Seeing Clearly

Unknown Illness

(Dudley's POV).

I watched, horrified, as my little cousin Harry slipped into unconsciousness. I was holding him by his shoulders and when he went limp, he fell forward into my lap. I hurriedly picked him up and cradled him to my chest. I started to walk down the stairs but then I finally registered my father's death. I sank down on the third step from the ground and tears started pouring down my face. My mother was lying beside my father in the pool of blood. She was sobbing uncontrollably and I wanted to comfort her but it was partly her fault for Harry's abuse. As I thought of Harry, I looked down at him in my arms and realized that we needed to get out of here before Mother called the cops on us. I quickly rose to my feet and stepped over Vernon's body and out the front door. I settled Harry down onto the grass before walking back inside to retrieve his trunk. As I picked up his trunk I noticed his wand laying before the stairs. I picked it up and I felt wind around me. I stared, mouth wide open, at the wand in my hand as I felt this unknown thing inside me stir and connect with the wand.

I remembered my cousin and quickly pocketed the wand before taking the trunk outside. I played down the trunk beside Harry and sitting down beside them both. My head settled itself in my hands as I cried. I was lost, completely and utterly lost on what to do. I had an unconscious cousin at my feet, a wizard trunk and wand, a mother who basically disowned me, and a dead father. Oh God! What am I supposed to do now?! Where do we go? Where is there to go? We can't go home! We can't stay sitting in the front yard like this. The neighbors should get home from work soon. I looked up from my hands at the sound of footsteps. There across the road from us was a man in robes with silver-blond hair. I pulled Harry into my lap before pulling the trunk closer to my feet. He looked at my cousin in my arms and his face paled. He rushed across the road and knelt before me. I flinched backward while turning my body to protect Harry.

He stilled and looked into my fear-filled eyes with understanding. He held out his hands in a placating gesture before speaking. "My name is Lucius Malfoy. I am a wizard-like Potter here. I swear on my life and magic that I will not harm either of you in any way. Please let me take you to my home so I can heal him." I don't know how but I knew that his swear was authentic and unbreakable. I nodded slowly and stood up carefully, still cradling an unconscious Harry. He nodded to me and grabbed the trunk handle them held out his other arm to me. "Grab hold of my arm tightly and do not let go. We are going to be using a form of wizard travel called apparating." I just nodded even though I wanted to ask questions. I gripped his arm tightly and tightened my grip on Harry also. I felt this unpleasant sensation of being sucked through a small tunnel before my feet landed on solid ground once more. I stumbled before regaining my footing then I checked to make sure Harry was okay.

I felt a small tug on my arm and I looked up into the face of the wizard called Lucius. He smiled slightly and tugged on my arm again as he started walking forward. He was walking toward an old abandoned mansion and I thought for a moment that this guy was crazy and he was going to kill us. But we stepped through a shimmering patch of air and I gasped as a giant beautiful mansion replaced the broken one. The mansion was a blinding white with black and silver accents. It was at least three stories high and it seemed to go one forever on both sides. I didn't realize I had stopped and I looked up sheepishly at Lucius and he only smiled before nodding towards the front door. I started walking forward and once we reached the door, he pushed it open and lead me inside. I looked down at Harry and was surprised to see a sheen of sweat on his brow. I startled and jerked away as a hand started towards Harry's head. "I am just checking for a fever. I will not harm him. Now come, we need to get Potter to the infirmary." "Yeah, okay. Infirmary." I replied while still dazed.

He glanced at me with worry before walking to a door at the far side of the large living room. He opened the door and held it open for me to enter. We entered a large welcoming room with a couple of hospital beds lining one wall and another wall lined with what looked like potions based on the descriptions I've heard from Harry. The other two walls housed a sitting area and a few large shelves filled with strange-looking objects and books. "Place him here please," Lucius said quietly. I gently settled Harry onto the bed before stepping back and looking around for his trunk.     "His trunk is in the living room. Do you need it for something?" I opened my mouth to speak but closed it. I hesitated as I finally spoke, "He, um, he showed me his stash of healing potions and how to give him them when he gets hurt. Do we need those or something else?" Lucius shook his head and replied quietly.         "I am going to floo someone over who can help him better than either of us. His name is Severus Snape and I will also make him swear that he won't harm either of you. He will be able to understand what is happening to Potter and why he hasn't awoken." I nodded but then frowned, " Floo? Is that another wizard term?" He smiled and said, "Flooing is when you use a powder to travel from fireplace to fireplace." I nodded.

He walked into the sitting area of the infirmary, and in front of the fireplace. He picked up a small jar off the fireplace and took a pinch of dust from it. He threw the dust into the fireplace and said quite loudly "Spinners End". A face appeared out of the flames and I gasped. Lucius glanced back at me before turning back to the face in the fire. "Hello, Severus. I'm sorry to bother you but I have an emergency and am need of your assistance." The face turned grim and the face agreed before disappearing Then suddenly a man in black robes stepped out of the fireplace. He hugged Lucius for a second before letting go and looking at me. He gazed at me for a second before turning back to Lucius and speaking. "What is the emergency? Is something wrong with Cissy or Draco? And who is this?" Lucius held up his hand and the man quieted. Lucius spoke quickly but understandably. "Cissy and Draco are unharmed and happy. This is Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter's cousin. The emergency is that of an unconscious and unresponsive Harry Potter." The man started to protest but Lucius once again held up his hand. " I am well aware that you don't like him but Potter and Dudley have been abused by Vernon Dursley. Dudley fought against his father to protect Potter and he has suffered from it. Vernon Dursley was killed by Dudley and they had nowhere left to go. I found them in their front yard with an unconscious Harry and a crying Dudley. I need your help to figure out what is wrong with him and heal him please."

The man sighed but nodded and approached me. He brought out his wand and I flinched away. He froze and Lucius walked forward and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I made a swear on my life and magic that I will not harm either of them and I think it would be best if you did the same." The man looked me directly in the eye and swore on his life and magic that he wouldn't harm either of us. I let out a sigh of relief and nodded to him. He raised his wand and waved it at me and a piece of parchment appeared in his hand. He read it quietly before passing it to Lucius. He reached into a small shoulder bag he had brought with him and took out two small bottles. "This is a healing solution and a sleeping draught. You have a concussion and multiple bruises that the solution will heal but it heals best while you are asleep. The draught will make you fall asleep so you can heal. While you are sleeping I will try to figure out what is wrong with Potter." I hesitated and looked at Harry laying on the bed. " We will not harm him and we will wake you up if something changes with him. I swear. " Lucius said softly. I agreed and climbed into the next bed beside Harry. I took the healing solution and then took the sleeping draught. I was asleep within seconds.