Chapter 41 Dudley
Chapter 41 Dudley
Dudley could barely breathe, he had been dragging himself along the corridor for what felt like hours, he just wanted to get close to Draco, he needed to get those things off him but he was so weak, his legs wouldn’t allow him to stand. They were the same things that had attacked him and Harry in the underpass. Large, dark hooded things. The air was cold, frost biting at his fingers as he dug them into the rotting wood to pull himself forwards. Draco was dying, they were pulling him apart, something was leaving his chest with every rattling breath the creatures drew. Then there was movement, Draco raised his wand, Dudley didn’t hear the spell but he knew what it was. An enormous glowing lion emerged from his wand. It was blindingly bright, glowing with white-blue light. It had a full mane that moved like it was underwater, graceful and dignified. It was a magnificent fearsome beast, its head alone was the size of Dudley’s entire torso and it was at least three meters long, it barely seemed to fit in the hallway. The lion forced one of the creatures out of the open window straight away, banishing it from the room. Draco had fallen into unconsciousness, his head lolling to the side in Dudley’s direction. The lion then forced another creature directly down the stairs Dudley had just climbed up. The lion was dimming, the light that haloed its body growing less vibrant. Dudley watched agape as the creatures dark form was ejected from the space, he could feel his hope returning as the creatures were driven out. There was one left, it no longer hovered above Draco, it had retreated further into the bedroom, it seemed to be watching the lion, waiting to see if it could outlast the patronus.
‘Come on’ Dudley urged as the lion stalked back up the steps and past him in the direction of the last dementor, it was almost gone, its shape less distinct, it was blurring at the edges like it was slowly dissolving into the air. It looked regretfully at Dudley and then it was gone.
‘No. No. No. No.’ Dudley begged.
The last creature hovered ominously in the doorway, it wasn’t clear whether they had eyes under their hoods but it knew the patronus was gone, it started in Dudley’s direction, ignoring Draco’s limp body. There was nothing he could do, he was too weak to get anywhere fast, and he wouldn’t leave Draco. The dementor bore down on him, rattling breath draining the warmth and happiness from him. Dudley didn’t want to die like this, he wanted Draco with him, he began to crawl, in Dracos direction, using everything he had left, he wanted to die with Draco. The creature was Perturbed at its meal moving, it revealed two hands from beneath the folds of its black cloak, long and thin and bony, each finger ending in hooked yellow claws. The skin was red, it looked damp and rotten, like decaying meat. It clawed at Dudley, tearing his skin in a frenzied attack. Filthy claws tore Dudley to ribbons, slashing through his clothes leaving deep lacerations on his torso, arms, legs and face, blood poured from the wounds. Strangely Dudley didn’t feel much pain, his body numb and cold, he couldn’t move anymore, he was maybe three feet away from Draco.
‘So close.’ He thought as he shut his eyes and let the rattling breaths drain whatever life was left inside him. Dudley thought only of Draco, he remembered the feeling of him pressed against him as they zoomed around the garden on a broom, he recalled Draco’s low, quiet voice as he read Dudley to sleep, he thought of Draco’s pale blue eyes and the crinkles that formed at the edges when he laughed. Dudley felt warm again and allowed himself be pulled under by the darkness, slowing sinking into a black pool.