Freakshow

2

        Harry and I received our largest punishment yet for setting the boa constrictor on Dudley. By the time it was over the summer holiday had already started. Everyone was in the kitchen this morning as Harry and I made and served breakfast. I had cooked the eggs and bacon and sausage while Harry served Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia their tea and coffee.
        "Dudley go get the mail," Uncle Vernon said to who his son who was dressed hideously in his new school uniform. Dudley had been accepted to Uncle Vernon's alma mater, Smeltings Academy, while Harry and I would attend Stonewall. Dudley's uniform consists of  horrible burnt orange colored knickerbockers,  a maroon tailcoat, a straw boater (I made the sarcastic remark about how not even the biggest boat in the world could fully fit onto Dudley's head. That earned me a wack by Dudley's gnarled cane, which was apart of the uniform.) The cane, Uncle Vernon said, was for the boys to use when the teachers weren't looking to hit each other and to prepare them for later in life. I found that those methods and reasons were completely idiotic but decided to keep my mouth close.
        "Make Harry get it," Dudley complained.
        "Harry get the mail," Uncle Vernon said without looking up from his newspaper.
        "Make Dudley get it," Harry tried to imitate Dudley.
        "Oh for god's sake, I'll get it," I said as I pushed my seat back from the table. When I walked by Dudley, who was trying to wack Harry with his cane, I took his cane and gave him a good thump on the back before I tossed him back his cane. Dudley shuddered as I walked behind him. Dudley had always been afraid of me since of my hair and my temper. Harry always joked that my tempers matched my hair.
         I walked into the hallway and to the front door where the mail was laying in front of it. I picked up the mail and it felt oddly heavier than usual. On top there was an envelope that looked like it was a bill. Underneath the bill was a post card from Uncle Vernon's bitchy sister, Marge. She was a girl version of Vernon, but is probably ten times worse than him. What was the most shocking, and what was probably causing the extra weight, were two envelopes that were addressed to both Harry and I.
Mr. Harry Potter
Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Private Drive
Surrey

Ms. Margaret Potter
Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Private Drive
Surrey
        I flipped over my envelope and saw a formal wax seal. On it was a lion, a serpent, an eagle, and a badger. Underneath the seal, Hogwarts was written. I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a letter. Once I unfolded the letter I saw:
Dear Ms. Potter,
        We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witc-
         "You daft girl, bring me the mail," Uncle Vernon screeched from the table.
          "Coming," I called back as I made my way back into the kitchen. As I walked past Uncle Vernon I handed him the bill and the postcard. I continued on towards Harry and handed him his own letter. I went back to my seat and unfolded my letter again and went back to trying to read it, but before I could Dudley had ripped it out of my hands.
          "Dad look! Maggie and Harry have letters," Dudley screamed as he grabbed Harry's letter too.
"Hey! Give us back our letters," Harry and I yelled in unison. My normal light red hair that went down to my mid back was now turning into a deep, bright red.
"Don't do that," Aunt Petunia said as she walked back in from getting changed. She must have not heard the commotion about the letters and only saw my hair changing colors.
"Well tell you git of a husband to give us back our letters," I sassed back.
"Who would want to speak to you," she snidely remarked as she walked over to Uncle Vernon. Aunt Petunia peered over Uncle Vernon's shoulder. Once she saw the letter, she pushed Dudley, Harry, and I out of the kitchen. All of us were fighting to stay in the kitchen and see what that letter said. I got hit by Dudley's cane as we were finally locked out of the kitchen by the door being slammed in our faces. Dudley started pushing so he could listen through the key hole but quickly stopped once I glared at him and shoved him to the ground. Harry and Dudley were on the ground listening through the crack while I was listening through the key hole.
After a few minutes of whispers, which none of us could understand, Uncle Vernon emerged from the kitchen and told Harry and I to get our stuff since we were moving into Dudley's second room. Dudley started whacking Uncle Vernon with his cane but that only cause him to snap at Dudley and cause him to cry and complain.
It only took Harry and I one trip each to move all of our stuff. When we were done, we walked into the living room where everyone was.
"Where are our letters," I exploded as I burst into the room. My hair turned again into the bright, fiery red.
"They were mistakenly addressed to the both of you," Uncle Vernon tried to cover up.
"Bullshit! The address even had that Harry and I lived in the cupboard. You probably only moved us because the person writing could report you!"
"Nonsense," Uncle Vernon exclaimed." And I will not be spoken to like that. Go to your cupb- er I mean room."
"Fine," I said as I stormed out of the room but not before grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him along.
"Maggie, calm down," Harry tried to coax me as I took a seat on my bed. Harry sat down next to me.
"I just really want to know what those letters said."
"Me too."
"Honestly I would rather be back in the cupboard with our letters than up here without them," I said as I put my head on Harry's shoulder.
             "Yeah me too. Mags, me too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            The next week was filled with letters but never once did Harry or I saw what were inside of the envelopes. The night we received our first letters, Harry and I made up a plan that the next morning we would quickly sneak out early and meet the mailman at the end of the street. I guess Uncle Vernon had the same idea as us since when we went to sneak out we stepped onto this giant lump on the ground. Uncle Vernon told us to make breakfast while he got the mail from the postman. I glared at him all day for that.
         After that instead of just receiving one letter, there were multiple letters addressed to Harry and I individually. Uncle Vernon got so frustrated he decided to board up the the mail slot. That caused the letters to come through the cracks at the bottom of the door. Again Uncle Vernon boarded up the cracks. The next day the milk man was extremely confused since he had to deliver the milk and eggs through the living room window. Aunt Petunia screamed and called the dairy service since the eggs were all filled with letters. Nothing really happened until Sunday. The Dursleys were all sitting in the living room as Harry and I went around with a tray of cookies and tea.
           "Fine day Sunday. Any guess way, Dudley," Uncle Vernon asked his stupid son as I stopped in front of him with the tray of cookies. Dudley just shrugged his shoulders
           "There is no mail on Sunday," I said as Uncle Vernon grabbed a cookie.
            "True right you are. No post. No bloody lett-" Uncle Vernon was cut off as a letter flew in through the fireplace, hitting him in the face. Suddenly the house was shaking and then letters were flying into the room through the fireplace. Harry and I started to laugh as my hair turned yellow. I gave Harry a look and we both reached out and grabbed a letter from the air and were racing out of the room, running towards our room so we could open them. Abruptly Harry and I were pulled  back just as we were about to head up the steps.
        "Give me those blasted letters," Uncle Vernon bellowed as he wrestled Harry and I.
         "No! They are our letters," I screeched as I tried bite, kick, and hit my way out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go.
"Get you stuff! We are leaving and going far, far away! To somewhere they can't find us," Uncle Vernon yelled.
"Daddy's gone mad hasn't he," Dudley asked his mother. Soon we were all in the car driving. We would go in one direction for an hour or so before we would change directions. Uncle Vernon would mutter 'got to throw them off' or 'they won't be able to find us.' After driving for 5 hours it started to rain, heavily.
Finally Uncle Vernon stopped the car and ran into a boat house. 5 minutes later he returned to the car and told us to get out since we were going to take a boat out to the house. It was extremely cold and wet as Uncle Vernon rowed us to the house that is in the middle of the roaring sea. We got out of the boat and made our way into the house.
"Now the mail can never get to us," Uncle Vernon muttered while smiling manically. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia took the bedroom upstairs while Dudley, Harry and I were left in the cold living room. Dudley selfishly took the couch along with most of the blankets, while Harry and I were left on the freezing cold, hard ground with the thinnest, most moth eaten blanket. The Dusleys quickly fell asleep, while Harry and I stayed awake. We watched as Dudley's watch ticked closer to our birthday. At 5 minutes to midnight, Harry and I started to draw birthday cakes in the dusty ground. I heard the watch start beeping showing that it was now officially July 31st.
"Happy Birthday, Harry! Make a wish," I said as I smiled at my twin who was older by 5 minutes.
"Thanks. Happy Birthday to you too Maggie. Blow out the 'candles'," Harry responded as he returned my smile. We then both turned back to the cake we had drawn and blew the 'candles' out. I don't know what Harry wished for, but I wished that Harry and I could magically get away from the Dursleys. I knew that was unlikely since they were our only family, but a girl could only wish. Harry's and mine heads shot up once we heard a loud bang come from outside the door. The door was suddenly knocked into, which caused Dudley to jump up from his sleep. The door banged a second time and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon came down the steps and turned on the small lamp as Harry and I got off of the ground. The third rattle made the door crash down as Dudley squeaked and jump back into the table under the window opposite of the door. Harry hid behind the fireplace, pulling me along with him. I peeked my head around the corner of the fireplace and saw that the thing that knocked down the door was a giant man. He walked into the tiny house, and once by the door turned and picked the door back up and placed it back into its correct position. The giant turned and greeted happily," 'Ello!"
"I demand that you leave this instance. You are breaking and entering," Uncle Vernon said as he tried to act boldly, but his voice wavered as he spoke.
"Dry up Dursley you great prune," the giant said as he walked over towards Uncle Vernon and bent the gun that was in his hand into a little ball as though it was rubber. The giant then turned and faced Dudley,
"'Ello Har'y. I hadn't seen yer since yer were jus' a baby. You hav' come alon' more than I thought yer would, especially in the middle," the giant patted his stomach as he said that which made me giggle." Now where is yer siste', Maggie."
Dudley looked frightened as he responded, "I'm not. I'm not Harry."
" I am," Harry said as he popped out from our hiding spot.
"And I'm Maggie," I said while smiling brightly.
"O' corse ye are. Oh Maggie yer look just like yer mudder. And Harry you look just like James. Oh before I forget here you go," the giant said as he handed us a box," I reckon I might've sat on it but is should still taste good."
Harry and I unwrapped the ribbon that held the box close and saw that there was a pink cake with green icing. On the cake it said,"Happy Birthday Harry and Maggie."
"Thank you."
"Who are you," I said the same time Harry asked the question.
"Sorry. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. I recko' you know all abou' Hogwarts."
"Sorry. No," Harry and I said together. Both of us looking down in embarrassment.
"Don't you wonder where your parents learned it all," Hagrid asked.
"Learned what," I asked.
"Yer a witch, Maggie. And a wizard as for yer Harry."
"We're what!"
"A witch and a wizard. A thumping good one once yer trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be! I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yers letters" Hagrid said as he handed us our letters.