Harry on the way home with the Dursleys

Harry followed Uncle Vernon out of the train station and saw Aunt Petunia and Dudley waiting in the car. At the sight of Dudley, Harry immediately wished he could go back to Hogwarts. But he followed silently behind a grumpy Uncle Vernon and climbed into the car next to Dudley.

“No funny stuff, Potter,” Dudley said, eyeing Harry suspiciously, and Harry noticed his cousin’s voice had dropped an octave. With the loss of an octave he had gained at least fifty pounds to his already hefty exterior. In his mouth hung a large chocolate bar, which reminded Harry of the chocolate frog he bought on the train ride back to London.

He cautiously slipped it out of his pocket to keep it from melting, trying desperately to keep Dudley from seeing it. But Aunt Petunia said suddenly, “What have you got, you wicked boy?”

Before Harry could say anything or shove it back in his pocket, Dudley snatched it out of his hand. With his mouth still full of his chocolate bar, he opened the wrapper and noticed immediately the card inside. “What’s this?” he asked, slowly pulling it out.

Harry panicked. He knew that Dudley would react wildly if he noticed the face moving in the card, and Aunt Petunia would surely search all his things. But he also knew he wasn’t allowed to use magic while away from Hogwarts.

“It’s a chocolate bar,” he said quickly and tried to pry it from Dudley’s hands.

“Mom! Harry’s got a chocolate bar!” he shouted, struggling to keep it.

Quickly, Harry slipped the card out of the candy bar and said, “Just keep it, Dudley,” before Aunt Petunia had time to react.

Dudley shoved it into his mouth and forgot all about the card inside. Harry, on the other hand, noticed that it was the card that Ron needed and he smiled when he thought of his friend.

Perhaps now was as good a time as any to request permission to see Ron and the Weasleys over the summer.

“Uncle Vernon?” Harry began, and Uncle Vernon grunted. “I met a friend at school, and his mother invited me to stay with them for a few weeks. Would that be all right?”

“Absolutely not!” Aunt Petunia interjected. “While you are here with us, you will not interact with anyone from that school, is that understood?”

Harry’s face was hot. It was all he had to look forward to and just like that he was shot down.

“Now wait a minute, Petunia,” Uncle Vernon began in his gruff voice. “It may work out for us to be rid of him for a few weeks this summer.”

“Yes, yes!” Dudley interjected, the chocolate melted to his lips and face. “Let’s get rid of Harry for the whole summer! Let him stay with those freaks all summer long!”

“Yes…you’re right. Less time with us means less time for him to cause us trouble. Okay, Harry. Tell us when, and we’ll drop you here and your friend’s family can pick you up.”

Harry smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said quietly, and Aunt Petunia murmured something under her breath, which was drowned out by Uncle Vernon’s grunt.