Today I'm weak, Tomorrow I'll conquer the world by WyL

Warmth surrounded his tiny hands despite the cold, dark and dusty atmosphere of the small room they were crowded in. His cousin whispered quiet assurances to him, cautious of being too loud in fear of the other residents hearing. Silent tears rolled down Harry's face in unspoken despair, neither boy addressed it.

"It's okay Harry, I'm here. You have me-" The older boy comforted him. They both shook in the cold of the upcoming winter and lack of heating in the mouldy cupboard under the stairs that was not even designed to fit just one person, therefore left the pair cramped and close together. "You remember Harry? It's your birthday tomorrow. You'll get something special this year, I swear", Dudley continued confidently. The darker haired boy accepted his cousins reassurances and began thinking of all the opportunities they both would have as they got older. They would be eleven and closer to leaving this dreaded place.

Not just the cupboard, but this house. The house that Harry had been dumped in many years ago, and the House that Dudley had once called home.

"I'm finally catching up to you Dudders", Harry retorted light heartedly, despite secretly taking comfort in Dudley's inert big brother, protective nature. This caused the taller boy to smile warmly,

"Now you just need to catch up in other ways, vertically specifically…" Dudley teased. It was an ongoing joke that Harry was actually born to a pair of gnomes who were unable to look after the short boy and left the baby in the backyard of Dudley's parents. This, of course, was just a fairy tale and Harry had been born to a pair of drunks who crashed their car on the way back from the pub and left their mistake to his mother's sister and her husband. At least that's what they were both told anyways.

"Shut up Dudders, when I'm sixteen I'll be as tall as Uncle Vernon and I'll carry on my back cause you'll be really small!" He fantasised, thinking about himself running around Little Whinging with a smaller and fearful looking Dudley on his back. The fantasy put the older into a fit of laughter, he even had to place his hand over his mouth to prevent too much noise getting out, meanwhile Harry observed and beamed, just happy that he is able to provide some light in these dark situations.

"Alright, alright that's enough. Let's sleep, I'm excited for tomorrow", The latter exclaimed, allowing his cousin to calm and for them to lie in the small space at opposite ends, shuffling for a comfortable position that was not to be found. Feeling around the other end of the cot for a few seconds he found the warmth of Dudley's hand, which he grabbed in a vice-like grip. The contact which told him his friend was still there, and wasn't going anywhere. It let him sleep more soundly and easily, drifting before the other boy did.

Dudley let out a deep sigh as his pseudo brother finally relaxed into the cot in an unconscious state, usually it took the older a bit longer to fall asleep despite the presence of another with him. He looked upon the boy he called his little brother and slowly untangled his hand which was caught between the other and searched around with his hands for the piece of paper he was looking for. When he located the item he was looking for, he brought it up to his face, the dark of the cupboard not allowing him to read my of the letter but he was able to identify the clear 'Dear Mr Dursley,' and Hogwarts lettering atop it. He had received the letter just 7 months prior, on his birthday when he was set to work on weeding the nettles from the garden (bare hand, mind you) and an owl had dropped it on his lap and caught him off guard.

The letter had confused him at first, what is Hogwarts? Wizardry? He had been sceptical, however the clearly trained owl which delivered it to him had prevented him from disbelief. However, Dudley had not told his cousin of the acceptance letter for Hogwarts, not because he didn't trust him but it had only been addressed to himself, Mr Dursley. Dudley could not accept entrance to this… Supposed Wizarding school, and leave Harry behind. He just couldn't, so he decided to ignore it and allow another boy to take his place. He would stay with his little brother, even if the idea of escape brought tears to his eyes. Speaking of which, his tired and swollen eyes began to slip closed as the tired, and young boy fell asleep.

HP~DD~HP~DD

Harry awoke at the crack of dawn to the sharp sound of his aunt's heels on the wooden floorboards, and her grating voice which called out to the pair to get the hell up. He abruptly sat up, his bruised shoulder and aching back protesting loudly as he did so, and shook Dudley awake.

"Oi, Dud!" He whisper shouted, the dark bags under the oldest boy's eyes making Harry feel guilty for doing so, but waking the other straight away would be better for the both of them anyway.

"'m up-" He replied groggily, wiping his face and sitting up much less violently than the shorter had. Harry opened the cupboard door and they stepped out and into the kitchen where their aunt impatiently waited.

"Took you long enough!" She tutted and gripped Dudley's shirt and dragged him over to the stove. "Do some bacon, eggs, black pudding and spam," She ordered loudly. "And you," She spat, pointing at Harry, who cowered back nervously, "can do the toast, beans, coffee and set the table. Go!" The shrill voice heightened both of their headaches as they followed the orders obediently, almost sighing in relief when she began walking away. "And don't steal anything, or I'll take away your blanket and food privileges for three days."

Not an empty threat, the boys had discovered (painfully, at that), so neither dared to take any of their guardians' precious food for themselves as they cooked vigilantly. A heavy thundering from the stairs alerted them of the dreaded awakening of Vernon Dursley, a brute of a man. A filthy and alcohol smelling man, a child abuser at the least.

They scrambled to finish the dishes and plate them upon the table before the brute waddled into the doorway, luckily they were successful (this time). Harry didn't want to think about the last time they were unsuccessful.

"Move boy!" He shoved Dudley out of his position beside the table, the latter stumbling and falling into the counter with a thud. Harry grimaced, that would leave a bruise later. Retreating back to the corner to avoid the same fate as Dudley, Harry awaited his Uncle's approval of his large (maybe too large) breakfast. Said man lifted his head in disgust while looking at his charges, however pulled back his chair to collapse into. Taking this as approval, the pair shuffled away from the dining room and into the living room where Petunia awaited them for their duties today.

"Come!" She screeched, waving them towards her, gripping their ears and dragging them to the indicated position as she deemed them too slow for her liking. "You'll do the bathrooms, Vernon's office and fix that darned shed today, the roof has been caved in for months!" She exclaimed, scathing as if it was their responsibility to upkeep the shed. She hurried them out of the room, aggregated and unprovoked shoves to the young children's backs. They took this as their cue to escape the presence of their bitter guardians and began their duties for the day without a bite to eat. Luckily they could sip water from the upstairs tap, so as to not get dehydrated.

That's how the next few hours went, the manual labour they were tasked to do was almost complete despite them being distracted in the joy of the youngest's birthday.

"What can I do now that I'm eleven?" Harry asks curiously.

"Hmm… Well you're closer to being thirteen than yesterday?" Dudley replied sarcastically. "You can go to high school with me this year!" He exclaimed.

"I already knew that Dudders…" He retorted without malice, offering a cheeky grin. He enjoyed moments like this where he could pretend he were living a normal life, with the absence of Petunia and Vernon, it was him and Dudley against the world. Just two young boys who could laugh and be themselves, without any anger or trauma.

The contentedness never lasted long, it seemed in this household, as the order to start on the shed was bellowed from below them. They let out consecutive sighs, but the boys looked at each other in amusement, recollecting the moment they had just a few seconds ago. It would be alright, they were always alright.

Dudley made it out the door first and bounded down the stairs with no hesitation, Harry following shortly after however as life seemed to have it out for him, Vernon’s dirty work boot had been on the fourth to last step, leading to a nasty fall on the younger boy’s end. The taller of the two halted in his tracks to check that Harry was alright and saw how his face contorted in pain as he held his shin, Dudley let out utterances of concern and was making sure he was alright when his mother stormed past him and dragged Harry up by his forearm with no thought for his injury and scowled. Dudley sneered viciously at the thing he had once called Mum and accepted the inevitable slap it earned him without faltering. Dudley gently guided Harry out to the garden after that.

Truth be told, the oldest was quite distraught at the events of the day. Harry’s birthday, it was meant to be a day to celebrate, a day of freedom. But freedom was a myth nowadays. If Dudley had never experienced a birthday celebration, or the warm hug of a mother, he would not miss it, but he had. Dudley had felt cared for, loved by his parents, he was their pride and joy! Not like hi freak cousin, who didn’t deserve to be there anyway, as he had been taught, as he once thought himself. Well, until they began noticing- Weird things happening around their son when the freak wasn’t even away. When Dudley had managed to make the picture on his schoolbook dance, his parents had knew. The magic hating muggles had shunned their son, called him freak, called him weird. 6 year old Dudders had no idea why his Mummy and Daddy now threw him in the dark and scary cupboard with his cousin, and stopped giving him cuddles. He had cried. For days, for weeks! Harry just sat there and held his hand, no vicious words unlike his parents, no shoving him away when he got too close.

So he grew up, he grew a mind of his own, and began protecting his little brother. Nobody would hurt him anymore, not as he once had done himself as a spoiled brat, the spoiled brat who had lost weight at such immense pace that he had begun having dizzy spells and felt his bones and stomach aching in need of nutrients like withdrawal.

Out in the garden, Dudley tended to Harry’s leg, who was putting on a brave face and determined not to cry at his injury. Once he had ensured it wasn't broken, Dudley gave him a big hug and reminded him that they needed to get the shed done, else they were bound to get injuries ten times as bad. From a distance, Dudley heard a soft hooting of an owl on a nearby tree, followed by flapping wings which seemed to be… approaching at a fast pace. Harry looked up, alarmed, as a blur of white speeding towards his face and landing on his mop of hair and onto the floor. Confusedly, Harry and Dudley looked at the strange letter the owl had just dropped upon them. Looking into his eyes, Harry saw realisation and another unknown emotion spread upon Dudley’s face as he picked up the letter and handed it to the shorter.

On the front read:
‘Mr H.J Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs,
Privet Drive
Little Whinging, Surrey’

“I think it's for you, open it!” The grin on Dudley’s face split from ear to ear, watching with as much repressed excitement as a two month old puppy. He did as he was told, anticipation building as he witnessed Dudley’s reaction.

‘Dear Mr Potter…’

He read the letter with even more confusion, and disbelief tenfold. Wizardry? But magic doesn’t exist- He thought.

“Is this a joke?” He asked, saddened, and disappointed that he had been so excited. His cousin’s changed from one to shock, then despair.

“No! No Harry it’s real, don’t you see? You’re a wizard, like me! I got a letter too, that's why Mum and Dad are so angry, they aren’t wizards like us. I promise Harry, it’s real.” Dudley reassured his distraught cousin.

“I-I’m a wizard Dudders? Really, we can go to school, really-really?” Dudley nodded quickly, no time to prepare as his brother threw himself in his arms.

The embrace ended quickly when a thought came to Harry. “But if you got a letter- Where is it? When-”

“That’s a story for another day bud…” He responded with a tight and awkward smile a he ruffled the already messy hair in front of him.