(A/N: Come on you guys! REVIEW!!! I feel kinda pathetic :-( . Dysis: MY FIRST REVIEWER!! *curties deeply* Muchas gracias! Merci! Danka! Arigato! I appreciate your nice comments. ^^ Nerwen Faelvirin: er.thanks for the interesting part ^^; but I promise it's a Harry Potter fan fic, don't worry! Just keep reading.)

Disclaimer: I almost forgot ^^;; All of the characters in the chapter belong to J. K. Rowling. Thank you

Chapter 1 Changes

Warm, golden sunlight burst forth over Surrey, dissipating the morning mist. It slowly crept into the houses, glancing off glass and metal to shine in the face of a sleeping teenage boy.

Harry Potter rolled over on top of the sheets trying, in vain, to remain asleep, for an incessant tapping noise began to fill the room. Grunting sleepily, he pulled himself up to find the source of the noise. After putting on his glasses he found an owl fluttering outside the window with a newspaper, attempting to gain admittance.

Harry got slowly out of bed, his ankles popping as he crossed to his window. The owl soared in, slightly clipping Harry on the head. The sweet morning air followed it so Harry left the window open. He turned around and rummaged through his open trunk, coming up with a moneybag and paying the owl. It flew out through the window as doors begin to open through the house; the Dursleys were up.

Ever since Harry had gotten home from Hogwarts the Dursleys had been surprisingly tolerant. No complaining about Hedwig, his news watching habit, or his newspaper. Harry was surprised at this since the pictures moved and were sure to catch the family's eyes. Although Harry suspected that the threat delivered to them from his friends in the Order of the Phoenix at the train station was still fresh in their minds.

The summer was mild and Death Eater attacks had begun in earnest. Several non-Pureblood families had been threatened and a few Muggles had already been killed. Everything in the Wizarding world was tense and grim. Harry expected his elementary protection guide to arrive any day now and was wondering what the Dursleys would make of it.

Harry walked downstairs to the kitchen, his wand in the band of his jeans and the Daily Prophet in his hand. As soon as Harry walked into the room the Dursleys visibly stiffened. His Aunt Petunia stood at the counter slicing fruit. His cousin, Dudley, and his Uncle Vernon were sitting at the table, both reading a section of a Muggle newspaper. Harry plopped down onto his chair and unrolled his paper as his aunt brought him some fruit.

Harry turned to his aunt, his face questioning, but he realized that all she wanted to do was look at the paper. He began to hand her a page when she gave him a warning glance and moved back to the counter.

Shrugging, Harry turned back to the Daily Prophet, scanning the articles. As nothing popped out at him (though this was quite possible) he set the newspaper aside and began to eat. Dudley was still on his diet. Both boxing AND his new eating habits had done wonders for his body. Dudley Dursley no longer took up two seats at the table. In fact, he took up less than one (if that can possibly be imagined). His arms and legs now showed his newly acquired muscles. His fingers no longer looked short and fat, but proportionate. His middle had also enormously improved. It was no longer round, but thinner and almost muscular. And he now only had one chin to contend with.

But what really surprised Harry about Dudley wasn't his appearance. It seemed that Dudley had turned over a new leaf. He no longer bullied Harry or the other kids in the neighborhood. He was almost NICE to Harry, for that matter.

The mail slot clicked as Harry unfolded the Muggle newspaper that Dudley had been reading. Harry and Dudley looked at one another and Dudley got up to get the mail. Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Harry looked on in shock as Dudley calmly walked in with the mail, handed it to his father, and sat back down, grabbing another section of his newspaper.

After a moment, when no explanation came or seemed to be coming, they all resumed what they had been doing.

Finally, Aunt Petunia broke the silence by asking, "What time do you want to go to London, Dudley?"

Dudley looked up at her and said, "I dunno, anytime you want, Mum."

(A/N: Hey, minna-san! Sorry that I took so long with such a short chapter. But now that a new girl has been hired and my hours have been cut (:-( .gr) I'll have more time to write. And today is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. A moment of silence please................... OK, I know you're probably wondering why on earth Dudley is being nice, but let me just say that everything in this fan fic will probably have a reason ^^ You'll see! R & R porfavor!)