A cold wind swept through the empty street. Dudley Dursley shuddered, but went on. He was actually glad, that he had the wind as an excuse. Even if it hadn't been blowing around him, he would have shuddered. If not from the cold wind, then from the feeling he had in his chest. An uncomfortable feeling of unwillingness. A feeling of betrayal. He felt the betrayal because of his parents. They wouldn't like to see him walk here; on his way to the boy they had taken as their second son, but never treated like that. The boy whom they hated and feared, and whom they hadn't seen for years. Dudley once more remembered Harry's comment about him, Dudley Dursley, being mistreated by his parents. It was years ago now. Dudley hadn't had the slightest idea of what Harry was talking about, when he said it, but now he knew. He knew his parents had always done what they thought was the best. It just wasn't good enough. They'd treated Harry, this brave boy, like scum, even if he was of their own blood. Well, at least of his mothers. And they'd raised a child who didn't know anything about the worlds around him, neither the muggle- nor the wizarding world. A child who got all what he wanted, and therefore didn't take notice of anybody else, except if they could give him something: Loyalty through everything.
Dudley didn't know exactly when it began; maybe it was more than a year ago, when he first realized, how bad he had behaved. It was right after a very poor exam. He had started questioning himself, why he was so terribly bad at the school stuff, and why his parents didn't complain, as all the other parents did, when their children got bad marks. Now, he had changed his own life completely. He had found new friends, changed school, he made his homework, ran twice a week… He really tried to be another boy. Tried so hard. But there was something missing. He could never truly move on, until he had spoken with Harry Potter, the boy he had hated and mistreated, ever since he met him. Now it was time to apologize, time to make everything clear.
His parents had, of course, noticed the difference in his behaviour, and called it "maturing" which was, of course right, but they didn't understand what it brought with it. If they had, they wouldn't have looked at him in the same proud way. If they had, he thought, they would have started the biggest row in our history, ever! Actually, he had never had to row a lot with his parents. After a little shouting, they had always done what he wanted them to.
It had been difficult to get in contact with the Potter boy. On the first of September, he had gone to Kings Cross Station, and stopped every witch or wizard he recognized as magicians. He had asked the first ones, if they knew where Harry, Ron or Hermione lived. He did, at least remember Harry's friend's names, but no one could or wanted to give him a proper answer. The sixth witch he stopped had asked him, why he didn't just sent them an owl, and he had answered her truly, that he was a muggle and didn't have an owl. The fact had seemed to shock her, but then she had told him how to get into Diagon Alley. "When you're in," she had explained," find Gringotts, that's our bank, you see. It's easy to recognize. A great marble building, where you can change your muggle-money to our money. Just make sure that you have loads of time, can take ages to come anywhere. Loads of security these days, you see…" Her voice had faded out, as if she wondered how much he knew. He had just nodded saying: "I know about Voldemort. Go on, please." She had seemed shocked and afraid, but had done as he had asked her to: "When you've changed, you can buy an owl. Write your letter, write on the outside who it's for and tell it to the owl. It won't come back, before it has found the one you're mailing. But maybe it would be wiser of you to send it to Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger. It can reveal Mr. Potter if too many people send him owls." She had paused thoughtfully. "Do that young man, we have to go. Got to find a good seat." He had done as she had advised. He had written a letter to Ron, seeing as he believed Ron to be Harry's best friend. He had asked if there was any chance, he could speak to Harry. Ron had answered. It had been a short, mistrusting letter, but he had answered. And he had promised to tell Dudley, if he heard anything. Two day ago, an owl landed outside Dudley's window, in the apartment he shared with a friend. The letter was, once more, short. It told that Harry would come back in two days, and there was an address. Dudley didn't even know if it was Ron's or Harry's place, the address referred to.
But here he was, walking in the empty streets, trying to figure out where 'The Burrow' was.
When he finally found it, there wasn't any doubt in his mind that this was a wizard's house. It was different from every house Dudley had seen in his life. It was high and it seemed that it would collapse every second. A sign told him, that he had found the right place. He took a deep breath, and walked up the little path to the front door. Before he had time to knock, he heard a voice from the inside: "Who is it?" "I … I'm Dudley Dursley. Ron told me to come today." The door opened, and revealed a red-haired woman. "Don't come in," she said, and from somewhere in her robes, she got a wand and pointed it at him. Dudley grew white. "It's true," he said hoarsely. "I'm here to see Harry Potter, don't hurt me! I'm not a spy or something!" In the same second an exhausted-looking boy appeared in the doorway. Dudley hadn't seen him for ages, but it was the most welcome sight he could imagine. "Hi Dudley," he said, and turned to the woman. "Mrs. Weasley, you're frightening him. He thinks you're going to curse him." Harry Potter turned back to Dudley. "Take it easy, she's just going to check you. Security stuff, you know." Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and mumbled something, which Dudley couldn't hear. "Ok," she said. "No traces of you-know-who here. Come inside, Mr. Dursley, we've been waiting you. The lunch is ready in a moment!"
Dudley took a hesitantly step inside. His eyes widened, as he saw Mrs. Weasleys lunch preparing itself. Everywhere in the room, he saw young, red-haired people, most of them boys. In the corner, a girl with curly brown hair rose from a chair, and walked to him. "I'm Hermione Granger," she said briskly. "And you must be Dudley Dursley, right? We've been looking forward to see you." Dudley nodded, but couldn't bring a word over his lips. Why have they been looking forward to see me? He thought. Maybe she's just trying to be polite. The rest of the people came towards them, now,
introducing themselves. "Arthur Weasley, Ron's father. It's a pleasure to meet you!" "I'm Ginny. Ever heard of me? No? I'm Harry's girlfriend and Ron's sister." "Fred and George at your service!" "My name's Ron. Guess you remember me, since it was me you wrote to? Bill and Fleur aren't here today, but this is Charlie." "Hey Dudley, I've heard a lot of you!" Dudley wasn't sure that it was a good sign that Charlie had heard a lot of him. There was definitely not a lot of good stuff to say. Mrs. Weasley saved him from the embarrassing moment, by shouting: "Lunch everyone!" The people around him slowly moved to the kitchen and sat down. "It smells wonderful Mrs. Weasley;" he heard Harry say. "I haven't had proper food for ages. I'm starving!" "You do look a bit skinny, Harry dear, and try this pie. Used to be your favourite, right?" "Oh, you remembered! Thank you very much Mrs. Weasley."
They all know each other, they all have a great time together, Dudley thought. There's a much better atmosphere here, than I've ever felt at home!
"Don't you just stand there, you stupid boy! Sit down and tug in. You must be hungry!" Dudley hurried to sit down, and Harry sent him a quick grin across the table. The first sign Dudley had received since he came, that his cousin was aware that he was there. "Best to do as she says," Harry whispered, loudly enough for Mrs. Weasley to hear. "She loves to feed up people, and if you deny…" There was a moment of silence, before the Weasleys began laughing. Dudley blushed, not entirely sure if it was him, Harry, Mrs. Weasley or all three of them, that was the laughing subject.
When they had finished eating, the atmosphere became calmer. Harry, who didn't look nearly as exhausted as he had done when Dudley came, broke the silence. "We've found out where that wand of Ravenclaw's might be," he said. To Dudley, this was nonsense, but he could tell from the exited looks and whispers, that the rest of them understood and thought it was of great importance, so he didn't interrupt. Hermione took the word: "We went back to that orphanage where Tom lived when he was a child," she said. "The woman who keeps it told us that he has been back once. He told them that he just wanted to see the place one last time." "We went there to get information," Ginny said, "We didn't believe that he would hide a horcrux in such a place. It was too obvious and too dangerous. The children could find it." "But as Dumbledore said," it was Harry who spoke this time, "Voldemort doesn't believe that his secret will ever be found out, and therefore he doesn't care so much about if the places are obvious or not." At this time Ron spoke for the first time. "The woman who keeps the orphanage told us that Tom could be away from ages and that they never found out where he went. So we guessed that there must be some secret place in the orphanage, and that could be the reason why he returned. To hide a horcrux in this place!"
"But you didn't find such a place?" Mr. Weasley asked. Harry shook his head. "The woman doesn't remember very much, she's old and couldn't give us a lot of information about where this place might be, and when we started to investigate, she followed us so we couldn't use magic to do the job." Arthur Weasley nodded. Dudley looked from one to another; even more confused that when Harry mentioned the wand. "We will find it," Ginny said. There was a steadiness in her voice, and Dudley realised that she really believed in what she said, and, more important, in what they were doing. Harry smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss. "We will," he said.
"Wait a moment." Dudley had finally found the courage to speak. "When I wrote to you Ron, you weren't with Harry, but now you're speaking as if the four of you have been on this mission together!" Ron nodded. "We were, but we split up. Harry and Ginny stayed close to the orphanage, and spied on the people who work there, trying to figure out when there is as few muggles as possible. We can't just go in there, curse everybody and search for Tom's hiding place. The Ministry wouldn't be pleased with us. Hermione and I went to do some stuff for the order meanwhile." Dudley nodded. This made sense. He just wished that he knew what "the order" was.
"And we're almost sure where the place is," Ginny said, and drew everybody's attention to her. "There's a place in the basement where the muggles never come. Every time they come around, they turn and walk back and you can feel traces of magic there." Harry nodded in agreement. "Tuesday evening," he said. "Only two persons usually, and one of them is ill. No substitute." "That's tomorrow!" Mrs. Weasley said nervously. "I had hoped you would have time to stay for a while. You're working so hard." "It's ok Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. "We'll come back and stay afterwards."
Under the conversation, Dudley had been sitting on his chair and understanding less than 10 of what was going on around him. Now, when the conversation seemed to be over, he remembered why he had come in the first place. Harry Potter. "Harry," he whispered. His cousin turned to him. "I'm sorry Dudley, forgot you. This is just so important, you know." Dudley nodded. "I," he whispered. "I've come to apologize. I'm sorry Harry, I'm really so sorry!" "For what?" Harry asked, looking truly bewildered. "For everything. I've always treated you bad. I know it isn't an excuse, but it's the way I'm raised. It's because of what my mum and dad told me about you and your kind," he said, gesturing at the people around them. He took a deep breath and blinked the tears away. "I'm sorry Harry, please forgive me!" He looked at his cousin, Harry's eyes was widened with shock. "Yeah, I'll forgive you Dudley. I know it wasn't only your fault. But was it all? Did you come here only to apologize?" Dudley nodded weak with relief. He had feared that Harry wouldn't forgive him. He had known that he would, but feared that he wouldn't. And in this house, he had seen how Harry did brave, dangerous things and went back to a place where he was loved. And he had remembered how he had treated the boy, how Harry had had to hide and run, only to go home and find the same nightmare there. And even if he didn't understand all this stuff about a guy called Tom, an orphanage and a wand belonging to someone called Ravenclaw, he understood that it was all about fighting this evil wizard Voldemort, and for the first time in his life, he understood exactly how much Harry did for the wizarding world and exactly how brave he was. And he looked at the red-haired girl who had moved so that she was sitting on his legs, her arms around him, and he understood that the boy was happy. Even if he, Dudley, had done so much to make his life miserable, he hadn't been able to stop Harry from seeking a good life, and that was all that mattered.