BY fates design

Under the stairs

A new scene appeared on the screen of a house, a perfectly normal house in Privet Drive, at least from the outside. "Up, up! Get up!" A shrill voice brought a brutal end to the silence as a series of bangs rang out after effectively jolting the young boy under the stairs awake.

Just as young Harry Potter was about to emerge from his little 'room' his rather large cousin, Dudley, came barrelling down the stairs yelling, "get up cousin we're going to the zoo today!" Before passing by the cupboard beneath the stairs where Harry was just exiting, as he passed he gave a harsh push to the boy, sending him tumbling backwards into his room.

Once Dudley had left to the kitchen Harry made his way behind him, "hurry up boy, make breakfast. And don't burn anything, everything has to be perfect for my Dudekins special day." Aunt Petunia scolded as he walked towards the stove. "Where's my coffee, boy." Uncle Vernon, a whale of a man, snapped from the his seat in the dining room, "Here uncle." Harry said weakly placing a mug in front of the man before returning to the kitchen. "How many are there?" Dudley asked staring at the neatly rapped presents before him, "36 counted them myself." Vernon replied a slight pride in his voice. "36? But, but last year, last year I got 37!" Dudley began, a temper tantrum clearly on the rise.

Many pure bloods were appalled by the behaviour displayed. "If I spoke to mother like that I would have been crucioed." Regulus muttered bitterly

Trying to deescalate the situation Petunia stepped in, "some are quite a bit bigger than last year." She explained gently hoping to avoid a tantrum. "I don't care how big they are!" He reiterated his disappointment fake tears welling up in his eyes.

"Little tyke is trying to get his moneys worth!" Vernon chuckled from the table, "how about this, we'll get you two new presents while we're out pumpkin." Petunia 'compromised' earning a nod of agreement from Dudley as he spoke, "then I'll have 30, 30..." he was cut off by his mother, "38" she aided.

"The brat doesn't even know how to count." And "that's awful parenting" and other such things were yelled towards the screen as they watched outraged by the child's greed. "That's my sister and nephew?" Lily asked looking towards her son, he didn't reply simply nodding his head.

Outside the house as the family where getting into their car Vernon seized Harry by his collar pointing the car keys at him as he murmured, "Any funny business, any at all and you'll be in that cupboard until Christmas." Before releasing the boy to get into the car. Despite being with his horrible family, Harry enjoyed the day at the zoo, well initially, once they had reached the reptile enclosure things went a little wrong.

He had been standing watching a boa constrictor while his cousin and uncle banged on the glass shouting "move" at it, eventually he grew tired of the noise so simply told them "he's sleeping" and then they left, looking for something more interesting.

Turning back to the snake he saw that it had woken up once they left, "sorry about them" he spoke quietly to the snake, "it must get boring having little kids constantly pressing their faces up to the glass and watching you." He continued to which the snake appeared to give a nod, "can you, can you hear me?" Harry asked fascinated earning him another nod.

He continued conversing with the snake for minute before his cousin came charging over, yelling "mummy, dad look what the snake is doing!" As he shoved Harry to the floor.

"You can talk to snakes?" It was Orion who had asked that, though he didn't receive a verbal response from the boy only an unsteady nod. Looking to his father James asked, "are there any pastlmouths in our family?" To which he got an answer of "no".

From the floor Harry sent a glare to his cousin as he leaned against the glass of the enclosure, then suddenly he went tumbling forwards, the glass vanishing, allowing the snake to slither out beside him, "thankssss" the snake hissed before leaving the zoo.