The Last Straw

As far as Harry Potter was concerned, he was nothing but your average 10 year old boy. Harry had been raised to be as normal as ever thank you very much, and he was grateful to his Aunt and Uncle for doing so. Still, Harry knew that every now and again he did strange things. Normally Aunt Petunia just offered Harry another type of treat, told him everything was fine, and switched schools.

When he was 10 years old, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told Harry that his parents had been crazy people who believed in this thing called magic and pretended to go to school in a place called Hogwarts. Aunt Petunia had also told Harry how the "headmaster" had refused to let her go to school with her sister even though she'd sent him many letters.

"It wasn't fair Harry-kins. Your mother was with that nasty Snape boy, and I wanted to make sure that she was safe. At school all year, and coming back home with tricks I didn't understand. It isn't possible for people like me or your cousin Dudley to learn magic. How are we supposed to protect ourselves? That "Headmaster Dumbledore" told me she was perfectly safe. Instead some dark wizard blows up both your parents, and that's how you came to live with us. Dumbledore is the one who just dropped you on our doorstep. What if we'd given you to some orphanage? What would he have done then? Now, have another cookie Harry." Aunt Petunia offered Harry a plate of almond cookies.

Harry happily took one and walked into the living room to go blow up aliens with his cousin Dudley. For whatever reason, even though Harry ate nearly as much as Dudley he just didn't gain weight like Dudley did. Aunt Petunia called it a "fast metabolism." Uncle Vernon said Dudley was just big-boned. All Harry knew was that his cousin was going to have a tough time if he couldn't fit into his school uniforms.

"Now, see here son if that crackpot old fool ever comes around here again and tries to take you away, don't trust him see?" Uncle Vernon advised.

"Will do Uncle Vernon." Harry nodded his head.

"I think there was a Wizarding bank in your parent's world. As I understand it your father's family was very wealthy. I wonder what happened to all that gold?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"We should have it shouldn't we dad? Then you wouldn't have to work anymore!" Dudley said.

"Don't trust em Harry, that's what I say. Get whatever you can out of your father's family and get out." Uncle Vernon grunted.

"Before you get blown up to." Dudley hit Harry on the shoulder.

"Ow! I'm not letting you live in my mansion!" Harry sneared and hit him back.

"Do you think Harry's parents had a mansion somewhere? That would be cool wouldn't it Harry? We could all live in a mansion couldn't we dad?" Dudley asked in a rare moment of enthusiasm. Harry knew Dudley was excited about the idea of living in a mansion because a lot of his video games had mansions in them.

"Do you know if my dad had a mansion Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked.

"Don't know boy, he might have. I know he had enough to easily buy a house for you and your mum without having to work. The house has probably been destroyed by now I'd guess." Aunt Petunia stopped speaking and stared out the window.

"Why can't I do magic dad?" Dudley asked.

"Because you're normal cousin." Harry grinned as Dudley hit him on the shoulder.

"Normal's boring." Dudley grinned back. Dudley was being nice today since at Dudley's birthday on their trip to the zoo Harry had made the snake move and entertained Dudley for about half an hour before he'd gotten bored again.

Harry had been relieved to have explanations for some of the weird things that happened around him. His cousin Dudley had helped to try and learn how to control his "magic" through research using video games. Harry had tried jumping into magic circles that didn't go anywhere, and "concentrating." Dudley really wanted Harry to just blow things up.

"Aunt Petunia who was that "Snape" boy you're always talking about?" Harry asked.

"Snape, was from a very bad family, his mother was loony and his father was a drunk. I didn't trust him around Lily. He was a wizard though, he called me a "muggle" I think it was meant to be insulting. He went to that blasted school just like your mom. I think he had some sick crush on her or something. Don't know what happened to him." Aunt Petunia stared out at the window.

"I'll get them Aunt Petunia if I ever go to that school, I'll get back at them for you." Harry tried.

"Good boy, now go to school with your cousin. You're lucky he stops people from bullying you by bullying them first. Really, I wish you'd try to be a little less smart sometimes." Aunt Petunia gave him a half-stern look.

"Good job Dudley, keep the riff-raff under control!" Uncle Vernon slapped Dudley on his back.

Harry shouldn't have been surprised when he found a letter on the doorstep being delivered by an owl.