(A/N: I am truly sorry to have been gone for so long. I hope that you will forgive me. Anyway, this is the next installment of 'Changed Perspectives' and is probably the last one in this series. But I don't quite know for sure. It's probably easiest if you follow me or whatever because I won't always know when or what I will update. You can ignore all of the Avengers stuff I have been writing if you want to. I don't own Harry Potter and I never will, so let's just get that out of the way now. There will be more 'Changed Perspectives' the next one picks up with Harry's first weekend at Hogwarts and runs through flying lessons and all that.)
Changed Perspectives 3: Life with the Dursleys: Part 4
"What's the matter Harry?" Dudley asked as he sat on the open swing beside his cousin. Harry had been doing a lot better lately, he was nearly the size that he was supposed to be and his energy was staying up a little. Dudley himself was down quite a few pounds but was still working on it. They were all worried that he wouldn't be able to keep to his diet when he went to Smelting's that fall. Harry blushed slightly and looked up at Dudley.
"I don't know if I want to go," Harry admitted softly. He knew that Dudley wished sometimes to have Magic, to not be a muggle, but Harry had never told them that sometimes he wished that he wasn't a Wizard. His Hogwarts letter had come just a few short days after Dudley had turned eleven and it had hurt. He wanted to go to school with his cousin; they had been making plans for him just in case but now he knew that he was going to attend Wizarding School.
"Harry, come on, you know that it won't be so bad. You've got a power in you that I can never have, and it's strange and amazing and you should learn as much as you can about it. You aren't going to stop being what you are by sticking your head in the sand and pretending that you aren't," Dudley said soothingly and Harry smiled in response.
"It isn't that Dudley. I don't know if I can handle 10 months without you guys," Harry told his cousin, wondering if he should feel ashamed. Dudley was going to be away at Smelting's for the same length of time after all and Vernon and Petunia would be left with an empty house. It wasn't going to be easy for any of them and Harry felt a little selfish for thinking about himself at such a time.
"Hey, you'll write, I'll write. We will see each other at Christmas. You'll see Harry, it'll all work out. You will make some new friends; maybe I'll even make some. Things will be fine," Dudley assured, smiling in relief when Harry nodded. He clapped his cousin lightly on the shoulder and kicked the ground to start the swing moving.
"I will have to send your letters by way of Aunt Petunia though. She says that it might be weird if you got seen with an owl at school," Harry said calmly.
"It's alright; owl post doesn't work with me anyway. Mum and Dad have a bit of that spark in them and so the owls can work with them, me, there's nothing. Not that I mind, what with that whole bird allergy thing," Dudley responded, glancing over as Harry twisted up the chains of the swing, toes planting half-circle shapes in the dirt as he spun around.
"You aren't allergic, you just don't want to get bitten again," Harry joked and Dudley's face flamed red. He hadn't quite liked birds since he was about 8 when a parrot had bitten his finger at the zoo. Over time he had created his allergy to distance himself from the uncomfortable association. Harry was the only one that cared to challenge it and often Dudley woke with Hedwig perched on the head of his bed. He knew that Harry wasn't being malicious about it and most days it did make him laugh, but he still hadn't worked up the nerve to do more than allow the snowy owl to be near him.
"You've no idea how grateful I am that you've never chosen to share that little gem with the kids at school," Dudley said and they both laughed. Dudley the gentle giant wrestles 8th graders, frightens everyone so much they won't think about beating him up, terrified of things with feathers.
"I could, but it wouldn't have been any fun. I never have liked it when people pick on other kids," Harry said quite firmly and let go of the tension he had wound into the swing, spinning madly around in a circle, his glasses flying off of his face and landing near Dudley. The larger boy scooped up the black frames and checked to make sure they weren't broken. Petunia was not the sort to be pleased if someone's foolishness resulted in something getting broken, mostly because she was terrified by the fact that something more important could have been broken instead.
Dudley sighed and placed Harry's glasses back over smiling green eyes. They had a bit less than a month left together, Harry's school supplies were all bought and taken care of, Petunia and Vernon had bought them with their own money. Harry had been shown his Gringotts vault from which he was allowed to take nothing, if he needed pocket money his Aunt and Uncle would take care of it. They had mostly gone to show him the pictures of his parents and the books that he would be able to remove when he turned 17. It had been an emotional experience and Dudley had been enlisted to carry Harry back to the cart.
"You just take care of yourself there okay? I won't be there to protect you and that scares me," Dudley whispered and hugged his cousin tightly.
"You too Dudley, you too," Harry muttered in response, tightening his arms around Dudley before stepping away and glancing up the street. Aunt Petunia was calling them to lunch, and though Harry did not eat the meal, he was expected to sit at the table and at least have a potion or a glass of water.
"Sorry, I was supposed to be bringing you home for lunch," Dudley said and Harry nodded, they sometimes got distracted when they talked. They started home at a pace that Harry could manage. It was a lot faster ever since he had started to grow, his legs still weren't as long as Dudley's and he would never be able to beat his larger cousin in a race as long as he was still sick, but there was a bit smaller of a gap. He could remember the days when they had been perfectly equal and missed them at times, but he was just happy to have a cousin and an Aunt and an Uncle that loved and cared about him even though he was sickly and weak. He was going to miss them fiercely when he went to Hogwarts.
(A/N: And there's the end of that one. The next story is literally going to be the direct follow up to 'Changed Perspectives 2' so add me to your alerts or keep an eye on this story for an update about when that will be posted.)