Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone written by JK Rowling chapter 3. letters from no one The Escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest ever punishment by the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera crashed his remote control airplane and first time out on his racing bike knocked down old Mrs fig as she crossed privet drive on her crutches Perry was glad school was over but there was no escaping Dudley's gang who visited the house every single day Piers Dennis Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot he was the leader the rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport Harry hunting this was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays where he could see a tiny Ray of Hope When September came he would be going off to secondary school and for the first time in his life he wouldn't be with Dudley Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school smelting's Piers Pocus was going there too Harry on the other hand was going to Stonewall High the local public school Dudley thought this was very funny they stuffed people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall he told Harry want to come upstairs and practice no thanks said Harry the poor toilets never had anything as horrible as your head down it it might be sick then he ran before Dudley could work out what he'd said one day in July Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his smelting's uniform leaving Harry at Mrs figgs Mrs fig wasn't as bad as usual it turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years that evening Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand new uniform smelting's boys wore maroon tail coats orange Knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters they also carried knobbly sticks used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking this was supposed to be good training for later life as he looked at Dudley in his new Knickerbockers Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her ickle dudleykins he looked so handsome and grown up Harry didn't trust himself to speak he thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh there was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast it seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink he went to have a look the tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water what's this he asked Dan petunia her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question your new school uniform she said Harry looked in the bowl again oh he said I didn't realize it had to be so wet don't be stupid snapped on petunia I'm dying some of Dudley's old things gray for you it'll look just like everyone else's when I finished Harry seriously doubted this but thought it best not to argue he sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall high like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin probably Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his smelting stick which he carried everywhere on the table they heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat get the mail Dudley said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper make Harry get it get the mail Harry make Dudley get it poke him with your smelting stick Dudley Harry dodged the smelting stick and went to get the mail three things lay on the doormat a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight a brown envelope that looked like a bill and a letter for Harry Harry picked it up and stared at it his heart twanging like a giant elastic band no one ever in his whole life had written to him who would he had no friends no other relatives he didn't belong to the library so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back yet here it was a letter addressed so plainly there could be no mistake Mr H Potter the cupboard Under the Stairs four privet Drive little whinging Surrey the envelope was thick and heavy made of yellowish parchment and the address was written in emerald green ink there was no stamp turning the envelope over his hand trembling Harry saw a purple Wax Seal bearing a coat of arms a lion an eagle a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter h hurry up boy shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen what are you doing checking for letter bombs he chuckled at his own joke Harry went back to the kitchen still staring at his letter he handed Uncle Vernon the bill in the postcard sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard Marge is ill he informed ant petunia ate a funny whelk dad said Dudley suddenly dad Harry's got something Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon that's mine said Harry trying to snatch it back who'd be writing to you sneered Uncle Vernon shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it his face went from red to Green faster than a set of traffic lights and it didn't stop there within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge petunia he gasped Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line for a moment it looked as though she might faint she clutched her throat and made a choking noise for stared at each other seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room Dudley wasn't used to being ignored he gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his smelting stick I want to read that letter he said loudly I want to read it said Harry furiously as it's mine get out both of you croaked Uncle Vernon stuffing the letter back inside its envelope Harry didn't move I want my letter he shouted let me see it demanded Dudley out roared Uncle Vernon and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the Hall slamming the kitchen door behind them Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole Dudley won so Harry his glasses dangling from one ear lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor Vernon and petunia was saying in a quivering voice look at the address how could they possib ly possibly know where he sleeps you don't think they're watching the house watching spying might be following us muttered Uncle Vernon wildly but what should we do Vernon should we write back tell them we don't want Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen no he said finally no we'll ignore it if they don't get an answer yes that's best we won't do anything but I'm not having one in the house petunia didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense that evening when he got back from work Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before he visited Harry in his cupboard where's my letter said Harry the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door who's writing to me no one it was addressed to you by mistake said Uncle Vernon shortly I have burned it it was not a mistake said Harry angrily it had my cupboard on it yelled Uncle Vernon and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling he took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile which looked quite painful ER yes Harry about this cupboard your aunt and I have been thinking you're really getting a bit big for it we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom why said Harry don't ask questions snapped his uncle take this stuff upstairs now the dursley's house had four bedrooms one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia one for visitors usually Uncle Vernon's sister Marge one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom it only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room he sat down on the bed and stared around him nearly everything in here was broken the month old video camera was lying on top of a small working tank Dudley had Once Driven over the next door neighbor's dog in the corner was Dudley's first ever television set which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled there was a large bird cage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it other shelves were full of books they were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched from downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother I don't want him in there I need that room make him get out Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it next morning at breakfast everyone was rather quiet Dudley was in shock he'd screamed whacked his father with his smelting stick been sick on purpose kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn't have his room back Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other Darkly when the mail arrived Uncle Vernon who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry made Dudley go and get it they heard him banging things with his smelting stick all the way down the hall then he shouted there's another one Mr H Potter the smallest bedroom four privet Drive with a strangled cry Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall Harry right behind him Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him which was made Difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind after a minute of confused fighting in which everyone got hit a lot by the smelting stick Uncle Vernon straightened up gasping for breath with Harry's letter clutched in his hand go to your cupboard I mean your bedroom he wheezed at Harry Dudley go just go Harry walked round and round his new room someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter surely that meant they'd try again and this time he'd make sure they didn't fail he had a plan the repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently he mustn't wake the dursleys he stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights he was going to wait for the postman on the corner of privet drive and get the letters for number four first his heart hammered as he crept across the Dark Hall toward the front door Harry leapt into the air he trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat something alive 's clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big squashy something had been his uncle's face Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back the mail had arrived right into Uncle Vernon's lap Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink I want he began but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day he stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot see he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails if they can't deliver them they'll just give up I'm not sure that'll work Vernon oh these people's minds work in strange ways petunia they're not like you and me said Uncle Vernon trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him on Friday no less than 12 letters arrived for Harry as they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door slotted through the sides and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom Uncle Vernon stayed at home again after burning all the letters he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the Cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out he hummed Tiptoe Through the Tulips as he worked and jumped at small noises on Saturday things began to get out of hand 24 letters to Harry found their way into the house rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused Milkman had handed on petunia through the living room window while Uncle Vernon made Furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor who on Earth wants to talk to you this badly Dudley asked Harry in amazement on Sunday morning Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill but happy no post on Sundays he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers no damn letters today something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head next moment 30 or 40 letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets the dursley's ducked but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one out out Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the Hall when Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut they could hear the letters still streaming into the room bouncing off the walls and floor that does it said Uncle Vernon trying to speak calmly but pulling great Tufts out of his mustache at the same time I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave we're going away just pack some clothes no arguments he looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded up doors and were in the car speeding toward the highway Dudley was sniffling in the back seat his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television vcr and computer in his sports bag they drove and they drove even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while shake them off Shake him off he would mutter whenever he did this they didn't stop to eat or drink all day by Nightfall Dudley was howling he'd never had such a bad day in his life he was hungry he'd missed Five television programs he'd wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy looking Hotel on the outskirts of a big city Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp musty sheets Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake sitting on the windowsill staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering they ate stale Corn Flakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day they had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table excuse me but is one of you Mr H Potter only I got about a hundred of these at the front desk she held up a letter so they could read the green ink address Mr H Potter room 17 railview Hotel cokeworth Perry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way the woman stared I'll take them said Uncle Vernon standing up quickly and following her from the dining room wouldn't it be better just to go home dear Aunt Petunia suggested timidly hours later but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her exactly what he was looking for none of them knew he drove them into the middle of a forest got out looked around shook his head got back in the car and off they went again the same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field halfway across the suspension bridge and at the top of a multi-level parking garage Daddy's Gone mad hasn't he Dudley asked Aunt Petunia Dudley late that afternoon Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast locked them all inside the car and disappeared it started to rain great drops beat on the roof of the car Dudley sniveled it's Monday he told his mother the great Humberto's on tonight I want to stay somewhere with a television Monday this reminded Harry of something if it was Monday and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week because of Television then tomorrow Tuesday was Harry's 11th birthday of course his birthdays were never exactly fun last year the dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks still you weren't 11 every day Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling he was also carrying a long thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he bought found the perfect place he said come on everyone out it was very cold outside the car Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large Rock way out at Sea perched On Top of the Rock was the most miserable Little Shack you could imagine one thing was certain there was no television in there storm forecast for tonight said Uncle Vernon gleefully clapping his hands together and this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat a toothless old man came ambling up to them pointing with a rather Wicked grin at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron gray water below them I've already got us some rations said Uncle Vernon so all aboard it was freezing in the boat ICC spray and Rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces after what seemed like hours they reached the rock where Uncle Vernon slipping and sliding led the way to the broken down house the inside was horrible it smelled strongly of seaweed the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls and the fireplace was damp and empty there were only two rooms Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas he tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up could do with some of those letters now eh he said cheerfully he was in a very good mood obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail Harry privately agreed though the thought didn't cheer him up at all as night fell the promised storm blew up around them spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the Hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth eaten sofa she and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest most ragged blanket the storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on Harry couldn't sleep he shivered and turned over trying to get comfortable his stomach rumbling with hunger Dudley snores were drowned by the low rolls of Thunder that started near midnight the lighted dial of Dudley's watch which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist told Harry he'd be 11 in 10 minutes time he lay and watched his birthday tick nearer wondering if the dursleys would remember it all wondering where the letter writer was now five minutes to go Harry heard something Creak outside he hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in although he might be warmer if it did four minutes to go maybe the house in privet drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow three minutes to go was that the sea slapping hard on the Rock like that and two minutes to go what was that funny crunching noise was the rock crumbling into the sea one minute to go and he'd be 11 30 seconds 20 10 9 maybe he'd wake Dudley up just to annoy him three two one boom the whole Shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright staring at the door someone was outside knocking to come in end of chapter three