Oddly enough, I don't hate him.
Dislike, sure.
Maybe even disgust.
But somewhere along the way, somewhere in that gap of six years from the age of eleven to seventeen I stopped hating him.
I stopped thinking he was such an idiot.
Because for the very first time in my life, I think I realized that we weren't so different, me and him.
I guess I just realized that other than my parents, he was it.
He was the only bit left of my family.
And for some reason, that hit me, harder than it probably should have.
And I guess that again, somewhere along the way, I envied him.
Envied him like he used to envy me.
He envied me for my parents, who loved me no matter how horrible I was, for the birthday gifts that I forever received, for being picked first for teams, for being able to go anywhere, whenever I wanted.
And then, I envied him.
For his magic, for being able to wave a wand and having so much at his fingertips if he simply learned the right words.
Karma's just a bastard, I suppose.
And it's been years...so many, many years.
Years that, once I left home and started life alone, made me realize the truth.
The truth of everything.
Years that made me, literally made me, mature.
Made me grow up.
I am no longer just a child, just a spoiled kid related to the amazing Harry Potter.
I am now myself.
But the journey to get here?
I have to admit that much of it, if not all of it, is owed to him.
Because of him I became me.
And much as I dislike him, much as I envy him, I do owe him.
Not only my life, but my very being.
So now, when I come home to visit, and then leave, driving away in my car, I look back.
I look back at Number 4, Privet Drive.
And I remember.
And silently, I thank him.
Wherever he is, I thank him.
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I've been wanting to do a Dudley fic for a while, ahaha. So I just wrote this on a spur of the moment thing, hoping it would piece together properly...I'll look at it later and prolly think, ewwww, what IS this? :P But for now, I'm happy with it. :) Please please Read and Reviewwww! 3 Fanta-Faerie