Chapter Text
Harry lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. He's been doing that a lot lately, just laying and breathing. In and Out. In and Out. He would leave his window open and crisp, clean air would circulate through his lungs and he felt so, so very relaxed.
Some days were brighter and cleaner than others.
Filled with petrichor when a storm was coming or had passed.
Warm and dry when it hasn't rained in a long while.
He's learned to notice the small things for when it rains, for when pours, when it drizzles or when it doesn't at all. The air has this sort of...energy, to it that indicates what will happen next.
Today was no different. He closed his eyes, breathed In and Out, and stretched his limbs. What he forgot to take into account, was where the front end of the bed lay and ended up sliding off it and landing on his butt with a thump. His back cracked as he slid down and it was then that Harry realized he had needed to crack his back for a bit.
It felt really, really good. So good in fact, that he opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw.
Swirls of snow-like energy drifted aimlessly about the ceiling of his room, flowing in and out of his window like some sort of indecisive cat and the cat's door. They spiraled and criss-crossed and loopty-looped in an ever-changing fashion, never being still for a second.
It was beautiful.
Harry raised a hand to touch it and smiled open-mouthed when a tendril reached out to wrap around his hand.
Slowly, the energy faded from view but Harry knew it was still there. Watching. Waiting.
As it has, since the beginning of time.
Nobody responded to his letters. Well, they did, but nothing short of "Dumbledore told us not to, it's not safe," blah blah blah. Which didn't make sense, to him at least. Yet. He'll probably understand once...well. Once someone explains it to him.
So he didn't push it, knowing it was somewhat pointless. They were in a secure location, away from Moldyshorts and his brainless henchmen's sights, and he was too. Somewhat. He wasn't sure just how exactly, his mother's sacrifice worked in the terms Dumbledore explained, because didn't Lily break off or something with her sister? The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, and all that. So wouldn't the...magic? Wards??...extend to Sirius or Remus or someone else? Or perhaps even he himself, afterall, Quirrel had been reduced to ashes.
But he kept those thoughts to himself. And a little booklet he'd been writing his idle thoughts in.
Idle thoughts, such as When is Sirius gonna get a trial or what has changed Dudley's attitude towards him? Because those were some pressing thoughts. For one thing, Dumbledore knew Sirius was innocent. So why didn't he press for a trial? The wizard had the legal power to. So Harry came to the conclusion, that Dumbledore had assumed the same exact thing as everybody else seemed to. That he had been a slimy snake all along. (Which is factually incorrect about snakes, just sayin.)
But another thing of note, was Dudley's whole change of attitude towards him. He was, dare he say it, chill.
Like, he actually...seemed somewhat, dare he say it again, nice. It was odd, but he certainly wasn't gonna complain. Dudley had even slightly frowned when Petunia rambled on about his freakishness while he was standing there. And it was later, that Harry learned that he was no longer friends with his old buddies that used to chase him around the block. He was quieter. More reserved. Harry sorta wanted to ask, but obviously he knew better than that and thought perhaps Dudley would tell him, in his own time.
All of that, led to these few moments.
Harry was forced to be outside today, weeding the garden and his idle thoughts returned to the strange white snow-like force that had shown itself to him one day. He knew, instinctively, that that was magic. It had to be. He knew, that the same substance was what filled the core near his heart. It was within him, around him. He knew, subconsciously, that magic played a big part in his decision making. He chose to listen to it, hear out what it wants and acted upon it.
It was only right. Of course, he couldn't perform magic to experiment, not with the Trace still attached to him. So that got him wondering.
Just how did the Trace work? Was it attached to a wand? No, it couldn't have been, because Dobby gotten him in trouble one year and he'd had an... accident, in the next. So, the Trace must alert the Office when magic is performed underage and in an area that doesn't actively use magic, like Diagon Alley. Which to Harry didn't seem fair, because then that means that Pureblooded families could perform underage magic and get more practice compared to those born from Muggles.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted when a loud clatter-bang rang out and he looked up, only to find nothing out of the usual. Cars were still parked on pristine driveways and the grass was as green and short as ever. He supposed it must have been one of Figg's not-cats knocking something over.
When he was finished taking care of the Dursley's outside image, he made his way to the local playground and sat on the swings. The swings were the closest he could get to a broomstick.
It wasn't long before Piers Polkiss and his merry band of bigots found their way to the park, as well as Dudley himself. Oh, this will be good. Harry couldn't help but think as he observed the group.
Harry flinched and winced when Piers started bullying a small kid. Then, to his surprise, Dudley stepped up behind Piers and smacked him across the head, clearly giving Piers a severe talking to. From where Harry was he couldn't hear exactly what was said, untilllll....
Well. Harry wouldn't repeat what Piers said, but it had much to do with the F-slur and homophobic threats.
The wizard glared daggers and his hand twitched toward his wand but he tamped down the urge to hex the fool. He will get his justice, in due time. Life always finds a way. Karma is a bitch but she is glorious.
Dudley was also having a hard time not retaliating violently, if his clenched fists were anything to go by. And then he said the coldest thing Harry's ever heard from his mouth.
"Count your fucking days, Polkiss. Count your fucking days," He turned, blinked at Harry, and stalked over to the other swing.
Piers and his crew rolled their eyes and left.
Harry couldn't take it any longer.
"What the fuck just happened?" He demanded.
Dudley glared at him, before: "Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy,"
Harry snorts. He couldn't help it. "Alright. I give. Trade?"
Dudley eyed him quizzically. "Trade...?"
"You know, I tell you about me, I ask one question, you tell me an answer, and you get to ask a question and tell about yourself. We trade. See?"
"............."
"I'll go first. I'm bi. What's your favorite dinosaur?" Harry didn't even need to see Dudley's face to feel the shock from the other boy. The silence was telling enough.
"....My favorite candy is still Mars Bars. I like the stegosaurus...." The brunette went quiet again. "Do you feel that?"
Slowly, tendrils of cold washed over Harry in familiar waves.
"...We need to move. Like now. NOW!" They shot up and started sprinting back towards Number 4, Privet Drive. "What are we running from?!" The other said in a panic as Harry yanked his wand out.
"Dementors. Awful-" The sky darkened. "-things that you No-Maj can't fucking see. Whatever you do, don't open your mouth." They darted into an alley, just as two cloaked beings drifted towards them. "Oh fuck- okay okay okay," Harry mumbled to himself. The screaming had started up again in his ears but he ignored it as he raised his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!" A faint wisp.
"Ex-Expecto Patr-Patronum!" Less wispy, but not enough. The dementors were nearing Dudley and he looked close to passing out completely against the wall with his hands clamped around his mouth and eyes darting everywhere to the sides.
Summoning all the strength he had, Harry gave one final push to his magic and Asked magic to help.
"Expecto Patronum!" Prongs burst forth from his wand in a blaze of blinding white light. Harry isn't sure what happened next, only that the dementors disappeared in flash and a bang as the one rounding on Dudley seemed to be impaled. Which was impossible of course, because everyone knows Patroni aren't corporeal.
Harry breathed heavily and sank to the ground with a groan. Dudley was no better. In fact...
The wizard scooted over to him, drawing Dudley's wide panicked eyes on him. "Eyes on me, follow my breathing okay? one two three IN, one two three four, OUT two three four..." He repeated this while emphasizing with his hands multiple times until Dudley's eyes focused and his rapid breathing was under control.
"Th-thank you...What...what was that?"
Harry sighed. "Dementors. Beings of darkness that make you think your worst thoughts, your worst fears. They feed on happiness and literally eat souls, it's not a pretty process. They have to-uh—"
"Kiss you to do it?"
Harry nodded slowly. "Yup."
"So that's why you told me not to open my mouth..."
"Yup."
"Why...?"
"Why what? Why are they here? I have no idea dude. Best guess is ole Voldie Shorts just tried to kill me, again, or....yeah I got nothing else." Slowly, Harry stood up and held out a hand. Hesitantly, Dudley took it.
"I mean, why did you save me? Goodness knows I'd deserve it,"
Blinking in horror, Harry turned to stare at the other. "Nobody deserves that. And I forgave you a long time ago."
"But I—"
"No buts! It wasn't your fault, but Vernon and Petunia's. They never told you it was wrong, and actively encouraged the bullying. You wouldn't have thought any differently," Harry started the walk back home, fingers wrapped tightly around his wand and Dudley walked on his left looking glum and shaking slightly.
"Yes but I should have-"
Harry sighed. "What's that one Lion King quote, the one about "It doesn't matter, it's in the past," "
"Are you seriously quoting the Lion King?"
"Well yeah, you obviously didn't learn anything from it, so..."
Dudley stopped in his tracks. "Look, what I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I treated you the way I did, and I...I want to be better. To you, I mean. To everyone, I guess,"
"Well that's good...I accept your apology. So what's this I'm hearing about a man, hmmm?"
"Amanda."
Harry thinks about it. Then a light comes on.
"A man, duh."
Dudley smirks back at him.