Chapter Text
Harry pulled his trunk out of the back of Uncle Vernon's car. The ride back to number four Privet Drive was same as every year after school let out, tense. Uncle Vernon would always send glares at him in the rear-view mirror. But Dudley was a little different this year. He had actually tried to talk to Harry this time.
“Would you like some help with that Harry?” Dudley asked. Grabbing the other side of Harry's trunk to help pull it out.
“Thank you Dudley.” Harry said, his face going to little shocked with surprise. Harry was really starting to wonder what had happened over the last year for Dudley to change so much. Or did Harry get hit with some weird spell in the Department of Mysteries and he just didn't know it.
“I'll take it all Harry. You just lead the way to your room.” Dudley said, his hand smacking Harry's out of the way and lifting it up on to his shoulder. Harry's eyes widened as he watched the muscles in Dudley's arm bulge underneath his leather jacket. Since when has his cousin been so helpful? Or muscular?
Harry shook himself a bit. Why had he just gotten a bit flustered from watching his cousin lift his trunk like it was nothing. Sure the feather weight charms that was put on it help a bit so that Harry can move it. But this is nothing like what Dudley was doing now.
“Go on Harry. Lets git this up to your room.” Dudley said, tapping Harry on shoulder and heading inside. Harry's face went a little slack as he watched Dudley carry his trunk inside and up the stairs. Harry turned to look at his Aunt and Uncle just to see them just as shocked as he was. Their mouths were hanging open and eyes looked like they wanted to bug out of their heads.
Quickly turning, Harry moved to follow after his cousin. “A Dudley? Doesn't your mom and dad normally want my trunk to be put into the cupboard under the stairs while I'm here?” Harry asked. His feet flying up the stairs to catch up to his cousin.
“Normally yes. But this time I'm going to say screw it and place it up in your room. You must have some homework to do over the summer holidays. I know I do.” Dudley said as he turned to open Harry's bedroom door. Before dropping the trunk in front of him. It slipping off his shoulder to land on it's end. “A Harry?” Dudley asked in a bit of a scared whisper.
“What's wrong Dudley? Why did you just drop my trunk?” Harry asked, the confusion and strangeness of the day was really starting to get to him. First Dudley being nice and carrying his trunk for him. And now dropping it and acting scared all of a sudden.
“Greetings Mr. Harry Potter. I am Dollop. And I am in need of your greet help.” A high croaky voice coming out of Harry's room said. Harry's brows scrunched up as he went up on to his tiptoes to look over Dudley's shoulder. Standing in the middle of his room. Was a house-elf. A red and green sheet wrapped around him like a toga.
“I'm not Harry. But if you are here to hurt him. Then you will have to go through me.” Dudley said, his fists coming up in a bit of his boxing stance as he can make with Harry's trunk in front of him. And Harry pressed up to his back to try and see over his shoulder.
“Drat. I'm not supposed to show myself to anyone that I'm not intending to talk to.” Dollop said. Snapping his fingers and pulling the trunk to rest at the end of Harry's bed.
Dudley widened his stance a little bit. Trying to block this things view of Harry as well as trying to stop him from getting past his bulk. “You don't have to get so worked up like a puffed up chicken boy. I mean your cousin no harm. But now that you know that I'm here you might as well come with too.”
“Dudley that's a house-elf. I don't think he could do me any harm even it he wanted too. At least not without orders to do so.” Harry said. His hand sliding pass Dudley's shoulder to grab his wrist. Trying to get him to drop his guard and relax. Harry knew that Dudley didn't have much trust in magic. Not after what had happen to him in the past. But this is one thing that he didn't need to fight with his fists.
“A what?” Dudley asked. His head only turning slightly to catch his cousin in the corner of his vision. Not willing to let this new thing out of his sight. “I'm not going to let you get in trouble again just because you have to save me. Not after you almost got expelled from Hogwarts after those big black cloud things attacked us.”
Harry face crunched up once again, 'big black cloud things that attacked us?' Harry and Dudley wasn't attacked by big black clouds. Then it hit him, Dudley was talking about the Dementor attack. “You could see the Dementors?” Harry asked, his eyes going wide in shock. There was no way a muggle like Dudley could of see the Dementors. But if he could why was he only saying something now. And if Dudley could see Dementors, that meant that Harry didn't actually brake wizarding law by preforming magic in front of a muggle.
“Yeah they were only big black cloudy blobs. But I could see them, and that's why I tried to run away from it. I didn't notice that there was two of them.” Dudley said. His fist still raised up to protect Harry from whatever this new threat is. Even with Harry trying to get him to lower them.
“Well Dudley you don't have to worry about this one attacking us. He's a house-elf, they are mostly servants to wizarding families. They do things like housework and cooking for them. Hogwarts has a whole kitchens worth full of them. They are some of the most nicest and helpful beings you could ever find in the magical world.” Harry said. Ducking down to crawl through Dudley's spread legs.
“HARRY!” Dudley squawked. The sight of his cousin crawling under him was doing thing he would really not like to think about. Not really understanding where the thoughts were coming from.
“Dudley? Is everything okay up there?” Aunt Petunia called. Her voice coming up the Stairs. “If that freak has done something you need to tell me right now.”
Harry's hand came up to cover Dudley's mouth. A finger coming up to cover Harry's in a shushing motion. “It's fine Aunt Petunia. Dudley just say one of my books and found out that the pictures can move.” Harry said. The lie coming up easily to him.
“Yeah Mommy, why didn't you tell me that wizarding pictures can move?” Dudley said, his voice sounding a little shaken. But following along with the lie. Knowing that his parents would do something offal to Harry if they caught him up here with a magical creature.
“Because pictures are not suppose to move. It's unnatural.” Aunt Petunia said. Her footsteps starting to come up the stairs. Both Harry and Dudley's eyes widened as they both fully entered into his room and moved over to his trunk. Reaching in to grab at a random book as a pop filled the room. Dollop having disapparated, as Harry handed Dudley Quidditch Through the Ages. And opening it to a page. Dudley looked down at the book is shock as he saw that the pictures really did move. There was a person on a broomstick flying around a stadium, dodging other people on brooms, with a red ball under their arm.
“Harry, what is this?” Dudley asked just as Aunt Petunia appeared in Harry's door. “That's the sport I play. It's called Quidditch. It's played with three types of ball, and seven players. There are three chasers and one keeper that handle the red ball there that's called the quaffle. There are two beaters the handle the second type of balls called the bludgers. There are two bludgers and they fly around the pitch trying to knock anyone off their brooms. And then there is the golden snitch. It's handled by the seeker. The game isn't over till the golden snitch is caught. Whoever catches the golden snitch wins a hundred and fifty points for their team. And most of the time wins the game.” Harry said. Pointing out everything that he could on the picture.
“Dudley put that down. You don't need to be concerning yourself with that freakish knowledge.” Aunt Petunia said. Striding forward to take it out of Dudley's hands. Only for Dudley to snap the book shut and hide it behind his back. “But Mom, the pictures actually move and I can see what Harry is telling me.”
“No buts Dudley. There is no need for you to learn about that freakish sport. You have other things to worry about. Like your boxing training and staying in fighting shape.” Aunt Petunia said. Trying with all of her might to get the book from behind Dudley.
Harry reached over to grab the book out of Dudley's hands, just before Aunt Petunia managed to outsmart Dudley and grabbed it herself. Quickly putting it back into his trunk and locking it. Looking up at his Aunt with a bit of a sheepish smile. Aunt Petunia only gave a huff as she looked at Harry sternly, only turning to leave the room after Harry apologized.
“So what position do you play?” Dudley asked, watching as his mother walked out of the room. His hands where still behind his back. “I play seeker. It could be one of the most thrilling positions to play. Seekers have to be fast and have good reflexes do the job properly.” Harry said, listening to the sound of Aunt Petunia walking down the stairs.
“So is Quidditch a dangerous game to play on brooms? I mean with you so high up in the air, and is there really two balls trying to knock people off their brooms?” Dudley asked. His head turning to look at Harry. “It can be. I once fell over one hundred feet in my third year at Hogwarts.”
“And your still alive?”
“One of the teachers casted a spell to stop my fall. I was lucking I only passed out and wasn't hit by lightening.”
“You were playing in a storm?”
“Oh yeah, and that wasn't even the worse of it-” What Harry was about to say next was cut off with the sound of a popping noise filling the room. Harry and Dudley both turned to find Dollop standing in the the room once more.
“My apologizes for leaving like that Mr. Harry Potter. But I can not be having anymore people knowing of my presence here. It is of great importance that I get your help this day.” Dollop said, bowing neatly at the waist to Harry and Dudley.
“Then why did you reveal yourself to my cousin Dudley?” Harry asked. Waving his hand to the side to indicate his cousin. “It was my mistake on my part Mr. Harry Potter. I was in such a great hurry to get your help. That I didn't look to see if you were coming to your room alone, once I sensed come home. I am deeply sorry for having dragged your cousin into my troubles.”
“Dragged me? You haven't dragged me into anything. I was just here at the wrong time. You can just leave me out of what ever it is your need Harry for. I'm not a wizard anyways. I wouldn't be of much help to you.” Dudley said in a bit of a dejected voice.
“No. no, you have seen me and are now a part of It. Lady fate has tipped her hand and has shown you to be worthy of helping me. So help you will give.” Dollop said grabbing hold of both Harry's and Dudley's hands, before pulling them with greater strength then his small body would tell. Pulled them both forward with a pop.