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ailed up the mail slot.

”see,” he explai petunia through a mouthful of nails,

”if they t deliver them theyll just give up.”

”im ll work, vernon.”

”oh, these peoples minds we etunia, theyre

not like you and me,” said urying to knoail

with the piece of fruitt petunia had just brought him.

on friday, welve letters arrived for harry. as

they t gh the mail slot they had been pushed under

the door, slh the sides, and a few evehrough

the small window iairs bathroom.

uayed at home again. after burning all the

letters, he got out a hammer and nails ahe cracks

arou and back doors so no one could go out. he hummed

”tipth the tulips” as he ed at small noises.

on saturday, thio get out of hay-four letters

to harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside

each of the two doze their very ilkman had

ha petunia through the living room hile uncle

vernon made furious telephoo the post offid the

dairy trying to fio plain to, auunia shredded

the letters in her food processor.

”who os to talk to you this badly?” dudley asked

harry i.

on sunday m, u down at the breakfast table

lookiher ill, but happy.

”no post on sundays,” he remihem cheerfully as he spread

marmalade on his neers, ”oday --”

something came whizzing dowey as he spoke and

caught him sharply on the back of the head. y or

forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. the

dursleys ducked, but harry leapt irying to e.

”out! out!”

un seized harry arou ao

the hall. etunia and dudley had run out with their arms

over their faed the door shut. they could

hear the letters still streaming into the room, boung off the

walls and floor.

”that does it,” said urying to speak calmly but

pullis out of his mustache at the same time. i want you

all ba five mio leave. were going away. just

pae uments!”

he looked so dah half his mustag that

nue. tehey had wreheir way

through the boarded-up doors ahe car, speeding toward

the highway. dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had

hit him round the head f them up while he tried to pack

his television, vputer in his sp.

they drove. and they drove. eveunia didnt dare ask

where they were going. every now and then un would take a

sharp turn ahe opposite dire for a while. ”shakeem

off... shake em off,” he would mutter whehis.

they didnt stop to eat or drink all day. by nightfall dudley was

howling. hed never had such a bad day in his life. he was hungry,

hed missed five televisirams hed wao see, and hed

never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his puter.

uopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on

the outskirts of a big city. dudley and harry shared a room with

t, musty sheets. dudley s harry stayed

awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring dows of

passing d w....

they ate stale flakes and ed tomatoes on toast

for breakfast the hey had just fihe owner

of the hotel came over to their table.

”scuse me, but is one of you mr. h. potter? only i got about an

uhese at the front desk.”

she held up a letter so they creen ink address:

mr. h. potter

room 17

railview hotel

cokeworth

harry made a grab for the letter but un knocked his

hand out of the way. the woman stared.

”ill take them,” said uanding up quid