Chapter 266: End of Summer and The Dursley Family Chronicles
The hottest day of summer was about to end with oppressive heat.
On the Muggle streets, those square houses were shrouded in drowsy silence.
The lush green lawns had been scorched yellow by the intense summer heat, and due to the severe drought, few people used watering hoses.
In Devon, Little Whinging, Privet Drive.
A famously resentful boy was rummaging through trash bins for newspapers with obvious desperation.
Petunia and Vernon couldn't understand Harry's daily news-watching behaviour. After all, fifteen-year-old British kids should be spending time with cartoons and the Premier League.
Unable to stand it, Petunia and Vernon mocked this nephew who had suddenly become interested in current events.
Left with no choice, Harry was forced to hide under flower beds to secretly listen to the news.
"Today's celebrities are really exaggerated... they repeatedly broadcast even the tiniest things," Petunia criticised with obvious disdain.
"Those neighbours too, wasting water every day, and these workers constantly on strike. If it were me, I'd make them lose their jobs forever."
As a middle-class couple, Vernon and Petunia clearly had different views on the TV news.
Outside the window, Harry saw the TV starting to show swimming parrots, figured there wouldn't be anything worth listening to next, and prepared to get up and leave.
Meanwhile, Mundungus, who had been assigned by Dumbledore to protect Harry, had used Apparition to slip away due to some stolen goods business.
The spatial fluctuations and explosive sounds made Harry alert. He shot up and pulled out his wand with obvious caution.
Then his head banged into the windowsill, swelling up with a large bump.
"Get in here," Vernon said, hearing the commotion and opening the window, thinking Harry was causing trouble and wanting to drag him inside.
But during their struggle, Harry suddenly felt his scar hurt with sharp pain.
Vernon felt an electric current pass from his nephew's body, making him let go immediately.
"Enough! What exactly are you doing, sneaking around all day?" Vernon asked, losing his temper.
"Listening to the news," Harry replied simply.
"Ha, for people like you, there probably isn't any news worth hearing."
Petunia approached Harry, bent down and said to him with obvious contempt.
"We're not idiots. Don't think we don't know... those plague birds are delivering messages to you."
"Oh, you're not idiots? Now that's really news," Harry shot back with obvious venom.
After the argument ended, Harry angrily returned to his bedroom and viciously kicked a cabinet.
Then he ended up with both a sore head and a sore foot.
To better receive news, Harry even paid to subscribe to the Daily Prophet with his own money.
He only ever read the front page, hoping the Ministry would promptly publicise Voldemort's return, but unfortunately his hopes were destined to be dashed.
Outside, the sound of owls came again with familiar hooting.
A greyish owl crashed into the window... it was the Weasley family's owl.
Having spent the entire summer on edge, Harry eagerly anticipated what news the owl might bring.
Opening the letter, inside was a chocolate cake and a note.
Harry couldn't wait to unfold the letter and read it with growing excitement.
About that matter, we can't say much... someone told us not to mention anything important; it might be intercepted... We're very busy... hope to see you soon.
Harry still couldn't gather any information from the letter, and he could sense between the lines that Ron and Hermione seemed to be getting quite close.
The two were sneaking around doing something together. Three-person friendships really were crowded... even though Harry was far away on Privet Drive, he could feel the sense of alienation.
This strange emotion made Harry angrily throw the chocolate cake in the trash, though he regretted it later when faced with that evening's diet meal.
The next day, Harry wandered aimlessly near the park with obvious boredom.
He thought this summer had been absolutely terrible. As a warrior who had escaped from death's door:
Digging through trash bins for newspapers every day, touring Avada's dreamscape every night, frequently dreaming of Aiden being killed.
Enduring Petunia's bland cooking every day, receiving no news, throwing away chocolate himself, and seeing no results from his investment in the twins' joke shop.
After this entire summer, Harry was thoroughly resentful, though fortunately he had unique ways to vent.
In the distance, Dudley with his gang had evolved from a young whale to a strong young man after a year of dieting.
He had practised boxing and even won a boxing competition medal at school.
During this vacation, he outwardly told the Dursley couple he was going to study and have tea with classmates.
In reality, he led his gang in vandalising public property, bullying younger kids, and causing trouble around the neighbourhood.
At this moment, Dudley was once again approaching Harry with his gang.
Dudley strode powerfully forward, surrounded by his gang... quite intimidating.
"Oh, if it isn't our little Duddy. Where are you off to?" Harry asked with obvious teasing.
"Hey, who are you?" "How dare you talk to our D-boss like that?"
The little thugs behind Dudley immediately defended him with obvious aggression.
Clearly, Harry knew Dudley was afraid of him, while Dudley's cronies didn't know Dudley was afraid of Harry, and Harry knew that Dudley's cronies didn't know Dudley was afraid of Harry.
Therefore, whenever Harry mocked Dudley, he could watch Dudley's expression shift from anger to unease to being caught between a rock and a hard place for the sake of face.
This was Harry's rare source of entertainment during the summer.
"Shut up!" Dudley roared at Harry with obvious frustration.
"Out bullying little kids again today? Nine-year-olds or ten-year-olds?" Harry taunted mercilessly.
"They deserved it!" Dudley said with obvious anger.
"Why's that? Did someone else say you look like a pig that learnt to stand up?" Harry continued mocking.
"You... you..." Dudley stammered, so angry he became incoherent.
"Hey, that wasn't an insult, because it's the truth," Harry said, his green eyes revealing his obvious amusement.
Pushed to his limit, Dudley fought back, saying with desperate malice:
"Well, do you think you're so clever with words? At least I'm not like some people who howl and wail every night. At least I'm not afraid of my own pillow."
"Hahahaha!" Dudley's gang began mocking Harry with obvious cruelty.
"Don't kill Aiden! Speaking of which, who is Aiden... your boyfriend?" Dudley continued his counterattack.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Harry said angrily, rushing forward and pressing his wand against Dudley's chin.
"Hahahaha, little stick!" The nearby thugs still wanted to continue mocking.
But just then, the sky was suddenly covered by dense clouds. Sunlight retreated into the clouds, making the entire park dim.
Strong winds began blowing around them, swirling scraps of paper into the air.
"What did you do!" Dudley asked with obvious trembling.
"I don't know!" Harry said, looking around nervously.
"Looks like a storm's coming." "Let's go, D-boss."
The surrounding thugs called out to Dudley, but they had no intention of waiting for him and scattered in all directions.
Before long, rain began falling from the sky. Harry and Dudley had no choice but to run and take shelter under a bridge tunnel.