Just before noon, Dudley arrived back at number four, Privet Drive.
"Oh, my darling boy, where have you been? We have to hurry!" Aunt Petunia fussed, rushing him to change his clothes.
The Dursleys quickly piled into Vernon's new car and sped off toward the zoo. It was a fair distance from the Dursleys' home, a journey that would take at least an hour and a half even by car.
All the while, Harry was practically bouncing with excitement. He hadn't been to the zoo since this time last year.
Because the sun was out and it was a weekend, the zoo was surprisingly crowded. It was packed with families on holiday. At the entrance, it was shoulder-to-shoulder, a sea of two-legged creatures before they even saw a single animal.
Once they made it inside, Vernon bought a couple of ice creams. Dudley got the most expensive chocolate flavor, while Harry got the cheapest lemon.
But Dudley, claiming he wasn't in the mood for chocolate, traded his with Harry. The truth was, chocolate was his favorite. Aunt Petunia just watched, her mouth slightly agape, and didn't stop him. She even put a hand on her husband's arm, then shook her head with a look of helplessness as she watched the two boys walk off, arm in arm.
They were so much like her and Lily when they were small. But even the closest of sisters could eventually become complete strangers. Their paths, it seemed, were always meant to diverge.
The bird exhibit was supposed to have a peacock, but after waiting for ages, all they saw was a fluffy, sleepy white owl hiding among the leaves.
"Look at it! It's so silly and goofy-looking," Harry said, pointing at the owl.
Owls were, of course, nocturnal hunters, so it was no surprise that this one was sleeping during the day. He wondered how the wizarding owls managed to do their postal rounds at night and then sleep.
Dudley's mind suddenly went to work. "Harry, would you like to have an owl someday?"
"You're kidding!" Harry's head shook like a bobblehead. "I'd rather have a pigeon."
In the mammal section, the lions and tigers were terribly boring. They lay sprawled out, fat and lazy, yawning and not moving a muscle. Dudley figured he could probably slide into the enclosure and punt them like a football. He was also disappointed to find no pandas, none at all, which he felt he had to repeat three times for emphasis.
His gloom lifted, however, when he stood in front of a glass enclosure, watching a gorilla scratching its head. The great ape seemed to mistake Dudley for a fellow primate and began gesturing to him, as if to say, 'How in the world did you get out? Help me, you blundering fool!'
With his solid physique, Dudley did look a bit like a stockier gorilla. Harry was giggling, practically bent over with laughter as he watched Dudley mimic the ape's gestures. Dudley's birthday was always Harry's favorite day, even more so than his own. After all, Dudley was the only one who ever remembered his birthday and gave him presents.
When Vernon's stomach started rumbling, they stopped for a bite to eat. Vernon got a hot dog, Petunia had some fries, and Harry and Dudley both had burgers.
Next up was the reptile house. It was cold and dark, filled with slithering creatures. There were large spiders, centipedes, and a variety of lizards and snakes. Dudley wasn't a fan. He preferred creatures with fur over cold, slimy things. That gorilla outside was more pleasant than any of these reptiles.
Harry, however, was fascinated. He'd look at a venomous-looking tarantula one minute and then press his face against the glass to stare at a chameleon that looked even more vacant than the owl. But the reptile house's main attraction was the snakes, and Harry's interest in them was palpable. He leaned close to the glass of a huge brown python's enclosure and whispered, "Hey, mate..."
To a stranger, it just looked like a child talking to himself. But Dudley knew they were having a real conversation. Young Harry didn't realize how unique his ability was and thought anyone could do it.
'Witnessed Parseltongue: Received LV0 Magical Beast Language.'
A pleasant sound from his system rang in Dudley's ear.
"Not a bad reward at all," Dudley said with a satisfied smile.
This was exactly why Dudley had made sure they came to the zoo. It wasn't just for Harry's sake; there was a special quest to complete here. And it was a special kind of "witness" reward, something that didn't happen often. He had only received it one other time, and that's how he'd gotten his Body Slam skill.
Now he had the Magical Beast Language. As the name suggested, Dudley figured it was a common tongue for all magical creatures. This meant he could now speak to them. The "LV0" didn't bother him; all his skills started there. The important thing was that it was on his list, which meant he could level it up with experience.
It would have been better if it was a magic-related reward, he thought. Hmm, Magical Beast Language... I suppose it's a type of magic, isn't it?
Just then, a loud scream echoed through the building. The glass in front of the giant python's enclosure had completely vanished. The snake uncoiled itself and slowly slithered out, landing on the floor with a soft thud.
Screams and shouts erupted as people scattered, desperate to get away. The entire reptile house descended into chaos.
As the python slithered past Harry, it paused for a moment and turned its head. It nodded at him and flicked its forked tongue, making a soft hissing sound, as if to say goodbye. It moved like a person, not a snake.
Before any of the zoo staff could arrive, the python moved with startling speed, disappearing into the crowd and vanishing from sight. Its quick movements were in stark contrast to its previous lazy demeanor.
No one was sure if the zoo staff ever caught the python. A man claiming to be the zoo manager came to apologize, but that was the end of it.
Dudley's birthday had passed with a bit of a scare, but nothing truly dangerous had happened.
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