The letter arrived by post, which by itself was noteworthy in home where the post was delivered by a litany of owls or varying sizes and hues. Harry Potter's youngest child, a little red haired girl with rosy cheeks had toddled over during morning toast gumming it enthusiastically. The girl's mother whisked it out of her mouth and dabbed the lingering drool off with a corner of her apron, staring at it with a quizzical expression.

"What on earth is this?" Ginny asked, pushing strands of her longs red hair out of her face and handing the letter to her husband. "It has your name on it, but who do we know who would use the muggle post?" Harry looked up from his coffee and took the offered letter, a few long moments passed before Ginny put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, who sent it?"

"Dudley Dursley." For a moment there was silence in the house, then little Lilly burbled happily as she found something new to gum. Ginny stood and swept Lilly in her arms.

"Why don't we go play in the garden with your brothers and your cousins, your daddy has an important letter to read."

Harry hardly noticed. He slowly opened the letter, thinking of the last time he had seen the Dursley's. Dudley had acted rather odd, had been saddened by their parting, it had all been rather strange, but with so much going on at the time and somehow in all the years since Harry hadn't thought much about it. It suddenly occurred to him that the whining bullying stupid fat cousin of his memory must have grown. It was strange to think of Dudley as a grown man. Running a hand through his tousled black hair he read the letter.

Dear Harry,

How many years has it been? Too many really, I'm married now, with a tyke of my own and a little house in Surry. I got it in my head to look you up, well imagine my surprise when I found you in the yellow pages! Didn't think you'd set much store by the yellow pages what with you being what you are and all. You must think it's strange that I'm writing you after all these years, and after all we never got on very well as kids did we? I hope that since we are after all still related you might not say no to stopping by some time, anytime really.

Hoping you're well,

Dudley Dursley

After reading the letter at least a dozen times through Harry stood and rubbing his head walked out into the garden. His face broke into a relaxed smile as he watched his family playing so happily. He waved at Hermione who was watering the flowers in a large sunhat and sat next to his wife and tickled his little girl who was very happily blowing spit bubbles.

"He wants me to visit him." He said, answering her unasked question. "I can't imagine why, but it sounds like there's a reason he's not telling me."

"What do you mean?" She asked, sending Lilly toddling off to play.

"I don't know, just a feeling, I'm probably wrong. These days I seem to be jumping at shadows."

"Now Harry, that's not fair, you spent so many years fighting real shadows after all, I suspect that sending your godson off to school this year is just bringing back memories of your first year. Because of what you did none of our children will likely ever have so face anything like that. Relax." She kissed him on the forehead. "If you feel like going to visit Dudley I see no reason why shouldn't. Go now in fact, you have the day off, Ron won't be back until dinner at least, and Hermione and I can more than manage the kids for a day." Harry smiled and kissed Ginny's cheek.

"I think I will, it will bother me if I don't, I'll take the car, been years since I've been for a drive anyway. I'll be sure to be back by dinner." With that he hurried off, glad he had donned jeans that morning, since he had always felt foolish changing in the middle of the day. As he pulled out of his driveway he tapped his wand on the GPS, which immediately came up with the directions to Dudley's home, and he settled back into his seat, trying to shake off the feeling that something strange was going on.

When Harry reached the little house in Surry he found himself surprised that it looked nothing like number four privet drive, and equally surprised that he thought it would. He stood leaning on the car, trying to shake these thoughts out of his head, trying to calm the rush of memories that had suddenly come flooding unbidden into his mind.

"Harry?" A deep voice asked, he turned to find himself looking at a man who looked only vaguely like the bad tempered fat kid of his memory. The man who stood in front of him was indeed large, but really just tall with broad shoulders and a square chin that must have spent years hiding beneath all those round wobbly ones, but something in the blue eyes was undeniably Dudley Dursley. "My God, is that really you?" He said. Harry smiled tightly.

"I got your letter, would have called first but I don't own a telephone and sending an owl didn't seem appropriate somehow." To his surprise Dudley laughed a great booming laugh that was nothing like the simpering snicker that he remembered. Harry sought to keep up with the moment and not let the memories lay him flat.

"Would have scared my poor wife witless; a great ruddy owl!" Harry broke into an easy laughter. "'Course it might have made things a bit easier as well, but well, all that can wait. Come in, meet my Molly, she's just lovely as anything just wait 'till you see her! What about you Harry, are you married?" Harry let himself be swept into the neat little house.

"Yes, her names Ginny, I met her at school, we've got four kids, well three really and one godson but we've helped raise him since he was born, so he's ours just the same."

Dudley called to his wife as they walked through the door, and the woman who met them in the entry was indeed lovely. She was wearing a plain white apron with cooking stains and a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and kept her curly dark hair in pigtails. As she waved a spatula at him and introduced herself Harry couldn't stop himself from thinking that Aunt Petunia must loathe her. "You must be Harry of course." She added as Harry opened his mouth. "Dudley's told me you might be stopping by."

"Indeed?" Harry asked, trying not to gape at this as he shook her hand.

"We weren't expecting company and actually our Julie is sound asleep in the kitchen, I'll just go wake her up."

"She's the spitting image of her mother, you'll see, just six years old and already just as pretty as anything." Harry smiled and nodded, but felt for his wand in his pocket. He felt magic going on, but he told himself it was impossible and just his nerves getting to him again, and forced a couple deep breaths.

Because of this he was a couple of steps behind following Dudley into the kitchen, and was standing just in the doorway when he heard a soft "Oh bugger." He followed Dudley's gaze to four battered china dishes that were gently floating near the ceiling. A small girl who looked to be about six years old sat beneath them sound asleep. Molly didn't take her gaze from the dishes but muttered, "Oh good, you see it too then." under her breath.