The Boy who lived

           Mr.andMrs.Dursley,ofnumberfour,PrivetDrive, wereproudtosay thattheywereperfectlynormal,thankyouverymuch. Theywerethelastpeopleyou’dexpect tobeinvolvedinanythingstrangeormysterious, becausetheyjustdidn’tholdwithsuchnonsense. 

           Mr.DursleywasthedirectorofafirmcalledGrunnings, whichmadedrills. Hewasabig,beefymanwithhardlyanyneck,althoughhedidhaveaverylargemustache. Mrs.Dursleywasthinandblonde andhadnearlytwicetheusualamountofneck, whichcameinveryuseful asshespentsomuchofhertimecraningovergardenfences, spyingontheneighbors. TheDursleyshadasmallsoncalledDudley andintheiropiniontherewasnofinerboyanywhere. 

           TheDursleyshadeverythingtheywanted, buttheyalsohadasecret, andtheirgreatestfearwasthatsomebodywoulddiscoverit. Theydidn’tthinktheycouldbearitifanyonefoundoutaboutthePotters. Mrs.PotterwasMrs.Dursley’ssister, buttheyhadn’tmetforseveralyears; infact,Mrs.Dursleypretendedshedidn’thaveasister, becausehersisterandhergood-for-nothinghusbandwereasunDursleyishasitwaspossibletobe. TheDursleysshudderedtothinkwhattheneighborswouldsay ifthePottersarrivedinthestreet. TheDursleysknewthatthePottershadasmallson,too, buttheyhadneverevenseenhim. ThisboywasanothergoodreasonforkeepingthePottersaway;theydidn’twantDudleymixingwithachildlikethat. 

           WhenMr.andMrs.Dursleywokeuponthedull,grayTuesdayourstorystarts, therewasnothingaboutthecloudyskyoutsidetosuggest thatstrangeandmysteriousthingswouldsoonbehappeningalloverthecountry.