//------------------------------// // The Vanishing Glass // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// A pair of lavender eyes slowly open, immediately greeting the blinding light of the morning sun. Princess Twilight Sparkle yawned as she sat up, stretching her limbs. She searched the tiny room she and every creature slept in. It was frightfully cramped given how small it really was, the sleeping arrangements slightly bizarre. Spike was fast asleep atop the old computer, scratching his ear in his sleep. Rainbow Dash and Applejack slept soundly, as they were pressed against each other due to the cramped mess… but they didn’t seem to mind. Fluttershy slept on an old blanket atop some old boxes, while Rarity and Pinkie Pie slept atop the desk where the computer was resting. Both ponies were so close to falling over the edge. Meanwhile, the Student Six slept together like a giant ball of bodies off a corner. Slowly, one by one, the whole group started to wake up and stretched their sore limbs. “And I thought sleeping in the badlands was uncomfortable,” Spike groaned. “Yona not this sore since she carry huge boulder all across Yakyakistan,” Yona agreed. “I’d ask… but I really don’t want to know why,” Gallus replied. “Oh, what I would give to sleep in my own comfortable bed,” Rarity moaned. “With my husband wrapped around me, instead of sleeping on some hardwood desk.” Rainbow and Applejack were the last two ponies to wake up. The minute their eyes opened, they noticed just how close they were to each other. Their eyes widened over the fact they were a mere few inches close to each other. “Why does this keep happening?!” Rainbow asked horrified. The two mares quickly pushed away from each other, scrambled up to their hoofs, and proceeded to dust themselves off. Oye, why don’t those two just admit they like each other and move on? I know, crazy right? I get they’ve had this competition going on for so long, but personally I think it compensates over the fact they cannot admit their true feelings. … I totally blame the writers. Twilight Sparkle approached the door to the room, peeking out to make certain the coast was clear. Seeing no one around at the moment, she shuts the door and turned back toward the rest of the group. “Alright every creature, let’s head downstairs and meet up with Harry,” She said. “With any hope, his horrible family is gone for the day,” Ocellus responded. With Twilight at the lead, the whole group left the room and make their way downstairs one by one. They stop just outside the cupboard door, shaking their heads, and released a sigh. To think such horrible people would have such a sweet boy like Harry sleeping there like some kind of animal. Just as Twilight reached to know, Aunt Petunia came through the kitchen door and they quickly ran toward the front door so as not to bump into her (Invisibility spell or not). They watch silently as she rapidly knocks on the door. “Up!” She demanded. “Get up! Now!” She smacks the closet door for good measure before returning to the kitchen. The group stared after her in disbelief. “Of all the adventures we’ve been on so far, aside from that demon witch, ain’t recon ah ever saw one person be so mean!” Applejack said. “The Wicked Witch of the West?” Pinkie asked. Applejack turned toward Pinkie Pie, who smiled innocently. The two possible cousins stared at each other for a second or two. “Okay… make that two!” Applejack corrected. “Seriously, who spit in her food?” Rainbow asked, folding her front hooves. It was then they heard a loud ruckus upstairs and they looked up to see a rather portly-looking boy running down the stairs. This boy was Harry’s spoiled and rude cousin, Dudley Dursley. Dudley was halfway down the stairs when he stopped, went back up wight above the cupboard, and began to jump up and down. “Wake up, cousin!” He yelled. “We’re going to the zoo!” “Jeez, this kid could use a good kick in the butt!” Smolder grumbled. “Just say the word fellas,” Gallus offered, cracking his talons. “I can take care of this quickly.” “Now Gallus darling,” Rarity spoke, restraining herself. “Let’s not do anything rash…” Dudley laughs as he comes running back downstairs toward the kitchen. Just as Harry opened the cupboard door, Dudley pushes him back inside and kicks the door shut. He rushes into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him. This left the group staring toward him in shock. “Apparently the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Sandbar stated. “Darn right it don’t,” Applejack shook her head. “Yona have half mind to stomp puny human like railroad spike!” Yona growled. “Yeah… wait what?” Spike asked, wide-eyed. The young bovine was about to charge after the disrespectful boy, when Silverstream flew right up in front of her. “Whoa there Yona!” Silverstream warned. “Remember what Councilor Starlight said about controlling your anger?” Yona’s face showcased immense anger at Harry’s horrible family, along with her desire to teach them some respect. But Silverstream’s words slowly started cutting right through her mindset. Eventually, Yona calmly took a deep breath and recalled Starlight’s words. “Anger make yak do bad things, and bad things not good,” Yona sighed. Silverstream nodded, patting Yona’s back to calm the young yak. Harry slowly opened the door again, emerging while clutching his head. “You alright Harry?” Twilight asked. The young boy faced the group of creatures with a nod. “I’m fine,” He answered. “Happens every single morning anyway. Anyway, thank you for helping me clean up last night. If it weren’t for all of you, I’d probably still be cleaning by now.” Every creature smiled back at him, as Pinkie bounced right up to the boy with a chipper smile on her face. “No need to thank us new best friend!” She replied happily. “It’s just what we all do for our friends! We help them anyway we can, even when they don’t want it. Everything we do is simply because it gives us that super-duper good feeling inside. Like eating a whole bunch of sugar and you start having that really jittery feeling. Which reminds me of one time…” Twilight used her magic to trap Pinkie inside a magical sound-proof bubble while she kept babbling on. Harry turned toward the lavender alicorn princess. “Trust me,” Twilight said. Harry chuckled a bit before he turned to walk toward the kitchen area with the rest of the group following close behind. Inside, Uncle Vernon sat at the table while Aunt Petunia fawned all over Dudley. “Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!” She praised. “Happy birthday, son!” Vernon said kindly. “Wow, and I was thinking we’d never hear them say anything nice,” Gallus remarked sarcastically. “Don’t get used to it kiddo,” Rainbow replied. Petunia and Dudley giggle together, as Harry walks in dressed in his usual ragged old clothes. “Why don’t you just cook the breakfast?” Petunia ordered him. “And try not to burn anything!” “Yes, Aunt Petunia,” He responded. Harry quickly gets to work cooking the breakfast, in this case bacon, as Petunia covered Dudley’s eyes and draws him into the living room. “I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley’s special day.” The group of creatures peek into the living room, where a whole mountain of presents stretched nearly to the ceiling met their eyes. They all stared wide-eyed at the scene, while Pinkie squealed with glee. “Ooh… a birthday party!” She exclaimed excitedly. She reached into her mane and pulled out her signature party cannon, which fortunately the Dursley’s couldn’t see any of it. Pinkie raised her hooves to fire the cannon, when her friends held her hooves back. “Pinkie, what are you doing?” Ocellus asked. “Hey when I see a party, I have to celebrate!” Pinkie responded. “Don’t y’all remember these here folk are a buncha jerks tah poor Harry?” Applejack asked. “Yeah, but… still… party!!!” Everyone just looked at her disapprovingly until she finally pouted and put her cannon back into her mane. All the while, Harry finished prepping the bacon and was now setting the table. “Hurry up!” Vernon barked. “Bring my coffee, boy!” “Yes, Uncle Vernon.” Petunia lead Dudley into the living room and uncovered his eyes so he could see the vast amount of presents. Dudley stared wide-eyed while Petunia smiled. “Aren’t they wonderful darling?” She asked hopefully. Dudley continued to look at all the presents, till he started to squint his eyes. He slowly turned back toward his father. “How many are there?” He asked suspiciously. “Thirty-six,” Vernon responded. “Counted ‘em myself.” “Thirty-six?!” Dudley yelled. “But last year I got thirty-seven!!” “Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!” “I don’t care how big they are!” Dudley screamed. “Size doesn’t matter!!” Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle over his choice of words. Rarity turned toward her with a disapproving frown, shaking her head. “He said it, not me,” Rainbow said defensively. “I can’t believe him,” Twilight said in disbelief. “So spoiled and selfish, he’d yell at his own parents because he got one less gift than last year!” “Reminds me of myself that one year I turned full dragon,” Spike shook his head. Twilight and Rarity both nodded, recalling the memories of the year Spike started acting the same way. The year when it was his birthday, he expected every pony to give him a gift and it slowly turned him into a full dragon. But thankfully, Spike learned his lesson… sadly Dudley was very far behind. “Oh now, now, now,” Petunia said calmly. “This is what we’re going to do. When we go out we’re going to buy you two new presents! How’s that, Pumpkin?” Dudley started counting the number in his head… and on his fingers. “So that would make… thirty-eight?” He asked. “That’s right,” Petunia nodded. Dudley thought for a moment, then nodded in approval before walking over and sitting at the table. He proceeded to stuff as much food into his mouth, as Harry looked on and shook his head. “You cousin is unbelievable,” Sandbar whispered to Harry. “You do know that, right?” “Yes… I know it,” Harry whispered, nodding. “One year he almost tore the entire living room simply because he didn’t get any ice cream for breakfast. Felt he was ‘entitled to it’.” Every creature shook their heads. “Here I was thinking Diamond Tiara was bad when she was snobby and spoiled,” Rainbow remarked. “I never thought we’d ever find worse parents than Filthy and Spoiled Rich,” Rarity added. Harry looked around making sure the whole family wasn’t looking before he quickly made some new plates of eggs. Slowly he left them on the ground for the group to eat. Everyone smiled and quickly ate before anyone noticed. “Thank you Harry,” Twilight thanked him. “Ya really didn’t have to do this for us sugarcube,” Applejack assured him. “We’ve brought enough food to last us at least a week,” Fluttershy added. “We really don’t want to get you in anymore trouble.” “Don’t worry about it,” He shrugged off. “They were going to make me clean everything anyway. What’s a couple more plates going to do?” Everyone once again smiled at the young boy. To think someone like him had so little to smile about and still be so nice. They continued to eat as quickly and quietly as possible, so Harry could wash the plates before his family noticed. Just then, the phone rang, and Aunt Petunia went to answer it. “Hello?” Petunia spoke, pausing. “Uh-huh… uh-huh… I understand. Thank you…” After the conversation was over, she hung up the phone and turned toward her husband. “Bad news Vernon,” She said. “Mrs. Figg broke her leg. She won’t be able to take the boy today.” “Well, what about Marge?” Vernon asked. “She hates the boy, Vernon.” “What about your friend, Vaunette?” “She’s out of town.” As they went back and forth, trying to figure out what to do, Harry looked down toward the group and he actually looked excited for once. “I hope they’ll allow me to actually stay here by myself,” He hoped. “Better than actually going to the zoo.” “I’m with you on that,” Smolder nodded. “Anything to get them away from here is okay in my book.” “And while they’re gone, we’ll have more time to talk to Harry about this whole ‘important mission’,” Twilight whispered to the group. They all nodded in agreement, actually hoping Harry’s family would just leave him with them. Harry turned back toward his aunt and uncle and silently stepped forward. “You know… you could just leave me here by myself,” He suggested. Hearing the suggestion, Vernon and Petunia sat silently for a few seconds… before bursting out laughing. Harry and the others just stood there with blank expressions, as his relatives kept giggling themselves to death. Eventually they settled down long enough, allowing the message to sink in. “Good lord you’re serious?” Petunia asked. Harry Potter nodded his head feebly. “And come home to find the house destroyed?” Vernon asked. “Well… we could always take him alone and make him stay in the car.” They both pondered over the thought for a moment. But ultimately Petunia shook her head. “No, then people will start complaining and I don’t wish to deal with that today,” She said annoyed. “I’m afraid it looks like we have to take him with us.” Hearing this, Dudley violently lifted his head toward his mother and father. “I don’t want him to come with us!” Dudley whined. “He’s going to ruin everything!” Seeing her son distressed, Petunia ran to his side and tried her best to ease him down. “No, no, no, no,” She assured him. “He won’t ruin anything on your special day. We won’t let him.” “Boy!” Vernon yelled to Harry. “Looks like it’s your lucky day; you’re going to the zoo with us. Now go on back to your room and find a decent pair of clothes.” Sighing, Harry nodded his head and walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway while the others followed close behind. Once in the hall, Pinkie Pie approached Harry with the biggest smile on her face. “Yippee!!!” Pinkie cheered joyfully. “Look on the bright side Harry: You’re actually going to do something fun today!” “You know what… I must agree with you Pinkie,” Harry smiled hugely. “I haven’t been to the zoo since… I can’t remember when.” “I’ve never been on to advocate for a zoo,” Twilight shook her head. “Just the idea of having animals all penned up in cages. Seems more like a prison.” “Oh, those poor little creatures,” Fluttershy said sadly. Harry Potter knelt down to rub Fluttershy’s back. “I know how you feel Fluttershy,” He said. “Truth be told I don’t really want to go with them. But not like we really have much choice. If I have to go, might as well make the most of it.” <> A little while later, the entire family was dressed and ready to go. Petunia led Dudley out to the car and they both got in. Just as Harry was about to get in, Vernon stopped him pointing the keys at him. “I’m warning you now, boy,” He threatened. “Any funny business, any at all, and you won’t have any meals for a week. Get in.” They both step into the car and they pull it out of the driveway. As they drive off towards the zoo, the group of ponies and their friends stare off after them from the window of the house. “Well everyone, looks like we’re going along after him,” Twilight declared. She started to fire up her horn and this made Gallus look slightly nervous. “Uh Twilight, maybe we could just fly after them because honestly…” Unfortunately, Gallus didn’t get to finish because Twilight used her magic to trace where the family was going and quickly transported them to the London Zoo. When the blinding light of the teleportation spell faded, Gallus and a few of the other students stumbled about dizzily. “Aww man!” Gallus moaned. “I hate that teleportation thing. I always feel like I come out the other side missing a few body parts!” He quickly checked himself over to make sure nothing was missing, counting his talons, his limbs… everything. To his relief, they’re all in place. The group looked up toward the gigantic London Zoo, a massive establishment with many people walking in and out every second. “So… how are we going to find Harry in all of this mess?” Pinkie slowly peeks her head up beside Gallus, who eyed her weirdly. The pony merely ignores the Griffin as she looks around with a pair of binoculars over her eyes. She twists and turns searching for a family of four amongst all the kids and adults. Then her binoculars catch sight of the sign reading ‘Reptile House’ and she slowly puts her binoculars back in her mane. “I may have a hunch where they might be…” Pinkie nodded. <> The ponies and their friends casually enter the Reptile House in search for Harry and his family. While normally such a group of colorful ponies and a multitude of other creatures would easily attract attention especially before humans, they remembered the spell that made them invisible to human eyes. A good thing too because the last thing they wanted was to stir a panic nor have anyone looking oddly toward a certain pink party pony sniffing the grounds like a dog. Suddenly, Pinkie quickly lifted her head up and points ahead with her tail. “Told you I’d find ‘em here!” Pinkie spoke. Sure enough, they found Harry Potter and his relatives standing beside one of the glass cages of the reptile house. They were all staring at a large Boa constrictor that appeared to simply be lounging along the branch of the tree. Judging by how the family was hunched over, the ponies and the gang could see they were frightfully bored. “Make it move!” Dudley demanded. Vernon raps the glass of the cage. “Move!” Impatient, Dudley taps the glass much harder. The whole group winced silently. “MOVE!” Dudley shouted. “He’s asleep!” Harry spoke. “He’s boring,” Dudley shook his head, walking away. Twilight watches silently as Dudley and his parents retreat to another enclosure. Tilting her head over, she ushers the group to follow as she marched toward their friend. Sure enough they find Harry left all by himself with the sleeping snake. Harry turned and lightly smiled as Twilight and her friends walked beside him. “Looks like the birthday boy’s not having a good time,” Rainbow replied. “Nope… he’s not,” Harry replied. Standing beside Harry, they turn toward the snake enclosure as Harry watches the creature. “Sorry about him. He doesn’t understand what it’s like, lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you.” Then, much to their surprise, the snake suddenly looks up… and blinks. To say the group were in shock is a major understatement. “Did that snake just blink?” Spike asked. “Can you… hear me?” Harry asked. The snake nods its head and lifts itself slightly, its attention dead set on the boy. “It’s just… I’ve never talked to a snake before.” “Says the kid who talked to a group of ponies, some dragons, a yak, a griffin, a hippogriff, and a Changeling,” Smolder snickered. “Do you… I mean… do you talk to people often?” The boy asked the snake. In response, the snake merely shook its head. Fluttershy reads the small sign in front of the glass before turning back toward the snake. “Um… excuse me sir,” Fluttershy spoke politely. “I couldn’t help but notice you come from a place called Burma… I imagine it must be lovely there. Hmm… do you miss your family?” The snake turned its head toward another sign and the gang followed its direction. According to the sign, the snake they spoke to was ‘Bred in Captivity’. “I see…” Harry nodded, understanding. “That’s me as well. I never knew my parents, either.” As the group listened to Harry Potter talking to the snake, with Fluttershy saying a few words in between, the most solemn of the group is Applejack herself. She faced Harry Potter with a worried expression, of how he ‘never knew his parents’ really hit a nerve. She had seen how it pained Harry’s face when the subject had been brought up. And deep down she knew that feeling all too well, a sore subject she dares to never bring up… even if it hurts her too. With the snake now fully awake, Dudley’s attention is drawn. He zips toward the cage, knocking Harry to the floor. “Mummy, dad, come here! You won’t believe what this snake is doing!!” Gasping in shock, the group rushed toward Harry Potter to help him while Dudley placed his hands upon the glass wall. As they carefully lift Harry up, the boy glares at him. Even Twilight, who had tried to keep it together, felt a twinge of anger as she stared at the boy. All of a sudden, before their very eyes, the glass wall disappears, and Dudley starts to wretch forward. ‘Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!” The spoiled boy falls into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water. Staring in shock, the group slowly turned toward one another. Most of their eyes were toward Twilight Sparkle. “Good gracious Twilight,” Rarity gasped. “I know that kid was a brat, but I thought we agreed not to draw attention.” “That… wasn’t… me…” Twilight spoke slowly, in shock. The group, along with Harry, turn back as the snake slowly slithers out of the exhibit. Dudley, shivering with fright, sits perfectly still as the snake passed him. Once the boa was fully free from imprisonment, it stops before Harry and his pals as they looked on in silence. “Thanksssssss,” The snake spoke. “Anytime,” Harry replied. And just like that, the snake slowly slithers off as the group looks on. “SNAKE!!!” A man shouted. It isn’t long before chaos erupted throughout the zoo, as the entire area filled with the screams of men, women, and children trying to get out of the snake’s way. All along, the snake just slithered on toward its newfound freedom as the group stands in complete shock. Eventually, Dudley picked himself up ready to get out… only to find the glass is now back over the enclosure. The startled boy, now stuck in the snake’s former cage, pounds on the glass frantically. “Mum, mummy!” Dudley cried. In that moment, Petunia and Vernon were just returning but the moment she saw Dudley she screamed. “Mum, help! Help me!” Dudley begged. “My darling boy!” Petunia screamed. “How did you get in there?! Dudley, oh, Dudley!” But Vernon’s attention was not on his son at the moment. Instead, his eyes glare toward a certain boy who grinned and giggled at the scene. The moment the boy saw the anger in his uncle’s eyes, that grin disappeared just as quickly. All of Harry’s Equestrian friends, invisible before Vernon’s gaze, nervously watched the big man loom over the boy. <> It took a while before everyone got back to the Dursley’s house. Twilight and her friends followed closely behind, keeping watch as Harry was forcibly dragged back to the house. Petunia had Dudley all wrapped up in a blanket, as the boy shivered and whimpered from the frightful experience. “It’s all right,” Petunia said. “It’s all right.” As Petunia and Dudley disappeared around the corner, Harry and Vernon entered last. Twilight and her friends cautiously approached the opening… *WHAM!* The door slammed shut… smacking right into Spike’s face. Moaning in pain, Spike rubbed the bridge of his nose to sooth the pain. Pinkie Pie quickly takes out a glass from her mane and quickly places it on the door to listen. All the others listened with their own ears. “What happened?” Vernon shouted. “I swear I don’t know!” Harry insisted. “One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!” They could hear Vernon scoff and what sounds like their friend being shoved back into the closet, the door slammed, and the bolt clicked. “There’s no such thing as magic!” Vernon growled, banging the door. The group were horrified over Vernon’s response to Harry’s explanation. It wasn’t enough that a boy’s own uncle would intentionally starve him for something he barely did but treating his own nephew like a lunatic for claiming ‘magic’ was behind what happened to Dudley. Frankly, Twilight and her friends couldn’t understand it themselves. Neither Twilight nor Rarity used magic themselves to get back at Dudley, even though they didn’t approve of what the boy did to Harry. Which lead back to their motive for being in this place, why they were sent to guard Harry in the first place. “Guys… you think this is why Dumbledore sent us to look after the boy?” Silverstream asked. “I’m not sure yet, Silverstream,” Twilight answered. “But after what we’ve seen, I think it’s all starting to come together.”