Heri couldn't abide liars; she didn't have the patience to deal with divining the truth out of them. In her way of thinking, the world would be a far less complicated place to live if lying didn't exist. That was not to say that she didn't see the use of deception, but speaking falsehoods was a wretched habit.
Besides wanting to live in a simpler world, Heri hated liars for the fact that Dudley was the biggest liar she ever had the displeasure of knowing. He spewed lies so often, Heri would stop to double-check if he said the sky was blue. What was even worse was the fact that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon swallowed down all of Dudley's lies without a thought, believing him for no other reason than that he was their son. Heri thought that the fact that he was their son was reason enough to not believe a word he said.
What's more, Dudley loved to tells lies about Heri. He told the lunch monitor that she stole another child's cupcake even with the frosting smeared on his cheeks. He told the teachers that she stole his homework to turn in even though the assignment in question was clearly written in her handwriting. He told his parents that she broke his toys even though she had never so much as touched of that she could live with. What she wouldn't accept was him calling her a liar when she denied his claim of her being the real reason he was sent home with a note.
A new student had still been fresh enough to the system to report to his teacher and parents that Dudley was bullying him. Dudley was only reprimanded at first, but the fact that someone told on him and received justice brought forth a slew of other children coming out of the wood-works to call Dudley out. The number of students alone, never mind the severity of what they were accusing him of, was enough to pin him down with several detentions and a note for his parents for a parent-teacher conference.
Once at home, Dudley — ever the deceptive one — gave his mother the note but immediately tacked on that the school had it all wrong and that it was actually Heri that had been bullying the other children, that Dudley had only been trying to stop her. When she refuted it he called her a liar. Such a claim had Heri's blood boiling.
"How dare you say such a thing?!" Heri shouted, her fists clenched tightly. She was filled with outrage that seemed bigger than her body. She had never been so angry before. "How dare you call me a liar when you don't even know how to make a true statement?!"
Petunia swelled in self-righteous indignity. She drew her son into her side as she snapped, "You dare call my son a liar? As if a rotten brat like you could say anything against my little angel!"
Heri was too fed up with it all to be cowed by a shouting adult.
"You'd believe him if he told you they were cancelling Mondays! I'm not surprised you'd believe even though half the things he's in trouble for I couldn't possibly have done!"
"Like what? More assignment stealing and breaking things I'm sure!"
"I certainly couldn't gather up his stupid friends and pants a boy in the boys' loo!" Heri jeered. "I certainly couldn't beat up on half the kids in our year and then threaten them to keep quiet!"
Heri glared harshly at her cousin who actually flinched under the look.
"How exactly just like a stupid boy! I have never said anything before about you blaming me for all the horrible nonsense you get up to, Dudley Dursley, but I will not be called a LIAR!"
"Keep your nasty mouth shut, girl!" Aunt Petunia shrieked.
At this time, likely the neighbours both next door and across the street heard their raised voices. Petunia Dursley was known for her shrill voice and Heri had no desire to hold herself back.
"I WILL NOT!" bellowed Heri. She stomped over to the door and threw it open.
"Go ask!" Heri gestured violently outside. "Go ask anybody — neighbours, children, teachers — and they will tell you exactly what kind of child you've raised! Open your ruddy eyes and see him for who he actually is! Look past your stupid delusions!"
"Get back in this house and close that door!" Aunt Petunia shouted.
By this time, neighbours had actually come out of their houses to see what was going on. Eyes were on them in morbid fascination as they screamed at each other.
"No, no, NO!" Heri stamped her foot in outrage. This temper tantrum had been a long time coming. She threw every bit of her pent-up anger at the injustice dealt to her. She glared at her cousin and snarled at him, "You tell the truth right now, Dudley Dursley, or I'll tell everyone your dirty little secrets! Don't think I don't know about the times you stole money from your mum's purse!"
Aunt Petunia had quite enough of making a spectacle and bodily dragged Heri back into the house. Heri went kicking and screaming.
Suffice to say that was the last time anyone tried to call Heri a liar. Her aunt and uncle were too frightened of the neighbours thinking badly of them and Dudley was too traumatised by all his deceptions coming back to haunt him to even bother her anymore.
The first time Heri spoke with the spirit that watched over her she was running around in the park, evading one of the stupid boys that tried to kiss her. It was after school on Friday and she had been told before she left for school that day that her aunt and uncle were taking Dudley to see the dentist in the afternoon, so Heri could do whatever the hell she wanted until they got back later. Her usual babysitter, Mrs. Figg, was too sick to watch her that day. She had taken the opportunity to play in the park without Dudley hogging all the good equipment.