Title: Rembrance
Disclaimer: Do I really look like the kinda person who owns Harry Potter, Dudley Dursley, Hogwarts, or anything else that JK Rowling came up with? Didn't think so.
Date: Tuesday, July 31
Summary: POST Deathly Hallows, pre epilogue AU, DH Spoilers. Dudley Dursely blinked at the yellowish parchment his son was holding in his hands. What would happen when two broken families are mended between first years?
Notes: Er, well yes. I decided to try at a a post Deathly Hallows story. But, this takes place two years before the epilogue. Not very original I'm guessing, but this little bunny has been chewing on my ear ever since I finished the book. I'll post another chapter soon...ish?
Dudley Dursley watched with a blank face as the child in front of him examined the strange envelope.
He'd recognize one of those things anywhere.
He hadn't seen one in over twenty years.
The last one belonged to the cousin he hadn't seen in seventeen years.
Harry James Potter.
Mrs. Dursley walked into the kitchen, oblivious to the battle raging in her husband's mind.
"Hey, Mum, Brendan got a letter!" Dudley was broken from his trance by the sound of his buoyant daughter's voice. He felt a strange sense of Deja vu.
In the back of his mind he wasn't honestly surprised that his son was a wizard. He, vaguely, remembered the time when he had refused to give the boy ice cream before dinner, and an hour later, his youngest, Elizabeth, had exclaimed that he was now sporting a much brighter yellowish color than he was used to for hair and that his favorite office shirt was now much like the old tie dyed shirts seen in 70's movies.
He had looked like an American hippie.
Yet it was still a shock as Margaret leaned over his son's shoulder; her eyes widened, and he was surprised to see her eyes sparkling with tears. She straightened abruptly, hastily wiping away the wetness.
"I…I'm going to call Dennis."
Dudley blinked. Why in the world, would the first thing she thinks of, when she finds out her son would be going to a magical school for the next seven years, is to call her brother?
He watched as his son's eyes widened as he read the rest of his acceptance letter.
"Dad? Is…is this some kind of joke?"
"Brendan what is it?" Anna leaned over her older brother's shoulder.
"I wanna see too!" Lizzie exclaimed, trying to snatch the letter out of Brendan's hand.
'Give it to me, girls." Dudley choked out. Lizzie pouted but obediently handed the parchment to her father.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFTand WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Dear Mr. Dursely,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31…Dudley stopped reading. He picked up the envelope on the counter. He recognized the yellow parchment, the emerald ink.
Mr. B. Dursley
19 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
He remembered the line between Harry's name and the house's address. Dudley flipped it over: the purple wax seal was the same as before.
A Lion, an Eagle, a Badger, and Snake. In the middle was a large, elegant H.
"Let's not tell Gran and Pa about this, shall we?"
That night, while getting ready for bed he hardly listened to his rambling wife. As he got under the sheets, flipping on the television he asked her, "But how did it happen?"
He vaguely remembered the mention of Muggles and Mugglesborns while listening to Harry. He'd picked up the Muggles meant non-magical folk (him), and a Muggleborn was a wizard born by Muggles: Brendan.
"Dudley, I suppose…I should have told you sooner, but your parents they…"
Dudley's eyes widened and he stuttered indignantly, "You aren't one, too!"
"No! No, I, I'm not a witch, but Dennis is." She watched her husband closely, trying to gauge his reaction. She'd learned long ago that Dudley was more excepting than his parents, but still…
"Your brother…is a wizard…?" he asked slowly. Margaret nodded anxiously.
"I wouldn't think it ran in the family, but I suppose it's possible. I mean I still remember Dennis' letter and Colin's, too. They were almost identical to Brendan's, so I mean it must run in the family."
"Colin…Colin. Margaret, are you telling me that both of your younger brothers were wizards." She nodded, "Colin didn't die in a fire did he Margaret?"
Dudley held his wife close to himself as she sobbed. She calmed slightly as the man stroked her hair.
"Seventeen years ago…Hog, Hogwarts was attacked. Attacked by these, these Deatheaters, Dudley. Colin and Dennis had explained what they were before, but I never thought…"Mrs. Dursley broke off sharply.
Seventeen years ago…
"It…there was a war. And this evil man…he attacked the school in the middle of the night. The teachers wanted the students out, all of them that weren't of age." She didn't explain that the wizarding age was actually seventeen, not eighteen.
"Colin, had, had wanted to stay and fight, but he, he was only a sixth year. When they were being transported to Hogsmeade…" Dudley remembered Hogsmeade. Harry had wanted his father to sign a permission slip to go to the village when he was thirteen. They'd made some sort of deal about it, but…Harry blew up Aunt Marge and ran away…
"Dennis said that when they had gotten to the Hog's Head, some kind of bar, he couldn't find Colin anywhere. We came, came to Hogwart's when it was all over…and we saw him. Colin, my little brother! He, he was just lined up, next to all the bodies and, and I remember. Remember how Dennis just looked away, at the other bodies. He was naming them…almost all of them…" She sobbed softly as the memory of her brother's soft childish voice ran through her mind.
There's Fred, Fred Weasley. I remember him. Pranksters, you know. Dropped out after he played the most brilliant prank with his brother. Never forget Umbridge's face.
She remembered the family crying against each other memorizing the boy's smiling face.
That's professor Lupin. Col' told me all about him. Supposed to be the best Defense teacher the school's ever had. He was a werewolf, you know.
She had watched the form of the shaking woman next to him, clutching a small child against her chest. The child's hair abruptly changed to the deepest, purest black she could imagine.
She pressed herself against her husband's chest.
"I'm, I'm sure it's not like that now, Mary."
"Dudley, do, do you want him to go away to the school?" She asked looking up at him hope shining him her eyes. Dudley hesitated then answered,
"He'll be happy there."