‘You’re not allowed,’ Dudley said at once. ‘I know you’re not. You’d get expelled from that freak school you go to.’
‘How d’you know they haven’t changed the rules, Big D?’
‘They haven’t,’ said Dudley, though he didn’t sound completely convinced.
Harry laughed softly.
‘You haven’t got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?’ Dudley snarled.
‘Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten-year-old. You know that boxing title you keep banging on about? How old was your opponent? Seven? Eight?’
‘He was sixteen, for your information,’ snarled Dudley, ‘and he was out cold for twenty minutes after I’d finished with him and he was twice as heavy as you. You just wait till I tell Dad you had that thing out –’
‘Running to Daddy now, are you? Is his ickle boxing champ frightened of nasty Harry’s wand?’
‘Not this brave at night, are you?’ sneered Dudley.
‘This is night, Diddykins. That’s what we call it when it goes all dark like this.’
‘I mean when you’re in bed!’ Dudley snarled.
He had stopped walking. Harry stopped too, staring at his cousin. From the little he could see of Dudley’s large face, he was wearing a strangely triumphant look.
