Harry watched in horror as the Dementors closed in on Dudley, his hands so clammy that his wand almost slipped out.
As the cold took over the alley, Harry started experiencing all his worst memories. Every poor memory played back in his head in no particular order.
One moment he watched himself getting attacked by the basilisk while in the next he could hear his parents getting murdered. He recalled Cedric dying and his fight with Voldemort. Everything that could cause Harry grief seemed to assert itself in his subconscious.
Though, unlike how it usually happened, everything seemed much more muted. His mind didn’t feel clouded by fear, as was the norm whenever he met one of these creatures, nor was he fighting to keep his consciousness.
All the terrible memories felt muffled and while he could still feel a strong negative emotion, he could cope much better.
Lily and Dudley were not doing as well. Lily was now on the ground, huddled up, covering her head and feverishly mumbling to herself. Harry heard a few choked sobs and muffled screams from her, though her state was nowhere near as pitiful as Dudley.
“What are you doing?” yelled Dudley. “Stop that! I-I’m going to tell mom!”
Cursing to himself, Harry frantically approached Dudley.
“Dudley, come here quickly! It’s not safe there.”
His cousin looked rattled, and whatever Harry said seemed to go right over his head.
Harry took a deep breath.
‘There is only one way out of this mess,’ he thought.
Recalling every happy memory he could, Harry settled on one that made him the happiest in the last several weeks. The memory of one walk he had taken with Lily came to mind. He could recall every detail, and what stuck with him the most was her jovial smile.
Fixing that image in mind, Harry pointed his wand towards the dementors just as they swooped down on Dudley.
“Expecto Patronum,”
Harry was confident his spell would work. He was unsure why he was so sure, but he just knew. As he had expected, a moment later, a blinding white light burst out of his wand, changing into the ever familiar shape of a stag. Though, Harry couldn’t help but notice that the stag seemed to be considerably brighter than he was used to seeing.
The stag reared its head briefly before it lowered it and charged towards the dementors. The dementors, who had just lowered their hoods to feast on the unsuspecting muggle, could only scream and back away.
Harry could swear he saw a murderous glare from a dementor before they pulled their hoods back up and glided away as fast as they could.
Harry pulled his wand back, his patronus vanishing as the dementors disappeared into the night sky. The lights seemed to return to their usual brightness and he could once again see without an issue.
Harry ran over to Lily and bent down to check on her. She still seemed rattled, her breathing came out ragged and she was sweating profusely. Harry saw tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes as well.
“Lily! Are you all right?”
Harry’s question seemed to pull Lily out of her thoughts as she looked up at him.
‘I’ve never seen her look so lost and vulnerable,’ thought Harry.
Harry gently placed a hand on her arm. He supported her for several moments while she shakily got to her feet and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
“I’m fine now, thanks Harry,” she said.
Harry stared at her face, unconvinced by her forced smile. Though, at the moment, her word would have to be enough. Harry nodded hesitantly as he took her hand and ran over to Dudley.
“As much as I hate him, no one should have to go through a dementor’s kiss,” said Harry. He paused for a moment before he continued, “well, almost no one.”
Harry and Lily checked on Dudley, working together to turn him over as he had passed out face down.
“He seems to just be unconscious, his heartbeat sounds normal enough,” said Lily.
Harry heaved a sigh before he put his wand back into his pocket. As he started putting his wand into his back pocket, he heard footsteps and whipped around.
Wand at the ready, he pointed it at the new intruder.
“Mrs. Figg?” Exclaimed Harry, hurrying to put his wand away.
“Keep that wand out!” Mrs. Figg said hurriedly. “We don’t know if those things are still around.”
Harry stared at her, dumbfounded.
“You saw them?” He asked, wide-eyed.
“Of course I did!” she snapped back. “You expect me to miss something as dreadful as that?”
“But… how?” Asked Harry, at a loss for words.
“Obviously, because I’m a squib, now stop chattering on and make a move on. We don’t have the time for so many questions,” she said. “Grab that cousin of yours and let’s go.”
Mrs. Figg ushered them on, clearly impatient.
Harry finally agreed and went to Dudley and, with the help of Lily, picked him up and dragged him along.
“Who is she, Harry?” Asked Lily.
“That would be Mrs. Figg. She lives in my neighbourhood. I thought she was a muggle, but turns out I was wrong.”
Huffing at the exertion, Harry tried to ask Mrs. Figg something, but before he could, she burst out.
“Damn that Mundungus Fletcher! Disappearing during his watch. Had to see about some dodgy cauldrons apparently, like that’s worth your life!” she raged.
“His watch?” Asked Harry.
A moment later, he realised what she meant. “There are people watching me?”
“Of course there are, you don’t think Dumbledore would leave you alone, do you?” She asked.
Harry frowned at that. Here he was, stuck in this hellhole with no news, and there were people watching him the whole time. On the orders of Dumbledore, no less!
Lily sensed Harry’s mood and turned her gaze towards him.
“Harry, I’m sure there’s a reason,” Lily started to say, but she stopped herself.
In his place, would she be able to take being told that?
“What is going on? Why won’t anyone tell me anything, Mrs. Figg?” Asked Harry.
“Now’s not the time. Someone will explain everything to you in due course. Now hurry!”
Despite his agonising, they had been fairly close to his house to begin with, so it took little time to reach.
Mrs. Figg ushered them till the garden gate before turning away.
“Wait!” Harry called out to her, “At least tell me what’s going on with Voldemort!”
Mrs. Figg visibly flinched before turning back towards Harry briefly.
“Go in and stay there. It’s not safe outside,” she said. “I need to go make a report. I’ll have Mundungus’ head for this!”
Still fuming, she walked away from them, turning a deaf ear to Harry’s calls.
Gritting his teeth, Harry, with the help of Lily, dragged Dudley through the lawn. With sweat streaming down their faces, they finally made it to the front door and, with a little effort, Harry pried it open and dragged Dudley inside.
“Dudley! What happened to you?”
Petunia’s shriek welcomed them into the house. The din they made trying to drag Dudley into the house had roused her curiosity and suspicions.
Petunia ran towards Dudley with Vernon in tow. Vernon grabbed Dudley’s arms and heaved him onto the sofa before turning towards Harry menacingly.
“Explain,” he said, his face getting redder.
“We were attacked,” started Harry, only to be cut off by Vernon.
“Ha! A likely story,” said Vernon. Despite his laugh there was no mirth in his voice.
“You did this, didn’t you?”
Harry stepped back reflexively.
“Of course not!” He yelled back, “Dementors attacked us!”
Before he could continue, a feeble voice cut in.
“He used ma-magic,” said Dudley, “I saw him. He attacked me with it.”
A shriek escaped Petunia, as she turned to glare at Harry. If looks could kill, Harry would definitely be six feet under.
“I knew it!” Shrieked Petunia, “I knew we shouldn’t have let him go to that school and learn those things! I knew we should have locked him in his room!”
That was the last straw for Vernon. His face turned a dangerous shade of red.
“I’ve had enough! You’re not getting away with it this time!” Yelled Vernon. “No more of that crackpot school. If it wasn’t for that… place, you could never attack my boy!”
Just as Vernon looked like he was about to continue, he was cut off.
“Enough!”
Lily, who had been standing quietly next to Harry this whole time, finally snapped.
Vernon looked startled for a moment, though it only lasted for a moment before his anger came back in full force.
“Who the hell are you?” He demanded.
“Lily Moon, Harry’s friend from that crackpot school,” she replied. “Also, I’ve had enough of your prattle, you ungrateful morons!”
Vernon stared agape at Lily. Gums flapping, he looked unsure on how to respond.
“Even though Harry saved that worthless son of yours from a fate much worse than death, you blame him?” Lily asked. Her agitation seeping out in her voice.
“You should thank him, not punish him! After everything you people have done to him, the least he deserves is a thank you for saving his life!”
“Done to him? We’ve given him a home and food for fifteen years!” Shrieked Petunia.
“You kept him miserable the entire time!” Retorted Lily, “You think I don’t know how he’s been living? How he had to live in a cupboard for almost eleven years or how he has to go without food at your every whim?”
Petunia looked like she bit a bug as she glared back at Lily.
“Not to mention, that precious son of yours and his cronies going around terrorising everyone they can get their hands on. Trying to beat up Harry every chance they get. Harry would have been completely justified in attacking him,” said Lily. “you’re lucky he’s too nice to do that!”
The longer Lily berated them, the redder Vernon got. After a certain point, it went from red to purple.
“I won’t stand around and have you insult me in my home!” Raged Vernon.
Vernon reached out to grab Lily by the arm when suddenly an owl flew in, dropping a letter on the table.
Of its own accord, the letter unfurled itself and a voice echoed all over.
