Privet Drive was a standard community in England, small but complete. Naturally, there were fast-food restaurants. On the corner of Privet Drive was a chain of fast-food restaurants.
Harry rarely ate at that place, and the reason was simple: he didn't have money. Harry couldn't afford to spend money on fast food. Although the Dursleys were stingy, there was always food available, and he didn't crave that kind of food.
But now things were different. The Dursleys couldn't meet Harry's basic food needs, and he happened to have some new bills in his pocket, like a silent advertising sign.
The bills that his godfather and friends had sent him had swelled his wallet; Harry had never been so rich before.
Sitting on the bed, a succulent, grease-dripping rib seemed to appear in front of his eyes.
"How happy it would be if they put cheese on top of the rib, then placed it between bread with lettuce, pickles, and salad sauce, accompanied by french fries and a cup of icy Coca-Cola!" A thought grew in his mind like a wild herb.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he opened the window, looked around, saw no one was watching, and jumped out of the sill.
Harry was not a reckless person. Before leaving, he had already planned his return route. He had just seen that the window in the downstairs living room was open, so he could enter through that window after eating his fast food. Even if he was discovered, he could say he had gone to the bathroom. If he didn't want to go through the living room, he could also return through the drainpipe. He even brought his invisibility cloak just in case.
After leaving, Harry quickly headed to the fast-food restaurant. As he walked, he went faster, walking briskly. After a few minutes, he entered through the door of this hamburger-specializing establishment.
The Dursleys never took him out to dinner, nor did they choose that corner fast-food place, so it was Harry's first time entering one.
The store wasn't very big; it had only about ten tables arranged in a "U" shape around the counter. There were only a few customers sheltering inside, enjoying the free air conditioning.
Behind the counter was a large oven with a long spit holding juicy and aromatic Turkish meat skewers. The meat was slowly roasting, turning so that all its sides heated evenly. Next to the oven was a large iron griddle where the employees prepared the dishes. On the glass counter were various jars of sauce and boxes full of vegetables, as well as a variety of bread and desserts.
Above the counter, there was a dazzling menu that made Harry dizzy just looking at it. If he weren't a native English speaker, seeing it for the first time would surely give him a headache.
"Hello!" A smiling and enthusiastic waitress approached the counter in front of Harry.
"For here or to go?"
"Fo... for here." Harry had originally intended to order to go, but considering the strong smell of fast food, he feared that when he entered the Dursleys' house, the residents would wake up immediately. So, he abandoned that idea and chose the slower option of dining in.
"For here... What would you like to eat?" The waitress made some selections on a machine.
"Uh...". Harry was in trouble now; he had never been to a fast-food restaurant before and for a moment, he hesitated while looking at the menu on the wall.
Fortunately, the waitress was able to give him some recommendations: "The Turkish kebab sandwich is very popular; the combo costs only three pounds and fifty pence, for fifty pence extra, you can add a drink. If you choose the super kebab combo, you'll have to pay an additional two pounds."
Harry felt fortunate. Since he was born, the monetary system in Britain had already been reformed, abandoning the old and complicated system and adopting a more intuitive one. Initially, the auxiliary monetary unit was the shilling and the penny. One shilling was equal to 20 shillings, and one shilling was equal to 12 pence. However, on February 15, 1971, the Bank of England introduced a new monetary system with an auxiliary monetary unit called the new penny. One pound was equal to 100 new pence.
Thank God for this change, and praised be the Bank!
Following the waitress's recommendations, Harry took out 5.5 pounds without hesitation.
"With lettuce, pickles, tomato, mayonnaise, and ketchup sauce, plus french fries and a large Coca-Cola, is that okay?" After confirming once more with Harry, the waitress handed him a receipt. After paying, Harry just had to wait for his food to be served.
Harry chose a table in a corner. It was a good location because there was a small partition blocking the view of others, offering a bit more privacy.
Not long after he sat down, the waitress approached, carrying a plastic tray. Harry was completely surprised to see the tray; he didn't expect the super combo to be so huge! The bread, the size of his forearm, was packed with roasted meat and had some vegetables stuffed here and there. The roasted meat deformed the bread and protruded like a small mountain. Next to it were a pile of french fries and a large glass of icy Coca-Cola.
This was much more impressive than a burger! How could a hamburger compare to a mountain of meat like this?
When the waitress placed the tray on the table, Harry felt the whole table tremble slightly.
Smelling the delicious aroma of the grease in his combo in front of him, Harry could no longer contain himself and began to eat with gusto.
Proteins, fats, sugars, and calories, these things deeply rooted in human DNA were laid out in front of Harry without any restraint. There was no one who could resist this temptation.
Just as Harry was finishing half of his super kebab sandwich, he heard the familiar sound of a car engine from outside. Harry raised his head alertly, and indeed, he saw his Uncle Vernon's car parked across the street.
Harry was startled and quickly took his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and put it on, while hiding the plate in front of him.
The next second, his Uncle Vernon entered, pushing the door.
It's true that Vernon received a call from a colleague in the morning, but after dealing with business matters, he missed lunchtime. So his car stopped outside this fast-food restaurant without him controlling it.
He could never have imagined that his beloved nephew was sitting inside the restaurant!
"Super kebab combo, with an extra serving of roasted meat, a Coca-Cola, and a beer, all ice-cold," ordered Uncle Vernon. He had much more appetite than Harry, so he ordered more and was served two trays.
By chance, he also noticed Harry's "throne." Then, unknowingly, Vernon and his nephew ended up sitting at the same table.
Harry made a great effort to hold his breath and control himself from making any noise.
"It smells good, it smells really good!" Uncle Vernon sniffed and exclaimed, "This is what you call enjoying life!"
He smelled the delicious aroma wafting from Harry's super kebab sandwich on his lap. However, this did not arouse suspicion in Vernon. Wasn't it normal for a roasted meat shop to have the smell of roasted meat? He just thought that he had been eating too much "grass" in recent days and was becoming overly sensitive.
But before Vernon's food arrived, the door of the shop opened.
A familiar voice echoed.
"One super Turkish kebab combo, with an extra serving of roasted meat, an icy Coca-Cola, and two, no, three donuts."
It was Dudley's voice; he had also gone out while his Petunia was on her lunch break.
Harry: (ノ￣▽￣)
Aunt Vernon: (annoyed)
Uncle Vernon: (艹W艹)
Dudley was unlucky too. The fast-food restaurant was on the corner of the street, and if he walked a little farther, he could have seen his dad's car parked outside, but he didn't.
So, as he held an icy Coca-Cola in one hand and a donut in the other, looking for an empty seat, he saw his father sitting in a chair with a serious expression, his face as red as a pig's liver. It was quite comical; for some reason, Harry, Vernon, and Dudley all chose the same table.
This coincidence of father and sons with their hearts connected didn't manage to extinguish Vernon's anger. His roars almost lifted the roof of the fast-food restaurant.
Listening to his Uncle Vernon's furious shouts, Harry smiled broadly. Up until that moment, he truly felt like he was on summer vacation.