Neither Harry nor Dudley were of the studious type even in kindergarten. Harry liked to know everything, but he lacked the concentration and the diligence needed to really learn much. Dudley wasn't even interested. As long as things worked in his favour, he didn't bother to check.
Now, as they approached six, they were getting ready to go to school after the summer vacation. Yet going to school was much more than just learning. It meant meeting new people, making new friends, playing "big children" games and going by bus to school and back. That was really exciting! It also meant they would no longer be "small children".
This time, both Albus and Minerva came to visit Harry on his birthday. Albus was a bit concerned when he found out that Harry knew of the magical world and so did Dudley, yet this was also an opportunity. He took Harry aside for a talk.
Discover moreShop Kids' BooksRead Sci-Fi BooksFind Family LawyerHire BabysittersPlan Family Trips"Harry, I want to tell you that your parents were wonderful people and I'm sorry you didn't have the privilege to know them as I did. You'll learn more about them when you grow a bit older. You must also know that they didn't leave you penniless. They put aside a lot of money for you, when you come of age, as well as some properties. Until you grow up enough to be able to control your assets, I'm doing this on your behalf. I hope I'm able to do it well enough that you won't have any complaints when it passes to you."
Harry considered it for a moment. "Can you give some money to my aunt and uncle? I've heard them say a few times that they didn't have enough money to take us on vacation or buy us some more expensive stuff. Can you, please?"
The old man smiled. "I'll see what I can do. I'm quite sure it can be done, at least to some extent."
For the first time, Dudley also got his share of attention from the visitors. He didn't understand why they asked him some odd questions, but he answered as honestly as he could, making them smile a few times. Eventually, he heard the funny man say, "You're raising them both very well, Mrs Dursley. You can be proud of both your children."
Dudley was happy he made a good impression. Unlike Harry, he had to put some effort into making the right impression, but this only meant he should try harder. He just couldn't be jealous of his scrawny brother.
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–..–
The first day at school was magnificent! There were so many children at school! Even their own class was much larger than the class in kindergarten. The schoolyard was also large and gave them ample opportunities for games and fun of all kinds.
They didn't know most of their classmates, at first. Harry was quick at making friends and Dudley was tagging along, enjoying having new friends without having to put much effort into it. Luckily, their closest friends were also in the same class.
Harry also enjoyed the lessons. He had learned the letters and some words at kindergarten, but these were not enough to even read the books he had since he was a baby. With the new knowledge he gained during the first weeks at school, he could now read practically everything. He tried reading Vernon's paper one evening. He could read every word, but less than half of them made any sense to him. Sentences like "The prime minister has met with his Norwegian counterpart, discussing the financial situation in the EU," or "The crown announced that the inauguration of the new wing of the paediatric hospital will be attended by the Prince of Wales," flew high above his head. He didn't understand enough to even ask an intelligent question about them.
Discover moreGet Parenting TipsTrack PregnancyBrowse ReferenceSupport CausesFan fiction booksDudley didn't enjoy the lessons. He liked the breaks much better, yet he trudged along, having heard how important it was to learn, especially reading and writing. He also counted on Harry to help him, although, truthfully, he could do quite well for himself. It only required paying more attention during the lessons and working harder to understand and remember. He didn't like the effort.
–..–
It was another Halloween. Harry loved that day and all the fun stuff it brought. For some unexplained reason, he felt very natural wearing a pointed hat, long robes and carrying a stick. He loved waving it and pretending he was doing real magic. Although he knew about being magical, he had done nothing intentionally. Still, like all kids, he liked living in "make-believe" sometimes.
Dudley liked Halloween as well. He didn't mind the funny clothes and hats, but he liked receiving sweets, although his parents were a bit concerned about him becoming too fat. He also enjoyed the fun Harry had. It was contagious. When Harry was in a good mood, the whole house seemed to be in a good mood.
Discover moreDigital book publishingStory writing promptsFan art commissionsWriting contest entriesBook review servicesThey visited Mrs Figg last. The older lady with the multitude of cats was always very friendly. Both Harry and Dudley accepted her as a kind of older aunt, or even a grandmother — something they both lacked. Mrs Figg seemed to enjoy the special attention the childrenwere giving her and repaid it in abundance. Besides being their regular babysitter, she was also bringing them some special presents occasionally, like her homemade pies, which nobody seemed able to duplicate, or some sweets that could not be bought in any of the shops in town.
The children were surprised to find their mother teary when they came back home. "What is it? Is anything wrong?" they both asked.
"It's nothing, dears. Just my memories of my dear sister. I miss her so much!"
She hugged them both tightly. Dudley soon freed himself from the hug and went to watch television. Harry let his aunt hug him some more. He knew she was missing his mother. In a way, he missed her too.
Discover moreCrossover story ideasAnime merchandiseBooksRead BestsellersWatch Sci-Fi FilmsPetunia kept hugging him for a long while, her face stained with tears. This made Harry think.
"Was it at Halloween that…" He didn't dare complete the sentence.
Petunia nodded silently. Harry understood. He returned the hug, his face silently getting covered with his own tears. Halloween would never be the same for him.
Dudley was immersed in the television program when Petunia and Harry stopped hugging. Petunia walked with Harry to his room and sat on his bed. Harry sat at her side, snuggling into her.
"It was at Halloween. Your parents were hiding from a dark wizard who terrorized the wizarding world. Nobody knows the details, but it seems like somebody had betrayed them, giving away their secret hideout. That villain came to their house. Your father fought him, trying to gain some time for your mother to grab you and run away, but he couldn't hold him for long. Your mother also tried to protect you, getting herself killed in reward. That monster then tried to kill you. Nobody understands how it happened, but you were only lightly injured, getting that scar on your forehead, while the murderer vanished. Some believe he was killed by his own curse. Others believe he was just severely weakened and is hiding. You were left on my doorstep a day later."
Petunia was crying again. Harry was feeling a fury he had never felt before. His parents were murdered! He would make sure that the villain, if he ever returned, would be punished! He hugged his aunt fiercely. "I will protect you," he promised solemnly.
"I know," she said, kissing his unruly black hair.
Vernon peeked into the room some time later. He found Petunia hugging a sleeping Harry, both their faces tear-stained.
"You told him?" he asked, knowing the answer already.
Petunia just nodded.
He helped her undress the child and put him in bed, adding a kiss on his forehead before hugging his wife tenderly and leading her to their own room.
Harry didn't mention it the next day. He acted normally the whole day. Only Petunia noticed some changes. Harry seemed more focused on his studies than before and his aura seemed to change a bit. She wished she could interpret the change.
–..–
Both her children made her proud with their grades. Harry's were higher, as expected, but Dudley didn't lag much, which was a pleasant surprise. The teachers even praised her for raising the two children to be so cooperative, helping each other with everything. Harry also liked to help other children who were tackling difficulties, gaining some additional praise.
'He's so much like his mother!' she thought, feeling both proud and sad. How much she would have liked Lily to see Harry and be proud of him!
–..–
With the financial help they were now getting from Dumbledore, the Dursleys could finally take the kids on a real vacation that summer. They chose to spend a week at the Spanish Riviera, finding it less costly than the French or the Italian ones. They still found a lot of British families there, many with children about the same age as their own.
Harry was intrigued by a girl who seemed extremely studious. Even on the beach, she was spending most of her time reading. This was only one cause, though. The other was her hair — it was just as unmanageable as his, but being more curly in nature, it turned out very bushy. He thought she was quite cute when reading seriously on the beach. Dudley was much more interested in joining some boys who were playing ball games. Girls were of no interest to him at this age.
Harry approached the girl. "What are you reading?" he asked.
She lifted the book so that he could see the title, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".
"Is it interesting?" he asked.
The girl looked annoyed. "It's a story, an adventure. Why should it not be interesting?"
"Some stories are boring," he said.
He seemed to have piqued her interest. "Do you read much?"
"I like reading, but my brother usually drags me to other things."
"Where is he?" she asked, not seeing anybody nearby.
"It's that boy, over there, with the striped trunks."
"The fat one? He doesn't look like you at all."
"He's not really fat. He is wide and muscular. He's not really my brother, though. He's my cousin, but we're like brothers."
"I don't have a brother… or a sister."
"Do you have parents?"
"Of course! They're there." She pointed to a couple which was playing in the water, not too far from the children.
"I don't have parents. My aunt and uncle are raising me."
The girl gasped. "Oh! You're an orphan! I'm so sorry! What happened to your parents?"
"They were murdered by an evil man. Once I grow up, I'm going to find him and put him to justice!"
"I'll help you!" the girl volunteered. She then stopped to think a bit. "That is… if you'd like me to."
"Sure, why not?" It was now his time to think. "Oh, I'm Harry Potter. What's your name?"
"I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you."
Harry moved his hand forward, intending to shake hands with the girl. She surprised him by stepping forward and hugging him briefly. She stepped back a moment later, blushing furiously. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"
"That's alright. I really liked it. Do you mind if I hug you back?" He was also blushing as much as her.
"If you want to…" she said, reddening even further.
Harry stepped forward and hugged her. It felt nice. Maybe even more than nice. She hugged him back and they stayed that way for a few seconds, before parting reluctantly. Harry thought it was a fascinating experience. No girl had hugged him before. It was very different from his aunt's hugs. It felt more… personal, maybe. Still, it was also embarrassing. He barely knew her. Then, he could get to know her better…
"Are we friends now?" she asked shyly.
"Sure, we are friends!" he said.
As they soon found out, they were staying at the same resort. Harry introduced Dudley when the latter came to urge him to join the players. Hermione introduced her parents when they came out of the water, her mother making sure her swimsuit was looking decent, and both sporting wide smiles. Later, Harry introduced his aunt and his uncle.
Petunia gasped when she noticed the girl's aura. It was the same kind as Lily's, only brighter. It was clear to her why Harry found her interesting even though boys at his age didn't usually associate with girls.
Harry tried to spend at least an hour each day with Hermione. She intrigued him and he didn't know why. He was sorry they didn't live closer and would not be able to visit each other once they went back home. They still exchanged addresses and phone numbers. He didn't understand why the adults seemed so amused, but he didn't care.
–..–
Back home, Harry was surprised to get a package by mail on his birthday. It was a beautifully illustrated book about mouth hygiene. There was an attached note.
"Dear Harry,
I know many children tend to neglect their teeth, later becoming clients of my parents. As my friend, I don't want you to have any problems with your health, so I thought this book may help you stay healthy. Happy birthday!
Love, Hermione."
Dumbledore showed some interest in this friendship and seemed worried. Petunia calmed him down. "We've met this family during our vacation. The Grangers are both dentists and the girl seems quite lonely. I'm sure that there's no harm in letting them stay friends."
Dumbledore nodded reluctantly.
Harry didn't want this friendship to be by mail only. He urged his aunt to let him visit the Grangers every four weeks and accept Hermione for the weekend in between his visits, so that they could meet every fortnight. Uncle Vernon grumbled a bit about the long drive but he couldn't really object, seeing how glad the two children were whenever they met.
Dudley was drawn to their company, seeing how much Harry enjoyed these visits. He didn't go visit the Granger residence, but he usually joined the two for some time when Hermione came to visit. He still preferred playing with other boys, though.