Hope - George Potter

3 - A mysterious letter

The next few weeks were very quiet in the Dursley household. The week after George's birthday the summer holidays had started and with them, life had become even more boring than usual.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would do what they normally did: reading the paper, talking every once in a while and spoiling Dudley. Dudley would play video games, watch tv or meet his friends. Harry and George had to mow the lawn and tend to the garden. They tried to spend as much time as possible outside to avoid the Dursleys, only coming inside for the meals.

They went over to Mrs Figg's once to ask whether Remus was there but apparently he was home and would stay there for a while as he had broken his leg, so the two boys had nothing to do. The only form of entertainment they had was running away from Dudley and his friends whenever they decided to play their favourite sport: Harry-hunting.

But one morning it was all about to change. It had started off as usual: Aunt Petunia coming down the stairs to wake them, their daily hair competition, the usual fight at the breakfast table about who had to get the mail, which obviously always ended with Harry or George having to do it instead of Dudley. That day it was Harry's turn. It took ages for him to return.

"Hurry up, boy. What are you doing? Checking for paper bombs?" Uncle Vernon chuckled at his own joke.

Harry slowly came back in, handing Uncle Vernon a postcard and a letter and coming over to George with another letter. The Dursleys didn't seem to notice.

George looked at Harry confusedly. He handed him the letter and just as George wanted to ask him what he was doing, he saw that it was clearly adressed to him.

Mr G. Potter
The smallest room in the cellar
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

it said. He looked at it with a puzzled expression on his face. Who would write to him? He had no friends and no other family than the Dursleys. There was nearly noone outside of the house he talked to. The letter looked strange, too. The envelope was thick and made of parchment and the address was written in green ink. There was no stamp.

On the backside of the letter there was a purple wax seal with the heads of a lion, a snake, a badger and a bird.

He didn't want to open it there at the table as the Dursleys would immediately want to know what it said. Also, the letter looked very suspicious and he didn't want the Dursleys to see it as they would immediately think he had something to do with it and punish him for it. So he quickly shoved it in his pocket, but he was too late.

"Mummy! Daddy! George got a letter!"

Dudley tried to snatch it out of his hand but George still held onto it. Each boy pulled at it until it ripped. Dudley, as he was much stronger, got the major part while George was left with a little corner of his letter which he quickly shoved into his pocket so that nobody would take it from him.

Dudley quickly ran over to his parents to show them the letter. While Uncle Vernon still looked confused, Aunt Petunias face paled immediately as she laid eyes on it. Her hands started to shake. "Vernon, it's THEM! They even know in which room he lives!"

Now it was Uncle Vernon's turn to pale. "OUT!" he yelled at the children that were all still in the room.

Harry and Dudley, who looked at his father wide-eyed, immediately ran out of the room, giving a curious glance at the letter that was still in Vernon's hand. George didn't want to give up so easily though. "NO! It is mine! I want my letter," he stood his stand, glaring at his uncle.