Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.

　　"No," croaked Harry. "Please ... they'll kill me ......

　　"Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school -"

　　"Dobby ... please ...

　　"Say it, sir -"

　　"I can't -"

　　Dobby gave him a tragic look.

　　"Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good."

　　The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.

　　There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Harry, rigid with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunias pudding.

　　At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss the whole thing over. ("Just our nephew - very disturbed meeting strangers upsets him, so we kept him upstairs) He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Harry he would flay him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left, and handed him a mop. Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Harry, still shaking, started scrubbing the kitchen clean.

　　Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal - if it hadn't been for the owl.

　　Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a huge barn owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped out again. Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.

　　Harry stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support, as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.

　　"Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on - read it!" Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.

　　Dear Mr. Potter,

　　We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.

　　As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).

　　We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.

　　Enjoy your holidays! Yours sincerely,

　　Mafalda Hopkirk

　　IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

　　Ministry of Magic

　　Harry looked up from the letter and gulped.

　　"You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "For got to mention it .... Slipped your mind, I daresay .....

　　He was bearing down on Harry like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, boy . ... I'm locking you up .... You're never going back to that school ... never ... and if you try and magic yourself out - they'll expel you!" And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry back upstairs.

　　Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry's window. He himself fitted a cat- flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.

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