Title: Rembrance
Disclaimer: Do I really look like the kinda person who owns Harry Potter, Dudley Dursley, Hogwarts, or anything else that JK Rowling came up with? Didn't think so.
Date: Wednesday, August 8
Summary: POST Deathly Hallows, pre epilogue AU, DH Spoilers. Dudley Dursely blinked at the yellowish parchment his son was holding in his hands. What would happen when two broken families are mended between first years?
Notes: Hmmmm, I think I'll decide on the beta for the next chapter. I've been busy so I haven't had a lot of time to go through all this stuff.
Sorry people! No Harry/Dudley reunion yet! It's coming soon though, so no worries right? (Second half of this chapter begins on Sept. 2)
"Dudley, I'm telling you. All you do is run into the wall!"
"My point!"
"Dad! The train is supposed to leave in fifteen minutes!" Brendan exclaimed looking up at the clock anxiously.
"Dad! I'm supposed to meet my friends on the train in, like, ten seconds! Please, Uncle Dudley, I haven't seen Elle all summer." Julie complained.
"Yes, yes go ahead, Juls."
"Finally!" The girl muttered, pushing her cart forward slightly, preparing to run, "See you on the Platform!" She exclaimed, disappearing through the barrier. Dudley gaped after his niece.
"See! It's perfectly safe, Dudley."
"I don't know…"
"Dad, come on. I can't miss this train!" Brendan pleaded. Dudley bit his lip, but nodded to his son, reluctantly.
The boy rushed off after his cousin.
"'Kay, Dudders. It's now or never. Do you honestly want to miss seeing your son leave?"
"Don't call me that!" Dudley muttered. He looked warily at the wall and sighed.
Dudley Dursley had decided to charge the Platform.
Dudley blinked. Well, that wasn't so bad.
The station looked like any normal, er, station. There were multiple crying couples, women squeezing their children, so forcefully eyes bulged.
He whirled around as he felt Dennis clap him on the shoulder,
"Welcome, to platform 9 n' 3/ 4, mate."
Dennis led him towards the train, and Dudley easily found his son, trying to lug his trunk on board. Dudley moved to help him, but was cut off by a girl who looked about fifteen. A silver badge glinted on her chest.
"Do you need any help?" The beautiful girl asked kindly. His son nodded dumbly, and together they heaved the luggage onto the train.
Dudley turned to his brother-in-law pointedly.
"That, was a Prefect I believe…Blimey. That girl must be part ve-" He was cut off as the two came back off the train.
"Victoire, come 'ere. Don' zink you can leave without a proper farewell!" The girl looked up and smiled. She rushed over to the couple.
"Veela…My! That's Fleur Delacour! She was the Beaxbaton's champion for the Triwizard Tournament! And Bill Weasly!" Dudley had no idea what the man was talking about.
"Dad!" Brendan had rushed over to him, a grin plastered to his face, "You made it!"
"I'm glad you had so much confidence in me, young man." Dudley laughed, "Now, boy, I want you to write as soon as possibly possible. Your mother will have a fit if you don't."
"Yes, Dad!"
"Good, now get up there before the train leaves without you!" Brendan's eyes widened at the possibility. With a gasp he rushed towards the compartment.
"Oi! Brendan, got some room in there?" Dudley blinked and turned to see a young boy standing near the window, "Everywhere else's full. And it's not like I can count on anyone else in the family to think of saving their little baby cousin a seat. Honestly!" The boy had messy red hair and had an expression filled with laughter as he glared at the French girl. The girl simply rolled her eyes.
"Yeah! Yeah, I've got plenty of room, James!" Brendan called down to him.
James smirked and was about to get on, but, before he could do so, a small redheaded girl grabbed him from behind. Another child followed, holding a rather fat tabby cat.
"I'm going to miss you!!!" The girl laughed.
"Lily, get your bloody hands off me!" He pushed the girl back from him. Dudley's heart stopped as two things sunk in.
James…
Lily…
"James Potter language!" A shout came from a group of adults a few feet away.
The man felt faint.
"Sorry, Mum!" James shouted back, "What do you want?" He asked turning to the boy.
"You forgot Jinxie, Stupid." The boy said, handing James the cat he was holding by its armpits.
"Oh…er. Thanks then."
"You're not getting an owl, you know. So, you can stop 'forgetting' her everywhere. You almost left her on the Night Bus, too."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Albus."
"Yeah, sure." The black haired boy said sarcastically, "Anyway, good luck with the sorting."
"Er, thanks. Bye Al, bye Lily."
And the boy climbed onto the train.
"Hmm, looks like the Potter boy is finally heading off for school." Dennis said, smiling.
"Har, Harry Potter?" Dudley asked.
"Yeah, did I tell you about him, yet?"
"Do you see him anywhere?"
"No, why?"
"Good, good." Dudley muttered. That's all he needed, he never gotten along with any of Harry's friends, let alone Harry.
"Anna, could you please get the door?" Margaret asked her daughter. Both were in the kitchen as Margaret prepared their dinner.
"'Kay, Mum."
The girl got out of her chair and headed over towards the front door.
"Anna! It's so good to see you, dear! My, you've grown!" The poor girl was quickly snatched up between her grandparents.
"Gran! Pa!" Lizzie shouted as she rushed downstairs to greet the two.
Mary came out into the parlor behind the girls, "So good to see you, again!"
"Mary, dear where's Brendan and Dudley, then?"
"I'm right here, Mother."
Later, after dinner, Vernon Dursley once again asked, "Where's Brendan, then?"
"Sleepover."The family replied hurriedly as they had planned beforehand. Vernon and Petunia blinked at them.
"How about dessert!" Margaret jumped from her seat, already heading towards the kitchen.
"Mum and I made a cheesecake!" Anna boasted.
"I helped, too!" Elizabeth put in as her mother returned.
TaptapDudley's eyes widened as he looked out the window behind his parents.
Taptap"What is that noise?"
"Nothing! I don't here anything, do you, dear?"
"No! No of course not."
TaptapThe senior Dursleys looked at them suspiciously, before turning around to look out the window.
Nothing was there.
Dudley sighed in relief.
That is, before a folded piece of parchment sailed down the chimney and promptly hit Vernon on the head.
It also seemed that the letter was attached to a small owl.
Dudley's father was turning purple.
"What does that blasted boy want, now!? I thought we were rid of him!" Margaret gasped, obviously thinking they were talking about her son.
"Dad, just…just calm down a bit and we'll explain."
"Explain what, exactly? Has that Freak been hounding you? Has he threatened you, son?" Vernon Dursley asked.
"No!" Dudley groaned, looking at his children and sending a look that obviously meant 'Upstairs, Now.'
The girls trudged up to their respective bedrooms, not even bothering to complain about not getting their dessert.
"What is going on in this bloody house, Dudley!?" Vernon growled not even noticing his daughter-in-law picking up the letter the owl had dropped.
"Listen, Mum, Dad. Brendan got a letter a few months ago, and it turns out that your grandson is a wizard…" Dudley flinched waiting for them to blow. He didn't have to wait long.
"WHAT!" The couple roared.
"He's not at a sleepover, he's at Hogwarts. The same place Harry went to school."
I think I'm starting to understand Harry better. Figures, Dudley thought idly as the incomprehensible shouts of his parents' filled the room.
"Gryffindor." Dudley turned to his wife,
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Gryffindor. He says that he was sorted into Gryfinndor with James Potter." Margaret smiled at him handing him the letter.
"Potter?! We will not allow our grandson to go gallivanting with a Potter!"
"The freak had a child!? That's all we need, isn't it. Once their old enough they'll probably try to kill us with a Potter Army."
"Disgusting. Dudley how could you raise such a thing?"
"I will not allow you two to speak of my son in such a way." Margaret said in a deadly whisper, "Leave, now."
"You can't order us around like that!" Petunia exclaimed indignantly.
"Get out, Mum." Dudley sighed as his parents gaped at him, before he whispered tiredly, "Please."
"What was that about? How do you know the Potters?" Margaret asked as they prepared for bed that night.
"I told you I had a magical cousin, right?"
"Yes…"
"Well, he had to live with us after his parents were killed. He didn't have the best childhood, Mary. And I didn't help, much."
"I still don't understand how this has to do with the Potters. They're such a kind family. James is a good boy!"
"Well…wait, how do you know the Potters?"
"I told you, when Brendan and I went to get his school supplies, they helped us around and such."
"Oh."
"And…"
"Well, my cousin was Harry Potter."
"Are you telling me that Ginny's husband is your cousin?"
"Apparently. We're supposed to be Harry's only relatives."
"Well, weren't you at their wedding?"
Dudley snorted, "I haven't seen Harry since we were teenagers. Last I heard he was dropping out of school."
Why would I want this one? All the happy memories?
Death Eaters, dementors, maybe even Inferi.
They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!
They think I'm a waste of space, actually, but I'm used to it-
Coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you'
Did the dementors blow a different personality into you?
"Well, I suppose that makes sense. During Dennis's third year all the Muggleborns and such were on the run."
"He wasn't Muggleborn." He said, without even thinking, "Both his parents were magical. But he had things after him."
"He was probably a big part of the war, then?"
"Think so. When I was fifteen we were attacked by these dementor things."
'Dementors! How did you survive?" Margaret asked, clearly interested.
"Don't really know. One moment it was so cold and the next Mum and Dad were yelling at Harry for 'doing something' to me. Using magic I mean. Don't think they ever realized he saved my life."
"Well, Dudley. If Brendan and James end up getting along, you'll be seeing him again real soon."
"Yeah, well, don't expect some sappy family reunion, Dearest."