BLOOD OF THE MOTHER By BertaS Dec. 04
Chapter 1
Description: In which Harry and Dudley find common ground and take the first tentative steps toward friendship.
Not mine, it all belongs to JKR
An Amazing Discussion
It was less than two weeks into the summer holidays at #4 Privet Drive and the young wizard couldn't help being annoyed with his cousin. Dudley Dursley was constantly whimpering and cringing or dropping things every time he caught sight of Harry Potter.
As Harry passed Dudley's room on his way to compose a letter to the Order of the Phoenix, several members of which had threatened that if they did not hear from Harry often enough they would be visiting the Dursleys to check on him, there was a crash and a whimper. Harry knew why Dudley was frightened but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. A pair of Dementors had attacked Harry and Dudley at the end of last summer.
Harry stopped and leaned against the doorframe to Dudley's room.
"Dudley, I think we should talk." He said quietly.
"I don't have anything to talk to you about, Freak." Dudley replied nastily.
Harry tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, "You know, last fall you said that the Dementors where my fault," He paused, "that was partly true, they were after me." At Dudley's open-mouthed stare Harry continued in a slightly angrier tone, "This evil Umbrige bitch sent them."
Dudley's shoulders slumped and he asked plaintively, "But why?"
Harry shrugged and shook his head, "Because she's one of several people that have me on their List of People to Kill."
Dudley's squeaked, "List?"
Harry snorted, "Yea" then whispered more to himself than Dudley, "Guess it evens out, I have a list too."
Dudley's eyes went wide, "You're gonna kill someone?"
Harry gave a resigned sigh, "I'm going to have to. The madman that killed my parents is still after me."
Dudley yelled, "You're just a kid. How come he's after you?"
Harry actually laughed as he moved to sit on the edge of Dudley's bed, "Aside from the fact that he's mad as a hatter?" Harry sobered and continued, "There's this prophecy that says I'm the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord."
"A Prophecy? That's just weird." Dudley was the one to shake his head this time, "Why can't you just be normal?"
Harry grinned, "I do normal things…occasionally."
Dudley looked incredulous, "Like what?" he challenged.
Harry still grinning said, "I play chess, do home work, go to classes, snog in the broom closet when I can find a willing partner. I'm on the Quid… Oh, well you probably wouldn't consider Quidditch normal."
"Hum, don't know." Dudley looked pained, "What is it?"
"It's a team sport." Harry made a wry face, "OK, it's played on brooms, with flying balls – seven players on each team – three Chasers, they score by throwing the Quaffel thru one of three hoops – two beaters keep the Bludgers from their team mates while trying to distract or disable the other team – a Keeper who guards the goals and a Seeker, that's me, I hunt for the golden Snitch, a small winged ball," he held up his hand indicating the size, "It's wicked fast and darn near impossible to see."
"OH! YEA!" Dudley rolled his eyes "That's Reeeaaaallll normal. I'd be willing to bet that the other things are less normal than you are trying to make them.
"Well maybe, but I'm sure that your," Harry leaned forward reading the front of a book on Dudley's desk, "History of the world class is just as much fun as my History of Magic class."
Dudley snorted, "History's boring. What other classes do you take?"
Harry ticked them off on his fingers, "Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and I hope I did well enough in potions to continue to the advanced level. I'm dropping Astronomy and Divinations."
"OK, I think I understand some of that. I mean my school offers Astronomy and Zoology." Then Dudley added tentatively, "If Potions is what it sounds like, it might be fun."
Harry was surprised and answered, "It might be if Professor Snape wasn't such a git." He scanned the other books, "I imagine it's similar to Chemistry and Herbology is like Gardening."
Dudley looked slightly embarrassed, "I took gardening because a girl I liked was in it"
Harry grinned, "That's the reason a lot of guys take Divinations."
"What's that? Fortune Telling?"
"Sort of," Harry made a face, "Palmistry, Crystal Balls, Tarot Cards, and Tea Leaves."
From down stairs came the slamming of a door and the shrill voice of Aunt Petunia calling for Harry to hurry and carry in the shopping and to make the tea.
Next Chapter: Harry Reads the Tea Leaves – In which Harry Sees, Petunia searches, and Dudley becomes more curious.