The Demise
by Healer Pomfrey

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC. Slightly dark!Harry/dark!Dudley. Slight Dumbledore bashing.
It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, go and find something else to read or write your own story to your liking!


A strange alarm sounded through the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, causing Minerva McGonagall to look up from the chess match she was playing with Albus Dumbledore in confusion.

"Albus, what is that alarm?" she enquired, curiously.

"The wards around the Dursleys' residence seem to come down," Albus replied, pensively, as he leaned over to the shelf with his glassy devices in surprise.

"I'll go and make sure that everything's all right," Minerva said in determination, rising from her chair.

Albus let out a long sigh. "Let's go together then," he decided.

破滅

A few minutes later, a goat and a tabby cat could be seen crossing Privet Drive before they entered the Evans' garden. After closely inspecting the house from the back side, the two animals returned to Arabella Figg's house.

"No one seems to be at home," Minerva was the first to speak after transforming back into her human form.

"At least they weren't attacked by Death Eaters or the likes," Albus added, seemingly contented. "Thanks Arabella for allowing us the use of your fireplace."

With that, the two professors returned to Hogwarts, wondering what had caused the alarm to go off earlier.

"Albus, are you really sure that it's wise to leave Harry with his relatives?" Minerva asked for the umpteenth time once they were back in the headmaster's office. "Maybe it would be better to raise him at Hogwarts. He's going to turn seven this summer, so it's only four more years and a few months until he'll be of age to become a student."

"No Minerva," Albus replied in a firm voice, just like he had turned down his deputy's suggestions at least once a year during the last five and a half years.

破滅

Buckbean held out an enlarged quill and instructed Petunia, Harry and Dudley to hold on tightly, before he activated the Portkey. Harry felt a strange pull behind his navel and nervously glanced at Dudley, when his vision suddenly failed completely. By the time he could see his surroundings again, they found themselves into what seemed to be a modern looking living room. 'That was gross,' he thought, 'although it somehow felt familiar.'

"Gwenlin, these are Petunia, Dudley and Harry Evans," Buckbean told his wife before introducing her to the guests. "You know I've told you..."

"Of course I know," Gwenlin replied with a huge smile on her face. "Good day Petunia, Dudley and Harry. Welcome to Goblin Island. Let me call my children. They'll also be thrilled to see you."

"Hello, we're happy to meet you," Jane said in a soft voice.

"Are you twins as well?" Kengo threw in, curiously eyeing their guests.

"Not really..."

"We're cousins..."

"... and Dudley is three weeks older than me," Harry and Dudley replied, causing the real twins to chuckle at their antics.

"We're going to have much fun," Jane said, seemingly happy.

"Why don't we make everyone believe that you were twins as well? Then we can feign being double the double trouble," Kengo added, grinning.

"All right," Dudley was the first to agree, giving Harry a questioning look, to which the younger boy nodded, eagerly.

'I'd like that,' he thought, smiling.

Jane and Kengo were just a few months older than Dudley and Harry. 'They're funny,' Harry thought and liked them immediately, knowing from the smile on his brother's face that he shared his sentiments.

"Excuse me Gwenlin, Buckbean, but where are my sons and I supposed to live?" Petunia suddenly enquired, causing Buckbean to smirk.

"Like I told you, I've expected you to come to see me and prepared everything in advance," he replied and explained, "As the Potters' account manager, I took the liberty of making some investments that paid out so well over the years that I was able to hire someone to build a small house, which is not far from our house, right on the shore of the sea. I hope you don't mind my actions," he added, giving Harry a questioning look.

"Of course not," Harry replied in a daze. "Thank you so much for your consideration, sir." 'Did I understand correctly that I already own a house here on Goblin Island?' he wondered, when Buckbean suggested to go and have a look.

Not only the children but also Petunia were stunned at the sight of the house, which was small but looked nice and had a wonderful view over the beach and the sea. There was a kitchen and a living room in the first floor like in their house at Privet Drive with a bathroom and three bedrooms on the second floor.

"Mum, can Harry and I share a room?" Dudley suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sure that would be a lot of fun," Harry added, enthusiastically.

Buckbean chuckled. "Gwenlin will help you rearrange everything with magic," he promised, before he excused himself, stating that he had to return to Gringotts.

破滅

Hearing lots of stories about the goblin school from the twins, Harry and Dudley felt almost disappointed that the summer holidays had just begun on Goblin Island and they had to wait until school was going to start again on 1 August.

"Don't worry, we're going to have much fun," Kengo told them. "During the holidays, we're playing Swoddy on three afternoons a week."

"Swoddy?" Dudley asked, giving the twins a questioning look.

"It's sword fighting on broomsticks," Jane explained.

"We don't use real swords though," Kengo continued. "Only older people from the age of sixteen onwards are allowed to play Swoddy with real swords. Our swords are soft, so that no one can get really hurt by them."

破滅

At first, neither Harry nor Dudley could imagine fighting with a sword whilst flying on a broom. 'I wonder if the twins told nonsense or if that story's really true,' Harry thought, when he climbed into bed that evening.

"I can't wait to see Swoddy," Dudley mumbled, yawning, making Harry feel very happy to be able to share the room with what he had become to think of as his brother.

"Me too," he replied, before he drifted off to sleep after a very exciting day for the two six-year-olds.

破滅

When they arrived at the training field the following afternoon, Jane and Kengo introduced Harry and Dudley to their trainer Coolwind, who eyed the human children with interest. He handed each of them one of the training brooms and swords and instructed them to observe the practice for a little while before joining.

While the goblin children began to practise, Coolwind explained that there were team matches and single combats. "Usually, in this group of children under ten years, we only do team matches. In a team match, there are five players on each side, and if one team has three or more players on the ground, it loses," he added.

"Excuse me Coolwind, but how are we supposed to fly?" Harry asked, timidly, causing the goblin to stare at him in disbelief.

"Put down the swords, sit on your brooms and slowly kick off into the air," he instructed them. "It won't be a problem," he then added, grinning.

As absurd as he had found the idea of flying on a broomstick, as much did Harry enjoy himself once he tried it out. Together with Dudley, he flew back and forth along the side of the Swoddy pitch, and after a few minutes, both children felt confident enough to fetch their swords and join the others.

Harry and Dudley both immediately loved Swoddy and for the rest of the day did not talk about anything but sword fighting and flying movements.

"Is it not dangerous?" Petunia asked Gwenlin in apparent concern.

"No," the goblin replied in a soothing voice. "The children don't use real swords, the tips are very soft so that they can't hurt their opponents..."

"Mum," Kengo excitedly interrupted his mother, "both of them are really good, although it was their first time on a broom."

"Yes, Coolwind even said that Dudley might be able to get onto the children's team, even if only as reserve," Jane added in clear amazement.

"And for Harry, he suggested to try out playing Quidditch as well," Kengo informed the adults, "so we're going to take them to Quidditch practice tomorrow."

破滅

After six weeks of taking turns playing Swoddy and Quidditch, Dudley indeed made it onto the children's team, while Harry became the Seeker for the children's Quidditch team.

Jane and Kengo informed their friends that this was a great honour.

"We've been playing Swoddy from the age of three onwards and still haven't made any team," Kengo said, eyeing Harry and Dudley in clear amazement.

"We were just very lucky," Harry replied, smiling.

"Thanks for your help," Dudley added, happily.

破滅

To Harry's and Dudley's disappointment, Swoddy and Quidditch practice were reduced to Saturday respectively Sunday mornings once school began. However, they noticed soon that school was not only much fun but did also take quite a lot of their free time. Even if school ended at lunchtime, they were often supposed to show up in the afternoons to study for one or the other subject or assist their teachers, for example in the greenhouse or the potions lab.

Nevertheless, they loved school and their life on Goblin Island.

"Thank you so much for bringing us here," Harry and Dudley told Petunia at least once a week, causing her to smile.

"I'm very happy here, too," she admitted. "Gwenlin is a wonderful teacher, and I've already learned a lot of useful spells and charms."

破滅

One Saturday afternoon, when the two couples of twins were just brewing fruit drops and coffee fudge in the potions classroom for Gwenlin's birthday, Arabella Figg's head appeared in Albus Dumbledore's fireplace.

"Good afternoon, Albus and Minerva," the old Squib greeted the professors.

"Hello Arabella, is something wrong with Harry?" Minerva asked in concern that only intensified when the old lady let out a long sigh.

"I'm afraid the whole family seems to have moved," Mrs. Figg explained. "I haven't seen them for about three months, and when I went to enquire this morning, I noticed that the house is completely empty and up for sale. I don't know where they went, and I asked the neighbours, but apparently, they didn't tell anyone a new address. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Arabella," Minerva replied in a soft voice, before she turned around to cast a murderous glare at the headmaster.

"Now we've lost Harry. Thanks Albus. Well done," she said, feeling very upset towards her old friend who always seemed to think that he knew everything better.

"Ah don't worry Minerva. Harry will show up again when it's time for him to come to Hogwarts," the headmaster replied, sounding much too confident and unconcerned for her liking, as he calmly popped a lemon drop into his mouth.

"I very much hope so," Minerva replied and left the office in a huff, before she turned into her feline form to let off some steam - the only alternative to venting against the headmaster.

tbc...

Since my new, daily Advent's Calendar story is going to begin tomorrow, I will update this one only once or twice a week, depending on the resonance. Thank you very much for your kind reviews for the first chapter!