Invisible (III)

TWO

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
chapter two

-

E V I L - T E M P E R E D

-

"Bad blood will out."

_______________

The Potter twins go down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table. They're watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room.

Dudley has spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he eats continually. Harry sits down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon and Lily sits across from him beside Aunt Petunia.

Far from wishing the twins a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys make any sign that they have noticed the two enter the room, but they are far too used to this to care. They help themselves to a piece of toast and then look up at the newsreader on the television, who is halfway through a report on an escaped convict.

"...the public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hotline has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."

"No need to tell us he's no good," Uncle Vernon snorts, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner.

"Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!"

He shoots a nasty look at the twins, whose untidy hair has always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face is surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry and Lily are very well groomed indeed.

The newsreader has reappeared.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today--"

"Hang on!" Uncle Vernon barks, staring furiously at the newsreader.

"You didn't tell us where that maniac's escaped from! What use is that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!"

Aunt Petunia whips around and peers intently out of the kitchen window. Lily knows Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hotline number. She's the nosiest woman in the world and spends most of her life spying on the boring, law-abiding neighbours.

"When will they learn," Uncle Vernon says, pounding the table with his large fist, "that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?"

"Very true," Aunt Petunia agrees, still squinting into next door's runner-beans.

Uncle Vernon drains his teacup, glances at his watch, and adds, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten."

Lily, whose thoughts had been on the strange man in her visions - an escaped convict, as it turns out - is brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump.

"Aunt Marge?" Harry blurts out.

"Sh-she's not coming here, is she?"

Aunt Marge is Uncle Vernon's sister. Even though she is not a blood relative of the twins' (thank God), they've been forced to call her 'Aunt' all their lives. Aunt Marge lives in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she breeds bulldogs. Thankfully, she doesn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she can't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stands out horribly vividly in Lily's mind.