The Perks of being a Gaunt. (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A boy, who lives in a cupboard under the stairs, was walking in the park. He was avoiding his cousin Dudley who was a mean bully. He walked around the park and looked around to see an owl flying over his head staring at him in awe. This was weird to the boy because even he knew at the age of 10 that owls sleep in the day and are awake in the night. As he stared at the owl the boy began to take recognition of the letter tied to the owl’s leg. The owl swooped lower to the boy closer, the boy had a chance to see who the letter was assigned to. The boy looked up to see the letter was assigned to himself, Harry Potter- the cupboard under the stairs, 4 Privet Drive.

Harry jumped up to grab the letter but the owl swooped away. Harry chased the owl as the owl flew away. The owl began to fly out of the park and towards 4 Privet Drive. At first Harry hesitated to continue chasing the owl on to this road because this was the house in which Harry lived with his petite Aunt Petunia, his fat Uncle Vernon and his mean cousin Dudley. Harry lived with his Aunt and Uncle because his aunt and uncle told him when he was a baby his parents died in a car accident and only he had survived. Harry continued to run because he had to get the letter, he never usually got letters but when he did it would only be from the dentist or other public services. Harry froze on the drive of 4 Privet Drive; he watched the owl fly in to the window of his house as he heard his Aunt Petunia scream “AAAAAAH!” Harry ran into the house to see his Aunt Petunia curled up in the corner screaming as she stared at the owl which was stood wide eyed on the end of the sofa “VE-VE-VERNOOOON!” she half stuttered and half screamed. Harry ran to the owl and attempted to untie the letter from the owl’s leg as he heard his Uncle Vernon stomp down the stairs.

“BACK YOU SILLY BOY!” Vernon shouted as he saw Harry trying to get the letter. Vernon looked at the owl, half curious and half shocked. The owl opened its wings as Petunia whimpered and flew out the room leaving the letter in Harry’s hands. Harry tried to hide the letter under his over sized jumper which was once Dudley’s but as he tried Dudley ran into the room. “Who would send you a letter Garry, oh wait your name isn’t Garry, its Parry!” Dudley shouted and laughed hysterically knowing it wasn’t funny but laughed anyway to get on Harry’s nerves. “Its mine, give it back!” Harry yelled. “STOP! Back to your rooms now! Dudley, GIVE ME THE LETTER!” “But Daddy...” “LETTER NOW!” Dudley looked down at his toes pretending to be upset and walked out after handing the letter to his ‘daddy’. “OUT BOY” Vernon shouted at Harry and he left the room knowing he would never see the letter ever again.

Harry walked out the room as Vernon slammed the door on his back. Harry and Dudley both fought to listen to the conversation happening within the room. It ended with Harry on the floor listening from under the door and Dudley sitting on top of Harry looking through the keyhole. As the boys listened they heard a whimper and Aunt Petunia whisper “Oh Vernon, he’s nearly 11 and they know. You promised me a normal life as normal people. But they will be back; Dumbledore said they’ll be back”. “Oh deary, we can’t help what they can do” Vernon sighed in frustration. Dumbledore? Strange name Harry thought, yet it sounded so familiar. They both made their way out of the room and Harry and Dudley soon realised this. Dudley stood up and ran to; to his bedroom leaving Harry crushed in pain on the floor. Vernon opened the door and shouted “WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY?!” “I want my letter back!” Harry yelled regretfully. Vernon turned red in anger and screamed “WELL HAVE THIS!” Vernon took a lighter out of his pocket and set the letter on fire. “NO!” Harry screamed as he watched the ashes fall to the ground. But the moment the ashes touched the ground there was a bright yellow explosion and the letter lay there as though it had never been harmed. Harry watched in awe as Aunt Petunia whimpered and Uncle Vernon turned purple and looked sick. Harry felt a sudden attraction to the letter as though someone was shouted his name from within the letter. He looked at the logo on the letter which read ‘Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’. Harry was soon snapped out of his thoughts when Vernon grabbed Harry from the back of his shirt and through him into his cupboard and shouted “YOU’RE GROUNDED! I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD OF THAT LETTER!” Harry struggled to get out of Vernon’s grasp. Harry fell out of Vernon’s hands and fell straight onto his bed.

The moment Harry heard a click; he knew he had been locked in the cupboard for the rest of summer. He ran to the door to hear his Aunt crying “What are we going to do? They are back for him!” “But we are his guardians and we will make his decisions. I don’t want to hear other word of this incident and especially not in front of our Duddums. Harry felt sick in his mouth at the nicknames his aunt and uncle gave Dudley but felt even more sick at the thought that there was someone else out there who knew him; someone who is trying to get into contact with him. He began to think back to the letter and wondered who it could be from and how they knew he lived in the cupboard under the stairs? And why an owl delivered the letter and not a postman? And what did the letter mean by ‘witchcraft and wizardry? There were so many questions but Harry decided to be ignorant towards them. He felt slightly hopeful that maybe someone out there can help him to get out of the hellhole he was stuck in with his aunt and uncle. Soon he fell asleep in the hope of someone coming to the rescue.