It was little wonder Augusta send back a negative response. He watched as the first thing his uncle and cousin did after Gringotts was immediately disappearing into the Broom Shop. Well, Harry dragged Dudley inside actually. But the sentiment remained despite any interest the blond had himself for potentially owning one of these someday. First years were not allowed brooms.
Aunt Lily was already regretting this outing before she gave the go ahead after their month grounding was over. The only reprieve Dudley and his cousin had during the grounding was in Harry's birthday party. The invitations had already been sent. And Harry and his dad already took full advantage of that one. Uncle James thought the reason for grounding was to be celebrated. Aunt Lily disagreed. Loudly.
Fastest way to have a grounding undermined was to pick one of the few rules James didn't see as important. Flying ranked high up on the list. Not to mention it was Dudley's first solo fly.
Aunt Lily stated after years of seeing his uncle and cousin, who'd grabbed his mum's broom to join him up in the air, Dudley ought to know better. And he did. He knew flying in the cottage wasn't allowed. And he really wanted to feel terrible at causing Lily distress. He did. But he was far too exhilarated at the time to feel the disappointment radiating off of his aunt.
He reached over to his shirt pocket, blue eyes checking that the folded bit of parchment was still there. The blond smiled a little. The letter and list of supplies were like a badge of proof. Albus's unusual fascination as he personally dropped by Godric's Hollow to deliver it was worth it. Even if Dudley was left trying to assess the remarks Albus made for the following weeks. The greatest magic of all? He certainly wasn't referring to some broken vase. Not with that tone of affection as his eyes watered in looking at him and his cousin.
Harry was easily quelled when Albus gave his calm assurances, but Dudley felt more anxious at that sort of attention. The man hadn't run a school and aided efforts against two dark lords for nothing.
At least those were the only visits like that so far this year. Which was saying something. Uncle James and Sirius were the usual receivers of focused, not twinkling, blue eyes. Visits from Albus were typically far more enjoyable and funny. Multiple visits on school weekends last year had Dudley and Harry assisting Albus on how correct of a map his scar was to the London Underground. The answer? Very.
And very likely the reason Albus found his newest favorite article of clothing. Exploring outside the station led to Harry spotting the small shop display. Who pointed it out to Dudley as Albus eyed a local sweet shop with interest. They'd bought it with the allowance money they came with, figuring they usually just spent it on chocolates or interesting looking trinkets. Then gave the Hawaiian shirt as a joint Christmas gift.
To say it'd gone over well was an understatement. Albus already loved his colorful array of robes he owned. This was about as much of a muggle equivalent Dudley had ever seen.
He'd worn it on each visit this summer. Even after Uncle James spewed out his drink onto it in a fit of laughter during their summer movie of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It hadn't been that funny. But Albus said the stain added character and a great story. Even with the assurance, Dudley and Harry had bought another. Who cared if it was a repeat Christmas gift? Albus loved that Hawaiian shirt.
"Wotcher Dudley."
The blond jumped back, knocking down a row of Comets. From far too close to him, Nymphadora Tonks stumbled over one of the brooms and onto her rear. Dark eyes blinked in surprise. She quickly laughed though. "Prove me wrong from thinking I managed not to be clumsy for once. Pity I can't test on you for stealth, help me up will you?"
He hurried to offer her a hand up. The shopkeeper was already there, frazzled and demanding she leave the store at once. She whined, "You can't still be upset about what happened six years ago. I was twelve."
The man's round face puffed up and turned red. "Out." He pointed. "Out."
"What happened when you were twelve?" Uncle James's hazel eyes sparked in a gleeful interest as the shopkeeper swatted away any helpful hands. The man glared, clearly not trusting any of them. As a kid, Dudley knew the look. But despite any jokes or pranks James loved, he doubted his uncle had done anything to deserve that kind of look in the Broom Shop. And it was kind of impressive he remembered Nymphadora well enough to give her that kind of look.
"I only stepped on a couple Comets."
"Ha. You and that older Weasley boy destroyed the display, knocked down nearly every broom in the store, and made two Comets and three Cleansweeps unsellable!"
"We bought them, I don't see what the problem is. My Comet 260 works just fine. Bill managed just fine on that Cleansweep Six. And Charlie was considered professionally off of his Comet. The real problem I see here is how you bullied Arthur and Molly to buy the Cleansweep Fives if they really were unsellable. That and your insistence for rickety display methods," she added after a pause. "You should probably fix that."
Impossibly, the shopkeeper's face turned even redder. Beside Dudley, Harry sniggered. "Good to see you…Nymphadora."
Bubble gum pink hair spazzed into a neon shade of red. "Don't call me that!"
"But your hair changes colors when I do," Harry pointed out as though that disputed any dislike of her own first name. She scowled.
"Good point."
Besides no longer looking twelve, there was the bigger reason the shopkeeper should have had a harder time recognizing her. She was a Metamorphmagus after all. A witch with the ability to change her appearance.
Hesitantly, Dudley spoke up. "Uncle James? Can we go get our school supplies now?"
"What?" His uncle jerked his attention away from the shopkeeper swatting another attempt to help pick up the brooms. "Yes. Of course. The new Nimbus looks good Kamil."
"What's this I hear? Our school supplies?" Her thick boots clomped along beside them, dark eyes shining excitedly at Dudley. He ducked his head down and glanced away. The shopkeeper, Kamil, watched Nymphadora Tonks's exit closely. "No one told me you were heading off to Hogwarts too. I bet Dad's pleased. And Lily. Sirius is a given."
His cousin speed up, hopping in front of him on the paved stone road. "Yep! We're both looking for school supplies today in Diagon Alley. What are you doing here today?"
The blond frowned as she answered Harry. That was an odd group of people to be pleased at the news. Why would she say those three? Sirius was a given. Aunt Lily, yeah, okay, Dudley could see her being pleased past her worry on the situation. Albus had defused most of it in his last visit. Thankfully. But Ted Tonks?
"Why would your dad be pleased? "
She blinked, confused. "Why wouldn't he be pleased?"
"Oh yeah, Dudley's right," Harry pipped in. His face furrowed. "Ted can't do magic, he liked having another around like him that knew about it."
Uncle James burst into laughter at her eyes going wide in shock and hair flushing to a lighter shade of red. "And you want to be an Auror," he sniggered. "Can't even keep a secret from a pair of eleven year olds."
She spun, boot stomping. "How is this my fault James? This is all on Sirius! You mean none of you have told them yet?"
Baffled at what she meant, Dudley glanced back and forth between her and his uncle. His cousin bounded back to James. "Tell us what? What, what? Tell us what?"
Still laughing, Uncle James pointed over to Nymphadora. She huffed as both heads spun to her. "Dad's a Muggle-Born wizard. Sirius is an idiot from the Black family," she snorted. "I'm not awfully surprised Dad and Lily went along with it, but it just proves he was an idiot at the time. You two have heard a few stories on his family I reckon?"
Black hair flew at how quickly Harry bobbed his head in response. Dudley thought a bit on those stories, recalling how much Sirius's parents sort of but not really reminded him a little of his own parents. He frowned, biting his lip, not sure what that had to do with this on Ted Tonks. Well, maybe it did. Sirius's parents seemed to be the type very much for keeping it to wizards and witches only. Not that Sirius cared for that sort of thing. Andromeda, Ted's wife, was Sirius's favorite cousin. And Ted was a wizard.
The blond shuffled his feet and rubbed at his left leg.
It stung. All this time, Ted lied to him?
"For them, a Muggle-Born was as good as a muggle," she ground out. Almost spitting. Surprised at her easy going nature disappearing, Dudley shot his head back up to see Nymphadora's thunderous face. It cleared quickly with a short laugh. She grinned at Dudley. "The idiot excitedly introduced the pair of you believing that. Dad prefers doing things by hand, like the dishes, because it gives him time to think and mull things over. So Sirius never thought otherwise of Dad because of it. Stunned Mum and I. All those years that idiot really believed Dad was a muggle. Then again, it's ridiculous that Dad never cast any spells around Sirius in all that time."
Harry let out a snort and cracked up. This was all because of Sirius then? A misunderstanding? Ted didn't lie to him? But still, Dudley felt the sharp sting.
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"Oh! I'm sorry Dudley." She leaned down and touched his shoulder briefly. "Dad didn't mean anything by it. Sirius convinced him and Lily to keep the lie for you. He thought you'd like having someone around to talk about on being around magic, in case you didn't get any. Well, besides your aunt with her being Muggle-Born herself. There's not many people around like you kiddo. Before I mean. The only one all of those adults could think of was Remus's mother."
The blond winced. Dudley knew she wasn't around anymore. "Oh."
"Yeah. So when I said they'd be pleased, I meant with not letting you believe what the idiot believed back then. I didn't mean to make you feel awful. You should be excited on a day like today, going shopping for things to bring to Hogwarts. Like that wand," she emphasized excitedly with a wink. "By the way, what's with the lateness to getting your supplies anyway?"
He half shrugged and fingered the letter in his pocket again. It still didn't feel quite real to say he'd been grounded. Not the grounding part, but why he'd been grounded. Like he was a fake somehow. Dudley had been declared a wizard, but it didn't feel that way yet. Guess he couldn't be too mad about lies right now. He was one at this point.
"Harry get you into trouble again," she joked.
Dudley nodded, figuring that was one way to put it.
"All right quiet man, don't hold it too much against my dad. Say hello to your aunt for me." She held a finger up to her lips and ducked into a side alley. And immediately tripped over a line of raised stones marking the division.
A wide grin on his face, James swung over to watch her scramble back up. Dudley speed up to follow Harry dashing over to look. "Forget to say goodbye? Good luck on that Auror test Nymphadora."
"Don't call me that!"
"But your whole head looks like a mohawked tomato," Harry pointed out with his own grin. Dudley nodded. It really did.
Although, if Nymphadora actually did pass her test, Dudley knew Augusta would quickly put her in the same category as Uncle James and Sirius. The Aurors on the do not hire list for when she needed and desired their services. She was one strict grandmother even when they visited. The two were allowed once, reluctantly. And never invited on the premises ever again. Or her grandson purposely allowed near them. Therefore, he became Dudley's only birthday invite.
Dudley would never say out loud that he thought she had a point. The blond sighed as he spotted his uncle buying an ice cream, shouting back to ask what Harry and he wanted. Never one to pass up chocolate, Dudley quickly answered. Eating was a good idea. After all, this shopping day could be a while with James in charge.
Author's Note: Someone used a fancy word to describe my 'What If' story. Wow. I...I'm just playing around with this. Honest. In fact, I corrected an earlier error pointed out by another person in this one. Both Sirius and I are idiots thank-you-very-much. Forgive us. Thank you to the favorites and more follows and to the reviewers TheOneKrafter, FFcrazy15, Alicia Olivia Mirza, and buford12. And now everyone knows why that person is bolded.