Chapter 5 - Return to Diagon Alley

                                        

                                              
Return to Diagon Alley
                              
Harry turned his face into the carpet, his right arm stayed with his knee and his left moved to clutch his stomach. It hurt to breath and he was bleeding on to the pristine carpet. Neither Aunt Petunia nor Dudley had moved or said anything since Uncle Vernon had left. He needed to leave, get back up to his room. It was only after he started to try to get up that the silence was broken.
                              
"Dudley, help him upstairs. I'll... I'll be up in a moment," said Aunt Petunia, as she went into the kitchen. 
                              
Dudley, who is three times bigger than he is, walked over, grabbed him under his arms and hoisted him up, easily. Harry could not walk on his right leg, so Dudley put Harry's arm over his shoulder. It took awhile to get up the stairs. They made it to Harry's room and Dudley had to push the Harry's chest of drawers back more to get through. Then he helped Harry to his bed, where Harry sat down. 
                              
It hurt everywhere, but Harry was quite use to pain. His eye started to swell and his nose stopped bleeding. Dudley left silently. Harry guessed he did not want to be there. He was surprised that Dudley did not watch in glee, instead of pulling his dad off. Dudley, however, did come back with an ice pack. He handed it to Harry, who put it over his eye.
                              
"Thanks," he managed to say. Dudley sat down next to him.
                              
"Are you ok?" Dudley said, looking concerned. Harry, who had been looking out the window, turned to look at him. 
                              
"Yeah, I've had worse. A lot worse," he said and started to think of the blinding, excruciating pain of the Cruciatus Curse, the Torturing Curse or even the pain his head goes through when he sees into Voldemort's mind. He then remembered his scar had not hurt all summer, but he was more surprised to find Dudley asking how he was doing.
                              
"Really?" Dudley asked, doubtfully.
                              
"Yeah. I'll be alright," Harry said, almost mad at himself that he had let Uncle Vernon get the jump on him.
                              
"Well, I know how it feels. I'm surprised he didn't knock you out with a shot like that," he said, indicating to Harry's swollen eye. "I suppose I get my punch from him," he giggled, but then his smile faded immediately. "He really went too far. He could have really hurt you."
                              
"Yeah... umm, thanks for pulling him off," Harry said, uncertainly.
                              
"Hey, I had to. He's so much bigger than you are. Besides, only I can beat you up," Dudley smiled.
                              
Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
                              
"Just kidding. I guess I owe you from last summer, anyway," Dudley said.
                              
"You don't think that I did it, then?" Harry asked.
                              
"Mum had to convince me and that Minister-guy was talking about them," Dudley said, quietly.
                              
"What'd you see?" Harry asked, with a slight curiosity.
                              
Dudley's face fell and he hesitated at first, "Little things... like nightmares that came true. My parents dying... no friends... being alone..." his voice trailed off and he shook it off and started up again. "It really changed me, to be honest. You never go out anymore, so you don't know, but I don't beat up people anymore. I usually go to the gym. Boxing is great. It teaches you things like not hitting people when they're down." 
                              
Harry did not say anything, and he was going over what Dudley was saying.
                              
"How's your knee? Bet it hurt. He shouldn't have kicked you, but you deserved that first one, though. Even I would've hit you, you know?" Dudley said, quietly.
                              
"Yeah, I know."
                              
Dudley stared at Harry, who looked out the window, again, "You know... to tell you the truth... the reason I changed was... not what they showed me exactly. It was because of you, I guess...."