'Would it be so bad if we left him up there?' Harry thought to himself as he followed Dumbledore into his aunt and uncle's house. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon followed close on their heels, Vernon muttering something about not wanting one of them in his house.
"Well," Dumbledore said cheerfully, turning to face Harry, his aunt and his uncle. "It seems something unexpected has happened that has caught us off guard, you see--"
"Just get to the point already," Vernon interrupted. "Why is my son up there on the roof? What did Harry do to him?"
Dumbledore just regarded Vernon Dursley calmly. "Harry here did nothing. You son did it himself," he said, straightening his powder blue cloak. "He is, after all, a wizard."
There was a moment of silence in which they all stared at Dumbledor, sure that this was just an elaborate joke of some kind, except Dumbledore himself was looking quite serious as he popped what looked to be a lemon drop into his mouth.
"WHAT? MY SON IS NOT ONE OF YOUR LOT!" Harry's Uncle roared at Dumbledore.
"Yes, he is. He's a wizard. You have no choice but to send him to Hogwarts."
"B-b-but Professor!" Harry protested. "If Dudley IS a wizard, why didn't he start at Hogwarts when I did?"
"Because, Harry, Dudley's powers weren't strong enough at the time for any type of magical training."
"HE'S NOT GOING OFF TO SOME SCHOOL WITH YOUR LOT TO LEARN POINTLESS MAGIC TRICKS!"
None of them paid attention to Mr. Dursley. "But..." Aunt Petunia began, "But...he can't go! My Ickle Dudleykins just can't go!"
"I'm afraid, Petunia, he must," Dumbledore replied kindly. "He needs the proper training we can give him. He can get in serious danger if he isn't trained. You can always keep him, though, if you don't mind the neighbors talking about poor Dudley, about all the strange things he does."
He seemed to have struck a nerve. "No! I don't want that! He goes! He goes!"
"NO HE DOESN'T!" Vernon yelled.
Petunia rounded on her husband. "Dudley is going to that school, Vernon! My Dudleykins will be safe!"
"But-- But Petunia!"
"He's going, Vernon!" Petunia gave him a hard look. She rarely put her foot down, but when she did, things went her way or there was hell to pay.
"Yes, dear." Vernon's voice was meek. He pulled out a handkerchief and moped his brow of sweat as his face slowly returned to its normal color.
"Now that that's settled," Dumbledor said, pulling out two letters addressed in green ink. One he handed to Harry, the other to Petunia. "These shouldn't of come for a few more days, but as I am already here..." he drifted off and pulled out his wand. "Now, I'll go get your son." Pushing back his long sleeves to reveal bony elbows, Dumbledor walked out the door.
Harry looked up at Petunia and Vernon, "Well, I guess you can't talk bad about 'my lot' anymore, especially since one of them is your son!"
Vernon raised his hand as if to hit Harry, but forced it back down to his side in an extraordinary show of will power. "Watch your mouth, boy." Vernon's voice was low and dangerous.
Harry sighed and kept his mouth shut. Vernon spoke again. "Your going to take him to get all this. Petunia, what does that thing say he needs?"
"It doesn't say, just a letter welcoming him to-- wait, never mind, there's another piece of parchment here. He'll need; three sets of plain work robes, black, one plain pointed hat, black, for day wear, one pair of protective gloves, dragon hide or similar-"
Uncle Vernon interrupted her. "Dragon hide? There's no such thing as dragons."
"Yes, there is." Harry said.
Vernon sputtered for a moment before looking back at his wife. "Go on Petunia."
"Where was I, oh, yes. One winter cloak, black with silver fastenings. then it says that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags. hmmm. Okay, course books... He'll need 'The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)' by Miranda Goshawk, 'A History of Magic' by Bathilda Bagshot, 'Magical Theory' by Adalbert Waffling, 'A beginners' Guide to Transfiguration' by Emeric Switch, 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' by Phyllida Spore, 'Magical Drafts and Potions' by Arsenius Jigger, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' by Newt Scamander, and 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection' by Quentin Trimble."
"Where are we going to get those things in London?" Vernon demanded. "Stores don't carry stuff like that!"
"You don't, you get them in Diagon Ally," Harry corrected.
"Never heard of it."
"Of course you haven't, it's a wiz-- I mean, its one of our places."
Vernon seemed to be digesting this bit of information so Petunia went on.
"This next bit's shorter, it just says he'll need a wand, a cauldron, a set of glass or crystal phials, a telescope, and a set of brass scales. It also says he can have an owl or a cat or a toad."
Vernon grumbled under his breath. "This stuff sounds expensive."
Harry sighed. "You have to exchange your money. Muggl- I mean, normal money isn't any good."
"What do you mean our money's no good?" Vernon's voice started to rise again.
"You don't have knuts or sickles or galleons, do you?"
"No, but neither do you!"
"Yes I do. My parents left me some money."
"I--what? They what? Why haven't you given it to us?"
"Because its wizarding money." Harry said patiently.
"We take you in and you don't' give us the money you have to help pay for your stuff! You ungrateful-" Thankfully at that moment Dumbledore came back with Dudley. "Mum! Dad! Why weren't you helping me! What'cha got there, Mum? What is it? It's got my name! Give it to me! Give it to me nooow!" His voice had an annoying whine in it as he reached for his letter.
"Ah well, I can see I'm no longer needed." Dumbledore smiled at them. "See you two at the start of term, Harry, Dudley." With a nod to each and a loud crack, he disappeared.
"What's that crazy old man mean, Mum?" Dudley demanded.
