The Last Horcrux

Wand and Washer

It was late when Dudley and Draco left Spinner's End and returned to their flat. Dudley plugged in the tree. Draco poured them a night cap. They sat together in the glow of the Christmas lights and kissed, lazy and drunk.

"When do you want your present?" Draco asked. He was excited about the gift. He hoped Dudley would be pleased.

"Ermm.....Now?" said Dudley.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," said Dudley.

"Accio present!" Draco said. The small box came sailing out of the bedroom where it lay hidden in the closet.

Dudley took the flat box. He studied it curiously.

"Is it a tie?" he guessed. That didn't seem like the sort of present Draco would get him.

"Open it and see," Draco said.

Dudley slit the wrapping along the edge of the box, remembering the Christmases of his childhood, filled with mountains of gifts to unwrap. Most of those presents had been quickly broken or discarded. He liked this better - the excitement contained in the single, flat box.

He got the wrapping undone and opened the lid. He felt a tingle of what he now recognized as magic. Inside a polished wooden wand lay glowing against a lining of pink silk.

"For....me?" Dudley asked with wonder. Draco nodded in reply. "My own magic wand?"

"I thought it was about time you had one of your own," said Draco. "And stopped borrowing mine." Though in truth, Dudley hardly ever did any magic.

Dudley kept staring at the wand. "Pick it up," said Draco at last. "It won't bite."

Dudley picked up the wand in two fingers and held it gingerly. It felt warm, alive.

"What....what's it made of?"

"The core is dragon heart string," Draco replied. "Like mine. And the outside is oak. I thought that would suit you. Strong and steady and....and true of heart."

Dudley waved the wand experimentally. He felt a warm tingle in his fingertips and a few sparks flew out the end. He laughed, surprised. "My own magic wand," he said.

"I thought I could teach you a few spells and maybe you could take some lessons from Lupin and Snape. They were both Hogwarts professors, after all."

Dudley stood. He swept the wand in a wider arc. A few blue bubbles came out the end. They drifted to the ceiling where they burst with a series of small pops. He waved it again. A tiny yellow canary flew out and started twittering around the room. He laughed once more.

"Don't you want your present?" he asked Draco.

"Sure," said Draco, smiling at him.

"I'll be back in a minute," said Dudley. He headed for the bedroom.

"Use your wand," suggested Draco. Dudley stopped dead. He stared at the wand in his hand.

"You remember the spell?"

Dudley nodded. He raised the wand, screwed up his face in concentration. "Accio present!" he cried as Draco had done earlier. A heavy package came sailing out of the bedroom. Dudley caught it and handed it to Draco.

"Happy Christmas," he said.

It was obviously a book, clumsily wrapped by Dudley himself. Draco tore off the wrapping. Great Buildings of the World was the title. Draco opened the cover and started paging through it.

"It's not much..." Dudley said, looking down at the ground. "I just thought.....Because you like buildings and all...."

"It's....." Draco said. He looked up from the book. "This is a great gift, Dudley. Thank you."