“Vernon!” screamed Petunia, looking panicked as smoke began to rise from their shack. Vernon made to retrieve the apron and blanket, but the roof burst into flames before he could get it.
“Darner-snaber-couldr-fuser-labgid!” bellowed Vernon, trying to avoid swearing in front of Dudley. He kicked more shells as the roof of the shack fell in. A plume of smoke was now issuing from the barely visible image of the shack. Well, at least there’s smoke, he thought sourly.
“The cake!” yelled Dudley, stomping his feet. “Now I have nothing to eat! Mum, Dad’s gone and set fire to the cake!”
“Is cake all you can think about?” Petunia asked angrily, throwing her hands into the air. “He just set fire to my apron for goodness sake!” She looked mournfully to the burning shack, where the flames had consumed her favourite apron.
Vernon stared at his family, shocked. “Do you two understand what has happened?” he asked slowly, not believing that they were mourning over cake and aprons.
They stared right back at him, wondering how he could dismiss the loss of their prized possessions. Dudley pointed to the shack with a podgy arm. “Yes, Dad. I wanted to eat the cake, and now it’s GONE!”
Vernon looked at him, grinding his jaw slowly and methodically. “Our shelter is on fire, Dudley! Forget the cake!”
“Yes, Dudley, forget the cake,” Petunia scolded, nodding her head. “It’s my apron we need to-”
“FORGET THE RUDDY APRON ASWELL!” bellowed Vernon, his face red with effort. He wiped away drops of sweat resting on his brow, and started pacing. No one said anything for a moment. Dudley was shocked- his father never yelled, unless it was at Harry. Petunia, on the other hand, was mourning for her apron. All was quiet, until-
SWISH!
All three Dursleys jumped, Petunia letting out a scream while Vernon swore loudly.
A white figure had descended upon the island, translucent and mist-like. It was in the shape of a bear, and while the Dursleys cowered in fear, it opened its mouth and spoke.
“We have been notified of your situation, and help has been dispatched,” the bear said in a smooth mans voice.
“What are you?” yelled Vernon nervously, trying to take control of the situation. The bear Patronus kept on talking.
“Please remain calm, while following these emergency procedures-”
“Where’s my rifle?” roared Vernon. Petunia and Dursley looked at him as if he was mad. “It’s a bear, isn’t it? I can shoot it!” he shouted, and rushed off to the now smouldering shack. He poked around the ashes for a bit, coming up with a half melted piece of metal.
The Patronus was still going on about how they were not to panic, as they had handled situations like this before.
“Take this you great oaf!” yelled Vernon, rushing the Patronus with the sharp metal. The metal gleamed in the sunlight peaking through the clouds. But as Vernon tried to hit the Patronus, it disappeared, having finished its speech.
With a loud crack, a young man in purple robes appeared a few feet away.
“Good God!” screamed Petunia, frightened by the man’s sudden appearance, grabbing Dudley and pulling him behind her.
But Vernon, oblivious to the arrival of the man, was still swinging at the air with the metal, yelling, “Take that! And that! And you can have some of that!”
The man in purple robes looked at the piece of metal in Vernon hands, then at the man’s wife and son.
“Err, Mr. Muggle, sir?”
Vernon stopped short, suddenly realising that there was no bear. He looked around. “But-but- the bear? What happened to th-?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Muggle, but I am Bill Cradler, from the department of Magical and Muggle Interactions and Accidents. I understand that you have no way to get to shore, so I’m to help you,” Bill interrupted him, looking rather excited at his mission.
Vernon jumped at Bill’s interruption, and backed up a few feet to where his family was. He opened his mouth, but closed it again. He did this several times, trying to compose himself. He finally managed to chock out, in a semi-rude voice, “And just how are you supposed to help us?”
Mr. Cradler waved his wand, and a rowboat appeared in the water, bobbing just on the break of the waves. He nodded to it. “Learned that spell the other day! Rather handy, actually. My friend, Arthur, showed it to me,” he exclaimed, looking at the boat fondly.
“A boat! Daddy, Mummy! A boat just appeared! We’re saved!” screamed Dudley, racing out to where to boat was bobbing gently. He grasped it in his podgy hands, and tried to get into it. His great bulk tipped the boat over, though, and he landed back into the water with a splash. Petunia ran to the waters edge, trying to coax Dudley to right-en the boat before trying to get back into it, seeing as he was trying to climb on top of the upside-down boat. Vernon ran after her, shouting encouragement to Dudley. Bill Cradler stood on the beach, looking quiet annoyed at the shouting and yelling that was going on.
“Please don’t do that, little boy,” Bill asked as Dudley began destroying the boat with his frantic hands. “Little boy!”
“Help me, help me!” Dudley squealed as the boat was reduced to square boards. “I can’t swim!”
Vernon gave a yelp and ran into the water to retrieve his son. He tripped half way into the water though, and fell on his face with a splash. Petunia uttered a scream, and started yelling to Dudley again.
“We gave you swimming lessons, remember? Make an ice-cream scooper with your hands!” she shouted from the shoreline.
“Ice cream! I want ice cream!” wailed Dudley, flailing about in the water. Vernon got up again, but fell back down at once.
“Oh! My ankle!” he moaned as he fell, clutching his foot.
Petunia stood frozen on the shoreline for a second, and then ran over to Mr. Cradler and shook his shoulders. “Save them! Save them!” she cried, clutching onto him. It seemed that all the panic and worry for her child and husband had momentarily dismissed the fact that Bill was a wizard, someone she had sworn to hate from day one.
“Very well, Mrs.!” Bill tucked in his chin, and gently detached Mrs. Dursley from himself. He took a deep breath, turned, and disappeared into thin air. Unfortunately, Petunia grabbed onto him at the last second to shake him again; she disappeared as well. Mr. Cradler reappeared in the water near Dudley, with a shocked Petunia, who fell over as soon as they re-appeared. Mr. Cradler, surprised and concerned, reached out to pull Petunia up from the water, which turned out to be shoulder depth after all, a depth at which one could still stand. As he reached for her arm though, something hit him from behind.
Dudley had catapulted himself onto the official, trying to use his back as a life preserver, still unaware that he could touch the ground.
“Help me!” he shrieked as his weight caused Bill’s knees to buckle. Bill was pushed under water, now by a hysterical Mrs. Dursley, who had also launched herself at Mr. Cradler in hopes of saving herself.
“Can’t-breath!” sputtered Mr. Cradler, gasping for breath as he re-surfaced, only to be grabbed by Dudley again. He reached for his wand to create another boat, in hopes that that would distract them, but was tackled again, this time by an enraged Mr. Dursley.
“Used the ‘M’ stuff on my wife, did you? I saw it! Don’t deny it!” he bellowed, shoving Bill under water again.
“Please-everyone-calm-down!” Bill sputtered in-between dunks, trying to get all of them off him.
“Save the children!” shouted Petunia, trying to hoist Dudley onto his back.
“Get his stick!” roared Vernon, grabbing the wand that Bill held above his head and attempting to break it.
“Save me! Can’t swim!” Dudley screamed over and over again, whacking the official with his flailing limbs.
*
Two hours and four rowboats later, Mr. Bill Cradler appeared back in his office, soaking wet, and covered in seaweed. Mr. Weasley, who had been anxiously waiting his return, stared at him, shocked.
“Merlin, Bill! What happened to you?” he asked, helping him to sit down in a chair.
Bill glared as the memory came back to him. “I’ll tell you what happened,” he said in a controlled, calm voice. “The Muggles lost control of themselves, and then proceeded to attack me.” Arthur looked shattered.
“So they weren’t very friendly, then? No chance they might call for a chat?” he asked sadly.
“Arthur,” responded Bill slowly, wringing out his robes, “it was complete, and utter chaos.”
Muggle Island by Trivia Camlee
Chapter Notes: Sorry for the long delay! School and life got really hectic, and I had some major exams that I needed to study for. :(But here is the second (and last) chapter! All comments and critiques are welcomed, and I hope you like it!
Thanks again to my awesome beta, Zackie :)
Chapter Endnotes: Thank you for reading!