A/N: I plan on doing updates every two weeks with this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Dinner had ended quite poorly for Harry and Douglas. Petunia had sent them to their own rooms and had decided to cancel the trip to Diagon Alley for the evening, though Harry did wonder briefly what it would've been like at night.
Harry left his room, deciding to check on Douglas. There were questions to which he hoped his cousin could answer. He arrived at the door, knocking briefly.
"Come in."
Douglas was sitting at a desk with a book open and a quill in his hand.
"Hello Harry." He said, turning back to his parchment. "I just need another moment; I'm finishing this paper on Transfiguration."
"Transfiguration?" Harry asked, stepping closer to Douglas.
"Uh huh, mum requested the summer homework from the professor's at Hogwarts."
"Oh… I… I forgot." Harry said, placing his hand on the back of his neck.
"Well you may want to get a start. I'm almost done actually, so if you need help, I'm at the ready."
Harry smiled, "Yeah, maybe we can compare answers."
This was humorous to Harry, in a way at least. His cousin was absolute garbage in school, and for a moment he wondered exactly how poorly he was doing in his own magical school.
"What's your least favorite subject?" Harry asked, moving to sit on Douglas's bed.
Douglas leaned back, putting the tip of the quill to the edge of his mouth in thought.
"I would imagine it would have to be divination. I just don't believe in that. It's more of a wish-washy magic than a true one. I prefer transfiguration, or potions. They are the two I really excel at, I think."
"Really? Harry said, pushing himself up and leaning on his elbows. "Potions and transfiguration?"
"Yeah. I really caught on and ran with it." Douglas said, finally setting the quill down.
Harry stared at his cousin; a thousand questions burning in his brain. Was he a skilled wizard? What did Petunia think? What did Vernon think? Wait, when did he get his letter? His birthday was before Harrys, so hypothetically he should've gotten it first. Uncle Vernon should have had his mad episode over the impossibility of magic long before Harry even received his letter on his cousin's birthday.
"When… when did you receive your letter?" Harry asked, his face showing a painful confusion.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. Mum received it, and responded, long before I found out." Douglas said as he leaned back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head.
"She responded?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. I guess she already turned down Hogwarts acceptance and informed them I was going to Smeltings, if any magical academy at all."
They both sat in silence for a few minutes.
"When did you find out?" Harry asked as he stood walked over to Douglas's bookshelf.
Douglas looked away from him, "The night the giant gave me a tail."
Harry frowned briefly. He did not enjoy people referring to Hagrid in such a negative connotation and pondered whether or not to say something. Hagrid was his friend, and regardless of situation he should stand up for him.
"His name is Hagrid." Harry said, choosing to remain silent after.
Douglas nodded, taking in the information.
"The next morning, after you left, Mum pulled me downstairs. I was still rather hysterical, afraid the gia-, I mean Hagrid," he corrected after glance from Harry, ", was going to come back and turn me the rest of the way. It was once she had me down on the sofa she pulled out her wand."
He sighed heavily.
"I won't lie mate, I screamed."
Harry and Douglas both erupted into laughter. It was a good, long, heartfelt laughter. Harry wiped tears away, just imagining a squealing Dudley, running from Petunia in a fit.
"Yeah. I cried something crazy. Before I realized what happened, the tail was gone, and then she shouted at me to calm down."
"Did it hurt?" Harry asked, though he always wondered if it hurt coming out.
"To be honest, I don't even remember."
Douglas stood up and walked to his window, opening it wide.
"Next thing I knew she was explaining what the wizarding world is, and asking if I wanted to be in it. All this." He waved his hands around. "To be honest, I was interested. After that she took me to Diagon Alley."
Petunia and Dudley walked through the empty bar. There was only the bar keep who nodded at the two, wishing Dudley a happy school year. Dudley kept his hand glued to Petunia's, his face in obvious fear.
"Mum, are you sure?" He squeaked as he watched her pull the wand from the cloak. He was so unaccustomed to these cloaks. What were they? Robes in public?
Next thing he knew the bricks were moving on their own and they had opened upon a busy street, shops lining the left and right and plenty of others in cloaks, just as him. His mother held her hand out and he grabbed it quickly.
"Remember Dudley, if you don't want to be a wizard, you do not have to be." She said, worried for her son.
"I… I… I don't know." He said, walking alongside her.
They passed many other children, all of them with eyes of glee; all of them, except for Dudley of course. He was scared. There were talking about magic, and brooms, and school.
They arrived in the first shop, Olivander's. The old wizard recognized the older wizard, and by extension, Dudley. "Ah, Petunia Evans. I remember the day you came in here, sister in tow." She smiled the first smile, Dudley noticed, of the day.
Olivander moved around the shop wildly, grabbing different wands, placing them back down, picking up another. Finally he settled on one in a tall stack.
"Try this. Willow wood, 12 inches, Dragon Heartstring."
Dudley pursed his lips and tentatively took to the wand. Olivander turned the wand, placing the handle in the young boy's hands.
"What do I do?" He asked quietly.
"Just flick it, dear." His mother said, nodding in approval.
He raised his hand, and brought it down. The first flick was a small spark, followed by a long blue light that shot out and burned the table leg in front of him. He dropped the wand and stepped back, into his mother.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
Olivander laughed lightly and picked the wand off the ground. "Not quite what we need… something more sturdy perhaps?"
After several more tests and more broken or burned objects Dudley found himself the proud owner of his own wand. The moment he grabbed it from Olivander he felt a pull on his body, followed by a cool and calming sensation. It was at that moment he knew, he was going to be a wizard.