Welcome back! Our little friend Dudley will soon be welcomed as well, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Enjoy this chapter!

After a few more hours of trying all sorts of strange candies, there was an announcement that told the passengers that soon they would be arriving at Hogsmeade station. Dudley was so excited and nervous that his face was practically glued to the window trying to catch some glimpse of Hogwarts. He didn't see any castle, but as the train slowed to a stop he did see a whimsical little town with wizards and witches roaming about in pointy hats and billowing robes. It wasn't quite what Dudley was picturing, with images of Halloween costumes and decorations springing to mind.

As the passengers disembarked the train, Dudley followed along, trying his best to act casual. Not at all like he had set out on this trip without parental permission at the age of 11. The string of visitors eventually came to a stop at a road which was lined with carriages. Dudley did a double-take as he realized that there seemed to be nothing pulling said carriages. Nevertheless, the boy boarded the vehicle and sat anxiously as he was pulled nearer and nearer to the one place he never thought he would find himself.

But, boy was he glad he decided to come for a visit when the first view of Hogwarts came through the trees on the twisting path to the school. He was completely awestruck at the sight of the massive gothic castle, whose spires scraped the sky with authority and grace. This was Harry's school? Where he lived and learned?

That thought caused Dudley's heart to sink momentarily. Harry seemed to have hit the educational jackpot on this one. But just as quick as the thought crossed his mind, it left him. He still couldn't believe that such a place existed and that he would get to see it for himself. His friends would be so jealous, that is, if he could tell them. But he knew he wouldn't, not because of any laws regarding Wizarding Secrecy, but because of his parents.

Dudley was jerked from his thoughts as the carriage came to a stop outside of a formidable looking gate. Along with the rest of the visitors, Dudley made his way to what appeared to be the main entrance to the castle. His heart was pumping so fast that he thought it might jump right out of his body. After what seemed like an eternity, the massive front doors swung open, revealing an older woman whose hair was knotted tightly in a bun.

"Good afternoon," she welcomed, beckoning the crowd of visiting families forward into the castle. "I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress here at Hogwarts, as well as the professor of Transfiguration." The witch came to a stop in front of yet another set of massive doors, effectively halting the group as well. "Inside the Great Hall," she said, gesturing to the doors behind her, "are the students. They have just finished their lunch and are prepared to visit with you and offer you a tour of the castle. You may find your student seated at their house table." The woman paused to whisper a few words to a small man who didn't look entirely human. He nodded and swiftly slipped through the large doors and into the Great Hall.

Dudley took the opportunity to sneak a glance into the room behind the doors, but didn't have much luck. All he heard was loud chatter from what must be at least a couple hundred students. Suddenly, Dudley realized that he had no idea which 'house' Harry was in. He hardly knew anything at all about him. They weren't exactly the best of friends. Would Harry even want him here? He would probably be embarrassed. Having no friends or family in a world he hardly even knows would be upsetting to say the least.

Dudley started to worry about how Harry would react. Should he just leave? Go back to the train platform and wait for the train to come back? As every second passed, Dudley realized more and more how big of a mistake coming here was.

But before he could retreat, the doors swung open to reveal what was, indeed, a very great hall. Dudley found himself being pushed inside by the horde of people making their way in to see their children. The room was magnificent. So much so, that Dudley was practically frozen in place, taking in his surroundings, all the way from the massive windows to the floating candles and the transparent ceiling.

All around him children were reuniting with their families, their smiles seeming to light up the room. Unsure of where to find Harry, Dudley started off to the left, drifting toward a table adorned with a green cloth. A quick glance up to the banner hovering above the table told him that the house was called 'Slytherin.' Sounded about right, seeing as Harry had once set a snake on him at the zoo. Dudley scanned the table distractedly, searching for his cousin's messy black hair and brilliant green eyes.

Apparently, though, he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going, and he walked right into a boy about his age with bleach blonde hair.

"Hey! Watch where you're walking, you oaf," the boy spat nastily.

Dudley backed away quickly, apologizing as he went. He searched through the crowd again for Harry, but to no avail. The hall was chaotic and he could barely see anything. Eventually, Dudley realized that there was no way he could find his cousin without some help. The blonde boy was still only a few feet away, so Dudley decided he'd try asking him, even though they hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot.

With caution, he approached the boy, who seemed to be keeping an eye out for his own visitors. "Um, excuse me," Dudley said dumbly, "do you happen to know Harry Potter?"

The boy looked at Dudley as if he couldn't believe such a person had actually just addressed him directly. After looking him up and down, he let out a scoff. "Of course, you idiot."

"Do you know where I might find him?" Dudley asked again, confused by the boy's blunt answer.

Another scoff. "Gryffindor, obviously," he answered rudely. "Who's asking? Come to gawk at the Chosen One, have you? Well. You should have done a little more research before coming, it seems."

Dudley was confused by almost everything the boy had just said. What did he mean by 'Chosen One?' Research?

"I'm his cousin," Dudley explained. That seemed to capture the attention of the blonde, who now looked like Christmas had come early. He smirked as he called the attention of any Slytherin around who would listen to him.

"Look everyone! Potter's oaf of a cousin has come to visit!" His announcement was met by a burst of nasty laughter around the table. Then he turned to Dudley. "You're a muggle, aren't you? I bet you missed your precious cousin so much while he's been off at school running around like an idiot with his little friends. Did you expect to be welcomed here like a celebrity? Well, you're not, so get out of here," the boy said, his words rendering Dudley speechless. "Go find your beloved cousin. He's at that table over there, surrounded by his adoring fans. You can't miss him," he finished, roughly sitting himself down at the table and turning his back to Dudley.

More confused than ever, Dudley made his way to the table that the boy had pointed out. The banner above read 'Gryffindor' and was adorned with a lion. That was when Dudley was finally met with the sight of his cousin, and sure enough, a crowd of people surrounded him. He hadn't known what the blonde-haired boy had meant by 'adoring fans' but he was not expecting this. His cousin seemed to be somewhat popular in this world, and Dudley's brain simply could not comprehend as to why.

His whole life, Harry had been the freak. The one that didn't belong. The one who wasn't deserving of anyone's time or effort. But this… this was the complete opposite. Only Harry didn't seem to be enjoying himself.

He seemed to be trying to escape his circle of admirers, and was glancing around hopelessly in search of someone to help him out of this situation. Dudley stood awkwardly on the outskirts of this crowd and felt his body tense up as his cousin's green eyes met his own.

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Wow, that was really cheesy, but oh well. Thanks for reading! I'll update soon with chapter 4.

~Gryffinclaw99