A/N: For some reason I had two versions of Chapter 12 marked as 12 and 13 in my files so the last chapter was originally a copy of Chapter 12. It's been fixed now so go back and read it if you haven't yet.

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With Summer beginning to wane and the next school year just around the corner, Dudley found himself sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, enjoying a nice ice cream Sunday in the balmy summer weather. He was also enjoying the eye candy of the young witches walking about and doing their shopping before Hogwarts.

Beside him, Draco is doing the same. The Malfoy Scion and he have been chatting casually for a good half an hour now, speaking about this and that and about what they'd gotten done over the summer, while at the same time pointing out the witches who were growing into their bodies, who were beginning to look more and more appealing.

Normally, Dudley would have watched such talk given the present company they were keeping. Not but a table away from them sat Hermione Granger with Crabbe and Goyle. The brunette witch had taken up the task of helping the two dimwits work through the last dregs of their over-the-summer schoolwork, all of the last minute essays that their Professors had been sure to assign them.

Frankly, it was a testament to Hermione's work ethic and how hard she'd worked on Crabbe and Goyle the year before that the two boys had even done all of their essays before today. In the end, all Hermione was doing now was reading them over and making corrections where she could conceivably make them, effectively peer reviewing their work.

The trio were currently sharing a large bowl of ice cream, though Crabbe and Goyle had undeniably consumed the majority of the mostly destroyed mountain of scoops at this point, with Hermione daintily slipping in her spoon every once in a while oh so absently while reading over their work.

She fussed over them like a mother hen, acting like they were hopeless and helpless… but at the same time, that didn't stop the two bulky Pureblood wizards from getting their licks in. As a lull takes place in Dudley and Draco's conversation, the two finding themselves between topics, they both inadvertently tune in to what Crabbe, Goyle, and Hermione are currently talking about.

"Oh yeah, hey Granger. Remember how you said you didn't believe us when we told you that your kind was called mudbloods and always had been?"

Stiffening a little bit, Hermione frowns as she looks up from the essay, making eye contact with Goyle.

"I still don't think I do, Gregory. It sounds… quite rude."

Here, Crabbe jumps in.

"Well, ya did ask why we called you our little mudblood, didn'tcha?"

Her shoulders slumping a bit, this being a conversation that Hermione had clearly had with the boys before, Hermione rubs her forehead with her fingers.

"Yes Vincent, I did. But I asked more for the purposes of getting you both to see why you shouldn't call me that than anything else…"

Like a one-two punch, this is where Goyle comes back in, a somewhat dopy attempt at a conniving smile on his pudgy face.

"Nah, see… that's where you're wrong, Mione. We asked our das and they said it's the proper, traditional name. Been used for centuries as official text for witches and wizards who came from purely muggle families, they did."

Crabbe nods right alongside his fellow Pureblood wizard, backing him up even as Hermione frowns.

"That's… I'm sure that's not right. Everything I've been told says that mudblood is a slur. I know you boys don't mean it that way, I know you use it with affection, but that doesn't make it right…"

Crabbe and Goyle share a look, and then Goyle brings out a rather large book from under the table, a full-blown tome that he slaps down next to the decimated bowl of ice cream, causing Hermione to jump and blink at it with owlish eyes.

"But that's just it see… we went and got a sy-tay-tion. Found this book explaining traditions and things."

Crabbe nods his head emphatically as he reaches out to tap the book.

"Yeah, was written by a Hogwarts Headmaster and everything. Take a look for yourself, Granger!"

They're undeniably bringing out the big guns now, hitting Hermione in her weakest spot… her trust of authority and her love for books. With a somewhat incredulous look on her face but also curiosity in her eyes, the bookish brunette reaches over and takes hold of the tome, sliding it in front of herself and opening it to the bookmark that Goyle and Crabbe have so helpfully provided.

Tracing her fingers across the old, weathered script, Hermione mutters under her breath.

"To be a mudblood is not necessarily a case of being less than a pureblood… merely different. In point of fact, mudbloods breathe new life into our society, bringing more to the wizarding world with their new thinking. So long as mudbloods understand that they must work to earn the privilege of living with magic alongside of those of us who came before them, then they should be more than welcome."

By the time she's done reading out the passage, Hermione's tone is downright disbelieving. It's not that she doesn't trust the boys… she just doesn't want them to be right. And yet, when she turns back to the front of the book it's there, plain as day.

"Written by Phineas Nigellus Black, Head of the Most Ancient House of Black… and Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 1896."

Sitting back in her chair, Hermione looks downright gobsmacked, staring down at the book with a mixture of betrayal and confusion on her face, like she doesn't know WHAT to believe anymore.

"It'snot that mudblood is a bad word, it's that it's… what's that one phrase?"

Letting out a sigh, Hermione answers Goyle's incredibly leading question.

"Politically Correct."

"Yeah that. Mudblood ain't bad, it's just politically incorrect to use it now. But like our das told us, that's only because some Pureblood wizards thought it wasn't right and tried to change it to muggleborn. And the mudbloods back then just sort of went along with what the pureblood wizards in charge at the time wanted."

Crabbe jumps back in again, nodding once more in support of Goyle's words.

"Yeah, but like… isn't muggleborn WORSE when you really think about it? Like, loads worse. Like saying you ain't a proper wizard or witch. Instead, you're 'muggleborn'."

Goyle nods right along with Crabbe at that, the two Pureblood Wizards looking quite chuffed with themselves as Hermione can't help but smile a little proudly at them. After all, the amount of effort and work they'd put into this impromptu research project over the summer… wasn't it what Hermione had been trying to drill into their heads all year long last year?

"I… I suppose you might be right…"

Eyes lighting up, the two share another glance before Goyle leans forward eagerly.

"So it's alright then if we call you our little mudblood witch, yeah? After all, you know we don't mean no harm by it. And it is what you are."

Looking back down at the book for a long moment, Hermione's shoulders ultimately slump and she gives a small nod. Crabbe and Goyle cheer, with Crabbe pointing a finger at her triumphantly.

"That's our little mudblood witch! Knew you'd come around after we explained things, since you're so smart and stuff!"

Hermione lets a small smile drift across her face at that, before returning to reviewing their essays while the two boys order another bowl of ice cream to celebrate a job well done.

Dudley, meanwhile, can't help but be a little amazed and when he makes eye contact with Draco he sees a look of sheer bewildered delight on the Malfoy Scion's face as well. Both boys have to cover their mouths with their hands and hold in their laughter as best they can as the full reality of what they just witnessed hits them, lest Hermione hear them and figure out that they're laughing at her.

Still, could you really blame them? It's not like either boy ever expected to see Crabbe and Goyle of all people talking circles around Hermione Granger, and not only that, but convincing her to concede that muggleborn was the insult and mudblood was the 'proper' language… it was inspiring, truth be told. And all thanks to Hermione's own efforts in educating the two boys as well, which made it even better.

Dudley in particular is utterly chuffed by the gaslighting he just witnessed. Especially given the amount of activism Hermione had done in the other timeline from what he remembered. And ESPECIALLY given that he was pretty sure neither Crabbe nor Goyle knew what the hell gaslighting even meant. The fact that they'd just pulled that off… it was pretty phenomenal.

Regardless, the moment comes to a close and Dudley once again finds his eyes wandering over to the nearby bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, where all of the young witches bound for Hogwarts seemed to be gathering excitedly. His eyes are focused on the ass of a particular witch that's probably a year or two his senior when Draco suddenly pipes up again, his own eyes glued on the gaggle of girls as well.

"So, my father mentioned Potter a lot over the summer. How odd it was that he wasn't at Hogwarts, how hopefully he wouldn't ever show up."

Dudley blinks, not looking over at Draco, but giving the Malfoy Scion some of his admittedly divided attention.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he says that things are better without the Potters in the picture. Apparently, House Potter was this really annoying house back before you and I were born. The Dark Lord killed the Boy-Who-Lived's grandparents early in the war, and then James Potter died at the end. But there's still Harry Potter's mom to consider."

Dudley just hums, paying Draco more attention now, but not much more. It's an interesting topic… but also there are girls to be ogling. Luckily, Draco doesn't hold it against him, continuing on in the same casual tone as previously.

"If Lily Potter ever recovered, or if Harry Potter showed up as the heir of House Potter as one of them late bloomers like your mom, well… things could get pretty bad again, my dad says. He says it would be better if House Potter stayed in the past."

Dudley can't help but quirk a corner of his mouth up at that, and he tilts his head in Draco's direction, making the other boy glance his way as well before he responds.

"Better for who, exactly?"

Draco flushes a little bit, but takes the ribbing good naturedly all the same, while also smirking slightly.

"It's 'Better for whom'… and for everyone, I imagine. Sure, House Malfoy benefits from having the Minister's ear and what not, but are we not the stewards of the Wizarding World? When we do well, the Wizarding World does well. Or at least… that's what my dad says."

Dudley just nods along at that, humming to himself and not disagreeing with Draco whatsoever. After all, regardless of what tomfoolery he and his mom had gotten up to with the Potter Accounts over the summer, Draco is still the closest thing Dudley has to a patron and a friend. He's not looking to harm his relationship with the Malfoy Scion, not yet anyways.

It is a little funny to hear about Draco's dad and how afraid he is of Harry through Draco himself though. It sounds like Lucius Malfoy is practically shitting his pants at the thought of a Boy-Who-Lived taking up his titles and becoming head of House Potter. If Lord Malfoy is willing to talk to Draco about these sorts of things, perhaps to prepare the boy or something for such an eventuality, then he must be very worried indeed.

Luckily, Dudley was relatively unconcerned about the possibility. With all that he'd done to secure his own family's ascendancy at the expense of both Harry and Lily… he wasn't worried one bit. And he hadn't even had to kill either of them to do it either. Harry Potter would grow up as a completely mundane and boring squib, his magical core gone from him and placed within Dudley.

Meanwhile, Aunt Lily would never cast magic again, not one single time for the rest of her life. Instead, it would be her older sister who got to cast spells, as should have been Petunia's right as firstborn in the first place if the world were a fair and just place.

Ultimately, House Potter was defunct. There would be no Boy-Who-Lived rising from the ashes and coming in late to 'save the Wizarding World from itself'. Voldemort was still a problem that Dudley figured he'd have to deal with, but ultimately he was far more inclined to stick himself in the Wizarding World's current power structure and ingrain himself there rather than upsetting the order of things and turning the whole world on it's head like he'd seen Harry do from the outside looking in.

With Lily disabled, with Harry magicless, and with Hermione learning her proper place, none of the greatest movers and shakers of the Rights Movement from the past timeline would be there to do a single damn thing. And that was just fine by Dudley. After all, HE wasn't a muggleborn… and anyone who said he was could take it up with his good friend, Draco Malfoy.

"Well, we'll have to keep an eye out I suppose, but I'm sure we've got nothing to worry about. After all, even if Potter does show up later on… he'll be untrained, right? We'll be the ones with a full Hogwarts Education under our belts after all."

Draco blinks as if he hadn't considered that and then tilts his head in acknowledgment of Dudley's words. A moment later, he hums appreciatively in his throat.

"Oh my… is that Susan Bones. Look how she grew over the summer."

Dudley quickly locates the red head in question and whistles appreciatively at the jubilees that she's sprouted in between the end of last year and now. It's most impressive, and given her relative youth, she still has a LOT more growing to do, hopefully. Grinning, Dudley leans over and pokes Draco with his elbow.

"Guess there's SOME value coming out of Hufflepuff after all, eh?"

The other boy, who couldn't go a week without finding a chance to disparage the House of Badgers, lets out a surprised bark of laughter at Dudley's words and shakes his head ruefully.

"I suppose so…"

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