A/N: I used some dialogue from DH, anything you recognize isn't mine obviously lol and JKR wrote it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter unfortunately, please don't sue me because I'm broke and would probably lose.
For the first time since that incident the summer he turned fifteen, Dudley was scared out of his mind.
He was sitting on a sofa in his sitting room, fiddling with his jacket's zipper as his father and cousin argued with each other. Harry was saying something about Dudley and his mum and dad being in danger, but Dudley couldn't understand why - What would this evil "lord" guy his cousin kept going on about want to do with a bunch of normal people?
He remembered a few weeks ago, when that red haired man who blew up the very sitting room they were in now a couple years ago, along with that guy who was always trailing after the Minister, showed up to explain some "spell" that was protecting them, that would break when Harry turned seventeen, and then they would all be in danger.
Why they would be in danger from Harry's lot, Dudley had absolutely no idea.
"-Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it, as well," Harry was saying, looking more and more impatient. "Once I'm seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. The Order is sure Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."
Dudley went pale. What the hell was going on in that world, that he would be tortured for information on something they barely knew anything about?
"You've got to go into hiding, and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection. The best there is."
Dudley felt himself agreeing more and more with what Harry was saying. He wanted to go with his Order-thing, whether they were all freaks or not, if it kept him from being tortured or held hostage.
"I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" Vernon asked, and Dudley snapped his head up as his dad's words. It wasn't like him, to dare utter the world "magic".
"There is."
"Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me, that as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harbouring a marked man, we ought to qualify for government protection!"
Dudley was surprised to see Harry laugh.
"You heard what Mr. Weasley and Kingsley said," he answered sharply. "We think the Ministry has been infiltrated."
Dudley watched his uncle pace back and forth in front of the fireplace, and asked about that Kingsle bloke who was always following around the Minister.
"Well, he's taken," Harry rolled his eyes, seemingly gritting his teeth. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job."
"If we've ever seen CVs-"
Vernon seemed to have hit the end of Harry's patience. Dudley watched with wide eyes as his cousin walked over, gesturing to the large TV above the fireplace.
"These accidents aren't accidents," he hissed. "The crashes and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it - Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills muggles for fun."
Dudley felt his breath hitch. He was a muggle - He knew enough about Harry's world by now to remember that was the word these used for normal people like him.
But even after hearing that, nothing could have prepared him for Harry's next words.
"Even the fogs, they're caused by dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"
Dudley felt his parents and cousin all turn their eyes on him as he turned even more pale, if possible, and jerked his head up to cover his mouth. He was barely able to get his words out.
"There are… More of them?" he croaked.
Harry laughed again. "More?" he said. "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are, there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair-"
Dudley's mother made made a choking noise as she turned to look at him, whose eyes had gone wide.
He knew one thing for certain - He never wanted to come across one of those things, ever again.
"All right, all right!" Vernon said, flustered. "You've made your point-"
"I hope so," Harry snapped. "Because once I'm seventeen, aloof them - Death Eaters, dementors, maybe even Inferi - Which means dead bodies enchanted by a dark wizard - Will be able to find you ans will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."
Dudley was breathing heavily as he stared at Harry. He had made up his mind - He wanted to go with these Order people, he didn't want to have to see enchanted dead bodies or dementor things or whatever the hell those Death Eater things were.
He wanted to go with Harry's people. With that Order thing he was talking about.
Vernon didn't seem as convinced, though, and he continued to argue with Harry about his work, and Dudley's school, which was frankly the very last thing on Dudley's mind at the moment.
"Don't you understand?" Harry shouted, nearly causing Petunia to jump. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!"
That was it for Dudley.
"Dad!" he called out loudly to get his father's attention. "Dad - I'm going with these Order people."
He thought he saw a hint of a smile on his cousin's face.
"Dudley," Harry said. "For the first time in your life, you're talking sense."
Dudley had a feeling the argument was over - There was no way his mum and dad would leave him alone with random people they considered freaks, right?
"They'll be here in about five minutes," Harry told them shortly, and left the room.
Dudley stared down at the floor. Colour was finally returning to his face since it seems like Vernon was finally agreeing to the protection from this Order thing.
The next couple minutes were of incredibly awkward silence between the three Dursleys. Harry had told them the night before to pack lightly, so Dudley put his favourite video games in a backpack, and then after second thought shoved a few changes of clothes in there, as well. That bag was currently leaning against the wall outside the sitting room, along with a small bag his mum had reluctantly packed last night.
The doorbell rang after a moment, and the three of them stared at each other. Dudley had a feeling it was people from the Order - Maybe that redhead guy and the Ministry bloke. None of them made any movement to answer the door, however, but thankfully Harry was already running downstairs and he answered it for them.
Dudley heard voices coming from the direction of the front door, but he couldn't really make out what they were saying, until they got closer and he heard an unfamiliar voice greet them.
"Good day to you, Harry Potter's relatives!" a cheerful and somewhat high-pitched male voice called out. A smaller man with bright green robes and a top hot greeted them, a large smile on his face.
Dudley leaned into his mum, who was staring at the man in horror herself. Dudley couldn't help but agree with her - He really did look quite peculiar.
Then again, looking peculiar seemed to be the norm for Harry's lot.
A woman who looked around Petunia's age, maybe a bit younger, followed the small man and Harry into the sitting room. She looked to be a bit more sensibly dressed - She was simply wearing a black jumper and pants.
"I see you are packed and ready, excellent!" the man said. "The plan, as Harry has told you, is a simple one," he pulled a pocket watch from a small pocket in his waistcoat and examined it. "We shall be leaving before Harry does. Due to the danger of using magic in your house - Harry still being underage, it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest him - We shall be driving, say, then miles or so, before disapparating to the safe location we have picked out for you."
Dudley could barely keep up with what the main was saying, he didn't even know half of those words.
"You know how to drive, I take it?" he said to Vernon politely, and Dudley winced.
"Know how to-" Vernon spluttered. "Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!"
"Very clever of you, sir, very clever, I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," the man said kindly as Vernon muttered venomous words under his breath.
Dudley watched as his cousin spoke to the witch and wizard in front of them, catching words here and there. Something about a change in a plan, some mad eye (?) and that "apparation" thing again.
Then, a voice screeched, "hurry up!" and Dudley jumped back in as the odd man pulled that pocket watch out again, and he realised it had come from that thing.
"Quite right, we're operating on a very tight schedule," the man said briskly as he put his watch away again and turned to face Harry. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's disapparation, Harry, thus the charm breaks at the moment you all head for safety," he glanced over at Dudley and his parents again. "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"
The woman looked awkward. "Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," she muttered.
So that was his name. What an odd name for an… Interesting person.
"There's no need," Harry said shortly as Vernon cut him off.
"Well, this is good-bye, then, boy."
If he wasn't scared out of his mind, Dudley normally would have laughed at the incredibly awkward half handshake between his father and cousin.
"Ready, Diddy?" Petunia asked him as she fastened the clasp on her handbag.
Dudley didn't answer, he was still staring at Harry and the two Order people.
There were so many things that didn't make sense in his mind - But one thing he was thinking about was why Harry wouldn't be coming with them.
Surely, Harry would be safe with these two Order people, right? Just like Dudley would be safe?
He vaguely heard his father call for him, but he didn't answer, instead mumbling, "I don't understand."
"What don't you understand, popkin?" his mum asking worriedly.
"Why isn't he coming with us?" Dudley asked, jerking his head towards his cousin.
"What?"
"Why isn't he coming, too?" Dudley repeated. He was vaguely aware of Harry chuckling, but he didn' care.
"Well, he - He doesn't want to," Vernon said as he glared at Harry. "You don't want to, do you?"
"Not in the slightest," Harry answered, sounding amused.
"There you are," Vernon said said shortly. "Now come on, we're off."
Dudley didn't follow his father, instead he continued to stare at his cousin.
He didn't understand why Harry wouldn't be coming with them. Surely, Dudley and his family would be getting top protection, right? If they were being hunted down by some freak, right? Then why wouldn't Harry be coming with them? Wouldn't it be safer for him if they were all together?
"But where's he going to go?"
There was complete silence for a few moments as Dudley's parents turned to stare at each other, bewildered.
The woman broke the silence. "But… Surely, you know where your nephew is going?" she asked.
"Certainly we know," Dudley's dad answered briskly. "He's off with some of your lot, isn't he? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."
Dudley was about to finally follow his parents, but stopped in his place when he heard the woman's indigent voice call out, "Off with some of our lot?"
Dudley winced again as Harry assured her that it was fine.
"Doesn't matter?" the woman said, her voice rising with annoyance directed towards Dudley's family. "Don't these people realise what you've been through? What danger you're in?"
Dudley frowned. What danger could his cousin possibly be in that was different from the danger Dudley and his parents were in?
"-Unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti-Voldemort movement?" the woman finished.
"Er - No they don't," Harry said. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually, but I'm used to-"
Dudley didn't know what he was saying before he spoke up. "I don't think you're a waste of space."
Dudley turned red as soon as he said it, but all he was thinking about was the time Harry saved him two summers ago.
"Well… Er… Thanks, Dudley," Harry said awkwardly.
"You saved my life," Dudley mumbled.
"No really," Harry chuckled. "It was your soul the dementor would have taken…"
If anything, that freaked out Dudley even more. He didn't understand how it would be possible for a person to live without their soul, and he certainly didn't want to find out.
Dudley's mum burst into tears, and he watched as the Order woman rolled her eyes as Petunia rushed over and embraced Dudley.
"S-so sweet, Dudders," she sobbed. "S-such a lovely b-boy… S-saying thank you…"
"He hasn't said thank you at all!" the woman said. "He only said he didn't think Harry was a waste of space!"
"Yeah, but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" Harry said with a slight laugh.
Dudley was still staring at Harry when his father stormed into the living room again.
"Are we going or not?" he roared. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"
The man, Dedalus, pulled himself together. "Yes - Yes, we are. We really must be off. Harry-"
Dudley watched with a bemused expression as Dedalus firmly shook his cousin's hand. "Good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."
Dudley choked. Why the hell would a seventeen year old be expected to save the world?
He was starting to think there was a lot to Harry that he had no idea about.
"Farewell, Harry," the woman said, also shaking his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."
"I hope everything's okay," Harry said, and Dudley flinched when Harry's eyes landed on himself and his mum.
"Oh, I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," Dedalus said brightly, and Vernon snorted.
Doubtful… Dudley thought.
Dudley finally pushed himself away from his mum and gingerly made his way to Harry, holding out his hand.
"Blimey, Dudley," Harry said over Petunia's crying. "Did the dementors blow a different personality into you?"
Dudley flinched at the mention of the dementor things.
"Dunno," he murmured. "See you later. Harry."
"Yeah…" Harry said, shaking his hand. "Maybe. Take care, Big D."
Dudley rushed back over to his parents after the awkward moment with his cousin. His mum was still crying into her handkerchief, and muttered a quick, "good bye" to Harry, and then marched towards the door. Dudley followed her quickly, sparing one last glance at his cousin, before stepping outside of 4 Privet Drive for what could possibly be the final time.