SEEN ✱ WATCHING THE MOVIES (HARRY POTTER)

{25} MIA IN A CAGE WITH DOBBY

Mia met their expectant gazes and simply said, "She did some pretty bad things to them."

Her solemn explanation only fueled their curiosity, and everyone continued to peer at her, eager for a more elaborate.

With a fond smile, Mia began, "She's actually quite fierce. When the Dursleys tried to hurt me, Hedwig defended me. That's why they put her in the cage. It's as simple as that."

Vernon: [angrily from downstairs] Mia Potter!
Mia: [glances downstairs then looks at Hedwig before closing his book and going downstairs] Now you've done it. [In the kitchen, Petunia is working on a cake as Mia enters.]

"The cake looks really delicious," Ron remarked, his eyes fixed on the scrumptious cake displayed on the screen.

Mia nodded in agreement, her words holding a hint of reserved acknowledgment, "Yeah, Aunt Petunia is a really good baker." Despite the strained relationship, Mia's attempt to acknowledge Aunt Petunia's skill revealed an underlying effort to move past their differences and find common ground. Her tone hinted at a conflicting mix of reluctance and a genuine attempt to let go of the past grievances.

Petunia: She's in there, Vernon. [Mia enters the living room, where Uncle Vernon is getting Dudley dressed up.]
Vernon: I'm warning you. If you can't control that bloody bird, it'll have to go.

Mia rolled her eyes and glared at the screen. "She wouldn't be all fussed up if she isn't locked in a cage," she remarked, her words tinged with irritation,

Mia: But she's bored. If I could only let her out for... an hour or two.
Vernon: [chuckles] So you can send secret messages to your freaky little friends? No, ma'am.
Mia: But I haven't had any messages from any of my friends. Not one. All summer.

"You guys didn't write her a message?" Sirius's tone carried a hint of accusation, causing a sudden, uneasy silence to settle over the group. Remus fixed them with a stern, disapproving glare, his silence speaking volumes. The palpable frustration at Mia being left alone with the Dursleys, coupled with the absence of communication from their end, fueled their simmering anger.

Mia, sensing the tension, interjected with a firm but calming tone, "Calm down. It will be explained soon," her attempt to diffuse the escalating emotions evident in her expression.

Following a few moments of strained silence, they managed to regain some composure, their lingering worry and unanswered questions casting a shadow over the movie night. Despite their efforts to focus on the film, the unease lingered in the air, overshadowing the otherwise relaxed atmosphere.

Dudley: Who would want to be friends with you? [bumps Mia harshly]

"I would!" Ron and Hermione chimed in simultaneously, their voices laced with solidarity and defiance.

Mia responded with a small, grateful smile, touched by her friends' unwavering support,

Vernon: I should think you'd be a little more grateful. We've raised you since you a were a baby, given you the food off our table, even let you have Dudley's second bedroom, purely out of the goodness of our hearts.

"Grateful? Grateful for what exactly?" Hermione's voice surged with indignation as she yelled at the screen, her words laced with righteous anger. The room crackled with tension, everyone feeling the weight of her words.

"Sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs for her entire life?" Fred's voice echoed with fury, his eyes flashing with indignation.

"Or for being neglected?" Oliver added, his tone reflecting a mix of frustration and empathy. The air in the room grew heavy with the weight of their shared outrage, the impact of years of mistreatment and neglect surfacing in their voices.