Harriet Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 1

6/2/19- 7/12/19

Harriet was walking to the park on a hot day. When she got there she watched a boy going around.

"Come on, guys, time to go home. Come on, love, off you get." his mum said sticking her hand out.

"Do we have to?" the boy said.

"Yes, we do. I'll make you your favorite dinner to compensate." she said.

So he hopped off and followed his mum.

"...squealed like a pig, didn't he?" Malcolm was saying, to guffaws from the others.

"Nice right hook, Big D," said Piers.

"Same time tomorrow?" said Dudley.

"Round at my place, my parents will be out," said Gordon.

"See you then," said Dudley.

"Bye, Dud!"

"See ya, Big D!"

Harriet waited for the rest of the gang to move on before setting off again. When their voices had faded once more he headed around the corner into Magnolia Crescent and by walking very quickly she soon came within hailing distance of Dudley, who was strolling along at his ease, humming tunelessly.

"Hey, Big D!"

Dudley turned.

"Oh," he grunted. "It's you."

"How long have you been 'Big D' then?" said Harriet.

"Shut it," snarled Dudley, turning away.

"Cool name," said Harriet, grinning and falling into step beside her cousin. "But you'll always be 'Ickle Diddykins' to me."

"I said, SHUT IT!" said Dudley, whose ham-like hands had curled into fists.

"Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?"

"Shut your face."

"You don't tell her to shut her face. What about 'Popkin' and 'Dinky Diddydums', can I use them then?"

Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harriet seemed to demand all his self-control.

"So who've you been beating up tonight?" Harriet asked his grin fading. "Another ten-year-old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago -"

"He was asking for it," snarled Dudley.

"Oh yeah?"

"He cheeked me."

"Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true."

A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw.

They turned right down the narrow alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.

"Think you're a big girl carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley said after a few seconds.

"What thing?"

"That - that thing you are hiding."

Harriet grinned again. "Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I s'pose, if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time."

Harriet pulled out her wand. She saw Dudley look sideways at it.

"You're not allowed," Dudley said at once. "I know you're not. You'd get expelled from that freak school you go to."