It was evening in the village of Little Whinging. The sun was just now beginning to set. Casting long shadows and the sky a deep red. A group of boys was just now splitting apart each off to their own houses.
“See you, Big D!” Shouted Dennis as he kicked off the ground and hurtled down the street on his bike. There was a screech of brakes as he slowed minutely to glide around a curve to the next street before picking up speed.
Dudley still had one hand raised in a lazy wave. He let it drop and his shoulders slumped forward as if a weight had fallen onto them. His hands felt heavy as he stuffed them into his trouser pockets. Instead of going to his bike, he settled on the cast iron bench that sat on the very edge of the park. It was meant for parents to sit as they watched over their children. It was not comfortable, a swirl of the ornate design dug into Dudley’s back as the leaned into it. But the pain did not bother Dudley much.
After Dudley’s gang left he was once more left alone with his thoughts. He did not want to go back to his house on Privet Drive, back to his parents.
Harry was gone now, his room had been empty for a good year now. But it was still untouched from when he had left. Sometimes Dudley would peek into the room. He did not expect his cousin to be there. But rather to remind himself of Harry. He had not seen Harry once since the day they had left Privet Drive with the wizards. And now Dudley doubted he would ever see his cousin again. After all, why would his cousin want to see him?
Dudley sighed head tipped back and the back of the bench dug into the back of his head. Dudley was sure he was the only one that cared that Harry was gone. Dudley’s mother had if anything been far happier with his cousin no longer around. Like a weight had been lifted from her. His father was much the same willing to forget the child they raised now he was gone.
Dudley’s eyes felt heavy his eye slowly closing. The leaves rustled as a soft wind brushed against the trees. The crickets had fallen quiet and the dog a few streets over stopped its barking. The sound of cars seemed to fade. A loose strand of hair tickled Dudley’s face making him jerk and he sat up quickly. With a shake of his head, he rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes and stood up. He shivered as a chill ran down his back. Scowling he tugged his jacket tighter around him as he headed back home.

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He entered the house through the back door. He toed off his shoes and shuffled into the kitchen to snag a snack from the kitchen. “That you, Dudders?” Called Petunia from the living room.
“Yeah, mum.” He said as he stopped at the living room door. His mum and dad were watching the telly. Petunia looked up and smiled at him. “Do you want some tea, dear?”
Dudley shook his head, “No, I am going to bed.”
“Alright, Dudders. Sleep well.”
“Goodnight, Sport.” His father grunted his gaze still locked with the television.
“Yeah… you too,” Dudley said quietly as he turned away. He climbed the steps to the second story slowly. Instead of going to his room, he padded down the hall to Harry’s room. He pushed the door open and stepped instead. The room was unnaturally clean for his cousin. Harry’s room like his hair had been an untidy mess whenever Dudley had gotten a glimpse of it. Thinking back on it Dudley supposed it might have been an unconscious rebelling against his mother. Dudley had never been told not to go into his cousin’s room but it had been an unspoken rule. Dudley crossed the room to the bed and sat down on it. A groan of protest slipped from the bed frame as he set his weight down on it. His stare drifted the room from the small bookcase that had Harry’s old schoolbooks on it to the old wardrobe. Dudley need it was strange of him to miss Harry. He slumped back onto the bed. Dudley regretted a lot of his choices in his life and he regretted how badly he treated his cousin the most.
Dudley felt the wave of weariness flow over him again. He signed and let his eyes close. The room smelled of ink, books, and the faded musky smell of Harry’s pet owl.

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Dudley could hear the rattle of the train and a small sway as the train moved down the tracks. Dudley grunted as he pushed himself up from where he was slouched against the side of the train compartment. With a grimace, he swiped at his cheek where a drop of spit had slipped from his mouth. Piers was sitting across from him his gaze bored as he stared out at the passing scenery. “What…” Dudley mumbled stupidly as he stared at his friend. Piers rolled his head so he could look over at Dudley said sending a curious look at him. “What?”
“Your twelve,” Dudley stated.
“Eleven really.” Piers said with a laugh. “You alright there, Dudley?”
Dudley nodded and peered down at himself. Looked down at pudgy legs that didn’t reach the floor. Short stubby fingers and round belly. “I… I just had a really strange dream…”
“Really?” Piers asked kicking his feet against his seat as he shifted his attention fully to Dudley. “Anything neat? Flying motorcycles or something?” Piers added with a broadening grin.
“I…” Dudley felt lost and very confused. He wondered if he was still dreaming. He knew where he was that first train ride to Smeltings. But he had remembered falling asleep on Harry’s bed just a moment ago. With his left hand, he reached across and pinched his fleshy forearm hard.
“Ow.”
Piers snorted back a laugh but his gaze turned rather worried, “Dudley, you alright there?”
Dudley nodded again. “It was really real…” Dudley could have sworn that he had just lived a good seven years of his life. He was all grown up now. He looked at the eyes of his reflection in the glass of the window. Wide blue eyes in a round face peered back at him. “I don’t feel very good…” Dudley muttered his voice a lot higher than what he was used to.
“Just don’t throw up… that would be pretty awful to be sick our first day there.” Piers said as he leaned a bit forward.
Dudley nodded again he knew he should say something but everything was just so odd.
“We should be there soon.” Piers said grinning as he bounced in his seat, legs going back to kicking.
Dudley looked back to the window.