Dudley Dursley and the Golden Eye
By: SleepyAngel
4: The Hogwarts Letter
"A-a wizard?" Dudley stuttered, staring at his aunt and uncle, wondering if he'd
heard wrong. He hoped he hadn't. They kept smiling. Aunt Lily handed the letter to
Dudley.
"I think you should read this," she said, wiping tears. Dudley relized they were
proud tears. He'd never had proud tears for himself before.
He did as she said and read the letter.
Dear Lily and James,
I have some interesting news. I know that soon Harry will be off to Hogwarts and
that Dudley hasn't shown much potential as a wizard yet. But I have seen some when I
have visited before and didn't bring it up until I was sure. Friends and I have looked into
this very much and we believe that Dudley is as capable as anyone to become a wizard. I
would like it if Dudley could spend the year with me, when Harry leaves for Hogwarts, so
I could try and train him myself. If Remus was here, I'd give the honor to him, as he was
better trained as a teacher and knew more about Dudley. That isn't going to happen, so I
will do it.
It is very important to train these supposed "Squibs", even if they do have very
little magical ability. It would be very dangerous to just let the talent they do have go to
waste.You know this from previous experiences.
Give "hello's" to the boys and send an owl soon.
Love, Sirius
Dudley looked up, and jumped when he noticed Harry reading over his shoulder.
He didn't mind for once though. The prospect of being a real wizard erased any bad
feeling he had for his cousin. He felt like he was full of air, light enough to float away. He
looked at the letter again. He was going to be a wizard!
"Is this...for real?" Harry asked. Dudley couldn't read the expression his eyes held.
Some of his happiness slipped away. Harry's tone wasn't exactly the friendliest.
"Yes. Very real." Uncle James actually looked proud and Dudley couldn't help but
have his chest puff out a little bit. He did have a reason to feel good about himself. Didn't
he?
"When am I going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, knowing he would be going, just
wondering when. Dudley felt an odd feeling in his stomach, like maybe he shouldn't be so
happy. What if it wasn't true?
A loud tapping interrupted Aunt Lily as she opened her mouth. A ordinary brown
owl hooted outside and Dudley went to open the window. The bird flew in, dropped a
yellowish, parchment type envelope, with curvy green handwriting saying very plainly;
Mr. H. Potter
The Shared Bedroom Upstairs
144 Nimbus Avenue
Mimblewimble
England
"Harry?" Dudley handed the letter to his cousin, glad the letter had come. Harry
looked ready to start another fight. He didn't like how Dudley was treated as such an
equal as a real wizard. Dudley still didn't fully believe that his aunt, uncle, and Sirius were
serious. Him? A wizard? It was so far-fetched that he couldn't believe he even let himself
think for the smallest second that it could be true. Aunt Lily and Uncle James were just
trying to pretend like he was the same as Harry.
Excitedly, Harry tore at the envolope and Dudley could see his cousin's hands were
shaking. He had a right. Any wizard or witch that recieved their first of seven Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry school letters about the beginning of the term had a
reason to be excited. Dudley almost felt jealous, but then he remembered how
embarrassing it would be to go, have no power to show to anyone, and to be sent home
again.
One look at his aunt and uncle's shining eyes told him all he needed to know. The
look they had when the looked at Harry was five times prouder than when it had looked at
Dudley. The thought made Dudley push Sirius' letter away. What did it matter if he
received training? He would never be a wizard like Harry would be.
Uncle James picked up one page of the letter and looked it over, his eyes still shiny
with proud tears. Aunt Lily had her hands over her eyes, barely able to compose herself.
Dudley heard slight sniffles and he could hardly believe his aunt was being so emotional,
even if it was a special occasion. Aunt Lily never showed such feelings, but today had
been a very hectic day, so Dudley guessed she was under a little stress.
"Tomorrow's your birthday, Harry. How about we go to Diagon Alley and pick up
a few of these things, eh?" Uncle James asked, rereading the paper, one filled with supplies
obviously.
"Oh, yes, and then we could pick up a few things as presents," Aunt Lily added,
finally letting her hands away from her face. Her face was slightly puffy and her green eyes
looked even brighter. Dudley wished for anything that he was a real son of theirs, not just
an adopted one. They could never love him as much as they did Harry and Dudley knew
he couldn't blame them. He was just a stupid, orphaned Squib.
Harry finally looked up from his letter, face beaming. He smiled and said, "I'd like
that." He hugged both of his parents, so tightly Dudley could see their eyes popping. But
he said nothing as he snuck away to Harry and his room. He didn't feel like sitting through
exciting tales from Uncle James' and Aunt Lily's days at Hogwarts, though he'd heard
them since he was a baby. Somehow, when he had listened to them before, he'd pushed the
fact that he'd never go in the back of his mind. Maybe some sick part of him was letting
himself believe that he would.
As he came to the closed door of his and Harry's room, Dudley decided to try a
little experiment. He had noticed that Harry had been able to walk in the room without
touching the doorknob, especially when he was excited or upset. Aunt Lily had explained
that wizards could do magical things without meaning to when their emotions were
running high. She smiled when Dudley had asked if he'd ever done anything, but she didn't
answer. He had accepted this at the time, but now he wanted to see for himself.
Closing his eyes and concentrating on the hopeless and sad feeling he had now,
Dudley tried to walk into the room. With a sickening slam, Dudley opened his eyes to find
himself sprawled on the floor and the door in the same place it'd been before. The only
indication that anything happened were the startings of a bruise on his slightly piggish
nose. Tears welled up in Dudley's eyes, and they weren't proud ones or ones from the
pain. He hadn't been able to do the simple of act of opening a door with just the vibes of
his feelings to push it open.
What potential was Sirius talking about?
By: SleepyAngel
4: The Hogwarts Letter
"A-a wizard?" Dudley stuttered, staring at his aunt and uncle, wondering if he'd
heard wrong. He hoped he hadn't. They kept smiling. Aunt Lily handed the letter to
Dudley.
"I think you should read this," she said, wiping tears. Dudley relized they were
proud tears. He'd never had proud tears for himself before.
He did as she said and read the letter.
Dear Lily and James,
I have some interesting news. I know that soon Harry will be off to Hogwarts and
that Dudley hasn't shown much potential as a wizard yet. But I have seen some when I
have visited before and didn't bring it up until I was sure. Friends and I have looked into
this very much and we believe that Dudley is as capable as anyone to become a wizard. I
would like it if Dudley could spend the year with me, when Harry leaves for Hogwarts, so
I could try and train him myself. If Remus was here, I'd give the honor to him, as he was
better trained as a teacher and knew more about Dudley. That isn't going to happen, so I
will do it.
It is very important to train these supposed "Squibs", even if they do have very
little magical ability. It would be very dangerous to just let the talent they do have go to
waste.You know this from previous experiences.
Give "hello's" to the boys and send an owl soon.
Love, Sirius
Dudley looked up, and jumped when he noticed Harry reading over his shoulder.
He didn't mind for once though. The prospect of being a real wizard erased any bad
feeling he had for his cousin. He felt like he was full of air, light enough to float away. He
looked at the letter again. He was going to be a wizard!
"Is this...for real?" Harry asked. Dudley couldn't read the expression his eyes held.
Some of his happiness slipped away. Harry's tone wasn't exactly the friendliest.
"Yes. Very real." Uncle James actually looked proud and Dudley couldn't help but
have his chest puff out a little bit. He did have a reason to feel good about himself. Didn't
he?
"When am I going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, knowing he would be going, just
wondering when. Dudley felt an odd feeling in his stomach, like maybe he shouldn't be so
happy. What if it wasn't true?
A loud tapping interrupted Aunt Lily as she opened her mouth. A ordinary brown
owl hooted outside and Dudley went to open the window. The bird flew in, dropped a
yellowish, parchment type envelope, with curvy green handwriting saying very plainly;
Mr. H. Potter
The Shared Bedroom Upstairs
144 Nimbus Avenue
Mimblewimble
England
"Harry?" Dudley handed the letter to his cousin, glad the letter had come. Harry
looked ready to start another fight. He didn't like how Dudley was treated as such an
equal as a real wizard. Dudley still didn't fully believe that his aunt, uncle, and Sirius were
serious. Him? A wizard? It was so far-fetched that he couldn't believe he even let himself
think for the smallest second that it could be true. Aunt Lily and Uncle James were just
trying to pretend like he was the same as Harry.
Excitedly, Harry tore at the envolope and Dudley could see his cousin's hands were
shaking. He had a right. Any wizard or witch that recieved their first of seven Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry school letters about the beginning of the term had a
reason to be excited. Dudley almost felt jealous, but then he remembered how
embarrassing it would be to go, have no power to show to anyone, and to be sent home
again.
One look at his aunt and uncle's shining eyes told him all he needed to know. The
look they had when the looked at Harry was five times prouder than when it had looked at
Dudley. The thought made Dudley push Sirius' letter away. What did it matter if he
received training? He would never be a wizard like Harry would be.
Uncle James picked up one page of the letter and looked it over, his eyes still shiny
with proud tears. Aunt Lily had her hands over her eyes, barely able to compose herself.
Dudley heard slight sniffles and he could hardly believe his aunt was being so emotional,
even if it was a special occasion. Aunt Lily never showed such feelings, but today had
been a very hectic day, so Dudley guessed she was under a little stress.
"Tomorrow's your birthday, Harry. How about we go to Diagon Alley and pick up
a few of these things, eh?" Uncle James asked, rereading the paper, one filled with supplies
obviously.
"Oh, yes, and then we could pick up a few things as presents," Aunt Lily added,
finally letting her hands away from her face. Her face was slightly puffy and her green eyes
looked even brighter. Dudley wished for anything that he was a real son of theirs, not just
an adopted one. They could never love him as much as they did Harry and Dudley knew
he couldn't blame them. He was just a stupid, orphaned Squib.
Harry finally looked up from his letter, face beaming. He smiled and said, "I'd like
that." He hugged both of his parents, so tightly Dudley could see their eyes popping. But
he said nothing as he snuck away to Harry and his room. He didn't feel like sitting through
exciting tales from Uncle James' and Aunt Lily's days at Hogwarts, though he'd heard
them since he was a baby. Somehow, when he had listened to them before, he'd pushed the
fact that he'd never go in the back of his mind. Maybe some sick part of him was letting
himself believe that he would.
As he came to the closed door of his and Harry's room, Dudley decided to try a
little experiment. He had noticed that Harry had been able to walk in the room without
touching the doorknob, especially when he was excited or upset. Aunt Lily had explained
that wizards could do magical things without meaning to when their emotions were
running high. She smiled when Dudley had asked if he'd ever done anything, but she didn't
answer. He had accepted this at the time, but now he wanted to see for himself.
Closing his eyes and concentrating on the hopeless and sad feeling he had now,
Dudley tried to walk into the room. With a sickening slam, Dudley opened his eyes to find
himself sprawled on the floor and the door in the same place it'd been before. The only
indication that anything happened were the startings of a bruise on his slightly piggish
nose. Tears welled up in Dudley's eyes, and they weren't proud ones or ones from the
pain. He hadn't been able to do the simple of act of opening a door with just the vibes of
his feelings to push it open.
What potential was Sirius talking about?