When the Hogwart's Express pulled up to the station, he saw his father almost immediately. He was extremely surprised. He had come through the barrier to meet Dudley instead of waiting by his car or on the other side.
"Well, come now Dudley. We can't keep your mother waiting too long. We've missed you terribly." Vernon said grabbing Dudley's bag and hauling it through the barrier and into the car.
On the whole way home Vernon talked about work, and life at Privet Drive. Life for his parents had been kind of lonely since he had gone away, but he said they had come to understand his decision and respect his wishes to study magic. Dudley thought it was extremely strange that his parents were changing their views on what the deemed freaks, but if they weren't going to dwell on it neither was he. His mother met him at the door and gave him a huge hug.
"My Dudley, you certainly have lost a lot of weight. You look like a stick." Petunia said staring at him, she had always disapproved of under nourished people. She liked a man with meat on his bones though she, herself, was extremely petite.
"We have a surprise for you in the morning Dudley, but you should get some rest. You must be extremely tired after that long trip." Vernon said ushering him up stairs. Dudley was tired despite his nap on the train. He went up stairs and slept all the way through the night. When he awoke in the morning he washed up and went downstairs.
"We're going to take a little trip Duddykins," his mother said in an unnaturally sweet voice. The three of them loaded into the car and headed off towards town. They pulled up in a parking lot of a large white building. There was a large electric fence going all the way around. The got out of the car and headed inside. There, Petunia went up to a receptionist who had a scowling look on her face.
"Dursleys here to see Dr. Smith." Petunia said t the woman, who in turn spoke quietly into the phone.
"Is something wrong? Is someone sick?" Dudley asked wondering why they were going to see a doctor.
"Just you wait boy. Everything will be fine." Vernon said smiling mischievously.
A man in a long white coat came out of a door and walked up to the Dursleys.
"You must be Dudley," the man said holding out his hand. Dudley took it and the man pulled him forward looking him straight in the eye. "Follow me please." He said and was off to the door he had just come from. The entered a small room. The walls were white and only a single picture hung on the wall. There were three chairs and a table like thing set in the middle of the room. "Come over here." He said motioning at the table. Dudley came over and sat on the large table. "Lie down and relax," he said, so Dudley did. Before Dudley noticed what was happening the man had fastened his arms and legs to the table with metal restraints.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?!?" Dudley yelled trying to pry himself free of the table.
"You need to get better Duddykins," Petunia said with a lump in her throat and a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"What! I'm not even sick.! Why are you doing this?" Dudley roared. The doctor came back over to him and injected a needle into his arm.
"Owh! What was.."Dudley started to ask but fell asleep almost immediately. When he woke his parents were gone and the strange doctor was sitting in a chair staring at him.
"All better?" he asked.
"No, now will someone please tell me what's going on. Let me go." Dudley said his temper rising.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Your parents brought you here to get better and you can't leave until you're cured."
"But I'm not even sick." Dudley said.
"Oh, my dear boy, you are. You are a normal kid, not some king of, let's see what did your parents call it..oh yes I remember, wizard. You are hallucinating. You are mentally unhealthy. We need to fix you up straight away."
Dudley sighed exasperatedly. He knew his parent's new outlook had been to good to be true. But what was he going to do? He needed to get out of here. But even if he managed to do that, where would he go? Well, I'll just play along then, he thought.
"Wizard. What is a wizard?" Dudley asked with a questioning look on his face.
"Ah hah, see it's working already. I knew that shot would do the trick." The doctor said excitedly. "Ok, let's try this, who are you?
"I'm Dudley Dursley. I live on Privet Drive and attend a public school with my friends." Dudley replied rolling his eyes when the doctor had turned his back to him.
"I see…My this is wonderful. Your parents will be thrilled." With that he scuttled out the door. In almost no time at all the doctor was back accompanied by his parents.
"Oh Dudley, are you feeling better?" his mother asked.
"Oh yes. Much better. Can we go home please. I really want to watch t.v. there's supposed to be a football game on tonight." Dudley said pleadingly.
"Of course," Vernon said smiling. He shook the doctor's hand as a nurse removed the restraints from Dudley. Vernon and Petunia began to talk with the doctor and thanking him for curing their son. Dudley slipped out of the door before anyone noticed. He ran through a hall and out the door that led to the reception area, and all the way outside. He waved down a taxi and headed for home. He had the taxi wait as he grabbed his trunk, wand, Luna, and Vernon's wallet that he had left on the counter. He jumped back into the cab and had the taxi drop him off at a motel not far from the train station.
"Well, come now Dudley. We can't keep your mother waiting too long. We've missed you terribly." Vernon said grabbing Dudley's bag and hauling it through the barrier and into the car.
On the whole way home Vernon talked about work, and life at Privet Drive. Life for his parents had been kind of lonely since he had gone away, but he said they had come to understand his decision and respect his wishes to study magic. Dudley thought it was extremely strange that his parents were changing their views on what the deemed freaks, but if they weren't going to dwell on it neither was he. His mother met him at the door and gave him a huge hug.
"My Dudley, you certainly have lost a lot of weight. You look like a stick." Petunia said staring at him, she had always disapproved of under nourished people. She liked a man with meat on his bones though she, herself, was extremely petite.
"We have a surprise for you in the morning Dudley, but you should get some rest. You must be extremely tired after that long trip." Vernon said ushering him up stairs. Dudley was tired despite his nap on the train. He went up stairs and slept all the way through the night. When he awoke in the morning he washed up and went downstairs.
"We're going to take a little trip Duddykins," his mother said in an unnaturally sweet voice. The three of them loaded into the car and headed off towards town. They pulled up in a parking lot of a large white building. There was a large electric fence going all the way around. The got out of the car and headed inside. There, Petunia went up to a receptionist who had a scowling look on her face.
"Dursleys here to see Dr. Smith." Petunia said t the woman, who in turn spoke quietly into the phone.
"Is something wrong? Is someone sick?" Dudley asked wondering why they were going to see a doctor.
"Just you wait boy. Everything will be fine." Vernon said smiling mischievously.
A man in a long white coat came out of a door and walked up to the Dursleys.
"You must be Dudley," the man said holding out his hand. Dudley took it and the man pulled him forward looking him straight in the eye. "Follow me please." He said and was off to the door he had just come from. The entered a small room. The walls were white and only a single picture hung on the wall. There were three chairs and a table like thing set in the middle of the room. "Come over here." He said motioning at the table. Dudley came over and sat on the large table. "Lie down and relax," he said, so Dudley did. Before Dudley noticed what was happening the man had fastened his arms and legs to the table with metal restraints.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?!?" Dudley yelled trying to pry himself free of the table.
"You need to get better Duddykins," Petunia said with a lump in her throat and a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"What! I'm not even sick.! Why are you doing this?" Dudley roared. The doctor came back over to him and injected a needle into his arm.
"Owh! What was.."Dudley started to ask but fell asleep almost immediately. When he woke his parents were gone and the strange doctor was sitting in a chair staring at him.
"All better?" he asked.
"No, now will someone please tell me what's going on. Let me go." Dudley said his temper rising.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Your parents brought you here to get better and you can't leave until you're cured."
"But I'm not even sick." Dudley said.
"Oh, my dear boy, you are. You are a normal kid, not some king of, let's see what did your parents call it..oh yes I remember, wizard. You are hallucinating. You are mentally unhealthy. We need to fix you up straight away."
Dudley sighed exasperatedly. He knew his parent's new outlook had been to good to be true. But what was he going to do? He needed to get out of here. But even if he managed to do that, where would he go? Well, I'll just play along then, he thought.
"Wizard. What is a wizard?" Dudley asked with a questioning look on his face.
"Ah hah, see it's working already. I knew that shot would do the trick." The doctor said excitedly. "Ok, let's try this, who are you?
"I'm Dudley Dursley. I live on Privet Drive and attend a public school with my friends." Dudley replied rolling his eyes when the doctor had turned his back to him.
"I see…My this is wonderful. Your parents will be thrilled." With that he scuttled out the door. In almost no time at all the doctor was back accompanied by his parents.
"Oh Dudley, are you feeling better?" his mother asked.
"Oh yes. Much better. Can we go home please. I really want to watch t.v. there's supposed to be a football game on tonight." Dudley said pleadingly.
"Of course," Vernon said smiling. He shook the doctor's hand as a nurse removed the restraints from Dudley. Vernon and Petunia began to talk with the doctor and thanking him for curing their son. Dudley slipped out of the door before anyone noticed. He ran through a hall and out the door that led to the reception area, and all the way outside. He waved down a taxi and headed for home. He had the taxi wait as he grabbed his trunk, wand, Luna, and Vernon's wallet that he had left on the counter. He jumped back into the cab and had the taxi drop him off at a motel not far from the train station.