The portraits were eager to involve themselves in Harry's education. After lunch, Harry was free to play until dinnertime, and James took this time firmly in hand, chasing Harry through the house, playing hide-and-seek, showing him how to use the various toys in the playroom and teaching him the fine art of playing pranks.
After dinner and his bath, Harry was supposed to read before bed, and Lily had him read her a wide range of stories, drawn from both wizarding and Muggle literature. Harry did not understand why she so enjoyed listening to his reading – he tended to pause a lot, and trip over unfamiliar words – but Lily said his voice was like music to her ears.
As for Regina, she followed Harry throughout the day – except during playtime, when James had forbidden it – and made sure he was carrying himself with proper deportment. After a couple of weeks of her unceasing commands to 'Stand up straight!' or 'Stop dawdling!' Harry found that it was actually becoming second nature to him. The first day he survived without a single correction from his supposed mother was a proud day at Windermere Court.
After reading-time had finished, Aunt Clytemnestra tucked Harry into bed and kissed him goodnight, and then turned the lights out as Regina sang him a soft lullaby. Harry always drifted off to sleep before the first chorus and slept soundly through the night, dreaming of dogs and stags and flying motorcycles.
Remus spent the next fortnight going back and forth between his parents' old house and Privet Drive, asking questions of the neighbours and taking extensive notes. Surprisingly enough, his first luck was with the Dursleys' son, Dudley. The chubby boy's parents might not have remembered Harry, but Dudley was all too eager to tell Remus about 'the freak,' at least with the proper encouragement.
'Do you remember who kidnapped Harry?' Remus asked in a friendly voice, handing the boy another chocolate bar.
'No one kidnapped him,' Dudley said, rolling his eyes. 'The man found out the freak lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and started yelling at my dad. Dad explained how Harry had to stay in the cupboard, because he's ad...ab...abnormal, and the woman slapped him.'
Remus was disturbed to find himself rooting for the kidnappers. 'What happened then?'
'The man bent down and talked to the freak.' Dudley started speaking in a babyish voice. 'He was all sweet and everything to ickle Harrykins.' Dudley grimaced. 'It was disgusting. He asked if Harry wanted to come live with him. Harry said 'yes,' and they left.'
'Do you remember anything else?' Remus asked.
'Oh yeah, the old man said that if we said anything he'd come back and turn us all into frog spawn.' Dudley turned white suddenly. He seemed to have previously forgotten that part. He shut up completely. No amount of chocolate could persuade him to share anything else with Remus.
The lady at number five was delighted to tell Remus all sorts of horrible things about the Dursleys, but she had not noticed Harry was missing, nor did she know anything about the strange couple that had visited the Dursleys around the time he vanished.
The gentleman at number six did not interfere in other people's affairs, thank you very much, though he had noticed that someone in a very expensive car had paid a couple of visits to the people at number four not long before.
The lady at number three was even more eager to help.
'Oh, Petunia was always complaining about that boy,' she said. 'He was a lot of trouble, you know, and he was just dumped on them after Petunia's brother-in-law got drunk and killed himself and his wife in that horrible car crash.'
Remus was beginning to hate the Dursleys with a passion. He forced himself to remain calm. 'Do you happen to know anything about some dinner guests the Dursleys had over a couple of weeks ago? I believe they were driving a very nice car.'
'Oh, them,' Number Three said importantly. 'Petunia was going on about them for weeks. He was some very important executive. I think it had something to do with getting a contract for Vernon's firm. Anyway, when the night rolled around, I had to have a little peek, of course.'
'Naturally,' Remus said with a small smile.
'They drove up in a car that must have cost more than I paid for this whole blooming house,' Number Three continued. 'It was an older couple, very well preserved though. She was wearing jewellery you couldn't imagine. And her mink!' She paused. 'Funny thing was, they didn't stay long. I went to get my Bill—he loves fancy cars, he does—but by the time I dragged him away from the telly the car was gone.'
'Do you happen to remember the name of the couple, by any chance?'
'You're right I do,' Number Three replied. 'Petunia was going on about it for weeks, wasn't she? Now let's see. I don't think she ever said their Christian names, but the surname...Brown, I think...Brown...or Green, maybe. Or Grey.'
'Thank you for your time,' Remus said politely, and left. He had reached the end of the garden when Number Three came out and called after him to stop.
'Black!' she said triumphantly. 'That was their name. Mr and Mrs Black, it was.'
Remus's blood ran cold.
A week before Christmas, three owls arrived at Windermere Court for 'Mstr Aries Black,' 'Mstr A. S. Black,' and 'Mstr Aries Sirius Black, Future Heir of the Noble and Most Ancient, etc..' They carried three letters on fine parchment that had been addressed in three different, but all very elegant hands. Harry nervously opened the first envelope and read the letter aloud.
Dear Aries, it began.
.....
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