Chapter 2

A Charming Piece of Magic

Dudley stood out his new house bringing in the last of his boxes, he was exstatic. It had only taken him three days in his week off to pack everything and get it all here. He supposed it had a great deal to do with his drive... and perhaps the fact that Petunia kept questioning if he was moving because of her. He picked two of his three boxes up and headed inside with them. It was late in the afternoon and it was pretty nice out, perhaps he'd go for a walk after he got the last three in, it was nice enough. He heard a strange noise from outside his open door and when he came back out, there were people. Well, two people, okay a people and a half. There was a young child bouncing a bright red ball to someone sitting on a stoop a door down. This wasn't unusual, he knew he had neighbors, but what was unusual was the kids hair. It was a bright and vivid turquoise, even his eyebrows matched.

"Teddy, are you sure you don't want to play in the yard?" asked a fair haired man sitting on the stoop.

"No," said the little kid happily, "It to muddy."

Dudley couldn't help but stare at the child, maybe it was his parents in the back of his head fixating on the bright color of the boys hair. What was more, was the man he was with. He expected to see a punk rocker or someone looking a little less... well.. Vanilla would be the way most of his friends put it. The man on the stoop was dressed rather boringly, and he had fair hair and a round face, nothing connected him with this kid. He was so distracted by the contrast, that he didn't see the ball bounce towards him and hit him in the face, causing him to drop and spill his box.

"Sorry! Sorry!" was all the child said as he grabbed the ball and looked up at Dudley, an apologetic look in his unusual colored hazel eyes.

"It's okay," said Dudley as he quickly picked up some of the books that had fallen out of the box, "It happens. Should have been paying attention, right."

"I'm really sorry, " said the child still holding the ball with one hand and trying to help Dudley with the other, "It bounced higher then I could catch it."

"I'm really sorry about that, here let me help," the man from the porch had run over.

"It's okay, no one hurt, nothing broken." said Dudley, picking up a moving book quickly, it just had to be this box, didn't it.

"Was that Quidditch Through The Ages?" asked the man, eyebrow raised, a faint smile on his face.

"Uhm..." Dudley didn't know how to respond to this, was it, he looked. "Yeah, it is."

"Are you a wizard too?" asked the little kid excitedly.

"What, too?" said Dudley, looking at the man next to him.

"Neville Longbottom. Nice to meet you." said Neville holding out his hand, "I don't recognize you. What year were you in?"

"Uh, you're... you're a wizard?" asked Dudley, hesitantly taking his hand and shaking it.

"That's what my diploma tells me," said Neville, "I hope it's right. Otherwise I have no business teaching."

"I'm, I'm Dudley. But your mistaken, I'm not a wizard," said Dudley, Neville looked horror struck.

"Your-your not," said Neville in a panic, "I-I was only joking about the whole wizard thing."

"No-No. I'm not, my cousin is. I borrowed his books," said Dudley, Neville looked like he was going to panic.

"Oh, Oh thank god. I thought I was going to have to go and get someone to do a memory charm on you," said Neville, letting out a breath, "Never done one and I don't really want to practice."

"I'm Teddy," said the child, putting another book back into the spilt box.

"Nice to meet you. So you live there," said Dudley pointing at the house.

"No," said Teddy and Neville.

"I don't live in that house and neither does Neville, he doesn't live here at all," said Teddy, waving towards eleven.

"I'm babysitting," said Neville with a shrug, Teddy looked at him, "Though Teddy is not a baby by any means."

"So how many wizards live here?" asked Dudley, looking around.

"Just one..." Neville was cut off.

"And me," said Teddy.

"And a half..." said Neville, ruffling Teddy's hair.

"Oh, does the street know?" asked Dudley.

"What?! Of coarse not. Wizards and witches aren't supposed to tell muggles what they are," said Neville in shock, "We keep it hidden with protective spells and charms."

"Why?" asked Dudley.

"My godfather say its cause... cause if they knew. Some would hurt us or bother us for magic, or hold it against us as a... a... " Teddy stood in thought of the last thing he wanted to say.

"Blackmail." said Neville.

"Yeah, thats right." said Teddy with a large smile.

"Well welcome to the neighborhood. We best be heading back in for dinner." said Neville, "See you around."

"Bye," said Teddy waving as he walked up to Neville.

"Nice meeting you." said Dudley, as he took his last box in.

He looked back outside to the setting sun, it was six in the afternoon. He looked down the street, but Neville and Teddy where gone. He figured he should make something to eat now, but he sat down on his steps instead. During the day time the street looked kind of like a piece of crap, but his view changed. As he watched the sun light travel down the houses, he couldn't help but feel warm and not just because of the sun. He felt content. He looked at the boxes, he had to do so much to make it home yet, but he felt great. He needed to change his flat tire, unpack his house, get the electric, air, and water turned on, yet he didn't care. Somehow it felt like it had some magic in the air, no pun intended, but he had a feeling things where about to change for the better.

"I wonder if they know anything about Harry, maybe I'll ask them... if I run into them again... crap." he looked down the street again, he should have gotten their address.

TO BE CONTINUED