Chapter 27: Harry's Cousin

"Dudley? Who is Dudley?" Minister Fudge asked, looking around the room in confusion.

Dumbledore didn't answer. His gaze had already settled on the boy on the sofa, his blue eyes magnified by his half-moon spectacles, peering at Dudley with an unnerving intensity, as if trying to see into his very soul.

Dudley, who had been feigning exhaustion, had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. Of all the times, he thought with a flash of irritation, Hagrid had to bring this up now.

"Dudley," Dumbledore said, his voice soft as he slowly approached and stopped before the sofa. "What did you discover?"

"Dudley Dursley, Harry's cousin," someone explained to Fudge. "The son of the aunt he lives with."

It was only then that everyone in the room seemed to truly notice the second boy. He was considerably sturdier than Harry, with golden hair that fell across his forehead and a chiseled, handsome face, though his complexion was currently as pale as bleached bone. There were no family resemblances between the two; without being told, no one would have guessed they were cousins.

"I'm not sure," Dudley said, his voice weak and laced with believable fear. "After we went underground, I just… I kept feeling like someone was watching us. It wasn't strong at first, just a prickling on the back of my neck. But when we reached Vault 713, the feeling became… a strong sense of unease. I felt like something bad was about to happen. So I told Griphook to check. I never thought…" His voice trailed off, and he buried his face in the sofa cushion as if overwhelmed.

"A feeling?" Fudge frowned, nonplussed. The other wizards exchanged confused glances. They didn't suspect Dudley—he was just a Muggle-born child, after all—but his explanation was baffling.

"I've heard that some people are naturally more sensitive," John, the Gringotts guard, offered hesitantly. "They can detect dangers others cannot. Could he be one of those?"

"It's possible," another wizard chimed in. "Such cases exist. I remember reading of a Seer who could foresee immediate danger and avoid it every time."

"Or perhaps his intuition is simply stronger," a third suggested. "An unconscious premonition."

As they brainstormed theories, only Dumbledore remained silent, his gaze never leaving Dudley.

"Are you certain," he finally asked, his voice cutting through the speculation, "that besides the feeling of being watched, you didn't sense anything else?"

"I… I also felt a slight sense of danger," Dudley replied, his voice muffled by the cushion. "I don't know why."

"See! Just as I said!" the first wizard exclaimed. "Born with a sixth sense for danger!"

"It's a very good thing the boy has such a gift," Fudge said grimly. "Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire." A dead goblin was a diplomatic incident, but a dead Harry Potter would have been a catastrophe, a sign that the Dark Lord had truly returned. The mere thought cast a chill over the room.

After a few more fruitless questions, Fudge and his entourage departed, leaving a palpable sense of unease in their wake.

"You two should go and buy your things when you've rested," Dumbledore said to the boys before he, too, left. "Diagon Alley should be the safest place in Britain right now."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," they both said in unison.

An hour later, having recovered some of their strength, Dudley and Harry met Vernon and Petunia in the Gringotts lobby. His parents looked haggard and pale. The oppressive atmosphere of the magical bank, coupled with their long, anxious wait, had brought them to the verge of collapse.

"Oh, my little Diddy-kins, why were you gone for so long? Mummy was so worried!" Petunia cried, rushing over to smother Dudley in a tight hug.

"Mum, I'm fine," Dudley grunted, trying and failing to break free.

"Did something happen down there?" Vernon asked, frowning at Hagrid. "I have a bad feeling…"

"Nothing much," Harry interjected quickly. "Gringotts was just very busy today. We had to queue."

Vernon seemed to accept this, though his expression remained suspicious. As they stepped back out into Diagon Alley, Dudley noticed a significant change. The air was thick with tension. Stern-faced wizards in Ministry robes patrolled the cobbled street, their eyes scanning the crowd with vigilance. The previously leisurely atmosphere was gone, replaced by a hurried, grim determination.

"Why are there so many people all of a sudden?" Vernon muttered, unnerved. "What on earth happened?"

Seeing his parents on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, Dudley turned to Hagrid. "Is there somewhere we can get a drink? Um… the kind Muggles can accept," he added, remembering the questionable hygiene of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh, aye. I know a dessert shop just around the corner," Hagrid said.

"Great. Take us there." Dudley knew he had to get his parents settled somewhere safe and non-threatening before they caused a scene.

After ordering them some tea and cakes, Dudley and Harry excused themselves. "Next, we need to buy our Hogwarts uniforms," Harry said, consulting the list.

"Right then. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions it is," Hagrid announced, leading them back into the bustling street. The fitting process was surprisingly quick, thanks to a self-measuring tape that zipped around them of its own accord. It was magical, but after the day they'd had, it barely registered.

"So," Hagrid said as they left the shop, "what's next on the list? Books, or wands?"

Harry and Dudley's eyes lit up at the same time. The exhaustion, the fear, the lingering tension—it all seemed to melt away in that single, shared moment of pure, unadulterated anticipation.

"Wands!" they both said in unison.

***

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All

My Fanfics!!] [www. p@treon.com/meowthtl]

[+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]