Dudley's Rose

Sequel to ‘In Six Summers’ Time’.

A year after the Epilogue takes place, Harry comes home from work to find the phone ringing in the hallway. He answers it, as one is apt to do, only to find it’s his cousin Dudley, whom he hasn’t seen for 10 years. It turns out Dudley needs help with his 6 year-old-daughter, Rose, who is magical.

Prologue

Harry sighed as he stepped through the floo onto the hallway carpet. It had been a long day, with the students at Hogwarts seemingly even more rowdy than usual. He supposed it didn't help that it was the second last day of school before the Christmas break.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sound of the telephone ringing in the study. He frowned, unsure as to who would be calling at that time. It wasn't particularly late, but Hermione hadn't yet returned from work, and all their friends and family knew that they were normally only making their way home by then, which was why they left Lily and Ruby with Molly while the boys were at school during the day.

Curiosity now awakened, Harry shrugged off his coat, hung it up on the peg beside the door and made his way to the study, placing his briefcase neatly beside the desk as he picked up the receiver.

“Hello, you’ve reached the Potter Household. How may I help you?”

“Harry?” 

The voice that responded was male, and seemed slightly familiar to Harry, although it took him a moment to recognise it. Once he did, he toppled backwards into his seat in shock.

“Dudley?” he asked, stunned.

“Yeah,” his cousin chuckled, awkwardly. Harry reflected, subconsciously, that his voice was a lot deeper than when he’d last heard it, when they’d been 15 and hated the other’s very existence. Harry wondered what he was calling about. Actually…

“How did you get my number?” he asked, still trying to process that, after 10 years of literally no contact whatsoever, Dudley had contacted him.

“You’re in the phone book,” was the reply, “I needed to contact you, so I took a chance and  tried looking you up. Do you know how many Potters there are in England? I must have stacked up quite a phone bill this month. Anyway…” Dudley paused, seeming unsure as to how to continue. Harry waited patiently, in silence, his mind cycling through the last memory he had of his cousin…

…::-::...

It had been a scorching summer.

As Harry worked the yard, doing his best to prune Aunt Petunia’s  precious roses without cutting off the buds, he felt a shadow fall over him - a very much welcomed relief from the heat. However, it became far less welcome when he turned around to find that Dudley was his source of shade. Harry’s mood immediately worsened - not that it was very good to begin with.

Dudley, however, was behaving oddly. He’d been acting strangely towards Harry the whole summer, twitching in his presence and giving him strange glances whenever he saw him. He’d even refrained from taunting him, and he and his gang had avoided coming into contact with Harry at all.

At that moment, however, his odd behaviour was even more noticeable. Dudley was fiddling anxiously with his hands, shifting uncomfortably and glanced around as if checking to see that no one was watching them.

Harry got to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t know what his cousin wanted, but he hoped he would be quick about voicing it.

“Look, Harry,” Dudley began, glancing awkwardly down at his shoes, “I know we haven’t gotten along in the past, and I know that’s mostly my fault. I’ve been awful to you, and Mum and Dad haven’t been kind to you either.”

Harry simply stared at him, confused, and wondering where he was going with this. What was he trying to say?

“I went to a counsellor at school this year,” Dudley continued, “I was told I had to, if I wanted to stay, you know? Anyway, he was asking me all these questions about my home life and things. I kept trying to avoid them, but eventually I caved and just blurted out my whole life story, basically.  I told him all about you - not about the magic part, obviously - but about everything else. He looked shocked, honestly, at the way Mum, Dad and I acted towards you, and-and he made me see…”

He trailed off again, uncertain. Harry stared at him in surprise. Surely he couldn’t be… sorry… for what he’d done to him? Not after all this time? Could he?

“See what?” Harry asked, speaking up for the first time.

Dudley looked up from his shoes, right into Harry’s eyes. He didn’t look uncertain anymore, just very ashamed and… guilty.

“We’ve really made your life a nightmare, haven’t we? Mum, Dad and I?”

Harry shrugged noncommittally, unsure of what the correct response to that would be.

His cousin sighed, “Well, I just-just wanted to apologise. I know I can never make you forget what I did to you, and I know you’ll probably never forgive me for it either, but I just wanted to tell you, for the record…”

He trailed off, and gave Harry a weak smile, before walking away, leaving Harry standing there in stunned silence.

Harry disappeared three days later, and hadn’t seen Dudley since.

…::-::...

“Anyway,” Dudley continued, drawing Harry out of his reverie, “I just phoned ‘cause - ‘cause I need your help.”

“What with?” Harry asked, leaning back in his seat.

“I’d prefer to discuss it in person,” his cousin explained, “Is there somewhere we can meet up? When would it suit you?”

“I get off work early tomorrow afternoon. I live in Islington. Where do you live?”

“Near Primrose Hill,” Dudley responded, “It’s not too far, so anywhere near you suits me alright.”

Harry thought for a minute, and came up with the perfect meeting spot, “You know King’s Cross, where you used to drop me off for school? There’s a coffee shop nearby. We could meet there. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure,” Dudley agreed, “Shall we say 15:00 tomorrow?”

“Alright,” Harry agreed, “I’ll see you there.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Dudley replied, “Bye.”

He put down the phone, effectively ending the call.

Harry slowly placed back his own receiver, feeling confused and stunned. To be honest, he couldn’t understand why Dudley had called him out of the blue like that. What could he possibly need help with? Harry had already admitted to himself that he had already forgiven Dudley for the actions of his childhood. He’d forgiven him back then, when he’d apologised, and, he supposed, it was why he had decided to respond to his cousin’s request for help. He only wondered what it was with.

Harry was still sitting behind his desk contemplating the issue when Hermione arrived home with the kids. Their arrival was announced by his two sons, James and Daniel, coming rushing into his study and launching themselves at him, simultaneously wrapping their arms around his waist and knocking the breath out of his lungs.

“Hi, Dad!” James, the more boisterous of his boys, greeted, “We’re home!”

“I noticed,” Harry replied, amused and slightly out of breath. A moment later, both he and the twins were crushed beneath the weight of yet another body as Lily ran in and jumped on top of all three of them.

“We have cookies!” she cried, happily, in greeting, unaware of the discomfort she was causing for those beneath her.

There was a laugh from the doorway as Hermione appeared, carrying their youngest, Ruby.

“You can tell Daddy about your cookies once you get off him and the boys, Lily-Love. It makes it rather difficult for them to move, doesn’t it?”

“Okay,” Lily chirped, quickly removing herself from atop her brothers and skipping towards the kitchen.  The boys followed after her, but Harry remained in his seat for a moment longer while his lungs started working again. Hermione giggled at him. He scowled at her playfully before smiling, and rose from his seat, stepping forwards until he was less than an inch away from her. But, instead of focusing his attention on his wife, he turned to his daughter, lifting her from her mother’s arms so that her eyes were level with his own.

“Hello, Ruby,” he smiled, “And how was your day?”

The two-month-old squealed in response, and grabbed a few locks of his ebony hair in her fists. 

Harry laughed, “It was good then, I take it?”

“Molly made cookies with them,” Hermione answered, still smiling.

“I gathered,” Harry responded, as he managed to loosen his daughter’s grip on his hair, “And the boys’ day at school? How was it?”

“Alright,” Hermione replied, “Nothing noteworthy. But, then again, no news is good news when it comes to those two, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Harry chuckled, as he tucked Ruby into his side and followed the rest of his children into the kitchen, with Hermione behind him.

As soon as he entered, Lily came forwards and grabbed his free hand before dragging him over to one side of the room, where a plate of messily-decorated cookies sat on the counter.

“What do you think, Daddy?” she asked, eyes bright.

“They look wonderful darling,” Harry smiled, “Are we going to have some after dinner?”

Lily and the twins immediately looked to Hermione, who laughed at their like-mindedness, “Okay, but only one each. We can save the rest for later.”

“Yay!” Lily cried, removing her hand from her father’s and taking her customary seat at the table, between Daniel and James. Harry simply shook his head fondly, and passed Ruby on to Hermione, who put her in her highchair while Harry began preparing dinner.

…::-::...

Later that night, once the children were all asleep, Harry and Hermione lay in bed, side-by-side. It was peaceful, lying there in the darkness and taking comfort in one another’s presence. Harry hated to disturb it, but he knew he needed to tell Hermione about his call with Dudley.

“The phone was ringing when I got home,” he began.

“Oh? Who was it?” Hermione asked. Harry could picture her frowning in the dark.

“It was Dudley,” he replied.

“Dudley? As in, your cousin, Dudley? The one who used to bully you as kids?”

“Yeah, that Dudley,” Harry nodded.

“Well, what did he want? I assume he found our number in the book.”

“He needs my help with something. He didn’t want to discuss it over the phone, so I’ve arranged to meet with him tomorrow afternoon at that cafe near King’s Cross.”

“Why did you agree to that?” Hermione asked, surprised, “He was beastly to you. Why would you help him?”

Harry sighed, “A few days before I, well, you know, he seeked me out and apologised for his behaviour over the years. I forgave him.”

“Really? That’s surprising.”

“What? That he apologised? Or that I forgave him?”

“That he apologised, obviously. It’s very much like you to forgive people, Harry.”

She shifted position until her head rested on his chest.

They lay in companionable silence for a few moments, until Hermione spoke up again.

“Will you be okay, going by yourself?”

“You’re talking to the Man-Who-Conquered, darling. Of course I’ll be alright.”

Hermione slapped him, laughing, “You’re a prat, you know that? I express genuine concern for your mental health and wellbeing, and you respond with sarcasm. Honestly!”

Harry chuckled, “I know, I know, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist the opportunity.”

Hermione hummed noncommittally, but he could tell she was smiling.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.

“Night, ‘Mione,” he yawned.

“Night, Harry,” she responded, snuggling further beneath the covers, “Sweet dreams.”

They lapsed into silence and, a few moments later, their breathing even out as they fell asleep, safe in one another’s arms.

Chapter 1

Dudley arrived half-an-hour early for his meeting with his cousin, Harry. This could be easily attributed to nerves.

Dudley hadn’t seen Harry for 10 years and, the last time he had seen him, he’d apologised for his actions, but had never gotten a response. Harry had disappeared three days after that. How or where, Dudley didn’t know. His cousin had just disappeared from his bedroom in the middle of the night on his 15th birthday, taking all his things with him. Dudley had always assumed his people took him, and that he would be back the following Summer. However, that Summer had come and gone, and he had seen neither hide nor hair of Harry, and so he assumed he was never coming back. Dudley had thought about him occasionally over the years, most often when passing King’s Cross on his way to work. But, it was when his daughter, Rose, began displaying some of the same signs of magic that Harry had when he was younger that Dudley made the attempt to contact his long-lost family member, desperate for help.

It had happened one afternoon, only a few days previously. Rose had come home from school, very upset, with a note for her parents from her teacher. Apparently, the teacher had told her off for talking to her friend, who was seated next to her. Some of the other kids had laughed at her for getting into trouble. Rose, who had been embarrassed by this, and upset with the teacher for causing it, had turned the teacher’s skin blue.

Of course, the school wasn’t aware that Rose had done it, but a note was still made of the incident. Dudley had gone pale in shock when he heard about it. He couldn’t believe it. His little girl was-was a… witch. Well, he supposed that was karma catching up with him. Either that, or it was because he’d named his daughter after his deceased aunt. Either one.

However, Dudley knew he needed help. He didn’t know how to raise a magical child! But, he did know of someone who did.

Which was what had led him to contacting Harry.

So there Dudley sat, half-an-hour early for his meeting with Harry, fiddling nervously with the rim of his teacup.

As he waited, he wondered absent-mindedly what had happened to his cousin since he’d last seen him. Had he gotten married? Had children? Dudley guessed so, since Harry had answered the phone with the phrase “Potter Household”, which would suggest there being more than one Potter living there. He wondered why Harry was even agreeing to help him. Dudley doubted that he could ever be forgiven for his actions towards him when they were younger. He only hoped he could make up for it now.

Just then, the bell at the door of the café jingled, alerting him to the fact that someone had entered. Dudley looked up to see who it was, and caught the green-eyed gaze of the man who could only be his cousin, Harry. Except, Harry looked very different from the 15-year-old he remembered. When Dudley had last seen him, Harry had been a thin, scrawny looking boy who was rather short for his age, with round-framed glasses that always sat slightly skew on his face and a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Now, however, Harry was tall, topping Dudley by a couple of inches. His glasses were also missing, as was the scar.

Dudley watched as Harry weaved his way through the collection of small tables in the room, until he stood before him. However, what shocked Dudley the most was that, instead of the frown or look of loathing he had expected, Harry was smiling at him.

“Hello, Dudley,” he greeted, “long time, no see.”

Dudley managed to smile in return, “Hey Harry. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.”

Harry swatted his hand at him in dismissal as he took the seat opposite, “It’s really no problem. Now, what do you need help with that couldn’t be discussed over the phone and you could only come to me for?”

Dudley glanced around them to make sure no one was listening in, before looking back at Harry.

“It’s my daughter, Rose,” he said, eventually, “I think she’s a witch.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose, “That’s not what I expected, but okay. How did you work that out?”

Dudley explained the incident at the school. Harry nodded, understandingly.

“It’s not unusual,” he said, “Most cases of accidental magic are triggered by emotions.” He paused for a moment, “Have you told your wife yet?”

Dudley shook his head, “No I haven’t told Sophia yet. To be honest, I wouldn’t know where to start. And I still need to explain to Rose.”

“What about your parents?”

“No!” Dudley cried, “There’s no way I’m telling them - or, at least not yet. Maybe once she’s away at school, but not before.”

“They’re still not any better then?” Harry asked.

Dudley sighed, “No, I’m afraid not. Look, Harry-”

“Save it, Dudley,” Harry cut him off, “I know what you’re going to say, and it’s unnecessary. You’ve already apologised, so let’s put the past behind us, alright?”

“Okay,” Dudley agreed, internally both relieved and surprised that Harry had forgiven him.

“Now,” Harry continued, smoothly changing the subject in a way that gave Dudley the impression that he did it all the time, “I assume you’d like my help with telling Sophia and Rose. I only have to be home at 17:00, because the kids are spending the afternoon with Sirius and Hermione only gets off work then. Would that be okay with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Dudley nodded, “Sophia doesn’t work on Fridays, and Rose only gets home at 16:00 because she has dance class after school. That will give us time to explain to Sophia before we tell Rose.”

“Alright then,” Harry agreed, “It’s about 15:30 at the moment. Should we go to your house now?”

Dudley agreed, and they both rose from their seats. He paid for his tea, and then followed Harry out onto the street.

“How are we getting there?” Harry asked, “Did you come in your car?”

“No,” Dudley shook his head, “I came by the train since it was so close by.”

“Alright then. I can get us there quickly if you just give me your address.”

“Uh, is that safe? For me, I mean?”

Harry lagged, “Sure, although it can be slightly nauseating the first time, but it won’t actually harm you.”

“Okay then.”

Harry led him further down the street until they came to an empty side-alley. Once he’d checked to make sure no one could see them, he instructed Dudley to take his arm before apparating them away to the address he’d been given.

It took Dudley a moment to recompose himself once they arrived, just down the road from his house. Once his stomach had settled, he led Harry to a double-storeyed face brick house just a few doors down. He then unlocked the door.

They entered into a welcoming hallway, where they both deposited their coats and Dudley hung up his key.

“She’ll be in the kitchen,” Dudley said, referring to Sophia.

Harry nodded briefly in acknowledgement, before following his cousin down the hall to where the kitchen was located.

Sophia was, indeed, there. She had her back to them, but she turned around at the sound of their entrance and her eyes widened when she took in Harry’s presence.

“Oh, hello,” she greeted, “I didn’t know you’d be home early, or that we were expecting company?”

She phrased her statement as a question, glazing noticeably at Harry.

“Oh, right, this is my cousin, Harry Potter,” Dudley introduced, “Harry, this is my wife, Sophia.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Harry said, smiling.

“Likewise,” Sophia replied, though she eyed him wearily, “I wasn’t aware that Dudley had a cousin, so you must forgive me if I seem surprised.”

“It’s no problem,” Harry said, “My mother and her sister didn’t always get along very well, which led to me and Dudley not being in contact for some years.”

“Ah,” Sophia nodded her head, enlightened.

“I contacted Harry because I needed his help with something,” Dudley explained, “I met up with him to discuss matters and he came back with me in order to explain the… situation to you.”

Sophia frowned, “It’s not anything bad, is it?”

Harry shook his head, “No, most certainly not, but it could be potentially shocking or surprising.”

“I asked Harry specifically because he has first-hand experience in what we need to tell you, and is far more knowledgeable in the subject than I am, although I do know some things.”

“Alright, now you’ve got me curious. Why don’t I make some tea and then we can have this mysterious discussion?” Sophia suggested.

Harry and Dudley both nodded, and helped her in preparing the tea before they all made their way to the sitting room where they sat in order to begin.

“Right, well,” Harry said, “Let me start off by telling you that this is going to sound rather far-fetched and hard to believe at first, but just bear with me, alright?”

Sophia nodded.

“Okay then,” Harry continued, “What do you know about magic?”

“Magic?” she repeated, surprised, “You mean like in the fairy tales? Witches, wizards, spells, broomsticks, potions and such?”

“Yes, exactly that,” Harry nodded.

“But they’re not real, are they? They’re just stories.”

Harry chuckled slightly, “I can assure you that magic is most definitely real.”

“But-but how? I’m fairly certain I would have noticed people flying around on brooms and using spells.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Harry shook his head, “I’m sure you’ve heard of the witch burnings in the 1600s? Well, because of those, the members of the world’s magical society decided it wasn’t safe for them to live amongst non-magical people, so they went underground, hiding their existence from the world. Rumours and stories still circulated, however, which explains the myths.”

“But how do you know all this?” Sophia questioned, “You’re not…?”

Harry smiled comfortingly at her, “A wizard? Yes, I am.”

Sophia’s draw dropped open, “But-but you’re so… normal! And you’re Dudley’s cousin…” Her eyes widened, and she turned to her husband, “You’re not a wizard too, are you?”

Dudley shook his head emphatically, “No, I’m certainly not.”

“How do I know this is real?” she demanded, turning back to Harry, “How do I know this isn’t some big joke?”

“I’ll show you,” Harry said, calmly flicking his wrist to draw his wand from the holster he had strapped to his forearm. He then pointed it at the empty teacup which sat on the table before him. With barely a thought, the teacup changed into a beautiful white dove, which circled the room a couple of times before landing back on the table and turning back into its original form. Sophia stared at it, slack-jawed, before tentatively reaching over and picking it up. She examined it carefully for about a minute, before placing it back down on the table and looking back up at Harry.

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked, “If it’s illegal, surely I’m not allowed to know? How does Dudley know, for that matter?”

“That, I’m afraid, is a rather long story,” Harry said, “I won’t go into detail, as that would take too long, but I’ll give you a rundown of the basics.” He paused, turning to Dudley, “Some of this is new information for you too, Dud. It explains where I disappeared to that summer.”

Dudley’s eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded in acknowledgement of his cousin’s words.

So, with a deep breath, Harry began.

“First I’ll have to give you a bit of background,” he said, “As you now know, Dudley and I are related through our mothers - my mother, Lily, being Petunia’s younger sister.”

Sophia nodded, so Harry continued, “When my mother was 11 years old, she got a letter inviting her to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You see, despite her being born to non-magical parents, she was a witch.”

“My mother didn’t take this very well,” Dudley explained, “She was jealous of Lily, and so tried writing a letter to the headmaster, asking if she could go too. She was denied, of course, and it made her bitter and hateful towards anything magical - including her own sister.”

“My mother went to Hogwarts,” Harry continued, “On the train there, she met the man she would one day marry- my father, James Potter. For reasons I am not aware of she took an immediate dislike to him. He, however, fell in love with her at first sight. He pursued her throughout their years at school, and eventually started dating sometime in their 7th year. They got married soon after graduating. They had me a year or so later.” 

He paused a moment, before continuing, “However, not everything was well during this time. Throughout my parents’ years at school, there had been rumours of a dark wizard trying to rise to power - Lord Voldemort. People started disappearing, and things eventually escalated into a full-out civil war. After they graduated, my parents and their friends were very much at the frontlines of the fight. In fact, my parents fought Voldemort himself, and came out alive three times.” Harry sighed, “A few months after I was born, my parents were forced into hiding. They planned to hide their location using a spell known as the Fedilius Charm. This charm would, effectively, hide their secret in the soul of the person they chose to trust it with. However, they chose the wrong person. Peter Pettigrew, one of my father’s closest friends, became one of Voldemort’s followers soon after leaving school, and he sold my parents out. On the night of the 31st Of October 1981, Voldemort came to our house and killed both of my parents, before attempting to kill me. However, the spell didn’t work. He tried using what is known as the killing curse. It’s said to be unblockable, and, once it hits you, there’s nothing that can be done to save you. You die in an instant. When he used it on me, the protection my mother had given me by sacrificing herself blocked the effects of the spell, and caused it to backfire on Voldemort. I was left with nothing more than a lightning- bolt scar on my forehead, while Voldemort was vanquished, and assumed dead.”

Harry took a moment to compose himself, looking up at Sophia and Dudley. Sophia looked shocked, her eyes wide and glassy with tears, while Dudley looked pale. He knew a few of the details already, but had never heard them spoken of so plainly before. Harry decided it was alright to continue onwards, “That night left me an orphan at just over a year old. That left the question of who was going to raise me. My godfather, Sirius Black, came to our cottage that night after finding Pettigrew missing from his own home. On his arrival, he found my father - his brother in all but blood - dead, and my mother as well. He then found me, alive, and picked me up, intending to take me back with him. However, he was stopped by the arrival of Hagrid - the groundskeeper at Hogwarts - who was under instruction from the Headmaster - Albus Dumbledore - to take me to him. Sirius, who was crazy with grief, thoughts filled with getting revenge on Pettigrew, easily handed me over and went after the traitor. He ended up getting framed for murder, and put into prison, leaving no one to care for me. It was because of this that, a few nights later, I was left on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive to be raised by my aunt and uncle - Petunia and Vernon Dursley. However, that night had other consequences. By then, the world had heard of the events that occurred that Halloween night, and my survival of the curse once thought unstoppable made me famous. Among the magical community of Britain, I became known as “The-Boy-Who-Lived”, a moniker I would later come to hate.”

Dudley decided to continue from that point, “So, Harry was left on my parents’ doorstep that night. However, what Dumbledore was unaware of was that my mother still held a deep hatred for anything magical, and had passed that hatred onto my father, and later, to me as well.” He sighed, “Harry’s childhood, I’m ashamed to say, was a nightmare. He spent the next 10 years of his life sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs while I had the luxury of two bedrooms. My parents would constantly abuse him, both physically and mentally. He was given my old hand-me-down clothes, which were many sizes too big for him. I played my part as well. My parents spoiled me rotten, and taught me to treat Harry as if he was nothing better than dirt. I bullied him at school, and frightened other kids so that they would never be friends with him.” Dudley turned his gaze to his shoes, guilt ridden and unable to look at his wife’s expression. She was staring at him in a mixture of shock and horror, unable to believe what he was telling her. The Dudley she knew was nothing like that!

“Anyway,” Harry continued, breaking the awkward silence, “Everything changed a few weeks before my 11th birthday, when I received my own Hogwarts letter.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say ‘received’ Harry,” Dudley interrupted, “Dad took it from him before he got a chance to read it. The wizards were determined though. One Sunday, a whole horde of the letters flew down our chimney. Things had been getting progressively worse before then, and that was the last straw for Dad. He took us all away, and we drove for hours. I was miserable, and had no idea what was going on. We ended up in this old shack of a house located on an outcrop of rock in the sea that could only be reached by rowing boat, and of course it was storming that night.”

“It was the night before my birthday,” Harry continued, “I stayed up to count it down, as I did every year. Then, as it struck midnight, there was a great banging on the door. After a few strikes, during which time I hid myself behind a section of wall, the door gave way, and a great giant of a man came through.” He grinned, “It was Hagrid. He came to give me my letter. Appalled and angry he was, too, when he found out that Vernon and Petunia had told me nothing of my heritage. Terrified them, to be honest.”

“He terrified me too,” Dudley added, “Gave me a pig’s tail when I tried eating some of the cake he’d brought for Harry. Called me a pig, and, honestly, I deserved it.”

“Anyway,” Harry continued, “The next morning, he took me shopping for all my school things in the wizarding shopping district - Diagon Alley, in London. I’ll skip over the details as they aren’t relevant. Anyway, a month later, after managing to find the correct platform, I boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. I made a friend at that point - Ron Weasley. We met on the train. Coincidentally, I also met my future wife on the trip, but didn’t become friends with her until a few months down the line.” He grinned again, “I’ll skip over most of what happened - the details aren’t truly important. I got sorted into Gryffindor House at the feast - the House of the Brave, as it is known, and I saved Hermione’s life that Halloween, with help from Ron. The three of us became best friends after that, and we still are. However, at the end of that year, we discovered that Voldemort wasn’t truly dead. He’d been possessing one of our professors the whole year, and was trying to regain his body. We foiled his plans, although I almost died in the process. Dumbledore came to me in the hospital wing once I was better and explained, not in great detail, how my mother’s love had saved me that night. The following year, I foiled another of Voldemort’s attempts to regain a body, and the year after that, I discovered the truth of who had really betrayed my parents. Again, I won’t go into too much detail.” He paused a moment, then continued, “However, it was my 4th year that things changed. I was forced to compete in a competition I didn’t voluntarily enter that was aimed at people three years older than me, and had a high death rate. It turned out that my being entered was yet another of Voldemort’s plots to regain a body. He kidnapped me in the final round, and, with help from Pettigrew and the use of my blood, regained a body.” Harry’s whole body shuddered at the memory of that night, but he pushed forwards, “A friend of mine was killed that night, right in front of me, and I could do nothing to stop it. The nightmares plagued me that summer. I’m sure Dudley will remember.” He looked to his cousin, who nodded in agreement, “However, that was also the summer Dudley and I made amends.”

“I’d been seeing a counsellor at school,” Dudley explained, “He made me see that the way we treated Harry was wrong. I went up to him one day and apologised. However, that was the last time we spoke to one another before I contacted him yesterday. Three days after my apology, on Harry’s birthday, he disappeared during the night without a trace. I always assumed his friends had collected him, but from what he’s been hinting at, I assume that that’s not what actually happened.”

Harry nodded at him in agreement, “You’d be right about that. You see, I’d stayed up again that night, as I usually did before my birthday. Then, as it hit midnight, I received a strange note. The contents confused me, right up until I, and all my belongings were whisked away involuntarily a moment later.”

“What did it say?” Sophia asked, speaking up for the first time since they’d started their explanation.

“It said, and I quote, ‘Get ready – it’s going to be a bumpy ride!’”

“So, where did it take you?” Dudley asked, eyes wide in curiosity.

Harry grinned at him, “1 000 years into the past - to the time of the Hogwarts Founders.”

Chapter 2

Dudley and Sophia stared at him.

“You’re-you’re not serious, are you?”

“No, Sirius is my godfather,” Harry grinned, but got only blank stares in response. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and changed the subject, “Sorry, inside joke. Anyway, I was, in fact, taken back to the time of the Hogwarts Founders by the founders themselves. They could see the future somehow, and brought me to them in order to receive training to defeat Voldemort. I was with them for six years. Once my training was finished, I returned to the future on 31 July 1996 - exactly a year after I left, but six years older, both physically and mentally.”

“Wait, wait, hold on a second,” Dudley protested, “What exactly do you mean by that? That technically, you were supposed to be turning 16 but instead turned, what, 21?”

Harry nodded.

“That’s insane!”

“It was strange,” Harry agreed, “By the time I returned I was believed to be  dead. On top of that, I was five or six years older than the people who had once been my friends and classmates. I bumped into Hermione that day in Diagon Alley and she didn’t recognise me, although that might have been because I had placed a Fidelius Charm on my true identity to keep it a secret.”

“Why did you do that?” Sophia asked

“Because I didn’t want Voldemort to know I was back,” Harry explained, “If he thought I was dead, it was unlikely he would be wary of me attacking him.”

“Anyway,” he continued, “I applied for the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts, which I got.” He smiled, “It was really weird. I ended up teaching my friends without them being aware of who I truly was. Hermione, however, figured it out using a slip of paper I’d given her with my alias written on it. The name was an anagram, you see, of my real one. She ran up to me in my office and practically squeezed the life out of me all while telling me off for making her think I was dead.” He chuckled, “Looking back, it was actually quite amusing, although it wasn’t at the time. I ended up explaining everything to her. A month or so later, I told Sirius and later Ron as well. A few days after that, Voldemort attacked Hogsmeade - the village neighbouring the school - and I went to fight him. We duelled and I eventually scared him off, but I was injured in the process. I made a quick recovery, however, and together with Sirius, Ron and Hermione, made plans to defeat him once and for all. They came into play a few weeks later, when he ambushed Hogwarts. He and I fought again, and I won. During our duel, I revealed my true identity to him, as well as the others who had fought alongside me. Not long after that, the rest of the world knew too.”

He paused for effect, then continued, “I continued teaching after that, and, in fact, still hold my position. Hermione and I started dating after she graduated, and we married a year later. A year after that, our two eldest boys, the twins - James and Daniel - were born. Then our daughter, Lily, was born two years later and finally our youngest, Ruby, was born 2 months ago.”

“Wow,” Sophia commented, with a blink, “That’s quite the life you’ve led. You could write a book.”

Harry laughed, “Trust me, I’ve thought about it.”

There was silence for a few moments as everyone contemplated what had occured over the last while.

Then, Sophia spoke up.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” she asked, “You must have a reason. You wouldn’t have just explained everything to me for the fun of it.”

Dudley nodded, “You’re right, of course. There is indeed a reason.” He looked to Harry, “Do you want to start, or should I?”

“You start,” Harry said, “You know more about the incident than I do.”

“Right,” Dudley agreed, before turning back to his wife, “You know that incident Rose had at school the other day?”

Sophia frowned, “The one where she got into trouble for talking to her friend? That incident?”

Dudley nodded, “Yes, that one. But not that specific part. I’m talking about what happened to her teacher.”

“You mean how her skin turned blue? It’s strange, isn’t it? I mean, how would that happen like that? It almost sounds like…”

She trailed off, abruptly, her eyes widening.

“You were going to say ‘magic’, weren’t you?” Harry asked.

Sophia nodded, “I-I was. But how? Are you saying that Rose is…?”

“A witch?”

She nodded.

“Yes, I am,” Harry replied, “What happened with her teacher is what’s known as ‘Accidental Magic’. It’s common among children, and happens especially if they’re feeling strong emotions. I, myself, turned my teacher’s wig blue when she blamed me for something I didn’t do. It usually tapers off when one is older and learns control, although it has been known to happen to more powerful teenagers or adults as well.”

He caught Dudley glancing at him, and knew what he was thinking about - the incident with Aunt Marge the summer prior to third year, where Harry had accidentally caused her to inflate like a balloon.

“But how is that possible?” Sophia asked, bringing Harry’s thoughts back to the present, “How could she be magical if Dudley and I are not?”

“There could be many reasons,” Harry said, “Not all magical children are born to magical families. Hermione herself is what’s known as a muggleborn. Like my mother, she is a witch born to non-magical parents. In your case, it could be a latent gene on Dudley’s side of the family. If not either of those, there could have been a squib - that is a non magical person born to magical parents - on either side, who could also have passed the gene down. On that point, would you mind very much telling me your maiden name? It could help in discovering how the trait was passed down.”

“It’s ‘Prewett’,” Sophia responded.

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise, and Dudley noticed.

“That name means something to you, doesn’t it?” Dudley asked.

Harry nodded, “You know I told you about my friend, Ron? Well, his mother’s maiden name was Molly Prewett. His family is pureblood, but he told me once that his mother has a cousin who is an accountant that they don’t talk about.”

He watched as Sophia paled, “My dad’s an accountant,” she breathed.

“There’s the link then,” Harry said, “She could have gotten it from either side of your family - most likely both.”

Before either Dudley or Sophia had the chance to reply, there came the sound of the front door being opened then slammed shut, followed by the sound of light, running footsteps making their way towards them. A moment later, a young girl came rushing into the room, though she skidded to a stop when she caught sight of Harry.

He knew that it could only be Rose.

“Hello, Rose, dear,” Sophia greeted, standing up and walking to her daughter, “Did you have a good day? How was dance class?” 

“It was okay,” Rose replied, evasively, shrugging her shoulders.

Harry smiled internally, knowing how difficult it was to pry  similar sorts of information from his own children. Except for Lily, that was. She just loved to talk.

Dudley got up from his seat as well, and greeted Rose with a hug. He then turned to Harry, who also stood and smiled at the small girl before him. She seemed nervous, which was unsurprising considering that he was a stranger. Dudley introduced them.

“Rosie, love, this is my cousin, Harry. I asked him to come and explain something to you.”

Rose looked up at Harry, and smiled tentatively.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hello, Rose,” Harry greeted, warmly, “Your mom and dad have told me a lot about you. I heard your teacher turned blue the other day, is that right?”

She nodded shly.

“Well that’s what your dad asked me to talk to you about. It’s nothing bad, I promise. In fact, it’s rather exciting, so if you just sit down with your mom and dad, I’ll tell you a story, okay?”

“Okay,” Rose agreed, following her parents in sitting back down on the sofa, from where she looked at Harry expectantly.

“Do you know why Mrs Hopley turned blue?” she asked, innocently, “She got angry with me for it, but I don’t know why. I didn’t try to make her blue.”

“I know you didn’t,” Harry placated her, “and yes, I do know why she turned blue, but first I need to ask you a question.”

He leaned forwards, and spoke quietly, as if sharing a secret. Rose leaned forwards too, her eyes wide and bright.

“Tell me,” Harry said, with a smile, “Do you believe in magic?”

“You mean like fairies and witches and broomsticks?” she asked, equally quietly.

Harry nodded, “Yeah, like that.”

“Of course!”

Harry chuckled, “Right, of course you do.” He smiled, and sat upright once again. Dudley was smiling down at his daughter in amusement, as was Sophia, although Rose was oblivious to the looks from her parents.

“What would you do,” Harry asked, carefully, “if I told you I was a wizard?”

Rose’s mouth dropped open, “A wizard? A real one?”

Harry nodded.

“Do you have a wand?”

He nodded again in response, and flicked his wrist to withdraw it from his holster, before holding it out to her. She gazed at it with big eyes, and took it carefully from him, examining it carefully. Dudley watched her nervously, and glanced at Harry, but he shook his head, telling him not to worry.

After a minute or so, Rose looked back up at Harry, a small frown marring her features, “Daddy said you’re his cousin. Does that make Daddy a wizard too?”

Dudley laughed, “No, I’m not a wizard, love.” He smiled at her. She looked disappointed.

“Aww,” she complained, “That  would have been cool!”

Harry grinned at her.

“But wouldn’t it be cooler,” he asked, “if you were a witch?”

Rose’s eyes lit up again, “Definitely!”

“Well then,” Harry continued, “What if I told you that you were a witch? That it was you who turned Mrs Hopley blue? What would you think of that?”

“Are you serious?”

Harry nodded.

“Was it really me? Did I turn Mrs Hopley blue?!”

“Yes, you did, love,” Sophia, replied, smiling at her daughter’s excitement, “Harry’s been telling us all about magic. He said that he did something similar when he was at school too. Apparently, it’s quite common for younger wizards and witches.”

“When you turn 11,” Harry continued, “you’ll get a special letter from a school called Hogwarts, inviting you to attend. It’s a school for wizards and witches like you. I went there too, and I’m currently one of the teachers.”

“Can’t I go now? I want to learn how to cast spells!”

Harry laughed, shaking his head as he took his wand back, “No, I’m afraid not. But, if your mum and dad say it’s okay, maybe you can come and visit me at my house this weekend, if you’re not too busy. I have two boys the same age as you, and two girls a bit younger. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

Rose’s eyes widened, and she looked to her parents. Sophia laughed.

“I’m sure that will be perfectly fine. Just let us know where and when, and we’ll be there.”

Harry smiled, “It’s sorted then. I’ll let you know exactly when, and I’ll send you my address. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to be getting home. Hermione will be back soon, and so will Sirius with the kids.”

“Of course,” Sophia beamed, “Thank you so much for coming to see us this afternoon. We really appreciate it.”

Harry shook his head as he rose from his seat, “It was my pleasure.”

“I’ll see you out,” Dudley said as he, too, stood, and they both went out into the hall. Harry put his coat back on, before turning to his cousin.

“It was nice to see you again, Dud. I’ll send you the details for this weekend. Would an owl be okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Dudley nodded, “I suppose we’ll have to get used to them some time or other, so it had better be sooner, rather than later.” He smiled, “Thank you for everything this afternoon.”

“It’s no problem,” Harry waved him off, dismissively, “I’ll see you soon then, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Dudley agreed, opening the front door and letting him out, “We’ll see you soon.”

Harry grinned back at him, before turning and heading down the street. Dudley watched as he turned into the alleyway they had arrived in, and disappeared. Dudley shook his head slightly, his mind still processing all that had happened that day, before he turned, closed the door, and headed back into the sitting room where Sophia and Rose were waiting for him.