Wot In The Harri Potter?

22 - The Visitor

Fred works me hard.

This room he has found is something else. The floor is padded under foot, the walls are adorned with posters instructing how to use various spells, and assorted training equipment sits at the sides.

"I never knew this room was here," I say in awe upon entering it for the first time.

"It wasn't, until just now," Fred says mysteriously. "I made it just for you."

I go along with it, even though what he says makes no sense. I am just so grateful he isn't dumping me for being a needy child.

He spends hours teaching me all the spells he knows. We practice disarming over and over again, non-verbal spells, and casting Patronuses. We spend many hours laughing as we watch Fred's magpie fly around my stag's head, feeling happier and safer than ever.

George often joins us, making it even more fun. Together, the twins use this space not only to teach me magic, but to try out their inventions, which I'm always happy to help with and be a part of.

When it is Fred and George's eighteenth birthday, we invite all our friends to the Room for a massive party. Even the Slytherins come, with Draco taking great interest in the purpose of the room, asking Fred exactly how he conjures it and what its limitations are.

In fact, pretty much the entire school is present (including the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton visitors), the room changing size to accommodate the crowd. The teachers have no idea, and that makes it even better.

There is so much joy and laughter in the room as we dance, drink and eat lots of cake, that I almost forget about the approaching third task.

Almost.

*****

The day of the third task finally arrives.

And, despite my chill leading up to it, I find I wake up with a sick feeling in my stomach.

And no, before you ask, I'm not pregnant. You actually have to have sex for that to happen.

The Slytherins cheer as I step out into the common room. A banner reads 'GOOD LUCK HARRI! SLYTHERIN PRIDE FOR THE WIN!' and everyone is wearing their Cedric Stinks badges which Draco made in my honour.

I push my way through the cheering Slytherin crowd, until I find myself at the sofa where Draco and Pansy have saved me a spot in between them.

"You good?" Draco asks.

I nod, because I feel too sick to speak. Pansy places an arm around me and hugs me tight.

"You'll nail it," she says, "just remember everything you have learnt in your training sessions with the twins."

Again, I nod, but I still can't speak.

We all go down to breakfast, where I am greeted by the biggest and best surprise of my life.

There, sat waiting for me at the Slytherin table, is-

"DUDLEY?!"

I am so shocked by the sight of my Muggle cousin sitting right here in Hogwarts - like witnessing a collision of my two lives.

"What the hell?" I hear Blaise mutter as I break away from my friends to go charging at full pelt towards Dudley.

He stands up in time for me to go flying into his arms, and I feel like sobbing against his large chest as he holds me tightly to him.

"How are you even here?" I gasp, looking up into his smiling face. "I thought Muggles couldn't-"

"Your headteacher wrote me a letter, inviting me here today." He explains just as my friends join us, all staring at him in shock. "Apparently, enchantments have been lifted so I can come and support you. Bloody hell, Harri, you weren't joking when you said this place is amazing. I just had five helpings of breakfast, the food kept on coming."