A/N: Anyone else noticed ff.net having issues lately? Any ideas why? I just hope people will be able to read this. Disclaimer from chapter one still applies. Discontinue use of fanfiction if signs of irritation or rash appear. If irritation or rash persists, consult a dermatologist.

Dudley, Vernon, and Petunia pored over the papers from the doctor and the pharmacy that evening. They learned that Dudley had Type 2 diabetes, which could be helped vastly by weight loss and exercise, even to the point where he might be able to stop taking pills, at least for a while. They learned how to record his blood sugars, and what the various tests the doctors had given him meant. They learned that he could, as Harry had said, have bread and potatoes and even table sugar, but he had to be careful how much. And they learned the warning signs of low blood sugar, and how to treat it. It wasn't really as bad as Dudley had expected it to be. His mother did coo over him, and his father did make stupid jokes, but thanks to Harry's earlier instruction, Dudley knew a couple things they didn't, and he felt a little proud of it. And later on his mother made plain popcorn and lemonade with artificial sweetener, and they all shared it. His father made funny faces when he drank the lemonade and complained about the aftertaste. Then they both promised him they would pay for him to see a dietician and even hire a personal trainer for him if he wanted, to help him exercise properly. He didn't really want either of these things, but he supposed they might come in handy in the long run, so he just nodded in acceptance.

His father didn't apologize for shouting at him, and he didn't apologize to his father for throwing the teacup. But they both made a silent, mutual agreement to forget about it for now and deal with more pressing matters.

So all in all, it was rather nice, but weird. Dudley had always been able to get any material thing he wanted, but he usually didn't see so much of his parents. His father had work, and his mother had her housework and her reading and her constant observation of the neighbors, and Dudley had normally been more than happy to watch television or play computer games by himself. When they finished the popcorn, Dudley took the bowl to the kitchen and noticed the time. He thought about it a moment and figured out it was the longest they'd ever spent together talking about anything.

He passed Harry's door on the way up to bed. It was closed, and gave no indication of what might be going on on the other side. Dudley wondered what his cousin was doing. Homework? Sleeping? Reading? Writing to his friends? He wondered how he was feeling. Because in spite of his parents' best efforts, Dudley was feeling lost and confused and hurt, and it would be less lonely if someone else felt the same way. He felt as though he had had something taken away from him before he'd had a chance to really look at it properly, and it might have been more valuable than he'd thought. He almost knocked on Harry's door. He got as close as raising his hand, but something stopped him. He pressed his ear to the wood instead, but he couldn't hear anything. So he gave up and went to bed thinking maybe, maybe in the morning he could talk to his cousin and try to fix things again. As he fell asleep, he realized he wanted Harry to be his friend. And Dudley was a spoiled boy; he wasn't used to being denied anything he wanted.

He slept deeply, worn out by the day's activity. But something woke him in the middle of the night. He wasn't sure at first what it was, but then he heard the breathing.

It sounded as though it was coming from his doorway; shallow, rapid breaths, like someone hyperventilating, or trying not to. Almost a sobbing sound, rhythmic and relentless. In the dark it gave him chills. He cowered under his blanket for a moment, trembling, then he heard a small, thin voice by the door. "Let it have drowned," it was barely above a whisper, but even at that it managed to crack and break and quiver like a child's, "Please…please let it be dead…" A desperate prayer to any god that might be listening.

It was Harry's voice.

Dudley sat up and reached for his bedside lamp, clicking it on and staring over at his cousin. Harry stood trembling in the doorway. His eyes were open wide, but they didn't seem to be seeing much of anything. With one hand, he was clutching his arm near the elbow. In the other hand was a small, straight stick that Dudley had only seen once before. But he knew what it was; a wizard's wand.

"Harry?" Dudley said quietly, "What are you doing?" He didn't like it that his cousin was carrying his wand. He didn't think Harry would hurt him normally, but then Harry was not acting normal.

The smaller boy did not answer, his breath still coming in short, whistling gasps.

Dudley wrung the blankets anxiously. He thought he might know what was happening now. When Harry was very young, he used to sleepwalk. Every week for several months, Petunia would get up to find the little dark-haired boy in the bathtub, or on the kitchen floor, or under the coffee table. Dudley remembered one time he had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom only to find his cousin sitting, glassy-eyed, in the hall. Thoroughly unsettled, he had fetched his parents, and they had shaken Harry awake and put him back to bed. The next day Petunia had had Vernon install the lock on the cupboard door. This kept Harry's night wanderings to a minimum.

Dudley had since learned that it was dangerous to wake a sleepwalker; he might take you for part of his dream and lash out at you. And Harry had his wand. So Dudley didn't dare move. He just sat still and watched his cousin gasp for air.

Then Harry collapsed abruptly, dropping his wand, and thrashing about as if in unimaginable agony. Dudley gasped and started out of bed, moving closer, but not daring to actually touch his cousin. Harry's head jerked back in a silent scream, his face contorted. Dudley dropped heavily to his knees next to him. What was wrong?? Was Harry having some kind of seizure? What should he do? He bit his lip so hard it hurt, reaching out to his cousin hesitantly.

And suddenly it was over, and Harry was limp, gasping like a landed fish.

Dudley cursed softly, "Harry…? Harry??"

Green eyes drifted half-open lethargically, looking up at Dudley, but they were still glassy and unseeing. The young wizard was not awake yet. Harry reached for his wand, clutching at it, white-knuckled, his thin face taking on a hunted expression. Dudley cowered, terrified, certain his parents would find him scattered all over the room in small pieces the next morning. But instead of blasting him, Harry stood and bowed, slowly and painfully, as if something were horribly wrong with his back. Dudley tried to creep out of wand range, but then Harry fell down again, a faint, strangled wail escaping his throat. He made no other sound as he writhed in anguish.

Dudley scrambled over again. Harry's face looked all wrong and twisted, white as salt and wrinkled like an old man's. There were flecks of foam at the corners of his mouth. It was the scariest thing Dudley had ever seen. He couldn't just watch, he couldn't! He'd get his Dad--no, what if Harry was just having a nightmare? Then his father would be angry and punish Harry. Dudley whimpered, desperately worried. He would grab the wand away! That was it, just grab the wand and then try and wake his cousin…and if Harry wouldn't wake, then he could get his dad or call an ambulance or whatever it took. But Harry was curled in a fetal position now, the wand hidden in the crook of his body, and Dudley didn't think he could get it without waking him first.

Abruptly, Harry went limp again, but only for a split second. Almost immediately, he rolled over and scrambled to his feet. Dudley was ready this time, though. He moved behind his computer desk, watching for an opening. His own breathing was quick, now, and his heart was fluttering like a bird's. Harry staggered, swayed back into the wall, then stumbled forward as if he had been pushed. Dudley saw his opening, and did what was probably the bravest thing he'd ever done in his life. He rushed forward and grabbed Harry's wand hand by the wrist, pushing it up so it pointed well away from him. Flashing back briefly to when he bullied his cousin in grade school, he pushed forward until his side pinned Harry to the wall, then tried to pluck the wand from his hand. Harry's unseeing eyes went wide. "Expelliarmus!" He gasped.

A shower of red sparks erupted from the tip of the wand, and Dudley leaped back, tripped over a pile of clothes on the floor, and fell on his rear, covering his head with his hands in case the ceiling was about to cave in. When nothing happened, he looked up cautiously. The light fixture was quivering slightly with the impact of the sparks, but no other sign of the spell could be seen. Harry was standing still, both hands clutching his wand as if his life depended on it.

In his parents' room, his father's snoring stopped with a snort, then started up again. There was no other noise in the house. Dudley couldn't believe the spell hadn't woken his parents. Harry was silent and still now, but his arms and legs were quivering, and tears were starting down his cheeks.

"Harry? Harry!" Dudley whispered, "It's just a dream…Please wake up!"

When he got no response, he stood again and carefully took hold of the wand, trying to ease it out of his cousin's hands. Harry's grip was viselike. Dudley hadn't expected him to be so strong. He struggled a moment, then let go, afraid of what might happen if the wand broke. Harry's face was twisting up again, and Dudley was afraid he was about to have another seizure, or maybe cast another spell. He backed warily into the corner of his room, trying to decide what to do now. He just barely heard Harry as he mumbled painfully, "Yes…I will…"

"What…?" Dudley asked. Was Harry talking to him?

"NOW!" shouted his cousin, jerking the wand up and leaping forward, running straight toward Dudley.

Dudley yelped and cowered, but Harry pointed his wand behind him as he shouted, "Impedimenta!" Sparks flew, but the spell only knocked a few things off Dudley's shelves.

Then Harry was dropping to the floor next to Dudley and grabbing his wrist so hard it hurt. Dudley tried to pull away, but his cousin held on, pointing his wand away from them and crying, "Accio!"

To Dudley's horror, the spell hit the monitor of his computer, which immediately sprang into the air, then flew directly at them.

"AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!" Dudley shrieked, diving out of the monitor's path. Harry was dragged after him, thanks to his death-grip on Dudley's wrist. The monitor hit the bedroom wall with a deafening crash. Plastic and glass flew everywhere. A couple fragments struck the boys, leaving tiny cuts.

And then several things happened at once. Harry, awake at last, released Dudley's wrist and sat up, wild-eyed and shaking. The wand dropped from his hand to the floor. And shouts and footsteps came running down the hall.

"Dudley! Duddykins! Are you okay??" Petunia shrieked.

"What the hell is going on!?" Vernon roared.

Dudley took one glance at his cousin's face. It was colorless and drawn with fear; Harry looked as if he were expecting to be killed any second. Without knowing quite why he was doing it, Dudley leaped up and kicked Harry's wand under his bed, then grabbed the nearest heavy object off his nightstand; his radio.

"I said GET OUT OF MY ROOM, you GIT!" he bellowed at Harry, raising the radio over his head as if to throw it. Harry cringed against the side of the bed.

"Duddy!" Petunia gasped as she and Vernon appeared in the doorway, "What are you doing??"

"Oh, God," Vernon looked at the remains of the monitor with dismay.

"MAKE HIM GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Dudley howled. No one could throw a temper tantrum like Dudley.

"What are you doing in here, boy?!" demanded Vernon.

Harry sputtered wordlessly, frightened and bewildered.

"I DON'T CARE what he's DOING!" Dudley's arms were already getting tired from holding up the radio. "MAKE him go BACK to HIS ROOM!"

Vernon rushed in, grabbed Harry, and hoisted him like a sack of potatoes. He carried him down the hall and deposited him brusquely on the floor of his own room, then hurried back to help his wife calm Dudley, who was now sobbing incoherently about Harry sleepwalking and being creepy.

"It's all right, poppet, he's gone," Petunia whimpered, trying to take the radio out of his hands.

Dudley relinquished it gratefully.

"Oh, God," Vernon repeated, staring at the pile of broken glass. "Did you have to throw that at him? That was an expensive monitor!"

"It was only 15 inches. I wanted a new one anyway," Dudley grumbled.

Petunia made him sit on the bed and patted him anxiously, as Vernon continued to mourn the expensive computer equipment. Neither of them paid any more mind to Harry or what he might have been doing in his cousin's room. After a few moments, the door of Harry's room closed quietly.

It was at least an hour before Dudley was left alone. Vernon went back to bed after a few minutes, grumbling about the broken computer and being woken at ungodly hours, but Petunia cleaned up the remains of the monitor and brought her son some warm milk to help him get back to sleep. She stayed with him until he finished the last drop. This made Dudley nervous. He was afraid she would see Harry's wand under the bed and put two and two together. But she was sleepy, and focused completely on him, so the wand remained hidden. Finally he was forced to feign sleep to get her to leave.

He waited another half-hour, until he heard his father's loud snoring start up again. Then he slipped quietly out of bed and gingerly retrieved the wand, crossing the hall to Harry's room on tiptoe. He tried the door first, but it was still locked. So he took a deep breath and knocked gently.

"It's me. Dudley. Open up," he whispered.

There was silence for a long moment, then an unsteady voice answered, "Please go away."

"I've got your wand."

There was a moment of silence, then the door was unlocked and opened a crack. Harry stared out at him dispassionately. His eyes were puffy and red.

Dudley held out the wand.

"How…?" asked his cousin.

"You left it in my room. Are you okay?"

Harry looked confused. "I…"

"You look awful," Dudley told him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. But I couldn't think of what else to do. If Mum and Dad knew you'd done magic in my room, they'd have killed you."

Harry's eyes widened, but he said nothing.

"Um…so…here's your wand back. *Are* you okay? You looked like…like you were having some kind of nightmare…only worse." He bit his lip.

Harry vanished from the doorway.

"Harry…?" Dudley called in a low voice, "Harry?"

When he got no answer, he pushed the door wider open and went in. Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. There was a sheet of parchment on the floor by his feet. Dudley pushed the door closed quietly and set Harry's wand gently on a shelf without taking his eyes off his cousin. The smaller boy's shoulders were shaking, as if he were trying not to cry.

Dudley sat on the floor near Harry and looked around the room. The first thing he noticed was the empty cage. "Where'd your owl go?" he asked.

"I sent her away," Harry said thickly. "My friend Ron's got her."

"Oh…" He was silent a moment, then asked, "Um…D'you want to talk about it?"

Harry glanced up with a funny look on his face. "What?"

"About your nightmare or whatever. Whenever I had a nightmare when I was little, Mum always used to give me sweets and have me talk about it until I fell asleep again."

"I don't think I'll be getting anymore sleep tonight." Harry said dully.

Dudley looked at the floor. "I don't have any sweets to give you. Mum cleaned out my stash."

"Not hungry, anyway," Harry sounded like he wasn't entirely paying attention to what Dudley was saying.

There was silence for several moments, then Dudley offered, "I won't tell anyone, ever. I don't care if you think I'm not a nice person. I mean, I know I've done nasty things to you…But I *can* keep secrets. I can keep secrets *very* well."

Harry looked over at him with a faint frown.

"I kept all Piers' secrets," he said, "and I'd tell you what they were, but then you wouldn't believe me about being good at it." Most of Piers' secrets were nothing to write home about; they involved crushes on girls, cheating on tests, and pranks played on various teachers. But once he had told Dudley how his mother's boyfriend got drunk and screamed at her, and Piers was afraid maybe he hit her sometimes. He'd made Dudley swear on his life he wouldn't tell. And he never did. Piers had looked sick when he told Dudley this, paler than usual and drawn with worry. Dudley hadn't really known what to say, other than to try and talk him into a game of Doom to get his mind off his worry.

Right now Harry looked a lot sicker than Piers had. So Dudley was pretty sure whatever secret Harry had was worse.

"It was scary," he added in a low voice, "you rolled around on the floor like you were dying or something…"

Harry slid off the bed and onto the carpet abruptly, falling into a cross-legged position next to his cousin. "I'm okay now, Dudley. I was the lucky one."

Dudley held his breath, waiting for more.

"See, what you have to understand, Dudley, is wizards aren't all nice people…I mean, I know Hagrid and Fred and George did things that scared you, but they weren't really trying to be cruel. So imagine…imagine all that power…and the person who has it is…"

"Evil?" Dudley suggested softly.

Harry let out his breath in a long sigh, "Yeah. Exactly. There's a dark wizard who calls himself Voldemort…oh, this is hard to explain." He scowled a moment, then shoved back his bangs, showing the scar on his forehead. "This didn't come from a car accident. When I was little, Voldemort was taking over the wizarding world. He did horrible things to wizards and Muggles alike…killed them and tortured them. Some people stood up to him, and my parents were two of them. So he came to kill them. That's how they died. But I lived, because my mum died protecting me."

Dudley's eyes got bigger and bigger during this speech. "That's what Mum meant when she said Aunt Lily got herself blown up?? I thought she meant they were doing spells and made a mistake or something!"

Harry glared, "My parents were very good wizards; they wouldn't have done anything that stupid!"

Dudley winced, "I'm sorry, I just didn't know!"

Harry frowned at him a moment, then relaxed again, mollified. "Anyway, Voldemort wasn't able to kill me, and the spell rebounded on him. He became like a really weak ghost, and he's been that way for thirteen years. Until just a few weeks ago."

Harry rested his forehead on his knees. "And it's my fault, really, because I saved the life of the person who helped bring him back. But that's a long story, too."

Dudley was confused, but he nodded anyway. "So then…this Voldemort person…he came back and tried to kill you again?"

Harry nodded miserably. "He's come back to his full power. I was sort of…abducted from Hogwarts, with another boy. One of Voldemort's followers took some of my blood to resurrect him."

Dudley gasped as Harry exposed the inside of his arm. There was a black, angry mark there, somewhere between a scar and a bruise.

"It's been weeks and it hasn't healed. I'm not sure it ever will." Harry said tonelessly, regarding the scar without emotion. "But it's just as well. I deserve it."

"You don't," said Dudley firmly, surprising himself.

Harry blinked at him, then shook his head, "You really don't know me, Dudley. But whatever." He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. "The boy who was kidnapped with me…he died."

Dudley shivered. "They killed him?"

Harry nodded. "I should have stopped it. I should have been able to."

"But they hurt you," Dudley said, comprehension dawning on his face, "when you were sleepwalking, you were writhing around…"

His cousin nodded again, detached. "It's called the Cruciatus Curse. It's illegal. It was probably the worst *physical* pain I've ever felt."

Dudley stared wordlessly.

"That was during the duel. Voldemort made me duel with him. Playing with me. Which wasn't his brightest move ever, I guess, because if he'd just killed me straight off…well, I'd be dead," he finished lamely.

"How'd you get away?" Dudley was breathless now. This was the most exciting, and yet the most horrible thing he'd ever heard. And it had happened to his little cousin. It felt sort of surreal.

"Luck. Something about our wands. I'd explain, but it's complicated and you don't know anything about wands to begin with."

Dudley glanced up at the shelf where Harry's wand lay, then back at the smaller boy, "But Harry--wait--if you got away…Voldemort didn't die again, did he? He's still out there somewhere?"

"Yes, he's still alive."

"But then he might come after you again!" Dudley's eyes bulged, "He might come here to get you!"

"Don't think I haven't thought of that," Harry rolled his eyes, unaffected by his cousin's near-panic. "Dumbledore sent me here for a reason. There's some kind of protection here."

"Magic protection? Wards, like you said before?" Dudley looked around as if expecting to see sparkles in the air.

"Must be. He wouldn't endanger you and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, anyway. He could have just kept me at Hogwarts. So there must be something here protecting us, whether it's wards or something else."

"But he doesn't even know us…"

"He wouldn't endanger…anyone…unnecessarily…" Harry's voice trailed off as a nasty little doubt at the back of his mind whispered, Oh, wouldn't he? Isn't that just what the Triwizard Tournament did?

Dudley did not feel reassured. "You're sure?"

Harry said nothing for a moment, then replied harshly, "Of course I'm sure."

"Oh." Dudley said nothing for a moment, then almost whispered, "Harry? I'm really sorry."

"What for now?" the dark-haired boy asked dryly.

"Not apology sorry, the other kind of sorry," he elaborated. "Because it sounds scary. If it were me…I mean, even if I'd lived…I'd be hiding under the bed."

Harry looked sideways at him, then gave him a wry smile.

"Can you write to me when you go back to school? I mean, I know you don't want to be friends, but I never wanted you to die, and I'll worry now."

A very strange look came over Harry's face.

Unnerved, Dudley added quickly, "You can send it by owl if you have to. I don't mind them." Which wasn't entirely true; he'd been afraid of Hedwig biting him since the summer they turned twelve.

Harry began to laugh, very softly at first, then louder. He snatched a pillow from the bed and buried his face in it as his giggles turned hysterical. Dudley started to edge away, nervous, then thought better of it and touched his cousin on the shoulder. "Harry?? What's the matter?"

Harry snatched up the parchment on the floor beside him and shoved it into Dudley's hand, his face still buried in the pillow.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that no less than three spells were used at your place of residence this morning: a Disarming Hex at ten minutes to two, an Impediment Curse at five minutes after two, and a Summoning Spell at six minutes after two.

You have already received a warning this summer. We must reiterate to you that underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school. As per the guidelines set out in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (1875, Paragraph D), you are as of now suspended from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry pending an investigation into this matter.

You will receive, by owl, information regarding your expulsion hearing within the next two days. A faculty member of your school will be sent to confiscate your wand until the hearing commences.

In addition, a representative from this office will contact you regarding your offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, i.e. performing magic in a situation where the effects may be noticed by members of the non-magical community (Muggles). We recommend that you obtain some form of counsel.

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

"But you were asleep!" Dudley exclaimed, "That's not fair!!"

Harry raised his head at last, rubbing tears of mixed mirth and misery out of his eyes. "Tell that to the Ministry of Magic."

A/N: Okay, here's where I get stuck. ::Ducks as heavy objects are thrown at her:: I'm sorry! I'm just not entirely sure where to go with the plot from here. I have ideas I want to work in, but no clever way for Harry to weasel out of the trouble he's just gotten into. Like I mentioned before, I'm sort of letting the plot flow on its own through logical cause and effect for this story, rather than working out the whole shape of it ahead of time, like I've done with Little Gidding. I'm in the brainstorming stage for the next chapter now. So if anyone has any ideas, feel free to include them in reviews or post them on my livejournal, the URL of which can be found on my bio page. I'd put my email address up here, too, but I'm afraid of spam. I can't remember if it's on my bio page or not.

The other thing I'd love to see is suggestions for improvements I could make in my writing style.

Thanks to all who reviewed, and extra thanks to those of you who've kept coming back for multiple chapters. This is all so very good for my self-esteem. ;-)

Reader: One thing I always try to do in both original and fanfiction is make sure the characters seem real and human. I think it's a habit from all the free-form roleplay I participate in. Anyway, the more realistic the characters, the more realistic their interaction. I'm glad you feel I'm succeeding. ^_^

Shichan Goddess: Heheheh, exactly. Dudley's relationship with Harry would never improve if he never felt guilty enough to make efforts to make up for his own behavior. Harry does the angst-thing so well, doesn't he? Honestly, though, I think it's a wonder he's not more messed-up than he is. The Petunia thing just clicked, and I'm very pleased with it. I'm thinking of writing a Petunia and Lily ficlet now. Btw, you get extra cool points for reviewing both chapters. ;-)

Kateri: Don't worry, Dudley and Harry will get a chance to kiss and make up. Only without the kissing part, because that's a disturbing mental image. ;-)

Ozma: You get cool points for leaving two reviews, also. ^_^ Poor Petunia can't stand the thought of her baby being poked with needles. Rey thought her reactions were particularly amusing in Chapter 6. I'm not sure where the unicorns bit with Petunia came from…I guess since I grew up reading and loving fantasy it occurred to me how bitter I'd be if I knew for certain of a place where unicorns lived and I couldn't go to them. Having all these marvelous things hidden from you because of a lack of a certain talent seems awfully unfair, even though being open about the magical world has potential for problems as well. I read this really interesting editorial a while back, called 'In Defense of Muggles' or something like that. Oooh, I wish I had saved it, it was really well-written and probably at least partially the impetus for this story. I'll have to check the local library for it. As for Harry…boy, I hope he doesn't wind up as scarred by his experiences as Frodo. The comparison is rather apt, though, isn't it?

Moon Kitten, Koneko-chan: ::observes the chaos:: My, my. I dunno, there's so much bad blood between Harry and the Dursleys, any kind of amicable relationship will be difficult. I think Vernon's the one I'm fighting with the most, because I have yet to formulate a reason for his behavior other than general jerkishness. But don't worry, I'll find something…

Npetrenko: Thank you. I hope this was soon enough.

OO WTH: Hmmm…well, Dudley's definitely not a Ravenclaw. I don't think he's dumb, but academics do not appear to be his forte. I'd hesitate to put him in Hufflepuff, myself, because they're described as hardworking, which Dudley, having been spoiled all his life, ain't. I lean towards Slytherin for Dudley. He may not be terribly ambitious, but he can be cunning in the sense of being able to manipulate people around him into doing what he wants, like hugging his Aunt Marge with the knowledge he'll be paid for it. I'd like to think Dudley has enough guts for Gryffindor, but the books don't really bear that out yet. Yes, Harry does have some resources, which he is wisely not going to mention to his aunt and uncle. ;-)

Wishweaver: Thank you!

Crystalclear8050: Um…just pretend you're taking O.W.L.s? I took AP classes in high school, but I was too emotionally messed up at the time to take the tests. I actually got into the room where they were giving the AP American History test and then totally lost it, crying and everything. I had to leave. Wait, this isn't encouraging, is it? I'll shut up now, sorry. I think Dudley's about to meet a lot of folks from the wizarding world. Ron's high on my list, as is Sirius.

Smitha-r: Did I really? *beams* I like plot twists, but I'm not always so good at producing them. I just hope I can believably squirm my way out of the latest one.

Kateydidn't: Thank you!

Erin Malfoy: Not a problem, I was only confused for a few minutes. ^_~ I think Harry's rent money may end up paying for Dudley's personal trainer. ^_^;;;

Queen Li: Sorry! I'm trying to lighten the mood in the upcoming chapters, inasmuch as I can with Dudley being ill and Harry being suspended. Maybe I'd better bring Ron into it, he gets all the funny lines in the movies.

Katriana: *blush* Thank you! It's wicked, even? LOL, glad you approve. I'm afraid there may be a lull before the next update, but I'll try and pick up the pace if I can.

Quoth the Raven: I wasn't sure whether to leave a comment on your LJ or not…oh, well, you found the update in the end. I'm not satisfied with Vernon yet, but I'm pleased with the way I've been able to get into Dudley and Petunia. The trouble now is the action is moving into the wizarding world by necessity, but I don't want to move away from the focus on the Dursleys. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

Shadowycat: I think if I were in Petunia's position, I'd have ended up quite bitter myself, angry at the wizards paternalistically withholding the truth about magic and supernatural creatures. I wouldn't take it out on a child, though, at least I hope not. Harry *thinks* he's completely given up, but Dudley's not going to let him get away with that, particularly not now that he knows his life is in danger. Thank you for the compliments! I always appreciate your nice, lengthy reviews. ^_^