I just had the random and amazing plot bunny of...what if, because of his size, Dudley died of a heart attack? Could happen at any point during the books really. How would it affect things? Would it drive Vernon to drink and make him insensate and make Petunia an easy to manipulate emotional wreck? Does it make one or both of them more pro magic, perhaps in a way to either find a way to bring Dudley back, or stop it happening to Vernon?

Also, how might it affect Harry? He comes back from say his 5th year, Sirius has just died, only to find that Dudley, his only cousin, is dead. Could be used as the catalyst/breaking point for an indi!Harry fic.

 

Or maybe would induce Vernon to drink, Blame the 'Potter Boy' and abuse him or poke him in the rear.

Oh Noes! I see Abused!Harry in the horizon!

Dread the fangirls who might read this thread...

 

...I was trying to think of reasonable ways of using such a plot twist.

 

We need a plot bunny thread... to put these kinds of things up for adoption.

 

So very sorry. I think I spent way too much time in the "WTF fics" thread.

 

Mayhaps Dudley gets his attack during a bout of 'harry hunting' from all the running?

 

The Summer before OotP, when they are attacked by the dementors. Dudley has a heart attack while under the influence of the dementors after knocking Harry's wand out of his hand. Harry doesn't know until after he drives off the dementors. He saw Dudley fall but thought it was the dementor effect. He and Figg go to pick him up and find out he's dead. Vernon flips his nut and refuses to allow Harry to come back (maybe even attacks him in front of Figg or other Order members). The whole incident could be a catalyst to inform Harry more about what is going on (there's a prophecy, Voldemort doesn't know it all, you need to learn occlumency before Dumbledore can tell you more, scar connection, etc).

 

What if during Aunt Marge's visit in POA, when Harry loses his shit and inflates Marge, Dudley gets too excited and blows a ventricle? Vernon and Petunia blame Harry, and Harry runs away.

Could be a turning point for a Dark!Harry or Indie!Harry fic.

Edit: Here's my idea. Harry is only 13 when he gets booted for blowing up Marge and, even though it was a heart attack, killing Dudley. He really doesn't know much about magic and over the course of a couple of nights out in the street, he comes to believe that he actually caused the death of his cousin. Of course, now Harry develops a taste for it. All throughout third year, he studies in secret, getting good grades, gradually dumping R and H, studying Dark Arts.

Fast forward to the end of POA, instead of asking for clemency for Wormtail, Harry kills the fucker himself in a fit of accidental magic, further fueling his blood lust.

Fast forward again to GOF. Moody is teaching the 4th years about the Unforgivables, and as usual, Harry bones up on the three curses, and uses them to help fight off the other three champions, the DEs and Voldemort.

Year 5 has Harry back at Hogwarts, dealing with Umbridge, Dumbledore, and all the bull that comes with that. An occurance, up to the author, finally drives Harry to the brink and causes him to snap.

At this point, the author can do as they please.

 

Or he could just develop a serious heart defect based on the fear/despair effect of the Dementors. It could throw a huge wrench into the summer after OotP if Harry were to do something that forced Dudley's weak heart into arrest.

And with the guilt complex Harry has it wouldn't be a leap to add that to his already growing body count.

 

true... but you could be a lot simpler about the whole thing...he just could eat too much one day... and kick the bucket... wouldnt be the weirdest thing in the world... haha...

 

This thread was to discuss the effects such an event would have on canon. Your dribblings have little relevance to the topic and definitely no usefullness.

 

Honestly it all depends on when he has the heart attack Im thinking that if has it before Hogwarts then Im seeing Little Street Orphan Harry because the Durseleys would probably just kick him out. However after Harry turns 11 Im seeing this is a good opening for something along the lines of Harry and Sirius running into each other during third year or basically an Indy!Harry fic.

 

I say go all the way. Marge blows up, Dursley and Vernon blow ventricles, and Petunia faints, slicing her wrist on a knife and bleeding to death.

A shocked Sirius enters, and a hysterical Harry kills Sirius with a burst of accidental magic that causes a Goldberg-esque reaction.

When he stumbles across Wormtail, he tortures the truth out of him. When he learns that he had killed his grandfather, Harry goes insane, or just Dark.

 

...Is this thread really about the devastating effect of Dudley having a heart attack?

Mordecai please tell me your OP was in jest.

 

Nope is was a serious thought of how such an event would affect the plot of a fic.

 

Hey I was wondering if I could use this plot bunny of yours in my fic. I'm planning to do a full fanfic starting from the fifth year and this plot bunny of yours would be the start of it. I've already written the first chapter so if you don't want me to use this plot bunny I can use something else instead. The thing is that I didn't actually use a heart attack but I had Dudley choke on food since he was eating too fast.

 

Can young children have heart attacks? I mean what if at a really young age, say 5 or 6 Dudley has a heart attack. However, instead of snapping and assuming it's Harry's fault, they eventually wind up going to a psychologist (unable to cope with the trauma of basically killing their own child). After some period of time, with the psychologist's help they realize that their fanatical fear and hatred of magic is blinding them to the fact that harry is still human and it is not right for them to treat him as less. For the next 5 or 6 years until Harry goes to Hogwarts, he grows up a vastly different life then canon. Living an almost normal life, though maybe knowing something of magic's existence.

 

^For this I refer to Potter Law #22

XXII.
The Dursleys are irredeemable. Dudley will not apologize; Vernon will not call Harry 'son'; Petunia will never worry about Harry's health or wellbeing. Violations of these inalienable facts are, of course, thinly veiled tricks to lull Harry into complacency.

 

There's our loophole. Harry goes through Hogwarts, and so we rid Harry of his lack of motivation, his overly reckless behavior. The Dursleys slip up only after he's already near graduation and well-learned enough that it won't make any difference.

 

Neren, feel free to use the idea, or to extrapolate from the idea. I suggested heart attack because its a much more soul rending thing (especially if it happens to a young person) than choking on food. Anyone can choke on food by accident, but to have a heart attack at age 15/16 something is seriously wrong.

Wildfeather, it is possible for young children to have heart attacks through two routes. If they have some sort of heart defect then they will have heart problems, or if they eat adult sized helpings of grease at every meal time from the moment they can eat solid food, and gain significant weight then the heart might not be able to stand the strain. Or you could go for a mix, Dudley has a mild heart problem, nothing really serious, but his parents don't pick up on the symptoms and ignore anything the school tells them, and then because he is reasonably overweight for his age his heart gives out.

Rather than make the Dursley's lovey dovey with Harry because of it, it might be a good way to have Harry removed from the Dursley's. If Dudley dies because of negligence, then Social Services might, probably would, remove Harry at least temporarily to ensure that both adults didn't become unstable with the loss of their son.