Dudley Dursley - New Place, New Experiences

A large stone pigpen towered over them as their car climbed the hill at a village, Ottery St. Catchpole. Dudley could see a few chimneys haphazardly added here and there. The bunch of rooms looked like they'd collapse anytime soon. Dudley was shocked to see his cousin and the others taking his luggage right into this place!

"What's wrong, Big D?" Harry called from the entrance.

Dudley stared at him. "Where is the house, and why are we here?"

"This is the house, Big D. Now, get in." Harry walked in.

Dudley knew that behavior. It was obvious Harry had learnt that from his parents. Petunia and Vernon discouraged questions of any kind. And if you asked one too many questions, they'd just walk away without answering you if you were Harry and were lucky that day. Worst case scenario, they'd punish you for it. So, Dudley made his way towards the Burrow.

The car had been parked at the gate, just within the protective enchantments set upon the Burrow. The garden was overgrown and vastly different from what Dudley was accustomed to at Privet Drive. It slowly dawned upon him that the falling structure called the Burrow was held together probably by magic. As he walked closer, he could see inside through a window.

The Floo Network flared and some people appeared.

One of the twins that had given Dudley that near fatal toffee when he was 14 sat with one ear. The rest of the family surrounded him.

There was a redheaded man with scars over his face, standing next to a stunningly beautiful French girl. A similar redheaded man with scars over his face and arms, but shorter than his brother, sat next to the twin, trying to reason with him. There was a third redheaded man with glasses who pointed to Dudley. That's when George Weasley saw Dudley Dursley.

"He works for me? And you think this is some brilliant joke?" George asked.

"No, George." A balding man who Dudley recognized as the father spoke. A redheaded woman of his age, who Dudley assumed to be the mother, seemed to be weeping silently.

"I am the one who should be protesting! You nearly killed me! Why should I trust you?" Dudley retorted.

"So, why are you here?" George stood up, angry and defiant.

Dudley made to answer but Harry interrupted, "George, I told him he can work for you. You were in need of an employee anyway, right?"

Dudley could see Ron, Ginny, and Hermione not getting involved in this. It seemed like they would get involved only when they had to - such as if he posed a threat to Harry. That was probably why George was treating him like this. All the Weasleys stared at him with undisguised pity and dislike.

"Yeah, the old one's left. There was a bloody war! I am looking for someone. But this boy...?"

Dudley fumed when he was called a boy. He was no child. But Harry seemed to exert a powerful influence over the family. He calmly told George that Fred would've wanted him to continue running the shop.

"I am sorry for what Fred and I did to you. But you should know that we did that because of the way you muggles treat Harry!" George said and collapsed on the couch all of a sudden, his shoulders shaking, his head bent.

Dudley swallowed. Yes, he was going to make amends no matter come what may. He had apologized to Harry. He was ready to make it clear that his apology was sincere.

"I know... I regret it... I'm sorry about..." Dudley croaked, but Harry cut in.

"Dudley has already apologized, George. Please don't make him apologize again."

"I thought it was just Percy?" George looked at Harry with confusion.

"No, it applies to everyone." Harry said, turning pink. "I don't see people as superior or inferior. Forgiving or not forgiving Percvy is up to you all."

"You are part of the Weasley family, Harry!" Ron protested and smirked at Harry's pink face.

"What of your cousin, then?" George asked.

"Well, again, I don't hate..." Harry turned to Dudley, "...you, Big D. I brought you here because you insisted you wanted to make amends and make things between us better. For me, your sincere effort in that is enough. I do not want any grand apologies."

"All the same. How do we trust you, Dudley?"

"Ginny?" Harry said exasperatedly. Ginny had been asking this since before Vernon and Petunia had left for the station.

"No, she is right. Tell me, Harry. What can I do to train your trust?"

"Listen to Percy rambling about Cauldron Bottoms for five hours straight!" George snarled.

"Okay." Dudley looked relieved. "Who is Percy?"

A pink faced Percy said, "He is joking, Dursley. Neither am I so boring nor do you have to do anything of the sort."

Percy coughed and regained his compsure, "I'm glad to see George returning to his former self. I told you, Mother. With changes made, we can help George."

"Oh, my sweet boy!" Molly purred at her third eldest son, and kissed George's forehead. Pink with embarrassment, George protested, "Mum, gerroff me! I am an employer now! I'm discussing wages and business here!"

"So, it's settled then. Why don;t you open the shop tomorrow morning?" Arthur said cheerfully.

"What's going on?" Dudley asked Harry. But he got no answer. It wasn't a problem, because soon, Dudley would anyway discover for himself that the Weasleys were far different from the ordinary, dull, monotonous, and even boring people he had known all his life.

Harry had brought his face close to Ginny's. Looking at this made Dudley gag.

"Ha! Typical brother!" Charlie snickered. "That's my sister your brother is hanging out with there!"

"Okay, now, let's get serious." Bill said. "As much as I love and prefer this fun, we need to discuss Dudley's accommodation, payment, shift timings, and other financial matters."

"I have put all the load on you, right, Bill?" Arthur said sadly. After Fred's death, all the important household matters had gone from Arthur and Molly's hands to Bill and Fleur's, and they were only realizing now how much that burdened the young couple.

"Not at all, Dad!" Bill protested calmly. "Have you and Mum had your medicines yet?"

Molly shook her head. Dudley couldn't comprehend how Fleur managed to appear in front of Molly and Arthur barely a second later with their tablets and two glasses of water. He supposed it was because she was magical.

"Have you worked before? Usually our shop opens at ten in the morning and closes at one for lunch. Then, from two in the afternoon till eight in the evening, our shop is open. This will be your work hours. Until I hire new staff, I'm afraid you'll work seven days a week."

"That's fine." Dudley said. He was excited about living independently. He wanted to work hard and also get to know the wizarding world better.

It was set. Dudley would live in the shop once the shop got cleaned and renovated over the next few weeks. Dudley would sleep in the living room of the Burrow (Harry and Ron slept in Ron's room, while Hermione and Ginny slept in Ginny's room. Harry's and Hermione's trips to the other room in the dead of the night was strictly confidential).

Dudley sent an owl to his parents, updating them on everything. It was finally June by the time Dudley moved in to Fred's room above the shop. It had been vacated fully to accommodate Dudley's things. As Dudley set up his things, he chuckled at the look of any witch or wizard who looked at the muggle posters and prodded the people in the posters to move.