Chapter 795 (1/2)
”But what are Dementors,” Uncle Vernon asked furiously. ”What can they do?”
”I told you - they suck all the joy out of you,” Harry said, ”and if they had a chance, they would kiss you -”
”kiss you?” Uncle Vernon's eyes almost burst open. ”Kiss you?”
”That's what they call it when they suck it out of your mouth.”
Aunt Petunia let out a scream.
”His soul? They didn't - he still had him. ”
Aunt Petunia grabbed Dudley's shoulder and shook it vigorously, as if to check that she could hear Dudley's soul shaking inside her body.
”Of course they didn't suck Dudley's soul, and if they did, you'd know.” Harry was infuriated.
”So you beat them back, son?” Uncle Vernon said loudly, as if one were trying to pull the conversation back to the level he could understand. ”You beat them one on two, son?”
”He can't fight Dementors one against two,” Harry squeezed out of his clenched teeth.
”Then why is he OK?” Uncle Vernon growled, ”why didn't he get sucked in?”
”Because I cast the patron's Curse -” Harry's chest heaved violently, which is not uncommon, but is particularly angry now.
With a click, a flap of wings, and a fall of dust, a fourth owl flew out of the kitchen fireplace.
”In the name of God,” growled Uncle Vernon, pulling a bushy beard off his chin, a move he had not done for a long time. ”I don't want to see owls here, I can't stand it anymore, I tell you!”
But Harry had taken a roll of parchment off the owl's leg. He was sure the letter was from Dumbledore, explaining everything - Dementors, Mrs. Figg, what the Ministry of magic was going to do, how he and Dumbledore should calm everything - but it was the first time in his life that he saw Sirius's handwriting in despair.
Pretending not to hear Uncle Vernon's complaint about the owl, and not seeing that as the owl flew back to the fireplace as he was nearest, a few moments later dust fell into Uncle Vernon's eyes, and Harry read Sirius' note.
Arthur has told us what happened. Whatever you do, don't leave the house again. Harry found that their response to what happened tonight was so inadequate that he closed the parchment and began to look for the rest of the letter, but nothing.
And Harry's temper went up again.
Is there no one to say ”well done” about his single defeat of two Dementors? Both Mr. Weasley and Sirius acted as if he was behaving badly and would not talk to him more until they were sure of the damage he had caused.
”A peck mark, I mean the owl pecked here and flew out of my house. I don't want to be like this, boy, I don't -- ”
” I can't stop the owl, ”Harry snapped Sirius's letter in his fist.
”I need the truth of what happened tonight!” Uncle Vernon cried, ”if Dementors hurt Dudley, will you be fired? You did that - you know, you admit it! ”
Harry took a deep, steady breath. His head was hot again. And now the best thing he wants to do is get away from the kitchen.
”I killed Dementors with patron magic,” Harry said, forcing himself to calm down again. ”It's the only thing that can resist them.”
”But what are Dementors doing in little Wai King Road?” Said Uncle Vernon, raising his voice.
”I can't tell you,” Harry said wearily. ”Because I don't know.” His head is now full of stars.
Harry's anger faded away. Harry felt dehydrated and exhausted. The Dursleys were staring at him.
”It's you,” Uncle Vernon said sternly. ”They're dealing with you, boy. I know that. Otherwise, why are they here? Why are they in the alleys? You are the only - the only - ”
obviously, he can't get himself to say the word wizard. ”The only - you know what I mean - you're the only one in a few miles. Oh, no, there's another, but they've moved.”
”I don't know why they're here and, besides, Vaseline is in Egypt, it has nothing to do with him.” Harry tried not to think about it, but because of Uncle Vernon's words, Harry's exhausted brain returned to work.
Why do Dementors come to Xiaowei Jinlu? Why did they just show up when Harry arrived in the alley? How are they transmitted? Has the Ministry lost control of Dementors? Or did they abandon Azkaban and join Voldemort, as Dumbledore had predicted?Van Lim has also said this before. Before leaving, Harry received letters from van Lin and Hermione, asking him to be as careful as possible during the holiday
”Are these Dementors guarding some freak's prison?” Asked Uncle Vernon, who interrupted Harry's thoughts.
”Yes,” said Harry. If his head stops hurting, if he can get out of the kitchen and go back to his dark bedroom and continue thinking
”Oh! They're here to arrest you! ” It was as triumphant as a man had come to an impregnable conclusion, exclaimed Uncle Vernon merrily. ”Right, boy? You're breaking the law
”Of course I didn't,” said Harry, shaking his head as if to get rid of a fly, and his mind was now at full speed. So why?
”That man must have sent them,” Harry said quietly, meaning much more to himself than to Uncle Vernon.
”Who is that man? Who must have sent them? ”
”Voldemort,” said Harry. Since he heard the magic wand, there was no such word as ”the strong Wizard” in the history of magic.
”Voldemort, wait --” said Uncle Vernon, his face revived, and an expression of sudden enlightenment appeared in his pig eyes.
”I've heard that name before, and that person is -”
”the murderer of my parents, yes,” Harry said dully.
”But he's gone,” Uncle Vernon said impatiently, with no slightest sign that he felt it was a painful subject to discuss the murderers of Harry's parents.
”That's what the big guy said. He's gone.”
”He has come back.” Harry said heavily.
It was a strange feeling to stand in Aunt Petunia's over cleaned kitchen, next to a tall refrigerator and a large screen TV, while quietly discussing Voldemort with Uncle Vernon.
The Dementors' visit to little Wai King Road seems to have broken the huge, invisible partition between the non magical world of Privet Drive and the magical world.
Harry's two kinds of life seem to be in a way confused, everything seems to be upside down.
The Dursleys are asking for details about the magical world, but Mrs. Figg knows that Dumbledore, the Dementor, is flying in little Wai King Road, and that he may never return to Hogwarts.
Harry's head hurt even more.
”Back?” Aunt Petunia asked softly. She looked at Harry as if she had never seen Harry before.
At the same time, all of a sudden, for the first time in Harry's life, he was fully aware that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister; he could not say why it had such a strong impact on him at the moment; all he knew was that he was not the only one in the house who knew what Voldemort's return meant.
Aunt Petunia had never seen Harry like this in her life. Her large, pale eyes (how different from her sister) were not narrowed by disgust or anger, they were magnified by fear.
Aunt Petunia's wild camouflage runs through Harry's whole life - pretending that there is no magic, and there is no other world but Vernon's - and it all seems to be going away.