CHAPTER THREE
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 , 4 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 .
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