Oliver Night and the Philosopher Stone

The Vanishing Glass Part 3

REVIEW

While he drove, Uncle Michael complained to Aunt Ruby. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Oliver, the council, Oliver, the banks, and Oliver were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

". . . roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Oliver, remembering suddenly. "It was fly."

Uncle Michael nearly crashed into the car in front of him. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Oliver, his face like a red tomato: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"

Brain and Piers sniggered.

END OF REVIEW

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"I know they don't," said Oliver. "It was only a dream."

But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Adams hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon --- they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Adams bought Brain and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Oliver what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Oliver thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Brian, except that it wasn't blond.

Oliver had the vest morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Adams so that Brain and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Brian had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Micheal bought him another one and Oliver was allowed to finish the first.

Oliver felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.

After lunch they went to the reptile house where they say the Potters and Oliver went over to Harry after saying hello to the Potters. In the reptile house it was cool and dark, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Brian and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Brain quickly found the largest snake in the place, where the Potters and Oliver where looking. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Micheal's car and crushed it into a trash can --- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. 

Brain stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

"Make it move," Brian whined at his father, Uncle Micheal tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again," Brin ordered. Uncle Micheal rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, Mrs. Potter jumped when Uncle Micheal did, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring," Brian moaned. He shuffled away and hitting the Potters on the way. 

The Potters told Harry and Oliver that they where going to go look at the other reptiles. Oliver and Harry nodded and moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself --- no company except stupid  people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Ruby hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.