Classified (HP) WTM/RTB

The Unyielding Letters

The Brazilian Boa Constrictor incident had left an indelible mark on Harry, etching an episode into the tapestry of his life that would endure as one of the most peculiar and consequential, for a little while at least. It was an incident that had repercussions far beyond the Dursley household, transcending the mundane contours of suburban existence. Little did Harry know that this encounter with the serpent would become a harbinger of the extraordinary journey awaiting him.

As the summer holidays unfolded, Harry was allowed out of his cupboard again.

"Well, there is your answer mum."

"I am actually going to kill my sister."

Dudley's gang became an unwelcome fixture, descending upon the Dursley residence with the regularity of clockwork. The quartet of boys, mirroring Dudley's brawn and lacking in intellectual finesse, made Harry's sanctuary increasingly precarious. The concept of "Harry Hunting" became a perverse sport, a macabre ritual that echoed with the taunts and jeers of bullies who found delight in the torment of the vulnerable.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere within the Dursley abode, the prospect of leaving for secondary school offered a glimmer of hope for Harry. The idea of escaping Dudley's shadow and embarking on a new chapter at Stonewall High, while not entirely devoid of challenges, held promises of independence and a reprieve from the relentless persecution.

"Stonewall High? That sounds dreadful," Ron quipped, casting a sympathetic glance at Harry.

However, the contrasting destinies that awaited Harry and Dudley at secondary school added a layer of complexity to the narrative. The chasm between Smeltings, a bastion of privilege with its maroon tailcoats and boaters, and Stonewall High, a humble local public school, served as a constant reminder of the disparate worlds that coexisted within the Dursley household.

Hermione, ever the advocate for equality, couldn't resist expressing her dissent. "There's no issue with going to a public school," she asserted, a declaration that prompted an impassioned debate on the nuances of educational institutions.

"He's not going there, he's going to Hogwarts."

"He didn't know that then."

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall. Want to come upstairs and practise?"

"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it- it might be sick." Running off before Dudley could work out what he'd said.

Harry's comment caused the entire hall to smile and most cracked up laughing.

"Very nice," James said as he lifted his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes.

The evening after Dudley paraded in his Smeltings uniform, the living room witnessed a spectacle of contrasting emotions. Uncle Vernon, in a rare display of paternal pride, lauded Dudley's sartorial elegance. Aunt Petunia, overcome by maternal sentimentality, marveled at her "Ickle Dudleykins," transformed into a vision of maturity, "all handsome and grown-up". Harry on the other hand didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

"Laughing at Dudley's expense is always a highlight," James commented with a chuckle.

Smelting's boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. On top of them, they carried knobby sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.