Harry had originally wanted to say a little more to set things up.
But at that,
he raised his head instead.
"But my uncle teaches there."
Vernon looked at him.
Harry did not look away at all.
"My godfather is one of the sponsors, too."
"If I go and have a look,"
"who's going to stop me?"
Dudley mumbled around the food in his mouth.
"Listen to that tone."
"He's getting better and better at talking lately. Trying to pull some strings?"
Petunia glanced at Dudley.
"Eat."
Vernon ignored them.
He stared at Harry for a while.
"You certainly know how to use your connections."
Something stirred in Harry.
"I'm just going for a visit."
"It's not as if I'm stealing anything."
Vernon pressed his fingers against the tabletop.
"It's not appropriate under the rules."
"I know."
"But you're not wrong, either."
Harry froze for a moment.
Vernon spoke slowly.
"This is something you ought to be learning in the first place."
"School teaches you how to answer questions."
"Society teaches you other things."
"Some people queue outside the door."
"Some people walk straight in."
Harry's grip on his fork tightened a little. It sounded as though Vernon was mocking him.
Vernon continued.
"This sort of thing doesn't just happen on your side."
"It happens on ours, too."
"Connections."
"Contacts."
"Names."
"All of those count as rules."
"But they're there."
Harry suddenly found himself at a loss for words, with an indescribable sense of discomfort, though that had not been what he meant just now.
"But that's not fair."
Harry said it anyway.
Vernon looked at him.
"Of course it's not fair."
"Who told you society asks whether something is fair first?"
"It asks whether you can get in first."
"Once you're in, you can talk about the rest."
Petunia