The sun was beginning to set, low and hot over the horizon of Little Whinging. A young man sat on the park bench, idly flipping a narrow, polished stick of wood across his fingers. He was thin, lanky and dark-haired, and his expression was far-away and pensive.

The mothers watching their children on the playground kept shooting him suspicious looks, but he didn't appear to notice. He brushed his fringe out of his eyes with one hand, then glanced at his watch. It was a peculiar watch, large and battered with twelve hands and small planets moving across its glass face.

"All right then, Harry?" Another young man, about Harry's age, stood awkwardly a few feet away, hands in his pockets. He was large and blond, as unlike Harry as it was possible to be despite a vague sameness about the eyes and mouth. He was holding a knapsack in one beefy hand. "I brought your things."

Harry didn't glance up, but he shifted, patted the bench next to him in a manner that could be interpreted as inviting. "Dudley. Thanks."

Dudley Dursley settled his bulk onto the far corner of the bench, dropping the knapsack on the ground. He was eyeing the stick in Harry's hand with some apprehension, and Harry snorted when he noticed this, and slipped it into his pocket. "Sorry."

They sat there for several moments like that, not speaking.

"I went by the house earlier," said Harry finally. "Looks better."

"They've done a fair bit of work on it," Dudley said without looking over at him. "We're to move back in next week."

Harry winced, almost imperceptibly. "Sorry," he said again.

Dudley shrugged. "Guess it's a good thing we left, then. Couple of folks from your Ministry came by and fixed up the worst of it. Sent Mum into a panic."

Harry smiled. "I can imagine."

"I'll have to make up my last year at Smeltings. Couldn't go back last year."

"I missed my last year as well," Harry said. "Don't think I'm going back."

Dudley nodded. "Don't reckon your sort set much store by schooling."

"It's not that, it's just--" Harry broke off, chuckled wearily. "Never mind."

Having apparently exhausted their capacity for conversation, they sat in silence for several long moments on opposite ends of the bench, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Dudley shifted his weight nervously, but Harry was still, his narrow face unreadible. After a while, he sighed and rubbed his forehead, pushing his fringe out of the way to reveal a peculiar, jagged scar. "I still can't quite believe it's over," he said, mostly to himself.

Dudley gave him an odd look. "Where are you living?" he asked. "You have your own house now."

"I'm staying with my friend Ron's family, for now. My house..." Harry shrugged. "It's not really fit to live in right now."

"Oh."

After a few more minutes of silence, there was a small pop from across the park, and they both glanced over. A pretty redheaded girl had just appeared under a large oak tree. She shook her hair back and waved at Harry, then started across the grass toward them. Dudley flinched visibly, but Harry rose to his feet and waved back.

"Guess she passed her exams, then," he said.

"Who--who is that?" Dudley stammered. He looked as though he was having difficulty holding himself still.

"Ginny Weasley. My girlfriend." Harry's grin was a bit bemused, as though he still wasn't quite sure how he'd arrived at such a state, but even so he looked happier than he had since he sat down on the bench. The distant expression faded, his eyes lit up, and he looked, for the first time, like an eighteen-year-old boy. "Ron's sister," he added.

Dudley got an odd expression on his face, opened his mouth, then shut it again, as though rethinking whatever it was he'd been going to say. "I'd best be getting home," he said instead, abruptly. "Mum and Dad...they worry, still."

Harry nodded. "Tell them...give them my best," he said finally.

"Okay." Dudley got to his feet as well, stood awkwardly for a moment, rocking back and forth a little on his heels. "So, erm--"

Harry smiled wryly and stuck out his hand. "See you around, Dudley."

They shook hands. Harry looked for a moment as though he was going to say something else, then shook his head, bending to lift the knapsack and sling it over his shoulder.

Dudley watched as Harry went to the redhead--Ginny--and pulled her into a one-armed embrace. She said something in a low voice and Harry laughed. Dudley blinked, and when his eyes opened, the playground was empty. Harry and Ginny had faded into the deepening shadows as though they'd never been there at all.