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A New Beginning.

By Jon08



Rating: K+ I think, slight bad language by Dudley.



Disclaimer: I have no rights to these characters, they being the sole property of JK Rowling and am making no money from said story.



I have always thought that a lot is left out of the books about Dudley. What did he see when the dementors attacked him? Why did he put that cup of tea out for Harry? Did he try to change himself because of it?



Again I must say thank you to all the nice people who've reviewed my story, or put it on alert. I'd like to mention that some reviewers have definitely passed their Divination Exam. They know who they are. Please continue to read and enjoy.





Chapter 8



The next day at school was a full one for me, mathematics all morning, I hated the subject, but at Smeltings, it was a required subject for A levels students and now I was apparently stuck with it here as well. Justin was in the same class as me for this, the only class we had together, he seemed to find it so easy. I envied him. All these differentials, logarithmic and whatchamacallit functions made my brain hurt. If I really worked at it, I could make some sense of it, but most of it seemed to make no sense. During midmorning break, I told Justin about the girl I'd seen the previous afternoon in the pool. "She's a student at this school, but couldn't come yesterday, some appointment, her left leg must have been broken. I didn't get too much information before she was picked up by some kid called Richard. Yet another girl with a boyfriend already."



Justin agreed with me, there really was a dearth of single girls our age around this town. In our year, there was only seven girls, to about fifteen boys, and as far as we were aware, they all had boyfriends. Rotten luck on our part.



After midmorning break it was back to another torture session of mathematics, this really wasn't my subject, but after 1 year of it at Smeltings, and only one year left before final exams, it was too late to dump it and take another subject. I couldn't manage to do two years work for a subject in 1 year and continue with the other 2 I was taking, and I needed 3 A levels to get to University, I was stuck with it.



I stayed behind after the class to speak with the teacher, I felt I needed help to do well in this class, and maybe could benefit from some extra tuition. He felt that it was too early to tell, but would bear it in mind later, if I was still struggling. Ok. I wasn't as hopeless as I had expected, that was slightly encouraging, but I still hated the subject. Wasn't going to tell the teacher that, he was probably the sort of person who would sort his socks according to some obscure mathematical formula, and believed the world would end if they were out of order. I had read of some mathematicians like that... Anal, the lot of them.



I made my way to the canteen to get myself some lunch, Iwas glad I was no longer on that diet that the Smeltings nurse had put me on. I could eat properly, but healthily, and truth be told preferred it. No more burgers etc for me. I just hoped there was healthy options on the menu.



I got some salad, avoiding the chips, (fries to any American readers), and other fried food options that they were offering with it, taking some of the tuna mayonnaise, on offer. I looked around for Justin; at least I could sit with a friend and saw him talking to a familiar face. It was Lisa from yesterday. As I walked up to join them Lisa smiled and waved at me. That was unexpected and puzzling it seemed yesterday she had aboyfriend, that Richard.



"You never told me that you knew Justin!"



"Well neither did you, it was only a brief talk after Istopped your nosedive into the tiles and then you left with your boyfriend."



"A puzzled look crossed her face. Oh you mean Richard? He's my older brother; he left school two years ago. I need his help to get around while I'm wearing this thing," she said indicating the frame on her leg. If I wore it while I was swimming I'd sink, but I'm supposed to wear it at all other times."



"Ok! So how do you know Justin, he just moved into the area like me? Hang on! Did you go to Hogwarts as well?"



"How do you know about Hogwarts? You obviously aren't magical or you'd have gone there, yourself, and although this is a mixed town most muggles here don't know its name either, just that a lot of kids in the area go to a school for the gifted. I'm sure some of them think there's something special about the area to get so many gifted students."



I looked at Justin with a grin, "I have a magical relative, can you guess who it is?"



"Ok, Mandy is an only child and so are her parents, so no relatives there. Seamus is half blood, so you could be related to his muggle dad, but you don't sound Irish. Hermione Granger never mentioned any relatives except her Mum and Dad. I can't think of any other muggleborns of hand. Oh! Hang on! You're blonde and they mentioned brothers and sisters who weren't magical, are you related to Colin and Dennis Creevey?"



"No, sorry, I've never heard of any of them."



"Ok! Hannah and Ernie are half bloods, how about them?"



"No, but I have met them. They were with me a Justin's party."



"I've got no idea then, can you give me a clue?"



I took one of my exercise books from my bag and drew aline on it in the shape of Harry's scar. She looked at me with a puzzled expression, obviously not making ht econnection. I grinned at Justin again, this was fun. I lifted my book up and held it in front of my face for a couple of seconds and dropped it back on the table.



Slowly a look of comprehension came to her face. "You're related to Harry Potter, he never said he had any brothers and sisters. I thought he was an only child."



"He is, I'm his cousin, although he did live with us after his parents died."



"Go on; say it I don't look like a 'pig in a wig.'"



"Why would I say that, its hurtful? But why would you say it?"



"Justin old me that that's how Harry described me. Iassumed you'd heard it too. I used to be a lot heavier, and I was an absolute pig to him, in the way I treated him."



"Sorry, never heard it. When did you hear it?" she said looking at Justin.



"Luna Lovegood! She heard it from Ginny Weasley, told us once in the common room," replied Justin.



"Right. I see. Well I wouldn't have heard it then; I was in Ravenclaw, not Hufflepuff with Justin. And it's completely untrue, you look nothing like a pig, in a wig or otherwise."



"Thanks, that's good to know. What subjects are you taking, I didn't see you this morning, so you're obviously not taking mathematics, lucky you?"



"No, I'm doing French, History, Chemistry, Physics, biology, English Language and English literature."



"I see you're a masochist, enjoy causing yourself pain, must be to be taking that lot. I'm only doing Mathematics, English Literature and Chemistry and finding that a lot of work."



"It's not that bad. There was one girl at Hogwarts taking twelve subjects..."



"I know, Hermione, a friend of Harry's, Justin told me."



At that point, the bell rang for the end of lunch and it was time for us to head for our afternoon lessons. I took Lisa's empty plate and placed it in the pile with all the others at the side of the canteen and picked up my book bag and hers.



"What are you doing?"



"Well, we've got English Literature this afternoon, so if I carry your books it means I've got a good reason to walk there with a pretty girl. Of course, if you'd rather Ididn't..."



"No, that's fine and thank you."



As we walked to class I tried to find out more about her. "So, what does your brother do?"



"He's a Police officer, about twelve months now!"



"Ok! So that means I've got to be a gentleman towards you or he'll arrest me, thanks for the warning," I laughed.



"That's right." She laughed, "In fact you'd better be'the perfect gentleman' or I'll tell him and you'll be doing life in Dartmoor."



"Right, I'll remember that. Does your brother, Dick, work at the local station? Is that why you're here in Tinworth?"



"No. He works at Tintagel, not too far from here, but do yourself a favour and never call him Dick, he hates it."



"Why? It's what people called Richard are nicknamed?"



"Not when your surname is Turpin!"



I laughed, "oh no, your brother is Dick Turpin and he's aPolice Officer, that's a good one."



"Well you see why he hates Dick, my dad thought it was agood joke, but Richard hated it."



*



School continued as September progressed, Justin, Lisa and I continued to be friends, and so far I hadn't been arrested. So I must have the perfect gentleman that Lisa wanted me to be. Towards the end of September, Lisa finally got the frame off her leg and a result spent more time with the two of use when we weren't in school.



It was the beginning of October, one Saturday, Justin, Lisa and I were seated together in the cafe at the gym, discussing something about a new radio programme that Justin had heard the previous night. "It's called Potterwatch. Friends of Harry and supporters of our side give out news and events that the Daily Prophet doesn't mention. Everybody had code names, so it's not obvious who they are."



"How can I tune in, it sounds like I want to listen to?"I asked Justin.



"You'll need a wizard wireless set and a wand to tune in, and the password. I assume that wand card you've got will suffice. The next password is Lily. Trouble is they never broadcast at the same time each night, or from the same place, trying to keep away from the Death Eaters I suppose."



"Sounds reasonable, I want to keep away from them as well. You say everybody has codenames, have you recognised anyone?"



"I think Professor McGonagall is 'Rangers' after aScottish football team, Professor Lupin is Romulus and the presenter is Lee Jordan, River. I didn't hear any other's last night. I'd love to know how McGonagall was on it as she's teaching at Hogwarts. They could have been in Hogsmeade I suppose."



"You could be right, but isn't that the town nearest to the school, it must be Death Eater Central. It's a big risk that."



"It is. Knowing lee though, I wouldn't have been surprised if he was transmitting from the great hall of Hogwarts. He was great friends with Fred and George Weasley, the school's biggest jokers in years. There's a swamp on the fifth floor because of them. They turned the whole floor into a swamp when Umbridge was there. Filch, the caretaker had to take students across it in a punt. When she was sacked Professor Flitwick removed it easily when she was gone, but left a little bit of it there. A testament to their skill."



"I met them, came with their dad before the Quidditch World Cup to collect Harry, blew the lounge up, and as they were leaving, dropped some sweets. I was on a diet, ordered by the school, grabbed the toffees and scoffed the lot. Before my Dad would let Mr Weasley shrink my tongue it was nearly four foot long. I don't think I've eaten a toffee since."



"you must've been one of their first test subjects for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, their joke shop. When they left in the fifth year, they moved into a shop in Diagon Alley. Must have made a fortune from students that year suffering from Umbridgitus."



"What was Umbridgitus?"



"Every class she tried to teach after Fred and George left; had loads of students leaving with continuous vomiting, nosebleeds, high fevers. Funny how everyone got better between her class and the hospital wing. That was their skiving snackboxes; Puking Pastilles, Fever Fudge and Nosebleed Nougat. You ate one end of the sweet to make you ill, and as you left the lesson, ate the other end and you were cured."



"I want some, they sound like great fun. How can I get hold of them?"



"You can't. Their shop is in London, and to get mail order, you'd need to get past the Fidelius Charm to give your address." Even after nearly two months, I still couldn't find my way to Justin's house or him to mine, we had to meet up at the newsagents and take each other to our respective homes. Mum and Dad were of course oblivious to this little piece of subterfuge when it came to me going to Justin's, they knew I had to let him in it ours, but they didn't know him being magic, so they just thought I walked to his house as easily as I went to the shops. I still hadn't had a chance to talk to Mum about her attitude to magic. Dad played golf a couple of times a week at the nearest club, but usually while I was at school and he was back home before me.



Whenever Justin came to mine, he usually came with me from school or the gym or wherever we'd supposedly met up. I'd warned him about their prejudices and he was careful to avoid mentioning anything about the wizarding world when at ours. My parents were of the opinion his family had moved to the area because of his late father's health. Dad was the same with Justin as he'd been with anyone who thought could help him socially, like that Mr. and Mrs. Mason, he tried to impress with a dinner party at our house in Surrey before the Second year. He really was the most pretentious social climber.



*

I listened that night to the new wizard radio I had purchased; the password lily had tuned the radio to Potterwatch. Romulus was stating a belief that Harry was on some secret business for Dumbledore. "We should fight for our freedom and be ready to answer his call when it comes. I'm sure he'll need our help and we must be ready to answer that call when it comes." I was listening to the radio and keeping an ear out for any sounds from the house, I heard thru creak of a floor board, turned the radio off, jumped up and opened the door to the landing. The bathroom door was closing and I heard the click of the lock. Who was it? Mum or Dad? And what had they heard?





Author Note: Dick Turpin was a famous British highwayman in the 18th century.

Tintagel is a real place in Cornwall, England. Some people think it was the real site of King Arthur's Camelot. This is irrelevant to this story, just thought you might like to know.