A matter of Law

17

Petunia Dursley sat in her cell looking at the registered letter the Warden had just delivered to her. She and Vernon had been in this jail for two weeks now, and she had only seen her solicitor once since then. Hoping the letter could tell her when she and Vernon would be going home, she opened the envelope. Skimming past the usual greeting, she began to read the enclosed letter. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she read the contents.

Mrs. Dursley, it is with regret that I must terminate my services as your solicitor. Unfortunately the payment requested by my firm was denied when sent to your bank. Upon investigation, and in an attempt to find a reason why the payment for the retainer was denied, my firm was informed by the bank that the account held by you and your husband Mr. Vernon Dursley has been frozen pending the outcome of an audit.

It is my recommendation that you show this letter to the Magistrate who will be hearing your case, so you may ask for either a Public Defender or information for a solicitor who will act on your behalf pro bono.

Sincerely,

James Tiberius Hooke

She didn't know how, but she was certain this was all that little freak's fault. Until he disappeared, and she still had no idea how he'd done that, she and Vernon had never even been accused of neglecting keeping the yard tidy. Now she and Vernon were in jail, poor little Dudley didn't have his Mummy or Daddy to take care of him, and even if they were released, they wouldn't have any money to buy the things they needed. Why did it matter if the little freak didn't eat as much as her Dudley? Dudley was a growing boy; he needed the extra food to be strong.

There's also the bare possibility that if the little freak doesn't eat much, he won't turn out like my oh so perfect sister Lily. Mum and Dad should have never let her go to that freak school.

On the other side of the jail, Vernon Dursley was reading a very similar letter from his own solicitor. He scowled as he thought about his bank account being frozen. He didn't like the sound of an audit at all; he and Petunia could lose more than just access to their bank account, there was a possibility that whoever did the audit could find he'd never declared the money the old coot that left that little freak with them had been giving them every month for years.

No, he didn't like the sound of an audit at all.

OOO

Kyle Stanton was sitting in his office when his assistant knocked on the door. Looking up from the parchment he had been reading, he nodded for her to enter.

"What is it, Deborah?"

"An owl just delivered this, Mr. Stanton. I wanted to bring it to you right away in case it was important."

"Thank you Deborah. I won't be requiring your help for a bit, so why don't you take an early lunch and have a decent tea for once?"

"I think I'll do that Mr. Stanton, thank you."

Opening the letter, Kyle began to read. Within a few words, he had pulled a piece of parchment out and began taking notes.

Mr. Stanton:

We have completed the audit you requested for Vernon and Petunia Dursley. We compared the amounts of their stated expenses as well as Vernon Dursley's known income from his employment, and it would seem that Account Manager Krogund was correct in his suspicions.

From the beginning of January 1980 until the month of October 1981 there had been regular payments to Garden Financial Group, and payments then stopped completely. Garden Financial Group is the development company which built all of the houses in the area in which the Dursleys live, and arranged for mortgages allowing people to buy the houses that were built. Garden Financial Group was founded by Lily Janet Potter nee Evans. It was her idea to give the streets in that area names related to gardening, such as Wisteria Walk, Privet Drive, Magnolia Crescent, etc. Almost all of the mortgages for that area have been paid off completely, with two exceptions: the house in which Vernon and Petunia Dursley reside, located at Number four Privet Drive, and a house that you purchased recently. There is however, one house which was never offered for sale, located on Wisteria Walk. This house was intended for Lily Potter's parents, who passed away before they could take possession. Although it should have remained empty, as it was never sold to a buyer or rented to a tenant, this house has been occupied since December of 1981 by a Ms. Arabella Figg. All attempts to discover how or why Ms. Figg was able to take possession of the property have proven unsuccessful, as Garden Financial Group has no record of either a rental agreement or mortgage in her name; employees have reported being unable to approach the property to rectify the situation through eviction or a formal lease of rental or mortgage.