12th August 1997:

Dudley was pretty happy to end up at his Aunts, she often shoved crisp banknotes into his hand and had a very well stocked biscuit tin often filled with full sized chocolate bars. He currently was chewing his way through a mars bar while finally getting to play his new Final Doom game on her large television screen as his parents sat talking with his aunt in her second reception room after they'd all had a filling dinner of gammon and eggs.

It was strange that for the first day or two Dudley found himself missing being around the strange wizards and witches, talking to Neville and seeing incredible feats of magic being performed so easily. As far as his aunt was concerned the three of them were there while the house was being re-roofed, they'd also told her that Harry had moved out, for good.

"About time that boy left you three be" she'd commented as if Harry has been a particularly irritating insect or something.

He had just blasted a good kill streak of hells minions when a crash outside made him loose attention for a second and he died.

"Balls" he yelled as he threw the controller on the floor, that level had took him hours to get perfect and now he'd have to do it all over again. Wanting to find the cause of the distraction be it one of his aunts stupid dogs or one of the neighbours children that he could yell at he stood up, moved over to the window and slid the curtain back. There seemed to be no one there, not wanting to have to go outside and look further he groaned in annoyance that he would never know what had disrupted his game. He yanked out the cables behind the TV in disgust before turning on his aunt's satellite TV box. It was brilliant compared to their old analogue at home, the TV of the future. Unfortunately however few people had yet to realise this and there was still nothing on, he finally settled on The Simpsons on channel two.

It was a pretty standard episode from the first series that he'd seen hundreds of times before where Bart goes to France and Dudley found himself flicking onto the news. What he saw was not what he had expected.

"MUM DAD" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he stared in disbelief at the screen he barely noticed his parents and aunt come into the room, they also didn't say a word as each of them slowly discovered the news.

"The incident occurred at five am last night and police have yet to discover the cause of the explosion but have now confirmed that one person has died."

The scene cut to a helicopter image hovering over number four Privet Drive; or what was left of it, Dudley could make out the kitchen barely and the shattered conservatory. The top floor and therefore his bedroom and the possessions he'd left were just gone, yet the surrounding houses bar a bit of scorching were fine.

"They attacked us" his mum whispered

"Who did" Aunt Marge asked loudly "Was it that potter boy. A Bomb or something. Who's dead?"

Dudley didn't know the answers to any of these questions so he continued to watch the television. The news reporter was now talking to his neighbour Mrs Figg who usually appeared at times of great confusion like the Dementor things.

"No the family are away at the moment dear" she tells the reporter "on holiday somewhere warm I believe. Yes I've told the police dear. I must go my cats will be hungry"

With that Mrs Figg shuffled off screen and Dudley became aware of his parents again as the news article changed to something about Cyprus that was irrelevant to the family that had just lost their home for good.

"They told us we could move back" his mum whispered sinking to the floor tears seeping down her face

"The roofers?" his aunt asked

At this Dudley's dad pulled a small metal device out of his pocket and twisted it "Diggle get here now" he ordered before holding out the object which grew wings and flew off out of the open door into the night.

"What was that?" his Aunt demanded but his father didn't answer.

For a few tense minutes there was silence in the room bar the TVs murmurings and his mothers sobs until 'poof' Diggle appeared only feet away and 'poof' Hestia appeared beside him. For a few seconds there was chaos as adults began to yell and scream with most of the yelling coming from his father and the screaming from his aunt.

"Silencio" Hestia screamed pointing her wand at the siblings; Dudley could have laughed if he wasn't still in shock. Dudley's father continued to yell silently whilst his aunt discovering that she was no longer making any noise fainted.

"Now what seems to be the problem" Hestia asked Dudley smiling at him.

"Our house" Dudley stuttered slowly barely believing each word as it came "It exploded. Theres been. A. Death."

"How did you discover this?" Diggle asked "how long ago did it happen?"

Dudley only shrugged "it was on the news" he pointed at the television which was now re-capping some recent football matches.

Hestia waved her wand again and Dudley's father could now speak, "How could you let this happen?" he raged "we were promised we could return home"

"We also warned you they would do anything to get to Harry" she told him, Diggle had become distracted by the television

"Hello in there dear man" he said tapping on the glass "tell me more about the body found at the explosion"

"And now over to Gemma with the weather" the presenter said as the news cut to the weather

"Hello are you listening" asked Diggle again "what a rude fellow"

"They can't hear you" Dudley told the wizard scowling in annoyance with his stupidity "it's just a recording"

"I'll send word to Augusta, we may need to move them again" Hestia said, with a wave of her wand she conjured a wispy silver fox.

"Message to Augusta Longbottom, 'Who was at the Dursley's last night, they have been compromised? Please send us all you know'" The fox bounded through the wall and off into the night sky.

Breathing slowly Dudley's mum stood up whispered something about a cup of tea and vanished, his father knelt by his sister and began to try and revive her as the witch and wizard sat down.

Time passed slowly as Aunt Marge came to and was escorted to bed after a couple of quick memory charms, the Dursley's were told she'd remember hearing about the explosion and then fainting, nothing more. The five of them then sat silently sipping slowly cooling tea as they waited for a reply.

It eventually came in the form of another silvery animal, a vulture this time; it spoke in the clear voice of Mrs Longbottom.

"Rufus O'Neil is dead and Finley Muldoon is missing, leave the family there for now, I will contact you again tomorrow"

Dudley didn't recognise either name but from the sad look on Hesita's face he could tell she knew them well.

"I'm sorry my dear" said Diggle "O'Neil was a good man"

"He was in my year at Hogwarts" she said apparently for the benefit of the Dursley's "A good Hufflepuff and an even better man" she sunk her hands into head and began to sob.

"I'd bet my left shoe Muldoon turned" muttered Diggle "a snake that one, a traitor from the start I'd say"

More time passed in silence until Dudley finally excused himself and went up to his room played on his gameboy for a bit before slowly falling asleep.

It was a loud crack that woke him up and the gunshot that followed that that caused him to leap out of his skin in shock.