Chapter 32: Family
August 23 - Grimmauld Place
Neville sighed as he sank into an oversized chair in the library of Grimmauld. He'd taken a chance that he'd find Harry and Hermione here, but the library was empty. He pulled the signet ring from under his shirt as he thought about what he had learned about his past. He still had to tell Harry. They had both been so busy that there just never seemed to be time. His mind kept wandering to the prophecy his mother mentioned and the one from the Department of Mysteries. All he knew about the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries was that it had both Harry's name and that of Voldemort's on it. But there was a question mark originally he thought. He'd held the small globe in his hands. He was certain that Harry's name was added later. He found himself more and more curious about what the prophecy foretold.
He also worried that Harry wouldn't be so excited to hear that he was related to him. He didn't think that would be the case, but it was hard to push the self-doubt away sometimes. After all he'd spent all of his years at Hogwarts being laughed at and picked on by many of the other students. In the past he often wished he were more like Harry.
The door creaked open and he looked up quickly letting the ring drop back under his shirt, hidden from view. To his surprise, Dudley Dursley entered the room. At least, it looked kind of like Dudley. He was thinner than when he had arrived at Grimmauld, though still easily twice the size of Neville. His hand instinctively rested on his wand at his side as he remembered the other boys attack on Harry.
"I was looking for Harry," Dudley explained standing just inside the doorway.
"I haven't seen him since this morning," Neville replied honestly. Dudley seemed to accept this answer and turned as if to leave, but paused.
"I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier in the summer," he apologized. Neville wasn't sure he'd heard him right.
"What?"
"I'm not repeating it. I already said it once," Dudley spat, then remembering Bill's advice he turned to face the other boy fully and approached him slowly.
"I was hoping we could start over, I'm Dudley," He said extending his hand for Neville to shake. Neville stood in surprise, but shook his hand as he introduced himself.
"Neville Longbottom, pleased to meet you, Dudley." Once the handshake was over, neither knew what to do. Finally, Neville broke the silence. "Normally, the library is a good place to look for Harry, that's why I came here earlier."
"He likes to read?" Dudley asked curious.
"Well, I think it has more to do with Hermione, than Harry's love of reading," Neville replied with a smile. Dudley smiled as well and took a seat in another chair to the left of the one Neville occupied earlier. Neville sat back down as well.
"She's the girl he was with earlier this summer, the one with the curly brown hair," Dudley guessed. He'd avoided his cousin for most of his time at Grimmauld finding it incredibly easy really.
"That's her," Neville confirmed.
"I'm supposed to apologize to her, too," he informed Neville. "I was so angry at Harry for what happened. I wanted him to hurt as much as I was hurting."
"He was hurt by what happened. Harry still feels guilty about it that's just the way he is."
"But they were horrible to him. I was horrible to him. I thought he'd be happy," Dudley began only to stop as he noticed Harry standing in the open doorway. Harry entered the room and closed the door behind him. His eyes never left Dudley's, as he said, "I never wanted them to be hurt or killed, and if I could change what happened I would."
"You really mean that don't you," Dudley's surprise was evident in his voice.
"Yes, I do," Harry answered his own voice flat. Suddenly feeling too tired to continue his own search for Hermione, he settled back into a chair near the others. He certainly hadn't expected to find Dudley and Neville talking in the library, and he wondered briefly what had brought them each here.
"I'm sorry, Harry, for what I said and what I've done," Dudley said with true regret. He'd grown up in the same home as his cousin, and yet, he knew almost nothing about him. A fact that was becoming clearer to him with each day at Grimmauld, and each encounter with his cousin and his friends, "Do you think we could start over, maybe even be friends?" He almost startled himself with his last words, but realized that he wanted to get to know his cousin. Bill had helped him work through his issues with magic. He now realized that a healthy fear of magic could be a good thing, but he also realized that being magical did not automatically make someone a freak.
Surprise flickered across Harry's face as well as he contemplated what his cousin had just asked. Dudley, wanted to be friends. He honestly didn't know what to say. So much had happened between them. As the silence stretched on, Dudley faced the fact that perhaps he'd gone too far, after all two months ago he'd be more likely to use his cousin for a punching bag than have a conversation with him. Just as Dudley was about to give up and leave the room, Harry spoke.
"I think I'd like that." Dudley smiled in relief, perhaps there was a chance for them to become friends after all.
"Thanks, Harry," Dudley replied meaning it. Neville took a deep breath and decided in that instance to take a chance.
"Harry, I have something I need to show you," with that he pulled his mother's letter form his pocket and handed it to his friend. "This is a letter from my mother that she left for me for when I became an adult," he revealed. Dudley looked at him curious, but remained quiet.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked wanting to be reassured that Neville really wanted him to read it.
"You need to read it," Neville replied firmly, "as it concerns you, too." Harry's brows raised questioningly, but he opened the letter and began to read. Neville couldn't watch. He stood and paced the room as Dudley looked back and forth between the two uncertain if he should leave or not. Finally, Harry refolded the letter as he got to his feet. Neville stopped pacing as he awaited his response.
"Brilliant," the one word was enough for Neville as he watched the smile spread across his friend's face.
"What?" Dudley questioned before he could stop himself.
"It turns out Neville is my cousin, too. His mum and my dad were half-siblings," Harry revealed. He had family. Dudley and he were talking, and now Neville.
"You're not upset?" Neville questioned hesitantly.
"Upset, why would I be upset? You're one of my best friends. Are you disappointed?" Now it was Harry's turn to be worried. Neville was already in danger as a friend of his, as his cousin, it only put him in more danger.
"No, I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be related to," Neville replied in earnest.
"This calls for a celebration," Harry commented and Dobby appeared as if on cue. "Dobby could you bring us some butterbeers and sweets, and let everyone know they're welcome to join us. I'm celebrating with my family." The house elf nodded excitedly and departed immediately. A table filled with sandwiches, desserts, and sweets along with lots of butterbeer appeared moments later.
As the three filled plates, others trickled into the room. First, Hermione, then Ron and Luna, followed soon after by the twins, and Ginny arrived.
"So what are we celebrating?" Ginny asked as she grabbed a butterbeer. Harry looked at Neville who nodded his assent.
"We're celebrating family. Dudley and I have come to a truce, and Neville and I have discovered that we're cousins," he informed his friends who were all really much more like family to him.
"Congratulations," Hermione said hugging all three of them. Dudley apologized to her as well, and the friends began to talk and eat, for a moment forgetting about the war and training.
"We really should do this more often," Hermione suggested to Harry as the two made themselves comfortable on a sofa. She took a sandwich from his plate, and he smiled to see her so relaxed.
"Anyone care to try some of our newest inventions," Fred and George asked together pulling sweets from their pockets. Dudley stepped away from them automatically.
"No worries, mate, we won't make you eat them," one of the twins reassured him.
"Or trick you into it," the other added a mischievous smile lighting his face.
"Good," he stammered moving further away from the two and eyeing his plate suspiciously as if looking for any tainted sweets.
"They're all perfectly harmless," Luna reassured the group as she took a sweet from Ron's plate. They had settled comfortably together on the other sofa in the room. Neville pulled a chair closer to the sofas and sat down as well. Hermione was right, they should do this more often as he'd missed these kinds of moments.
"So how are you and Neville related, Harry?" Ginny pressed curious as to the answer.
"It's really Neville's story to tell, if he wants," Harry pointed out leaving it up to Neville to decide how much to tell. Neville turned slightly pink at the added attention as every ones eyes moved to him.
"Well, basically, my mum and Harry's dad are half-siblings, which makes Harry and I cousins," he explained simply.
"Why did you only find out now?" Ron asked.
"Well, my mum and dad were the only one's who knew, and she wrote a letter to me telling me about it just in case she couldn't later because of the war," Neville managed trying not to think about why his mother had not been able to tell him this sooner. "She said she wanted to make sure that I was old enough to understand the situation before I found out, if she wasn't there to tell me herself and answer my questions." The others accepted his explanation and their attention turned back to the food and the start of the new school year.
"Will we still have the D.A. this year, Harry?" Ginny questioned.
"Yes, Hermione, Neville, and I will be heading that, though we'll probably need your, Ron, and Luna's help as well," Harry informed the others.
"What about those of us who have graduated?" Fred and George asked together.
"Aren't you in the Order then?" Ron said surprised at the question.
"Yes, but the Order doesn't teach you new and interesting spells," Fred answered.
"And they just want us for our skill at making things, not for actual missions," George added.
"Plus, we're pretty good at information gathering," Fred began.
"Since we're right in the heart of things at Diagon Alley," George continued.
"And soon will be in Hogsmeade as well," Fred revealed.
"If our major investor can help us out with that a bit," George finished eyeing Harry.
"You've done that well already?" Ron sounded incredulous, "And I haven't even seen your Diagon Alley store yet."
"Business is booming," the twins said together their voices blending perfectly.
"We'd love to be able to open a branch in Hogsmeade in time for the first Hogsmeade visit this year," George explained.
"We almost have enough to do it ourselves, but then we'd be low on money to use for new inventions," Fred informed the others.
"But where would you get that kind of money?" Ron asked quizzically.
"We're actually betting that our major investor may have it," George said simply.
"We would of course, pay him back," Fred insisted.
"Or offer him a share in the business," George suggested.
"Free merchandise," Fred added sweetening the deal.
"How much?" At those words everyone turned to Harry.
"50,000 galleons tops, to move on an ideal piece of property right away and insure completion of the building on time," the twins replied in unison.
"Okay, but if you need more let me know, we can go over the details later if you'd like," Harry agreed thinking that he wouldn't miss the money and having the twins in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley had its advantages.
"You have that kind of money?" Dudley questioned clearly shocked. He wondered for a moment if he'd messed up the exchange rate or gotten galleons mixed up with knuts.
"Yes," Harry answered though he didn't explain further.
"And you gave them money before?"
"Just the tri-wizard tournament money, I didn't want or need it," he replied shifting in his seat, not wanting to explain further.
"What do you think Narcissa Malfoy will be like as a defense professor?" Hermione threw out to change the subject. She knew Harry was uncomfortable talking about money and the tri-wizard tournament. She smiled at the grateful look he shot her.
"She'll favor the Slytherins, hate the Gryffindors, and probably try to kill Harry," Ron predicted easily.
"Ron," Hermione scolded although the others, except for Dudley, nodded their heads in agreement.
"What? All the Defense professors have tried to kill Harry at some point, even Lupin who didn't mean to," Ron protested defending his earlier remark.
"Ronnikins, does have a point," Fred interjected for once sounding almost serious.
"Beware the Malfoy," George hissed in his best scary voice, which cracked the others up and lightened the tone of the conversation.
"She probably knows lots of dark magic. We'll need the D.A. just in case she does try something," Ginny remarked brushing back a strand of her rainbow colored hair, courtesy of one of the twins sweets she'd gamely tried earlier.
"Well, I like the twins idea of including those recent graduates of the D.A. in meetings should they wish to attend, and in encouraging them to report information back to us as well. Once we're at Hogwarts, I seriously doubt the Order will allow us to attend meetings, unless they are held at the school," Hermione changed the subject yet again.
"I like that idea as well because Hermione's right, once we go back to school the only news we'll have
from the outside will be what we can read in letters or the prophet," Harry agreed with Hermione. The discussion
continued as they discussed ways to get messages to each other to avoid the possibility of interception, and before
long the celebration had turned into a bit of a strategy session. Dobby kept the butter beers and sweets coming until
late in the night. In the wee hours of the morning, just before going to bed, Harry would remark to Hermione that it
was one of the best evenings he'd had all summer and she had to agree.
* * * * *
Author's Note and Disclaimer: No the characters still aren't mine, and no money is being made from this. I
know there's not so much action in this chapter, but I wanted to give our characters a chance to celebrate the good
news and catch up with each other. Although, as I'm sure you noticed, I couldn't resist some hints at the
future. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to follow this story, and a special thanks to those who review.
Your input is greatly appreciated.