A Tale of Unfairness

"Killing such a bright girl as you? I think not, I'll let you live, it will show the world that those who submit can be spared. Though your brother...

"Up! Get up! Now!" Aunt Petunia's screeching voice and annoying knock sounded through the cupboard me and my twin brother, Harry, shared as a bedroom. Both of us were jolted awake, as I was saved from that same dreaded nightmare I always had.

"Up!" She once again screamed, before we heard her walk into the kitchen and put a frying pan on the stove.

I was the first out of bed, causing my worn copy of Mary Poppins to fall off the bed. I had fallen asleep reading it like I always had. I loved reading, it was a way to leave the mundane life me and Harry had shared for the past ten years. Even If I had read it a multitude of times, it still was better than whatever new chapter the Dursley's planned for us. Imagine someone coming to make our lives better.

I got out of bed and combed my black hair with the sharp painful comb I had been gifted, then found a pair of socks that only had one spider near them. Harry was slower in getting up placing his head onto the pillow. In a low voice I sighed.

"Are you two up yet?" Aunt Petunia demanded, back outside our door.

"Yes." I answered.

"Nearly." Harry answered at the exact same time.

"Well, get a move on, I want Sarah to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn. While Harry needs to take out the trash. I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Harry groaned and I silently rolled my eyes. Dudley's birthday was always one of the worst days of the year. Him getting whatever he wanted, while neither of us barely got enough food to live on.

"What did you say?" Aunt Petunia snapped at Harry.

"Nothing, nothing…" Harry replied.

Harry began to look for socks through the spider infested room. While I placed my book in the corner I kept all my possesions, namely the book. Then left our "bedroom" and made my way to the kitchen.

When I arrived in the kitchen I headed to the stove. I noticed the kitchen table burried in Dudley's presents. "As I warned, you best not burn it." Aunt Petunia told me sternly as I reached the stove.

"Yes Aunt Petunia." I replied, she looked satisfied and walked away.

As I cooked the bacon a less then thrilled looking Harry strode into the room. Wearing his taped together glasses. I once again thanked genetics that I had my mother's eyesight while Harry immediately pulled the full trash out of the rubbish bin as Uncle Vernon walked in.

"Comb your hair!" He barked at Harry, then turned to me. "That bacon better be perfect." He warned me. Then sat down at the table and began reading the news.

Harry continued to do the bidding of Uncle Vernon after taking the trash out, while I continued making breakfast. I had finished the bacon, and already started on the eggs by the time Dudley and Petunia arrived in the kitchen. As I was trying to place breakfast on the table, a difficult feat considering all of Dudley's presents piled on the table, Dudley was counting said presents.

"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at Vernon and Petunia. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."

"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Both me and Harry could see a large Dudley tantrum coming on, and began wolfing down our bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.

Thankfully Aunt Petunia acted first, of course not actually scolding Dudley, but by appeasing him.

"And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right"

Petunia statement made Dudley think, a hard task for the poor boy. After a few seconds of struggling with simple math he finally spoke.

"So I'll have thirty… thirty…"

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," Aunt Petunia answered for him. Me and Harry looked at each other and had to hold back smirks at our cousins math skills.

"Oh." Dudley replied, then sat down and reached for the nearest present. "All right then."

Uncle Vernon chucked at his spoiled son.

"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He said then ruffled Dudley's hair.

The telephone rang. So while me, Harry, and Vernon watched Dudley open present after present. Petunia answered the phone as Dudley opened. He received everything he wanted. From multiple video games for his also new computer, a racing bike, a VCR, really everything Dudley could ever ask for.

I frowned the no one had sent him any books. Though it was expected. Dudley was dumb and hated reading, the only reason I hoped was because that's how I got my copy of Mary Poppins. When he was five his teacher had gifted him a copy. He threw it away and I scooped it out of the trash.

As Dudley unwrapped a golden wristwatch, Aunt Petunia reentered the room looking angry and worried.

"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in mine and Harry's direction.