Harry entered the house at number 4 Privet Drive, exhausted. The last four days had been wearying. Harry understood the venial nature of man in general but four days of having it rubbed in your face was annoying. He was sort of surprised when Dudley half tackled him. "Whaaatt? Oh it's you."
"Yo cuz. How ya doing?
"I'm fine. What's with the gangster rap?"
"My roommate at Smeltings, he uses it all the time. He's cool."
"So how did you do? Were you worried for nothing?"
"Nineteenth out of a hundred and five. I joined study groups for two classes but I did fine. How about you?"
"Tied for second out of thirty eight."
"Cool what are your plans this summer?"
"Haven't a clue. I mean there's chores, and kenpo… But I want to do some studying ahead and do some research into my family stuff. Speaking of that thanks so much for that heraldry book it was great."
"That's cool, and thanks so much for those boxing tickets. Dad came and got me, my roommate and one of my friends from the gym and we went. It was so great. I already did my summer schoolwork so I'll give you a hand with the chores It finally occurred to me I need to learn that crap, so I'll know it when I go out on my own, school was a real eye-opener."
Aunt Petunia called them and the four of them sat down to a meal of Indian takeaway. While they ate the rice, vegetable koorma, lamb masala, kofta masala, chicken biriyani, raita, mango chutney, lime pickle, and garlic naan with mango kulfi for dessert, Dudley answered his Mum's question about his school year. Harry helped put the leftovers away then it was Harry's turn. Harry gave an edited version but by the end Petunia was pale and angry looking.
Petunia finally asked in a pinched voice, "Do you want to go back, or shall we look into a new school?"
"I don't know." Part of Harry feared going back, but Hogwarts was also where he had friends.
"Fine head to bed, we'll plan the summer in the morning. Goodnight Harry." Petunia gave Dudley a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Dudley."
"Night Mum, Dad."
"Goodnight, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia." Both boys shuffled out of the dining room and up the stairs.
"That's wrong, the way they treat him." Uncle Vernon said. "Is another school even possible? They want control over him."
"I'll write Felicia in the morning and let her know what Harry told us. She knows the magical world, maybe she'll have some ideas."
The next morning Harry woke early, cleaned up, and after collecting a couple things from his trunk he went downstairs to start breakfast. Thirty minutes later his family came down and joined him, surprised to find a gift at each of their places. Dudley, never one to be shy when it came to gifts, tore the wrapping off. He grinned to see it was a book about the British Army Cadets. In one of his letters to Harry, he had talked about seeing some cadets at Smeltings and how it looked interesting and he hoped to join next year.
Vernon's was larger. He tore the wrapping paper off to see a portrait of himself, Petunia, and Dudley. "Paint this, did you?" At Harry's nod, he said, "Nicely done. Maybe you have a future as as artist," he paused and looked to Petunia before adding, "but I think you left someone out."
Harry's eyes got very bright for a moment and he looked down. "Maybe I'll do another later. I'm glad you like it, I couldn't think of what to do for your birthday so I did that."
Petunia eyed the wooden box at her place, she recognized it because she had helped her father pick it out for Lily's sixteenth birthday. Tears filled her eyes.
Harry noticed. "Aunt Petunia? I found it when Dumbledore took me to Godric's Hollow during break. While we were in court I had Cassandra take it to the goblins. They cleaned and appraised all of what was there, then removed the Potter pieces. I added a pair of earrings but Mum did want you to have it."
Petunia reverently opened the jewelry box. Inside was a cloth bag. "Grandmama's pearls. I was so jealous when Grandmama gave them to Lily. She gave me her emerald brooch and the emerald and diamond earrings but I still envied your mother the pearls. Mama's locket. But what are these?" She pulled another small bag open inside was a necklace made of amethysts and emeralds looking like a daisy chain of brilliant sparkling lily flowers with small diamonds as center stones. "Oh my word." Also in the box was a jade bead necklace and an 10 ct. emerald pendant.
Harry looked at his Aunt; he wondered why she didn't get contacts instead of wearing glasses, because she too had the Evans eyes although hers lacked the extra sparkle that came of being magical. Then she came to the earrings box. She opened it and found a simple tasteful pearl drop earring with a half carat diamond stud. "Thank you Harry. Well now that we've opened all the overdue birthday gifts how about we eat breakfast before it gets cold."
Harry yelped "The bacon!"
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