Chapter 15
26 July 1991 Friday
Today has been right weird. First, UV apologized to me over breakfast. Let's say that again and see if it gets more believable. Uncle Vernon, Vernon Cartwright Dursley, Vice President of Grunnings Manufacturing and hater of all thing freaky and Potter, if that's not redundant, apologized to ME. And called me "Harry" the entire time. I did actually pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, and when he said he was taking Dudley AND me golfing tomorrow I'm surprised my heart didn't stop. My acceptance of his apology was probably the most jumbled thing I have ever tried to say in my life.
Breakfast was waffles with berries, and I got to have as many was I wanted along with Dudley. AP hardly sat down all breakfast. I was a little sorry for her and I didn't let her shoo me out of the kitchen instead of cleaning up, so both Dudley and I helped clean up afterwards. And before Dudley took off, he told me if I wanted to watch some telly while he was out, that was OK.
So that's what I did all morning. I sat on the couch, with my feet up (and AP didn't have to tell me to take my shoes off first) and watched cartoons all morning. It was brilliant.
AP and I made and ate lunch together. I tried not to look at her funny while we were working, and she said she reckoned I didn't have to worry about cooking anymore. I asked her, this is real, isn't it? I am really a Viscount and going to be an Earl. She said yes, the solicitors had shown her plenty of paperwork to prove it and also taken magical oaths that it was true. I thought about that all through lunch and when we were cleaning up, I asked her if life would have been a lot easier when I was a little kid if they had known that. She blushed and said yes and I said it was OK, it must have been hard having two toddlers in diapers at once, especially if one of them sometimes does magic. She looked even more embarrassed and suggested that I might want to go see Mrs. Figg and tell her all about everything, and now that I am a rich noble lord and all, if I want to buy one of her kittens, she wouldn't stop me.
So I went off and visited Mrs. Figg cos I'd been going to ask AP if that was all right anyway and left AP alone to think. I think AP feels guilty, even if she didn't actually apologize, and I don't think UD actually does, even though he did. Not sure about Dudley, I think he may just be confused right now.
When I got to Mrs. Figg's, there was an old guy there, in really loud clashing robes and tall wizard hat and high-heeled boots. He had really long white hair and a really long white beard, and he wore glasses. He and Mrs. Figg had obviously been arguing, although he didn't look angry, more worried. She introduced him as Professor Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Headmaster of Hogwarts and she introduced me as the Right Honorable, the Viscount of Potter, Harold Potter. Then we discussed Harold vs. Harry and what the professor's titles meant. Turns out I have a seat on the Wizengamot, and when I inherit the house of Black, I shall have two, plus a lot of people looking to me for how to vote. Professor Dumbledore said he had cherished hopes that Lord Black would remain healthy for years yet, so that I could have a childhood unmarked by politics, but unfortunately the Blacks are one of the shortest-lived pureblood families. He also apologized to me (is today National Apology Day or something?) about not having come to explain all this before, but he had lost track of time and thought it would still be a few years before I turned eleven.
I nodded at that, then we talked about Lord Black a bit, and the professor warned me that the Blacks were known to be rather Dark. I asked him if that was evil or chthonic, and he said "Both, I'm afraid." We also talked about chthonic and why it wasn't taught at Hogwarts and how a lot of people can't tell the difference between two types of darkness. I said if blood magic is natural for girls, wouldn't it make sense to teach it to them, and he told me there were special classes just for witches, but that he had no idea what was taught in them, so that was OK, then.
Then we talked about Voldemort, and how most people call him You Know Who or He Who Must Not Be Named, and how famous I was for killing him and how probably every little girl in Britain wanted to marry me. I said that at least I know who I can't marry and he asked me what I meant and I said no Bulstrodes, Tonkses, Weasleys, Macmillans, Lovegoods, Boneses, and I couldn't remember the rest. He asked me why not and said that Ginevra Weasley is a lovely girl, so I told him they were too nearly related, and that Lord Black told me no one whose name appears on the Black family tree. Apparently Sirius Black's parents were cousins. Ick. No wonder Lord Black was glad to get me. The Potters only appear on the family tree once, and my mother was a muggleborn, so no possible relation.
I got a neat piece of gossip, too. Apparently Baron Patil had asked for Walburga Black's hand, and she really wanted to marry him but her grandfather hated the idea and made her marry her cousin instead. This was back when he was just the heir (the baron, that is) but still. Back when people were less strict about blood, they were a lot more strict about race.
The professor said what he meant to say about Voldemort was that he and some others think he might not actually be dead, as there was no body at the site. I knew it worked that way in stories, if you haven't seen the bad guy's body and made absolutely sure it's him, he isn't actually dead, but I didn't know that worked in real life, too. And if he's not dead, he's going to want to come back, get revenge on me, and start trying to take over again. I am beginning to get an ominous feeling about this, but I didn't mention that to him. Taking my horoscope, my runes, and what Ollivander said together, it sounds like fate is out to get me.
Why me?
But I'll worry about that if and when it actually looks like happening. I've got plenty going on already without worrying about possibly undead dark lords.
Anyway, Professor Dumbledore and I talked about this and that, then he said it was a pleasure to have met me and he looked forward to seeing me at school and threw a bunch of stuff in the fireplace, walked into it, and disappeared.
I need to come up with a shorthand for all these professors with long names. PS could mean either Professor Snape or Professor Sprout, so that doesn't work. PSS for Professor Severus Snape, PMM for Professor Minerva McGonnagle, and then PD for Professor Dumbledore and PS for Professor Sprout, and I'll worry about all my other professors when I meet them.
Anyway. After PD left, I finally got to talk to Mrs. Figg, and I told her all about how weird everyone is acting and about meeting Lord Black, in way more detail than I gave PD, and how I have a house of my own if I only had a way to live there, and once I'm grown I will have lots of houses, and how he said he's getting me a tutor so I can learn as much as I can in the month I have left before I go out in public, and how he thought someone might forbid me from going to his funeral, and that I was the only grandchild who had ever hugged him and that he told me I could call him Grandfather. Mrs. Figg told me to slow down and breathe. It's hard not to get excited, though, with everything going on.
So we talked for a while, and she lent me a book, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and I went home for dinner. With all the talking I did today, I was surprised it was still daylight when I left.
So I had dinner with everyone (lasagna and a green salad and biscuits) and came upstairs to read a bit, and I can see a few similarities, but I am NOT little Lord Fauntleroy, and I am definitely not going to dress in ruffles and be all twee.
Tomorrow I am going golfing with UV and Dudley. That should be interesting.
27 July 1991 Saturday
Today was a beautiful day and UV took Dudley and me golfing just as he said he would. We went to the West Hill golf Club in Woking, where UV is a member. It's a really beautiful place. First we stopped off at the pro shop and got me proper shoes and then he signed me and Dudley up for a junior clinic. And it was fun! After the clinic, UV took me & Dudley to play a couple of holes to see what we'd learnt. UV made a bet with us that if either of us could beat him on a hole, he would take us to a film afterwards. We didn't quite make it, but we came close, and I did a really good job of not being better than Dudley but still looking like I was trying, and UV actually offered me some pointers on my swing. We had lunch in the clubhouse, and it was amazing! All kinds of things I'd never had before. For me, anyway. Dudley stuck to the familiar, but UV told us before we went in how much each of us could spend on lunch, and I divided it up carefully so I could try lots of things. I can state for the record that I really like curried courgette soup, although I am not so sure about calamari. I offered some to UV and Dudley, though, and they polished it off for me. The wild mushroom soufflé was to die for, and for pudding I had Creme Brûlée.
I can't believe the fun I had with my uncle and cousin, of all people. UV introduced me to a couple of people he knew as "my nephew, the Viscount Potter," which I think might not have actually been proper form, but who cares, really? People were really nice. Amazing how a title changes you from a freakish young hooligan bound for a bad end to a charming and delightful young man. A sad commentary on the state of human nature and all, but I'll take it.
UV said we'd be going again next week and Dudley hardly whined at all about missing TV and having to walk. UV said next week, we'd try another competition, and whichever of us boys won, he'd buy a shirt from the pro shop. I don't think I'm going to try to win unless Dudley gets a whole lot better, but it will still be fun.
When we got home, there was an owl waiting for me from Lord Black, saying that he had engaged a tutor for me and we would be starting work on Monday, at Grimmauld Place, and that I was to be sure to have my potions kit, textbooks, and wand ready to go immediately after breakfast. Dudley snorted at the idea of school in the summer and said "Better you than me!" and went off to play video games. I came up here, finished Little Lord Fauntleroy, and read some of my etiquette book. Sooooooooo much to learn!
28 July Sunday
Today is a free day, and a little rainy. It seems strange not to be rushing off somewhere after the week I just had. Eight days ago I found out about magic, and since then the whole world has turned upside down. It's weird, but I am feeling really tempted to grab one of my old books and curl up in my cupboard. No temptation to dig out any of my old clothes, though. I like having decent clothes that fit, and I brought back all the decent my-size hand-me-downs from Mrs. Figg's last time I was there, so I have my really nice brand new clothes and my halfway decent new old clothes, and then I'll have a full wizard wardrobe waiting for me at the station.
I think I'll spend the day learning to play wizard chess. Talking pieces come in rather handy that way.
28 July evening
Well, that was embarrassing. At least they were nice about it. And they say I'm learning.
Kings and queens and pawns and rooks.
Can't I learn of them from books?
Nope, still not Shakespeare.
Tomorrow I start with my tutor. I wonder what he'll be like?
29 July 1991 Monday
And now I know. He's a quiet guy with not quite blond hair and a little mustache and his name is Remus Lupin. I'm to call him Remus. Lord Black called him back from the continent, where he was living, because Remus was one of my father's best friends along with Sirius Black and some guy named Peter Pettigrew. We didn't get into too much of that, though, because we have so much to cover. Today we handled various forms of address and bows and basic manners. Wednesdays will be field trip day, and Fridays we will floo to Longbottom Manor to have dance lessons with Neville and two girls named Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Tomorrow we'll be brewing. I'm going to ask him if he knows Mrs. Figg's potion.
I even have homework tonight: research what alliances the house of Potter has had historically and be able to name at least three members of each allied family. I've already got one - Neville Longbottom, Augusta Longbottom, the dowager countess and Neville's regent, and Algernon Longbottom, the countess' brother-in-law. And now to tackle the rest.