International Wizarding School Championship

Round Eight - Little Whining

Mahoutokoro, Year 7

Main Prompt: Cho/Dudley

Additional Prompts: (weather) cyclone; (setting) a muggle playground

Word Count: 968

The House Competition

Round One - Escape

Ravenclaw, DADA

Drabble

Prompt: (weather) dust storm

Thanks to Ninja, Bea, and Aurora for betaing.

Dudley and the Witches

After he finished his work at the bank, he walked to the nearby preschool. At first, the little one didn't notice him, totally focused on her exercise.

"Changchang," he called her.

The little girl with her pigtails jumped up. "Daddy!" she cried, running towards him.

He lifted her up. She hugged him, but her arms were much too short to get properly around him. She looked at him with her big almond-shaped eyes. Her forehead was covered by a fringe. Her hair felt softer than his wife's, more like his own, but with her dark hair and dark eyes, she looked every bit like her mother. With his index finger, he nudged over her tiny nose.

"Can we go to the playground, please," she begged.

He was going to be late for tea with his mother, but when the little angel looked at him with those puppy dog eyes, he couldn't stay strong. Her big black eyes were melting all of his conviction.

Holding her tiny hand, they walked to the playground. Changchang rushed to the sandbox, while Dudley sat down on the swing. It was very uncomfortable as he was far too big for it. Standing up, he had trouble freeing himself from the chains. He sat down on the bench instead, from there he could still have a clear view of his daughter.

He watched her dig through the sand with her hands, and with a shovel and with her mind. It made him feel a little uneasy to see his daughter perform magic. What if somebody saw them?

Trying not to stare at it, he let his thoughts wander. He was in hiding with his parents, that's when he met Cho. She was their handler. He was immediately taken by her beauty. With her lush brown lips, her black almond-shaped eyes, her small nose, and how her straight black hair flowed in the wind.

Dudley desperately wanted to impress her. How he had cursed himself for not knowing more about her world… If he had only spent more time with Harry, getting to know him, showing an interest in his life, and not treated him so badly... Karma.

A gust of wind blew into his face. Looking up, he found Changchang surrounded by a little dust storm. The sand from the box was circling around her. The storm grew and grew. The sun disappeared behind a massive bloom. Dudley started to feel uncomfortable. The little girl giggled, amused. It only fueled the twister.

"Changchang," he said sternly.

But she didn't listen to him. The cyclone grew and grew. The sand was blowing into Dudley's face. He wrinkled his nose, as he tasted it between his teeth. Spitting to the ground, he called her again. She didn't react.

The storm was still growing in intensity. He didn't know what to do. He was a muggle, there was probably nothing he could do. Hiding beneath the bench, he prayed that she would stop it soon. "Changchang," he begged her. His voice was filled with fear.

But she only started crying. Having lost control over her cyclone, the windspeeds increased. The more she cried, the more intense the dust storm became.

Dudley was still hiding beneath the bench. She was safe in the eye of the storm, wasn't she? He couldn't listen to her cries any longer and crawled up from beneath the bench. With all his strength, he fought against the storm.

Slowly approaching his daughter, he closed his eyes to protect him from the storm. How could such a little witch cause such a strong storm? He grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Rocking her until she calmed down. The dust settled around them.

Cho was sitting on the sofa. Petunia had her thin arm around her, but the witch didn't stop crying.

"What happened to you?" Dudley asked.

"I had an accident," she sobbed, "I haven't seen the car and…"

"Are you alright?"

"No, I could have died!" Cho cried. "Do you have any idea how dangerous muggle technologies are? Cars everywhere, it's terrifying. You don't look once…"

"You don't look injured."

"No, I was still able to Epsikey myself. I would have lost my leg at a muggle hospital, with those fractured bones."

"It's alright you're safe now," Petunia said handing her daughter-in-law a slice of cake.

"We have to talk about our daughter," Dudley said.

"What why?"

"She's a witch and I'm a muggle. I can't be alone with her."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've done well the past years."

"There's nothing I can do! Just earlier she caused a massive cyclone. Do you have any idea how terrifying that was?"

"Like being run over by a car?"

"That's not the same. You can simply flick your wand and be done with it, but I am powerless against magic."

"That's not true. I'm not immortal and you know it. Our daughter isn't a bad person. All kids have little accidents but they quickly learn to have some control over their abilities."

"That dust storm didn't look like a little accident," Dudley argued.

"I don't see your problem, you grew up with Harry didn't you?"

He swallowed hard. He couldn't tell his wife that Harry spent most of his time locked up for this very reason. He looked at his mother.

"Harry was a very quiet child," Petunia interrupted.

Cho looked at her husband. "Our daughter would never want to cause you any trouble and if anything happens, you can always contact me."

Dudley sighed. There was no point in arguing with her. He ought to get used to it. Looking at his wife, her still puffy eyes caught his attention. Maybe him being a Muggle wasn't the problem, Cho had very clearly trouble with navigating in a strange new world herself.