Harry found himself being half dragged by the wrist through a large entrance hall over towards a group of unerringly familiar faces.
"Um, Dudley. Just exactly what kind of party is this?"
"You read the invitation didn't you? It's a semi formal birthday party for Vincent. Look, there he is," Dudley said, indicating to two slightly taller men built along the same lines as himself standing across the room, heads bent in discussion.
"Hey Vincent!" Dudley boomed, whisking Harry around, eyes widening in surprise as he recognized the two large figures standing before him. They, like Dudley were wearing black dress pants, a black blazer style jacket with a more casual shirt underneath.
"Dudley," Vincent Crabbe grinned, "good to see that you've finally made it. Dudley, this is Gregory Goyle, my best mate. Greg, this is the muggle boxer I've been telling you about."
Harry bit his bottom lip at the mention of the word 'Muggle'. Obviously Dudley hadn't told him everything that was going on, considering that he barely flinched unlike how he used to whenever Harry had used that word in the past.
"And this must be your cousin, Miss Harmony James," Vincent said, bowing slightly, "pleased to meet you, Miss James."
"Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle", Harry politely muttered, giving a short nod to each.
"Oh dear," Goyle groaned, looking out over Dudley's shoulder. "She's arrived. Please excuse us for a moment." With that, they left. Harry quickly took the opportunity to drag Dudley off to one side.
"Explain your self," he hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Calm down, Harmony," Dudley drawled in return, chuckling at the look of pure indignation on Harry's face. "I recognized Vincent's wand one day and mistakenly pointed it out. I told him my cousin had one. Which is true, I might add. That was the only time it was ever mentioned," he quickly added, seeing the look of shock and worry written all over Harry's face. "That's it, I swear. What's got you so worried all of a sudden?" Sending a frantic death glare at Dudley's puzzled expression, Harry scrunched his nose in frustration.
"Do you realize what kind of party this is?" Dudley glanced around the room then returned his perplexed gaze to Harry.
"Um, Crabbe's birthday party?"
"Right. And who do you think he invited?"
"His friends from school?"
"Bingo, Dudley. His school mates. Try and guess which school they go to."
"Um, a really posh school?" Dudley answered, clearly puzzled and desperately trying to work out what Harry was going on about.
"No, Dudley," Harry hissed, "magic school. And where do I go again?"
"Um... To the same school?" Harry simply nodded. "Oh," Dudley exclaimed, finally catching on.
"Nearly everyone in this room, probably the whole party are my fellow classmates. You know, the ones who quite possibly want me dead. They definitely aren't going to think its funny if they find out I'm here. What if they recognize me?" Harry gushed out, a faint note of panic creping into his voice as he glanced nervously around the room.
"Don't be so paranoid. You can pull this off, I know you can," Dudley said, beaming down at Harry's apprehensive face. "Plus, who's going to recognize you anyway? You look nothing like the old Har…"
"Why hello there, big boy." Harry spun around, desperately trying to stifle the laugh that wanted to come out as he was greeted by the sight of Pansy Parkinson's six foot frame hanging off Goyle's arm, practically drooling at Dudley in a figure hugging, red halter neck dress.
"Oh, Pansy. This is my muggle friend from boxing, Dudley Dursley."
"Charmed," Pansy giggled, offering her hand, "I'm Pansy Parkinson. And this is your girlfriend?" she simpered, sneering at Harry with great distaste.
"Nope, just my cousin, Harmony." Pansy immediately brightened up and beamed down at Harry.
"Aren't you just a delightful, petty little thing. Hope you don't mind if I steal your cousin away for a while, do you?" she asked with a wink in Dudley's direction. Taking Harry's silence as a sign of consent, she swiftly added, "Of course you don't mind sharing this handsome gentleman. Why, who would?" she giggled behind her hand, ignoring Harry's hastily muffled choking noises.
"Um Pansy, what about Draco?" Crabbe queried.
"What about him," Pansy countered.
"Well, we thought you still liked him?"
"I used to," she replied, turning away from Harry and frowning slightly. "Remember how he kept rejecting me?" she mused. "Well, at first I thought that he was just playing hard to get, but at the end of the year I realised it wasn't me at all. There's no way it would work out between us, plus I've gotten over him. There are plenty of men out there who are more handsome," she huskily drawled, squeezing Dudley's arm and giving him a meaningful look.
"Plus, I sincerely doubt if any girl could be enough woman for him," she exclaimed, accompanied by a false sounding, high pitched laugh. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled raucously along with her. Harry just stood there as Dudley politely blinked, wondering what the joke was.
"Speak of the devil, look who's just arrived," Pansy further exclaimed, rolling her eyes and looking over Harry's shoulder. "I guess we'd better go grace him with our presence. Come on boys. As for you," she said while giving Dudley's arm a final squeeze, purring, "don't you dare move a muscle, handsome. I'll be back for you in a moment," before dragging Crabbe and Goyle with her across the room. Harry watched, smiling faintly at their departing backs. Maybe the night mightn't be as bad as he had previously thought.