NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: No More
Number four Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, was just like any other house on the block – perfectly normal in a perfectly normal neighborhood.
Inside this seemingly typical home resided what appeared to be an ordinary family – a mother, a father, and their freshly turned eleven-year-old son. However, appearances can be deceiving.
Within the confines of the house, a different reality unfolded. As every local knew, there was an additional resident – a supposed troublemaker named Harry Potter. The boy's outward appearance matched the description of a delinquent: he darted around in tattered clothes, his unruly hair never quite presentable, and mischievous green eyes always seeking some kind of mischief.
The locals' perception of Harry was largely influenced by the tales spun by Petunia Dursley, the woman inhabiting number four. Over tea, she regaled her gossiping friends with stories painting Harry as a misfit, perpetuating the narrative of his troubled existence.
According to the Dursleys, Harry Potter was an orphan whose parents had tragically perished in a car crash, caused by their own drunken driving – at least, that's what they disclosed to the neighbors.
Taking on the responsibility as the boy's sole living relatives, the Dursleys portrayed themselves as benevolent souls, commendable for embracing their orphaned nephew and attempting to mold him into a respectable member of society.
However, a closer inspection would reveal a stark contrast to the narrative. Instead of a simple troublemaker, Harry Potter emerged as a remarkably intelligent and astute child. He had to be, navigating the thin line to avoid excessive mistreatment from his supposed family.
From an early age, Harry noticed peculiar occurrences around him. At six, he turned his teacher's wig blue as a response to her berating. Despite Dudley being the real troublemaker, Harry bore the brunt of accusations, shielded by Vernon Dursley's status at Grunnings.
By the age of seven, Harry found himself on the school roof while evading his cousin Dudley and his gang of bullies.
His aunt and uncle had doled out harsh punishment for that, even as Harry insisted repeatedly that he had no clue how he ended up there, just attempting to leap behind a trashcan.
Then a ghastly-looking jumper, orange with maroon baubles, had shrunk as his aunt attempted to cram him into it.
And that wasn't the end of it. Numerous individuals, clad in strange cloaks, appeared to recognize him. They greeted him, with one man even bowing to him once.
Whenever these peculiar incidents occurred, Harry faced repercussions.
Most of the time, he found himself confined in the cupboard under the stairs, which also served as his bedroom. Occasionally, when Vernon was in an exceedingly foul mood, he'd be subjected to a beating with a belt.
That had ceased when Harry turned nine and, in a fit of rage over an unjust punishment, somehow rendered Vernon immobile.
From then on, the Dursleys were even more unpleasant, but the punishments never turned physical again. They feared that something more severe might unfold.
Harry contemplated these occurrences. They consistently transpired when he experienced anger or fear. There had to be an emotional trigger for his strange power. Whenever he felt intense emotions, it manifested.
He was certain it was his power; otherwise, the Dursleys wouldn't consistently berate him for being a freak and admonish him not to engage in what he did.
He delved into research at the local library but found nothing resembling his strange power.
The Dursleys held secrets, but they remained tight-lipped. They despised him, and the feeling was mutual. How he longed to escape and live elsewhere. Yet, at ten years old, with his eleventh birthday two weeks away, the prospect seemed impossible.
He couldn't start working yet to earn the money he needed to escape from them. The only option available to him was doing chores for neighbors. However, with the Dursleys constantly spreading lies about him, nobody was willing to let him help.
In his mind, they were all like sheep—blindly following the Dursleys' false narrative. Adults always seemed to trust other adults, never giving credence to a child who dared to speak differently. Any attempt to set the record straight resulted in being labeled a liar.
No, he couldn't put his trust in adults. All his anonymous letters to the police were either ignored or dismissed by Vernon, who skillfully portrayed himself as the model family man, deflecting any suspicion.
But Harry was determined to turn the tables on them. He would make them regret their mistreatment of him. However, to do so, he needed resources.
So, Harry began researching the types of jobs that offered the highest pay and societal influence. Fortunately, the librarian saw potential in him, perhaps because the library was conveniently located on the other side of Little Whinging, shielding it from the Dursleys' fabricated tales.
Every intriguing job he discovered shared a common requirement—excellent grades, university education, and a well-established social network. The plan was hatched when Harry was just eight years old. From that moment, he transformed his academic performance, excelling in every class.
No longer playing the fool, Harry faced the Dursleys' wrath head-on. He endured punishment, but he knew that no matter what he did, they would find a reason to torment him. So, he walked a delicate line, making sure that if they overstepped, the teachers would take notice.
Harry ascended to the top of his class. With no friends due to Dudley's intimidation tactics, he sought solace in the school's library during his free time. Every book became a new passion as he immersed himself in learning, driven by the determination to prove to his cousin Dudley just how much smarter he truly was.