Looking Back At The Potter World - Dinner At The Dursleys.

Dinner At The Dursleys.

“Oh, Petunia… do you really think it was right on our part to call them for dinner? After all he still is one of their kinds…” exclaimed Vernon with an obvious touch of regret in his voice. “Actually, now when I go over my decision, I think we should have just sent him a present or something.” said Petunia Dursley, who too now doubted her idea to call the Potters for dinner. Only this time it was not her younger sister Lily and her husband James, but their only son, Harry along with his beloved wife Ginny. Petunia continued “…I hope it doesn’t go like the last meeting with those wizards–” and before she could take back her words Vernon had dropped a crystal vase he was placing on a side table, “How many times, Petunia? How many times do I have to tell you not to mention about any kind of abnormality under my roof!!” cried Vernon Dursley rather red in the face. “I’m sorry Vernon, but they’ve just been married... It is rather customary to call them for dinner and even dear Diddykins is here… they’re could have been no better time really”, Petunia tried to reason with her so-very-normal husband.“I need a brandy!”Vernon went away, knowing that there was no use arguing now, muttering something that sounded mostly like “Customs, schmustoms!”

Then the bell rang and Vernon came running as though a bomb just went off. The Dursleys took a deep breath. Petunia checked on her lemon cake which stood on the kitchen table like a prized trophy, she wiped the last speck of dirt off the couch, straightened herself and put on a wide smile flashing her horse-like teeth and opened the main door. And on the porch stood Harry and Ginny Potter. Harry smiled at his uncle and aunt and greeted them “Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia. Well, it’s been a long time!” and as though this sight warmed their otherwise stone-cold hearts, Petunia beamed at them and hugged her nephew and his wife.

Uncle Vernon, delighted as well, said, “Hello, young man! It sure has been a pretty long time. This pretty lady must be Ginevra, if I am not mistaken?” “Yes! It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley!” said, Ginny, who never the less was surprised and elated at this sort of greeting. “So... erm, where’s Dudley? ” said Harry, who was rather shocked at this strange behaviour of his uncle and aunt “Oh, he’ll be down any minute… why don’t the two of you have a seat, I’ll get us some drinks!” saying this Petunia went to the kitchen to impress the guests with  her cooking skills; old habits, die hard!

“Hello Harry!” came Dudley’s voice. When Harry turned his head, not even in his wildest dreams, would he have thought that he was about to face the greatest shock of his life, “Oh my God, Dudley, you’ve… changed!” “Dudley Dursley … without any of the looks of a baby dolphin… never thought you’d see this day, had you? I must say it wasn’t very easy” joked a much more thinner and unrecognizable Dudley. Petunia came in with some drinks and her tempting lemon cake. Ginny was all praise for it, “Wow, Mrs. Dursley, this cake is absolutely delicious. You must give me the recipe” Petunia, to everyone’s surprise, flushed and giggled for the first time since her childhood.

And so in the Dursleys’ living room, sat the Potters and the Dursleys together, laughing at funny stories, eating the most scrumptious delicacies prepared by Mrs. Dursley forgetting the fact that a few years back they hated every bit of each other. Harry said, raising his glass, “I wish to make a toast! To us, who despite all the differences we ever had, are sitting together on the same table like a true family! Cheers to us!” and they all joined in…

Someone has rightly said that time can ease all the tensions even in the most strenuous and unpleasant relationships! And if that person would have been here with me right now… I could have happily given him a thousand Galleons!