When the Dursleys and Harry arrived at Number 4 Private Drive, Dudley waited for his Mother to head for the front door of the house. Dudley saw that Father opened the boot of the car for Harry to grab his trunk and then left Harry to struggle on his own, as he went towards the front door himself. 'This is my chance.'

Dudley got out of the car and noted a flash of white in the tree across from the Dursley's property. Good, the bird had made it to their home. With his parents occupied with the front door, he made his way over to the boot of the car. Grabbed the trunk and hoisted it over the lip of the boot and onto the ground, gentle. There were some advantages to being a large git. He chuckled to himself. He looked at Harry, "Harry, we need to talk, and your bird's in the tree. Relax."

Dudley hurried to the front door, before his parents would think to ask where he was or what he was doing. He couldn't help but think that this time last year, he might have just watched Harry struggle with the trunk before pushing him into the mud. He sighed, it felt weird as if he was two different people at times, and he really didn't like who one of them was.

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'I am officially confused by my cousin Dudley. What was he doing to Hedwig? Oh god, I hope he is wrong. She's one of my closest friends, I cannot lose her. What if he's right and she doesn't know where to find me, she only came to this house for a very short time last year. What if she doesn't remember the way?' Harry sat quietly in the car, clutching the cage, switching between anger ad Dudley and fear that he had lost Hedwig, then confusion. 'Why had Dudley winked at me? What did that even mean? Is Dudley possessed? Oh know, are the Vernon and Petunia right and my Freakishness did affect their son?!'

'Oh god, if my magic did change Dudley, Vernon will find out and Petunia and Vernon will kill me! Oh god, oh god, oh god.' Harry's thoughts whirled in circles a mile a minute, jumping from fear of his bird to himself and back and both until he was a jumbled mess. He didn't even realize that the car had stopped until Vernon Petunia had opened her door and Vernon had popped open the boot. Harry shakily made his way to the boot to grab his trunk after he set the cage down to use both hands. Both Vernon and Petunia had already made it to the front of the house when suddenly a pair of arms reached over him and picked his trunk up and set it down carefully. Dudley looked at him for a moment and all Harry could do was stare. 'This was not Dudley. What the bloody hell?!'

"Harry, we need to talk, and your bird's in the tree. Relax." Dudley walked off with a swagger as if he had just stolen candy from a two-year-old as he would have done last year. Only, this time, he had been nice. Harry briefly looked up at the tree that his cousin had glanced at, there stat Hedwig, watching him contentedly from the tree. Harry bent down to his trunk and began halling it towards the entrance to the Dursley home. With one last glance at the tree, he went around the corner of the garage hiding the tree from sight of the front door. At the door, Vernon took Harry's trunk from him and locked it in the cupboard under the stare, and sent Harry to Dudley's old room.

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Hedwig knew her boy was in good hands when she allowed him to ride away with his cousin without making a fuss. She could feel that he had no ill will to her boy. Unlike the older humans, she personally felt a little more dislike to the older female than the male. Although she very much disliked them both. There was darkness around both adults that set her feathers on edge.

Hedwig did remember that there had been darkness around the boy before, but it was interestingly gone now. In its place is a protective aura, that calls out to plants and animals alike. She could see elements of the otherworld bending and leaning towards her boy's cousin. 'Interesting… This could be useful for my boy.' She would have to watch the child.

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Harry had been locked into his room for the rest of the day and he had only managed to eat breakfast that morning at the leaving feast before the train ride from Hogwart's village Hogsmeade. Harry sighed, he had become too used to eating regular meals.

He knew he couldn't even sneak down to the Dursley's kitchen as he had been locked into his room. He knew that even if he had had his wand which was in his trunk in his cupboard, he wouldn't be able to unlock his bedroom door, as it went against the laws of underaged magic, not that he would tell the Dursleys that.

The train had taken off from Hogsmeade Monday morning and it was now 23:00 of June 22, 1992. Tomorrow would be Tuesday, and Uncle Vernon would likely get up for work early. Aunt Petunia most likely has tea with someone or had some activity group thing that would keep her out of the house, while he would have a mile-long list of chores to do.

Harry grimaced, he would likely have to deal with Dudley's taunting him while he worked and then made him do some of the chores twice. Only, is that even his cousin? He had been acting very strange, maybe that pigtail had really hurt him? Or was his cousin trying to trick him into a false sense of security only to mess with him later?

Harry fretted, what if his cousin really had been hurt by Hagrid's pigtail. He didn't really like the idea of his cousin being permanently hurt by magic. A bit of a prank, sure, but no permanent harm. That was too much like being a bully to someone who had no chance to defend themselves.

Anyways, all the Dursleys were likely asleep by now. Then suddenly Harry heard a soft knock on the door followed by a light click of the lock and then the door to the room, quietly swinging open. A smirking Dudley popped his head into the room, twiddling his fingers at Harry then making a shushing sign with a finger to his lips. As he slid himself into the room he revealed that he was carrying a bag with him. He reached in and pulled out a couple of sandwiches for Harry, a jar of peanut butter and a spoon.

Dudley whispered quietly, "Don't worry about the jar. Mum won't miss it, I stole if a few weeks ago, when I was trying to think of what I could get you in case I cannot get up here to get you food, on days you haven't eaten properly."

He looked at Harry somberly, "Harry, as I said before. We need to talk."

Harry set aside the food he had been handed, as he had a very important question before he trusted anything that came from this person in front of him. "Who are you and where is Dudley."

Dudley blinked, startled. Blinked again. Smirked and then fell into quiet first of laughter, while trying to remain quiet as to not wake his parents and getting Harry hurt because he found his cousin's line of questioning amusing.

Harry, was more perturbed than ever. Maybe his cousin really was hurt, was this his cousin? He took a careful step back, from the crazy person who looked like his cousin, but wasn't the cousin he knew.

"Harry, Harry, calm down. I am still Dudley Dursley, your cousin. I am also trying not to let my parents know I am talking to you. Se we have to be quiet and quick. Now, I am sure you are curious but this last year has been an eye-opener for me and I talked to some people. Suffice it to say I did a lot of thinking this last year and some other stuff happened. We need to find time to talk without mum and dad knowing so they don't blame you for anything. Sound good? Any questions?" Harry, looked at him quietly for a moment.

"I need you to prove it to me." Dudley nodded.

Harry thought for a moment, 'I haven't discussed anything in the muggle world to the magical world so even if this is an obvious question only Dudley and his friends who aren't magical would know it.' "What was your favorite game to play with me growing up."

Dudley grimaced at the grim reminder of how much of a bully he was, he sighed softly and looked sadly at Harry, "Harry Hunting." Harry nodded solemnly and picked up the sandwiches again.

Dudley, looked over at Harry while taking the bag he had brought back with him, sans food. "We will talk tomorrow, okay?" Harry nodded at his cousin and watched as his cousin softly closed the door before hearing the lock click back into place. Harry quietly at the food before going to bed, feeling still as if he had come back from Hogwarts only to find himself in an alternate dimension.

AN: The really crazy part is that in my original story concept. Dudley was not a part of this story at all. This story has a mind of its own.