hagrid.
- ""Muggle?!"" - "Jinx" said Harry and Dudley at the same time before Dudley instinctively punched Harry's arm.
- "It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck, both of yeh, to grow up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on." Hagrid said, giving Dudley an accusing eye while Harry was massaging his pained shoulder.
- "We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish" said Vernon pointing at Harry.
- "You knew! You knew that I am… a wizard?" said Harry.
It was at this moment Petunia finally gathered the little courage she had and came to stand beside her husband to support him and deeply looked at Harry with her eyes fiercer than ever.
- "Knew ! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!" said Petunia to Harry.
She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.
- "Eh - What about me?" asked Dudley, looking at his parents a little bit confused by their reaction.
Unless someone made a mistake, he was a wizard too. A by the look of it, his parents dreaded wizards and their - world. The statement had the effect of a cold shower for Petunia who looked at her son without being able to say anything. Her declaration passed, she had just, unwittingly, said that her own son was a freak by the logic of her sentence. She opened and closed her mouth several times, no longer able to do anything. Dudley realized that his mother's brain had just given up for good. Seeing his wife's condition, Vernon approached Dudley smiling as best he could, in spite of his anxiety, and took his son by the shoulders.
- "Of course not, you're not a freak, Duddy. You're not... like them. There must have been a mistake. These are all crazy people, we can't trust them to do things correctly." explained Vernon, trying the best he could to reassure himself.
- "That's right, Popkin. How can you be like these people? You're a handsome boy with a bright future. These people are just trying to frighten us, that's all. They're like that, Duddy. Always trying to scare the good folks." said Petunia who finally got her brain back on track.
While Harry and Hagrid could not help but feel insulted by the couple's words, Dudley looked at his parents confusingly. The Dursley duo seemed not to believe - or did not want to believe - that their child could be a wizard. But Dudley knew himself better than anyone and he knew what he was capable of. He observed his parents one last moment before sighing and dropping a news that had the effect of a blast for Vernon and Petunia.
- "I think I am a wizard." declared Dudley to his parents.
- "... No you're not." said Vernon still smiling
- "I really think I am"
- "No no no, you're not - understood" continued Vernon still smiling but weirdly
- "..Mom, Dad.... I am a wizard" declared Dudley strongly.
- "PUT THAT IDEA OUT OF YOUR HEAD YOUNG MAN, YOU HEAR ME!" shouted Vernon by holding his son's arms with all his strength with Petunia firmly fixing Dudley.
Dudley rolled his eyes at his parents' crisis before easily untied himself from his father's grip. He then moved towards the couch where Hagrid was still sitting and who was watching the scene a little lost, then squatted behind the seat and placed both his hands under the sofa. Then all of a sudden, something surprised everyone in the room - Hagrid more than anyone else. Dudley, lifted the couch, and the giant on it, in a demonstration of strength that no one knew an eleven years old boy could do. Harry backed away in shock as Vernon and Petunia screamed in surprise at the sight of it. As for Hagrid, he watched the young boy lift him up, like he was as light as a leaf, with his eyes round as if he had just seen a ghost.
- "Snoring Dragons. What are yeh feeding your kid, Dursley?" said Hagrid.
Vernon and Petunia couldn't say words as they watched their son put back the couch and its occupant. When the Giant and the sofa were on the ground, Dudley took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although his gesture seemed to be executed with ease, lifting a giant on a sofa still required some effort. Dudley then turned back at his parents who looked at him without understanding.
- "I am like this since… I don't know… I always was strong. I didn't understand before but later I realised that it was not normal. I mean who can be this strong as a kid?" asked Dudley to the lot.
Harry looked at his cousin in a new way. Many things he couldn't understand finally came together. Why Dudley was always alone when he could instead find a real friend. Why does he always train or 'meditate' everyday? How he can beat older people than him or lift up a car. The car?! Harry realised that the day when he saw Dudley lift the car was definitely real. Dudley was a wizard with a super strength. Either that or he was a bear dressed as a man.
Vernon and Petunia examined their son for a moment, unknowing of what to say. But a few seconds later, Vernon began to laugh very oddly and then walked to Dudley and put his arm on his son's shoulder.
- "What are you saying Duddy! You're just a strong kid that's all. Hahaha, my boy is as strong as his father was, you know, me too at your age..." Vernon began.
Dudley rolled his eyes once again at his father's statement. Petunia also looked at Vernon, probably believing that her husband tried to escape reality. After a moment and without saying anything, Dudley jumped on the sofa and swiftly took out the light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Nobody understood why he had done that but the next moment a light came from Dudley's hand. Holding the ampoule with his fingertips, the bulb lit up when Dudley touched it as if an electric current was flowing through his body. This time Vernon said nothing and just looked at the bulb illuminating the cramping and horrible grimace on his face. As for Petunia, she watched the scene more and more discouraged.
- " And it works with any electric object. Remember your drilling machine. I could make it work all day without even plugging it." said Dudley.
- "That's just… it's just… A magic trick" finally said Vernon.
- "Exactly Dursley! That's magic" Stubborn muggle! Yer son is a wizard, deal with it would yeh!" shouted Hagrid waking up Vernon.
- "A wizard… my Duddy… is a wizard" said Vernon in a pitiful statement.
Finally, it seemed that the Dursley came to terms with their son being a wizard. Not that they liked, but they realised the truth. Dudley was a wizard. And they have to deal with it now. Dudley looked at his parents a little heartbroken. He never wanted to hurt them but he was what he was. A wizard, apparently. Harry, who was quiet until now, approached Dudley and looked straight at him. Dudley turned his attention back to him steadily. For a brief instant, the two cousins could sense a faint familiarity between them.
- "So… You're a wizard." simply said Harry with a faint smile.
- "Just like you… I guess" smiled Dudley back to him.
Never in his mind did Dudley think that his words would trigger a new drama.
- "YOU….IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU!" roared Vernon as he ran at Harry, filled with rage.
- "Dad?!" exclaimed Dudley.
- "Vernon?!" screamed Petunia.
Before he could do anything, Harry found himself lifted up by the collar while facing an enraged Vernon Dursley burning red.
- "IT'S YOU WHO CONTAMINATED MY SON! IF YOUR FREAK OF PARENTS DIDN'T GOT BLOWN UP BY SOME MORON OF YOUR KIND, WE WOULD NEVER GOT LANDED WITH YOU AND MY SON WOULD STILL BE NORMAL!" shouted Vernon strangling Harry.
- "VERNON -" screamed Petunia more violently.
- "PUT HIM DOWN, DURSLEY" roared Hagrid.
Hagrid jumped off the couch before grabbing Vernon by the neck, separating him from Harry, and throwing him out at the other end of the room before he went to crash on the wall. Petunia screamed with terror once again and immediately went to Vernon's rescue while Hagrid took care of Harry who was rubbing his throat. Dudley stood still and looked at the two victims of the disaster wondering to whom to go. But even before anyone could calm the situation, Harry dropped a new bomb.
- "What do you mean blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!" exclaimed Harry.
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