Flighty Letters

"I got sorted into Gryffindor."

Which led Alisha to conclude her brother wasn't very good at writing letters, but much to her relief, she discovered something else hadn't changed.

"And we're supposed to understand what he means by that," Aunt Petunia sniffled.

"Of course not."

"I know what it means," Alisha said, making her aunt stare. "It's in one of Harry's books."

"And what is this sorting he is talking about?" Aunt Petunia asked, her stiffness making it difficult to connect with the woman.

Alisha looked up, frowning, wondering how to explain the houses. "Students are divided into houses during their first year."

"Houses?"

"I guess they're the area students' dorm?"

She was surprised to see a look of relief on Petunia's face, while Vernon gave her a strange look. "We've houses at Smeltings, but nothing with an outlandish name such as Gryffindor."

"I see."

"What should I write him?"

"Tell him not to be so vague the next time," Petunia said. "No way Diddy will like such limited conversation."

"Yes, but..." Alisha frowned, unsure of how to share the information with her cousin.

"Strange words," Vernon muttered. "He shouldn't use them."

"Perhaps we should just let Alisha explain, as she seems to have taken the time to look things up and know what he's talking about and might be able to explain it?"

"Then she can write to Dudley as well."

So she ended up writing to both.

"Stop being so vague about what's going on at school. Aunt Petunia doesn't like the lack of information to pass onto Dudley, though to be honest, I don't think you'll be interested in his talk about yummy food and hitting people with sticks."

To which he responded with, "Got onto the Quidditch team. That's a Wizarding sport." He went into detail explaining everything that Wood explained to him as well as how he got onto the team, which in turn meant that Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin as he was pretty clearly the person at fault before for Neville's Remembrall. However, there was absolutely no mention of Hermione and Ron.

The fact things were the same brought a smile to her face.

Uncle Vernon didn't want to hear about the sport at all but became quite pleased when Dudley, with whom Alisha communicated with for Harry, planned on taking on a sport, which made her feel conflicted, given the fact Dudley didn't take on boxing until he needed to lose weight because his school uniform didn't fit, and yet—given the fact he wasn't hefty like he was in the other world.

Letters were sparse, as Harry was not a letter writer, which was frustrating as she waited for anything, any news. So when he wrote to her, it was simply, "Don't tell Aunt Petunia, but troll in the dungeon."

"And what is that supposed to mean? And could you stop being so vague and actually write me more? It's already October, and you've only written me about what house you've been sorted into, that you made the team, got a new broom," which he had written to her about, "and this nonsense!"

"I'll tell you more when I'm home, just in case Aunt Petunia reads the letters."

"That boy," Aunt Petunia said, upon hearing Harry was still not being very open with what she said, except for that long-winded message about Quidditch.

The next long-winded letter was about Quidditch and his match with Slytherin, which was detailed in information, saying they suspected Snape of trying to kill Harry. He'd mentioned Hermione, meaning she'd been sorted into the house with him. Yet, she'd imagined this was a reference to the troll in the dungeon.

"I'm quite sure your teacher is not trying to kill you, but could you write something more? Dudley is bugging me for details, and I've more to relay regarding the food and how many people he hits each week than what you give me every month if that. Don't forget I'm stuck here dealing with Aunt Petunia."

To which he sent the following letter a week later. "Sorry! Well, I guess I can tell you that you'll get to ride a boat across the lake as a first-year."

He told her of the sorting and the different classes, why he disliked Snape and the other teachers, and that she'd make a lot of friends like he did—without mentioning the name of a single friend while mentioning the name of every member of the Quidditch team while also mentioning the pranks the twins pulled.

To which he didn't respond right away to her following letter.

The months rolled along, progressing into the holiday season with no news about him not coming home, leaving her stuck Christmas shopping with Aunt Petunia, who—

"Why does she have to be such a perfectionist?" Alisha said, glad Dudley's gift related to boxing was an easy gift, but with Harry—her aunt was honestly stumped along with what she should make for Christmas dinner.

"You know, Harry is in a sport as well."

"I see. Perhaps..." That was how Aunt Petunia bought him a package of socks for Christmas, which was better than the fifty pence for his first year, a toothpick in her second, and whatever awful gifts they would send. "I mean, he needs to keep his feet warm."

Alisha tried not to laugh or to cry. "At least the sentiment was there."

And that was the note Petunia wrote in the package she wrapped ever so neatly, placing it under the tree when Harry sent the note he wouldn't be coming back for the holidays as he was studying, no mention of what he was really up to. "He what?"

"Aunt Petunia..."

"Even your mother was polite enough to return."

"It's not that he's not thinking of us," Alisha said, feeling suddenly terrified that Petunia might turn into Petunia from canon. "He did send us presents."

Petunia stared at the poorly wrapped packages. She was contemplating throwing them away along with the present they'd gotten for Harry and the awfully wrapped present from Dudley with who knows what inside—she wasn't sure she wanted to know, to be honest.

"Aunt Petunia?"

"It's okay. He's studying, which is a good thing, right?"

"He's probably doing better than me." After all, she'd not clicked at school.

"What are you talking about? Your teachers say you are doing well, so you are studying, right?"

"It's things that I already know from my world and easy stuff." Alisha fiddled with her fingers.

"Is this—do you have friends?"

"No. I mean, I think I did because some girls acted like they knew me, but since I didn't know them..."

"I see. I wish that boy would understand the importance of being here for Christmas for you. At least Dudley will be here."

"I might get a letter too," Alisha said, smiling, though she was sure her face said she wasn't sure to Petunia, while Petunia seemed to be thinking the same thing and she was looking at the awfully wrapped presents again.

"Well, it's not as if we can unwrap these in front of your Aunt Marge, so I'll put them aside for now. That said," her aunt pursed her lips together. "That owl can carry packages?"

Alisha pursued her lips together, trying not to think of the Aunt Marge who blew up like a balloon during Harry's third year, which was definitely not her Aunt Marge. "Aunt Marge is coming?"

"Alisha..."

"Yes! I can send the presents! And I'll do better when I go!" Alisha smiled. "Even if I study, I can at least wrap presents correctly, and I'll be sure to pick something that will make us seem normal to Aunt Marge!" And then, she frowned. "Is she really coming?"

"I know Aunt Marge is a little difficult..."

"She doesn't like the fact you're raising two kids who aren't your own."

Which Alisha saw Petunia mulling over that.

"Well, that is really none of her business, is it?"

Those words surprised Alisha.