A Day at the Zoo Pt 1
Sirius took the children on his motorcycle, which had a double side seat specially adapted so they could travel comfortably and safely. As he drove with a smile on his face, he would occasionally turn his head to glance back, just to make sure everything was all right. In truth, though, the children were having a wonderful time; they laughed, pointed at the scenery, and enjoyed the feeling of the wind rushing against their helmets, which were properly fastened.
Seeing them like that made Sirius's pride swell even more. Normally, both Sally and Mor forbade him from taking the kids on his motorcycle, even though the vehicle was packed with enchantments designed to ensure their safety. Deep down, Sirius suspected that the real reason for their refusal wasn't fear of the ride itself, but rather concern over what the children might be capable of doing in the future… something both women probably sensed all too well.
After a few minutes of driving down a tree-lined road, Sirius stopped in front of a zoo. It seemed to be the place he had chosen as a surprise destination—supposedly one of the children's favorites, according to the information he'd gathered.
Harry and Percy hopped off the bike, took off their helmets, and stared at the large sign at the entrance for a few seconds, while Sirius waited nearby with a faint grin, leaning slightly to the side, eager to see their reactions.
"We've been here before," Percy said immediately.
"That's right— with Mom," added Harry, glancing at Sirius with a mix of curiosity and faint nostalgia.
Sirius instantly grew nervous, scrambling for an excuse in his mind until his eyes landed on a huge nearby sign. "There! Look! Seems like they've got new species and exciting exhibits! They even have sharks and sea turtles!" he exclaimed quickly, pointing toward it with exaggerated enthusiasm. "And… new snakes too!" he added triumphantly.
The boys' faces lit up right away—Percy, fascinated by the sea creatures, and Harry, intrigued by the snakes. For some time now, Harry had felt a strange connection with those animals, a feeling he had never really understood… but for some reason, it stirred something inside him now.
Seeing their excitement, Sirius let out a quiet sigh of relief, thankful for his lucky save, and encouraged them to go inside. The three of them strolled through the park, admiring animals they had already seen in the past, along with others that were newborns, clumsily trotting behind their parents.
Sirius bought some food so the boys could feed a few of the animals; the giraffes lowered their long necks with elegance, while the camels chewed lazily, unimpressed. The children's laughter filled the air, and Sirius couldn't help but feel genuinely happy.
However, the peaceful outing was soon interrupted when they came across people none of them wished to see. Unfortunately, the feeling was mutual: the Dursleys.
The couple and their son walked through the zoo pretending to be a happy family. The boy ran wildly from one enclosure to another, bothering the animals, throwing food at their faces, or bumping into people without the slightest care.
When their eyes met those of Percy, Harry, and Sirius, the group froze in place. Vernon's expression instantly turned sour, while Petunia's face shifted between anger and unease.
Four years earlier, when she had discovered that her nephew was living next door—and that she was, technically, supposed to be the one raising him—she had been shocked. He was, after all, the son of her late sister. But truth be told, Petunia had never felt comfortable with Harry's existence. Since that bizarre encounter four years ago, when her house had been overrun by wizards she never wanted to see again, she hadn't tried to approach him even once. If anything, she ignored him more than ever.
Dudley, meanwhile, still wore his usual scowl. At school, he and his friends used to bully Harry and Percy—until one day, Percy began taking martial arts lessons. It didn't take long for karma to strike back: one afternoon, while they were picking on Harry, who was clearly trying not to fight back, Percy showed up and single-handedly gave the four boys a beating, leaving them with black eyes and tears streaming down their faces.
The uproar that followed was immediate. Every mother complained to the school, demanding Percy's expulsion. But then someone from the government—specifically a military official—showed up to "resolve" the issue. He gave them a very clear warning: if Percy was expelled, their own children and husbands would be expelled from every institution they tried to enter as well. He presented proof of the constant bullying their kids had committed and, worse, evidence of the parents' own infractions and illegal activities.
The teacher who had always defended those boys was also fired almost instantly when it was revealed that he had been accepting bribes to boost the grades of students who paid him under the table.
Since then, the new teacher who replaced him had been someone the children already knew and genuinely liked. At last, it felt as though the era of teachers who hated them was finally over.
Even so, Dudley seemed determined to find any possible reason to get Harry and Percy expelled. Vernon, of course, wasn't far behind; his contempt ran even deeper.
He was still convinced that all the strange things that happened whenever his sister came to visit were the fault of "those two brats." He had no proof—but no doubts either. One day, he even tried confronting them, but the attempt ended with a rubber bullet to his forehead, leaving him with a bruise that lasted for weeks. It had come from one of the neighboring houses, and though he never learned who fired it, he understood the message perfectly: it was a warning.
To make matters worse, he couldn't even move out. He was trapped in an ongoing lawsuit against the State, which was suing him for millions of pounds with obviously fabricated evidence—yet so solid that even his own lawyer admitted there was no way to win. The only apparent option was to flee the country… however, every time he tried, the legal process mysteriously accelerated, forcing him to return. In the end, Vernon understood that he was being controlled.
Only by staying in that house, silent and still, could he keep what little remained of his life.
Even so, the man seemed unwilling to accept his situation and kept trying to find a way out. If he couldn't move away, then—according to his twisted logic—those "brats" and their mother should be the ones to leave. He tried everything to turn them into outcasts within the neighborhood, spreading rumors and subtle complaints whenever he had the chance.
But his plan failed spectacularly the day of the neighborhood meeting. To his surprise, half the attendees seemed to know the children's mother; some were even her coworkers or people who helped look after the kids. Vernon eventually realized that his influence there was nonexistent. Not only had he failed to drive them away; he and his family had become the true pariahs. They were trapped—unable to move, unable to advance at work, and, above all, stripped of any respect from their neighbors.
That was why he had decided to make the most of this day to "relax" with his family and take his son to the zoo. Perhaps, for a few hours, he could pretend his life was still normal.
When Sirius spotted him among the crowd, his expression darkened. He frowned at Vernon, visibly annoyed, and said in a tone dripping with irony,
"Come on, kids; let's go find the snakes. Though it seems we've already seen some grotesque creatures crawling around without needing to."
Harry and Percy followed him, stifling their laughter, while Vernon's face turned red with rage. He knew perfectly well that he couldn't do anything to that man. The day Sirius had shown up at his house, he had nearly destroyed it—and since then, Vernon had understood that it was wiser to keep his distance. Besides, the rumors about the military backing that protected the children were impossible to ignore.
"Dad, I want to see the snakes too," said Dudley, his eyes gleaming with malice, as if already plotting a way to cause trouble.
"Dudley, sweetheart, what if we go see the sharks first? You said they were cool, remember?" Vernon suggested, trying to sound calm and affectionate.
"No!" shouted Dudley, crossing his arms. "I want to see the snakes now!"
"Well, dear… all right, of course, whatever you want," Vernon replied quickly, forcing a smile before looking up to see Sirius and the boys heading straight toward the reptile area. He had no choice but to follow.
Dudley watched the two boys with a hatred far too intense for someone his age. To him, Harry and Percy had everything—and that was enough to make him despise them. He had seen things his parents thought were hidden. He clearly remembered that day, years ago, when an old man appeared out of nowhere in their garden. He remembered the military uniforms, the cars that sometimes parked in front of the neighbors' houses, and how those men treated the boys with respect—even affection.
Their mothers—or aunts, or whatever they were—were beautiful women who cared for them, trained them, and even played with real swords. When Dudley asked for one, he was given a plastic toy instead. To him, that was all the proof he needed that the world was unfair. In his mind, those two were aberrations that needed to be "exposed." Of course, his version of "saving the world" consisted of trying to make them look ridiculous.
As they walked toward the reptile area, the boy's mind churned with ideas.
Percy, walking beside Harry, noticed the chubby kid's glare fixed on them. He turned his head slightly and said in a bored tone,
"That fat kid's planning something. He never gets tired, does he?"
Harry let out a small sigh and replied with the same weary calm,
"You can't really blame him, not with the parents he's got."
"Now that I think about it, technically he's your blood cousin," Percy said with a teasing smile. "Maybe you two even look alike, don't you think, Piggy Potter?"
Harry shot him an annoyed look and sped up his pace, clearly trying to avoid starting a fight.
"Come on, Piggy Potter," Percy called after him, grinning.
"Shut up," Harry growled, quickening his steps as Percy followed with a mischievous smile.
The scene, far from bothering anyone, drew smiles from several onlookers. Watching the two brothers bicker playfully was contagious—almost heartwarming.
Sirius, walking a few paces behind them, observed with a calm expression and a faint glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes. Their typical arguments, those little battles that always seemed to attract attention, never went away—not even as they grew older. And though they sometimes drove him mad, deep down they reminded him of the purest parts of his own youth… and how much those children had managed to bring laughter back into his life.
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