THE ZOO INCIDENT!

JULY 1991

1st Year

• • • •

Harry and Annabelle Potter lay in a single bed, with barely enough room for the two if them, fast asleep in a broom closet with a frayed blanket draped over the two - who were cuddled up to each other, using each other to keep them warm.

There was a click, and knocking on the door, where outside, a tall woman, Petunia Dursley, rapped on the door, awaking the pair from their somewhat restful slumber.

"Up. Get up," The woman ordered before knocking, then sighing, "Now!" She shouted, before smacking the door of the closet, which is the twin's bedroom.

Harry and Annabelle sat up at the same time, rubbing their tired eyes, and almost head-butting each other in the process.

"Sorry," They both started to apologise to each other, before laughing softly as Harry started to reach around the small room for his glasses.

"Here," Annabelle sighed, handing him the round-rimmed glasses to him.

"Thanks," Harry smiled slightly before he put the spectacles on, and just as he opened his mouth to greet his sister, the sound of thumping was heard overhead.

"Wake up, cousins!" The voice of their annoying cousin, Dudley Dursley cried, "We're going to the zoo!"

Dudley laughed, as he came down the stairs, running for the kitchen when Harry and Annabelle tried to come out of the closet - who were then pushed back in by Dudley.

"Honestly," Annabelle whispered to her brother as they started to make their way into the kitchen, "He's vile,"

"I completely agree," Harry whispered, smiling at her.

"Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!" The shrill voice of Petunia called to her son as the twins entered the kitchen, where Vernon Dursley was also sitting in.

"Happy birthday, son," Vernon greeted the boy, a gleeful smile on his face as Petunia and Dudley giggled together, before noticing that Annabelle and Harry had come into the kitchen, dressed in rags.

"Why don't you two just cook the breakfast," Petunia instructed the children, who she treated like slaves, "And try not to burn anything," She added.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," The twins chorused, before setting to work, rolling ther eyes at their cousin's continuous whining about being one present too short.

After the twins severed breakfast, which was scoffed by the Dursleys, whilst the pair received little to nothing, Annabelle and Harry begrudgingly followed the Dursleys to the car, where they were stopped by Vernon.

"I'm warning you now," The man started, "Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week," He threatened, "Get in," 

Annabelle and Harry nodded, getting into the car, hoping that the day would go by quickly.

***

"Make it move," Dudley's annoying voice whined to his father as the Dursleys, Harry and Annabelle stood in front of the boa constrictor behind the glass in the Reptile House at the zoo.

Vernon sighed, rapping on the glass of the cage, "Move!" He cried at the snake.

Dudley then rapped on the glass much harder, making Annabelle wince, "MOVE!" The boy shouted.

"He's asleep!" Annabelle snapped at the idiot that was her cousin.

"He's boring," Dudley retorted, before he and his parents retreat to another enclosure, leaving Annabelle and Harry with the snake.

"Sorry about him," Annabelle said to the snake.

"He doesn't understand what it's like," Her brother continued, "Lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you," Harry said and the snake then looked up and blinked, making the twins look at each other, bewildered.

"Can you..." Annabelle cautiously started, "Hear us?" She asked, and the snake nodded.

"It's just...we've never talked to a snake before," Harry told the boa constrictor.

"Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often?" Annabelle asked the majestic creature - who shook it's head.

"You're from Burma, aren't you?" The dark haired twin asked the snake.

"Was it nice there?" The ginger continued where her brother had left off, "Do you miss your family?" She asked, and the snake turned it's head in the direction of a sign which read 'Bred in Captivity', making Annabelle sigh, "That's us as well. We never knew our parents, either," She said, softly.

The now awake snake attracted Dudley's attention - who ripped over to the cage, knocking Harry and Annabelle to the floor in the process, "Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!!" He cried.

As Dudley put his hands on the glass wall, Harry and Annabelle, from the ground, glared at him.

Suddenly, the glass disappeared and Dudley wretched forward.

"Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!" The boy screamed, before Dudley fell into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water whilst the snake gets out of the exhibit, stopping in front of the Potter Twins.

"Thankssssssss," The snake hissed at the pair.

"Anytime," The twins chorused before the snake started off, making many people scream.

During the chorus of screams, the snake headed for freedom as Dudley got up to get out, but the glass was back over the enclosure.

He was stuck.

"Mum, mummy!" Dudley cried to his mother, pounding on the glass.

"AHH!" Petunia cried, upon seeing him.

"Mum, help! Help me!" Dudley continued to scream to the woman.

"My darling boy!" Petunia shrieked, distressed, "How did you get in there?!" She asked.

Upon seeing the sight of their monster of a cousin trapped in the boa enclosure, nor Harry or Annabelle could supress the smiled and giggles escaping their mouths.

Vernon then glared down at the pair and Harry and Annabelle's grin disappears as Petunia continued screaming to her son.

"How did you get in there? Dudley, oh, Dudley!"

***

Later that day, back at the Dursley's, Petunia lead her son inside - who was bundled up in towels, telling him, "It's all right. It's all right," Before disappearing around the corner whilst Harry, Annabelle and Vernon entered.

Vernon slammed the door and shoved Harry against a wall, taking his hair in his chubby hands.

"Ow!" Harry winced as Annabelle looked at her brother with worried eyes.

"What happened?" Vernon asked, eyes narrow as he glanced between the Potter siblings. 

"I swear I don't know!" Harry tried to convince his uncle - who didn't listen to him.

"He's telling the truth!" Annabelle shouted at the man, anger boiling in the pit of her stomach, "One minute the glass was there and then it was gone!" She continued, frantically trying to find a believable excuse that her vile uncle would listen to and believe, "It was like magic!" The girl cried.

Vernon scoffed and shoved both Harry and Annabelle into their closet of a room.

"There's no such thing as magic!"