Harry Potter and the House of Black

Sleep never came, nor did it seem that any humans would be interacting with him in the next few hours. Until suddenly a familiarly muscle-bound arm opened his door and his cousin Dudley walked in the room.

"Whatchoo sending letters for at this hour?" he whispered.

"Couldn't sleep," Harry said to the wrestler that stood before him. Dudley had taken a turn and lost almost all of the weight he'd put on in the past. Harry remembered the overlarge pink beach ball with blonde hair that used to sit opposite him at the table, now an athlete for his school and a new friend to Harry, "Go back to bed."

"I got a question for you though, about Quidditch," Dudley urgently whispered, "What have you ever played Quidditch with a hooded thing near you?"

"Urr, hooded thing?" said Harry, confused.

"From the Alley," Dudley muttered darkly.

Harry looked at him strangely. "From last year when it went dark and you got all cold and sick."

"Yeah, that's those two de...deemonsters," Dudley said unsurely.

"Dementors," Harry corrected him, "and you, uhh, saw these things?"

"Well," Dudley said, "sort of, everything was so dark and blurry, and I was so scared I can only remember the skeleton hand and how scary it was."

"That's more than you should remember," Harry said, "Curious, very curious." Harry giggled a little at two things, he had just quoted Mr. Olivander and he was toying with the thought of Dudley at Hogwarts.

Dudley looked slightly queasy, "Why?" he asked.

"Because only wizards can see dementors Big D," Harry said.

Dudley fainted, and about a quarter of an hour later managed to regain consciousness, "What did you just say?"

Harry paused, and said, "I think you might be a wizard Dudders."

"Oh," Dudley said, "I umm, I thought so."

"Well?" asked Harry, "have you ever done anything magical?"

"I used to be able to catch you, remember, we'd be running somewhere then everyone else would disappear, but then so would you unless I could catch you before you made it to the roof of the school or something," said Dudley, "I'd catch you sometimes like that time in the woods, I just thought everyone else was slower than us, growing up together and all. I mean it was wooded. I could've easily lost them in the trees."

"As round as you were then, no offense, but it did surprise me," Harry replied.

"Does this mean I can play Quidditch?" asked Dudley.

"Sure thing Ickle Dudykins," said Harry fighting a mad desire to start laughing.

"I can be a beater and bash and smash," Dudley started.

"And with your coordination probably crash," Harry finished for him, grinning.

"Watch it Potter," said Dudley.

"Aren't you scared, Dudley? I mean you haven't had very many pleasurable experiences with wizards," Harry said a little worried that if Dudley saw a wizard he might run away screaming.

"Not if I am one," Dudley said with mock-bravery, "I'm probably the best one and don't even know it yet."

"Not without serious training," said Harry very warningly, "Don't go biting off more than you can chew. We'll need to talk to Dumbledore about this."

"Whos'at?" Dudley sighed.

"Headmaster of Hogwarts, the greatest wizard of all time and the only one Voldemort ever feared," Harry said seriously, "Or maybe Tom Riddle, he was once a person, not a monster. I'll have to think about that later. Why is he so evil? He had nobody there to tell him no, he's still a child. Dumbledore was more opposing than others to Tom Riddle."

"What are you on about?" Dudley asked extremely confused.

"Never mind Dudley, go to bed," said Harry, "We'll talk in the morning, and maybe get some answers."

"But you never answered my question," Dudley whined.

"Urr, yeah I did in my third year," said Harry, "that was before I could fight them off, though, and they weren't supposed to be in the Quidditch stadium, they just came in without warning. They were guarding the school from Sirius. I fell, wound up in the hospital wing. Dumbledore was furious at them, they shouldn't have left their posts, and he didn't even want them at the school in the first place. He fought them off, I'm alright now though as you can plainly see."

"I thought you said you couldn't sleep," Dudley.

"I can't," said Harry turning on the television. Dudley stared at it vividly. The early morning news was on.

"And the big news this morning is the end of drought regulations for this summer, and next is the story of a man found dead in his own home no cause of death has been determined as of yet the only clue lies on the victims frozen expression of extreme pain and shock. And in other news a group of local teenagers vandalized a museum destroying and stealing priceless artifacts from the exhibits relating to King Arthur, the teenagers claim not to remember doing the crime," said the reporter woman in complete astonishment at her own words, "all they remember is stranger that pointed glowing sticks. And a third shock today as a woman has gone missing from her London home, we have no identification or address at this time." Harry waited, but the drought lifting celebrations followed that story, then sports.

"Brilliant," Harry said testily, "just brilliant. Those bloody muggles can't see two feet in front of their faces it's all Voldemort."

"How do you know?" asked Dudley.

"No cause of death, Men with glowing sticks, missing, but no address or identification? Come on Dudley," said Harry, "piece it together, it's not that hard."

"I guess you're right. You are further into this mess than I am," Dudley spoke plainly. "It's almost time to wake up," said Dudley, pointing at the clock.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "but we've already covered that."

Familiar stirrings came from down the hall, and then a knock on the door.

"Harry wake up deary," came Aunt Petunia in a sarcastically friendly voice.

"Hold on a minute Aunt Petunia," Harry yawned sticking his head out of his door, "Come back for a moment would you?"

"Oh, alright, but it better be quick I wouldn't want to burn breakfast," she said scolding Harry for holding her up.

"It won't," said Harry, "Promise."

"Well, spit it out then," she urged him.

Harry made sure Uncle Vernon wasn't listening then whispered, "something's up with Dudley in here, he can see dementors."

"So?" asked Aunt Petunia, "Why shouldn't he?"

"If only wizards can see dementors," said Harry, "and so can Dudley, that means one thing. Dudley must be a wizard. I think he is."

"Nonsense," said Aunt Petunia in the same tone in which she used to tell Harry that his parents died in a car crash.

"So he is," Harry pressed, "and you knew about it all this time, and you didn't tell him. Why?"

"You listen hear, your cousin is no more a wizard than his father, Vernon," she spat.

"You lie, and you won't admit that he is to yourself, is that what Dumbledore's 'last' was about in that Howler last year, hmm?"

"You will tell no one about that coincidence," Aunt Petunia whispered angrily.

"It was part of the conditions of taking me, wasn't it?" Harry kept on coolly, "No Hogwarts letter for Dudley as long as you took me, he wouldn't be abnormal if you took me!"

"How dare you insult myself and your Uncle like that!" she said.

"Me and your Uncle," said Harry, "do use correct English when lying through your teeth."

Aunt Petunia gave a hollow laugh, "So, just because you're being watched you get all the leeway in the world with us. So you figured it out, so what?"

"So this you old windbag, your son has been influenced by his own world over this summer, he wants to be a part of it," Harry spat back angrily, "and there won't be any argument from you. This discussion is over."

"We'll see about that," said Aunt Petunia and with that she marched down the stairs like she was going off to war.

The day seemed to go very slowly after that Uncle Vernon erupted at breakfast at everyone but Dudley, apparently Aunt Petunia hadn't told him either, and he'd "Never been more disgusted with her" in his "ENTIRE LIFE!"

Dudley and Harry did many things that day which didn't surprise Harry. Dudley packed three trunks before realizing the computer games and television wouldn't work at Hogwarts, but Harry knew somewhere it might, and the next night the gloves came off.

Tonks and a boy Harry didn't know arrived at the door. Uncle Vernon, who didn't know what to do, did not let them inside, instead he braced the door. A look of painful annoyance came over Tonks's constantly changing face and with a wave of her wand the door came unhinged Uncle Vernon was lifted up off the ground on the door, which broke, and the large man came crashing down to his entryway floor.

"You can't have him!" he shrieked, "You can't have my son!"

"What would I want with that great bullying git?" Tonks asked.

"He's a wizard!" Harry shouted over Uncle Vernon's continuing sobs.

"What?" she said surprised.

"That's what I said when he told me he told me that he saw the dementors last year," Harry replied.

"Well I don't know anything about it," said Tonks.

"I do," said the boy beside Tonks. Harry looked him up and down. He wore orange sneakers, baggy black shorts, and a red and maroon striped shirt with black fishnet that came halfway down his muscular arms beneath it. He had brown hair, which was spiked, and on his prominent chin he had a beard. What was strange about it was that as soon as the beard left his chin it turned into two braids with beads on the end of each braid. "Max Aerials," he said nodding to Dudley then shaking Harry's hand, "Dumbledore told me it's why he wanted me here, the Dementor scene might come back to Dudley, and he wants Dudley to decide if he wants to come to Hogwarts or not. He said that we might have some trouble with his parents, who I was to deal with personally," he continued sinisterly. "I want to say this, before I do what I am about to do, uhh, say goodbye to your memories, and to your son you won't be seeing him until next summer."

"Max," said Tonks.

"What choice do we have?" Max retorted.

"You're right," she said, "and that's why you ran away. You didn't see another way out. Think before you act, will you?"

"No problem your majesty," Max said in a mock bow.

"Listen," said Harry.

"What? Finally it speaks, horrible! Bad entrance for you Harry," said Max.

Dudley who had brought his trunks down, he had two or three of them, finally spoke to his parents, "Listen I know I've asked for," he started.

"No wailed for," said Harry.

"A lot of stuff," Dudley continued.

"A total load of junk he used once, then go angry and broke," Harry pressed on.

"But this is something I want to do and now that I know what I am, you won't stop me," Dudley finished calmly.

"That I agree with," said Harry.

"Shut it Potter," Dudley whispered sideways to Harry.

"Dudley," said Aunt Petunia after a moment, "You can go, but realize if you do we won't allow you two to endanger our household."

"You won't be allowed to live under my roof anymore!" Uncle Vernon snapped.

"To bad," said Dudley plainly.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Max stamped on his foot, and whispered in his ear, "Dudley's doing the right thing, Harry. He's thinking in the present. He actually understands we need to hurry, and now is not the time to argue himself back into the house, we'll owl them at a letter later, we need to go, now."

"You sure?" said Harry.

"No," Max whispered back.

Max walked back over to Dudley and whispered, "Is this everything you own? In these trunks, I mean?"

"Everything I'll want," said Dudley.

"Let's go," said Tonks.

"Wait, I haven't packed yet," said Harry.

"You want me to do it?" asked Tonks.

"Sure," Harry said.

"Well then, come on we haven't got all night," said Max staring at the Dursleys.

A few moments later Tonks and Harry were in Harry's room staring at an empty trunk, one wave of Tonks wand and everything Harry owned was either in his trunk or chained to it.

"You're getting better at that," said Harry.

"Thanks!" said Tonks.

"Listen about how we're going," Harry started.

"Flying, same as last time," said Tonks.

"You sure that's safe?" asked Harry.

"Yeah I'm sure, we flew here, unless someone wants Max to kill them, he'd do it too. He's mad, more than Dumbledore. He has a lot of experience fighting and dueling because he was jumped by thugs and other students at his school repeatedly when Dumbledore had sent him to America. The only person that understands him is that girlfriend of his, Vanessa," Tonks said.

"Let's go, said Harry, and picking up both brooms because Dudley would need one too, the boy called Harry Potter walked down the stairs and out of the door, and when he got there a bird sat on the end of the stairs.

"Where's Max?" asked Harry. Uncle Vernon pointed a terrified finger at the bird.

"He can do a dog too," said Tonks.

"How?" asked Harry.

"He's a double animagus," said Tonks.

"Really, well, no time to talk about it now it's time to go," said Harry putting on his invisibility cloak.

"Dudley," he said handing out his old prized Firebolt to his cousin, "hop on and kick off from the ground."

"Good," said as Dudley went out the door.

"Follow me," said Tonks mounting the broom she had set outside before coming in, and flying into the night.

"You heard her," said Harry taking the cloak off of his head and talking to Dudley.

Dudley turned and followed Tonks sometimes over steering and having to regain control.

Max flew beside Harry the entire way to the House of Black.

They got to the house safely, and Max turned into a wolf and ran down the street.

Tonks showed Dudley the slip of paper, and it took him a full fifteen minutes to figure out.

"Where'd that house come from?" asked Dudley stupidly.

"Come on," said Harry, "let's get inside it's starting to rain."