The Adventure of Dudley Dursley

Chapter 6: Realizations and Progress

The next day in school, Dudley felt like time was flying by. One moment he was working on some math problems, and the next second it was lunchtime and Hannah was asking him if he wanted to eat outside underneath the trees in the courtyard. Dudley grabbed his lunch and a bottle of water and they strolled outside to enjoy some of the fresh, crisp air before winter arrived. As they sat underneath the changing leaves munching on sandwiches (in this case cucumber on rye), they talked about the previous night. Dudley mentioned how he'd felt like he was floating on the way home, while Hannah loved that Dudley's family liked her. Both Hannah and Dudley seemed to be smiling more than usual, and seemed thrilled to be in each other's presence. However, when Hannah mentioned that they should meet at the old abandoned church after school later that day, Dudley happened to remember what he'd seen the previous night and forgotten in the flurry of activity and feelings of the moment.

"Hannah, last night when I was walking over to pick you up, I happened to, umm, get distracted in my thoughts and my feet carried me past your house and I ended up at that church. There was their eerie light inside. At the time, I brushed it off as fireflies, but it was just too bright for that. We've never been there at night; do you think we should check it out?"

Hannah smiled and said, "I think that's a load. You just want to get me alone at night." However, she was smiling and laughed at the sudden look of surprise and denial on Dudley's face. "I was kidding Dud, sure we can go look tonight."

Dudley laughed, thrilled to be having such a good time with Hannah, and then remembered something else. "Hey, you know how I always am visiting with the old retired minister from the village, Mr. Baldwin? Well, he's asked me to meet you several times. He happens to live fairly close to the ruins of that church, so why don't we meet at his house tonight, and then go and check out that church?"

Hannah grinned and said, "That sounds like a great idea. Hmm, but I think maybe I should meet you there a little later in the evening. Because I was out last night, I probably should go home and have supper with my dad, and then we could meet at Langford's house afterwards. I can get to meet him, and then we can go and check out that weird light."

School moved rapidly the remainder of that day, and Dudley rushed home afterwards to tell his parents that he was going to be at Langford's house for the evening. He also cleared his evening with the two Order members who felt more relaxed having met Hannah and seeing that Dudley was in the company of someone who at least knew the wizarding world and seemed to be looking out for Dudley.

Dudley arrived at Langford's house to see him reorganizing his bookshelf. Piles upon piles of books sat in stacks of varying size and condition. Through the remaining beams of the setting sun, Dudley could see dust floating in the air and all over the room. Langford's face lit up as he saw Dudley walk into the room.

"You're just the man I wanted to see, Dudley!" Langford exclaimed. "Today I'm going through all of my old books, rearranging some of them, donating ones that people would like to the local library, and all in all just creating some room and cleaning a bit of this old mess. If you help me out, I'll let you have a couple, plus we might stumble across some things you've never seen before. I've got a fantastic collection of rare books."

Given Dudley's new enjoyment of learning, he saw this as a neat chance to both help Langford and learn. Therefore, the odd pair of friends spent the afternoon taking down books, inspecting them for their condition and cleaning them of dust and organizing them into different stacks (depending on if they were being kept, donated, or whatnot). They also talked as they worked. Topics such as what Dudley was working on in school, his father's shop and how it was doing, and where he had come from (on this topic, Dudley had to tread carefully, as he had told Langford and everyone else that he'd moved from "west of here" and therefore never really gotten into details). Dudley also mentioned that he had asked Hannah to stop in later that night (as Langford didn't know Hannah by the name Susan, at least they could use her regular name instead of her false one, which was confusing in and of itself). Langford was thrilled that his young friend was bringing by his new girlfriend (although Dudley denied that they were quite that far in terms of romance), and he told Dudley how he had met his wife so many years ago.

As he told the story, Dudley happened to see the sun finally set, and as it did, that strange blue light that Dudley had seen at the church seemed to suddenly flair on one of the older looking books at the bottom of a stack of valuable books marked "keepers." Dudley managed to wrap up the conversation, and then attempted to casually wander over to that stack under the pretense of placing those valuable books back on a shelf he had just polished. As he did so, he saw that the book that had suddenly glowed was an old, leather-bound book written in what appeared to be old English. Dudley couldn't read a lick of it, considering that the language had arrived from the Germanic regions, and therefore hastened to ask Langford about it. As he was looking at it, the light again flared and Dudley suddenly could read the book's title, which said "Instructions for the Chosen Finder of the Ax of Coifi." Dudley realized that Langford couldn't see these flashes of light, given that he had not reacted at all when they had occurred, but still chose to ask about the book.

Langford gently took the book from Dudley's outstretched hand after Dudley had asked about it and looked down his nose through his glasses at it. "Oh, it's this one. Dudley, to be honest I have no idea what this book is. I happened upon it a long time ago at a used bookshop. The book had seemingly jumped into my hand, and I don't know why, but I bought it. I can't read it, and the academics to whom I've shown it can't make a lick of sense out of it either. It has been dated as several hundred years old, but the writing inside of it is over a thousand years old. It seems to be a copy of something, but no one can tell me what. I've had scholars and booksellers visit me about this book, but for some reason I can't sell it."

Langford paused for a moment, and then continued, "I actually had a strange dream about it a long time ago to be honest. This man dressed in odd clothing was walking towards me out of some trees alongside a river and was holding the book and scrolls. He told me that he was the keeper of the scroll and that his family had guarded the secrets within them for hundreds of years. He told me that he would soon die without any heirs, and therefore that I must take over for him until the time was right. He then tapped the scrolls that he was holding, and the writing on them seemed to transfer through the air into the book he was holding and he handed it to me. Then he told me that when I grew as old as he was, a kind young man would befriend me and someday ask me about the book, and that I was free to give it to him, as he was destined to follow the quest detailed inside of it."

Dudley sat listening to his old friend speak, thrilled at what he was hearing, yet sure that this must be some sort of prank. However, as Langford finished talking, Dudley saw the look of relief and happiness that he had finally told someone his story. Langford smiled and told Dudley that he had hoped ever since they had met that he would be the one to take the book from him, and that he was so happy that he had been right. At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Dudley realized with a start that it was now dark, and Hannah was outside knocking and looking irritated.

Dudley hastened to the door and pulled it open. Seeing him, Hannah smiled and said into the suddenly chill air, "Phew, I though I was at the wrong house, I've been knocking for almost five minutes."

Dudley apologized and rapidly told Hannah what had just happened. At first she looked skeptical, but upon seeing the book, it glowed and she let out a surprised cry. "Oh my God Dudley, we've found something that will help us on our search."

Dudley walked the suddenly grinning Hannah into the sitting room where the books were still a mess and the stooped Langford sat upon a stool, still looking surprised at the rapid turn of events. Dudley introduced them, and Langford surprised Hannah by saying, "So Hannah, you wouldn't happen to be related to Susan from town, would you?"

Hannah looked surprised and suddenly fearful, but Langford smiled and said, "Relax miss, I know Dudley quite well, and he never let slip who you are. But you two forget, I've lived here a lot longer then you two, and people gossip here. Think about it, two new families, two young adults, and you're the only ones people talk about. You forget, I baptized most of the young people in this village, and neither of you were there. And before you two get worried about me, I don't want to know what you're up to. To be honest, I know Dudley, and I know he wouldn't be doing something he shouldn't be doing. If he trusts you Hannah, then so do I. I believe that you're good people, and that I should be helping you, but to be honest, I really don't want to know what you're up to, besides the fact that you're now the new owners of that book."

Dudley and Hannah looked at each other in stunned relief that they didn't need to explain the wizarding world or what they were seeking to this kindly old man. The fact that he trusted them and was helping them, both by giving them the book and by offering to answer questions about the village solved so many problems that they would have had. However, Dudley did not just want to take this valuable book from Langford when he knew that people had been seeking to buy it. He attempted to offer to pay for it, but Langford only said, "Dudley, you've helped me so much over the course of a brief period of time. Keep the book with my blessing, but don't forget to stop in every now and again and see me."

Dudley of course agreed, and then said, "Langford, how can I ever thank you for this. This is just what we've been searching for, and without getting into details, this could be a clue that will lead us to something has been lost for thousands of years. I promise you that I'll make it up to you one day."

With that said, Dudley and Hannah exchanged goodbyes with Langford and hustled out into the now dark night. Both started to speak rapidly and ended up laughing into each others arms, giddy over their sudden progress on their quest. They paused at the end of the driveway, and embraced in a hug. Hannah said, "I'd have never found this clue if you hadn't saved me that day in the forest." She then leaned close to Dudley and kissed him.

Several minutes later, the two came up for air and, grinning, walked holding hands towards the distant glowing light that marked the mysterious remains of the old church.