Chapter 30: The end of the Dursley's
Inside the house at number 4 Privet Drive, Vernon and Marge Dursley were preparing the house for Petunia's return. They were going to pick her up from the hospital this afternoon. "Vernon, why isn't Dudders here to see his mother come home?" Marge asked, straightening the pillows on the sofa.
"The Headmaster at Smeltings wouldn't allow him to leave, he was just home for Christmas break. Said that Dudley's grades weren't good enough for him to miss any time," he answered.
"I don't believe that, Dudders is a brilliant boy. How could his grades not be good enough?" she asked. "Well, he'll be home before long. I'm sure that Petunia would like to get settled in before she sees him."
"I spoke to Dudley, he was very happy that his mother was coming home today," Vernon told her. "He said that he would talk to the Headmaster about calling her when she got here."
"I'm sure that she would appreciate that," she answered as they walked toward the door. "The next time this door opens, Petunia will be back home where she belongs."
*******************
A crowd was gathered outside the hospital. Doctors and nurses were working, desperately trying to revive the three bodies lying on the ground. Two of the doctors stopped to watch the third trying to revive the thin woman that had been released from the hospital only a short time before. Standing in the back of the crowd, two aurors were watching. They were waiting for contact from Albus Dumbledore, and for the ministry to arrive and modify the memories of all of the muggles that had witnessed the attack. Death Eaters had killed Vernon, Marge and Petunia Dursley as they had exited the hospital. With a pop, ministry officials appeared and began the process of obliviating the many muggle witnesses. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks nodded to Arthur Weasley and disapperated from the area.
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office, trying to compose a letter to Harry, explaining what had happened and asking what should be done about his cousin. Dudley Dursley had been left an orphan, with Harry as him only living relative. Harry had to decide what he was going to do about his cousin. Albus opened the book that was sitting on the edge of his desk, there, under the muggleborn wizards and witches' listing was Dudley Dursley's name. When he had first seen the entry, he had contacted James and Lily Potter. Lily had contacted her sister, Petunia had refused to believe that Dudley was a wizard, and had told Lily to keep those 'freaks' away from her Dudley. Maybe now was the time for him to approach the only remaining Dursley, and invite him to Hogwarts, after he had talked to Harry.
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Dudley Dursley sat in his dorm room, in shock. His parents and Aunt Marge had died. They were leaving the hospital and were struck by an out of control truck, Potter was the only family he had left. One of those freaks had been here to visit him, she had said that she was a Professor from that freak school that Potter attended. She told him that Harry was unreachable right now, but as soon as they were able to contact him that she was sure that he would come to see him. Dudley wasn't sure that he wanted to see his freak of a cousin. He lay back on his bed and thought about what it would be like to live alone.
He woke with a start, looking around his room and hoping that it had all been a terrible nightmare. What he saw shocked him, sitting in a chair next to his bed was the oldest man he had ever seen. He had long white hair and a long beard, his blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses. "Ah, Mr. Dursley, I am happy to see that you have finally woke up," Albus Dumbledore told him. "It took me hours to figure out what was to be done with you."
"Wh- Who are you?" Dudley stuttered.
Dumbledore smiled, "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. I am here to escort you to the school."
"Why am I going there, I don't want to be surrounded by those freaks," he shouted.
"Calm down, Mr. Dursley. You will be joining Harry Potter and his classmates, just like you were supposed to. Your parents were informed that you were on the list to attend Hogwarts when you were only a few months old. They refused, so now I am here to give you a chance to accept, and to learn to become a wizard."
Dudley's eyes bulged, "You mean that I'm a wi- wizard?"
Albus laughed, "Yes, you are a wizard. And if you choose to attend, you will be trained. I will take you to Diagon Alley and we will collect your supplies, and you will begin classes tomorrow." He paused and looked at the boy, "That is, if you would like to attend."
Dudley scratched his head, "I don't know. My parents told me that they were freaks," he complained.
Dumbledore waved his wand and a bag of sweets appeared on the bed next to Dudley, "Have you ever spoken to Harry about our world?" he asked. "I'm sure that he would have told you about all of the wonders that he has seen. I have spoken to the family that Harry stays with, and they have agreed to stay with them during the summer." He opened the bag and handed a chocolate frog to Dudley. "Make sure you don't let it get away."
Dudley opened the candy, "Is it a real frog?" he asked.
Dumbledore laughed, "No, it's just a spell. It's just a chocolate shaped like a frog."
Dudley stuffed the confection into his mouth, "If I came with you, where would I stay during the school year? With Harry?" he asked as he chewed.
"It would depend on what house you were sorted into. There are four houses," he began to explain about Hogwarts houses and how Dudley would make up for five years of lost education.
********************
"Hufflepuff," the hat shouted. Minerva McGonagall removed the hat from the large boy's head and placed it on its shelf.
"Dudley Dursley, this is Professor Sprout, she will be your head of house while you are here at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore told him. "She will show you to your house common room and then she will escort you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will examine you and give you some potions to take care of any illnesses that you have and discuss how you are going to take care of that extra weight."
"Okay Professor," he paused and looked at the wise old wizard. "Have you told Harry that I'm here?"
Professor Dumbledore laughed, "Mr. Potter has been told the whole story, and he said that he will speak to you when he returns. The ministry has taken care of your parent's money, it is currently residing in a vault at Gringotts. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have been appointed as your guardians, and as such, will be in full control of your money until you have reached your sixth year here. As a wizard, you would reach your majority at seventeen, but you have to make up the first five years of school before you will be considered an adult here in the wizarding world. After you see Madam Pomfrey, go and see Professor McGonagall, she will explain how you are to make up those classes."
Professor Sprout led the young man to the common room and showed him to his dorm. Then she took him to the hospital wing and waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish with him, and finally escorted him to see Minerva.
Inside the house at number 4 Privet Drive, Vernon and Marge Dursley were preparing the house for Petunia's return. They were going to pick her up from the hospital this afternoon. "Vernon, why isn't Dudders here to see his mother come home?" Marge asked, straightening the pillows on the sofa.
"The Headmaster at Smeltings wouldn't allow him to leave, he was just home for Christmas break. Said that Dudley's grades weren't good enough for him to miss any time," he answered.
"I don't believe that, Dudders is a brilliant boy. How could his grades not be good enough?" she asked. "Well, he'll be home before long. I'm sure that Petunia would like to get settled in before she sees him."
"I spoke to Dudley, he was very happy that his mother was coming home today," Vernon told her. "He said that he would talk to the Headmaster about calling her when she got here."
"I'm sure that she would appreciate that," she answered as they walked toward the door. "The next time this door opens, Petunia will be back home where she belongs."
*******************
A crowd was gathered outside the hospital. Doctors and nurses were working, desperately trying to revive the three bodies lying on the ground. Two of the doctors stopped to watch the third trying to revive the thin woman that had been released from the hospital only a short time before. Standing in the back of the crowd, two aurors were watching. They were waiting for contact from Albus Dumbledore, and for the ministry to arrive and modify the memories of all of the muggles that had witnessed the attack. Death Eaters had killed Vernon, Marge and Petunia Dursley as they had exited the hospital. With a pop, ministry officials appeared and began the process of obliviating the many muggle witnesses. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks nodded to Arthur Weasley and disapperated from the area.
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office, trying to compose a letter to Harry, explaining what had happened and asking what should be done about his cousin. Dudley Dursley had been left an orphan, with Harry as him only living relative. Harry had to decide what he was going to do about his cousin. Albus opened the book that was sitting on the edge of his desk, there, under the muggleborn wizards and witches' listing was Dudley Dursley's name. When he had first seen the entry, he had contacted James and Lily Potter. Lily had contacted her sister, Petunia had refused to believe that Dudley was a wizard, and had told Lily to keep those 'freaks' away from her Dudley. Maybe now was the time for him to approach the only remaining Dursley, and invite him to Hogwarts, after he had talked to Harry.
************************
Dudley Dursley sat in his dorm room, in shock. His parents and Aunt Marge had died. They were leaving the hospital and were struck by an out of control truck, Potter was the only family he had left. One of those freaks had been here to visit him, she had said that she was a Professor from that freak school that Potter attended. She told him that Harry was unreachable right now, but as soon as they were able to contact him that she was sure that he would come to see him. Dudley wasn't sure that he wanted to see his freak of a cousin. He lay back on his bed and thought about what it would be like to live alone.
He woke with a start, looking around his room and hoping that it had all been a terrible nightmare. What he saw shocked him, sitting in a chair next to his bed was the oldest man he had ever seen. He had long white hair and a long beard, his blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses. "Ah, Mr. Dursley, I am happy to see that you have finally woke up," Albus Dumbledore told him. "It took me hours to figure out what was to be done with you."
"Wh- Who are you?" Dudley stuttered.
Dumbledore smiled, "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. I am here to escort you to the school."
"Why am I going there, I don't want to be surrounded by those freaks," he shouted.
"Calm down, Mr. Dursley. You will be joining Harry Potter and his classmates, just like you were supposed to. Your parents were informed that you were on the list to attend Hogwarts when you were only a few months old. They refused, so now I am here to give you a chance to accept, and to learn to become a wizard."
Dudley's eyes bulged, "You mean that I'm a wi- wizard?"
Albus laughed, "Yes, you are a wizard. And if you choose to attend, you will be trained. I will take you to Diagon Alley and we will collect your supplies, and you will begin classes tomorrow." He paused and looked at the boy, "That is, if you would like to attend."
Dudley scratched his head, "I don't know. My parents told me that they were freaks," he complained.
Dumbledore waved his wand and a bag of sweets appeared on the bed next to Dudley, "Have you ever spoken to Harry about our world?" he asked. "I'm sure that he would have told you about all of the wonders that he has seen. I have spoken to the family that Harry stays with, and they have agreed to stay with them during the summer." He opened the bag and handed a chocolate frog to Dudley. "Make sure you don't let it get away."
Dudley opened the candy, "Is it a real frog?" he asked.
Dumbledore laughed, "No, it's just a spell. It's just a chocolate shaped like a frog."
Dudley stuffed the confection into his mouth, "If I came with you, where would I stay during the school year? With Harry?" he asked as he chewed.
"It would depend on what house you were sorted into. There are four houses," he began to explain about Hogwarts houses and how Dudley would make up for five years of lost education.
********************
"Hufflepuff," the hat shouted. Minerva McGonagall removed the hat from the large boy's head and placed it on its shelf.
"Dudley Dursley, this is Professor Sprout, she will be your head of house while you are here at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore told him. "She will show you to your house common room and then she will escort you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will examine you and give you some potions to take care of any illnesses that you have and discuss how you are going to take care of that extra weight."
"Okay Professor," he paused and looked at the wise old wizard. "Have you told Harry that I'm here?"
Professor Dumbledore laughed, "Mr. Potter has been told the whole story, and he said that he will speak to you when he returns. The ministry has taken care of your parent's money, it is currently residing in a vault at Gringotts. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have been appointed as your guardians, and as such, will be in full control of your money until you have reached your sixth year here. As a wizard, you would reach your majority at seventeen, but you have to make up the first five years of school before you will be considered an adult here in the wizarding world. After you see Madam Pomfrey, go and see Professor McGonagall, she will explain how you are to make up those classes."
Professor Sprout led the young man to the common room and showed him to his dorm. Then she took him to the hospital wing and waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish with him, and finally escorted him to see Minerva.