★~ Lillian Potter ~★

The Keeper of The Keys

Long story short the people sending Lilly and Harry the letters located them once again so they had to go somewhere else AGAIN. 

Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggestedtimidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactlywhat he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into themiddle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back inthe car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middleof a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top ofa multilevel parking garage."Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late thatafternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all insidethe car, and disappeared.It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudleysniveled."It's Monday," he told his mother. 

"The Great Humberto's on tonight. Iwant to stay somewhere with a television. "Monday. This reminded Lilly of something. If it was Monday -- and youcould usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because oftelevision -- then tomorrow, Tuesday, was her and Harry's eleventh birthday. Ofcourse, their birthdays were never exactly fun -- last year, the Dursleyshad given harry a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, secretly Aunt Petunia took a bit of liking to Lilly and gave her a small bracelet that was to be her mothers, and told her not to wear it in front of Uncle Vernon. 

Still, you weren't eleven every day. Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long,thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'dbought. Lilly eyes the package suspiciously. "Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at whatlooked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock wasthe most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing wascertain, there was no television in there."Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping hishands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us hisboat!"A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a ratherwicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water belowthem. Lilly cringed.

 "I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"It was freezing in the boat and Lilly gripped her brother for warmth. Icy sea spray and rain crept down theirnecks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed likehours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding,led the way to the broken-down house.The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the windwhistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace wasdamp and empty. There were only two rooms.Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and five bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smokedand shriveled up."Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.He was in a very good mood. 

Obviously he thought nobody stood a chanceof reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Lilly privatelyagreed, though the thought didn't cheer her up at all.As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from thehigh waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled thefilthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and UncleVernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Lilly Harry were left to findthe softest bit of floor they could find and to curl up under the thinnest,most ragged blanket. Harry kept close to his twin worried she might get sick. The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. lilly nor Harry could sleep. 

She shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable,her stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by thelow rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial ofDudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fatwrist, told Lilly and Harry they'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. They lay andwatched their birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys wouldremember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.Five minutes to go. Lilly and Harry heard something creak outside.