°C°h°a°p°t°e°r° °1° It was morning and Nicole and Annalyn Potter woke up to a usual argument at number 4, Privet Drive. “Third time this week!” yelled Uncle Vernon. “If you can’t control that owl, it’ll have to go!” Uncle Vernon hated everything about the Wizarding world. She’s /bored/. She’s used to flying around outside. If you’d just let me let her out at night then—” Harry started. “Do I look stupid?” their uncle questioned. “Well he’s doing a very good impression of it,” muttered Anna to Nicole, and they started giggling silently while heading downstairs for breakfast. Nicole and Annalyn wanted to leave this placed they were forced to call home. The sisters knew there were other places. They had heard about their brother Harry’s time at Hogwarts from him, though he was forbidden to speak about it with Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, or Dudley in the room. “Hey, Harry, could you tell us more about Hog— whoops,” Annalyn said, realizing her mistake. Uncle Vernon turned so sharply around to her that his neck could be heard making a high-pitched ‘click!’ Aunt Petunia clasped her hands around her mouth, Dudley fell out of his chair with a thud that probably shook the entire house. “NO! YOU CANNOT SPEAK ABOUT THESE PLACES!” Uncle Vernon roared. “Okay, Uncle Vernon,” said Nicole with a fake tone of apology. “Pass the frying pan,” said Dudley. “You forgot the magic word,” replied harry irritably. Another large thud meant the fact Dudley had fallen off his chair for the second time in a minute. Nicole was forced to listed a long speech about the rules of the ‘m’ word in the house, while trying to focus on eating her bacon. “Sorry, Harry,” Annalyn said apologizing, “we just— I mean, I just wanted to hear more about Hogwarts!” “You’re fine.” Harry said plainly. The morning was as empty and plain as usual, not to mention that Dudley’s little friends, who Nicole couldn’t tell which of them between Dudley, Piers, Malcolm, or Gordon was more arrogant, came over for dinner. Uncle Vernon kicked them out of the house at about five o’clock because of some stupid dinner party thingy he was having with the Masons, who were supposedly rich industrial business owners. At around six, the Dursleys started to recite their plan while Harry, Annalyn, and Nicole sat in their bedroom. “Well. That was an… eventful night,” joked Harry and they laughed. “YOU THREE! DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!” yelled Uncle Vernon from downstairs. “Dang, someone’s gotta go to anger management,” said Nicole and they all had to bite their tongues to retain themselves from laughing out loud again. “Well, took you lot long enough,” scoffed Uncle Vernon. Nicole felt her eyes go brighter green than a pit viper’s scales, like they always did when she got angry for some reason. “So. If you have the brains to remember, tonight’s the night the Masons are gonna visit,” he glanced happily anxious at Dudley and Aunt Petunia, “and we’ve already gone over what we’re going to vbe doing. But //you// haven’t. Go on,” he cued. “We’re going to be in our room, making no sound, pretending we don’t exist,” said Harry. “Exactly. Now. Go to your room, and do that.” When they got to their room, there was a doll sitting on their bed, but they got a fright when it sprang up off the bed, and Nicole realized it wasn’t a doll. The doll-looking thing ran in front of Harry. “Harry Potter sir! What an honor it is to meet you!” it squealed and bowed so it’s long nose brushed the floor, and Nicole and Annalyn exchanged confused glances. “Uh, sorry but… who are you?” asked Harry. “Dobby sir! Dobby the house elf!” “Why are you here,” questioned Harry, “is it Voldemort?” The elf gave another high-pitched squeal. “Shhh!” said Annalyn. “//The Potters must not go to Hogwarts//!” Annalyn’s eyes widened. “What?” she said. “But why can’t we?” asked Harry. “It’s—” and the elf started banging his head on the door. “Please! Stop! Stop it!” said Nicole forcefully, and it stopped. Uncle Vernon’s two trips to their room stopped most of it, but an hour later, and he was raging when the Masons left because of some pudding incident, and he put bars on their window. “Thanks, Dobby,” Nicole heard Harry mutter angrily. That night, Nicole couldn’t fall asleep, nor could Annalyn. There was a noise outside, like a car’s engine. /It’s not //that// unusual/ Nicole thought to herself. “I know, but isn’t a bit late for cars to be driving around?” said Annalyn. “Anna, did you just— did you— did you just read my mind?” “I think so, I’ve been doing it for a really, really, really long time now.” “Uh….” Harry had been woken up by their conversation, but the girls didn’t notice. “Oh my— what is— Harry wake UP!” said Nicole urgently, but Harry saw what it was before she’d said it.
Song is Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips
