Harry Potter and the Twilight Bracelet

Prologue: A Month into the Summer

To say this last month had been odd was an understatement. The residents of Number 4 Privet Drive had been coexisting…peacefully. And not in the way he'd expected…

Currently, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, though in self-opinion the Boy-Who-Couldn't-Catch-A-Bloody-Break-If-His-Life-Depended-On-It, was punching a tree. Yes, punching a tree. It was an old oak tree, one that saw nothing more than the same fields. He wasn't punching it out of frustration or anger, which was surprising in itself. But what was most surprising was who was with him.

On the other side of the old oak tree, punching in between each of Harry's punches, was his cousin-by-marriage, Dudley. Yes, even Harry still can't get over his shock, though it had subsided quite a bit. The reason the two were punching the hell out of a tree, was…training. Yes, Harry and Dudley were willingly training together. It all started when Harry got back from his Fifth Year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…

Flashback…

He's dead…he's dead and it's my fault…

Those were Harry Potter's thoughts on the long car ride back from Kings Cross Station. Seriously, that's all he could think. Well, more like that's all he let himself think. Finally the ride ended, and Harry mechanically trudged over to the boot of the car, and dragged out his school trunk. His Owl, Hedwig had flown ahead, disliking being in confined spaces.

Before he could even reach the staircase however, his "Uncle" Vernon Dursely decided he'd had a few things that needed to be said to the boy.

"Now see here boy! I'll not tolerate your freak friends threatening me with anything! You'll do as I say and no less, or you'll be out on the streets you good for nothing fre-

"SHUT UP!"

Now, here was the clincher. This wasn't Harry speaking. No, he was still lost, though the voice did shock him out of his stupor. It was Dudley.

"Father, you say ONE more thing, and I swear I'll tell Mum about your little 'friends'."

"D-Dudley?"

"I've done a lot of thinking this year. More than I've probably done my entire life. I used to let you and Mum do the thinking for me, enjoying how someone else would be blamed for anything I did, how I could do whatever I wanted and nobody could stop me…but then those…those things appeared. Those…what were they Harry?"

"He called me HARRY?! De…mentors?"

"Yeah, those Demented things! (Harry didn't bother correcting him, sounded close enough in his opinion.) When they showed up I saw everything I had feared come to life…but then you chased them away. I'd been absolutely rubbish to you and you saved my life. I paid attention to what those people said in the station. Those things suck your soul out, and 'normal' people like us can't see them. They could be anywhere."

Harry nodded in shocked stupor, listening to every word.

"This whole school year I realized exactly what you put on the line for me. At first I thought I deserved it seeing as you were a freak…no offence meant this time."

"None taken…"

"Anyway, I thought it was only fair…but then I remembered what I saw…what those things did…and I realized…you'd fought them before, you'd know exactly what they could do…and THEN I realized how much worse it must have been for you, with how horribly we've been treating you. But even that wasn't enough…it wasn't until I saw her."

"Her?" All three occupants asked at the same time.

"The most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Me being the smug bastard I was I rolled up on her, using the pick-up lines that Father taught me…and she laughed. She laughed in my face, and you know what she said?"

"Me? Date someone like you? After the way you treated your cousin?"

"What?!"

"Yes…I know all about you Dudley Dursely. Cousin of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. He's famous in our world…and you…you are just as well known."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I mean there are MANY people, male and female, that wish to cause you harm for what you've done to such a wonderful boy. How he managed to have such a pure heart after living for so long with such a horrid upbringing. You know there are ways to cause a person pain with magic…ways that don't even require you to be near?"

"Y-you're lying!"

"No…He has experienced those pains. Of course, facing the Dark Lord tends to lead to that sort of thing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh didn't you bother asking? Of course you didn't…you treat him like people from my world treat me…but I digress. Harry Potter, your cousin, is the only one to face the most powerful Magic user in the known world and survive five times…not counting when he was a baby of course."

"No way…"

"Yes…and there are many people who resent him for that…and for each one there is someone who admires him for it. You see, there are those who wish him safety, and those who wish him harm…but there is one thing that both have in common, do you know what that is Dudley Dursely?"

"N-no…"

"Neither would hesitate to torture you to insanity, watch as they defile your mother, carve into your father and bludgeon, disembowel, and incinerate you…if it meant getting to him. His very presence puts you in danger…but at the same time protects you beyond your wildest dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"He is selfless to the point of self-destruction. If it meant protecting someone innocent, he'd leap in the way of a hundred Avada Kedavra spells…"

"What?"

"A spell that causes instant death. No pain, not preparation…just two words and a life is ended. He survived that spell once. And that is why he was placed with you. He's a hero to some…and a plague to others."

"A…hero?"

"Yes…but he hates it. He just wishes for a normal, happy life…well, as normal as you can get for a mage…but you…you and your family hinder that dream. And I warn you. I have heard stories of how the current dark lord started out. He started out in VERY similar ways that Harry has. Remember this Dudley Dursely. Harry Potter is NOT someone you want as an enemy…he has the potential to do wondrous things…but also the power to cause terrible pain. The way he stands now, the second choice wouldn't even be fathomable…but continue on the path you have placed him on…and it won't be the Dark Lord you have to worry about coming."

"Who…are you?"

"Me? I'm nobody…just an observer…people call me…Loony."

Harry thought for a moment. Loony…LUNA?! He ran into Luna? What the hell was she doing around here?

"Of course I ran into this girl near London…was out with the boys and decided to take a walk for a bit."

Ahh…that makes a bit more sense.

"But that was when I realized what we had done. What I had done. It wasn't just fear that made me change…it was worry. Worry for my family. Which includes you whether I liked it or not. I realized that you had something we didn't, which gave you more chances to protect yourself, and us, if you saw fit. We couldn't change circumstances that led you here nor that led up to this moment…but we could change what happened now. And I vowed I would. That girl opened my eyes to the world. How would I be able to succeed if everyone saw me as the bully, the one who beat up little kids for fun? Boxing Champion aside, I had nothing worth going for me. And then I thought, this guy…this Drab Lord…he's not just after you, he's after everyone, and he'll crush anyone standing in his way. If I wanted to survive…I'd have to get over this crap my parents instilled in me, get of my fat ass and help. So I decided, I'd help you train in the muggle ways."

"You'll what?"

"Duddykins, we can just get rid of him, we'll be fine."

"Don't you get it Mum? We've been marked from the moment he was born! We've been marked since YOU were born! They'll find us either way, if only to hurt him by hurting or killing US! We're his family, his relations, and NOTHING will erase that knowledge from the world, let ALONE his kind. We can kick him out all we want, it won't change the fact that people know we exist. These people have ways Mother…and I for one would rather die knowing I may have given him a chance to keep others alive."

"…Well said Dudley."

Everyone turned to Vernon.

"You're finally becoming a man. And a good one at that. I can't say I like this. But you're right. We've been in danger from the beginning. Since this Lord has been around, we've been at risk. Mysterious Deaths, strange lights, odd hooded men…just like last time. You…Potter…you saw this…Dark Lord thing…you saw him return?"

"Y-yes…he rose from the dead like a bad horror movie rip-off."

"And he's after you?"

"If only to prove a point. He's got a bigger ego than even you Dudley. Wont rest until I'm six feet under…unless I get him first."

"Which you will, if we have anything to say about it."

"Petunia?"

"I hated my sister. I hated her because she was special…because she could do all those…those things. I resented her power…while I was 'normal', powerless. That Voldemort…he…he killed my parents, my family, because Lily had defied him. I hated her for that…but it wasn't her fault…I hated you…every time I looked at you; you stared at me with Lily's eyes. But…I can't hold on to that hate anymore…it's pointless. Our lives…our very existence, is at risk. I'll help…but you still have to cook. I don't like admitting it but your meals always taste better than mine."

"You should try Mrs. Weasely's cooking…makes even Hogwarts' food seem bad. And Hogwarts is like an eternal all you can eat buffet."

"Whether we like it or not…you're our family Harry…and whether you like it or not, it seems like everyone knows you're the only one that can beat this guy. So…we'll help."

"Not yet."

Turned to Vernon.

"I need…time…to think on this. You all do as you wish, but I need to process this information. I will say this. Dudley, get him exercising more. These fre-….m-magic folk…they…use their…sticks mostly right?"

"Yes…"

"Teach him how to fight without it. We can't send you to classes, but Dudley can teach you the basics. It'll be up to you to make a form of your own."

"Th-thank you."

Then Harry faded for a moment…his eyes dimmed…then he blinked…then snorted…which turned into full out laughter.

"What's so funny boy?!"

"Wh-what Dudley called Voldemort!" He laughed harder. "The Drab Lord! HA! I've got to tell the others about that one. That'll piss him off for sure!"

End Flashback.

So…from that month on, Dudley had been teaching him the basics of muggle fighting…which Harry was taking to quite easily. He realized that from spending years forcing his magic to suppress itself subconsciously, he could channel it to different parts of his body quite easily. His body healed quickly from any injuries he got while training, and his Quiddich matches helped give him a bit of definition already.

I still cant believe it was Luna who caused all this…I really have to thank her. Wonder if I can get her a gift.

Of course…this was only the beginning of a summer of weird shit. Harry Potter's in for a wild ride.

New HP fic…no self insertion this time…just a…well, that'd be spoiling it. See if you like it.