Chapter 31 Dudley
Chapter 31 Dudley
The shouting had stopped, Dudley was stood at the bars straining his ears to hear what was going on up there, but he couldn’t hear anything else. Draco was terribly frail, he was still recovering from the ordeal at the Riddle Manor, he wasn’t strong enough to deal with anything stressful, he needed more time to recover.
Moments later Draco was walking down the steps into the dungeon. Dudley could recognise his walk now, familiar with his uneven steps and the sound of the walking stick hitting the ground between them. He was alive. For now at least he was okay.
‘Draco! What was it? What happened?’
Dudley was struggling against The bars to get a good look at him. Draco was white, his eyes filled with tears but he had his wand back, he was holding it awkwardly between his fingers in the same hand as his walking stick.
‘Draco? Draco! What is it? Come here!’
Draco continued towards Dudley. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
Draco stopped a few inches in front of Dudley and attempted to speak, but he shut his mouth again and just shook his head.
Dudley took Draco’s cheeks in his hands.
‘Are you okay?’ Dudley asked, suddenly concerned that there was an injury he hadn’t noticed.
Draco shook his head.
‘Draco, look at me.’ He pulled Dracos chin up and forced Draco to meet his gaze.
‘Tell me… tell me and we’ll figure it out together. Are you hurt?’
‘T-they… they sent me. They sent me to…’
His words fell off again.
‘What?’
‘T-they sent me to get you. They’ve captured a wand maker. I don’t know what they’re going to do with you!’
Dudley’s breath caught in his throat and suddenly he felt like he couldn’t swallow. But Dudley refused to fall apart now, Draco Needed him to be strong. Dudley would not let Draco down. He could do this. He had survived their torture before and he would do it again. He would do it one hundred times for Draco.
‘Okay.’ Dudley said.
‘Draco? I need you to listen to me carefully right now. Can you do that?’
Draco nodded.
‘In a minute you’re going to take me up there and you’re going to give me to them.’
Draco started shaking his head.
‘I can’t do that! He was sobbing. His eyes wide and wild. ‘What if they hurt you again?’
‘Yes. Draco, I’m so sorry but you have to. You need to let them have me, you have to promise me you won’t stop them from hurting me.’
‘No.’ Draco was struggling to get his breaths in.
‘Draco, it’s okay, I promise it’s okay, you have to be strong. You need to let them do what they want with me. Promise me Draco? Promise me?’
‘I can’t.’
‘Draco. You need to. I need you to be strong. If they know about us, everything will change, they won’t trust you anymore and we won’t be able to destroy that horcrux. I know it’s hard but you need to pretend, you need to pretend to hate me. If they ask you to hurt me I need you to do it.’
Draco looked at Dudley like he had slapped him in the face.
‘No! Never, I won’t. Not again.’
Tears spilled out of Dudley’s eyes now.
‘Draco you have to. Everything we’re working for. It’s all ruined if they suspect anything. We need to play our parts, okay?
Promise me… Draco I need you to promise me before we go up there.’
‘Please don’t make me.’ Draco sounded so broken Dudley thought he could actually hear his heart tearing itself in two.
‘I’m so sorry Draco but you have to. Promise me?’
‘Draco said nothing but nodded his head once, it was the best Dudley would get.
‘Hey? I forgive you for anything and everything. You could do nothing to me that I wouldn’t forgive. Okay? Let’s just get this over with.’
‘I meant it.’ Draco said.
‘If you die, I won’t carry on, I will die too.’
‘So dramatic’ Dudley smiled his best and brightest smile.
‘Come on.’ He continued.
‘Get me out of here so I can kiss you properly before we go.’
Draco pointed his wand at the lock.
‘Alohamora’
The lock undid with a click, and Dudley was free, outside his cell for the first time since their perfect day together, it felt like a lifetime ago now. he rushed into Draco’s arms and pressed the whole of his body to his, as much of himself touching as much of Draco as he could manage. He squeezed Draco tightly. He felt so right, Dudley was tall and broad and he could completely envelop Draco, almost make him disappear into him. Draco sagged against him, his walking stick clattered to the ground as he brought both his arms around Dudley’s back.
Dudley felt calm, he really could do this. He would be brave enough for the both of them.
‘It will be alright.’ He whispered to Draco.
Draco just whimpered.
Dudley grabbed Draco’s shoulders and peeled him off. He brought one hand up to Draco’s neck and the other he buried in Draco’s hair. He wanted this. Kissing Draco was hard sometimes, images of Lucius would force themselves into Dudley’s head, but right now it was easy, it was all Dudley wanted. The chance to kiss Draco might be gone soon, He might not survive this encounter and if it was going to be the last time he kissed Draco he needed to make it count.
He brought Draco’s face close to his, but didn’t kiss him straight away, just held Draco there so that they were breathing the same air.
‘I don’t know what I would have done without you Draco.’ He whispered the words into his mouth before finally pressing his lips to Draco’s.
Draco immediately came alive, like he had been shot with a bolt of electricity. Suddenly everything became desperate and messy, they were kissing each other hard with teeth and tongues their hands in each others hair. Draco brought his hand down to Dudley’s waist, it explored his broad shoulders and back. Dudley caressed his hands through Draco’s hair, pulling and tugging at it firmly. They were breathless and panting as they pulled apart. Then Draco came back for another quick kiss, and another and another. He kissed Dudley’s cheeks and neck and temples and forehead with hundred quick pecks straining to reach him where Dudley was so much taller. Dudley lifted his chin and looked to the ceiling to give Draco access to his neck. Draco obliged by peppering frantic kisses all over it.
When Draco had kissed every square centimetre of Dudley’s neck he pulled back again. Dudley looked down at him
It was like he had been living in black and white and could see in technicolour for the first time. He had never loved anyone like this. He had loved his parents, of course he had but the intensity of this feeling eclipsed that love one hundred times over. It was overwhelming and all consuming it was in every cell of his body.
‘Fuck… we really need to go Draco, we’ve been too long.’
Draco wilted against his chest.
‘Come on.’ Dudley took Draco’s hand and led them along the corridor and up the stairs.
‘Point your wand at me.’ Dudley instructed when they reached the top.
Draco reluctantly did as he was told.
‘Left’ Draco whispered and they continued on to the entrance hall.
Dudley stopped just before he rounded the last corner, he turned around and gave Draco a smile. Draco looked green and he was swaying slightly where he stood.
‘Everything will be fine Draco.’ He placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
He said it like it was a fact but Dudley wasn’t even sure he would survive the next few minutes.
The pair entered the room and all eyes snapped straight to them.
‘Took your time Draco.’ Bellatrix teased.
Draco to his credit didn’t flinch at the remark. Instead he turned straight to Voldemort and bowed
‘The muggle my lord.’
Voldemort didn’t acknowledge Draco, he strode towards Dudley. He moved like a dancer, it was like he was made of water or smoke, he didn’t move like a person. Dudley was reminded that he wasn’t really a person anymore, people had souls and Voldemort’s had been ripped to pieces.
Dudley had been startled to find out that souls were real. Apparently you could even see them, Draco had watched people’s souls be ripped from them, Dudley could barely imagine watching something so despicable, the way he had described it was heart breaking, to imagine someone willingly tearing up their own soul was almost too much to bear.
Voldemort grabbed Dudley with a surprisingly strong grip, he dragged Dudley to the middle of the room where a small elderly man was sat in a heap on the tiles.
The old man’s clothing was torn and spotted with blood but he had an air of dignity about him nonetheless. He looked wise. Dudley was reminded of the professor from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. This frail man must be the wand maker.
Voldemort addressed the old man
‘This muggle is Harry Potter’s cousin, he was living with him right up until his escape. There’s something hidden in his mind, we have not yet been able to reveal, find out what it is and I will let you go.’
The old man considered Voldemort silently, Dudley could almost hear the cogs turning in his head, assessing the likelihood of Voldemorts truthfulness, weighing up the pros and cons of his next move.
‘Refuse and you will be punished again. I know are talented in occlumency Ollivander. Consider your options carefully.’
Dudley cringed, they had clearly already tortured the poor man.
Ollivander switched his gaze and looked at Dudley. There was something about this man, he was good, if he was a colour he would have been bright yellow, even in his current state he still had kind eyes and a softness in his face.
Instinctively Dudley knew Ollivander would refuse.
‘It’s okay’ Dudley mouthed to the old man, he also gave him the tiniest of nods, so small Voldemort couldn’t have noticed. Dudley had endured the invasion into his mind several times before, it was agonising but tolerable compared with the pain of the cruciatus curse. There was also a small part of Dudley that was curious what exactly was hidden inside his own mind, he didn’t like the thought of someone putting something in there without his permission.
Ollivander looked a little taken aback, but he inclined his head in acknowledgement.
‘Okay’ he said.
‘Correct decision’ Voldemort mused as he released Dudley from his grip and wandered back to the edge of the room.
Dudley and Ollivander were now alone on the floor in the middle of the room, all eyes looking to them.
‘This will hurt.’ Ollivander warned, his voice warm and his face brimming with compassion.
‘I know.’ Dudley whispered back to him.
‘Not my first time.’
Ollivander smiled sadly.
‘Just be as quick as you can.’
‘Of course’ he replied.
Ollivander was inside his head in an instant. He felt different to anyone else who had attempted to penetrate his mind. Ollivander seemed to swim around, everything was slightly more graceful and refined. It was less painful, like the sting of it was muffled by the water. It was still uncomfortable, but Ollivander didn’t attempt to look at anything else, he immediately zeroed in on the blockage. When someone else was trying to move it Dudley could see it better in his own head. He could barely register its existence when he tried on his own but with Ollivander inside him, feeling along the edges, Dudley became more aware of it. It was almost like Dudley knew that he knew what was behind that wall but he just couldn’t remember it and the harder he tried to remember the further out of his reach it fled.
Ollivander felt his way right around the wall, then he left Dudley’s head. It couldn’t have taken more than five minutes total but Dudley still sighed with relief when Ollivander was gone.
Voldemort was on top of them again, wand out and pointed at Ollivander.
‘Well?’ Voldemort asked.
‘I… I’ve never felt anything like it.’
‘But did you get through?’
Ollivander shook his head. ‘It’s a fortress, it’s so strong, I don’t know what it is. I’ve never encountered magic like that before. I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.’
Voldemort was outraged, clearly he had believed Ollivander was more than capable of cracking this problem.
‘You mean to tell me this stupid muggle here has stumped the greatest wand maker of his generation.’
‘Yes.’ Ollivander replied with simple honesty.
‘Fuck you’ Voldemort hissed.
‘Crucio!’ He hit Ollivander with the spell directly to his chest. Ollivander buckled and began roaring in agony.
‘And fuck you as well.’ He turned on Dudley, he knew what was coming next and he braced himself.
‘Crucio’ it hit him square in the chest, no amount of bracing could prepare Dudley for the pain, he had forgotten what it was like, the way it throbbed and twisted and pulled on every part of him at the same time, like being set on fire, plunged into ice and drowned simultaneously.
There was no space for thoughts in his head, only pain that seemed to go on endlessly.
When Dudley came to Draco was next to him. Not touching him, just stood close by. Dudley could see through his blurry eyes that he was shaking, his hand trembling at his side.
The aftershocks of the pain were still rumbling through him but Dudley found the strength to give Draco a thumbs up. Draco let out a wobbly breath and though he stopped trembling he began tapping his fingers together agitatedly.
‘Get rid of them.’ Voldemort spat at Lucius from the edge of the room.
‘Of course my lord. Dead or dungeon?’
Draco, Dudley and Ollivander all tensed, anticipating Voldemort’s answer. Draco caught Dudley’s eye, their promise written in the pained expression on his face.
‘The dungeon, both may prove useful in the future. Put the goblin down there too.’
Draco’s shoulders slumped in relief.
‘I’ll take this one’ Draco announced leaning down, taking Dudley’s shoulder and lifting him to his feet. Draco pushed his wand into Dudley’s back.
‘Walk.’ He instructed, and Dudley did, though it was not in a straight line, his head was swimming. Draco led him through the corridors back to the dungeon. Draco placed him back inside his cell, squeezing his hand before he backed away and locked the door. They were followed by Lucius who had Ollivander in a levitation spell, clearly he was too weak to walk. Dudley barely managed it himself, he was genuinely surprised the old man had survived the curse. Behind Lucius Bellatrix dragged the still unconscious body of a goblin behind her, no levitation spell, the poor goblins head bouncing off doorframes as she dragged him carelessly through the house.
Ollivander and the goblin were flung into the cell next to Dudley’s.
‘Come Draco, we must see if the dark lord requires anything else’ Lucius commanded.
Draco looked to Dudley, Dudley gave him another thumbs up, Draco didn’t smile but followed his father up the stairs and back into the main house.
Dudley immediately ran to the wall he now shared with Ollivander.
‘Are you alright?’ He called.
‘Not really, what about you? Ollivander asked in a thin voice.
‘I’ll be okay. I’m Dudley by the way.’
‘Garrick. Garrick Ollivander. I’m sorry for using legilimency, I tried to be gentle.’
‘Don’t be. I could barely feel you in there.’
‘Why are you here Dudley?’
‘They think I know where Harry Potter is. They think I’m hiding it in my head.’
‘You’re a muggle?’
‘Yeah. I don’t have magic’ Dudley replied.
‘Whoever put that blockage in your head was a wizard. It was definitely magical in nature, muggles would have no defences that strong.’
‘You mean some wizard has hidden something in my head without me knowing.’
‘They must have done, and a powerful wizard at that, that was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
‘But why? Why me? I’m no one. I’m just a muggle, why would wizards want anything to do with me.’
‘I don’t know Dudley. Sorry. I expect it has something to do with Harry Potter.’
‘Well thank-you anyway, that’s the most anyone has been able to tell me about whatever’s going on inside my head.’ There was a pause before Dudley continued ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ Ollivander answered
‘What about the goblin?’ Dudley took a moment to appreciate the strangeness of asking after the health of a goblin, a creature he had believed to be mythical until he had seen it unconscious at Bellatrix’s feet.
‘They hit him with a strong stunner, I expect he’ll be out until tomorrow. But his pulse is strong.’
‘I’m sorry they got you.’ Dudley said.
‘Me too my boy, how long have you been here?’
Dudley was rendered speechless for a moment as he tried to recall. So much had happened, he was a different person now, it felt like a lifetime since he had been taken from the safe house.
‘I don’t actually know, it feels like a long time.’
‘I’m sorry they got you too.’ Ollivander repeated.
‘Yeah’ was all Dudley could say, his head was still splitting. He opened the basilisk box, gave the toad a little stroke, she gave a croak of appreciation. Dudley gave her a few mealworms and checked the egg, it was turning a light bluey grey colour. Dudley shut the box again and retreated to his corner to wait for Draco, he knew Draco would be here soon. Draco would always come for him.