I am Harry Potter's Cousin, Big D

The next month was, for the Dursley family, a period of surprisingly pleasant harmony. The impending departure seemed to bring them closer, and they spent their time together, going on outings and enjoying the precious moments that remained. Although Hogwarts had holidays, this was the first time the boys would be gone for so long, and the finality of it hung in the air.

During this time, Dudley made frequent trips to Hermione's house, always bringing a reluctant Harry along with him. While Dudley and Hermione devoured the first-year textbooks, engaging in lively academic debates, Harry was forced to preview a significant amount of the curriculum. Hermione, in turn, would occasionally visit the Dursleys, much to Petunia's delight. The two families also arranged a few more fishing trips, their children's shared, magical fate forging a new and unexpected bond between them.

The news that Dudley had started his own company had, of course, been a massive shock to his parents. Learning that the famous author "Mr. Jerry" was their own son left them speechless. They had always known their child was outstanding, but they had never imagined the true extent of his abilities. After the initial shock wore off, however, their capacity for acceptance had grown remarkably strong. After all, with two wizards in the family, what was one little company in the grand scheme of things?

And so, September 1st arrived. It was the day they were to leave for Hogwarts.

"Dudley, Harry, have you packed enough clean clothes?"

"Dudley, are you absolutely sure you need to bring all of those things?"

"Harry, remember to bring Hedwig's food. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you feed her from the white bag. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, it's the green bag. And on Sundays, the yellow bag. Remember not to feed her too much, and be sure to write to me when it's finished."

Vernon, looking surprisingly spry, organized their luggage and loaded it into the car. Petunia, meanwhile, fussed over them, her endless stream of reminders always concluding with the same wistful refrain: "Lily used to be like this when she went to school." Hedwig, Harry's beautiful snowy owl, had grown two sizes larger in the past month, a testament to Petunia's special, and apparently delicious, owl food. Hedwig now clearly preferred Petunia to Harry.

"Got it, Mum."

"Got it, Aunt Petunia." Dudley and Harry nodded their heads in unison, like chickens pecking at rice.

"It's truly amazing," Vernon muttered as he walked back into the house. His stomach had shrunk considerably over the past month, a direct result of the daily exercise regimen Dudley had forced upon him. "Wizards actually take a train to school. I was expecting something a bit more... magical. A giant pumpkin carriage pulled by countless winged horses, perhaps, or a floating pirate ship that could sail through the air."

"It's about time we left," he announced, clapping his hands together. "Oh, by the way, which platform is it?"

Harry pulled out his ticket. "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," he read. "The train leaves King's Cross Station at eleven o'clock sharp."

Vernon was slightly taken aback. "Never heard of it," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright, at least there's a bit of mystery to it."

At King's Cross Station, they found the Grangers waiting for them as planned. "Right then," Vernon said, pointing at the plastic signs. "This is Platform Nine, and that's Platform Ten. So where in the blazes is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?"

"Is it enchanted, like the Leaky Cauldron?" Mr. Granger asked, looking around with a puzzled expression.

Just as the adults were beginning to get flustered, Hermione spoke up. "I read in Hogwarts: A History that the entrance is at the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10," she said confidently, pointing to a solid brick pillar.

"Just look at Hermione, so clever, she knows everything," Petunia said, beaming at the girl with genuine affection before turning to glare at her own son and nephew. "And look at these two boys of ours, just playing all day, not studying properly." Hermione's studious nature and thirst for knowledge reminded her so much of her sister, Lily. If it hadn't been for that good-for-nothing lout James Potter, she thought with a familiar pang of resentment, their two families might have been much closer.

Dudley felt he was being unfairly targeted. He wasn't any worse than Hermione at studying; in fact, he knew he could always surpass her if he tried. But this, he was beginning to realize, was the curse of being compared to "other people's children"—they were always, inexplicably, better.

"Dudley, you're a big, strong boy," Petunia continued, her tone one of mild frustration, as if he wasn't living up to his potential. "Don't you know to help Hermione with her luggage? A young man should show some gentlemanly manners." As she spoke, she began piling the luggage from Hermione's trolley onto Dudley's, piece by piece. "And you take good care of Hermione at school," she instructed, her voice softening slightly. "Don't you bully her, and don't you let anyone else bully her either."

Hermione's face turned a deep shade of crimson. With her head bowed, she quietly said her goodbyes to the adults, then pushed her now-empty trolley towards the pillar and vanished into the solid brick without a sound. Dudley and Harry followed close behind.

Watching the three children disappear one by one, Petunia said with an emotional sigh, "Hermione is such a quiet, lovely child." If Dudley had heard that, he would have strongly objected. Hermione loved to read, that was true, but "quiet" was not a word he would ever use to describe her.

"Ho ho ho, our Dudley is the one to watch," Mrs. Granger countered good-naturedly. "So outstanding in both academics and sports." The two mothers continued to compliment each other's children, a friendly, competitive warmth between them.

The fathers, however, were much more direct.

"Brother Wendell," Vernon began, a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "Fancy a drink? How about we pop over to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"The Leaky Cauldron's drinks are unique, I'll give them that, but they taste a bit weak for my liking," Mr. Granger replied with a grin. "I know a newly opened pub that serves something with a bit more... potency."

"Well then," Vernon boomed, "what are we waiting for?"

On the other side of the barrier, the narrow, crowded platform had opened up into a much wider space. A deep red steam engine, completely different from the sleek, modern trains of the Muggle world, was parked alongside, a sign on its side reading "Hogwarts Express" in large, gold letters. The platform was thronged with people in wizarding robes, the air thick with steam and the excited chatter of hundreds of voices. Cats of all shapes and sizes weaved through the crowd, and the piercing calls of owls echoed from the rafters. It was clear that these were all students heading to Hogwarts.

Dudley's journey to the wizarding world was about to begin.

***

(End of Chapter)

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