Chapter 64

"Has it ever happened before that they didn't recognize someone was... you know...uhm"

"No, nobody can disguise his magical abilities from the ministry. There's a certain department which observes every little bit of magic that happens, especially in muggle areas" Hermione said sternly.

Dudley sighed inwardly and thought Great, I'm even a greater freak than anyone expected including myself.

There was only one option left for him; he had to talk to his aunt Lily about it.

He excused himself and left Hermione in the dining room. On his way upstairs, he pondered how he should bring it to the point.

"Aunt Lily, could I ask you something?" he whispered and beckoned her over to his bedroom.

"Sure dear; is there a problem? You seem a bit disturbed"

"Can you get infected with magic?" Dudley burst out.

Lily had to hold back the laughter which was about to erupt, but one look in the terrified face of her nephew proved that his question was deadly serious.

"Dudley, magic is not a disease. You can't catch it from somebody else like a cold. Either you do have magical abilities or you don't" she explained patiently.

The boy swallowed hard. So in this case there wouldn't be a cure for him to make him normal again.

"Don't you want to tell me what's wrong with you" she said friendly and padded his arm.

Dudley closed the door to his room and turned around to his aunt.

"I still think magic has infected me. Sometimes I do strange things when I'm upset or scared" he whispered hoarsely with fearful eyes.

"What kind of strange things?" Lily inquired.

"Do you remember when you came here and bewitched the TV and that thing dad had thrown against the screen bounced back instead of breaking it?"

Lily nodded mutely and beckoned him to continue.

"I did that. I didn't want the TV to break"

"This could have been a coincidence, dear" Lily said but not totally convinced yet.

"It wasn't the first time." Then he looked at his feet and started biting his nails nervously.

"Most of the time something strange happened we all blamed it on Harry. Nobody ever suspected that it was me. Even when Harry was at school, mom and dad still didn't assume that I was the source. I made my school report burn to ashes and on my last birthday, no matter how small my mom cut my piece of cake, when it was on my plate it was the largest"

He stared at his aunt and whispered "I'm scared... I'm bloody scared. When dad finds out that I'm like...that, he's going to kill me on the spot. I need a cure, something to make it go away"

Then he grabbed his aunt's hands and squeezed them tightly.

"You NEED to help me! I don't know what to do"

Lily felt pity for the boy who was sitting in front of her sobbing terribly.

"Dudley, calm down. Your father won't kill you..."

"He sure as hell will!"

"I will talk to your mom if we can't bring you to St Mungo's. This is a magical hospital. I trust, they will be able to find out how strong your magic is and give us advice what you can do"

"Can we do that without dad finding out? Maybe there is a cure and he doesn't even have to know" he asked hopefully.

"I can't promise you that my dear. When the healers in St Mungo's discover any magic inside you, we will have to tell your father"

Dudley looked positively crestfallen.

"Let me talk to your mom now. I'm sure she will agree that we take you to the hospital without telling your dad about it" Lily said and padded her nephew's head before she left the room.

"Petunia, my I have a word with you? Your son just told me something that could cause some problems in your family"

Petunia raised her eyebrows so much they almost disappeared in her brown hair.

She followed her sister downstairs into the kitchen and then approached the girl who was still waiting alone. "Hermione, would you mind to help Harry finish packing?"

The Gryffindor prefect nodded and left. She knew that something was not quite right, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it.

When she was halfway up the steps, she heard the two sisters talking to each other. Against her better judgment and after a few moments of inner battle, she sat down on the steps.

If it was something very personal she still could leave, but somehow she was sure it had something to do with Dudley's odd behaviour.

"What is it, Lily" Petunia asked anxiously, while her fingers were fidgeting nervously with the teaspoon.

"Your son just told me that strange things happen around him when he's upset or scared."

Petunia let go of the teaspoon and it collided with the cup, making a terribly rattling noise.

"What?"

"He told me that he can influence things at will sometimes"

"He was just making fun of you, Lily. Our Dudley can be such a joker" Petunia giggled, but it didn't sound genuine.

"Some more tea?"

Her voice sounded positively strained now and more high-pitched than ever. When she picked up the teapot her hands were shaking so badly, that she spilled tea all over the brand new tablecloth.

"You know what we will have to do, Petunia"

"No ... not really" she muttered while trying to stir her tea, but for some reason the teaspoon just wasn't cooperating.

"Come on, Petunia. I trust you remember the procedure. You went through it yourself before"

Then the older woman's nervous attitude switched to downright anger.

"Yes Lily, this is exactly, why it is not going to happen!" she hissed. "Our parents put me through hours and hours of tests only to tell me afterwards that I don't possess enough magic to be a real witch! My poor Dudley is not going through all this drama."

"You cannot decide this, Petunia" her sister said sternly. "He is very, very scared about everything that has happened lately. He is afraid that his father is going to do something to him when he finds out about his condition"

"He does not have a condition!" Petunia raised he voice slightly; still careful that she wouldn't be heard upstairs.

"Vernon would be out of his mind if I would tell him I'm taking Dudley to a wizarding hospital. He would never agree. And I will never agree to let him go to that school, even when he has enough magic. He's not going to be outshone by the oh so famous Harry Potter"

"Don't make yourself ridiculous, Petunia" Lily now called. She didn't care if she could be heard upstairs. "Do you really want your son to suffer because of some sister rivalry? Just because you do not possess any real magic doesn't mean that Dudley is just the same. What he told me is not like that petty stuff that you produced when we were children."

"I was always standing in your shadow, Lily and Dudley is not going to endure this. No need to discuss this matter any longer. This is my final decision" she spat and rushed out of the kitchen.

Lily stared at her sister and sighed. This didn't go as she had expected. She had no idea that the grudge of Petunia still was that strong.

Hermione had hidden in the closet Harry used to sleep in as soon as she recognized that the conversation between the two women was over.

When she was sure that Harry's aunt was upstairs she left her hideout and returned to the kitchen.

"Hermione, we have a little problem here"

The Gryffindor prefect walked over to her friend's mother and replied apologetically "I'm sorry Mrs Potter, I listened to the conversation. I know it was wrong, but I already expected that it would be about Harry's cousin"

Lily gave her a questioning look and Hermione continued "While you all were upstairs, he asked me all kind of question about magic, how and when I found out I was a witch and if I ever let anything strange happen before I knew I could do magic"

Lily nodded absentmindedly and padded the girl's back.

"I know you wouldn't have listened in on other people's conversations, Hermione. It's good that you told me about it though. This has made my decision a lot easier."

Hermione did not exactly understand was the older witch was talking about.

"What are you going to do now? Mrs Dursley has refused to get Dudley checked so what is going to happen"

"I could report them to the ministry. They would send officials and force them to take an examination at St Mungo's."

"You said that your sister went through this procedure as well before. I thought she is a muggle?"

"She is Hermione, she is. In the summer holidays before my second year at Hogwarts started, Petunia all of a sudden started to show small signs of magical abilities. They were really small. When she was truly upset or afraid, metal objects started to act strangely. I told Professor Dumbledore about it and he suggested a test at St Mungo's. The healers there tested Petunia on potential magical abilities, but it turned out that the tiny little bit of magic she possessed was not enough to call her a witch. She was awfully disappointed and since then she considers every true witch or wizard a freak"

"Oh and this is the reason why she doesn't want Dudley to be tested? But excuse me, that don't make sense? If she always wanted to possess magic, she should be overjoyed that her son might possess it then"

"See, this is the fly in the ointment, Hermione. SHE wanted to possess magic and because she couldn't go to Hogwarts her son shouldn't go either. My sister is a very selfish person and I know all the excuses she came up with are just a cover. Deep inside, she knows that she couldn't bear the fact that her son has the magic that she never always wanted."

Hermione's eyes were round in surprise. "But this is not fair! And it could be dangerous if he stays untrained. He could blow up something or worse hurt somebody" she called.

"I know and this is why he has to get checked. My sister's abilities were so limited that she couldn't get any proper training, but if just a part of what Dudley just told me is true, he will need training. He would be a danger to everybody otherwise."

"You said you could report them to the ministry."

"Yes I could, but I really don't want to draw that much attention on our family. The ministry knows that Petunia is my sister. So I'm just taking him to the hospital today."

Hermione gasped and started biting her bottom lip.

"But how are we going to do this." she asked nervously.

"This is where I need you Hermione. I think Dudley has a little crush on you"

Lily chuckled when she saw Hermione's flabbergasted face. "You will ask him if he could show you around a little and we are going to meet you at Mrs Figg's without telling my sister about it"

Hermione knew that she would have to be clever to lure him to their meeting point, but she doubted that she would have a serious problem with it.

She left the kitchen and went upstairs to look for Dudley.

"The packing might take a little longer than I thought. Would you mind to show me around a little?" she purred and had to stifle a giggle as Dudley turned crimson.

"Hermione!" Harry snapped as he watched his friend flirting with his nasty cousin. Hermione turned around and winked at him conspiratorially. Her friend obviously didn't understand her intentions and glared daggers at her, before he returned to his room.

Hermione and Dudley!

He didn't even want to picture what Hermione might had in mind and he felt genuine anger surging up inside as he thought about Ron.

No! Hermione would never do something like that, he thought as he sat down on his old bed. A box and 2 bags full of books and other oddments was all he had left at Privet Drive so the packing didn't take long at all. He had decided that he would ask his parents for a new wardrobe because he was sick and tired of wearing Dudley's hand-me-down clothes.

Just moments later, the door opened and his mother stepped inside.

He was truly relieved when he heard what the reason for Hermione's strange behavior was, but on the other side he thought it was hilarious that Dudley might be a wizard.

"Uncle Vernon will drop dead if he finds out his son is a wizard" he managed to say while he was holding his sides laughing.

"This is an earnest matter, Harry. We need to know if he has enough magic to be trained."

"What do you mean? Trained? You're not insinuating that he might be coming to Hogwarts?"

"He might"

"Oh my god! Malfoy and Dudders... this would be a night mare" Harry groaned.

"Harry, don't be silly. See it this way; you have almost 5 years more experience in the wizarding world, so how bad can it be?"

"How bad? Mom you have to be kidding. Dudley made my life here a living hell and now he might make Hogwarts miserable for me too. I bet they put him in Slytherin and then he's under Snape's protection and ..."

"If it gets that far I will have a word with your professor. And keep in mind that no matter how nasty Dudley might be to you, you are Harry Potter. You have fought the most evil wizard 4 times already and survived. What a challenge could your cousin Dudley be?"

Harry thought about his mothers' words and grinned. True, Dudley was not a challenge and he had friends at Hogwarts, lots of friends.

"So when are we going to St Mungo's, mom?"

"As soon as you're finished packing"

Lily and Harry said good bye and promised to send Dudley home when they saw him, while Petunia went back to her housework.

"Where are we going?" Dudley asked shyly while we walked down the road next to Hermione.

"Oh, I just want to admire the nice neighbourhood" she said airily, trying not to blow her cover.

"So do you like it ... being a witch, I mean" Dudley muttered.

"Oh it is wonderful. We have learned so much already and this year we're taking our OWL's and I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts. I need to start revising as soon as I get there. You should see the library! It's breathtaking."

"Owls?" was all Dudley could utter. This all sounded just too weird for him.

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels. It's similar to the GCSE's"

Dudley still had no idea what she was talking about and stared at her questioningly. He wanted to be normal again. Hermione seemed to be nice, but she was too much a bookworm for his liking.

His head started to hurt from all the stress he had in the last time. The 'seizures' came more often lately and it was getting harder to disguise it with every day.

Without him recognizing it, Hermione led the boy further away from 4 Privet Drive and watched out for Harry and his mother.

Soon they heard him calling out for her and she turned around.

Dudley cursed under his breath as his cousin joined them and they continued to walk with Harry in the middle.

They reached the house of Mrs Figg and Dudley said good bye to Hermione.

"Why don't you come in and say hello to Mrs Figg" Lily suggested and shooed him towards the door. With an anxious expression Dudley obeyed, while Harry and Hermione were looking at each other with great amusement.

They enjoyed their tea with Mrs Figg immensely. Except of Dudley, who still hadn't digested the change from Harry's cat-loving, sloppy babysitter to an elegant sophisticated woman.

For Hermione, the conversation with Arabella was bliss. She wished she wouldn't have to leave, but Mrs Figg promised that they could finish their conversation tonight after the meeting.

When Lily recognized Dudley's confused expression, she knew she owed him an explanation.

"I talked to your mother, dear, and she refused her approval to an examination at St Mungo's, but I think that it is very important that you receive help and so I decided to take her there today without her knowledge."

Dudley looked a bit flabbergasted, but relieved that he wouldn't have to give up hope just yet.

"I'm expecting to see you tonight" Lily said as they got ready to leave.

Mrs Figg smiled warmly and said good bye to the little group that entered her fireplace.

Then Lily drained another vial of polyjuice potion and vanished with Dudley followed by Hermione and Harry.

Dudley's screams echoed while they were travelling. It seemed that he didn't take it easy that his aunt had just changed into a stout woman with flaming red hair in front of his eyes.

This is the worst nightmare I ever had. These raw vegetables surely can't be good for me.

He was stunned when they reached the friendly entrance hall of what seemed to be the wizarding hospital.