Harry Potter and the Magical Muggle

Chapter 1: Waiting Amidst Uncertainty

Harry Potter, also know as the Boy Who Lived, was trying to survive another summer coexisting with the Dursleys at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. As always, it was a nightmare.

He felt as if he was amidst the Muggle fair tale Cinderella, which now he mused may be based on fact. Poor girl, he thought idly to himself.

“Haaaaarrrry!” his aunt screeched from downstairs. “Harry, downstairs NOW!” Damn. At least Cinderella had the cheerful mice and singing birds to wake her up in the morning. All I have is my very own screeching Aunt Petunia. He chuckled to himself. Aunt Petunia, the screeching alarm clock…unfortunately, mine does not come with the batteries sold separately.

“Haaaarrry! Don’t make me come up there!” Internally, he sighed.

“I’m coming…I’m coming!” he yelled into the vacant space of his room. Even though the sun was streaming into his room, he felt empty. There was a hollow ache in the back of his throat, which was partially due to being once again cut off from the wizarding world. Geesh I feel like a wartime bride waiting for any news of her husband out on the battlefield. That was one thing that Harry Potter hated. Waiting. He never liked not knowing what was going to happen next. If this was the last day before disaster struck. He felt as if he was constantly living on borrowed time. Was he was going to end up as Cedric had? Cut down before the prime of his life? It wasn’t fair. Cedric was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t deserve to die. No one deserved to die like that. Harry shook his head but couldn’t clear the sole phrase that continued to haunt his waking hours. Kill the spare, kill the spare. Just then he heard his aunt ascend the steps. Crap! Struggling to peel off his pajamas and change before she entered the room, he tripped on a badly placed copy of Quidditch Through The Ages, which he had been reading the night before and forgot to place underneath the loose plank in his room. If she sees that she’ll go mad. Anything related with, concerning itself with, or had the characteristic of possibly being the little m word made the Dursleys crazy. I’m surprised the Durleys don’t go insane by simply looking at me. Perhaps they have, Harry mused. Maybe that’s why they act so inhuman all the time. They have all gone mad…stark raving mad. Harry could picture the Dursleys being led away by Muggles dressed in white coats preparing the Dursleys for the “rubber room.” What would the neighbors think then! Harry started to snicker, then chuckle, and finally, not being able to contain his laughter any longer, it burst forth causing tears to run down his face. I would be the least of their problems. They would not have to worry about their precious image of normalcy once the whole neighborhood caught wind of all three of them inhabiting a padded cell on a daily basis.

Unfortunately for Harry, however, his laughter was cut short as his Aunt Petunia burst into the room. “Harry James Potter! I told you to come downstairs five minutes ago! You’re a disgrace. You’re a good for nothing nephew. I don’t know why we still keep you here. Oh that’s right,” she said coldly. “None of your friends want you to stay with them…now that being within five feet of you paints a target on their back. Can’t say I blame them. They may believe in all this foolishness,” Aunt Petunia said as she motioned to Harry’s magic items spread around the room, “but they’re not stupid!” Harry stared at her as if she had slapped him in the face. She was right. What was I thinking? How can I laugh and joke when my friends and their families may be in danger just because they know me. Just because I’m Harry Potter.

“Now get dressed and be downstairs in five minutes or there will be consequences!” Harry sighed. He wished that someone in this house would understand him. Just to have one magical person to talk to during the summer, to go to the park or to the beach, or even just to hang out in the room would be a blessing.

Harry Potter didn’t know it at the moment, but his wish was coming true and was going to hit him a little closer to home than he would have liked!