The Muggle Solution
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Completely AU, partly OOC. More warnings might come up in possible later chapters.

When Dudley and his cousin Harry were five years old, Petunia's husband Vernon had died in an incident at his company. From the company, she had received a huge amount of money for her and the boys to last for a life-time without having to work; however, she found herself alone with two toddlers.

From that time onwards, Petunia had raised her son Dudley and his cousin Harry as twins. 'Even if Vernon despised Harry, I don't. He's my nephew, and I don't mind that he's magical. Lily was, too,' she resolved.

She had to admit to herself that she did not feel overly confident raising a magical child, especially as the twin brother of her own, non-magical son; however, recalling the good relationship, which she had always had to her sister – in spite of the fact that Lily had been a witch – she decided to pull through with it.

When Dudley and Harry turned six, she took them to Diagon Alley, enlisting Harry's assistance to find the Leaky Cauldron, and introduced both children to the magical world.

She had accompanied Lily often enough to know her way around the magical shopping street without problems.

At their first visit to Diagon Alley, she bought some magical children's stories as well as two potions kits for children, recalling that Lily and her had played with such a set, when they had been children. 'Oh well, that boy, Severus, introduced us to the brewing of potions,' she recalled, remembering well how jealous she had been that Lily received all the attention from the boy.

To her surprise, Dudley was as eager to explore the magical world and brew easy concoctions with the children's potions kit as Harry, and Petunia had a hard time deciding to which extent she should allow Dudley to engross himself in anything magical in spite of being a muggle.

When Lily had received her Hogwarts letter, a world had broken down for Petunia. She had even written to Albus Dumbledore enquiring if there was any way for her to attend Hogwarts together with her sister. Unfortunately, the headmaster had denied her request informing her that only magical children could attend Hogwarts.

HP

One day, eight-year-old Harry spoke up in a sombre voice. "Did you know that Harry Potter is famous in the magical world? The boy who lived or something like that?" he asked, looking disgusted.

"I know dear," Petunia confirmed, smiling at the children. "I've read some books myself," she admitted in a soft voice.

"Can we perhaps change my name from Potter to Dursley?" Harry enquired, causing Petunia to look at him in shock.

"Mum, we're twins, so we should have the same family name," Dudley agreed, matter-of-factly. "We should even change Harry's birthday to mine."

Petunia pondered the matter for a while, knowing that the Potter family was one of the oldest, famous families in the magical world.

"Let me think about the matter," she said, evasively, deciding to speak with Lily's account manager at Gringotts. She did not recall the name, but it would surely be possible to find out who the Potters' account manager was. "Let's go to Diagon Alley and head to Gringotts Bank tomorrow," she informed the children.

The twins exchanged a look.

"Can we also go to Flourish and Blotts?"

"… and to the apothecary?" they enquired, before they dashed away without even waiting for a response, cheering on their way to compile a shopping list for potions ingredients.

'They're really good at brewing,' Petunia thought, recalling how Dudley had efficiently brewed a children's Pepperup potion for Harry the other day.

HP

Buckbean, the Potters' account manager, was very friendly, not only to Harry but also to Petunia and Dudley in spite of the fact that they were muggles. He suggested to take the Evans name instead of Dursley for Petunia and Dudley and Evans-Potter for Harry.

"That way, Harry can always abbreviate his name, but still has the Potter family name for the time, when he wishes to accept the lordship of his family," Buckbean explained to them. "Of course, it's not important, as the blood of the Potter family runs in his veins," he added, grinning. "Apart from that, you're also the heir of the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw family through your late father and of the Slytherin-Hufflepuff family and the Gaunt family by conquest."

"Excuse me, sir?" Harry enquired.

"When you won over the so-called Dark Lord," Buckbean explained. "I don't know if he's really gone, but at least he's not truly alive anymore, so that the magic has accepted you as the heir of these families on his stead. Due to being the heir of the four founders of Hogwarts, you're also the owner of Hogwarts."

"Sons, what do you think?" Petunia enquired, giving the children a questioning look.

"Dudley Evans is fine with me," Dudley was the first to voice his consent.

"Me too," Harry agreed. "At least then people won't hold me responsible for something which I did as a baby," he added in apparent annoyance.

"Buckbean, are you able to change our three names and Harry's birthday also in the muggle world?" Petunia enquired, knowing that it would involve much hassle for them to achieve such a thing.

"Of course," the goblin promised, and, turning to Harry, uttered, "May your enemies always fear you. Please take this booklet with you and read about goblin customs. It might help you at some stage."

"Thank you so very much," Harry replied, gratefully accepting the booklet from the friendly goblin. "Good bye and may your enemies always cower before you," he said, noticing from the corner of his eyes that Buckbean nodded in what seemed to be appreciation.

"May you always win over your enemies," Dudley added, before he quickly followed Harry out of the room.

HP

On the twins' eleventh birthday, Harry's Hogwarts letter arrived.

"Harry, do you wish to attend Hogwarts?" Petunia enquired, looking at her nephew's Hogwarts letter with a strange expression.

"Of course, but I want Dudley to go with me if he doesn't mind," Harry replied in determination. "It wouldn't be fun if he went to Smeltings and I to Hogwarts."

"Yeah, let's go and study together," his cousin shouted in apparent excitement.

"I don't think that'll be possible," Petunia replied, letting out a deep sigh.

"Let me reply to the letter," Harry decided. "If I'm the owner of Hogwarts, no one can forbid Dudley to come with me." He fetched a sheet of stationery and a pencil and set to work.

'Dear Professor Dumbledore,
thanks for sending me my Hogwarts letter. My cousin and I will attend Hogwarts together. He does not have magic, but he is very good at brewing up to the fifth Potions book, and as I am the owner of Hogwarts, no one can forbid him to come with me. We are very much looking forward to finally coming to Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely
Harry and Dudley Evans'

HP

"What?" Albus blurted out upon reading Harry-supposed-to-be-Potter's letter. "How dare the boy?"

"Albus?" Minerva enquired, giving him a concerned look.

"What's the matter?" Severus enquired, quirking an eyebrow.

Albus let out a deep sigh, before he held the letter out for his colleagues to read.

"Imbecile!" the Potions master exclaimed, looking grim.

"He's good at Potions," Minerva said, pensively. "That's about the only subject he can do without magic, apart from Muggle Studies."

Severus remained pensive for a while, before he spoke up, seemingly hesitant. "If the boy is as good as his aunt was, I could make him my apprentice, even if he doesn't have magic."

"It would make the research project of the century," Poppy spoke up. "How to give a muggle magic."

"Interesting," Severus muttered, causing their colleagues to laugh aloud.

"Good luck with that, my dears," the headmaster said, chuckling.

HP

Soon-to-be twelve-year-old Hermione Granger entered King's Cross to board the Hogwarts Express with extreme eagerness.

'I'm going to meet other children who are magical like myself,' she thought in delight. 'Nothing is wrong with me. I'm not a freak. I'm a witch. Perhaps I'll even be able to make friends at Hogwarts.'

In utter excitement, she pushed through the wall between platforms 10 and 11 like Professor McGonagall had taught her eleven months ago, only to stare at the red steam engine in amazement.

'How old fashioned,' she realised, 'but absolutely cool.'

Hermione boarded the train and found an empty compartment, where she made herself comfortable with her first-year Potions book on her lap, readying herself for an eight-hour train ride of reading.

HP

All of a sudden, two boys of about the same age as herself entered the compartment.

"Excuse me, may we sit here?" one of them asked, politely.

"Of course," Hermione replied in a soft voice, gesturing to the empty seats. 'They look nice,' she thought. 'I wonder if they're first-years as well.'

"We're Dudley and Harry Evans," one of the boys introduced the two of them.

"Hermione Granger," Hermione replied, smiling, as she hesitantly extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Dudley and Harry."

"Hello Hermione," Dudley said, as he lightly shook her hand in a soft grip. "Are you a first-year as well?"

Hermione confirmed, before she used the chance to begin asking what seemed to be a mountain of questions that she had accumulated ever since learning about the magical world.

Ever since Professor McGonagall had taken her to Diagon Alley on her eleventh birthday, Hermione had read Hogwarts: A History four times from cover to cover. She had also memorized each of her first-year school books.

'They seem nice, and maybe we could become friends,' she thought, hopefully.

HP

"Sorry, Hermione, but we were both raised in the muggle world," Harry replied, unable to answer some of the girl's questions.

"In fact, I am a muggle," Dudley admitted in a small voice. "Please keep that to yourself though."

Hermione cast him a surprised look. "Are muggles allowed at Hogwarts at all?" she then enquired. "In Hogwarts: A History, it says…"

"As I am the owner of Hogwarts due to being the heir of all four founders," Harry spoke up, "no one can forbid him to come."

"And Professor Snape, who is the Potions Master," Dudley explained, "offered me an apprenticeship. Not much magic is needed to brew potions, you know."

"We shouldn't tell anyone about it though," Harry said in a firm voice.

"I won't," Hermione promised, smiling. "I'd love to become an apprentice myself, but what would I have to do to become one?"

Dudley shrugged. "Brewing is about the only thing that doesn't afford magic, except for some cases, in which I could ask a professor or a friend to help."

HP

A few hours later, the three first-years, who had become friends at first glance, were standing in the Great Hall, admiring the charmed ceiling, while they were waiting to be called to the Sorting Hat.

"Evans Dudley," Professor McGonagall read from her long list of names.

Glancing at Harry, Dudley quickly made his way to the front and sat on the stool, only to find his vision darkened by the Sorting Hat's brim.

'I wonder why I'm going to be sorted at all, considering that I'm going to be an apprentice,' he thought.

'You're going to have to prove yourself,' the Hat thought right into his mind, causing Dudley to jerk upwards in shock.

'Don't worry, everything is all right,' the Hat said, calmingly. 'I'm going to see to it.'

While Dudley wondered, what the Hat had meant, it shouted into the Great Hall, "Apprentices' quarters."

"Sopho," the headmaster chided the Hat. "What does that mean? Please sort the students as usual."

"Mr. Evans, just take a seat at any of the house-tables," Professor McGonagall instructed Dudley, casting him a small smile.

"I'll explain afterwards," Sopho informed the headmaster, sounding impatient, before he sorted Harry into the apprentices' quarters as well.

'Am I going to be an apprentice as well?' Harry wondered in with a combination of confusion and disappointment, as he followed his supposed-to-be twin to the Gryffindor table.

However, the Hat did not stop with the twins. He also sorted Hermione and, a moment later, Daphne Greengrass into the apprentices' quarters.

The four first-years sat together, and the Weasley twins, two redheaded third-years, did their best to calm them down, while the headmaster and his colleagues conducted a quiet conversation with the Sorting Hat.

HP

"These four are to become apprentices with Professors Pomfrey and Snape," the Hat explained at the high table.

"With me?" Pomfrey asked in disbelief. "I'm not even a professor." 'Having an apprentice would be nice though,' she thought, 'and together with Severus would make sense.'

"Well, it's time to become one," Sopho replied in a firm voice, "considering that you need to teach Healing to these four, while Professor Snape will instruct them in Potions."

HP

When the feast ended and Dumbledore dismissed the students, a witch, completely dressed in white, came by the Gryffindor table. "Miss Granger, Miss Greengrass and Messrs. Evans, please follow me," she addressed the four first-years, who had been singled out by the Sorting Hat.

The four followed the witch, who introduced herself as Poppy Pomfrey, the healer, as they went. She led them straight to the headmaster's office, where a wizard, completely dressed in black, was waiting for them together with Dumbledore.

"This is Professor Snape," Dumbledore introduced his colleague, before he continued, "The Sorting Hat requests that the four of you become apprentices with Professors Pomfrey and Snape. While I knew that Mr. Dudley Evans was going to become Professor Snape's apprentice, I was not aware that the three of you wanted to become apprentices as well."

"I didn't even know that it was possible," Hermione blurted out in apparent excitement. "I'd love it though. Are we going to study Potions and Healing, or did I misunderstand something?"

"Potions and Healing it is," Dumbledore confirmed. "Is that all right with everyone assembled here?"

"It is a bit surprising," Daphne spoke up, "as I expected to receive a normal education, but I'm very interested in Healing, and I'd love to become an apprentice. However, I suppose that you need my parents' permission?" she enquired.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. For the two boys and Ms. Granger, I am the magical guardian, so that it's not a problem, however, in your case, we need your parents' permission. I can floo call them. I just wanted to hear your opinion first."

"Yes please, sir," Daphne quickly agreed, and a few minutes later, her parents stepped out of the fireplace – much to Hermione's, Harry's and Dudley's amazement. Daphne explained how she had thought that it would be amazing to become an apprentice, after three other first-years had been sorted into the apprentices' quarters and that the Hat had then sorted her in the same way, and her parents immediately agreed.

"Up to this time," the headmaster spoke again, "we only rarely ever had an apprentice, but we've never had four at once. Therefore, these apprentices' quarters do not exist as of this minute. I suggest that the four of you occupy a guest suite near my office, and we'll make shortcuts to Professor Pomfrey's and Professor Snape's office. Would that be agreeable with all of you?"

"Yes sir," the four students chorused, while the adults nodded their consent.

HP

The newly founded apprentices' quarters consisted of a common room with seats for about a dozen people as well as two double bedrooms, each equipped with their own bathroom.

"If you need anything else, we'll see to it," the headmaster promised, before he left the rooms.

"I suggest that you retire for the night, and we'll meet here tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, an hour before the first morning classes, to speak about the conditions of a possible apprenticeship for the four of you. See to it that you head to the Great Hall for breakfast on time," the Potions Master spoke up in a firm voice.

"That's a good idea," Pomfrey immediately agreed, before the students voiced their consent.

'I thought it was already decided that we're going to become their apprentices,' Harry wondered, when he followed Dudley into the room, which the two boys were going to share.

tbc...?

Just an idea - I will only continue it if there is interest...