A/N: Let's get the plot rolling!

Chapter 21: The Beginning of the End

Two weeks of continuous work had paid off for their bicorn powder project. Dudley and Eve had succeeded in creating small explosive capsules with various impacts. Dudley observed the various sizes of capsules in his hands. The smallest ones could simply knock a person over, the largest could probably bust down a small wall. Dudley felt that he could hold his own with one of them (or a least cause enough of a distraction to escape) if he came face to face with a Death Eater again.

There had been several test runs conducted inside heavy shielding charms, though they didn't completely prevent scorched eyebrows and first degree burns. Some evenings he and Eve would sit down to dinner covered in ash and smelling like campfire smoke, and some of their test runs caused such a ruckus that Percy had begun to call them the "New Fred and George." Neither of them were fans of the nickname.

Dudley held a sense of pride with the completion of their project; he even boasted to his mother over their success. Dudley knew his mother had worried the entire time they were working on the capsules, as she had attempted to talk him out of going into the potion's closet each morning. She visibly relaxed once he told her they had finished their project.

May first was the first night in over a week that Dudley and Eve helped prepare dinner. Dedalus showed them how to make beef pies. Dudley failed miserably. He may have understood the art of potions, but cooking was something that remained foreign to him.

Even Petunia helped that night by setting the table. She opened the kitchen window, letting in a warm breeze that was refreshing to feel after one of the longest and coldest winters Dudley had ever experienced.

"Where is Percy?" Eve asked, looking down at her watch. "He should be back by now."

"I'm sure Percy is alright," Dedalus reassured her, but his smile seemed to falter. The small wizard quickly checked his own pocket watch, his hands trembling slightly.

Dudley refused to check the time, he did not want to know the answer. It was getting dark outside and even he was getting worried about him. Percy should have definitely returned home by now.

"I'm sure he will be home soon. We can wait a few more minutes before we begin to eat," Dedalus said as they all sat down to dinner. Dudley couldn't help but stare at the empty chair to his left.

The four of them waited long enough for their beef pies to get cold. Dedalus suggested that they should start eating anyways and just save a plate for Percy. Oddly enough, Dudley found that he wasn't very hungry anymore. His mind was racing.

What if something terrible happened to Percy? Had the Ministry found a reason to arrest him? Did they know he was harboring members of the Order? Would they come here next? Dudley felt his stomach drop; he was about to be sick. He quickly excused himself from the table and rushed to the bathroom.

Dudley turned the water on in the sink and splashed the running water on his face. He massaged the water into the back of his neck to calm himself down. When he opened his eyes, he was slightly startled by the figure in front of him.

Dudley hadn't really bothered to look at his reflection in the mirror his entire stay at Percy's apartment; it was not like he was worried about impressing anyone. He was surprised at how much his appearance had changed over the past few months. His cheeks were slightly sunken and a shadow beard covered his lower jaw. His frame was the thinnest he could ever remember it being, even more than when he started boxing a few years back. Dudley couldn't decide whether his weight loss was due to the limited food they had or of his current lack of interest in it.

"Are you alright?" a soft voice asked behind him. Dudley turned to see Eve watching him with concern. He couldn't help but notice how thin she had begun to look, considering she had been slim to begin with. He wasn't the only one who had physically changed, the dark purple shadows under her eyes made her look particularly unhealthy.

"I'm worried," Dudley answered as he gripped the sides of the sink tightly.

"We all are," Eve said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What if something happened to Percy? What happens to us then?"

"I don't know," Eve whispered. "We have to hope for the best…But, if not, we'll be ready if they come after us," Dudley took a deep breath and nodded.

After a few minutes, Dudley and Eve rejoined his mother and Dedalus who were meekly poking at the food on their plates. Dudley sat through the rest of dinner, which felt awkward and tense. Dudley managed to take a few bites of his meat pie before feeling too ill to finish.

Hours passed by. Dudley, Eve, and Dedalus sat quietly in the small living room, too concerned over the life of their friend and their own lives to talk much. Even his mother appeared to be on edge, as she nervously excused herself to her room after dinner.

Eve kept waving her wand with a concentrated look on her face as she seemed to be silently going over spells. Dudley thumbed through one of Percy's books, but his mind was too distracted to actually read it. He would occasionally sneak peeks at Dedalus, who simply stared off into space.

A sudden noise from the front hall caused them all to jump. Eve and Dedalus held their wands out, ready to attack. Dudley could see his mother peer down the hall from her room, also fearful of the sound. Dudley held a pouch full of the Bicorn Powder Capsules, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Have you gone completely mad?!" Percy cried, holding his wand in defense as Eve jumped at him, ready to take him out.

"Prove that you're the real Percy Weasley!" Eve demanded, jabbing her wand straight into his jugular.

"The first time I met Dudley, he puked all over my favorite pair of slippers," Percy coughed, cringing at the very thought of the event.

Eve lowered her wand. Her face was a mix of fury and relief. "Where the hell have you been?!" She stammered, looking like she was caught between hugging and punching him.

"The Ministry is in chaos! Hours ago Harry Potter, my brother, and Hermione Granger broke into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon! I barely made it out of that mob alive!"

"A mob?" Dedalus asked.

"It was a madhouse, those loyal to You-Know-Who were beginning to interrogate the rest of us. People were running without direction while trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Harry's break-in at Gringotts caused a mass riot."

"Gringotts? What would they need from there?" Eve asked. Percy only shrugged, appearing to be lost in thought.

"Quick! Try to tune into Potterwatch, maybe they'll be able to report where they are heading!" Percy said suddenly.

It took Dudley a moment to process everything that was being said. He could hardly wrap his mind around the fact that his cousin had flown on a dragon…He didn't even know what Gringotts was. He managed to get out of the way as Percy pushed past to get to the old radio. Percy began to fiddle with the dials. Everyone sat in an anxious silence, even his mother sat on the couch, waiting on baited breath.

Percy tried to find the correct combination to access the secret channel, while explaining every detail he knew to them about the break in. Dudley learned that Gringotts was the wizarding bank, a place supposedly impossible to break into and steal from, but if anyone could make the impossible possible it was his death-defying cousin.

After several failed attempts, a sudden screech of static finally filled the room. Percy turned the volume up. Lee Jordan's voice echoed in Dudley's ears.

"Lightning has struck the school! I repeat... Lightning has struck the school! We're going to need backup…passage through Hogshead… struck the school!" Lee's voice dissolved back into static.

Eve and Dedalus exchanged a knowing look.

"What does that mean?" Dudley asked, knowing it probably wasn't good.

"It means Harry Potter is at Hogwarts," Eve said. "With the school being controlled by Death Eaters, Harry Potter is going to need all the help he can get."

Eve and Dedalus stood up. "As Order members, it's our job to help in any way we can in times of a major crisis," the wizard explained.

"I'm coming with you," Percy said, adjusting the glasses on his face. "I'll finally be able to do something about this war."

Eve nodded and waved her wand. Her small bag flew into the room and into her hands. She pulled out the small Weasley's Wizarding Weezes hair clip and fastened it into her hair. Her long, dark locks twisted into golden blonde curls. With her disguise in place, she gripped her wand tightly.

"Let's do this."

"Wait! What about me?" Dudley asked. His mother paled, but remained silent.

Eve turned to Dudley, her expression was grim and regretful. "You need to stay here. Take more of these in case anything happens," she handed him another box of the explosive capsules from her bag.

Dudley stood there both confused and angry. He wanted to help end this war as much as the others did...This war affected him too! Just because he was a muggle it didn't mean he was completely useless. He watched as his three friends linked arms, prepared to Apparate.

With a sudden burst of energy, Dudley lunged forward. He heard his mother let out a cry as he seized hold of Eve's robes and followed them into nothingness.

Dudley's third experience with Apparition was more tolerable than his first two. He managed to stay on his feet as they connected with the rough wooden floor. He opened his eyes to find a dimly lit and dirty pub. It was filled with wooden benches and hardwood tables. Though not grimy, it was very rustic and old. If his mother were here, she would have fainted at the mere sight of it.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Eve hissed, suddenly pushing him into one of the tables. "Do you know how dangerous it is to just grab onto someone that is Apparating? You could have been splinched and possibly have died from your injuries," She gave him a hard slug in the shoulder. "What on earth made you think it would be a good idea to come along anyways?"

Dudley opened his mouth to speak before an unfamiliar voice sounded off the barren walls.

"This is a pub, not King's Cross Station!"

Dudley looked over his shoulder. He gaped in awe at the oldest man he had ever seen. His long grayish-white beard and dark robes made him look like Gandalf. Even without the wand in his ancient hand, this man looked like a wizard. Dudley had no idea that people could live that long.

As the old man spoke, the small space echoed with several loud popping sounds. Several other people had appeared inside the pub.

"People have been coming in and out of my pub continuously for the past hour," He grumbled loudly. The old wizard glanced at the four of them. "Well, don't just stand there. Arianna will take you to Hogwarts," He pointed at the tunneling portrait that several people were already walking through. Standing at the entrance of the painting was a pretty girl in a white frock. She smiled and nodded at each person that passed her.

"Thank you Aberforth," Dedalus said, "We will be right along once we sort out our little problem." He gave Dudley a sharp look. Dudley felt his face flush.

"I'll take Dudley back, Mr. Diggle," Eve sighed, grabbing onto his arm, "I'll meet up with ya'll later."

"No," Dudley snapped, pulling his arm away, "I want to help, I can hold my own!" he exclaimed, holding up his pouch of Bicorn explosives.

"Dudley, it's just not safe," Dedalus explained, "This isn't a game, our enemies are very skilled duelist. Those explosives won't be able to defend you from their magic.

"We don't want to see you get hurt," Percy added.

"Please, Dudley. Let me take you back," Eve begged. Her fake blonde hair awkwardly curtained parts of her serious expression.

"Well..." Dudley groaned. However, he was unable to finish his sentence due to the shouting coming from the entrance o f the portrait.

A young man around Dudley's age climbed out of the tunnel in the portrait. His face was marred with scars and bruises. Behind him, Dudley could see several smaller figures still standing in the tunnel.

"Hey Abe," the man said with exhaustion, "We are moving all the underage students out of Hogwarts, can they safely stay here for now?

"What did I tell you? A damn train station," Aberforth said loudly to no one in particular. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright Mr. Longbottom, let's get them out of there. They're blocking the pathway."

Dozens and dozens of children began to pile into the pub. They all were quite young; the oldest did not seem to be older than fifteen. Many of the older ones wore uniforms in different colors, while some of the younger ones appeared to be in their nightclothes. Some buzzed anxiously, others looked terrified.

"I'm not a babysitter, Longbottom." Aberforth warned as he watched the floods of children fill the room.

"Things are getting bad out there, Abe," Longbottom said, shaking his head, "Death Eaters are charging towards the castle, I don't think the shields will hold out much longer. We need every able body helping. Even you Abe," He finished, nodding to their small group.

"Then who's going to keep an eye on all these kids?" Aberforth asked, crossing his arms.

"I'll do it," Dudley found himself saying. He jumped at the chance of contributing to this war, even if it wasn't quite what he had in mind.

"Dudley…" Eve warned him, her voice sharp with annoyance.

"Eve, let me do this. These kids need somebody to keep an eye on them and keep them calm," He locked eyes with a young, teary-eyed girl that couldn't have been older than twelve.

Eve bit her lip and exchanged a glance with Dedalus. He gave her a curt, strained nod. Dudley knew they didn't have the time to argue.

"Alright, fine… Damn it Dudley, you stay here. I mean it!" Eve growled, poking him threateningly with her finger.

"Err…okay…"Longbottom said. He raised his voice for the students to hear. "Everyone, this is Dudley. He is going to make sure you all stick together and you'll ultimately listen to him. None of you leave Hogshead, alright?"

There was a collective murmur of understanding from the students. The situation they were in seemed to make them rather agreeable, despite their age.

With the heightening sense of urgency, the wizards were already beginning to climb into the portrait passageway. Eve faltered behind them, seemingly frozen next to Dudley.

"Eve, come on," Percy called from the entrance.

"I'll be right behind you," She called back over her shoulder.

Eve returned her attention to Dudley. "Please, please don't do anything stupid. Keep everyone together and make sure they stay safe…Including you," Eve demanded, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I promise," Dudley said.

"Good."

In a brief second, Eve had shifted onto the balls of her feet and placed a quick kiss on his lips. Dudley watched her face become flushed with embarrassment before she turned away.

"Hey," Dudley shouted over the crowd once he recovered from the shock, "Be careful!"

Eve gave him a grim smile before disappearing into the portrait.

A/N: We are rounding into the last third of our story. As always, thanks for reading and for your reviews. Feedback is what keeps this me running!