An unexpected appearance (on Hold)

Before Hogwarts (Part II)

                                                                     Third Person's Pov

Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, wassitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, onthe way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and unclehadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, butbefore they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.  

'I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple faceright up close to Harry's, 'I'm warning you now, boy – any funnybusiness, anything at all – and you'll be in that cupboard fromnow until Christmas.''I'm not going to do anything,' said Harry, 'honestly ...'But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.

Everyone gave Harry a sympathetic look as if to say "Now you don't have to deal with these assholes anymore"

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia.He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, thecouncil, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favouritesubjects.

 This morning, it was motorbikes.'... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,' he said,as a motorbike overtook them.

 'I had a dream about a motorbike,' said Harry, rememberingsuddenly. 'It was flying.'Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turnedright around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a giganticbeetroot with a moustache, 'MOTORBIKES DON'T FLY!' 

"They do" Sirius said glaring at Uncle Vernon.

Dudley and Piers sniggered.

 'I know they don't,' said Harry.

 'It was only a dream.' 

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded withfamilies. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolateice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady inthe van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurryhim away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly.

 It wasn't badeither, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratchingits head "Isn't it looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it isn't blond"Harry said making everyone laugh. 

Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He wascareful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudleyand Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals bylunch-time, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hittinghim. 

They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had atantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed tofinish the first. "That's so mean!" James exclaimed seeing how these filthy muggles(not that he is prejudiced, but they are prejudiced) treated their son .

 Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all toogood to last.After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and darkin here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, allsorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bitsof wood and stone. 

Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonouscobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quicklyfound the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped itsbody twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a dustbin– but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it wasfast asleep. 

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring atthe glistening brown coils. 

'Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tappedon the glass, but the snake didn't budge.'Do it again,' Dudley ordered.