Julian shot Harry a quick wink and flashed a confident grin when he was called to the principal's office. He knew perfectly well that the Dursleys could not actually do anything to him here. The whole class, teacher included, had seen exactly how things played out. Dudley and his little gang had been the ones to march over to him, and Julian had neither shouted nor even stood up from his seat.
He highly doubted Dudley had thought that far ahead when he went crying to his parents about how "Julian scared him." In fact, Julian was very much looking forward to the expressions on the Dursleys' faces once he laid everything out in front of the principal.
The secretary who walked him down the corridor quietly took note of how self-assured he looked. Paired with the story that had already circulated among the staff about the previous day's incident, she could not really blame him. His teacher had, in fact, witnessed the entire exchange. They all knew Dudley's tendencies as a bully, but their hands were tied. Every time they reported him, the Dursleys caused such a scene that it became more trouble than it was worth.
Instead, the teachers usually stepped in just before things got physical, keeping the peace on the surface. Yesterday had been different. Dudley had backed off, and literally nothing had happened beyond a few quietly spoken sentences from Julian.
...
When the secretary opened the principal's office door, Julian got his first look at the whole Dursley family together.
I have to admit, J. K. Rowling nailed their descriptions, he thought, oddly calm.
Vernon Dursley was a portly man whose neck had practically disappeared into his shoulders. His round face looked almost greasy, squashed up like a bulldog under a thick mustache, which sat beneath a large, bulbous nose.
Petunia Dursley, in contrast, was unnervingly thin, her neck strangely long, making her look a bit like a crane in human clothes. Her face was sharp and birdlike, layered with too much makeup.
"You must be the demon who terrorized my poor Dudders!" Petunia shrieked the moment she saw him.
The pitch of her voice made the principal visibly flinch. A vein throbbed at the side of his forehead, a sign that his patience was wearing thin.
Julian stepped into the room and ignored the shrieking. He turned to the principal and greeted him politely before asking in an even tone, "Why was I called out of class, sir?"
"The Dursleys have filed a complaint," the principal replied, keeping his voice neutral. "They say that during school hours yesterday, you bullied their son Dudley. You were called here so we can understand exactly what happened."
"I see," Julian said. "May I ask in what way I am supposed to have bullied their child?"
"Are you calling my boy a liar?!" Vernon snarled, his voice thick with anger.
Julian shook his head once. "Not once did I say that," he answered calmly. "I only asked a reasonable question about how I supposedly bullied him. Is that not correct, sir?" he added, glancing at the principal.
The man nodded. "That is a fair question," he agreed, which made Vernon's face darken to an even deeper shade of red.
"Since this point has been raised, perhaps Dudley himself can clarify exactly what took place in class yesterday," the principal continued, turning his attention to the boy.
Vernon swung his gaze to his son impatiently. "Well, boy, hurry up and tell the man the truth so we can end this farce," he barked, in a tone that clearly did not allow argument.
Dudley, for all his limited brainpower, had somehow managed to notice that things were not going according to his usual script. Julian had not been punished on the spot, and now he was being asked to explain, in detail, what had happened.
"I told him to stay away from my freak cousin," Dudley burst out, voice wobbling. "And he glared at me and asked how he was a freak. It felt like he was going to kill me!" he finished, sounding almost hysterical.
Julian clicked his tongue quietly when Dudley stopped talking. Both Vernon and Petunia realized at that exact moment that this was not going to end in their favor. Unlike their son, neither of them was truly stupid. They immediately picked up on the glaring problem in his story: he had just openly admitted to calling Harry a freak and getting glared at for it.
"It seems Dudley has left out a few important details that might help clarify this situation," Julian said politely. "With your permission, sir, may I explain?" He wore a small, sharp smile that did not reach his eyes.
The principal nodded before either adult Dursley could cut in. "Go ahead," he said.
Julian spoke with complete composure. "I was talking with my new friend, Harry Potter, when Dudley approached us with his two friends. I did not provoke him."
He continued, voice steady. "He called my friend a freak. Naturally, I was upset. I did glare at him, yes, but I did not leave my seat. Without shouting or raising my voice, I asked how Harry was a freak."
Vernon drew in a breath, ready to interrupt, but the principal fixed him with a firm look that made him snap his mouth shut again.
"The answer Dudley gave," Julian went on, "was that Harry was a freak because that is what his parents told him."
The room went very still.
"I then clarified that I had not asked what his parents said, but rather asked him to explain how Harry was a freak," Julian finished. "When he could not give any answer, he left angrily, while I remained seated."
By the time he stopped speaking, both Vernon and Petunia had gone pale, their earlier confidence evaporating as the weight of the full story settled in the room.