Since he'd changed jobs, Vernon Dursley's business had taken off like a rocket, growing bigger, better, and stronger by the day. You could tell just by the number of new appliances around the house and how often the family was getting new clothes.
"Oh, my dearest Dudders, what do you think of this shirt I bought you?"
Petunia held up a black and white checkered shirt and held it against Dudley. It was already the largest size the shop had. "Try it on! It's sure to fit perfectly."
A black and white checkered shirt... Petunia's taste in fashion was simply dreadful.
"Aunt Petunia..." Harry said weakly, opening the door just then. His eyes lingered on Dudley, or rather, the new shirt, for a few seconds longer than they should have. What you can get with a wave of your hand, another might desperately wish for. For Harry, at this point, simply getting enough to eat was a triumph, so new clothes were a distant dream.
Harry was good at hiding his feelings, but Dudley wasn't blind. Putting aside the fact that being with the Boy Who Lived was a mission for him, Dudley genuinely felt for Harry. His parents had died when he was just a baby, leaving him in the care of an aunt who didn't seem to care for him. Living in this sort of environment, Harry had learned to walk on eggshells, a heartbreakingly mature trait for a boy his age.
All Dudley could do was try to be kind to him.
"Mum, what about Harry's?"
In truth, Dudley knew his mother's feelings for Harry were complicated. It wasn't pure hatred. Dudley had seen Petunia staring blankly at Harry's back, or watching his eyes with a complex expression of nostalgia, memory, and grief. There was a mix of emotions in her gaze, but never loathing. Of course, those were rare moments. Most of the time, Petunia couldn't stand the sight of him. His father, Vernon, was the same. He'd call Harry a "freak" nonstop, but mostly when his wife was around. When Petunia wasn't there, Vernon wouldn't even give Harry the time of day.
"Ha-Harry has one too." Petunia reluctantly took out an identical, but two sizes smaller, shirt from her bag and handed it to Harry with a flat expression. "This is yours."
Harry beamed with delight, not caring in the least about Petunia's attitude. He had new clothes, and they were the same as Dudley's! Thanks to Dudley smoothing things over, the four of them actually got along quite well, and Harry's living situation wasn't quite as bad as it could have been.
"Do you like it, Harry? But you'll have to wait a bit to wear it." Dudley walked over to Harry and patted his shoulder. Seeing the confused look on Harry's face, he explained, "Have you forgotten? We were going to fix up your room today. You're always complaining that dust falls down whenever someone walks upstairs, aren't you?"
"It'd be a shame to get your new clothes all dirty now."
As he spoke, Dudley grabbed a toolbox from a drawer, wrapped his arm around Harry's neck, and started walking toward Harry's "room." The so-called room was just a cupboard under the stairs. That's where Harry lived.
The 'fixing up' took the entire day, a cacophony of banging and hammering. But with the help of his "Renovation Level 2" ability from his system, Dudley's handy work was quite impressive. After he was done, the place at least looked like a proper small room.
When Harry opened the door again, he stared in disbelief. Was this really the dark, cold, dusty little cupboard he used to share with spiders? It wasn't just a slight improvement; it was a complete transformation.
Dudley had installed a small nightlight, soft and easy on the eyes, so Harry wouldn't have to endure the darkness anymore. The walls were freshly painted and papered, and a ceiling had been added so Harry wouldn't have to worry about dust falling on his head. Even his bed had been replaced with a new, soft, and comfortable one. Dudley had even added little decorations, using some clever design tricks from his past life to make the small space feel bigger.
It was a proper, cozy little place. Thanks to Dudley's meticulous work, despite its small size, it was a fantastic room, especially for that era when interior design wasn't much of a thing. Seeing Dudley's face, covered in a fine layer of dust, his usually menacing features softened by the grime, Harry's heart swelled. His often-cruel, selfish cousin was being incredibly kind. And the fact that Dudley had remembered a casual complaint he'd made touched Harry deeply.
The decorations alone must have cost a fortune. I've seen that little cactus ornament before—it costs a whole pound! He must have spent all his pocket money on this.
All the little acts of kindness Dudley had shown him over the years suddenly came flooding back to Harry. "Thank you, D-bro."
Dudley paused for a moment, then scratched his dusty head with a dirty hand. He hadn't expected the usually quiet Harry to thank him. This was a good start.
"What's there to thank me for? We're brothers, aren't we?"
"We're blood. Family. You don't have to be so formal with me."
Dudley wiped the sweat from his brow, making his face even dirtier.
"Brothers, family," little Harry repeated the words, his voice growing firmer with each repetition. If the whole world is against you and only one person is on your side, that person will mean everything to you.
Dudley patted Harry's shoulder, a knowing look in his eye. "You won't forget your big cousin if you get rich and famous one day, will you, Harry?"
"You'll be way more successful than me, D-bro," Harry said, knowing his place. Dudley seemed to be a master of everything: his grades, his sports, he was better than anyone else at everything. If it weren't for his infamous reputation as "the Protector," he would have been the most popular guy in school. Compared to Dudley, Harry, who was a nobody at school, felt ashamed.
"There are different kinds of greatness," Dudley said. "You never know." He was just a big Muggle, after all. Sure, his body was in good shape, but he was still just a strong Muggle, at least by the standards of this world. The "Magus Physique" he'd gotten hadn't done anything beyond a small boost to his physical abilities. No wild magic, nothing.
Dudley figured that even if he became a wizard later, he'd still need his little cousin's help. Harry's magical talent was incredible, and he was the hero of the story, after all. It was a good idea to stay on his good side.
Mission complete: Improved the living conditions of the young Boy Who Lived. Reward: one item lottery draw.
Hearing that sweet, sweet notification, Dudley's face lit up. Gaining some goodwill and a reward? It was a win-win.
Good thing Harry doesn't know about this...
"Come on, Harry. My treat for ice cream." Dudley, in high spirits, ruffled Harry's messy hair.
"Okay, D-bro... But don't you have—"
Before Harry could finish, Dudley saw right through him and gave his messy mop of hair another good rub. "Don't you worry, little cousin. Your big brother has enough money to buy you an ice cream."
The ice cream was sweet, and Harry's heart was warm. He thought about it, and his big cousin wasn't selfish at all. He might send him on errands sometimes, but he also bought him treats. And when he was in trouble, Dudley was always the first to step in. It felt so good to have a big brother looking out for him! When you think someone is good, everything they do seems good.
Petunia watched the two boys walking off, arms around each other's shoulders. Her mind drifted back to so many years ago. She and her sister had once been that close. They would share everything, talking late into the night about their dreams and futures, until the day Lily got her Hogwarts letter. After that, they were worlds apart.
Petunia sighed, a faint, almost imperceptible shake of her head, and went into her room.