Graciela Dursley: Harry Potter Cousin Fanfic

Professor Slughorn

Gracie's POV

I wanted to give Harry a lecture. But Dumbledore said we were on a schedule. So Harry and I grabbed his uninjured up and he apparate us. He told us to have our wands at the ready as we entered a house. It was completely trashed and there was blood on the walls. "Something's not right about this" I mutter as I head over to a bloody wall. I take a whiff, dragons blood.

Dumbledore approached an armchair and pokes it with his wand hard. A head pops out. "Merlin's beard!" the wizard exclaims. He un-transfigures rubbing his belly as Dumbledore greeted him. "There's no need to disfigure me, Albus!" he states.

"I must say, you make a very convincing armchair, Horace" Dumbledore tells him.

"It's all in the upholstery" Horace tells him. "I come by the stuffing naturally. What gave me away?" he asks.

"Don't know about the other two, but for me is was the dragons blood" I tell him shrugging.

"That, and if the Death Eaters really had come to call, the Dark Mark would have been set over the house" Dumbledore adds. The wizard clapped a pudgy hand to his vast forehead.

"The Dark Mark!" he exclaims. "Knew there was something, ah well. Wouldn't have had time anyway, I'd only just put the finishing touches to my upholstery when you entered the room" he states. He heaved a great sigh that made the ends of his mustache flutter. He looks at Harry and I curious and Dumbledore notices.

"Ah yes. Introductions. Harry, Graciela this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn. Horace, this is, well, you know who this is" Dumbledore says gesturing to Harry. "And this here is his cousin Graciela Dursley" he adds.

"Pleasure sir" I say nodding my head.

"Would you like my assistance clearing up?" Dumbledore asks the former Professor Slughorn. He nods his head saying 'please'. They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round one, and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion.

The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments re-formed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; avast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean.

It was amazing to behold. "So that's how you thought you'd persuade me, is it? Well, the answer's no, Albus" Professor Slughorn tells Dumbledore looking at Harry.

"I suppose we can have a drink, at least? For old times sake?" Dumbledore asks.

"All right then, one drink" Professor Slughorn states. He made us tea and we sat down.

"Well, how have you been keeping, Horace?" Dumbledore asks him.

"Not so well, weak chest. Wheezy. Rheumatism too. Can't move like I used to. Well, that's to be expected. Old age. Fatigue" Slughorn explains.

"And yet you must have moved fairly quickly to prepare such a welcome for us at such short notice" Dumbledore states. "You can't have had more than three minutes' warning?" he asks.

"Two. Didn't hear my Intruder Charm go off, I was taking a bath" Slughorn corrects him. "Still the fact remains that I'm an old man, Albus. A tired old man who's earned the right to a quiet life and a few creature comforts" he explains.

"You're not yet as old as I am, Horace" Dumbledore tells him. "Anyway, may I use the loo?" he asks. Slughorn nods tells him where it is. Slughorn then looks at Harry.

"You look very like your father. Except for your eyes. You've got..." he starts to say.

"My mother's eyes, yeah" Harry says.

"My cousin gets that a lot" I tell Slughorn.

"So are you a muggle?" he asks me.

"Muggle-born witch like my aunt Lily" I tell him.

"Lily. Lovely Lily. She was exceedingly bright your mother and aunt. Even more impressive when one considers she was Muggle-born" Slughorn states.

"One of my best friends is Muggle-born. She's the best in our year" Harry states.

"That she is" I say with a chuckle. "Which is why I ask her to help me study and not you dear cousin" I tease. He shoves my lightly.

"Oh, but you mustn't think I'm prejudiced! No, no, no! Lily was one of my absolute favorites! Look, there she is. Right up front" Slughorn tells us. Gesturing to a table full of photographs. "All mine, each and every one. Ex-students, I mean. You recognize Barnubas Cuffe, of course, editor of the Daily Prophet. Always takes my owl should I want to register my opinion on the news of the day. And there's Ambrosius Flume of Honeydukes. Sends a hamper of chocolate to the house every birthday. That is, when I had a house. And Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies free tickets whenever I want them. Of course, I haven't been to a match in some time" he explains.

So he befriends students he believes have a bright future ahead of them. Though I notice one picture aside from our mother's catch Harry's eyes. Slughorn notices it also. "Ah yes. Regulus Black. You no doubt know of his older brother Sirius. Died a few weeks ago. I taught the whole Black family except Sirius. Shame. Talented boy. I got Regulus when he came along, of course, but I'd have liked the set" he explains. So that's why Dumbledore wanted both Harry and I. He knew Slughorn's reputation and knew he'd be tempted by Harry and I.

"You know Professor, you don't have to join the order to teach" I tell him.

"She's right. Most of the teachers aren't in it, and none of them has ever been killed" Harry states. "Well, unless you count Quirrell, and he got what he deserved seeing as he was working with Voldemort" he adds. Slughorn gave a shudder and a squawk of protest at the mention of his name.

"I reckon the staff are safer than most people while Dumbledore's Headmaster; he's supposed to be the only one Voldemort ever feared, isn't he?" I ask. "Still I guess you have a good life being constantly on the run. How long has it been since you spoke to any of your old students?" I ask him innocently.

"I have been out of touch with everybody for a year" he states.

"Mind if I take this? I do love knitting patterns" Dumbledore states as he reappears with a magazine.

"Of course. But you're not leaving?" Slughorn asks.

"I think I know a lost cause when I see one. Regrettable. I would have considered it a personal triumph had you consented to return to Hogwarts, Horace. You are, like my friend Mr. Potter and his cousin. One of a kind" Dumbledore states.

Harry and I follow him out the door. "All right! I'll do it!" Slughorn states exiting the house behind us. "But I'll be wanting Professor Merrythought's old office, not that water closet I had formerly. And I expect a raise! These are mad times we live in! Mad!" he declares.

Dumbledore nods and then apparates Harry & I to the burrow. Then asked to talk to Harry in private. So I entered the house alone. Only to be knocked over by four excited dogs. "Whoa, what are you two doing here?" I ask Winston and Fawn. Storm, I understand as he was adopted by the Weasley and Winter is my dog.

"They're here to guard the place" Micheal states appearing from no where. He helps me to my feet and kisses me. "I've missed you" he tells me.

"And I missed you" I state hugging him tight. "I take it Fang Jr is with his dad and Hagrid" I state.

"Yep" he states. "Where's Harry?" he asks.

"With Dumbledore" I state. As I hear the others wake up. Ginny asking Hermione and her family about where Harry and I are. And when we arrived.

A/N

Gif above of Professor Slughorn starting to un-transfigure.