This year Dudley had really learned his lesson on wisdom and had been seeking it from studying and not from hunting a priceless artifact. To that end Dudley was in an abandoned classroom with Theo, Neville, and Ron. The four had taken to sparring when they could, but longed for a proper teacher. When he last saw Harry he brought up the idea to him and asked who he would pick. Harry had suggested an older student who was at least two years or more ahead. Little did Dudley know that that described Harry right now. As he had mastered second year, and nearly mastered third year Defense and was well on track for fourth year. What Dudley did know is that Harry was spending a lot more time alone, studying and training as far as he knew. Ever since he had dropped Lockhart's class he expected to spend more time with Harry, he never expected his friends to also drop it. Dudley privately wondered if the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class had anyone drop out as well. When he last saw his cousin he told him where he would be in case he wanted to join. About an hour in there was a knock at the door and Harry entered, looking happier than he had in a few weeks. After closing the door, and greeting everyone there, Harry conjured a chair out of nowhere and sat to watch the spar that was about to happen between Neville and Theo.

As they watched, Dudley couldn't help but find himself glancing at his cousin. He had been going through a lot recently and it was showing. The cocky, sometimes arrogant boy he knew from last year didn't show himself as frequently as before. From some people fearing he would attack them and others secretly worshipping him, or not so secretly in some cases, he just couldn't go anywhere without stares. Just as Dudley was thinking this, Neville was stunned and the match was over. Neville looked miserable when he was revived, but with some encouragement from Harry, as well as telling him where he went wrong and how to improve, he walked away from the "arena" with confidence and Harry stood ready for a spar with either Draco or Dudley. It was a good day.

Harry was becoming more and more glad that he had decided to drop Lockhart's class, as it gave him more time for Quidditch practice, lessons with Snape, researching and training in magic, taking time to calm down and brewing potions in an abandoned classroom as to not have to explain himself to Professor Snape every time he wanted the potion. The combination of Cheerfulness Potions and Calming Draughts, as well as using the Patronus to calm himself down was working a little better with the Cheerfulness addition.

Today he would be putting those Quidditch practice sessions to use as the Slytherin vs Hufflepuff game had officially begun.

For the most part Harry was flying around, doing nothing, but feeling a sense of exhilaration and freedom seldom felt upon the ground. For most of the game he was content to just watch, the Snitch hadn't revealed itself yet, that was until he decided to bother the Hufflepuff Seeker, a fourth year named Cedric Diggory. He was a genuinely decent guy according to Dudley and a pretty good flyer. He had started drifting above the Slytherin goal posts when Harry dove at him, causing him to have to fly away. Harry kept this up for a while, just keeping the Seeker off guard, however after some time Cedric was diving back at him. It had turned into a game that had both boys laughing. After a particularly close call that had Harry fly straight up to avoid, Harry saw the Snitch and dove at Cedric one last time. The instant the Hufflepuff Seeker dodged away, the opposite direction to the Snitch, Harry changed course and put all his focus on going as fast as possible. By the time Cedric realised what had happened, Harry's hand was wrapped around the Snitch and the game was won.

Dudley was feeling very introspective as of late, he had been thinking about his time at Hogwarts and a few questions had been on his mind for some time. When it had gotten too much he decided to voice these questions to the one person who could help him.

"Why did you choose me as a friend? Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, it's just… you didn't know me. At all. Yet you looked at me, a Muggle-born who knew literally no magic, and saw what exactly?" Dudley questioned Harry when the two were alone. Harry looked lost for a moment before inquiring.

"What's brought this on?" Harry asked concerned for his cousin, and friend.

"It's just been on my mind lately."

"Honestly, Dudley, you were just closest to me at the time, that combined with the amount of disgust everyone looked at you with made you the ideal candidate. If I believed in fate I'd say it was all up to fate," he finished, looking a bit sheepish. Dudley didn't look satisfied though and so replied.

"What are the odds that we happened to be cousins, we were strangers and yet after that night we were just friends even though I did nothing to help you."

"Dudley listen, I can't say why we became friends, but I can say why we stayed friends. You were always willing to go with me on pretty much everything, no matter what it was, I knew I could count on you. Where I grew up, that was unheard of, sure someone would come along and they would be almost like a brother to you, only for that person to be adopted." Harry's tone turned bitter towards the end and his face told Dudley that he didn't want to ask right now.

They talked for a while before going to the common room and to sleep.

November had ended, and December had begun, and in the last week Harry had discovered a book on duelling that described it as more of a dance. It was an old book, titled Duel of the Echani, some of the passages seemed like fiction to Harry, talking about galaxies on the other side of the universe. He found the book to be both interesting and helpful. He had been practicing every day and was nowhere near an expert, though he was learning fast and could do a few moves with general accuracy. The people in the illustrations looked like Air Elementals, but such a thing was apparently rare. The Duelling Dance was oddly calming, like it took away the self and left only the body. Just as he fully let himself move without thought his magic drew up around him and guided him through the movements. He had never moved with such grace, nor had he ever been so light, he felt like a snake made of feathers. So very light yet able to move with such fluidity that he felt untouchable. In this moment a hundred wizards could have tried to hit him and miss.

When he had finished these movements his magic drew close to his skin, like a second skin, and shimmered. His magic was shielding him like armour, just as he started to admire it, his magic returned inside of him, but he was now more aware of how it felt.

The snow was falling heavily on the grounds of Hogwarts and yet the sun was shining. Dudley had finally convinced Harry to join him and just relax in the snow. With Harry's first complaint about the cold came Dudley showing off that he had learned warming charms. He had just received the latest letter from Nora and was opening it.

Dear Dudley

It's so nice to be able to talk to you. Mother and Father are being particularly strict and irritating lately. They say Blaise has stopped answering their letters, they genuinely seem worried about him, I know how he treats you, but could you please check up on him for me.

You seemed a lot more excited about Harry being your cousin when you first mentioned it, but now you seem sad, if you think the two of you are drifting apart you have to make an effort before you lose each other. That being said, don't be the only one making the effort, if he isn't putting the work in then you shouldn't either.

Many of the Pureblood families will think he is Slytherin reborn if he can speak Parseltongue. I wonder if I should tell my parents, just to see the look on their faces. I shouldn't though, they'll find out soon enough and that will be sweet enough on its own.

I hope you stay safe

Nora Zabini x

Dudley reread the letter several times, each time smiling a little. It was nice to hear from Nora and to keep her up to date on the events at Hogwarts. She had really helped during the month and a half that Harry had been in a coma.

Come to think of it, except when he went to the Hospital Wing, his friends were with him the whole time, even Theo and Draco. He guessed that sharing a life threatening situation like they had would bond people, but Dudley had no idea why Draco had even changed his mind on him. One day he was calling him Mudblood and the next it was Dudley.

Harry noticed that Dudley was deep in thought and asked him.

"What's on your mind, mate?"

"It's nothing really, just thinking about my time at Hogwarts. I've been doing it a lot lately, just about how things started and how they changed."

"Is this related to your questions the other day?"

"Somewhat, yeah. Just wondering why Draco did a one-eighty on his opinion of me." As Dudley said this, Harry's face was overtaken with guilt.

"I may have threatened him against hurting you or Hermione again. I was sick of seeing you hurt by him and Blaise." Dudley looked horrified for a moment before realising that he would have done the same thing a couple years back.

"Did you do it to Blaise? He approached me at the end of last year to tell me he would leave me alone. I was going to visit you in the Hospital wing and he cornered me to talk to me. It looked difficult for him to do so."

"I spoke to Blaise recently, he told me that the more he pushed against you, the lonelier he became. He was miserable, he thought his sister cared more about you than him, he still is miserable. When I left the Great Hall on Halloween I bumped into him and we sat and spoke for a while. He said it was the longest conversation he's had since he came back to Hogwarts."

Dudley felt awful at hearing that, combined with Nora's request, it inspired him to try to talk to Blaise.