Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Chapter 5: Laying Low and Leaving.

Dudley having no idea how to act towards his mum tensed and silently continued his attempts to swing (which were slowly getting better). Petunia for her part was oblivious to the sudden tension, she just seemed happy to have made a new friend.

"I use to do this with my sister." She said absentmindedly.

"Use to?" Dudley asked staring at his feet.

"She prefers to play with that boy now." She replied with disdain in her voice.

"What boy?"

"The Snape boy that lives on Spinner's End. He's a creepy brat and has horrible clothes."

Dudley grimaced at the way his mother was acting. The superior attitude reminded him a lot of himself when he was a bully. "Come off it! He can't be that bad." He said, not really believing what she was saying.

"He is!" She snapped trying to defend her dislike for Snape as she turn slightly red again.

Dudley said calmly "Well I don't judge people from what I hear from others. I try to give them a chance."

"O... well if you do ever meet him I am sure you'll agree with me." She said almost sulkily.

Dudley just shrugged noncommittally and looked back up at the sky. "Was this all how it started? If I wasn't here she would just be brooding in the playground. Letting her jealous rot her heart.. until she wouldn't even give her nephew a little love." He thoughts swirled around in his as he stared blankly up at the cloudy blue sky.

"Are you alright?" Petunia asked softly.

Dudley jerked out of his thoughts and looked over at her. "Yeah, I am fine just zoned out." He said with a faint smile. "Though I better be going since I fancy that it's close to lunch time." With that he jumped off his swing and started heading back towards the orphanage.

"Oi, am I going to see you again?" Yelled Petunia as she got off her swing as well.

"yeah, I am sure of it!" He called back over his shoulder. "But I won't be seeing you." he added to himself. Even though he wanted to get to know this softer younger version of his mum. "I don't think I can without changing the future and I don't know the damage that I could cause. Which means the best coarse of action is to avoided everyone, so I will be laying low from now on."

-(September 1st)-

Rest of the few days until September first were uneventful. For most of the daylight he spent in his room flipping through the books that were stored in the trunk, with a hope of coming across something to do with the necklace. When he got bored of that he would go watch the telly with a few of the other kids or do some shadow boxing. During the night when he was unable to sleep he would escape his room using a tree outside his widow and take long walks through the neighborhood.

When September 1st came Dudley was extremely nervous. He had no clue to what was going to happen and he was literally in overdrive with panic. "What if they find out that I'm not magical and they throw me out! Then I will never be able to figure out what the necklace is! What if I already erased my existence from the future by just meeting my mum? What if I run into my Aunt and Uncle?" He was a complete mess on the inside but on the outside he looked calm even a little emotionless.

When the Prewetts had come picked him up that morning both of them were wearing normal clothing. Gideon had explained that they were going to apparated to some place in London then walking the rest of the way to King's Cross Station.

Once they got to the station Fabian dumped Dudley's trunk (that he had been carrying) onto a trolley and passed it to to him. "Alright so I will go first and then Gideon will go after you through the barrier. I suggest that you take it at a run since it's your first time." Fabian said briskly with a grin on his face. Then he turned on his heel and sauntered calmly straight into the barrier between nine and ten. Dudley quickly looked around to see if anyone else had noticed but everyone around them seemed to be absolutely oblivious to Fabian's disappearance.

"So ready to give it a go?" Asked Gideon quietly.

Dudley nodded nervously and pushed his cart forward. Even though the wall didn't seem as solid as it should it still looked like a brick wall. Which made his grip on the trolley turn white. "Well looking on the bright side if I just rush it and break my neck then I won't have to deal with a failed attempt at getting through." With this thought morbidly sitting in the forefront of his mind he charged the barrier. He snapped his eyes shut tightly before he hit the barrier- But nothing happened… Opening his eyes again, he screeched to a hault. To find himself on another platform.

Leaning against a near by wall Fabian said "Not so bad was it."

Dudley rolled his eyes at him and scanned his surroundings with interest. Next to the platform was a large scarlet steam engine puffing billows of smoke over their heads. There was a sign hanging from the ceiling that read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. The platform itself was packed with people. Trunks,owls and cats were scattered all over the place.

"Come on lets find you a place to sit." Said Gideon who had just came through the barrier.

They found empty compartment at the end of the train. Though neither of the brothers seemed to please that Dudley was determined to sit alone. Gideon finally conceded when Fibian muttered that someone would probably come looking for a less crowded compartment later so he wouldn't be spending the whole trip alone. They headed out saying that they had important auror business to do and would contact him during the holidays.

After they left Dudley made himself comfortable by the widow with his back in the corner. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back as he listened to bits of conversation that flowed through the slightly open window.

"Be good and make sure to write…"

"Course not I going to be finishing…."

"... fastest broom yet! But mum and dad…."

"..lost 5 galleons cause they didn't win…"

"..I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen- Maybe once I'm there- no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

Dudley frowned in thought. The nickname Tuney sounded familiar but he couldn't place it.

"I don't - want- to- go!"

Dudley eyes snapped open at hearing the voice of the younger version of his mum. But he didn't dare move encase he drew attention to himself. "She must be talking to my Aunt…" He thought to himself as he sank lower in the seat.

Petunia continued to talk. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a- a-" There was a pause and all he could hear was the bustle of the platform. "-you think I want to be a- a…" There was another pause. "I am going to go to the boarding school- so I don't need to learn magic!"

His Aunt seemed happy and relieved when she replied. "I'm sure you'll do great there, Tuney! And learn lots of things!"

The whistle of the train blow and he heard his Aunt shout that she would write, over the noise of kids clambering onto the train. Dudley sighed in relief as he felt the train start to move out of the station. "I never thought I would be avoiding my own mum... or Aunt for that matter." He thought grouchily to himself as he dug around to find the book on potions that he had kept out to read. But before he could start reading the door to his compartment slide open.

-(Author notes)-

Sorry for the longer wait on this one. Hope anyone that read this enjoyed and is willing to review. So he is off to Hogwarts hopefully it didn't seemed too rushed or anything.