SNAKE

17 | summer trouble

When Harry and Cora arrived back to the house, their uncle took them upstairs to Dudley's second bedroom.

Thank Merlin, thought Cora. There was no way we could both fit in our old room after growing this year.

Now, Harry was sitting on the desk by the window of their room, looking through the photo album that Hagrid had given him while Cora was laying on her bed reading a book she had taken from the restricted section at Hogwarts.

Hedwig, Harry's owl, suddenly screeched in her cage because she wanted to be let out.

"I can't let you out, Hedwig. I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school", said Harry.

"Letting her out has nothing to do with magic, Harry", said Cora a bit irritated to have her reading interrupted.

Harry chuckled. Their relationship had gone back to a really good place over the summer. They had little fights sometimes, but they generally got along great and protected each other from their abusive uncle.

Nevertheless, Cora hadn't really forgotten how easily swayed her brother could be regarding her and Slytherin. Despite that, she decided to let it go for the meantime and try having a good relationship with her brother.

Cora hadn't realized how much she missed Harry and hanging out with him, which wasn't that possible at Hogwarts because of all the drama between their friends, the fact that she couldn't stand Weasley, and the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Hedwig kept screeching. "Besides", Harry continued. "If uncle Vernon—"

"Potters!", yelled uncle Vernon from downstairs. Harry and Cora rolled their eyes.

"Now you've done it, Hedwig", sighed Cora. They both got up and went downstairs.

Aunt Petunia was decorating a cake, which Cora thought looked hideous. The twins entered the kitchen and she stopped for a second to look at them and say, "He's in there. Vernon", signaling towards the other room.

Uncle Vernon stood next to Dudley, fixing his bow tie. "I'm warning you. If you can't control that bloody bird, then it'll have to go."

"But she's bored", said Harry. "If I could only let her out for.. an hour or two."

Vernon chuckled. "What? So you both can send secret messages to your friends? No, sir."

"But I haven't had any messages. From any of my friends. Not one... all summer", argued Harry.

"Neither have I", said Cora.

"Who'd want to be friends with you?", said Dudley with a face. When he passed by Harry and Cora, he hit them with his shoulder.

"Watch it", said Cora in a low voice while glaring at her cousin, thankfully not heard by uncle Vernon. He hadn't hit them that much this summer due to the twins staying out of the way and doing their best to not make him angry.

"I think you should be a little more grateful", said Vernon. "We raised you since you were babies, given you the food of our table, even let you have Dudley's second bedroom, purely out of the goodness of our hearts."

Cora and Harry shared a small glance and both had to resist the urge to roll their eyes.

Dudley was about to grab frosting from the cake with his finger until his mother slightly slapped his hand away. "Not now, Dud. It's for when the Masons arrive!"

"Which should be any minute", said Vernon. He signaled for Dudley and Petunia to follow him. "Now", he continued. "Let's go over our schedule once again, shall we? Petunia, when the Masons arrive you will be..."