Chapter 1: The Stench on Privet Drive

Chapter Text

Surprisingly the Dursley's were home. Harry didn't know why since Dudley always had parties to go to at the end of the school year, this year shouldn't have been any different. Hagrid waved to Harry before he flew off in his flying motorbike, leaving Harry alone, once again. For the first time, Harry had thought of how the Dursley's would react to Harry walking through the door as if nothing had happened before he'd left.

He couldn't imagine Uncle Vernon treating him with more respect, Aunt Petunia taking care of him as he was her own son, and the mental image of Dudley taking him under his wing seemed totally unrealistic. Yet the young wizard reached out to the door feeling confident that the Dursleys had changed.

The door opened dramatically slow and from the second it opened, the telly from Dudley's room could be heard. Harry walked pass the stairs not noticing his uncle in the front room, staring lasers in the back of Harry's head.

"So you've come back, eh?" The fat man folded the newspaper onto his lap and had raised an eyebrow.

"Um, yes, sir." Harry tripped over his words, astonished he wasn't yelled at yet in the couple minutes he had gotten to Privet Drive. He nervously folded his hands in front of him, he was about to speak but Uncle Vernon had beat him to it.

"You won't be staying in the space under the stairs anymore. Your aunt and I generously convinced Dudley to donate most of his toys and things after you had left. The room is yours."

Ah yes, Harry's 'bedroom' under the staircase, you would think that he would have space for himself for the name of this cupboard had 'room' in it. Though, he smiled- the boy who lived never had an actual room for himself. He had cracked a smile but Vernon's face was stone cold.

"Now go on and wash up, Petunia needs help with supper." Uncle Vernon unfolded the paper he was reading and spoke behind his wall of separation. "We are having Dudley's favorite tonight."