And here we have the last chapter. Sorry about the wait, I was out of town and busy for the weekend. I really hope you like it.
The next morning, Dudley awoke to find Harry and Ron beginning to clean up the mess they had all made in the common room the night before. As they all together headed down to the Great Hall for a delicious breakfast, Dudley found himself staring at Harry with a new sense of respect. They finished breakfast and then began a tour of Hogwarts, stopping at a few classrooms to show Dudley what they were like. With only a few more hours till Dudley needed to head home, the four made their way to the quidditch pitch to enjoy the beautiful day.
Dudley was fascinated by the flying brooms and watched intently as Harry showed him how they work, pushing off from the ground and rising high into the air. Dudley craned his neck to keep his eye on his cousin, who became a speck in the sky as he flew toward the clouds. It was crazy to think of how high above ground Harry was, yet he seemed so comfortable there.
Harry landed a few feet from Dudley, with windswept hair and rosy cheeks. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face; flying always made him feel so happy and free. "You want to try?" Harry said suddenly, catching Dudley completely off guard.
"Wha-?"
"You can ride on the back of mine, we'll just circle the castle and come back."
Ron, too, reached for a school broom, getting ready to fly along with Harry, even though he wasn't quite as skilled yet. "'Mione, you can ride with me."
Hermione gave a humorless laugh. "Ha! I would rather kiss a blast-ended skrewt."
"A what?"
"Nevermind."
Harry mounted his broom, followed by Ron, and very reluctantly, Hermione. "You coming, Big D?"
Dudley approached with even more apprehension than Hermione had, awkwardly swinging his leg over the broomstick and grabbing onto Harry's bony shoulders.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron's waist, scowling as he glanced back at her with one eyebrow raised. With little warning, Harry and Dudley lifted off the ground. Dudley watched as the grass became further and further away from his dangling feet, and he snapped his eyes shut. Not long after, though, the feeling of the wind in his hair piqued his curiosity, and he allowed himself to open his eyes. The sight that met him was incredible. They were flying about as high as the rooftops of the towers of the castle, and the ground below seemed so far away. Forgetting his earlier uneasiness, Dudley let out a whoop, receiving a grin from Ron and Hermione.
He couldn't believe it. He was flying, actually flying, and it felt amazing. There was no other sensation like it in the world. Upon seeing Dudley's enjoyment, Harry leaned forward and made the broom go even faster. He darted between turrets and soared past massive windows, allowing Dudley a magnificent bird's eye view of the castle and its grounds.
"Hold on, Dudley," Harry warned, beginning a nosedive toward the ground. Dudley felt like his stomach had been left behind as they descended at immense speeds, pulling up only a few feet from the earth. Ron followed suit, and Hermione screamed the entire way down, eyes squeezed shut.
Harry slowed a little as he took the broom out over the Black Lake, breathing in the salty scent of the sea.
Finally, the four landed gracefully atop the astronomy tower, taking a seat near the edge and gazing across the grounds.
"What time is it?" Dudley asked after a peaceful long pause.
Hermione checked her watch. "Almost noon," she said, "The train leaves at 12:30. I expect they'll have lunch for you there."
Dudley nodded solemnly, wishing he didn't have to go, but knowing he couldn't stay.
"You'll keep in touch?" Harry asked, shifting his gaze to his cousin.
"You can have some of my parchment so you can write to us!" Hermione added, pulling some out of her shoulder bag and handing it to Dudley.
"Us?" Dudley asked, unsure if he heard Hermione correctly.
This time, Ron answered. "Of course, mate. You're our friend now too."
Dudley couldn't help but smile. He had not one, not two, but three wizard pen pals now, which meant he didn't have to leave the wizarding world completely anymore. He would still be connected at least, and Harry could tell him all about Hogwarts and what he's been doing each day.
"But… how do I get ahold of you?" Dudley questioned. He didn't want to have to go to the zoo again and steal an owl every time he wanted to send something to Harry.
"Just use the owl that delivers our messages. I'll have it sent to your window, so Vernon doesn't notice. Once you get what we've sent, you can attach your letter. It'll know where to take it."
Dudley nodded. "Um, Harry?" he said sheepishly. "You wouldn't mind sending me some chocolate frogs every once in a while, would you? They're quite good."
Harry smiled. "Of course, Dudley."
"Can't argue with that," Ron added.
After sitting for a moment longer, Hermione stood. "We'd better get you to the platform soon, Dudley. It's nearly time to go."
"Come on, we'll take the brooms," Harry said.
The three young wizards stood on the platform, waving goodbye as the train pulled away from the station. The boy on the train was hardly the same one that had come in the first place; so much had changed in the last day. He had a whole new perspective on magic, and he also felt that he had gained a friend, maybe even a brother. Hogwarts drifted out of sight, making Dudley feel like he had left a part of himself there. Now all that remained was the promise that next year, he would be able to come again and visit the Wizarding World once more.
O-O /*
A week had passed, and Vernon and Petunia, as expected, had not had the slightest suspicion that their son had not been where he said he was. Life continued on as normal, and Dudley might have thought it had all been a dream, until one night, he was awoken by the sound of tapping on his window. A gorgeous white owl hooted once and lightly pecked the glass. Grinning broadly, Dudley crept out of his bed and quietly opened the window to let in the bird. He took the three letters out of its beak and replaced it with the one of his own that he had already written to Harry. He told the owl where to take it, and waited for it to take off, but it did not move.
Instead it hooted and shook its leg, very reminiscent of the first time Dudley had answered Owl Post when he had been invited to Hogwarts just over a week earlier. Confused, Dudley's gaze shifted to the owl's leg, which had a small package attached to it, much to Dudley's surprise. With excitement, he opened it, and was delighted to see a few chocolate frogs and some other types of candy included, along with a note saying 'Don't eat it all at once!'
He smiled and watched as the owl flew back into the night, back to Hogwarts, back to the magical world which Dudley felt lucky to have seen.
'Until next time,' he thought, closing the window once more and returning to his bed. Yes, he could get used to this.
And there you have it. I know some people were hoping for more of a reaction from Vernon and Petunia, but I honestly think Dudley could get away with anything with them as parents. They'll believe whatever he said he was up to.
Now, is this really the end? I don't know. I was thinking of writing follow up letters from Harry with updates from Hogwarts, or maybe over the summer he and Dudley can stay up late at night and Harry can tell him all about the Sorcerer's Stone incident. Who knows. Let me know what you think. I'm not sure when I'll get around to writing any of that, but it's an idea.
So now that the story is over, at least for the time being, let me know what you thought of it! I'll keep answering reviews by PM's.
And of course, thank you for checking out my story. I'm amazed by the response it has gotten right from the beginning.
Always,
~Gryffinclaw99