Character:Mr. Mason

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Mr. Mason is a businessman in the building industry, and a would-be business associate of Vernon Dursley's (CS1). Vernon claimed that the order made by Mr. Mason would be the largest made as of yet by Grunnings, his drills firm. He invited the rich tycoon to dinner at number four, Privet Drive on July 31, 1992.

Scheduled behaviour

Vernon repeatedly asked Petunia, Dudley and Harry to rehearse their behaviour during the dinner party. Harry's role was to stay confined to his room and not make a sound.

Dudley was supposed to behave like a "perfect little gentleman": "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?" was his first scripted line, soon to be followed by "May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?" and "We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you."

Petunia intended to portray herself as a flawless middle-class housewife, with lines such as "Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr. Mason!" and "Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs. Mason!"

What actually happened

Dobby the house-elf visited the Dursleys' with a warning to Harry: he must not return to Hogwarts. When Harry refused to consider that possibility, Dobby levitated Aunt Petunia's pudding and made it fall all over the boy.

Harry then received a letter from the Ministry of Magic about the Hover Charm he'd supposedly cast; the owl terrified Mrs. Mason, who is afraid of birds, and Mr. Mason left the house after asking the Dursleys whether this was their idea of a joke.