Mark Evans Year 1

All Mark's life Harry Potter had been 'that Potter boy', the one his mother had warned him to keep away from each summer because he was home on summer holiday from St Brutus's Home for Criminally Incurable Boys. Now? Well, now things were different.

Just a few weeks ago his father had sat Mum and him down and told them the Truth. All those fairy stories Dad made up about Lily the White Witch and James the Nobel Wizard were real. Lily was Mark's father's older sister, as was Petunia Dursley, and 'that Potter boy' was Lily's son and Mark's cousin.

"But, Dad, why do you let him stay with the Dursleys if they are so mean to him? Why don't we have him?" Mark had asked first, more concerned with this than whatever magic being real meant. It was not like his life was going to change because his dead auntie had been a witch.

"It's a long story, son. Suffice it to say, I was not in any position, financially or emotionally to take on a baby when Lily and James died. And, since then, well, I haven't been in a position to fight Petunia for custody in the courts," Dad had answered solemnly.

"But, they don't even like him, if they tell such outrageous lies about him to the whole neighborhood. Wouldn't they be glad to be rid of him? Why would they have fought you?" How could his father have neglected part of the family like that? It's not like he wasn't always helping people less fortunate that them, working with drug addition rehabilitation programs and the like.

"My sister Petunia is, well . . . the kindest way I can say it is 'spiteful'. We never got on as children and later, when I sided with Lily in the feud that Petunia kept on and on with against Lily and James, I was soon ranked just as lowly as they were. She would have fought to keep Harry just so that I didn't have him." He gave a half hearted smile.

"Couldn't we try now?" Mum, who had been very quite as Dad had recited all the shocking news, finally asked.

"Maggie, it's not like I haven't been going over scenarios of how to help him for the last fifteen years. With my history, it's hopeless, and it is rather beside the point now, as the boy is nearly sixteen anyways. One more year isn't going to make much difference now is it?" he sighed.

With that, the matter had been settled. Harry was family but, unless he was in some kind of specific danger, we weren't going to make his life more complicated by butting in with Aunt Petunia and her family. Personally Mark thought it sucked fetid, molding, goose eggs that he was not even allowed to try to be Harry's friend or tell him that they were related, but he knew he would catch it hard from his Mum if he went against his parent's decision.

~~~

The galumphing , porcine goon, Dudley Dursley was gaining on him. The tarmacadam, scorching from the mid-summer sun, blistered Mark's feet through his trainers. That's what he got for taking the route down Privet Dr. in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his forbidden cousin, Harry. Now his other, meaner and certainly more rotund cousin was bearing down on him, intent on a little amateur plastic surgery for Mark's face as retribution for merely being in sight of the bully. Oh well, another day, another beating. He turned to face his pursuer, stopping and crossing his arms over his chest in a protective gesture.

"So, what are you doing out Dursley? Did you break down the gate to the sty or did you just chew through it in a gluttonous frenzy?" Sometimes he wondered how his mouth kept going without his brain helping out. Dudley didn't respond in words, instead, her took a flying leap and made to tackle the smaller boy.

"Careful Duddikins, you don't want your Mummy to have to take you back up to London for another tail-ectomy do you?" a voice behind Mark chided.

"Harry, stay out of this, it's none of your business," snapped Dudley. Harry Potter stepped up next to Mark and spoke again.

"An imbecile like you would think that, but as usual you'd be wrong. I'm pretty sure that protecting a soon to be Hogwart's student falls under the heading of my business much more than beating up eleven-year-olds for fun and profit is yours." Dudley just stared, darting from Harry's face to Mark's and back again, trying to comprehend this new information.

"He's a freak like you? No wonder I want to beat him senseless all the time. I have a natural dislike of you freaks," he said, while quickly backing away. "Just keep that little weirdo away from the house. I'm warning you!" He took off running.

"You okay?" Harry asked Mark after they had both stopped laughing at Dudley's hasty retreat. "He won't bother you anymore now, I should think."

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," Mark answered, wondering how he had lucked into this situation. Harry had come to him and brought up magic himself. There was no way Mark could resist asking Harry about everything now. "How can you tell?"

"Um, tell what?" Harry asked.

"That I'll get a Hogwart's letter? I haven't gotten it yet, though my Dad says to expect it by mid-august at the latest if I'm going to get one."

"You know about Hogwarts? Are your family wizards?" Harry asked, taken aback.

"Some of them are, my Aunt Lily, my Uncle James . . . my cousin Harry," Mark could not hide his smile anymore. This was too perfect.

"Er . . . what?