Betas Note: Hello Celran here; I don't know where T.I.A is right now, he's late for the chapter. So I'm doing this thing today.
Well then *rustles papers* daithi4377 : T.I.A thank you for your reviews, on every single chapter.
Guest R: Thanks we'll try, T.I.A's always Ill we'll be fine.
Mayflying: Umm Hi... this is awkward. We're glad you love the story but I don't think either us are ready for a serious relationship right now. *Shuffles papers uncomfortably* You wouldn't like T anyway. He's- well... just trust me on this. *coughs*
Everyone else: Thanks so much for reviewing we love- *Interrupted by chanting* What in-
Celran: *Looks around for sound and open's door* "T! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
TIA: *Jumps startled* "A Dark Ritual! I'm going to get us more Reviews and Favourites!"
Celran: "What- That's not going to work!"
TIA: *Looking confused* "Why not? Why won't it work?"
Celran: *Looking Despairingly at TIA* "BECAUSE YOU'RE SACRIFICEING A CABBAGE!"
TIA: *Still looking confused* "What do you mean?"
Celran: "You need to sacrifice a Human!"
TIA: "Uuuuuuh, Ooh!"
Celran: "I would offer my brother but it wont work?"
TIA: "Why not?"
Celran: "I already said you cant sacrifice cabbages."
TIA: "Did you just call your brother a cabbage?"
Celran: *Shrugs* "You wouldn't question if you met hi- would you put that cabbage down I told you it wont work?!"
TIA: "Then how do you explain the fact that we just hit 1000 Followers?" *Still holding Cabbage*
Celran: "Really." *TIA Nods* "Maybe 'cause we actually have a, you know, GOOD STORY?!"
TIA: "Huh… I hadn't thought about it like that before."
Celran: "Good. At least you didn't take things too far."
TIA: *looking Guilty* "uuuuuuum…"
Celran: "What did you do?"
TIA: "Nothiiiiing…"
Celran: "T! What. Did. You. DO?!"
TIA: "No." *Folds arms*
Celran: "Tell me what you did, or I will confiscate you TEA!"
TIA: "NOT THE TEA!"
Celran: *Picking up all the teabags* "Then tell me."
TIA: *Panicking* "FINE! I SACRIFICED A STUFFED PANDA!" *Tearing up*
Celran: "Oh, is that it? That's fine then. Let's get on with the chapter then, dude."
TIA: "…"
TIA: "…"
TIA: "…"
TIA: "okaaaaay…"
Chapter 71
Dudley didn't really understand what happened in the next few days. All he really understood was that all the wizards had suddenly become very scared. Dudley had been stuck in the castle-school for two days; they hadn't been allowed to leave yet.
All the visiting families had been lumped together in a large room. He had been sleeping on a cool bed; that had been made by a scary Scottish witch.
"Mr Black, can I ask you a question?" Dudley asked, during the second morning at Hogwarts.
Sirius looked confused but as far as he could tell Dudley was a good guy. "Sure, what's up?"
"You knew Harry's parents, right?"
The older man looked confused. "Yes, we met when I was eleven. We went to school together."
"What was my aunts' name?" Dudley asked after a pause.
"Oh?" There was a pause and a pitying glance. "Lily. Lily Evans. Until she married my best mate James, that is."
"My mom- she never talked about her."
"She was a great woman, you're aunt. One of the best woman I have ever known."
"Thanks." Dudley stood up. "I need to go speak to Harry."
"Yeah, I have a call to make. Tell my godson that Remus says hi."
"Umm, sure, okay." There was one thing in the school that Dudley couldn't cope with. He froze in the middle of the corridor and watched the ghost float down the hall. She was wailing.
"Ouff." Dudley was bowled over by a girl in Harrys school uniform. Well it was blue not red. Dudley again wasn't sure why the colours were different.
"Oh. Umm sorry." Dudley told the girl on top of him.
"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry. Here." She held her hands out to help him up. She then waved her wand to straighten both of their clothes again. "Hey, you're Harry's muggle cousin, right?" She beamed.
"Yeah, umm, Dudley." He held his hand out. He felt a strange tingling across his body from the magic.
She smiled curiously but shook his hand. "Cho Chang. I've never met a muggle before."
"I'm a bit new on the wizard- err witch part too."
She smiled brightly at him. It was strange he hadn't seen many people smiling since the torment ended. Dudely had no idea why. "Harry seemed really happy to see you when you came." Cho shook her head. "From what I know he very rarely talked about his life in your house. I was surprised."
"My parents weren't very nice to him. I didn't think he would be happy to see me."
"He seemed happy enough." Cho told him. "He's in the library right now, if you're looking for him."
"Thanks." Dudley looked around. "Where would that be exactly?"
"Down, take a left." She pointed with her hand. "And walk down. The third turning. If you reach the stairs you've gone too far. The door you'll have to ask politely to get through…." She rattled off.
"Okay, you've lost me there."
"Alright I'll show you. Come on Dudley." Cho beckoned him along. "So I was wondering. If it's not rude. How do you… muggles, I mean. How do you fix your shoes?"
"Shoes?" Dudley looked down at his own trainers. "Well we don't really. Some people glue them, but I just buy new ones."
"Oh I see." There was a pause as she took in the information. "What about sport? I play Quidditch…."
"We have loads. Football, Basketball. I play Rugby and Boxing. And there's a lot more."
Cho was going on to ask a few questions on their way to the library. Dudley felt uncomfortable; like an animal in the zoo. But either way, Cho was nice and seemed genuinely interested in his life; I t was quite strange.
Meanwhile
Harry went to the library early. There weren't really many places left in Hogwarts for Harry to hide away. He wanted a little time to himself. Just an hour of Harry time. Harry was struggling to deal with failure. He had saved Cedric but he didn't stop Voldemort from coming back. Harry didn't know how to feel about the situation.
It was hard for Harry to re-adjust. He had changed a lot but something just weren't working quite the way he liked them to. Harry felt he was becoming a control freak. He hated when things didn't go his way anymore.
He had to wave a few people away as he read his book. It was a fiction book. It told the story of a dragon slaying king. It was cool.
"Hey Harrykins." George and Fred sat down beside him. "What ya readin'?"
"The book Ginny lent me. King Dragonblood." The three whispered together.
"Oh. Never liked that one." Fred shrugged.
Harry placed the book down. "Guys I was wondering. You know how I can get you you're shop this summer." Both boys nodded a grin. "Could you have Lupin work with you? He struggles to get jobs you know."
"I guess…." Fred shrugged trying to hide his confusion.
Harry sighed internally, with the twins you had to be both cunning and direct. "Did you know?" Harry spoke encouragingly as he pulled the map from his pocket. "Remus is Moony."
"Say what?"
"Padfoot is my godfather. Prongs was my dad."
"Really?" George asked with a grin.
"Yep."
"Damn." Fred sighed and reached in his pocket for a sickle. "He called it."
"I knew your godfather had to be Padfoot. He was the huge dog, wasn't he?"
"That's the one." Harry was amazed at how observant the twins were.
Both twins smiled at him. "Well cool. We'd love to have help from pranking veterans."
"I'm sure they'll be happy to help. So what you two doing in the library of all places?"
"Oh yeah. We're looking for you."
"Well, your cat, actually." At this word the cat in question lifted her head from Harrys lap onto the table.
"Yah?" Harry asked.
"We made this mouse. You know, to freak people out a bit."
"We thought maybe she would like to play with it. See how realistic it really is."
"It won't hurt her will it?
"It's completely safe in every way. Just need it to be realistic, now."
Harry held his hand out; he against his better judgment trusted the twins. "I'll take her outside later to try it."
"You're the best."
"Hey look, it's the muggle." Fred pointed over to where Dudley entered the room. Harry waved him over.
"Hi, Harry."
"Shush." The librarian shushed.
"Sorry." He whispered and pinched his lips together. For all Dudley knew this woman would turn him into a frog if he made another sound.
"Hey Dudley.
"Hi." He whispered. "How are you?"
"Good."
"Your godfather said Remus said hi." Harry nodded.
"Well, we have things to do." George stood up. "See ya Sparks. Bye muggle boy."
"Ignore them. Everyone else does."
"Alright. I'm going back to Aunt Marge tomorrow morning."
"Not Home?"
"Eh. I like school there but- She's pretty hard to live with. The dogs suck."
Harry shrugged. "Sorry."
"I've told you. It's not your fault."
"Yeah." Harry didn't sound like he believed it. "I got something for you." Harry placed a key on the table.
"What is it?" Dudley tilted his head at the silver key.
"It's called a portkey." Harry explained. "It's a wizard mode of travel. You hold onto it and say portkey and it takes you to one place. Listen Dudley. The wizard world is about to go through a war. There is a group of people who want to destroy muggles like you and muggleborns like my friend Hermione. I'm training to fight them."
"Alright... Wait, you're fourteen."
"My mother was a muggleborn. These people killed her. I killed their leader when I was a baby. Now he's back they want me dead."
"Back from the dead. Like a zombie." Dudley played lots of video games with zombie's.
"No, it doesn't work like that. Don't worry about that bit." Harry told him. "Dudley listen to me. If you find yourself in danger you need to use this." Harry pointed to the key. "It will send you to a room above my friend's shop. You'll be safe there."
"Alright."
"Now listen. If you see a group of people with black robes and white masks; you use the key. If you find lots of unexplained deaths in your area; you use the key. If you can't live with your aunt anymore; you use the key. If you see a green skull in the sky; you use the key." Harry told him in an important whisper. "If you don't feel safe where you are; where ever you are."
"I use the key."
Harry sat back and nodded. "It's important."
"I gathered."
"Alright. If you're in trouble you have the key touching your skin and say portkey. It will take you to my friend's shop. Find a red head or someone you recognise and ask for me." Harry sighed. "Also if your heart stops in five feet of the key it will take you to a wizard hospital. Tell them you're a squib."
"You really think I'm in danger don't you."
"They've seen you. They know we're related. You're leverage."
"I'll be careful."
"Thanks Dudley. For coming. I honestly thought I ruined your life."
Authors Note: *Dusts salt away* Right in all seriousness Thank you all so much. A thousand Followers is amazing. I couldn't believe it when I looked. Thank you.
New Chapter Soon. Thank you. ~TIA (And Celran)
