dudley thought for a moment. it looked like hard work. finally
he said slowly, ”so ill have thirty ... thirty...”
”thirty-ums,” said auunia.
”oh.” dudley sat down heavily ahe
parcel. ”all right then.”
un chuckled. ”little tyke wants his moneys worth,
just like his father. atta boy, dudley!” he ruffled dudleys hair.
at that momeeleph auo
a while harry and uched dudley un the
rag bike, a video camera, a remote trol airplaeen
er games, and a vcr. he ing the paper off a gold
heunia came ba the telephone looking
both angry and worried.
”bad news, vernon,” she said. ”mrs. figgs br. she
t take him.” she jerked her head in harrys dire.
dudleys mouth fell open in horror, but harrys heart gave a
leap. every year on dudleys birthday, his parents took him and a
friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants,
or the movies. every year, harry was left behind with mrs. figg, a
mad old lady who lived two streets away. harry hated it there. the
whole house smelled of d mrs. figg made him look at
photographs of all the cats shed ever owned.
”now etunia, looking furiously at harry as
though hed plahis. harry ko feel sorry that
mrs. figg had br, but it wasnt easy when he reminded
himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at tibbles,
snowy, mr. paws, and tufty again.
”we arge,” un suggested.
”dont be silly, verhe boy.”
the dursleys ofte harry like this, as though he
wasnt there -- or rather, as though he was somethiy
that t uhem, like a slug.
”what about whats-her-name, your friend -- yvonne?”
”on vaajorapped auunia.
”you could just leave me here,” harry put in hopefully (hed be
able to ae