Dudley

Dudley Dursley loved breakfast time. It was his absolute favorite time of day. Everything was bright and cheerful and the hustle and bustle of his busy life had not yet started. It was peaceful and relaxing, a time to talk with his eleven year old daughter Trudy about life and to think.

Thinking had grown easier for as he had gotten older. His thoughts were his own, no longer simply echoing what his parents had told him. For the first time, he was free to choose what he believed in and make his own choices. This was a liberty he had not had as a child; he relished in it now.

He would sit on the porch swing for hours, just thinking about things. Often times, his thoughts wandered to his childhood. What would his life have been like if his parent had thought differently? He had no way of knowing and never would. Such was time; you could never go back and change the past.

Dudley smiled to himself as he saw his daughter sleepily spooning cereal into her yawning mouth. Trudy was not used to getting up so early. It was a special day though, so she had sacrificed her sleep so that she could go with Daddy to an amusement park for her eleventh birthday.
Dudley remembered his eleventh birthday. It was not a very happy memory, full of disorder and shouting. He supposed though, that to Harry, it had been wonderful. So many changes had occurred that day. To him, those changes had been the start of a terrible secret that had to be kept hidden. Now, thinking back, it didn’t seem as awful as his eleven year old had believed. Remembering the summer he was sixteen drastically put things into perspective.

That was the summer that Harry had saved his life. Dementors, Harry had said. The word meant nothing to Dudley, but he remembered the cold that had swept over him. Joy had ceased to exist and no hope remained. Then, he had heard Harry’s voice. It was commanding, but what he said was nonsense. Yet the mist had lifted and hope had returned. His dad has blamed Harry for Dudley’s blank stare, but he knew better. His worthless cousin had saved his life that day. He was forever in his debt and had no way to repay him.

He had not spoken to Harry since that, day fifteen years ago, when they had left Privet Drive. Harry had his own life to lead, in a separate world; he had no time to deal with a boy he had always despised. Still, Dudley wished that he could speak to him one last time.

Trudy stood up from the table and slipped her blue bunny on her foot. Dudley watched from his chair as she walked slowly over to the front door. Checking the mail was one of her favorite things to do and he wouldn’t deprive her of such a simple pleasure.

He turned back to the window he had been staring out of for the past ten minutes. Rain was running down the glass, the flower bed just a blur of color. His eyes gazed unseeing past the neighboring houses and into nothingness.

His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps pounding through the house. Trudy burst into the kitchen and stood panting in front of Dudley, a letter clasped in her hands.

“Daddy, look!’ she gasped. “There’s a letter for me!"

“Hmm, that’s very nice, Trudy,� he said absentmindedly. His daydreaming continued.

“But Daddy! Look at the letter!� She was trying to shove the envelope into his hands. “The writing’s GREEN!�

His head shot up. There was only one other time he had seen green writing on a letter. It had been a letter of doom for his family and he wondered what news this one would bring.

Dudley took the envelope and examined it closely. His heart dropped. Old, yellowed parchment, emerald calligraphy, and a red wax seal on the back. There was only one place this letter could have come from.

Hogwarts.

Trudy was reading the letter over Dudley’s shoulder as he slowly opened it. Her eyes widened as she took in what it was telling her. She twister her head around to look at her father. “Is it true?� she asked excitedly. “What the letter says is it real?�

He swallowed. How could he tell his daughter that the nonsense she was reading was real? It went against his entire childhood upbringing. Then again, Trudy sounded so eager and excited. How could he say no?

“We’ll see,� he said. “I expect we’ll be having a visitor arriving very soon to explain everything.�

**********

It was an hour after Trudy’s letter had arrived. Dudley was sitting in the living room and Trudy was in the back yard playing with her dog.

The trip to the amusement park had been cancelled due to the imminent arrival of someone explaining the letter. Dudley knew they would be arriving soon and was just quietly waiting in a large padded armchair. The fabric had been worn thin from all the time he had spent sitting there.

There had been a reason he had not even bothered to contact Harry. What could he say to the boy he had bullied for so many years? An apology did not seem like enough. Dudley knew that Harry would probably forgive him in an instant, but he still felt ashamed of his action. He had stayed away from Harry all these long years, and all of a sudden, he might be thrown into the same world.
Harry had been so happy when his letter had come. He had gone off to Hogwarts and at the beginning of each summer, would be bright and cheerful. But after a few weeks of living at the Dursley’s, Harry’s face would look miserable and he would never smile. When the time came to board the train again, his smile would return until next summer.

Now, Dudley’s daughter had the same chance that Harry had been given. Every father thought their children were special, but Trudy was special in her own right. She had been born different and belonged in a world with people like herself. If Dudley forced her to stay, she would be as miserable as Harry had been every summer.

He would not do that to Trudy. She would never be the same after hearing this news, and wouldn’t be content with an ordinary life. He would just have to put up with her bippity boppity boo shenanigans.

His mind made up, Dudley closed his eyes and leaned against the back of his chair. He would try to take a quick nap before any strangers came knocking at his door.
A sharp knock woke Dudley form his sleep. He knew exactly who it would be. After his experience with Harry’s letter, he knew a bit about what to expect.

**********

Somebody would come to the house and explain that magic was real. They might do a demonstration or two. Then, they would tell his daughter that she could go to Hogwarts. It would all be very exciting for Trudy and of course she would want to go. And he would let her.

“Just a minute!� he shouted as he went to the back door to call Trudy. She bounded inside and raced to the front door. Impatiently, she danced there, waiting for Dudley to hurry up and open the door.

He smiled at her eagerness. Oh, to be young again! He hadn’t gotten this excited about something for years.

He opened the door as slowly as he could just to tease Trudy. Finally, it was open. “Hello there,� said Dudley. “Why don’t you come in?�

A dark haired man stepped into the room. Dudley was a bit confused. Why did this total stranger seem so familiar? He didn’t know anybody from Harry’s world. Well, except for Harry of course.

“Hello there, Dudley,� the stranger said. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.�

Dudley was shocked. How did this complete stranger know him? His question was answered when the man pushed his dark brown hair off his forehead to reveal a lightning bolt scar. He gasped. “H-Harry?’

“Yes, it’s me. I can see I surprised you,� said Harry. He seemed older to Dudley. Older wasn’t really the right word though. It was as if his life had aged him faster than it should have. After all, he would only be thirty-three.

“Surprised? I’m astonished. I never thought I’d see you again.� Dudley stared at his cousin, searching for the scrawny boy remembered from his childhood. ‘What are you doing here anyway?�

“I think you know already. I’m here to deliver some news to Trudy.� Harry smiled at the confused little girl that was standing beside her father.

“Me?� she asked. “You came to see me?�

“Of course! You were the one who received a letter today.� He turned to Dudley. “Could we sit down to talk?�
“Certainly!� Dudley motioned towards the living
room. “But I can tell you already, Harry, that my answer is yes.�




Harry

Harry’s work days were always busy and full of unpredictable events. Anybody might stop by his office and demand to talk to him, or he could suddenly be called off to attend some perfect stranger’s wedding. Harry hated all of it, but it’s what you got whenyou were as famous as he was.

He could have been the Minister of Magic if he had wanted, but being the Boy Who Lived was enough responsibility. It would have been insane to accept.
Then again, there seemed to be some of people who thought he was insane. Harry had received plenty of letters asking him to go see one of those Muggle psycopatrics. To each one, he had patiently responded, telling them that no, he was most definitely not insane and that he was pretty sure that they were called psychiatrists, not psycopatrics.

Then of course, there were the fans. They would swarm after him like a hive of bees wherever he went. It seemed they would never let him be. As hard as he tried, Harry could not seem to evade them.

Even now, at work, he had been forced to put up a Shield charm between himself and the crowd of reporters that was following. All he wanted was a moment of peace. Alas, it did not seem that his wish was being granted anytime soon.
Harry was relieved when he reached the protection of the Minister’s office. Kingsley had specially put up some wards for Harry’s visit. The fame of the two of them together was like bait. The fish would bit eagerly, and there would be no end to the hounding of the reporters.

“Hello, Harry,� said Kingsley, looking up from his pile of paperwork. “I see you got my message. Did you like the new stationary?�

“Yes, I just loved the lightning bolt on the back of the envelope,� Harry said sarcastically. That symbol always annoyed him. Didn’t anything else come to mind when people thought of him? Apparently not.

“That’s what I thought,� Kingsley said. He pointed to the chair on the other side of the huge oak desk. “Take a seat, Harry.�

Harry settled himself, then went straight to business. “Your note said that you had a special job for me. What exactly is it? Should I put a team of Aurors together?�

Kingsley chuckled. “No, it’s nothing dangerous. It’s about as safe as you can get.� He handed Harry a list of names. “This is a list of Muggleborns that need to be informed of the magical world. You were the only person available that knows enough about Muggles so that they won’t be completely terrified.� He paused to give Harry a moment to read the list.

Sandra Margaret Peters
John Paul Williams
Matilda Carter Matthews
Trudy Constance Dursley
Bill Alexander Bartley

Harry stopped. Had he read that right? His eyes traveled back to the fourth name on the list. Yes, that’s what it had said. “One question, Minister. Who are the parents of the fourth child? Her name is Trudy Constance Dursley.�

“Well, your cousin Dudley is her father, of course, and her mother’s name is Viola,� said Kingsley. “I thought that visit would prove interesting.�

Harry rolled his eyes. Oh yes, it would definitely be interesting. He stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll do these right away, Kingsley. No use putting it off, I suppose.�

**********

With a pop, Harry apparated to the end of Privet Drive. It was fitting that Dudley lived on the same road he had grown up on. The Dursleys had never liked change much.
He began to walk down the street, looking carefully at the house numbers until he found the right one. Number 13. Maybe the number was a warning of impending doom. However, years of experience had taught Harry that fear was mostly in your head, so he shrugged off the thought and began to study his cousin’s house.

It was relatively plain looking, with dark blue shutters and pale yellow trim. What surprised Harry, though, were the sounds that could be heard coming from the backyard. There was a dog barking and the sound of a little girl’s laughter. In all his life, Harry had never imagined Dudley being a dog person, let alone owning one.

He assumed the child was Trudy. It was rather strange for a Dursley to be playing outside, but Harry supposed that the girl could have taken after her mother.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he knocked loudly on the tall black door and waited.

Harry could hear a man shouting that he would be there in a minute. Heavy footsteps approached the door, accompanied by the pitter patter of little feet. The door began to slowly open, inch by inch. Finally, Harry saw his cousin.

Dudley was standing there, looking at him. He didn't seem to realize who Harry was. “Hello there,� he said. “Why don’t you come in?�

Harry stepped inside, where the cool air was a welcome break from the heat of the summer. “Hello there, Dudley,� Harry said, smiling slightly at the confused man in front of him. “I haven’t seen you for a very long time.� He wondered how Dudley would react to the news to the news of his daughter being a witch. Probably not very well at all. Harry hoped that he would not have to give Dudley a pigtail. That wouldn't be the best idea if he wanted to get on his cousin’s good side.

Dudley gasped. “H-Harry?�

How had he known who he was? It had been years since they had last saw each other and Harry knew he looked very different. Out of habit, his hand traveled up to his forehead. Of courses. He had his scar uncovered. “Yes, it’s me,� he said, quite annoyed with himself for not hiding his scar. “I can see I've surprised you.�

“Surprised?� Dudley sounded like he was in shock. “More like astonished. What are you doing here anyway?�

Harry was amused. He was positive that Dudley knew exactly what a letter from Hogwarts meant. “I think you know the answer to that.� He smiled at the little girl who was standing next to her confused father. “I’m here to deliver some news to Trudy.�

“Me?� she asked. “You came to see me?�

“Of course!� he exclaimed. “You were the one who received a letter today.� He wondered how Dudley would react. Hopefully not like Vernon had. That would be a disaster.

He looked around. They needed a place to sit and
talk. “Could we sit down to talk?�
“Certainly!� Dudley said.

Harry was surprised at how confidant Dudley sounded. Last time he had encountered magic, Dudley had been a mess. Now he seemed very sure of himself.

As Dudley ushered them into the library, he whispered to Harry, “But it can tell you already, Harry, that my answer is yes."