The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest punishment. When they allowed him out of the cupboard, summer vacation had already started, and Dudley had already broken the new camcorder, crashed the model airplane, and on his first ride on the racing bike, knocked over old Mrs. Figg as she was crossing Privet Drive on crutches.
Harry had a monotonous routine, only going to school, work, and then staying locked up at home. It was very fortunate and smart of him to suspect that his relatives wouldn't let it go, so he aimed to buy enough food to ration inside his cupboard, as he couldn't even eat in the house anymore.
Harry was glad that classes had ended; he had taken a vacation from work due to always doing overtime. This puzzled Mr. and Mrs. Dursley because if the boy worked overtime until late at night, where did all the money from his salary go? They never saw him spending anything, except for that dangerous sword he carried everywhere or one of his clothes that could be counted on one hand, consisting of two t-shirts, one sweater, two pairs of jeans, one pair of sneakers... with the rest being just socks and underwear.
In addition, he only had his work uniform and school uniform, which were worn and poorly dyed by his aunt, who claimed they were more than sufficient for the freak.
One July day, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy the Smeltings uniform and left Harry with the neighbor. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. After all, she had broken her leg because she tripped over one of the cats and didn't seem to like them as much anymore. She let Harry watch television and gave him a piece of chocolate cake that tasted like it had been made many years ago, but he enjoyed it completely because he never received anything from anyone and wouldn't complain now.
That night, Dudley paraded for the family gathered in the living room wearing his new Smeltings uniform. Smeltings students wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and straw hats. They also carried knobbly sticks, which they used to hit each other when the teachers weren't looking. This was considered good training for the future in the conception of these awful people, and in Harry's view, he would never set foot in that school.
As he watched Dudley in his new orange knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said with a choked voice that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Duddykins, he looked so handsome and mature. Harry held back from laughing at his cousin because to him the boy looked like a little gas canister wearing a country clown outfit to scare the birds infesting some cornfield.
But, of course, he would keep that to himself, and at the end of the day, he would give Dudley some tips on facing reality without offending him.
[ ... ]
There was a terrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry came in to make breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal basin in the sink. He approached to take a look. The basin appeared to be full of dirty rags floating in gray water, and Potter already knew exactly what kind of mess was going on there:
- What's this? - Harry asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they usually did when he dared to ask a question, but he didn't care much since he already knew what was coming and would put his aunt in her place.
- Your new school uniform. - Petunia responded to Harry regarding the old rags she was dyeing.
- Wait a minute, what uniform? The school I'm going to doesn't require it. - Harry said, staring at his aunt and inwardly smiling as the woman immediately stopped what she was doing.
- You won't be going to that school for idiots, who would have the decency to study in a place that doesn't require students to wear uniforms. - Petunia said irritably because she didn't like being contradicted.
- You can't do anything, my enrollment was paid and accepted two days ago. - Harry stated, watching his uncle and cousin enter the kitchen.
- WHAT DO YOU MEAN ENROLLMENT! - Petunia screamed in exasperation. - Who gave you the right to do things without consulting us first?
- Oh, my dear and lovable Uncle Vernon, I asked him if I could enroll without making him waste time with the freak here and so he signed the paperwork... and he told me he didn't care and that I was finally learning to be someone decent and normal. - Harry said with a sarcastic smile. - I am already enrolled in the private school at Godric's Hollow... I believe there's nothing you can do unless... you want to pay a penalty fee to withdraw my enrollment. - Harry finished ironically, seeing that Vernon already regretted underestimating the freak.
- You can't do that, your education will only be formed in something that can fix all this weirdness of yours. - Petunia exasperatedly said as she turned to Vernon for support. - Tell him, Vernon? St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys is the best option for someone like him.
- That's right, with St. Brutus you can be fixed and one day become just like Dudley. - Vernon said, sweating cold under his wife's gaze.
- They are making a mountain out of a molehill. - Harry replied as he began preparing scrambled eggs and bacon for the Dursleys' breakfast. - I won't go to a crappy school like that just to please your fragile egos... if you have a problem with that, complain to someone who cares, and in case you don't know, that means attracting the attention of social services, and I believe we are all very happy not to resort to that, right? - He finished with his final word, with his uncles gritting their teeth in anger.
- This isn't over yet! - Petunia said irritably.
- Sure, sure... - Harry muttered, caring little for the final clichéd villain line that loses to a hero and doesn't take it well.
After a few minutes of silence from Harry, everyone heard the click of the mail slot and the sound of the mail falling onto the doormat.
- Get the mail, Dudley. - Vernon said from behind the newspaper.
- Make Harry get it. - Dudley responded, staring at his cousin, who raised a doubtful eyebrow.
- Get the mail, boy. - Vernon said again.
- Make Dudley get it. - Harry countered sarcastically, leaving Vernon irritated and Dudley laughing like a pig.
- Knock him with the Smeltings stick, Dudley! - Vernon exclaimed irritably, while squeezing the edges of the newspaper and tearing a good part of it.
- Okay, stop it, Dudley. - Harry said, dodging the Smeltings stick and went to get the mail. There were three things on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister, who was on vacation abroad, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and a letter for Harry.
Harry found this letter strange; he had never received anything like this by mail, in fact, he had never received anything from anyone by mail, why now?
Clearly, there could be no mistake, the envelope said:
"Mr. Harry James Potter, the cupboard under the stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."
The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowed parchment, and addressed in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. When he turned the envelope, Harry saw a purple wax seal with a coat of arms, a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter "H".
- "This is extremely precise for a mere delivery," - Harry thought, referring to his cupboard under the stairs. – "And who uses wax seals nowadays?" - He finished his thought in amusement, as it was really interesting.
- Hurry up, boy! - Vernon shouted from the kitchen, with Harry quickly hurrying up, still with his eyes fixed on the letter. He handed the bill and the postcard to Uncle Vernon, sat down, and began to slowly open the yellow envelope. Uncle Vernon tore open the bill, grunted in disdain, and turned the postcard over.
- Marjorie's ill. - He informed Aunt Petunia when he read it. - Ate a funny whelk... - He continued until a loud voice feverishly interrupted him.
- Dad! - Dudley exclaimed. - Dad, Harry's got a letter! - Dudley had said enthusiastically, wanting to know who the letter was from, but it only caused the beginning of a great commotion.
Harry was about to unfold the letter, written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when Vernon snatched it from his hand.
- Hey, that's mine! - Said Harry, trying to grab it back.
- Who would be writing to you? - Sneered Vernon, shaking the letter one-handed to unfold it and scanning it quickly. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Seconds later, it was the grayish-white color of old porridge. - P-P-Petunia! - He gasped in disbelief.
Harry was about to grab the letter while his uncle was distracted, but Dudley was quicker and, being much shorter, Harry lost the chance as Vernon simply raised his arm out of the boy's reach.
Aunt Petunia grabbed the letter out of curiosity and read the first line. For a moment, it seemed she might faint.
- Vernon! Oh my God, Vernon! - She said, as if announcing someone dear had just died.
They stared at each other, seeming to forget Harry and Dudley were still in the kitchen. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored and soon one of his flaws acquired from his parents aimed to take effect. Thus, he gave a strong cane blow to his father's head.
- I want to read that letter! - He said loudly, trying to give another blow.
- Bloody hell. - Harry said, already predicting that his uncle would lay the blame on him for the cane blow he had just taken.
- Both of you, out. - Vernon ordered in his hoarse voice.
- Give me the bloody letter, damn it! - Harry responded, standing up to face his uncle, who was twice his size but definitely wouldn't last five minutes in a fistfight with Harry.
- Let me see! - Dudley demanded, puffing out his chest, trying to display the same presence as his cousin.
- OUT! - Vernon shouted as he grabbed Dudley and pushed Harry out of the kitchen with his enormous belly, slamming the kitchen door behind them.
- Vernon, look at the address. How could they know where he sleeps? Do you think they're watching the house? - Petunia said with a trembling voice.
- Watching, spying, maybe following us. - Murmured the Dursley patriarch with a rather crazed look.
- But what are we going to do, Vernon? Are we going to respond to the letter? Tell them we don't want... - Harry listened to what they were saying while Dudley also focused, with Harry already preparing to kick the door down and spread even more chaos in such a "friendly" household.
- No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get a response, they'll stop bothering us. - Vernon said, with Harry on the other side of the door frowning at who these people were that sent him a letter.
- But... - Petunia tried to say.
- I won't have one of them in the house. Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in that we would stamp out that dangerous nonsense? - Vernon responded to his wife before she could finish, and then proceeded to tear the entire letter into dozens of tiny pieces.
[ ... ]
That night, when he returned from work, Vernon did something he had never done before.
He visited Harry in the cupboard.
- Where's my letter? Who wrote to me? - Harry asked the moment Uncle Vernon squeezed through the door.
- No one! It was addressed to you by mistake and I ended up tearing it up and burning it. - Vernon said curtly.
- It wasn't a mistake, it had the address of my cupboard! - Harry retorted angrily. - What kind of mistake is that precise, you moronic walrus?
- SHUT UP! - Vernon shouted, and a few spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced a smile that seemed quite painful. - Um, yes, Harry, about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... You're really getting too big for it... We think it would be good if you moved to Dudley's second bedroom.
- Oh, go suck up to someone else. - Harry retorted, sharpening his gaze. - What's this, you want to act like family now? You should have thought of that before abandoning me during your crappy vacation with that woman. - Potter finished, with Vernon finding this last part strange, as all he knew was that the freak had somehow changed from a submissive and frail little boy to a muscular and sarcastic teenager.
- Don't ask questions. - His uncle said harshly. - Take your things upstairs, now.
- Screw you, if I can't even receive a letter in this house, I shouldn't be living in it. - Harry said irritably, with his fat uncle getting increasingly furious as he tried to grab him by the neck, but his fatness prevented him from fully entering the cupboard, making Potter laugh sarcastically while lying on the bed. - I advise you to cut back on meals and take ten laps around the block, go ahead... I'll wait, and then we'll see if you can get through the door."
- Oh, you think you're an adult now, you ungrateful little shit. - Vernon cursed, giving up on entering the cupboard. - Just because you're taller doesn't mean you're two.
- Careful, dear uncle, you know that in a fistfight I can easily knock you out... and if I lose... I heard that jail usually hosts clients, gives free meals and daily baths... it would only take one act for me to decide to stay there while giving some interviews about taking two pathetic pigs out of society. - He firmly claimed, his eyes unconsciously shining a powerful emerald. - And if that's not possible, taking care of myself is much better than being around mediocre people like you. - He finished, showing immense anger. He didn't know what was in the letter, but it could be something related to his parents, and that had been hammering in his mind all day. With each passing second, his hidden emotions revisited all at once.
- Then leave! I accepted you here because your freak of a mother was Petunia's sister, but I would never take in an ungrateful brat like you. - Vernon said angrily as he watched Potter think for a moment, but then Harry snorted in disdain and began to pack everything that was his into a large camping-style backpack. He also filled his backpack with all the money he had saved, hidden in a wall opening, which to Mr. Dursley's astonishment, was a lot for a child to have.
Dudley had been listening to everything from the stairs above and knew that Harry couldn't take any more of the prejudice and humiliation he suffered. Whatever was going to happen, he knew his cousin was already at his limit and could no longer keep his emotions hidden.
- Alright, you told me years ago that I should get a job because you wouldn't support me, that people like me should learn to survive on their own. Thank you very much, I learned very well from your 'wise teachings. - Harry said angrily. - I saved money for four years so I wouldn't have to depend on you or anyone in this house... so get out of my way before I slice you into pieces, you eunuch pig. - Harry finally gave his ultimatum as he grabbed his backpack, his katana, and walked out the front door, leaving both Dudley and Petunia shocked by the conversation and the expression of hatred Harry displayed.
It was as if he harbored a great hatred for them, that something very serious had happened to him, and the anger of containing all this trauma exploded with him throwing all the truths in Vernon's face.
And Dudley, who wasn't stupid, quickly followed Harry out of the house to talk to him:
- Cousin, don't leave, forget what Dad said. - Dudley said with thin tears falling from the corners of his eyes.
- Listen, Dudley, I can't keep living like this, your parents are always humiliating me for everything, I try my best to please them, but look at what I get. There's no point in staying in a house where your uncles hate you and treat you like a monster. - Harry said, crouching down to Dudley's height.
- B-but... - Dudley tried to say, but Harry gently ruffled his hair.
- Don't worry, cousin, I will always keep in touch with you on that phone I gave you a year ago. I will keep you informed through text messages, and if you want, you can do the same about everything that happens to you. - Harry said as he comforted the little boy. - Just promise me one thing. You are a strong boy, but it is very easy to influence you. From now on, use everything I taught you, with all respect... don't let your parents create a horrible image of you, exercise daily, don't overdo sweets and salty snacks, keep your health up, continue practicing the fighting techniques I taught you, and most importantly... don't become an arrogant boy who tries to hurt the weaker ones, protect the weaker ones, make good friends whom you can trust with your life, and finally, don't stop being yourself. - Harry said as he watched the little boy wipe his tears and nod affirmatively. - I can see the great boy inside you, you will become a good and strong man, just don't let yourself be influenced by your parents and people of bad conduct... take care, cousin. - Harry said, giving a final hug to the chubby boy who started crying even more at that moment.
After a few seconds, Harry left into the darkness of the night, and Dudley returned inside the house, where his uncles were shouting scandalously at each other:
- Dudley, where's that boy!? - Petunia said loudly.
- He left, because of you... I hope you're satisfied now because the freak you usually call, is no longer here. - Dudley replied, head down as he climbed to his room and took the gift Harry had given him. It was a necklace of a white owl and a red phoenix, two of the most fascinating and fictional animals Harry told him about.
Vernon was impressed and scared by the way Harry had spoken to him; he didn't sense any lies when the boy said he had learned to survive on his own and now that the boy was gone, he didn't know what to do. He thought it was just teenage rebellion because the boy had the body of one. For that reason, he said:
- Dear, don't worry, that boy is just throwing a tantrum, soon enough he will come back and stop with these antics," Vernon said as he went up to his room, and strangely enough, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, as if the boy's presence truly harmed the house, but he didn't want to express that opinion to avoid worsening the atmosphere inside the house.
- Yes... maybe. - Petunia said as she remembered the time her sister "ran away" from her to study at a different school, feeling the same sensation of a weight or something evil moving away. However, on the other hand, the uncomfortable feeling in her chest made her fear that she had really failed in the worst way in her life. That she had failed the only person she didn't want to fail, and she would never see a way to fix this again.
After that, the Dursley house remained in a completely uncomfortable silence. Everyone had been lying down for a long time, but they couldn't sleep because they were lost in their thoughts, and those thoughts had a name:
- "Harry James Potter." - That was the name that roamed the minds of the three in that house, and how things would flow now that he was distancing himself from them with every passing minute in the darkness of the night.
And with that, I end the third chapter of Changed Prophecy.
I hope everyone is enjoying it, and don't forget to comment.
It's really important to know everyone's opinion, whether it's criticism, ideas, advice, or whatever.
This final part about the weight lifting off their shoulders, this will have a good impact later on... especially considering it was mentioned in the previous chapter that the Dursley family was very different from what it is now. Of course, it doesn't absolve anyone of abusive actions, but not everything is so black and white in the world.
Leave your opinions in the comment section below, it would be great to know if I'm leading this fanfic to a good storyline. XD