A.N.: I am consolidating and editing my chapters so expect weird numbering ahead!


Chapter 1

The best part of living with a wizard was that you were never bored.

By now, Dudley would have had the urge to wail on someone, but Harry kept him busy, entertained, and sometimes terrified.

The boys desperately wanted to know how Harry saved Dudley's life. The only clue they had was that the elder Dursleys believed Harry was a 'freak just like his parents.'

Dudley knew freak could mean a lot of things, like that lady with three hoops in her lips at the bus stop, or Josh, a kid in class who used to eat his boogers. Neither of those two were like Harry however. Only his mom and dad knew what Harry was, and Dudley swore he would drag out their secret even if it killed him.

The plan was a simple one; Petunia and Vernon went into a tizzy if Harry went anywhere near something fantasy related. So Dudley, having conveniently, many fantasy games, decided to spring a trap (angry people have loose lips after all). The next time he played his games, he made Harry sit next to him and watch.

When Petunia saw the spells flying on the screen, and Harry's interested gaze, she lost it.

"Stop watching, don't get any ideas FREAK!" screamed Petunia.

"What's wrong mom, it's just a game," said Dudley.

"You don't understand Duddykins, he'll be a bigger freak, and he'll be just like his father."

"He'll be an alcoholic? But I love this game, will it make me a drunk?

"Never sweety, that will never happen to you."

"But you said this game will make Harry like his dad, and I'm playing it. Wasn't Harry's dad a drunk?"

"You don't understand!"

"No I don't understand!" This wasn't working out like he planned at all; why wouldn't his mom just spit it out? Out of frustration he started to stomp and scream, "WHAT WAS HIS DAD! TELL ME! TELL ME NOW!"

"Oh please stop. Mommy will get you two new toys—"

"I DON'T WANT TOYS, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME!" Dudley kept yelling and hollering and stomping, more than he ever had before, because mommy had always caved in sooner. His throat was sore and he had to switch feet when—

In sheer despair his mom cried out, "He was a damn wizard! A WIZARD"

"A wizard?" said Dudley.

His mother seemed to collapse, with her face paled to a shade of gray, gaze blank.

"What? I never said that, he's just a useless freak." Her voice held no tone

She kept repeating that phrase... and as she did so, her color returned, and a crazed glint grew in her eye. She was lying, and it seemed to sustain her, as if her lies were with her so long that she could not live without them. 'What else is she lying about?' Dudley thought. His mom had lied about Harry, had she lied about him too?

"Stop lying to me mom," said Dudley.

The criticism from her Duddykins was too much for Petunia, and she fainted dead away. Dudley wryly thought that, of course his mother would much rather lose consciousness than confront reality.

Behind his mother's prone body, Dudley saw a mirror. The boy he in it reminded him of an overgrown pig stuffed into brand named clothing. He wasn't handsome like his mom claimed, the boy in the mirror wasn't big boned, he was fat, and he looked rather dim.

I can fix all that, Dudley thought. He turned around remembering that his cousin was also in the room. The smile he found on Harry's face was radiant

"I'm a wizard?" said Harry in wonder.

"You're a wizard," said Dudley.

Looking at Petunia, Harry's smile dimmed.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" said Harry.

"I don't know," said Dudley.

Remembering a book he read in school Harry bent down and found Petunia's steady pulse.

"She's fine, but when she wakes up she'll kill me," said Harry.

"Let's tell her that she tripped over one of the wires for the game console and fell," said Dudley.

Thinking of how easily teachers believed that excuse for his bruises, Harry agreed.

"Knowing Petunia, she'll think it's better than the truth, so she'll make it her truth," said Harry.

A little disturbed by how in sync Harry was with his thoughts, Dudley gave a slight nod and went to one of his two bedrooms to think.

By the time Vernon came home, Petunia had already woken up. She had easily believed Dudley's fib and had set Harry to work on putting away the wires.

That night on number 4 Privet Drive, a faint voice could be heard from the cupboard under the stairs, it whispered, "I'm a wizard. I'm a wizard…"

Though the adults did not know it, things had changed in the Dursley household.

That is why Dudley Dursley was sitting happily with his once enemy and favorite victim, Harry Potter.

"Harry do some magic," said Dudley.

"Um, Dudley, I don't know how," said Harry.

"You're a wizard, of course you know how, besides I'm bored," said Dudley.

Rolling his eyes Harry said,

"What do you want me to do?"

Looking at the mountain of broken toys in his bedroom Dudley said,

"Why don't you fix all those toys; just wave your hand at them or something."

Harry shrugged, and made an exaggerated wave of his hand. Suddenly, the toys came alive, flying through the air and reassembling themselves. Dudley could make out some animal shapes filling with stuffing, and a nutcracker doll being reunited with its arm.

The toys dropped to the floor with a THUNK. One landed at Dudley's feet, and he picked up a stuffed, green-eyed fawn.

"Oh my god, you did it," said Dudley.

"I guess being a wizard is good for something," said Harry with a grin.

"WHERE'S MY DINNER BOY!" screamed Vernon.

"COMING," said Harry.

Harry ran downstairs to the kitchen, leaving Dudley cradling a fawn to his chest.

The Dursley house was full of magic, at least when Vernon and Petunia weren't looking. Ever since the toy incident, Dudley and Harry focused on using magic discreetly.

Harry had pointed out that there was no way to explain all of Dudley's repaired junk, and throwing out Dudley's carefully hoarded toys would also be suspicious.

The Dursleys always kept Harry busy, so he couldn't just reverse the spell. Dudley spent all afternoon praying that his parents wouldn't walk into his second bedroom.

He was lucky. Harry finished his chores early and with the exception of Dudley's stuffed fawn, re-wrecked the room.

After that experience, Dudley knew his cousin would keep his spells subtle, and he did. Dudley noticed that whenever he looked away from dirty dishes, he would look again to find them suddenly clean.


Some time later...

He was very sad to see that his parents were rarely home. Not because he missed their company, but because the behavior started after he saw Harry cast a spell to make evil people uncomfortable with entering their home.

After Vernon began going on constant business trips, and Petunia decided to take a tour of the world, of all things, Dudley had free reign of the house.

Dudley sat on Vernon's chair at the breakfast table, looking through the mail for his dad's weekly check. Harry gave him a small frown as he served one of his famous, mouth-watering breakfasts.

"I can always end the spell, they might not be nice, but they are your parents," said Harry.

Biting into his perfectly made eggs and bacon Dudley said,

"I think this is better for everyone, Mom's having a blast in Tokyo, Dad's finally got all those promotions he wanted, you sleep on a bed, and I can finally see my toes."

Harry seemed to shrink in his guilt as Dudley finished his sentence.

"Don't try to make me feel better, you've been sad all week," said Harry.

"I think all kids are sad when they learn their parents aren't perfect, and mine are less perfect than most," said Dudley.

Mimicking his father, Dudley buried himself in a newspaper, effectively ending the conversation.

Dudley was not lying when he said that life was good. He saw that Harry, being both domestic and magical, had taken to running a household like a duck to water. With the help of Vernon's checks, Harry made sure the bills were paid; the fridge was full, and the house spotless. If Dudley wanted some extras, like video games, Harry would arrange a little hocus pocus, within reason of course.

Dudley's cousin was sleeping in a bed for the first time in nine years. Between gardening and eating a normal amount of food, he no longer looked like a sack of bones.

Dudley changed as well, and was quite pleased with his progress. With no father to tell him that studying was for sissies, and Harry as a tutor, Dudley's grades skyrocketed. Eating food for one person meant he no longer resembled a baby whale, and he felt healthier with every pound he lost. For the first time since confronting his mother, he could look in a mirror without cringing.

Dudley stared at Harry with mild curiosity. Harry was reading yet another fantasy book.

"Harry how could you possibly like reading for fun?" said Dudley.

Hearing his question Harry looked up from the book. He seemed the cradle it gently in his hands like it was a child, and he looked a little annoyed at being torn away.

"Don't you ever see those amazing adventures and strange lands in your computer games, and feel like you've gone to a different, much cooler world, at least for awhile? That's how I feel about books," said Harry.

Dudley thought about his games, and the magic, the places, and the people he could see through them. When he opened his mouth to tell Harry he understood, Harry flicked his finger, and his book flew onto the shelves.

Dudley was struck by inspiration.

"Harry we're going into a computer game!"