Dudley's eights birthday went as usual. Harry only helped his aunt serve the guests and clean after them. He had never been in good terms with Dudley, and the boy didn't consider him a friend, despite having grown together.
Harry didn't mind it, though. His aunt made sure that he tasted of everything before taking it out of the kitchen, and gave him a part of her own piece of the birthday cake.
She didn't know that Harry gave some of it to the snake mother, who was now caring for six hatchlings, one of which she intended to raise to become Harry's familiar.
As Harry was growing, the cupboard under the stairs was becoming too small for him. While he could stretch to his full length during the previous summer and still have room to spare, by now he couldn't even lie straight on his back without bending his legs a bit. He didn't complain, but his aunt noticed that he needed a better place.
She even told him one early morning. "When you've just been brought here, I thought this was a temporary arrangement, until a better one was found. I knew your parents would have liked you to grow in a different environment than here. Putting you there, close to the kitchen, where I could hear if you cried, seemed a good idea. When you started showing some 'freakishness', your uncle wanted to get rid of you in whatever way he could. I convinced him this was only a temporary arrangement, although I was no longer sure about it myself. I now think we owe you a better place. I'll talk with Vernon soon. Let's hope it will go well."
The time came another evening, when Dudley stayed with a friend and Harry was sent to bed.
"You know, school will soon start checking on the living conditions of the students," Petunia said.
"Why should I care? Dudley has way more than standard living conditions. There's nothing they could find amiss there."
"Have you forgotten? Harry also lives here. I don't think they would find his living conditions adequate."
Vernon fumed. "Why should I care about that freak? I didn't want him here to start with and for all I care, he could just go out and never come back. He should be thankful for whatever he gets here."
"I know you didn't want him here, but he is here and he's our legal responsibility, whether we like it or not. Legally, we should treat him as if he is our son, just as we treat Dudley."
"Are you suggesting I take him to watch football or to visit my sister?"
Petunia sighed. "No, but mainly because he's not interested. I do suggest we give him a proper room of his own, where he could do his homework, not needing the kitchen table. Besides, if any 'freakishness' pops up, it's safer in a separate room, where it could only harm him, than under the stairs, where it can damage the whole house."
"We don't have another room, you know."
"Well, Dudley should really learn to use only his room. He doesn't need the second bedroom, where he only stores his junk. We could make it into a proper bedroom for the boy."
Vernon's grumble could be heard quite clearly.
"Otherwise you risk exposing his living conditions. You don't want to lose face, being charged with child abuse, do you?"
"Fine. Let the boy clear the room. I'll buy what he may need on garage sales during the weekend."
Dudley was less than happy when ordered to take back to his bedroom whatever he wanted to keep. Harry cleared the rest – practically the whole stuff. The room, although slightly smaller than Dudley's, was more than adequate, as far as he could see. Vernon bought a second-hand bed and an old desk with drawers. These were a far cry from what Dudley had in his room, but Harry found them comfortable enough. He even managed to make the desk more stable by wishing its shorter leg to lengthen to the length of the other three. Surprisingly, it seemed to work.
Petunia checked every step. She made sure the room was sparkling clean before allowing the new furniture in, after making sure it was also as clean as can be. She even managed to find an old carpet for Harry's new room. After making the final checking, she closed the door. "Harry, there's something I feel I should ask you to promise me."
Harry looked at her, his confusion showing.
"I want you to promise not to flaunt your talents, what Vernon calls 'freakishness', in front of Dudley. I know that jealousy can destroy lives. It almost destroyed mine. I don't want Dudley to be jealous of you, if it can be avoided. Will you promise me?"
"I promise to do my best not to make Dudley jealous of my special talents," he said solemnly.
Petunia seemed to relax a bit. "He may still get envious due to you being a better student. Try to hide it, if you can. Use your special talents to make your grades seem about the same as his, if possible, but do your best at school, regardless of Dudley."
Harry nodded his acceptance.
Petunia opened the door and reverted to her usual harsh tone when speaking to him. "Make sure you keep this room as clean as it is now, boy, or you will suffer. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry replied loud and clear, to be also heard in the kitchen or in the living room.
Summer brought some more chores with it, and as Dudley was usually at home, there was no way to avoid them. Still, Harry didn't mind much. He loved the garden, and he now had some friendly snakes there. He also learned to love cooking. After having visited a restaurant, where the food wasn't as tasty as Petunia's, he was starting to appreciate the art of cooking. It also allowed him to eat some more, especially at times other methods were not as effective in giving him the food his growing body needed.
And he did grow up nicely. The clothes they had bought in London became too small by mid-spring and even his newer clothes, those bought at the mall, were starting to look too small as summer progressed. His feet were also growing, making his shoes too tight. That was especially troublesome for running, which he continued practicing devotedly each morning.
By now he was already rounding the neighborhood twice in less than half an hour, yet he dared not go too far. He also started exercising his upper body more intensely, gaining some muscles in his arms and torso. These also meant that his old clothes were becoming too tight. He found himself opting for Dudley's rejects more often than he liked.
"I'm going to London for shopping tomorrow. I'm taking the boy to help me." Petunia informed her husband on the 30th of July. "Take Dudley to eat out, as I may be late home."
"We need to brew a new batch of the household potions, so we're also going to visit Diagon Alley," his aunt told him quietly. "Make sure to take all those coins with you."
Harry didn't think much of the date. His birthday had always been a negligible event for his relatives and he had come to expect nothing of it. He did his usual morning run and took a shower before accompanying his aunt to the train.
"I want to hide your scar this time. Do you mind?" she asked while on the train.
"I don't care," he said. That scar had been with him for as long as he could remember, and it did give a nagging pain, which he had long learned to ignore, quite regularly. The school nurse had tried to treat it a few times, getting no results.
Petunia put a band-aid on his forehead, covering his scar with the skin-color material. She then took her makeup kit and used it to mask the place a little better. She stood back and checked her work critically. "Nobody will notice anything unless looking very closely," she finally said.
Diagon Alley seemed even more fabulous this time. Summer made everything more brilliant. Even the goblins guarding the bank didn't seem so grumpy, yet Petunia didn't go in this time. Instead, she looked for the bookshop, where she asked for some simple potion books, as well as books for teaching young children about magic.
Harry was quite interested in books. His time in the library had shown him the advantages books could give him. He was now eager to find something new. His aunt allowed him to look around, as long as he stayed inside the store. He wandered aimlessly, finding himself in the section holding story books for young children. Some books had a drawing on their cover which looked familiar: a boy with dark, messy hair and a lightning scar. Looking closer he saw the titles: "Harry Potter and the Dragons", "Harry Potter and the Wand Thieves, "Harry Potter and the Stolen Cauldrons".
He looked for his aunt, who was already paying for her purchases at the cash. "Aunt Petunia, I think you should look at these."
She followed him back and took a look at the various books. She selected two and paid for them as well before leaving the store.
"It's quite hot today. I think some ice-cream would be nice. Don't you agree?" she asked.
Harry was surprised as she led him to the ice-cream parlor, where many children of all ages were enjoying the frozen delight, along with many adults. Petunia ordered a small vanilla cone for herself. "I want to give the child a large portion," she told the man at the counter. "What would you like?" she asked Harry.
He was almost stunned silent. Never had he been presented with such a large selection, all for him to choose. Yet he recovered nicely, choosing several chocolate flavors as well as strawberry, mango, and orange, all topped with a crust of chocolate and tiny colorful candy.
As they found a place to sit, his aunt whispered in his ear, "Happy Birthday, Harry."
There was no talking while enjoying the ice-cream. Petunia finished first, as expected. She made sure that her hands and face were clean, and then browsed through the two last books they had bought, frowning deeply. Harry was not yet through half his portion.
"Harry, I want to ask something at the bookstore. Wait here for me and don't go anywhere with anybody. Call for help if somebody tries to force you. Understood?"
Harry nodded seriously, his mouth too full to answer.
Petunia returned with a grin before he had a chance to finish, although the remains of his portion were already dripping. She waited for him to enjoy the last bit before helping him clean his face and his hands. Harry was attentive enough not to stain his clothes.
They left Diagon Alley after buying the potion ingredients they had in mind. Harry noticed that there were still a few gold coins left, although he had no clue about their value.
"It's shopping time!" Petunia declared, as they approached a large department store.
Harry expected to go visit the women-wear department first, yet Petunia led him to the boys' department. She bought him a new wardrobe, buying some items in a size or two larger, to account for his growth spurts. He was even more surprised as she bought him a new watch and a few games.
Noting his surprise, Petunia explained, "It's your birthday today. Isn't it?"
They visited the optical department next. Petunia chose new eyeglasses for him, very similar to his old set, but much sturdier. She then had the eyeglasses fitted with appropriate lenses, through which the world looked much clearer. Harry thought this was the best present so far.
They ate a late lunch at a nearby diner. It had less variety than the restaurant they had visited in the winter, but the food was tastier and the servings were larger.
Finally, Petunia led him to the women department. "I'm sorry, but we must do some shopping here, or Vernon will get suspicious," she apologized.
They didn't spend much time there. Petunia had several items on her list and was very efficient at finding them. Half an hour later they were out, with several more shopping bags.
"Let's see if we can find something nice," Petunia said, stopping in front of a ticket booth. Harry wasn't sure what she had in mind, yet a few minutes later, he understood. "I've bought us tickets for the cinema. It's not too far away and we have time for a quick supper before the film starts.
The quick supper was much larger than they usually ate at home. Petunia only ate about half her serving. Harry finished his, just barely. Yet he had another surprise, as a waitress brought a small cake for him, singing, "Happy birthday to you."
While waiting for the film to start, Petunia began repacking their shopping. She put Harry's new clothes in the shopping bags with women wear markings and hid the books under the clothes. This had the additional benefit of lowering the number of bags they had to carry.
By the time they reached home, Dudley was already sleeping and Vernon was barely holding his eyes open. Harry had caught a nap on the train, which helped him respond promptly to his aunt's commands to put everything in place. When he finally lay in bed, he thought this was the best birthday ever.