It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Dudley couldn't see how they'd ever make up.

Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Dean tried to play peacekeeper between the pair. Dudley just kept his nose out of it. When Ron complained about Hermione's cat, he just gave a noncommittal grunt every now and then. When Hermione complained about Ron's stubbornness and claimed Crookshanks didn't eat Scabbers, he did the same.

Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly - one swallow - he probably didn't feel a thing."

"Fred!" said Ginny indignantly.

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George.

Ron, however stayed sulky, and that evening, Hermione studied alone.

"I … I think I'll join her, keep her company," Neville said.

Dudley, engrossed in trying to copy Dean's astronomy homework without him noticing grunted in acknowledgement.

"Let us copy after," Ron said. He was struggling with his potions essay.

For the next few days, Hermione largely studied with Neville. Dean's efforts to play peacekeeper had failed—Ron and Hermione still glared daggers at each other whenever they met eyes across the dorm room. Dudley's tactic of just staying out of it had no effect other than getting his worst transfiguration grade of the year.

Luckily, his Defence Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures work continued to be high, and he was good enough at charms and herbology to cope without Hermione's help.

He was a little surprised after Defence Against the Dark Arts when Professor Lupin asked him to stay behind.

"What have you done?" Dean asked.

"Dunno, nothing I can think of."

Once the class had left, Luping gestured for Dudley to sit down.

"I heard about your trip to the hospital wing, Dudley," Lupin said. "Snake bite?"

"Yeah, it's all better now," Dudley said.

"Who did it?" Lupin asked.

"Huh, no-it was a snake," Dudley said.

Lupin smiled slightly. "Dudley, I was your age once. I know you had a duel."

Dudley grinned. He sensed Lupin wasn't going to punish him.

"Malfoy—serpensortia,"

"A nasty spell," Lupin said. "I've seen it used before. An old … acquaintance at Hogwarts used it on a friend of mine."

"Is it deadly?"

"No," Lupin said. "But the longer it goes untreated, the worse the infection gets. What was the duel about?"

"We don't get along," Dudley admitted. "Malfoy and me—never have."

Lupin chuckled. "Yes, some people are like that. A friend of mine at school was the same. He had a rival in Slytherin—they disliked each other on sight. Spent much of their seven years at Hogwarts hexing each other."

Dudley grinned. He had never had a conversation with Lupin before, but he seemed quite friendly and approachable.

"It's because Malfoy kept calling us—me and Dead—mudbloods,"

Lupin's expression soured for a few seconds. "Yes … I can see why that would make you angry. With James and Sev … the Slytherin, it was the dark arts. James hated the dark arts, his Slytherin rival loved them. They naturally clashed."

"What house were you in, Professor?" Dudley asked.

"Gryffindor, same as you," Lupin said. "You and your friends remind me a lot of us when we were at Hogwarts, and you remind me a lot of James. It's why I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Dudley questioned.

"Just a bit of advice, Dudley," Lupin said. "Don't get drawn into these childhood feuds. Some scars run deep, even though you can't see them."

"Right," Dudley said, not knowing what Lupin meant.

Lupin seemed to realise that. "What I mean is, actions that you have today can impact the future. Some people bear a grudge, Dudley, long after school is over."

"The Slytherin student I mentioned has never let the past go. If you keep up your rivalry with Malfoy, I could see the same happening,"

"Right," said Dudley, still uncertain. "But if he keeps calling me a mudblood …"

"Then I expect you will stand up for yourself," Lupin said. ""But don't go provoking trouble."

"Ok, professor, I won't," Dudley said. He stood up to leave, but before he did so, he suddenly thought of something.

"Professor, that James you mentioned …"

"Yes, James Potter," Lupin said. "We were friends at Hogwarts."

"He was my uncle," Dudley replied.

"I know."

"I don't know much about him, I don't think my parents and James and erm Lily got on well."

"No, they didn't," Lupin said. "Clashed I think because James was a wizard."

"What was he like? I don't know nothing about him."

"He was one of my best friends. Popular, always with some scheme or another."

"If you knew my uncle, then you must have known Sirius Black, too," Dudley stated, remembering the conversation he had overheard in the Three Broomsticks.

Lupin gave a start, almost spilling his mug of tea. "What makes you say that?" he asked, sharply.

"Nothing, I just know James and Sirius were friends,"

Lupin relaxed. "Yes, I knew Sirius. Or, at least, I thought I did."