A New Outlook
Chapter 1 - A change of view and training partners
It was 2 days since Harry had returned from Hogwarts to spend the summer with his aunt, uncle and cousin. He had hardly moved from out of his room since he'd come back and hadn't spoken a word. His aunt and uncle were delighted that Harry was obviously so miserable. However, Harry couldn't quite understand Dudley's attitude. It seemed like he wanted to talk to him, but Harry just assumed that he wanted to laugh at him alone.
Bored stiff, Harry decided to go for a walk in the park just down the road. He was just leaving, when he saw Dudley come out of the kitchen.
"Where you going?" Dudley asked.
"Walk in the park. Coming?" Dudley looked at him, surprised, and then he heard his mom's voice from upstairs.
"Dinky Duddykins, where are you? Mummy's got a lovely surprise for you."
"Let's go" said Dudley immediately. They walked quickly into the park.
"So, how was school?" Dudley asked
"Why do you care?" responded Harry, harshly
"Cause you're down, Harry. You're really miserable. I want to know if I can help." Harry was shocked. He looked at Dudley as if he'd never seen him before.
"Are you feeling ok? Do you want to go to the doctors?" Harry asked him, incredulously.
"You don't understand, Harry. I'm a changed man. I'm not the same guy you knew."
"Go on" Harry told him
"Well, last year, around Christmas, I got hauled into the headmaster's office again. I'd really laid into this kid. I should've been expelled. But they gave me a chance. They said I had to go and see the school psychiatrist every lunchtime or get expelled. Now, I wasn't really up for seeing a shrink, but Smeltings was dad's old school. If I got expelled, it would've crushed him. So I said I'd see the shrink. And I tell you something, Harry, it opened my eyes. I realised what a cunt I'd been all my life. I learned to look from the point of view of the person who I'd beaten up or bullied and I broke down completely in her office a few times. But she was great. I called all the old crowd together, and I told them that I was quitting."
"Bet they loved that"
"Yeah, tell me about it. Ambushed me next day."
"What happened?"
"Broken jaw, cheek and nose and a concussion."
"Nasty. You seem to have healed well."
"No, no. That was them. I got a nasty nosebleed though." They both started laughing.
"Listen, Harry, I know now that I was a twat to live with and a horrible person. I know it's not worth much but I'm sorry. I really am, and also I never thank you for saving my life last year. So, thanks." Dudley finished, looking nervously at Harry.
"You're right, Dud, its not worth much. But I'll take it anyway. " They both grinned and shook hands.
"Well, you know what happened to me. What about you?"
"My godfather was murdered trying to protect me." Harry said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. This is why you've been so miserable, I guess"
"Well, yes but it was my fault. He didn't need to come to help. He.(explains how Sirius died - if you can't remember it re-read OotP.)
"Harry, I didn't know your godfather or anything about your world, but can I just give you my impressions?" Harry nodded, and Dudley continued. "From what you've told me, it didn't at all sound like your fault. You wouldn't have asked Sirius to come and help but he did anyway. It shows how much he cared about you. He would've gladly given his life to help you." Harry looked up. "What kind of a guy was he? Was he funny? Serious? Laid back?"
"I guess he was pretty serious at the end but funny as well, certainly didn't care about danger, but when he was younger he was a real prankster."
"Would he want you be sitting here wallowing in guilt for something that wasn't your fault, could do nothing about then and can't do anything about now?"
"No, he wouldn't" Said Harry in a strong voice. "He'd want me to be enjoying myself, living my life, having fun."
"Exactly" Dudley told him, "What was the point in him sacrificing himself if you aren't going to take this opportunity?"
Harry stayed silent for a long time, thinking. There was no way around it, everything Dudley had said was right.
"You're right. You're absolutely right. In fact, now I think about it, I don't owe anyone anything. If anything, they owe me. They owe me big time. I saved all their arses from the bad guy, and so they send me to be abused for 10 years at relations who don't want me, who tried to get me to be what they wanted, to do what they wanted. Then at school, I face the bad guy again, several times. And they still try and stop me from doing what I want. Third year and fourth year, everyone, checking I was ok, in case Voldemort materialised in the classroom or on my way to the toilet. Following me. Well, fuck that. Sirius was my bit of freedom. And now he's gone. But my freedom hasn't. I'm going to do what I want, when I want. No more fucking about. Thank you Dud. Seriously, thank you."
They carried on walking for a while, taking about various things, until Dudley asked
"Harry, I was wondering. What do you do for sport at school?" Harry smiled
"Quidditch, Dud, Quidditch.(Harry explains rules of Quidditch to Dudley). That reminds me, how's the boxing going?" Dudley grinned
"National champ, mate"
"Wow, when's your next fight?"
"Not for a few months. Its going to be the toughest fight yet, so I'm trying to get into serious shape, I'm not too fit at the moment. But I need a training partner."
"Alright, I'm in.," said Harry before Dudley could ask him. "Where do you train?"
"We've had a gym in the garage since last year. They built it last summer."
"Really, I never noticed it."
"For fuck's sake, Harry, we had a cement mixer and two trucks on the drive for 2 months."
"I never noticed it" said Harry in a stronger voice.
"Ok, ok, but I've already got the training program worked out."
So, for the next few weeks, Harry and Dudley trained. Everyday, they would go on a run, for as long as it took until one of them gave up. Then, every other day, they would lift weights, and do push-ups, sit-ups and chin- ups. Dudley also started to teach Harry to box. He was surprised how hard Harry could punch. Harry, however, was just picturing Draco Malfoy's face wherever his fist landed.
After two weeks, Harry and Dudley were mini-celebrities on their block. Everyday, every teenage girl would come out and watch and cheer as Harry and Dudley ran and ran until one gave up. Soon, Harry was buffed up. He had muscular arms and shoulders, as well as pecks and an 8-pack stomach. And he wasn't afraid to show it off. He regularly delighted the girls by running without his shirt, tanning his body at the same time. He even took to running his hand through his hair, to stop it getting too tidy, just like his father.
Chapter 1 - A change of view and training partners
It was 2 days since Harry had returned from Hogwarts to spend the summer with his aunt, uncle and cousin. He had hardly moved from out of his room since he'd come back and hadn't spoken a word. His aunt and uncle were delighted that Harry was obviously so miserable. However, Harry couldn't quite understand Dudley's attitude. It seemed like he wanted to talk to him, but Harry just assumed that he wanted to laugh at him alone.
Bored stiff, Harry decided to go for a walk in the park just down the road. He was just leaving, when he saw Dudley come out of the kitchen.
"Where you going?" Dudley asked.
"Walk in the park. Coming?" Dudley looked at him, surprised, and then he heard his mom's voice from upstairs.
"Dinky Duddykins, where are you? Mummy's got a lovely surprise for you."
"Let's go" said Dudley immediately. They walked quickly into the park.
"So, how was school?" Dudley asked
"Why do you care?" responded Harry, harshly
"Cause you're down, Harry. You're really miserable. I want to know if I can help." Harry was shocked. He looked at Dudley as if he'd never seen him before.
"Are you feeling ok? Do you want to go to the doctors?" Harry asked him, incredulously.
"You don't understand, Harry. I'm a changed man. I'm not the same guy you knew."
"Go on" Harry told him
"Well, last year, around Christmas, I got hauled into the headmaster's office again. I'd really laid into this kid. I should've been expelled. But they gave me a chance. They said I had to go and see the school psychiatrist every lunchtime or get expelled. Now, I wasn't really up for seeing a shrink, but Smeltings was dad's old school. If I got expelled, it would've crushed him. So I said I'd see the shrink. And I tell you something, Harry, it opened my eyes. I realised what a cunt I'd been all my life. I learned to look from the point of view of the person who I'd beaten up or bullied and I broke down completely in her office a few times. But she was great. I called all the old crowd together, and I told them that I was quitting."
"Bet they loved that"
"Yeah, tell me about it. Ambushed me next day."
"What happened?"
"Broken jaw, cheek and nose and a concussion."
"Nasty. You seem to have healed well."
"No, no. That was them. I got a nasty nosebleed though." They both started laughing.
"Listen, Harry, I know now that I was a twat to live with and a horrible person. I know it's not worth much but I'm sorry. I really am, and also I never thank you for saving my life last year. So, thanks." Dudley finished, looking nervously at Harry.
"You're right, Dud, its not worth much. But I'll take it anyway. " They both grinned and shook hands.
"Well, you know what happened to me. What about you?"
"My godfather was murdered trying to protect me." Harry said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. This is why you've been so miserable, I guess"
"Well, yes but it was my fault. He didn't need to come to help. He.(explains how Sirius died - if you can't remember it re-read OotP.)
"Harry, I didn't know your godfather or anything about your world, but can I just give you my impressions?" Harry nodded, and Dudley continued. "From what you've told me, it didn't at all sound like your fault. You wouldn't have asked Sirius to come and help but he did anyway. It shows how much he cared about you. He would've gladly given his life to help you." Harry looked up. "What kind of a guy was he? Was he funny? Serious? Laid back?"
"I guess he was pretty serious at the end but funny as well, certainly didn't care about danger, but when he was younger he was a real prankster."
"Would he want you be sitting here wallowing in guilt for something that wasn't your fault, could do nothing about then and can't do anything about now?"
"No, he wouldn't" Said Harry in a strong voice. "He'd want me to be enjoying myself, living my life, having fun."
"Exactly" Dudley told him, "What was the point in him sacrificing himself if you aren't going to take this opportunity?"
Harry stayed silent for a long time, thinking. There was no way around it, everything Dudley had said was right.
"You're right. You're absolutely right. In fact, now I think about it, I don't owe anyone anything. If anything, they owe me. They owe me big time. I saved all their arses from the bad guy, and so they send me to be abused for 10 years at relations who don't want me, who tried to get me to be what they wanted, to do what they wanted. Then at school, I face the bad guy again, several times. And they still try and stop me from doing what I want. Third year and fourth year, everyone, checking I was ok, in case Voldemort materialised in the classroom or on my way to the toilet. Following me. Well, fuck that. Sirius was my bit of freedom. And now he's gone. But my freedom hasn't. I'm going to do what I want, when I want. No more fucking about. Thank you Dud. Seriously, thank you."
They carried on walking for a while, taking about various things, until Dudley asked
"Harry, I was wondering. What do you do for sport at school?" Harry smiled
"Quidditch, Dud, Quidditch.(Harry explains rules of Quidditch to Dudley). That reminds me, how's the boxing going?" Dudley grinned
"National champ, mate"
"Wow, when's your next fight?"
"Not for a few months. Its going to be the toughest fight yet, so I'm trying to get into serious shape, I'm not too fit at the moment. But I need a training partner."
"Alright, I'm in.," said Harry before Dudley could ask him. "Where do you train?"
"We've had a gym in the garage since last year. They built it last summer."
"Really, I never noticed it."
"For fuck's sake, Harry, we had a cement mixer and two trucks on the drive for 2 months."
"I never noticed it" said Harry in a stronger voice.
"Ok, ok, but I've already got the training program worked out."
So, for the next few weeks, Harry and Dudley trained. Everyday, they would go on a run, for as long as it took until one of them gave up. Then, every other day, they would lift weights, and do push-ups, sit-ups and chin- ups. Dudley also started to teach Harry to box. He was surprised how hard Harry could punch. Harry, however, was just picturing Draco Malfoy's face wherever his fist landed.
After two weeks, Harry and Dudley were mini-celebrities on their block. Everyday, every teenage girl would come out and watch and cheer as Harry and Dudley ran and ran until one gave up. Soon, Harry was buffed up. He had muscular arms and shoulders, as well as pecks and an 8-pack stomach. And he wasn't afraid to show it off. He regularly delighted the girls by running without his shirt, tanning his body at the same time. He even took to running his hand through his hair, to stop it getting too tidy, just like his father.