CHAPTER 1

- Who is Dudley Dursley? -

The day started like any other. Petunia got up an hour before her husband or son and started preparing breakfast. Dudley had said he wanted pancakes for breakfast and, being a little tired, she did so hope he hadn't changed his mind.

She stared blankly at the flour for a few seconds before retrieving two boxes of the pre-made mix, she just didn't have the energy to make them from scratch today. A large can of peaches, cream, jam then sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and bread came out. Pancakes were never enough by themselves. Vernon ate a lot even for a fully grown man but Dudley could devour food seemingly without end. He was a big boy but, strangely enough, not the even the third largest in his year.

It was days like this that she actually missed the freak. The one thing he had been good for was doing chores and making breakfast. Of course she would never say such a thing aloud. Neither her son nor her husband had been fussed when he had disappeared. Vernon had been angry then worried at first and the cupboard under the stairs had never been cleaner. But when weeks had passed and no one had bothered to check their story, that relatives on the boys fathers side had come to collect, or asked after him the fear had been replaced with indifference.

Even Petunia, who at first had been upset to find herself doing a lot more chores, had been so pleased with Dudley's improving health and improved performance at school that she couldn't disagree that they were so much better off without the freak. Obviously the freak had been doing something to hold their son back. Something to do with his abnormal powers though she would never have admitted it even if it would have given her more ammunition against those people.

Dudley was now top in his class, had a bunch of very loyal friends and not a single enemy. No one ever said anything bad about her son. She was aware that he wasn't afraid to be a bit rough with his schoolmates but as Vernon said, it just helped to toughen them up. Of course he still got into the occasional bit of trouble but boys will be boys. Even Mr Grahams had apologised for yelling at Vernon that Dudley had thrown a huge rock through his brand new skyroof the previous year. Graham had been very apologetic and rather confused when he had discovered when he got home that the skyroof was in perfect condition. He had even brought over a very nice cognac as way of making amends. Petunia had felt a tinge of worry, the whole event seemed to reek of the freakishness that happened when the boy had been with them. She had prayed that it wasn't a sign that he was coming back but after months where things went back to normal she stopped worrying. Dudley was eleven now and the freak for gone for good.

"Mum."

"Good morning Dudley."

"Pancakes?" Dudley groaned.

"Oh sorry love. You changed your mind?"

Dudley shrugged, "Eh.. whatever. You got the lamb sausages I asked for?"

Petunia gave her son a bright smile, "Of course. The thick ones just like you asked. Four or five?"

"Six."

"Of course. Do you want to cook them?"

"Yeah. Move over."

She was so pleased when Dudley had started helping in the kitchen even if he only bothered cooking his share. The minutes passed till a heavy weight landing in one of the dining room chairs alerted the two cooks that they had company.

"Morning."

"Good Morning Dear. Did you sleep well?"

Vernon grunted, "Well enough. Morning Duds."

Dudley came in from the kitchen with two plates loaded with hot food. "Dad."

"Lloyd gave me a call last night. Polkis ended up in hospital. Broken wrist. What were you boys up to?"

Dudley gave a snigger, "Climbing trees. Dared him to climb a thin branch and the stupid boy tried it. Course it broke and he came down hard. Squealed like a pig."

Vernon chortled, "You seem to really have it in for that boy Dudley. Trying to toughen him up are you?"

"Good one, dad. Maybe I'm trying to knock some sense into his little brain."

Vernon shoveled some food onto his plate and then into his mouth before turning to the paper.

There was a light thud from the hallway followed by the snap of the mail slot closing.

"Get the mail, Dudley."

Dudley shoveled half a lamb sausage into his mouth and headed to the door. Collecting a couple of the dozen magazines he subscribed to, a postcard, a bill and a strange old style letter addressed to him.

At the table he took another mouthful of food before pushing the postcard and bill towards dad. He glanced at the magazines first. The issue of Soldier had an article on pistols and that was more interesting than what was probably just another invite to a school.

"What's that dear?" Petunia asked as Dudley finally got around to opening the letter.

Dudley shrugged, "Thought it was another invite to a school but is some sort of prank letter. School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stupid and not very funny."

Dudley slid the letter across the table as he turned back to his magazines and breakfast not noticing both his parents go pale.

There was a loud knock at the door.

There was silence at the table as Dudley worked on a large chunk of sausage. Curious as to why his parents hadn't responded to the door he looked up and noticed them both starring with horrified expressions at the letter.

Quickly swallowing his mouthful he asked, "What's wrong? Do you want me to get the door?"

Petunia shook her head rapidly, "No! Ignore them and they'll go away."

Dudley raised his eyebrows and there was another knock at the door. This one had a different rhythm and Dudley guessed that there was more than one person there. Faint voices from outside soon confirmed that.

"Mum? Dad? What's going on?"

"Vernon! What do we do? Do you think they want Dudley cause the freak run away?"

Vernon's face went from white to red in a split second, "Bugger that. They are not taking my son to that freak school." He rose from the table and strode off towards the front door.

Dudley went to follow but Petunia put a hand on his shoulder, "Wait here Dudley. Let Vernon handle it."

"Is this about the prank letter or something else?"

Petunia grimaced, "It's not a prank and I had hoped those freaks would leave us alone. You were pretty young when the freak left us so you might not remember the unusual things that would happen around him. There are more like him and they all go to a school where they learn how to do even weirder things. I'm a bit embarrassed to say it, but my sister, the freaks mothers, was one too. That's why we ended up with him when she went and get herself murdered."

Dudley blinked, "Murdered? I always thought you said that she died in a car crash."

Petunia shook her head, "That's just the story we tell people. We can hardly go around telling normal folks that my sister and her worthless husband went and got murdered by a dark wizard because of some stupid prophecy. Who would believe that?"

Dudley sat very still for a while and listened to the low angry tones coming from the hallway. Then he stood up and, ignoring his mother, left the dining room.

His voice cut through the conversation already in progress. Dudley was used to getting his own way, "Dad. I want to hear what they have got to say. You already told me I could choose which of the school and scholarships I wanted to accept. I want to hear every choice before I decide. If they aren't any good you know I wouldn't go there."

- Who is Dudley Dursley? -

It turned out that the two wizards and one witch that were visiting were more interested in the fate of his cousin than in his attending Hogwarts. Dudley would have been a bit insulted if he wasn't so caught up trying to imagine all the possibilities that magic could open up.

Vernon was once again repeating the story of how the freak, his cousin, had just vanished one night, many years ago. He was telling them that of course he had talked to the authorities. Vernon hadn't. How he had spent weeks asking around for the boy. He hadn't done that either.

Dudley didn't care, he wanted to test something, "I need to get something. I'll be right back."

He didn't wait for a reply but headed to his second bedroom and collected a few of his old broken toys and brought them back downstairs.

He looked at the old wizard with the twinkling eyes asked as he put them on the coffee table, "Can you do that trick you did with the vase after you broke it. Can you fix these as well?"

The old wizard with the sad eyes looked away from Vernon and gave a faint nod. With a wave of his wand the toys all became near new again.

Dudley tuned out the conversation once more as he examined the toys. Even the missing parts had been replaced.

"And how long will it last?"

The tall elderly severe looking lady spoke up, "The repairo charm is a permanent spell. It doesn't leave a magical charm so they will last as long as they could normally."

"And it will work on anything?"

She looked at him with questioning eyes, "Only on non living things constructed by thinking beings. It can't conjure any higher order metal and crystal but as long as all the parts are there it can fix most non magical things."

He nodded and turned to his dad, "Dad, can we had a private word."

Shortly thereafter Vernon returned with a very different attitude. Dudley could almost see the dollar signs in his fathers eyes. Dudley didn't care that much about the money making potential but it was a ways to an end. Now Vernon was the one asking all the questions and it was all about fees, scholarships and accommodation.

The three wizards, still a little shell shocked by the news that Harry Potter was not here put up less resistance than they might have otherwise and Dudley soon had a special offer of a place in front of him. That the old wizard had snuck in a clause about keeping quiet about the fate of Harry Potter didn't escape Dudley's or his father's notice. However, since both were of a mind to make sure that stayed secret anyhow, that wasn't a problem.

On the strength of a single low powerful spell Dudley managed to turn Vernon's whole attitude around. The struggle to convince Petunia did, of course, take much longer.

- Who is Dudley Dursley? -