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stening to the news tosh！ You know perfectly well that your lot …
'Careful； Vernon！' breathed Aunt Petunia； and Uncle Vernon lowered his voice so that Harry could barely hear him；'… that your lot don't get on our news！'
'That's all you know；' said Harry。
The Dursleys goggled at him for a few seconds； then Aunt Petunia said； 'You're a nasty little liar。 What are all those …' she； too； lowered her voice so that Harry had to lip…read the next word； … owls doing if they're not bringing you news？'
'Aha！' said Uncle Vernon in a triumphant whisper。 'Get out of that one； boy！ As if we didn't know you get all your news from those pestilential birds！'
Harry hesitated for a moment。 It cost him something to tell the truth this time； even though his aunt and uncle could not possibly know how bad he felt at admitting it。
'The owls： aren't bringing me news；' he said tonelessly。
'I don't believe it；' said Aunt Petunia at once。
'No more do I；' said Uncle Vernon forcefully。
'We know you're up to something funny；' said Aunt Petunia。
'We're not stupid； you know；' said Uncle Vernon。
'Well； that's news to me；' said Harry； his temper rising； and before the Dursleys could call him back； he had wheeled about； crossed the front lawn； stepped over the low garden wall and was striding off up the street。
He was in trouble now and he knew it。 He would have to face his aunt and uncle later and pay the price for his rudeness； but he did not care very much just at the moment； he had much more pressing matters on his mind。
Harry was sure the cracking noise had been made by someone Apparating or Disapparating。 It was exactly the sound Dobby the house…elf made when he vanished into thin air。 Was it possible that Dobby was here in Privet Drive？ Could Dobby be following him right at this very moment？ As this thought occurred he wheeled around and stared back down Privet Drive； but it appeared to be pletely deserted and Harry was sure that Dobby did not know how to bee invisible。
He walked on； hardly aware of the route he was taking； for he had pounded these streets so often lately that his feet carried him to his favourite haunts automatically。 Every few steps he glanced back over his shoulder。 Someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias； he was sure of it。 Why hadn't they spoken to him； why hadn't they made contact； why were they hiding now？
And then； as his feeling of frustration peaked； his certainty leaked away。
Perhaps it hadn't been a magical sound after all。 Perhaps he was so desperate for the tiniest sign of contact from the world to which he belonged that he was simply overreacting to perfectly ordinary noises。 Could he be sure it hadn't been the sound of something breaking inside a neighbour's house？
Harry felt a dull； sinking sensation in his stomach and before he knew it the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued him all summer rolled over him once again。
Tomorrow morning he would be woken by the alarm at five o'clock so he could pay the owl that delivered the Daily Prophet …but was there any point continuing to take it？ Harry merely glanced at the front page before throwing it aside these days； when the idiots who ran the paper finally realised that Voldemort was back it would be headline news； and that was the only kind Harry cared about。
If he was lucky； there would also be owls carrying letters from his best friends Ron and Hermione； though any expectation he'd had that their letters would bring him news had long since been dashed。
We can't say much about you…know…what； obviously： We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray： We're quite busy but I can't give you details here： There's a fair amount going on； we'll tell you everything when we see you：
But when were they going to see him？ Nobody seemed too bothered with a precise date。 Hermione had scribbled I expect we'll be seeing you quite soon inside his birthday card； but how soon was soon？ As far as Harry could tell from the vague hints in their letters； Hermione and Ron were in the same place； presumably at Ron's parents' house。 He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at The Burrow when he was stuck in Privet Drive。 In fact； he was so angry with them he had thrown away； unopened； the two boxes of Honeydukes chocolates they'd sent him for his birthday。 He'd regretted it later； after the wilted salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night。
And what were Ron and Hermione busy with？ Why wasn't he； Harry； busy？ Hadn't he proved himself capable of handling much more than them？ Had they all forgotten what he had done？ Hadn't it been he who had entered that graveyard and watched Cedric being murdered； and been tied to that tombstone and nearly killed？
Don't think about that； Harry told himself sternly for the hundredth lime that summer。 It was bad enough that he kept revisiting the graveyard in his nightmares； without dwelling on it in his waking moments too。
He turned a corner into Magnolia Crescent； halfway along he passed the narrow alleyway down the side of a garage where he had first clapped eyes on his godfather。 Sirius； at least； seemed to understand how Harry was feeling。 Admittedly； his letters were just as empty of proper news as Ron and Hermione's； but at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalising hints：
I know this must be frustrating for you： Keep your nose clean and everything will be OK： Be careful and don't do anything rash：
Well； thought Harry； as he crossed Magnolia Crescent； turned into Magnolia Road and headed towards the darkening play park； he had （by and large） done as Sirius advised。 He had at least resisted the temptation to tie his trunk to his broomstick and set off for The Burrow by himself。 In fact； Harry thought his behaviour had been very good considering how frustrated and angry he felt at being stuck in Privet Drive so long； reduced to hiding in flowerbeds in the hope of hearing something that might point to what Lord Voldemort was doing。 Nevertheless； it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a man who had served twelve years in the wizard prison； Azkaban； escaped； attempted to mit the murder he had been convicted for in the first place； then gone on the run with a stolen Hippogriff。
Harry vaulted over the locked park gate and set off across the parched grass。 The park was as empty as the surrounding streets。 When he reached the swings he sank on to the only one that Dudley and his friends had not yet managed to break； coiled one arm around the chain and stared moodily at the ground。 He would not be able to hide in the Dursleys' flowerbed again。 Tomorrow； he would have to think of some fresh way of listening to the news。 In the meantime； he had nothing to look forward to but another restless； disturbed night； because even when he escaped the nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors； all finishing in dead ends and locked doors； which he supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake。 Often the old scar on his forehead prickled unfortably； but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting any more。 In the past； his scar hurting had warned that Voldemort was getting stronger again； but now that Voldemort was back they would probably remind him that its regular irritation was only to be expected： nothing to worry about： old news：
The injustice of it all welled up inside him so that he wanted to yell with fury。 If it hadn't been for him； nobody would even have known Voldemort was back！ And his reward was to be stuck in Little Whinging for four solid weeks； pletely cut off from the magical world； reduced to squatting among dying begonias so that he could hear about water…skiing budgerigars！ How could Dumbledore have forgotten him so easily？ Why had Ron and Hermione got together without inviting him along； too？ How much longer was he supposed to endure Sirius telling him to sit tight and be a good boy； or resist the temptation to write to the stupid Daily Prophet and point out that Voldemort had returned？ These furious thoughts whirled around in Harry's head； and his insides writhed with anger as a sultry； velvety night fell around him； the air full of the smell of warm； dry grass； and the only sound that of the low grumble of traffic on the road beyond the park railings。
He did not know how long he had sat on the swing before the sound of voices interrupted his musings and he looked up。 The street lamps from the surrounding roads were casting a misty glow strong enough to silhouette a group of people making their way across the park。 One of them was singing a loud； crude song。 The others were laughing。 A soft ticking noise came from several expensive racing bikes that they were wheeling along。
Harry knew who those people were。 The figure in front was unmistakeably his cousin； Dudley Dursley； wending his way home； acpanied by his faithful gang。
Dudley was as vast as ever； but a year's hard dieting and the discovery of a new talent had wrought quite a change