Ron-Weasly book 1. V2. Interludia 2

Interlude 2. The first bridges

The living room of the Dursleys' house on Privet Drive. The day after the purchases. New Hogwarts robes, bought at Madame Malkin's store, are laid out on the coffee table. Petunia Dursley stands next to the table, fastidiously lifting the edges of the fabric with two fingers. Harry stands awkwardly at the door, trying not to attract attention.

Petunia unwraps one of the robes, frowning in disbelief.

"And that's... it? Is this what you're going to wear to school? But what about trousers, shirts, sweaters. Have you seen Dudley's wardrobe? I even bought him a sweater and a pair of warm trousers for a warm school like Vaughings.

Harry hesitates, then says shyly. It wouldn't be a big deal to tell him about the fifty galleons the headmaster had given him for the year.

"Yes, Aunt. It's a school uniform. They only sold me robes at the school clothes store. And I'll wear old school trousers and a shirt under my robe. I don't have Muggle money for new things, only the magic money for the year was given by the headmaster."

Petunia throws the robe back on the table, picks up another one, examines the lining. Then he begins to angrily reprimand his nephew.

"But there's nothing warm here! No sweater, no vest, not even a decent lining. You're going to freeze! I'll buy you black trousers and three white shirts at a second-hand store. You already have a normal leather belt, as well as a backpack. You'll work off your clothes this summer. You're going to help me cook and not talk about your school in front of the neighbors. You're going to the Edinburgh School of Fine Feasting in Scotland, it has a culinary bent. My parents said that about Lily, because she studied in Scotland, as Professor McGonagall told us. Lily was really good at making soups, but her porridges sometimes burned, she was used to doing everything with magic. She said girls were taught to cook with a magic wand."

She puts down her robe and starts sorting through the rest of her things, as if hoping to find something more practical among them. My raincoat feels very warm. He sighs.

"Well, at least something warm. Heated, right? And if the spell ends in the middle of winter, have you thought about what you're going to do?"

"The aunt at the store told me the warranty for the charms is ten years. Hagrid took me to a company atelier for school clothes."

His aunt carefully folds her raincoat and lifts her black tie with two fingers, as if it were shining alternately in four colors.

"So the ties are kind of weird. Harry, are they enchanted?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia, the saleswoman said that at school they will change their colors to the colors of the faculty. But I don't know how to tie ties at all, maybe Uncle Vernon will teach me? Please, Dudley gave me his old school uniform tie."

"So be it. I'll ask Vernon to show you how to tie knots properly. It'll come in handy, because you looked like a scarecrow at your elementary school graduation."

Petunia is grumpy, more to herself than Harry:

"Lily always wore a green hand-knitted sweater. I remember back in elementary school, in any weather — a sweater, a scarf, sometimes even two pairs of socks. And then she kept swearing at this damned Scottish climate: "Petunia, how can you stand this dampness? There are ice corridors at Hogwarts!" I was just learning to cook in Edinburgh and our school was one block away from Vaughings. That's where Vernon and I met."

Harry raises his eyebrows in surprise — this is the first time he's ever heard his aunt speak about his mother in such a... human way. And his aunt wasn't used to telling me much about herself.

Harry asks quietly:

"Was Mom really that creepy?"

"I must have taken after my mom, I'm always cold too," the guy thinks.

His aunt rarely brings up the subject of his parents at all. And here it's an evening of revelations. Aunt Petunia must have vented all her pent-up anger at Harry's mom in the cabin by the sea.

Petunia turns around abruptly.

"What is "true"? Of course it's true! She was always freezing, and I told her, "Lily, put on your coat, you'll catch a cold!" But no, she had to look "elegant," as she put it. They say we only wear raincoats outside, but at school everyone wears robes. And then there were just frosty winters. And as a result, she was always coughing, her nose was red..."

She looks at the robes again, shakes her head.

"And you're just as stupid! Not an ounce of common sense. You'll definitely catch a cold in this... in this hoodie. You'll also get pneumonia, like Lily did in her sophomore year when she was admitted to their hospital wing for a week. After that, her mother forced her to buy herself a sweater and warm trousers with tights for school, as soon as she found out what she was wearing. The first winter was warm. And in the second year, there were frosts in the forties outside."

Harry is shocked by what he has heard and tries to explain to his aunt what Hagrid told him about school.

"Aunt, but it's warm at Hogwarts. Magic keeps the temperature up there, and generally... Hagrid says he wore a shirt and pants at school, and it was so hot...

Petunia interrupts, grimacing at the mention of the giant. Vernon had already arranged with a private clinic in London to have Dudley's piggy tail removed before school started. They'll laugh.

"Magic, schmagia..." aunt grumbles. "And if your magic breaks? Or will they turn off the heating? Or will you forget how to make it? What then? Are you going to freeze like your mother?"

She sighs, goes to the closet in the corner of the room, takes out an old children's wool sweater — dark blue, slightly stretched at the elbows. Petunia hands Harry a sweater.

"Here, take it. Wear it under your robe. And don't argue! It's not up for discussion. This is Vernon's sweater, a memory of his school days, he was slimmer when we met. Of course, he'll grumble that I gave it to you, but what can I do?

The Dursleys will have a hard time with money after paying for Dudley's hospital. There is no insurance for such a case, and you also have to pay for silence. There is no insurance for such a case, and you also have to pay for silence. But don't tell the kids about it?

Next summer, when you go shopping, you must buy warm clothes for yourself, I know that they are sold on your diagon alley.

"As an orphan, the principal of your school specifically allocates money to you. Spend wisely, not on sweets."

Harry takes the sweater, looking at his aunt in surprise. Apparently, he asked her to continue teaching him how to cook.

"Thank you, Aunt, for the sweater.... I really didn't think that warm clothes would be needed. There was such an unpleasant boy in the studio from a family of magicians that I just ran away from there as soon as they gave me robes and a cloak."

Petunia turns away, as if ashamed of her concern:

"As soon as the frosts start, I want you to wear it until you buy a new sweater. Every day. And put on a scarf. I have one in my closet, a gray one with stripes. At school, you will ask a senior student to repaint him in the colors of the faculty. It's certainly not new, but it's very warm. I wore it in the winter in college. And ignore the words of people like that boy. Lily constantly complained that she was being called by these "pure-blooded" magicians. That was when their civil war was starting, which is why Vernon and I were against your studying at Hogwarts."

Harry nods, hiding a smile. It was the first time he'd been given good things, not Uncle Vernon's old stuff like socks or hangers, like for his last birthday. However, the hanger was given to him by his swearing aunt Marge, who was staying at the house. Like, "what's the point of Vernon's old socks, just throw them away. And anyway, did you check this ill-mannered boor for worms, that he's skinny, as if he doesn't eat at all? I always kill the dogs in such cases."

"All right, Aunt Petunia. I'm going to wear this sweater." Harry promised, remembering the screams of Aunt Marge, who nevertheless brought him pills and forced him and Dudley to drink them. "Vernon, in that case, you need to get rid of all the worms, drink it too, and make your skinny wife go on a diet or something?"

Petunia nods glumly, then suddenly adds a little more softly:

"And if it starts to freeze again at your school— write at once. I'll knit you some more socks. Tolstoy. To make sure your feet don't freeze."

Harry nods, feeling a warmth in his chest — not from the sweater, but from something else he hadn't noticed about Aunt Petunia before.

"Good. Thank you, Aunt Petunia."

The aunt just waves it off, but a faint smile flickers at the corners of her lips. She turns to the table and begins to carefully fold the robes, as if they are the most valuable things in the world.

* * *

The next day, Uncle Vernon took the two of them to a second-hand store in London. In the morning, he grumbled that his nephew was pulling money again, saying that since he had the magic currency, he could buy things for himself, but Aunt Petunia persuaded him to allocate thirty pounds for purchases. There was a sale in the store and my aunt started picking up a pair of black trousers and three white shirts, and after thinking about it, she added a blue flannel shirt with a green check. She noticed a long time ago that her nephew was not indifferent to the cage, and his things with it lasted much longer than pure white ones. And it will be warmer in winter.

"This is in case it gets cold. You can put it under your sweater."

"Thank you, Aunt, I'll do everything honestly. Do you want me to take care of your garden?"

"Yes, it would be nice. Your flowers are growing well, which you weed and water.

A salesman approached them.

"How much do we charge for everything?"

"Twenty pounds, ma'am." I've given you and your son a five-pound discount.

"My nephew," my aunt grimaced, taking the money out of her purse. "And please give us those autumn boots with fluted soles. Harry, try it on, if you're a little free, it's not scary."

* * *

Petunia, who was arranging tea cups on the coffee table, looked up at Vernon, who was sitting in his favorite armchair with a newspaper.

Petunia is strict, but without irritation:

"Vernon, could you show Harry how to tie a tie? Just before school, he'll practice on Dudley's old tie."

Vernon sighed heavily, put down the newspaper and cast a disapproving glance towards Harry, who was standing by the door with his uniform tie in his hands. Vernon grumbles:

"The kid doesn't know how to do something again... All right, come here, man. Let's see what to do with you."

Harry timidly came closer, holding in his hands the black uniform tie that aunt Petunia had given him for his birthday.

Vernon sighs, leading his unloved nephew to a full-length mirror on the wall:

"Give it here. And watch carefully — I won't repeat it."

He took the tie, threw it around Harry's neck, and began to show it right on top of him:

"The right end is longer. You throw it over the left one... like this... You wrap it around... you tighten it... See? Everything is simple."

Harry carefully followed his uncle's movements, trying to memorize every step. Vernon finished, adjusted the knot, and took a step back, critically examining the result.

Uncle untied the knot and handed the tie to Harry.

"Try it yourself. And to make no mistakes!"

Harry took the ends of his tie, took a deep breath, and began to repeat the steps. Her hands were shaking slightly, and her fingers were tangled in the fabric. He loosened the knot several times, started over, and frowned with tension. Vernon stood nearby, tapping his foot and sighing from time to time. After about fifteen minutes, Vernon muttered,

"What's taking so long?... Are you sure your hands aren't growing out of there? Come on, hurry up!"

Harry didn't answer, concentrating on trying. Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts, he got a neat knot — not perfect, but quite decent. He gently pulled on the ends, checking if it was holding.

Harry hesitantly:

— Did it work?

Vernon leaned closer, examined the tie from all sides, and pulled at the ends. Something remotely like approval flashed across his face. The man chuckled approvingly

, "Well... it'll do." It's not a masterpiece, of course, but at least it wasn't like your junior high graduation. Practice some more in the next few days. And don't tighten the knot too much.

Harry carefully adjusted the knot, trying not to show how happy he was. He looked at his uncle and said softly,

"Thank you, Uncle Vernon."

Vernon froze slightly, as if he hadn't expected any thanks. He waved his hand as if to ward off something, and went to his chair. Vernon is softer now, but still grumpy:

"Okay, okay. Just don't forget to put it on properly when you arrive at school. And without your tricks at school, don't embarrass us. I still remember explaining to the headmaster of your and Dudley's school why you climbed onto the roof of the cafeteria."

Petunia, who was watching what was happening, smiled slightly and poured fragrant tea with bergamot into the cup in front of Vernon. Petunia, sipping from her fragrant cup with a couple of cherries:

"See, Vernon? It wasn't difficult at all to help the boy. We agreed that he would continue to help me cook and take care of the garden. Leave the bill for culinary college for now, it might still come in handy. Lily said in the sixth year that they didn't want to hire her anywhere for a prestigious job, even though she had nine owls passed perfectly."

Vernon just snorted in response, but took the cup and opened the newspaper again.

"Well, the interest is running out anyway. If anything, we'll use it for Dudley."

"Although I do remember that Potter was a well-off bum. They say his ancestral abilities are not suitable for a family business. Ugh. When I was his age, I had already founded Grannings, and he was still studying."

Harry, trying not to smile too broadly, stepped aside and took another look at the tie in the mirror. He did it himself. And he'll practice, because even Dudley can tie ties, but he can't. It was such a disgrace at the graduation ceremony.

Dudley, by the way, was thinking intently about something, then he went to his room and brought an old tape player and headphones.

"Harry, take it anyway, you've been licking your lips at it for a long time and the tape is your favorite. Just take my ponytail off."

"Did he stay like that?!"

"Yes. My dad wants to take me to the surgeon. But I'm afraid."

"Okay, I'll write to Professor McGonagall. That I bewitched you by accident when I got angry that you ate half of my cake.