Finally, the last day of term arrived. Percy Weasley looked solemn. It was his last day at Hogwarts. He had finished his NEWTs and was waiting for his results in the summer. He went on a last walk around the castle with Ginny, Luna and his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater.

Fred and George, as always, were in a joyous mood. They infuriated Filch one last time for the summer by attaching a rude drawing of him to a wall in the entrance hall with a sticking charm. The students all saw him trying to remove it as they passed on the way to the Hogwarts Express while Peeves whizzed around overhead taunting him.

Dudley and his friends found a compartment to themselves. There was Dudley, Ron, Hermione and Neville. Luna and Ginny were sitting in the next compartment. They had their own circle of friends. While Ginny had always been popular, she had spent a lot of time along with Luna and Demelza Bobbins. Now, they were accompanied by Colin Creevey, a Ravenclaw girl with glasses who looked uncannily like an owl and a couple of other Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students who Dudley didn't recognize.

As the train pulled out of the station, Hermione gave them some surprising news.

"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.

"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

"But that means I need to go that class alone!" Dudley said. "Who will I sit with?"

"Copy from, you mean," Dean muttered.

Dudley stuck his finger up at him.

"You can sit with Susan Bones," Hermione said lightly.

Ron, who had been leaning back in his chair sat up as if he had been attached to elastic. His box of pastries fell on the floor, so too did Scabbers (who was looking much healthier now). "Who's Susan Bones?" he demaned.

Hermione laughed. "A girl in our Muggle Studies class, Dudley talks to her a lot!"

"Only because it annoys Macmillan!" Dudley protested while Dean laughed and Ron goggled at him.

"I thought Dudley liked Luna?" Neville said.

"What?" Ron gasped, his eyes bulging even wider. "Luna Lovegood?"

"How many other Luna's do we know?" Hermione said.

Dudley threw his cauldron cake at Neville, who swore as it broke over him.

"I do not like Luna," he said, firmly, feeling himself blush as he said so. "Or Susan Bones," he added, noticing Hermione had been about to speak.

"Who, then?" Dean demanded. "You must like someone."

"None of your business," Dudley growled, wishing he had a second cauldron cake to throw at Dean.

Hermione sighed. "You boys are pathetic," she huffed. "It's perfectly normal to like someone. You should grow up and just admit it."

"Who do you like then?" Dean demanded.

"Lockhart, I bet," Ron muttered, slyly.

Now it was Hermione's turn to turn red. "None of your business," she huffed, parroting what Dudley had said.

"I know who Ron, likes," a voice said at the door. They all jumped. It was Ginny, none of them had heard her enter. Dudley felt relieved she was alone and not accompanied by Luna.

"What … no you don't don't! How?" Ron spluttered.

Dudley laughed at the look on Ron's face. "Who …" he began, and then remembered something Ginny said a few months ago.

"Cho Chang!" he said, dramatically, pointing his finger at Ron who turned bright red.

Ginny looked smug. "Come on, Ron, it's obvious," she said, joining them.

Poor Ron was red faced as Dean and Neville teased him. Dudley felt Ginny give him a nudge.

"Look at Hermione," she whispered. "I think she might have a crush on Ronnie,"

Dudley looked over and chuckled. Hermione did look irritated at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Demelza will be annoyed too," Ginny commented. "She has a crush on Ron."

"Who knew he'd be such a stud?" Dudley smirked, planning on teasing Ron about this later.

"Well he is Gryffindor's seeker, dueled Riddle and more," Ginny said fairly. "And I know Tracy Davis has a crush on Dean—she's a Slytherin in your year. Romilda Vane, in the year below, fancies both you and Ron.

Dudley stared at her, feeling unsure if Ginny was making all this up. He had had no idea that she'd be such a gossip—or that she'd know all the ins and outs of who fancied who.

"What are you two grinning at?" Ron demanded, noticing them.

"Private joke," Ginny said, lightly. "I'm going to return to Luna and Demelza."

"You've got a new group of friends," Dean commented.

"Yes, well, Luna found it really difficult at first to make friends. But since what happened with Black, she's become more popular. Matilda Fortesque—the girl sat with us has become a friend of hers."

After Ginny left, the conversation turned to the holidays.

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this year," Ron said. "You should stop over with us, Dud," he said. "Dad can usually get tickets. You coming too, Dean?"

"I'm up for that," Dean said, excitedly.

"Me too," Dudley said, he thought it would be great to see the cup final.

"I'll see if Gran wants to," Neville said. "I dunno if she will—she doesn't like quidditch much."

"How about you Hermione?" Ron said.

"Well, are you sure? If we're all going—aren't tickets going to be expensive, and is there room?" Hermione said, awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, it'll be fine," Ron said. "Dad can sort it out, Fudge is relying on him a lot now—did you hear he confiscated a shipments of shrunken heads last week from Diagon Alley?"

As they spoke, Dudley decided to go to the toilet. He closed the compartment door, closing the sound of Ron telling them about the raid his dad had left. He walked through a car of Ravenclaw's one or two nodded to him as he passed.

He opened the door at the end and paused, coming face-to-face with his worst enemy at Hogwarts—Draco Malfoy.

"You …" Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"Where's your mate?" Dudley asked. "Nott—have they found him a cell next to his dad?"

Malfoy's hand reached for his wand, but Dudley was faster.

He pointed it at Malfoy.

"You'll get what's coming to you," Malfoy spat. "I just wish Nott managed to finish the job. I heard you squealed like a pig."

Dudley's knuckles whitened as he squeezed his wand tighter. It would be so easy to hex him—wipe that smug smile off Malfoy's face. Maybe he could even give Malfoy a swirly, like he did to Nott at the end of last year.

Just as Dudley was thinking of which spell to use, Dumbledore's words came back to him.

"Every choice we have matters,"

Last year, he had beat up Theodore Nott outside these very same toilets and given him a swirly. That had led to Nott snapping and using crucio on him. That choice had been one of many which had led to the death of Professor Lupin.

"Shove it, Malfoy. You're not worth it."

Dudley shoved his wand back into the pockets of his robes and walked away to rejoin his friends.

He found them, still talking about the summer. Dudley stared at them for a few seconds. He felt glad to have met them. Dean-the tallest of the ground with curly black hair and brown eyes, the kindest of the group and the voice of reason. Shy, awkward Neville who was plump and round-faced had started standing up for himself and was eager to please. Hermione-bushy haired, the smartest witch in his year and the one they all turned to for help and Ron Weasley-tall, gangling, red-haired and the best duelist. He was talking the most with Scabbers. Above them, sat on the luggage rack and staring down at the group of friends as he nibbled on a cauldron cake sat Scabbers the rat.

Note from the author

Not the final chapter - there is an epilogue to come featuring none other than Lucius Malfoy.