Chapter Two
Dudley and Dumbledore
Harry lay on his bed listening to the sounds of his
Aunt and Uncle getting ready for their evening out.
Earlier in the day there had been a huge row because
Dudley had said he thought he was coming down with the
flu and wasn't well enough to go. Aunt Petunia had
immediately said that she would stay home and look
after her poor sick boy but Uncle Vernon had shouted
that Dudders was old enough to look after himself for
a few hours and he insisted that Petunia was going to
the dinner with him and that was an end of it. Later
harry heard Aunt Petunia in Dudley's room, checking up
on him Harry guessed.
"Now if you are feeling any worse you just call this number and Mummy wil come straight home to stay with you or take you to the doctor. O dear I wish I didn't have to leave you with that nasty boy in the next room, I don't know what he might do to you when we're not here. If he hurts you ... well"
"He won't hurt me Mum," Dudley answered sighing.
"Who knows what his sort will do? O there's your father calling I better go now, take care of yourself while I'm away, dinky duddidums,"
Harry wondered what Dudley was playing at, he didn't seem ill to Harry, he guesssed his cousin wasn't much interested in going to some boring dinner, but he usually did what his parents wanted. Just then the bedroom door creaked open and Dudley entered.
Harry Warily grabbed his wand from under the bed
clothes where he was hiding it. Dudley Shuddered but
didn't move. Harry simply laid his wand beside him on
the bed, and waited to see what Dudley would do.
dudley Blinked several times before asking, "Can I
talk to you Harry?"
"Sure," Harry answered, sitting up.
"Um well I've wanted to have the chance to talk to you
since, since you got back from school... you know,
without Mum and Dad listening in," Dudley said
hesitatingly.
"What about?" Harry asked.
"About... what happened ... last summer, about those things you ... it was awful, I still dream about it..."
"The dementors" said Harry, "I know, they are awful, I didn't make them come, I tried to stop them attacking you you know."
"I know, I think," Dudley answered appologetically.
Harry looked up in surprise. "I saw it all ... in a
dream ... there was something silver that came from
your, your..."
"My wand, yes," Harry answered, "It was a Patronus,
it's how you get rid of Dementors," How did you
explain things like that to a muggle? Harry didn't
know what to say.
"Uh yeah, well I just wanted to say thanks for helping me and ... um I'm sorry for thinking you ..."
"O it's ok," Harry answered.
"ugh those things were awful," Dudley said shivering,
"I couldn't talk to Mum and Dad about them, they
wouldn't understand but well you're a ... well you
know about them and," suddenly Dudley reached out and
clutched Harry's arm, "O what what, w was that? Do you
think there could be some here, now, coming in to get
us?"
Dudley had gone horribly pale and Harry's heart
suddenly lurched with pity. Shaking his head he
quickly replied, "I don't think so," "It sounds like
footsteps, could your parents be home already?" but he
knew somehow, he didn't know how, but whoever had just
entered the front door was magical, there was an
energy in the air that Harry instinctively recognised.
He also somehow knew this wasn't dark magic. Whoever
it was, wasn't trying to hurt him he didn't think,
still, better to be safe than sorry. "Let's go down"
he said, grabbing his wand from the mess of bedclothes
he had shoved it back under when he saw Dudley wasn't
about to do anything to him.
Dudley followed Harry down the steps, trying to hide behind him although he didn't have a chance of doing that. As soon as Harry saw who was standing in the front hallway he relaxed.
"It's ok Dudley, it's my headmaster from school," he whispered.
Professor Dumbledore was trying to dress as a muggle,
without much hope of passing for one. He wore bright
blue velvet pants and a yellow silk shirt with a black
felt hat and cowboy boots. The boys tried to hide
their smiles at his odd appearance.
"Ah Harry my boy, and this is your cousin Dudley,
pleased to meet you!" Professor Dumbledore held out
his hand to Dudley who tried to shrink behind Harry.
"O ... I'll just leave you to talk," said Dudley looking relieved as he headed back up the stairs.
"Wel Harry my boy if you pack up your things we can be on our wayDumbledore said.
"We, go where?" Harry said dazedly.
"We are going to Grimmauld place, I will wait here while you pack your things."
Harry took the hint and hurried upstairs. He threw things randomly into his trunk and had trouble closing it. He wasn't sure what to make of this sudden departure to Grimmauld place and he didn't really want to go there anyway, not after what had happened to Sirius. He just hoped Kreacher wouldn't be there.
"Are you going away, Harry?" Dudley asked as he came in.
"Yes it seems that way," Harry answered. He finished his packing and carried his trunk downstairs. He went back and collected Hedwig's cage, feeling glad that she was safely sleeping in there.
Dumbledore gave Dudley a note for his parents and Harry said goodbye to his cousin before Dudley turned and went back upstairs to his room.
Harry didn't know if his new friendship or whatever it was would last with Dudley, but at least they were being nice to each other. Harry thought that was kind of neat.
"Now we will send these on ahead," said Dumbledore interrupting harry's thoughts. Muttering a spell and vanishing Harry's things.
Remus Lupin was there to greet Harry at Grimmauld
place wen he and Dumbledore apparated there a few
minutes later. Harry greeted Lupin affectionately
feeling glad that Sirius had left the house to Lupin.
The three of them went to the kitchen and Harry
looking at dumbledore asked,
"Is there any reason why you brought me here sir? I mean I'm glad to leave the Dursleys and all that but usually I have to stay there for half the holidays or something and the Weasleys aren't here are they?"
"I will explain everything, but there is something I need to say to you first mhy boy, prepare yourself for a shock. I have discovered something which I had not expected and I think you will be pleased when you know...
"Albus please be careful. Harry, I think you should sit down." Lupin broke in. Harry ignored this his mind already racing.
" This is probably going to be a stupid question Harry chided himself, but instinct told him that somehow this had something to do with his dead godfather.
"Is ... is it something about Sirius, Sir?"
"Yes Harry. It seems that when Sirius realised he was falling through the veil he touched a portkey which he had in his pocket, I presume the plan was to portkey you away from the ministry if he could. Anyway the portkey took him to a safe, unplottable location, I will take you there presently. I thought that you would wish to spend the rest of the summer with him there, now that you know he is still alive."
Harry's stomach flipped over. Is this a joke? he asked himself? but no Lupin and Dumbledore wouldn't be that cruel. He gasped, feeling like he couldn't get enough air. Suddenly his knees buckled and he would have fallen had it not been for lupin grabbing him and sitting him in a chair. After several minutes Harry mustered the will to speak. He really didn't know what to say first. "Siriuss still alive?" Remus stood at Harry's side with a hand on his shoulder.
"I couldn't believe it either." He softly said. "But Harry I
assure you it's quite true." Harry needed to think.
Dumbledore had been sure he had died when he fell
through the veil. How could a wizard like Dumbledore
be so wrong about something as important as that?
Harry believed he had lost his Godfather forever.
"I know it is a great shock to you," said Dumbledore softly, "Have a sherbert lemon my boy," Harry didn't think the sweet would help much but he took it anyway.
"And when were you going to tell me?" Harry asked glaring at Dumbledore. He felt angry at being once again kept in the dark about something important.
"My dear boy, I had no idea until today. I too thought he was lost. He was afraid that if he contacted us before things settled down he would have put us in danger, especially you and also there were other matters he had to see to, but he will tell you about that I'm sure."
"I want to see him now," Harry said in a flat determined voice, shrugging off Lupin's hand.
"So you shall, take hold of this," Dumbledore. It read " galleon out of his pocket and extended it, the moment Harry touched it he felt the familiar jerk behind his navel.
A/N: sorry for taking so long to update it won't take me so long next time I promise. Thanks for the nice reviews I got.