Chapter 156: Explanations!!
At the end of the letter sent by Sirius Black, there was a small note:
Note: I hope we've put enough stamps.
Uncle Vernon finished reading the letter, then dug into his pocket and pulled out something else, grumbling, "Look at this!!"
He held up the envelope Sirius had used to send the letter. Harry had to suppress a laugh. The envelope was completely covered in stamps, except for a tiny space where Sirius had written the Dursleys' address.
Trying to sound normal, Harry said, "He put enough stamps, then."
Vernon's eyes gleamed as he ground his teeth. "The postman noticed, and he was curious to know where this letter came from. That's why he rang the doorbell. He must have thought it would be funny."
Harry said nothing. Most people would not understand why Vernon was so angry about the abundance of stamps, but living with him all these years had taught Harry to know just how sensitive he and his wife and their son were to anything unusual.
Their greatest fear was that someone would discover any connection even a distant one to people like Sirius Black.
Vernon continued staring at Harry, who tried to appear unaffected, waiting for him to say something. When Vernon remained silent, Harry finally asked, "So… can I go?"
Vernon's enormous crimson face tightened, his mustache and fatty cheeks quivering. Harry realized two thoughts were fighting inside his uncle's mind.
If he allowed Harry to go with Sirius and attend the match, it would make Harry happy a thing Vernon had tried to prevent for thirteen years. (Damn it, Vernon! Your mind is still like a child's, haha!)
On the other hand, if he let him go, he could get rid of Harry for the remaining two weeks of summer and have time to think. He looked at Sirius's letter again and muttered, "Who is this man?"
Harry replied, "This man is my godfather. He was a close friend of my late father, and he is also the father of a friend of mine at… at school…"
He almost said "Hogwarts," which would have infuriated Vernon even more. No one had ever uttered that name in the house.
Vernon looked at the letter again and muttered, "Quidditch… what is that?"
"It's a sport played on… on broomsticks," Harry replied, annoyed.
Vernon interrupted, panic evident in his voice at the thought of Harry explaining further. Harry was secretly thrilled. "Fine… fine."
Then Vernon asked, "And what does he mean by the normal way?"
Harry quickly answered, "It means the usual way for us owl post is the standard method of communication for wizards."
Vernon's face twisted with displeasure. He shook his head angrily and looked toward the window, worried a neighbor might be eavesdropping.
He whispered, "How many times must I tell you not to mention any of this nonsense under the roof of this house?! You stand here wearing the clothes we gave you, Petunia and I, and…"
Harry answered coldly, "Well, the clothes don't fit me properly anymore."
Indeed, Harry was wearing a sweater so large he had to fold the sleeves five times just to use his hands, and his trousers were so long and wide he had to bend the ends.
Vernon replied, trembling with anger, "You mustn't speak to me like that!"
But Harry was no longer willing to endure it. The days of obeying every Dursley rule were over. He would not allow Vernon to stop him from going with his godfather, Sirius Black, to his new home and attending the Quidditch World Cup Final, as long as he could resist.
He took a deep breath and said, "Fine… I won't just watch the World Cup can I go back to my room now? I have a letter to write to Sirius… my godfather, as you know!"
He did it. He uttered the magic words, watching the blood rise in Vernon's face. His fury intensified. "You… you're writing to him?!"
Vernon tried to appear calm, but Harry could see the fear in his eyes. "Yes. If I don't write to him regularly, he might think something bad has happened."
Harry paused, enjoying the effect of this statement on Vernon. He could almost see the battle of thoughts in Vernon's mind: If he prevented Harry from writing, Sirius would assume Harry was mistreated. If he refused to let him go live with Sirius, Harry would inform Sirius of Vernon's opposition. Vernon had no choice but to allow it.
Originally, Harry hadn't even planned to write a letter. Now, knowing Sirius would come to collect him, there was no reason not to.
Vernon finally said, "Fine… then… you can go. Write to this man and tell him to come and pick you up. I don't have time to take you across the country. You can spend the rest of the summer there."
Harry replied, "Fine!"
He turned toward the living room door, trying not to jump with excitement. He would go to Sirius Black's home, meet his friend Albert, and attend the Quidditch World Cup Final.
(The next chapter will be the last one covering this event between Harry and the Dursleys!)