"Harry, Ron, Hermione, each of us has been given a great honor. None higher in fact. This will ensure that if some desolate part of our world remains ignorant of the war we just faced, they will know of you three. This will boost your fame to infamy; and quite possibly boost my own fame a notch. After all, who can resist chocolate frogs? Children everywhere will be clambering to trade their Dumbledore's for the Great Harry Potter!" Dumbledore exclaimed after Harry, Ron and Hermione had pieced together the morning post events.
"I seriously doubt that you'll go out of style sir, but it is prestigious. I'm now a Class 'A' tradable magical item." Said Harry, smiling at Dumbledore's modesty.
"I am so proud of you Harry, this past year you preformed admirably under dire circumstances. You conquered feats most thought impossible, and most of all, you completed the task that I, myself, had been struggling with for many years before my death. You truly are the better man Harry." Said Dumbledore, tears shining in his eyes.
"Oh, knock it off professor. You know your being daft; you accomplished things that I couldn't even begin comprehend. You know spells I can't even pronounce! I just have a saving-people-thing, most people think I'm a nutter, remember?" Harry said playfully. 'Maybe this old bloke really is as mental as Ron said. I mean, he's going on about frogs made of chocolate, wars and famous people.'
"You and I know that you sanity is indeed intact, more so than most of the wizarding population. But alas, it is half past 9, I must be getting to the trustees tea at Hogwarts. Minerva said that the trustees insisted I be present to offer my advice on how to run the school. Please, try the lemon drops I has Filius send you, they are absolutely delightful!" He finished, eyes twinkling. Dudley got the feeling that he found it funny that these trustees were asking for his help.
"Barmy old codger" Ron muttered under his breath, while helping himself to the aforementioned sherbet lemons as they left the library. Hermione, however, was not impressed by his revelations.
"Ron! You do not speak ill of the dead!" She hissed, scowling.
"That must be some muggle rubbish. In the wizarding world, you mourn the dead until they have a portrait. After that you can say what you like to them, because then they can defend themselves. Before that it's tacky." He said simply, as if Hermione should have known better.
"Oh I am so proud of you three! We have to celebrate, we'll invite the Order and Andromeda and Teddy and Augusta and Neville and Luna and all of your other little school friends for our happy little party! Oh it will be marvelous! Where's Kreacher, I must get the decorations and menu sorted out!" The older red headed woman, who Dudley assumed was Ron's mother, had nearly crushed the three of them in hugs as soon as she arrived, not noticing as they all winced in pain from the pressure on their many injuries. She seemed nice enough, though she shot Dudley a scathing look as soon as she stepped out of the fire place. He had been expecting nothing less from Ron's family, but it was a blow none the less. As several other red headed people stepped out of the fire, most turned to greet Harry; the only one who immediately slipped out of the kitchen was the only female child, and she hardly glanced at Harry before slipping away.
"Harry, I wanted your approval for some things Fred suggested for the shop. Another range of sweets, to use on your enemies. They only carry a mild hex or two apiece, but I've been charming then to stay on for at least a week. Mind I'll probably have to ask for houses before selling to Hogwarts students, wouldn't want the Slytherins to get a hold of these to be using on you lot because some of them are a right pain. My personal favorite is the Stinging Suckers, lollipops that make your bottom sting as if you just landed at twenty foot drop on it. Our testers were eating all meals standing up for 9 days! It was brilliant, just got to work out a few after effects. The Levitating Lovelies are only supposed to have you hoisted into the air a few times an house, but it was getting a bit ridicules, people hoisted into the air every other minute!"
"George, you're a genius. And you too Fred. I'd say that was a well spent 1000 galleons. Are Bill and Fleur coming along as well? Follow Ron if your hungry guys, he's about to eat me out of house and home. Nice pants Charlie, dragon hide? I guess they'd be pretty fire proof. Where did Ginny go, I just saw her come through!" Harry seemed disappointed when he realized that the girl had disappeared. He turned to Dudley with an annoyed look on his face
"And go tell your parents that if they want to eat, they will eat in the kitchen with the rest of us. I may have a servant but they will earn their keep while they're here. Maybe then they'll regret treating me like crap my whole life."
'This is possibly the most awkward dinner party I've ever been too. And I can't believe Mrs. Figg is one of them! I never would have guessed. Mom seems terrified though, and if dad doesn't stop being so rude I think some one will find it in their hearts to turn him back into a hamster. Hestia seems to be watching him.' Dudley looked around skeptically. He had seen Fred's mum magic the table into becoming a lot longer for all the guests and he thought she made the room bigger as well. There were dozens of people, many of which he recognized as "Order Members" from his year in hiding. It was by far the weirdest party he'd ever been to. Parties were normally happy and pleasant, but this one was depressing. People were crying everywhere, and holding each other as they remembered their fallen friends.
"F-Fred. It's j-just so hard with o-out you!" Ginny sobbed. Her brother George seemed to be comforting her, even though there were tears running down his face as he nodded at his brother. Dudley shuddered as he turned to the girl sitting across from him. She was a pretty girl, with a radiant smile and long flowing blonde hair. She has a glazed look on her face, as if she hadn't a care in the world. She was the only one at that party who looked truly happy, and was obviously comfortable with herself if the decorations she had adorned for the party were any indication; she was wearing some twisted form of radishes for earrings, and a necklace strung with beer corks.
"Hi, I-I'm Dudley, Harry's cousin. Who are you?" He asked her. She looked surprised and he half expected her to yell at him.
"Oh you're Harry's cousin? You treated him horribly as a child, didn't you? I'm Luna Lovegood, by the way." She replied dreamily. She talked about his treatment of Harry as if she was describing the shape of a cloud in the sky, as if it was simply the way things were.
"Erm— yeah, we kinda made up over that. It was how I was raised. I know that's not an excuse or anything but uh… yeah." Dudley was unnerved by this girl. She was his parents idea of all magic folk, wearing radishes or earrings and corks for a necklace, but she seemed nice none the less.
"Wrackspurt got your brain?" she said sympathetically. "They love parties, annoying little blighters they are. I think they particularly liked on of my professors, every time I would try to talk to him about some rare potions ingredient or specimen he never seemed to know what to say. I mean everyone knows the Crumple Horned Snorkack feathers cure werewolves! You'd think he'd be interested in finding them!" she said incredulously, as the greasy haired, hook nosed, scowling man snorted in the background. Dudley had a feeling that that was the teacher she was talking about. He decided that she was an oddball even by magical standards, judging by the looks all the other guests seemed to be giving her.
After leaving his seat he began to wander around. 'I'll just go get another one of these wonderful butter beers, they're wonderful. Oh— damn, now I've got wine on my shirt.' After bursting into tears while talking to a portrait, a breath-takingly beautiful girl had flung her arms around one of Ron's brother's necks (he assumed it was Ron's brother because he seemed to be related to every red haired person in London at the moment) and the contents of her wine glass had landed on Dudley's shirt. She began to apologize profusely in a thick French accent, but he assured her it was alright and headed off to change.
As Dudley wandered the halls of the huge house, he heard soft voices talking in the library. Dudley tip-toed up to the door, using the sneaking skilled he acquired while in hiding, and peered through the crack. As soon as he realized what he was spying, he regretted it.
It was Harry, sitting on a chair next to a large portrait. In the portrait were three very sad looking people; Dumbledore, who Dudley had met two year previously; Remus Lupin, who had stopped by occasionally when he was in hiding. The third person was a woman, who looked no older than twenty five, with bubblegum pink hair. Harry was holding a baby, presumably his god son judging by his fire engine red hair. He heard Harry talking softly, but had to strain to hear exactly what he was saying.
"…and you should see him chase after the butterflies, he loves them. His accidental magic was acting up the other day and he made one grow to be about a foot and a half long! It was brilliant. He definitely got a bit of both of you. He the spitting image of you, Tonks, when he metamorphoses. Same silly look of concentration. Cracks me up, it does. But he has your eyes, Remus. Definitely your eyes and I think your smile too. But that could be a mixture of the both of you…" Harry was saying softly, as he rocked the baby in his arms. Dudley could see the tears running down his face. 'Ahhhh, those are his parents. The ones who died in the battle. At least he will still be able to talk to them as he grows up, won't be as cut off as Harry.' Dudley thought solemnly.
"I'm sad that he won't have me to grow up with, and I won't have him to raise, but you Harry are the best thing for him now. He needs some one to look up to, like you haven't had in your life. You've got more than a bit of your father in you, and he is in your generation of Marauder, you know. Teach him how to raise a little hell and catch the pretty girls. I would be eternally grateful if you could help him like I never had the chance to help you." Said Remus softly. The baby was sleeping now and his mother was crying as she looked down on her son.
"I-I just hate how I'll never know him! He was my baby! My Teddy Bear! Oh, Remus!" she said as she flung her arms around his neck and cried harder. Even though they were painted on, you could see the love and sadness etched in every line in his face. Dumbledore lifted his dreary head to speak.
"There, there, Nymphadora. Erm— Tonks," he added, after the deadly glare she gave him. 'I take it she doesn't like her given name.' He thought with a smile. "Teddy will know you and Remus as Harry never knew Lily and James. Though it is small consolation for the loss the three of you have sustained, he can still come to your portraits if he wants to. And once Harry and Andromeda begin to tell him about his heroic parents and their extraordinary lives, there can be no doubt as to his eagerness to get to know you in the best way he can. Now Harry, I believe this is your party, and I expect you to go enjoy yourself. Hiding with your god son will not help you. You must accept your losses, and grow from them. I'm sure Tonks and Remus will gladly watch over Teddy as he sleeps, leaving you free to go enjoy yourself" Dumbledore said with a stern look. Harry wiped his tears and cracked a grin.
"Well I know an order when I hear one. I suppose it is kind of bad to leave in a party that's being thrown partly in my honor. But you all should stop by later, people want to see you too. After all we're all mourning you lot." He said with the same watery smile.
"We will, as soon as Dora stares Teddy down a bit as he sleeps I'm sure we'll make it. Go have fun now Harry." Said Remus gently, waving his hand in a shooing motion. Harry gently picked Teddy up and walked towards the door, and Dudley had just enough time to slink off into the shadows before Harry made it to the hallway and headed up to the nursery.
'This must be so hard for all of them. Half of the people they know have died. That little boy is an orphan, and Harry is more alone than ever. It seems like every person who ever could even begin to act like his parent had died on him. They probably feel the same as me when me and Harry were attacked by those Dementors. This is horrible. Maybe if I give them some chocolate it will help. That could definitely work. I think I'll try it.' Dudley thought, and tottered off to get some of the chocolate frogs that Dedulas had given him.