Redemption (Dudley Dursley)

XXXIII. Dawn.

"How? Is the baby ok?"

She barely said anything. Her clearly being in just as much shock as he was. Neither thought they would hear the other speak again.

"They never went near my stomach, and she's still moving. So, I'm guessing she's good. But I'll wait a little bit to find out from a professional first before confirming anything."

A large smile broke out on his face, but it soon fell as he realised what she was saying. The way she had said they had not gone near her stomach confirmed she was in a bad shape. Had they tortured her? It was likely. He remembered when Hermione recounted her time being tortured for information that she did not have. Had it happened again? It was likely considering the woman who had done so to Hermione's assistant had been the one to do so to Felicity. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all.

"Dudley, how do I say this."

His breath caught in his throat at this. What was she going to tell him? He did not want to hear the extent of what she had gone through, he would see it for himself soon. As soon as Harry and the others get back, they will be able to get her.

"They've got your dad. They've been brainwashing him for who knows how long with a curse of some kind. He can't think for himself. He's basically they're puppet. I know they were using him to get to me further, but it's bad. Dudley, he got me out. He tricked me out. There was something happening outside, and it caught everyone's attention. Just enough to cause it to be broken momentarily and he went above and beyond to get me out. He tried to escape but whatever had caught their attention wasn't anymore. He uh- "

She cut off sharply to take a deep breath. He had no time to process what she was telling him before she continued;

"He had a knife, Dudley. He hid me, and he stabbed himself to make it look as though he had been running after me to take me back and I had retaliated. It was to the stomach, I was too far back to see if it was serious as it happened in a matter of seconds."

At hearing this, all colour had drained from his face. The last thing he had heard from his dad is that he had moved to Brighton after the divorce had been finalised. That had been almost a year ago as well. The amount of time that has passed still stuns him at times. She spoke again by saying she couldn't talk much more as she desperately needed a good sleep. She muttered something about a cell which chilled him directly to the bone. Why her? What had she ever done to deserve whatever she had endured?

He wasn't sure how long he had just sat there for after that. It had happened so quickly, it felt like a dream. Was he dreaming? Had he heard her correctly? Was she being used a distraction in order to entrap them all? He wouldn't doubt it. He's met a lot of sly people, but none have even come close to this one they were dealing with now. What did she even want with Felicity in the first place? After all, they were distantly related. Surely family meant more than simple belief? He got lost in his thoughts again, so he was certainly startled when he heard a familiar cracking noise. They were all stood there, all looking a bit worse for wear. But that was to be expected.

"Well, it did and didn't go to plan but- Dudley?"

Harry's confused exclamation caught his attention. It was only now he realised he was smiling. For the first time in what felt like forever. It didn't take long before a simple laugh fell from his lips. Everyone was looking at him weirdly. For someone who's pregnant wife was missing, he sure seemed happy. Maybe he had finally gone insane from all the stress he has endured over the short time span since Felicity had been taken.

"We couldn't find her, Dudley. But we did get some very valuable information."

That was when Hermione held up a jar, with a beetle lurking inside it. For a few seconds, Dudley stared at it awkwardly, wondering why she was doing so. Then he remembered what an animagus was. It was Rita. How long had it been since she had been sent to try and get information?