Chapter 13
“What’s wrong Harry?” Dudley asked, looking slightly worried when he saw his son smile and talk to a surprised looking Harry.
Harry ignored him for a moment, getting down on his knees to look the child in the eye. He smiled a little, trying to come over as reassuring and not too scary.
‘Is it a secret language?’ he asked and Freddy nodded.
‘It is. How did you get it?’ he asked, Dudley looking weirded out when he noticed that his cousin was hissing as well, and seemingly having a conversation.
‘I don’t know. I always could talk like this. Did you ever talk to snakes?’ Harry asked and Freddy nodded.
‘One of my friends has a pet snake,’
“Harry, Freddy, what’s going on?” Dudley asked again, haven gotten up as well, and looking weirded out, ready to whisk Freddy away if he thought that it was unsafe.
“It seems that Freddy is magic too,” Harry said, smiling, “he can speak parseltongue,”
“Parseltongue?” Dudley asked, frowning at the word, but Harry was already thinking further ahead.
“I just wonder how he could,”
“But you speak it as well,” Dudley said, “probably comes from our side of the family,”
“I guess,” Harry said reluctantly, always having been told that it was because of Voldemort that he could speak with snakes. He
Ginny was coming to join them outside, probably worried about what was taking them so long or scared that the two cousins would start fighting because of something in their past.
“Harry, is everything alright here?” she asked, looking at the man and the child that was looking curiously at the them.
“Yeah, I guess,” he said, “guess what, it seems that Freddy here is also a parseltongue,” Harry said, his smile a bit strained, but good enough to not let Dudley and Freddy seem suspicious. Ginny’s eyebrows rose to her hairline, not having expected that at all.
“A parseltongue? Are you sure?” she asked, unable to contain her surprise. Dudley frowned at the reaction.
“A parseltongue?” Livia asked, staring at her son in surprise, “but those are rare,”
“But Harry is one as well,” Dudley stated, “it’s probably because of genetics and stuff,”
“Genetics?” Harry asked, looking confused at Dudley.
“Yeah, genetics. Didn’t you get biology in school. It’s got to do with family traits. A rare trait can still run common in families and you know,” Dudley said helplessly. He had barely paid attention in school, not having been very scholastic, and now it had been years since he had tried to study biology he found that he had forgotten quite a bit already.
“But how?” Harry said, “I mean except mom, all the rest were muggles,” Harry said, “and magic doesn’t always work logically,”
“Perhaps we can ask mom and dad,” Ginny said.
“Did I do something wrong?” Freddy asked Livia, having wandered over to his mum when the grownups started to look a bit too serious for his liking.
“No, everything is fine sweety. Why don’t you go play a bit more,” she said, and Freddy nodded, going over to where Georgie was.
They soon joined the Weasley grandparents, who were equally surprised when they heard about Freddy’s abilities.
“Perhaps there had been a witch or wizard in the family before her?” Molly said, looking hesitant, “or a squib or something? They often went into the muggle world. Some never really stay in touch with their families,
“We could see if we find a family tree. It should all be in the records,” Livia said, and Dudley nodded.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Harrys aid, actually feeling eager to find out more about his mother side of the family tree. Once Voldemort had been defeated, Harry had found out a lot more about the Potter’s, their information easily found in the wizarding world, but the Evans were a different story.
He hadn’t actually considered going through the Muggle records, so he was glad for the opportunity to find out more.
“You want to come as well?” Dudley asked, and Harry nodded.
“Yeah, I do,” Harry said, and Dudley nodded.
“Well, I guess we can squeeze you in the car,” he said, “it’s about time we go home anyway. Our plants must be dying from thirst,”
They said their goodbyes, staying another evening with Livia’s grandparents and agreeing to that Harry would come the day after to join them in the drive home.
It had been a while since Harry had travelled the muggle way, but both Livia and Dudley had refused a portkey or apparition, stating that they needed the car home as well.
So, Harry shrugged and let them drive it, sitting uncomfortably next to Dudley, Livia having proposed to sit in the back with the kids.
It was weird for him to be with Dudley like this. Him and his cousin never had seen eye to eye, not until after the dementors at least. A part of him was still curious about what exactly Dudley had seen that evening, but even now he knew better then to ask.
“So, and how is the rest of life treating you?” Harry asked, fingering the pocket with his wand in, more a nervous gesture than anything else.
“It’s been good enough,” Dudley said, “I mean, I have a lovely wife, my sons are a handful, but I love them dearly and my job is okay. Good mates,”
“That’s good,” Harry said, still feeling the awkwardness go over him.
“And you? You got rid of that dude?” Dudley asked, “the one who killed your boyfriend,”
“Cedric wasn’t my boyfriend,” Harry said, immediately irritated.
“Oh, yeah, right,” Dudley said, flushing a little, fumbling a little, having forgotten that it was something he did to tease Harry and not something that had been right, “but you got rid of him right?”
“Yes, Voldemort is gone,” Harry said, sitting back, and thinking back to the war and his part in it, “it was horrid,”
“It must have been very scary,” Dudley said, and Harry made a non-committal noise, not wanting to elaborate. Dudley didn’t know the full scale of what had happened, and before he hadn’t even given any sign of being interested in it.
“So Harry, what does one encounter as head of the magical law enforcement?” Livia asked, trying to break the forming silence, Freddy and Georgie immediately interested in his answer.
“Oh, don’t get me started,” Harry said, a smile appearing on his face, and he made sure to tell all the funny stories, making everyone in the car laugh.
The drive took a few hours, and Harry was glad when Dudley stopped once so they could stretch their legs, before they finished their way.
“That’s weird,” Dudley said, with a frown, “there’s a cop car on the driveway,”
“I got a bad feeling about this,” Livia said, frowning when Dudley parked behind them. The door of the car opened and two cops stepped out.
“Harry, could you stay with the kids,” Dudley asked, looking a little panicked, “if this has anything to do with aunt Marge, than I don’t trust it,”
“Don’t worry, I’ll look out for them,” Harry said, knowing if it involved that woman, nothing good could come from it.
Dudley and Livia got out of the car, approaching the cop.
“Hello there, can I help you?” Dudley asked, stepping a little in front of his wife, just in case they wanted to get physical.
“Are you Dudley and Livia Dursely?” the cop asked, his hand already inching towards the handcuffs.
“Yes, we are,” Dudley said, a frown on his face, “is there something wrong?”
“We have a warrant to arrest you,” the cop said, his partner already flanking them.
“Arrest me? Why?” Dudley asked dumbfounded, wondering what his aunt had found out once again.
“Child abuse,” the cop said, and Dudley could only gape at them when they grabbed him.
“What’s going to happen to the children now?” Livia asked, her face worried when she felt the cuffs being tightened around her wrists.
“They’ll be taken into custody,” the cop said, “perhaps put with their grandparents,”
Dudley looked at Harry at those words, trying to convey his desperation. He could see his cousin look at him.
“Please, Harry, please,” Dudley whispered, and he saw a minute nod come from his cousin. A touch to his children’s shoulders and suddenly his car was empty, and he was being whisked away while his neighbours were starting to crowd the streets.
Edith held up her cell, shouting about police brutality and lack of proof, and Dudley just hoped that he would be able to see his kids again after this.