He stood with his trolley in front of him, an owl in a cage on top of the trunks he had stacked for the upcoming year. His mother, wearing red dress robes, stood proudly behind her son, looking around for other parents whose children were starting Hogwarts. His father had parked himself on a bench nearby, his eyes shifting to and fro. He appeared to be looking for someone, but whoever he was looking for hadn't yet arrived. The boy was so nervous, he had already put on his school robes. His eyes were locked on the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. He watched as a red headed man, his wife, and their two red-haired children ran through the barrier. Then a man with a funny scar, his wife, and three kids arrived. They did not notice the boy or his parents.

The boy's father stood up. "Let's go through the barrier now." He grabbed his son's hand. "You know what to do, boy." So, the boy grabbed his trolley, pushed, and ran. When he opened his eyes, there was a great train pulled in the station. The Hogwarts Express, it said. The boy suddenly felt out of place. What am I doing here? He thought. I don't know how to be a wizard. But his mother was a witch, so he should have known something.

The boy noticed a large cluster of red-heads talking, including the ones he'd seen crossing the barrier. They seemed so happy, so "in-the-know" about the wizarding world. The boy longed to join them, to be a part of such a family. He saw the man with the scar. He had black hair and piercing green eyes. He looked closely at the scar on the man's forehead. There was something about it – something familiar. He looked up to his dad, and tugged his sleeve.

"Dad, do you recognize – "But the boy was cut off. The man with the scar was walking over now.

"Dudley?" The man spoke, his green eyes almost accusatory. The boy's dad took a minute to respond. He seemed embarrassed.

"Mph, that's right." The boy wondered what was going on.

"Dudley, surely you remember me. It's your cousin!" The man looked to Dudley, searching to see if he remembered him.

"'Course I do. Think I'd forget you?" Dudley answered.

"I guess not. Well, how are you after all these years, Big D? What are you doing here?" The man looked at Dudley's son and his wife, who was wearing traditional witch's attire. "Oh, I see. He'll be going to Hogwarts then?"

"Yeah." Dudley seemed particularly interested in his shoes.

"Well," said the man with the scar, motioning for a group of people, presumably his family, to come over. "This is my wife Ginny. Here's James, Albus, and our youngest, Lily. She'll be starting at Hogwarts this year too." Ginny, James, Albus, and Lily smiled at Dudley and his family, though they didn't know who they were smiling at. "Ginny, this is Dudley, my cousin."

"Pleasure to meet you," said Ginny, always polite. She extended her hand to Dudley and then to his wife.

Dudley tapped his foot awkwardly for a minute or two. He was mustering up all of the courage he could. Finally, he responded.

"The pleasure is mine, Ginny. I'm Dudley Dursley. This is my wife, Ella. And this is my boy, my only son. Harry."