"Everyone is curious about you again, brother dear," Draco said with amusement. "How and why did you ever help the Prodigal Gryffindor?"
"Draco, please. Never make fun of Longbottom in front of me."
"But why? I think you like being mysterious and contradictory. You never act the same way to any two people."
"No two people are the same," Dudley said without conviction. He stopped and turned to Draco. "How should I act? I don't know any of these people. I don't even know you. You aren't another version of yourself. You are a different person, altogether."
"You've finally noticed?" Draco asked with a smirk. "You're different version is Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. It was obvious from the start that you were different. So tell me, brother dear, what is between you and Neville Longbottom?"
This time Dudley smirked. "You're right, Draco. I'm not The-Boy-Who-Lived. As for Neville, in my world he is known as The-Boy-Who-Died."
"Is that it? He died saving your life?"
"And your life, and the Weasel, and Father. He saved all of us. I was repaying a debt."
Draco refused to ask any more questions, for which Dudley was grateful.
"Dudley?" Hermione asked, as she walked up. "I wanted to thank you, for Neville. You did a wonderful thing."
Dudley stared at her. "You're welcome," he said finally.
"I know he's not there, in your world," Hermione added, despite the warning look Draco gave her. "I know it was hard for you."
"You don't know what happened," Dudley said tonelessly.
"I don't have to. I've heard you talk about him. And Ron told me what you had said in the dorm. I'm smart enough to figure things out. I know his death hurt you. I don't need to know how." She then hugged him warmly. "Thank you, again."
Dudley was taken back by what Hermione had said, and done. Despite what he had seen he never expected compassion from a Gryffindor, much less from Granger. He returned the hug. "Thank you. For understanding."
When they separated, Draco couldn't help commenting. "You realize, Granger, that you've publically hugged a Slytherin."
"It's worse than that," she replied with a grin. "I've hugged a Malfoy."
Draco looked at Dudley with a mock frown. "Does this mean I can't call her Mudblood, anymore." He sounded so pathetic that even Hermione had to laugh.
"I see Mr. Malfoy is working his magic again," a voice said from behind them, as a hand grabbed Dudley's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Professor Moody," Hermione said, embarrassed. "I didn't know anyone was watching."
"Don't worry. I didn't see you do anything you should be ashamed of, Miss Granger," Moody said as he let go of suddenly pale boy. He gave Draco a sharp look that made the boy step back, then turned to the third member of the group. "I heard what you did for Longbottom. I wouldn't have believed it of a Malfoy, but I would believe it of Harry Potter. I hope you have more of him in you but just in case I'll be keeping an eye on you."
Moody continued on his way, and no one moved until he was out of sight. When he was gone, Hermione asked, "Dudley, what's wrong? You looked scared to death when he talked to you."
"It wasn't what he said. It was when he grabbed my shoulder. Have you ever had a recurring nightmare?"
"Harry does. He remembers his parents being killed by You Know Who. Sometimes he even wakes up screaming. Do you have the same dream?"
"No. I dream that someone grabs my shoulder."
"Let's talk elsewhere," Draco said suddenly. "I don't like where this conversation is headed, and I don't think we should discuss it anymore until we're someplace private."
"I know a place," Dudley said, and if anyone finds us, I even have an excuse for being there."
As they walked away, Dudley noticed Ron Weasley and the twins watching. He was grateful when they made no effort to follow him.
*
Dudley looked out of the window at the night sky. Behind him, in the unused room, barren even of furniture or boxes, stood Draco and Hermione.
"So this is where we live, dear brother. How the mighty have fallen."
"Don't mock me, Draco. It doesn't become you. This is my place, not yours."
"NO, Dudley. My place is with my brother, and as long as you are here, you are my brother. This is OUR place."
"Thank you, Draco," Dudley said softly, "those words do help."
"I hate to break the family mood," Hermione Granger interjected, "but we are here for a reason."
"You're right," Dudley said, "but first, you should know that I promised Dumbledore not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. It's about Voldemort. In my world he managed to restore himself."
"We guessed that," Draco said, "you mentioned him when you showed up."
"You're going to tell us how," Hermione guessed.
Dudley nodded. "He used my blood as part of a ritual. It was when he tried to kill me that Father broke with him. He did it to save my life."
Draco was stunned, "but if you were a Malfoy, wouldn't you have willingly helped him."
"Of course. But I wasn't asked. Voldemort didn't care what Dudley Malfoy thought. He only wanted to kill James Potter's bastard son, who just happens to be Gryffindor's Heir."
Now Hermione was stunned. "You would have followed Voldemort?"
"I would have followed Father. And I still do. Father found out the truth about Voldemort in time to save himself and us. Lord Voldemort is a madman. He'll destroy anything and anyone on a whim."
"And Lucius Malfoy won't?" Hermione said sarcastically.
"No, he won't," Draco answered. "We want power. Yes. To shape the world into a proper form. If Dudley is right about Voldemort, then we must warn Father. Lord Voldemort restored will not be the same as the Lord Voldemort who was destroyed."
"There's more to it," Dudley said. "When I was taken, someone grabbed me from behind, and then I passed out. I still vividly dream about how that hand felt when it grabbed my shoulder."
"Moody's hand?" Draco asked, "but he would never be a Death Eater."
"That's why I wanted to talk to you about it. I would swear it was the same hand."
"But not the same person," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"I know that look, Granger," Draco declared. "You're plotting something."
"I'm remembering something," Hermione said, crossly. "Malfoy, the entrance to Slytherin is in the dungeons behind a suit of armor. Isn't it?"
"How do you know that?"
"Harry told me." Hermione grinned at the looks the two Malfoys gave her. "You should know, Dudley, that your brother let him and Ron into the common room."
"How?" the two Malfoys asked.
"Polyjuice Potion. They disguised themselves as Crabbe and Goyle. You might have noticed that they acted strange that day."
"They are my friends," Draco admitted, "but it would be hard to notice. I see your point, though. Someone could have taken Moody's place. He's an odd enough character that no one would notice anything wrong about him."
"Exactly," Hermione agreed, "and he always drinks from his own flask. The imposter would have no problem with having to continually take the potion. If we're right, he's been doing it in front of us all along, and we've never noticed."
"And there is a problem," Draco pointed out. "If Moody is really someone else, who could it be. The only person missing is Crouch, and he's as bad as Moody."
"He's not missing," Hermione insisted, "Ron says his brother gets messages from him on a regular basis."
"Crouch?" Dudley asked in a shaking voice. "Junior or Senior."
"I didn't know Crouch had any children," Hermione said, confused.
"He had a son," Draco assured her, "but he was arrested for what he did to Longbottom's parents." Then Draco gave a questioning smile. "But it couldn't be him. Father told me he died in Azkaban."
"In my world, Crouch managed to sneak his son out of there, I don't know how. His son survived although Crouch kept it a secret. But Voldemort found out about it. He freed the son, and I was told it was the son who killed the father." He paused. "There are a lot of parallels between our two worlds."
"And Crouch, Junior could be sending those messages," Draco added. "I only wish there was a way to verify all of this."
"There is and there isn't," Hermione told him, "since we're revealing secrets, I should tell you about something Harry has."
"I know about the invisibility cloak," Draco said, "Dudley has one as well. He showed it to me in one of our brief moments alone."
"Harry has something else as well," Hermione told him. "A map. It shows where everyone is when they're on the school grounds. It showed Crouch in Snape's office, but it didn't tell us which one."
"That's the proof we need," Dudley said, "Where is the map?"
Hermione gave him a sullen look. "That's the bad part. He loaned it to Professor Moody."
"Then Moody, or whoever he is, knows we're here," Draco said. "He told us he would be watching."
"And he'll know if we go to Dumbledore," Dudley added. "And I'm willing to bet that the map doesn't care if you're invisible or not."
"Nor does Moody," Hermione said, "that magical eye of his can see through an invisibility cloak."
"We'll go to the Great Hall for supper," Draco suggested, " and walk up to Dumbledore and tell him our suspicions. We explain everything. If we turn out to be wrong, we apologize and blame Dudley."
"Everything?" Hermione asked.
"Even Father's past involvement with the Death Eaters," Draco offered. "I sent an owl to Father when Dudley showed up. He should already be making arrangements in case the truth comes out."
"You'd betray Voldemort AND your father?" Hermione was incredulous.
"Betray a madman? I'd do it in a heartbeat. As for Father, he'll know Dudley's appearance is a danger to his plans. He has already told me to do anything if it comes to that. With your help, we can even have Father publically switch sides."
"How noble," Hermione sneered.
"Nobility is for fools, Granger," Draco sneered in return. "I'm talking survival. Father wants power, if not for himself, then for me. Voldemort wants control. There is a difference. Power isn't an evil thing, unless you use it that way."
"That should be Miss Granger's statement," Moody said from the doorway, his wand drawn.
"Uh, Professor," Hermione began to say.
"Don't bother," Moody told her, "You've been here too long. It's obvious what you've been talking about. Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, Miss Granger. That would cause too many problems. I'll try the Imperious Curse on you. That should make your life more interesting."
"And us?" Draco asked, trying to hid his fear.
"Killed in an illegal duel by a Gryffindor. More than you deserve, Malfoy, for the cowardly way your father betrayed his master."
Draco looked at Dudley, and the hatred showing in those green eyes, hatred he was feeling inside himself. "My Father calls no one master, and neither do I," Draco added with sudden conviction, and went to draw his wand.
"Avada Kedavra," Moody called out as he pointed his wand at Draco. Dudley acted quickly, pushing his brother out of the way, only to be engulfed by the green flare of the killing curse. He fell lifeless to the ground.