The children who lived, Fought, and Loved

Chapter Fifty Eight

Dudley demented

(Not edited)

[The screen opened up to show Harry and Primrose sitting on a swing set in an abandoned playground]

Primrose is staring off into space, not paying attention

"Poor girl, she looks miserable," Marlene mumbles, frowning.

"Hopefully everything gets better once they get back to Hogwarts." Lily nods trying to convince herself.

The sound of harsh laughter reaches the twin's ears. They look up to see Dudley and his gang of followers walking down the street, telling crude jokes and laughing.

"He has friends?" Rabastan says astonished.

They ignore Harry and Primrose and continue on out of sight. Primrose gets to her feet pulling her brother along,

"Come on we better get back before duds."

They go and follow Dudley.

[The twins round the corner, Dudley was up ahead having have departed from his friends, strolling along at his case, humming tunelessly.]

"Hey, Big D!"

Dudley turned.

"Oh," he grunted. "It's you."

"How long have you been 'Big D' then?" said Harry.

"Shut it," snarled Dudley, turning away again.

"Cool name," said Primrose, grinning and falling into step beside her cousin. "But you'll always be Ickle Diddykins to me."

Regulus snorts.

"I said, SHUT IT!" said Dudley, whose ham-like hands had curled into fists.

"Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?"

"Shut your face."

Primrose blinks innocently at her cousin, "You don't tell her to shut her face. What about 'Popkin' and 'Dinky Diddydums,' can I use them then?"

Fleamont chuckles, "Definitely My granddaughter."

Euphemia rolls her eyes, "How lovely, Two of you were enough."

Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting the twins seemed to be demanding all his self-control.

"So who've you been beating up tonight?" Harry asked, his grin fading. "Another ten-year-old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago—"

"He was asking for it," snarled Dudley.

"The kid was ten."

"Sure he was." Primrose hummed.

"He cheeked me."

"Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? 'Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true."

A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know how furious he was making Dudley.

They turned right down a narrow alleyway. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.

"You two think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley said after a few seconds.

"What thing?"