Malfoy's Secret - Book 1 (UNDER HEAVY EDITING)

Chapter 1

Privet Drive was a normal street in the quiet town of Little Whinging. There were the usual nosy neighbors, although this street had a few more than average, and got normal complaints about teenagers riding their bicycles or skateboards down the road and annoying the older people who lived there. In general, there wasn't much privacy; all the neighbors knew practically everything about everyone else.

Or so they thought.

Living in the residence of Number 4 Privet Drive came with both more privacy and less privacy all at the same time. Evelynn Potter couldn't remember the last time she'd actually talked to one of the neighbors, but she felt like she hardly got a moment where she wasn't being ordered around by her aunt or uncle. 

This was one of those few times. Living with the Dursleys meant that she'd learned to take every opportunity to be by herself and escape to her room. She was sitting next to the back patio door, reading one of the few books she owned that wasn't a school textbook, trying to ignore the sound of the tv that blared from the living room. "It is hot! That's right, hot everywhere. There's sweat, there's stifling, the sun is just burning..."

The front door opened and closed, and Petunia fondly called out, "Diddykins!" Evelynn cringed at the endearment. "Is that you?" The door to the living room was pushed open, and Harry came staggering in, carrying Dudley draped across his back. "Duddy? Vernon, come quick." Petunia hurried over to her son, pushing Harry away as she directed Dudley to a chair before grabbing a bucket for him. Evelynn got to her feet as Harry quickly got out of the way, sitting at the kitchen counter. She had to admit, Dudley looked terrible, and he hadn't said a word since he'd entered the house either. 

"What happened?" she asked lowly. 

"We were attacked by Dementors."

Evelynn gaped in surprise. "What?" 

"Who did this to you, boy?" Dudley whimpered quietly, then lifted a finger to point at Harry. "Happy, are we now?" Vernon demanded. "Eh? You've finally done it. You've finally driven him loopy!"

"Vernon! Don't say that!" Petunia exclaimed. 

"Well, j-just look at him, Petunia. Our boy has gone yumpy!" Honestly, Evelynn thought that was a bit of an overstatement. Dudley mostly just looked to be in shock, which was reasonable considering he'd just had an encounter with Dementors. That was enough to rattle anyone. "I've reached my limit, do you hear?" Vernon continued. "This is the last I'm gonna take of you and your nonsense! The both of you!"

Evelynn opened her mouth to argue that she hadn't even done anything, but she was interrupted by an owl swooping through the patio door. It dropped a letter onto the couch before it collapsed to the floor itself, quickly getting up again and ruffling its feathers indignantly. It left through the patio as the letter floated off the couch, hovering closer to Harry as the back of the envelope shaped itself into what looked like a face. "Dear Mr. Potter. The Ministry has received intelligence that at 6:23 this evening, you performed the Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle. As a clear violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hoping you are well, Mafalda Hopkirk." 

The letter turned back into a regular envelope and fell to the floor, causing Vernon to grin victoriously. "Justice."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Well, that was exciting," Evelynn commented from her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. 

Harry slammed his fist against the door, causing Hedwig to screech when the wooden frame rattled, and a picture frame to fall off the dresser. "Sorry Hedwig," he murmured, picking the frame up gently.