Reacting to the Potter Quadruplets

Letters From No One

"Letters from noone." Lily read.

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry and Harper their longest-ever punishment. By the time they were allowed out of their cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.

Harry,Liv,Logan,and Harper were glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry and Harper Hunting while Liv and Logan played: protect their siblings.

This was why Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where they could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came they would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in their life, they wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan, on the other hand, were going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"

"No, thanks," said Harper. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick." Then she,Harry,Liv,and Logan ran, before Dudley could work out what HArper said.

Harry and Harper high-fived as everyone laughed.

One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan watch television and gave them a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.

"At least someone's nice to them." Lily sighed as Harper looked at Harry. There was a secret about Miss. Figg.

That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.

As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up.Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan didn't trust themselves to speak. Harper thought two of her ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry,Harper,Liv,and Logan went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. THey went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"What's this?" they asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if they dared to ask a question.

"Your new school uniform," she said.

Harry,HArper,Liv,and Logan looked in the bowl again.

"Oh," Logan said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

Liv,Harry,and Harper stifled a laugh.

"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."