Authors notes: first and foremost while I don't feel it's necessary I forgot last chapter to make clear that I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. The series would be very different with me writing it.

Second I felt it necessary to make clear a few things. Mostly just the most major changes. Biggest thing you might be confused about is that in this world the word 'muggle' is a serious insult, and most people in Magical Britain use the word 'Mundane' to describe non magical people. Most of you could probably guess that but I felt it necessary to make that clear. Also Hogwarts starts at 14, instead of 11. And honestly that's pretty much entirely because I'm a lot more comfortable writing late teens clumsily fumbling around teenage romance than I am early and mid teens. Romance basically won't be a factor till fourth year and by that point the important chapters will be 16, 17, and 20 instead of 13, 14 and 17. It's entirely because I am not comfortable writing beginning romance between characters who are still at an age I consider to still be children.

Third it's important to realize Harry and his family are the only changes that have been made to the world. Barring one exception I'll get to every other character will be starting out exactly as I see them in canon. Just about every character will end up very different from their canon alternative by the end, but for some of them those changes will be rather slow. Ron fans I'm sorry but I genuinely do not like Ron, especially not movie Ron. He'll get better just like everyone else, I like happy endings, it'll just be slow going for a lot of them. Ron as well as just about every other important character that's not a villain will eventually be at a state where if nothing else I can be happy with them. If you guys aren't satisfied well I'm sorry, that's just how I like my stories to go.

The main idea for this story was, "what would the story have ended up like if Harry had an actually happy childhood, and everything else was practically the same. How would that affect the events of the series."

Fourth, up until fourth year the story is going to be relatively unchanged, and I'll be telling the first three books/movies in 2-4 chapters each. (Note. When I say unchanged that does not mean that there won't be any differences, it just means that it takes time for the biggest changes to begin to set in, i'm not gonna force myself to write in detail every benign interaction from the entire series, I'm going to write pretty similar to how the story has gone in these first two chapters, telling the most important parts and lightly glazing over the less important ones, not bothering at all to tell the unimportant details beyond maybe a brief mention) Obviously you can tell I write long chapters, and you can expect that to stay the same. I'm really excited for fourth year though. Goblet of fire is where all of the ideas I have for changes to the story that I'm most excited about (besides the ones that have already been shown) kick in.

Also quick side note I just bought a copy of the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also in this world it will be Philosopher's stone like it was originally intended) and holy hell it is amazing. I absolutely love the imagination shown in the depictions of Rowling's writings and it makes for an even better reading experience than reading the books normally does. Seriously if you have forty dollars laying around (or 120 if you want the box set of all three of the ones they've made so far) I cannot recommend enough picking these up. Any true fan of Harry Potter would enjoy themselves looking at these illustrations.

I've got more things I want to say but for the most part that's about all I feel is necessary at this point. Feel free to review or pm me any questions, I'll answer any that aren't direct spoilers. And to all the people who've reviewed followed and favorited so far thank you for enjoying the first chapter, and I hope you continue to enjoy it as I continue.


Life for a four year old was hard! Harry was four years old and he had to learn how to walk again. He already learned how to walk!

He couldn't pick up toys or play with Dudley. He couldn't follow mummy or Daddy up the stairs. Mamma Abella, "Too hard!" He would yell at her full name, just made him sit in her lap all the time. And the few times Pappa Alby showed up he would always do the pop thing and disappear before Harry could remember to ask him how to do it!

And people were mean to him! Everywhere he went people would look at his cool green skin and talk too quiet for him to hear. People shouldn't be allowed to do that! Talking should be loud enough for everyone to hear!

Ever since he'd gotten his cool skin like doctor Issac it was like he couldn't do anything and he hated it! He just wanted to play and run but his legs wouldn't hold him up. Every day it got Easier but Harry wanted it easier now Darnit!

If he kept going at this rate he'd been older than Pappa Alby when he could finally walk again!


Life for a four year old was amazing! He'd been helping mummy "decate" forever, and the house looked great! Harry didn't know what "hoj poj" meant but if his daddy used it when talking about his "decations" then it must be a good thing.

It seemed like every day new presents showed up under the "critma" tree and he couldn't open any of them! Sometimes people showed up at the door and handed his parents more, or sometimes his parents walked down the stupid stairs he still couldn't get up on his own with more presents.

But then last night mamma Abella made biscuits and they made him go to bed early. And when he woke up this morning everyone kept giving him presents! And he got to open them! Finally!

He got new books, which he put in front of mamma Abella so she could read them to him. He got new clothes, which he threw away from him, he didn't want new clothes! He already had enough clothes to wear! He got candies that he tried to hide from his parents. And he got new toys! Toys were his favorite things he had. And now that he could finally play with Dudley again he needed as many as he could get!

He got cars and planes and a sword and more dinosaurs and zoo animals and…

He got so much stuff that he didn't even know how to count it all. There were toys he'd never even seen before!

"Pappa Alby!" Harry loved when Pappa Alby came, and he had more presents!

"Hello Harry, how have you been?" Harry didn't answer him, instead going straight for the presents in his hands.

"What I get? What I get?" Harry said, trying to pull himself up on Albus' long clothes. It frustrated Harry even more when Alby just laughed at him.

"Calm down Harry, these are not both for you." Alby said, kneeling down slightly to hand Harry the bright red and gold colored present, before moving towards Dudley to hand him his.

Harry didn't see that though. He was already tearing into the wrapping paper, tossing it aside to get to the present underneath.

"Is a book!" Harry shouted, fascinated by the moving drawings on the cover. He couldn't read yet, but he could get someone to read for him.

Alby laughed again "That, Harry, is my personal copy of my favorite story book from when I was your age. The tales of Beedle the Bard." He said from his seat on the couch.

Not looking away from he pictures Harry waddled his way over to Alby, pulled himself onto his lap and shoved the book into his chest. "Read!" Harry shouts, impatiently waiting until Alby laughs at him again and opens the book to the first story.


Harry loved the zoo!

For Dudleys 5th birthday (why does he get to be 5 first?!) the whole family went to the zoo, and not even mummy yelling at him to stop running ahead could spoil his mood. Why would he stop running when he finally could again? It had taken him FOREVER to be able to walk without falling again! He wanted to run everywhere he went!

And run he did. He ran to every animal. Lions, tigers, bears, oh my! The bears were his third favorite, the hippos in the big pond were his second, but by far his first were the snakes!

The reptile house was in the back of the zoo, so they had to get to that one last. But they were so cool! The lizards were really cool too, but the snakes could talk! And they were all so nice too. They would all call him things like "sssspeaker" or "little massster" and they would talk about what it was like when they still lived in the wild and got to slither up trees and eat whole mice and big spiders. (Harry loves spiders too, he asked them if they wouldn't eat spiders anymore, which they agreed to)

Harry met a really nice lady snake that was probably 20 times as long as him! And she made really funny jokes about being able to escape by keeping all the other snakes in her belly so they'd all be able to escape together. And she even offered Harry a place with them! She said that she could probably squeeze him into her belly too if she tried. Harry wished he could, but his mummy would never let him bring home so many snakes. She didn't like snakes.

But the best snake he met by far was a snake in a glass box big enough to hold him. It had really smooth bright green scales and it was easily twice as long as him. And it talked closer to a human than any of the others. The others talked in short sentences with small words like him, but this one talked to him like Pappa Alby did, long words that it would explain when Harry didn't understand and soft voice that didn't catch on the s's like all the others.

Harry tried to convince one of the nice people at the zoo if he could have that one. He even tried to cry and begged his daddy to help him get It, but they said it was too dangerous.

Harry didn't know what "most venomous snake in the world" meant but he knew that shouldn't be any reason why he couldn't have it!

When they stopped at the gift shop Harry begged for a stuffed snake that looked exactly like his green one! It did not take him long to convince them to get it.

It wasn't his green snake, but it would do until Harry was old enough to get one himself.


Harry liked when they got to go to the park. Not cause he liked playing football with Dudley, or playing on the bars or slides. He liked the park because he liked the trees!

He didn't like climbing trees. He didn't like playing swords with the sticks, he had swords to play swords with. He didn't like to run around them as fast as he could.

He liked to look at them.

When he looked at the trees he saw the colors. He saw the colors all over the place, in the trees, in some animals, in a bunch of the things at home (especially his stuff) and he saw the colors sometimes in people. Not all of them, but every now and then he'd see someone with the colors.

He couldn't always see them, but when he looked hard enough, when he REALLY wanted to see them, he could see them swirling around, slowly and happily.

The trees always had colors though. Some trees were yellow and they would move around all fast and change directions more than he could count. If Harry could touch them he thought he might cut his hands on the yellow ones.

A lot of the trees were green, flowing in both circles and sharp turns. The green ones had the biggest colors too, reaching up higher in the sky than Harry thought was possible sometimes, and they swirled together so tight it was hard to tell where one path ended and another began.

The blue ones were all loops and circles. It made him feel calm just looking at them. It looked a lot like someone was pouring water through the trees. It would never stop, and Harry thought he might be happy to never stop watching them.

He didn't like the red, purple, and orange ones. The purple and orange ones had the circles and loops of the blues and the sharp turns and points of the yellows, but it was the red parts he really didn't like.

They didn't flow or churn, they didn't move. They didn't look like they were there. Just a bunch of red dots all throughout. The purples were lots and lots of circles and ovals, they moved a little bit but only slightly. And the oranges were lots of triangles and squares, and they moved but Harry didn't like watching them move, it felt weird watching them move like they were attacking each other.

When Harry watched animals and people, the colors looked like a rainbow, moving and flowing, no color stayed in place for very long, and it hurt Harry's eyes watching after awhile. He just liked to watch the trees and plants. They were always just one color, and even the red ones he could watch all day.

The only person he liked to watch was Pappa Alby. Pappa Alby was always so colorful, and the colors would move around and change so much that he would look almost white. But then sometimes his color would settle into a dark green that Harry thought looked really blue too. Harry knew green was just blue and yellow put together. He guessed someone must have just put too much blue in Alby's green colors.

Harry had once asked why mummy didn't have any colors, or why Dudley or Daddy or Abella didn't have them either. She didn't answer for a little bit, asked Harry if he would explain what he meant when he asked about the colors, and then just told him he would understand when he was older. He didn't want to understand when he was older he wanted to understand now!

"Being five sucks!" He would say, because no one wanted to tell him anything. What was the point of his birthday last week if he still can't get answers when he asked for them!

Harry decided he didn't want to ask about them anymore. If they couldn't see them then the colors must just be for him.

That made him feel a little better. They would be his colors.


"Do you have your crayons?"

"Yes mum!"

"Your notebooks?"

"Yesssss!"

"Your-" "MUUUMMM!" Harry and Dudley shouted together. Mummy had kept them in the doorway making sure they had everything for the millionth time and the bus was already here! Their first day of school was today and she was gonna make them late!

"Okay okay get off you two!" She finally said, pushing them towards the bus and watching them sprint on.

Vernon walked up besides her to watch them get in the bus for the first time.

"You're off too then luv?" She asked, craning her neck to look up at him.

"I'll be home early, i've got to be here after the first day." He said, grinning down at her.

Mid afternoon saw both elder Dursleys waiting to hear all about their boys first day! Shortly after they'd both settled down after Vernon had gotten home, the door was flung open and a green blur flew through the room to the backdoor. A couple seconds later Dudley came stomping in, looking around angrily for something.

"What's wrong Dudley? Why was Harry running?" Petunia asked worriedly, sliding onto the floor to look him in the eye.

"All the other kids were mean to him all day! And Ms teacher wouldn't do anything!" Dudley shouted, burning with a five year olds righteous fury.

"What?!" Petunia and Vernon shouted at once, both of them springing to their feet to run out to the back yard.

Three Dursleys came running out into the backyard of Number 4 Privet Drive, immediately turning to the sound of quiet sniffling coming from behind the large oak tree in the corner.

"Harry sweety what's wrong?" Petunia asked, sitting down next to Harry, trying to pull him into a hug, but he'd curled up into a ball under his sweater.

"They made fun of my green skin! And my scars and they said I looked stupid and weird and ugly. And no one wanted to sit with me at lunch, and teacher kept singling me out whenever she asked questions" they heard him whimper. He'd been crying, they could all tell.

At hearing even the teacher was singling him out? Vernon wasn't just angry, he was downright murderous. Sounds like that school needed a talking to.

"Harry baby they're just kids, they're just jealous their skin isn't as cool like yours." Petunia tried to soothe him, rubbing his back in a way she knew comforted him.

"But Susie Geller called me a freak!" Harry shouted, his balled up form shaking.

"Harry you are not a freak! You know what you tell them when they make fun of your skin?" Vernon said firmly, waiting for the confirmation from him.

"What?" That was easily the most pitiful sound any of them had ever heard.

"You tell them you got your skin and scars as a sign of how strong you are! You tell them you went through and survived something none of them ever could! You tell them that they wish they had skin as cool as yours!" Vernon was firm, looking directly at Harry like he knew Harry liked, Harry hated it when people talking to him didn't look at him, and he spoke with just a hint of his anger letting through.

"It's cool?" Harry sounded so hopeful it lit a fire under all of them.

"Are you kidding? Your skin is so awesome! And green is obviously the best color!" Petunia said putting as much enthusiasm as she could into it.

"I wish I could have green skin!" Dudley shouted, fists to the air and an angry look on his face.

"Your skin is something that makes you so much cooler than you already are, which shouldn't even be possible." Vernon stated with finality, brooking no argument.

When Harry looked up with a watery smile on his little green face, everyone matched it.


"This is the coolest thing I've ever seen." Two six year old boys said, staring at the Telly.

"So you boys like Star Trek huh?" Vernon chuckled, not regretting in the slightest turning it to this when he heard there was a marathon.

"Yeah" both boys said at once. It was only the first episode, and already both boys were so enraptured, if they could even look away neither of them would ever want to.

"Well there's 80 episodes to get through, and it doesn't look you guys plan on stopping any time soon. I'll make you some popcorn." Vernon chuckled once again, walking to the kitchen.

Vernon could remember seeing a box VHS set at the store not too long ago, maybe it might be good to see about getting them.


"Goooallll!" Vernon and Petunia shouted together, watching Harry score. It was the first game of the season, and Vernon couldn't have been prouder when both his boys came to him asking to play football. He had them on the team for practice the very next day.

When Dudley came home cheering about being made Goalie, it was the proudest moment in his life. He always knew Dudley would be great at it, and watching him practice, and now today in the game, he was blocking balls like it was his purpose in life.

And when Harry came home telling him he'd been made Center Forward, he practically had a heart attack he was so surprised and happy. And he was a natural! In practice he practically flew across the field, dominating any play the coach had him run. But in a game? Vernon had never seen any game come out 10-0 before half time, especially not a little league game. Harry was all over, seeming to know where the ball would go ten steps ahead of any other player.

With Dudley acting an immovable object, nothing getting past, and Harry an unstoppable force, scoring like a football demon, no other kid stood a chance. If this was a professional team, Vernon would think they had the championship in the bag.

A short time later, four Dursleys and a Figg were seen marching back to the car, both kids held aloft on Vernons shoulders trumpeting their dominating victory to the wind. Vernon knew that they were just kids, but a 22-0 victory was practically unheard of. Vernon couldn't wait to see this trend continue.

"D'we do good Dad?" Dudley asked, a glowing smile on his face looking down at Vernon. Vernon matched the smile beam for beam.

"You did fantastic!"


"Kirk!"

"Picard!"

"Kirk!"

"Picard!"

"KIRK!"

"PICARD!"

Vernon and Petunia couldn't help laughing at the scene in front of them. Two boys screaming at each other in front of the Telly.

"Captain Kirk is so much better than stinky old Picard!" Dudley shouted, shoving Harry back.

"Jean-Luke Picard is so much better than Kirk I think I might fall asleep if I have to watch another episode with him again!" Harry shouted back, pointing at the shelf completely packed with VHS all labeled with Star Trek episode numbers.

"You take that back!" Dudley shouted back, throwing his 7 year old weight at his brother, starting the wrestling match of the ages.

When Vernon came home one day to tell his boys that Star Trek was starting a new show with new characters and a new captain, they were both so excited the entire street must have gone deaf at their cheering. They were both sat in front of the television watching in awe as the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation played for the very first time.

Several episodes and just over a month later, Harry was loudly proclaiming to the world how awesome he thought Captain Picard was, claiming his new favorite. Dudley obviously took offense to that, saying defiantly that Kirk was his favorite.

And thus the age old argument was begun.

"Kirk is awesome! He can fight off aliens like no one else and he always defends his crew!" Dudley shouted, straddling Harry and shaking his shoulders.

"Picard is so cool and calm, he's better than fighting and insults, and he doesn't need to defend his crew! He knows they can fight for themselves!" Harry screamed reversing their position and getting himself on top.

This went on for awhile, Dudley screaming to the world that Kirk was better, while Harry proudly stood his ground that Picard was.

When it was finally time for supper, Petunia came in strong like only a mother of two boys can, breaking them up and pulling them pouting to the table.

"Now you two need to calm down, they're just characters and you're brothers!" Petunia firmed, laying down the law.

"I don't have a brother!" Dudley shouted "Good, cause I don't want a brother like you!" Harry shouted back, before both of them harrumphed and turned away from each other.

"If you two are going to be like that, then you can go straight to bed!" Petunia stated, watching them both stand up and shoot to their shared room in righteous fury.

"Fine!" Two angry boys shouted at once before there was the sound of a slamming door.

Both Harry and Dudley glared each other down, before both of them stomped to their beds and burrowed under the covers, both of their backs turned to each other.

A little while later two quiet sniffles could be heard in a dark bedroom. Two seperate mounds of pillows and blankets quivering softly.

It wasn't much longer before small feet could be heard softly padding across the room, before crawling Into the second bed and hugging the other to him like a lifeline.

When Petunia came to check on them shortly before midnight, a soft smile settled on her face seeing them snuggled together in Harry's bed.


Shortly before summer of 1989, Harry and Dudley could both be found reading in the den of Number 4 Privet Drive.

Harry's mind was elsewhere though. For a little over a month now he'd been thinking non stop about his mum. And about his colors.

For as long as he could remember he could never see any colors in his family. Except Pappa Albus, but he was different. Mum said he was a 'Wizard' and that he could use magic. Harry still remembered when they'd told him that he too was a wizard. That one day he'd get to go to a special school and use 'magic' and he'd get to be just like Pappa Albus.

But about a month ago Harry started seeing his colors in Mum. Not all throughout her though, not like in Pappa Albus. They were just in her tummy. And they were a perfect rainbow, a constant swirl that never stayed one color for even a second.

Harry had no idea what this could mean. And he didn't ask because he liked to keep his colors to himself, and no one remembered him asking about them years ago. He hoped it wasn't bad, he didn't think he could take it if his Mum got hurt. It's hard for an eight year old to imagine that their parents might not being around.

Later that same night, when the entire Dursley family was settled down after supper, the boys just finished with their new episode of Star Trek for the night and happily reenacting their favorite parts, Harry taking the parts of Picard and Data, while Dudley would play Riker and Worf.

"Boys? Boys!" Vernon said, getting their attention.

"Settle down okay boys? Your mum and I have something to tell you." He said, waiting for them to get settled on their pillows.

When they had full attention, Vernon turned to Petunia and gave her knee a gentle squeeze. "Boys, how would you like to have a younger brother or sister?" Petunia asked, smiling when both boys eyes widened

"Really? That would be awesome!" Dudley shouted, shooting to his feet hands in the air. It finally clicked for Harry. That's why he could see color in mum now, it wasn't hers, it was his baby brother or sister!

"You're pregnant!" He said, focusing so he could see his colors, happiness coursing through him as he watched them churn. 'Just like Pappa Albus' he thought. 'Just like mine' he realized after a second. And he grinned, he couldn't wait!

"That's right! I am, you boys are going to have a new sibling in just a few months!" Petunia squealed, not for the first time proud of how smart her boys were.

Harry stood and walked past his cheering brother, coming up to his mum and lifting his hand, resting it on Petunias stomach.

His smile could rival the moon when the colors of his baby brother or sister toiled with happiness at his touch.


Harry and Dudley were both sat in their finest black clothes, impatiently fidgeting and not bothering to pay attention. If they had they might have noticed the tears silently dripping down their fathers face.

"We are gathered here today to honor the passing of Marjorie Louise Dursley…"


"Keep your hands up! All boxers go down when they drop their hands!" Vernon shouted, grinning. When Harry's hands shot up to block another short strike from Vernon.

For the boys shared 9th birthday celebration, Vernon decided it was finally time to introduce them to one of his greatest passions. He'd been a champion boxer when he was younger, giving it up shortly into college when he found not enough time to focus on school and boxing.

When Harry and Dudley both came home from the match he'd taken them to play fighting, throwing each other to the ground in turns and flinging mock punches in every which direction, he couldn't be prouder to agree to teach them.

Two months later, Petunia was bringing trays of snacks and cold lemonade out to the yard. She'd taken to sitting on the porch, and watching, fatigue coming quickly to her 5 month pregnant self. Vernon grinned like a loon behind his bushy Walrus like moustache, and Harry ducked and dodged every punch, peppering in his own whenever he saw an opening.

Harry was a perfect out-boxer. Long limbs that would be toned with muscle soon enough, and a slender body that would probably never have any fat on it. He was fast, capable of staying out of Vernons range with no trouble at all, throwing in jabs and straights with short durations and only a little bit of power. Already after only a few months he was boxing circles around Vernon, him being lucky to land even one hit on Harry's heavily padded body.

Dudley though. If Vernon was a perfect out-boxer, then Dudley was the quintessential Slugger. He held his ground like a wall, taking hits like nothing else could and throwing his own that left even Vernon dazed. He was fast, he didn't weave around every hit like a wave in the ocean, like Harry. He was strong and firm, taking punishment like a true champ and dishing it out with purpose.

It made Vernon proud, his sons were both natural athletes. Their football team had never lost a single game since they joined, and now they were both fitting boxing so well it brought tears to his eyes.

"Don't you hurt my boys Vernon!" Petunia playfully called out, watching Vernon tumble to the ground after a particularly hard strike to his back from Harry. 'How'd he even get back there?' Vernon thought, spitting out the little bit of dirt that'd gotten into his mouth and crowding to his feet.

Harry squared up again, taking a firm stance and waiting for Vernon to give the signal again. He didn't wait long, and they were back at it again, Harry moving as close to perfectly as a 9 year old could manage, and Vernon keeping him pressed, occasionally spitting out pointers when Harry dropped his guard or overextended a strike or moved too quickly and stumbled over his own feet.

Dudley was patiently waiting, watching both his brother and Dad move. Vernon made sure to teach them both what all four of the boxing styles were, and Dudley knew he needed to watch them fight. Harry was an out-boxer, staying out of range and winning by points and endurance. And Vernon was a swarmer, keeping them pressed and peppering them with hits that kept them focused.

Vernon taught them early on a great boxer can win a fight just by knowing how his enemy fought. Knowing what hits to expect and where your enemy would go could spell disaster for any opponent. An opponent tries to move left, and there's already a heavy strike aimed for him waiting there? Forget it.

Dudley couldn't wait for when he got to enroll in a league. He also couldn't help but feel happy he and Harry wouldn't be in the same weight class. He didn't know who would win.


"Happy Christmas mum!" Harry and Dudley shouted as one. They'd been waiting patiently, as patiently as was possible for boys of their age, for their mother to hobble down the stairs in her heavily pregnant state.

"Happy Christmas boys! You didn't have to wait for me." Petunia said that, but the smile on her face spoke wonders to how happy she was at them.

Both boys rolled their eyes and turned to their presents. They'd been sorting and arranging them into neat piles for the twenty minutes it too for Petunia to get down. Now that she was there they both dove in, tearing wrapping paper and opening presents like ravenous animals.

They rolled their eyes at the ones marked 'Santa' and they grinned happily at the ones from Mamma Arabella, she always got them the biggest presents.

Petunia and Vernon just watched in silence. Patient smiles on their faces as their boys tore into the presents and begun to play with careless abandon. Arabella would ask them what they got every now and then, smiling happily as they explained their presents.

Then it was time for Vernon to give them what he thought was the best gift.

He left the room, giving Petunia a small kiss on the forehead as he left, coming back seconds later with a small rectangular gift. Presenting it to both boys he handed it to Dudley.

"This is for the both of you. Why don't you both take the paper off together." He grinned as they both grabbed fistfuls of wrapping paper and tore, revealing the small cardboard case surrounding the black VHS tape within.

"Rumble In the Jungle" the case boldly proclaimed to the world, with a bunch of other words Harry and Dudley couldn't make sense of.

"That boys, is a tape of the greatest Boxing match of all time!" Both nine year old's eyes lit up, before looking up at their Dad with the most hopeful expressions he'd ever seen.

"Go ahead! I got it to watch." He grinned when the boys were already putting the tape into the deck.

*knock knock knock*

Five rounds into the fight there was a knock at the front door. One which the boys didn't hear, too engrossed.

Petunia smiled to herself and shook her head. Pulling herself to her feet, and waddling to the door.

"Albus, we were wondering when you would be stopping by." Petunia said warmly, resting a hand on her belly.

"I am sorry my dear, my students and I always share a lovely breakfast Christmas morning." Albus Dumbledore spoke from the other side, smiling heartily.

"It's no bother Albu- Oh!" Petunia was cut off by a sharp pain in her belly, and the sound of a splash on the floor.

Albus was shocked momentarily, before his wand was whipped out and changing his robes into more mundane worthy clothes. "I believe we might need to get you to a hospital." He said softly.

"Vernon? Vernon I need you!" Petunia whimpered, doubled over and clutching her stomach.

"What's the trouble Pet'? The fights almost over." Vernon called back, not looking up from the television.

"Vernon my water just broke!" She replied back, a little more frantically.

"What?!" Vernon shouted, shooting to his feet and rushing to petunias side.

"Arabella get the boys dressed and packed up, we need to go now!" Vernon shouted, ushering Petunia out the door to the car.

"So mums in there giving birth?" Dudley questioned for the 33rd time that day, sitting impatiently in the waiting area just outside the room Petunia was rushed off to when they got there.

"Yes Dudley." Arabella repeated for the 33rd time, rolling her eyes at Albus' chuckle.

"But when can we go in?" Harry asked, sitting upside down in his chair and swinging his legs back and forth in the air.

"When she's ready Harry, it takes time." Arabella didn't even look up from her knitting. It'd been hours since they'd all been carted off to the hospital, and while two nine year olds could be patient for a time there was a limit.

Both boys let out a petulant little groan and went back to pouting in their seats.

"How did you do in your match a few weeks ago boys?" Albus asked, knowing full well it would distract them for at least a few minutes.

"I won by almost double the points!" Harry said proudly, his neck puffing out and his chest swelling.

"Yeah? But I won by TKO in the 3rd round!" Dudley stated, hands on his waist and standing tall.

"I didn't get hit once!" Harry squared up to Dudley, defending his own victory

"Yeah, but it only took me one hit to take them down!" Dudley was looking down on Harry, his chin so upturned it made seem taller than he really was.

As the bickering got started once again Albus and Arabella shared a grin and went back to their own activities, Arabella knitting and Albus reading.

It wasn't much longer before Vernon came shuffling out in protective scrubs over his clothes. "Come one in boys, your Mum wants you to meet someone." He looked tired, happy, but tired.

Both nine year olds rushed into the room, shooting to their mum on the bed. Neither of them could look away from the small bundle held against her chest.

"Boys, I'd like you to meet your baby sister. Marjorie Lilian Dursley." If Vernon looked tired, then Petunia looked downright exhausted, neither of them had ever seen her look happier though.

Harry focused on his colors, looking in fascination at the tiny rainbow held in his mums hands.


"A devastating swing by douglas! And down goes Tyson! Mike Tyson is no longer the heavyweight champion!" The scream of triumph and victory Harry let out at those words with the images on the Telly could only be rivaled by the scream of anguish from Dudley. When they'd heard that some rookie was challenging the (now former) heavyweight champion, both boys were excited. They'd practically demanded to watch it when it aired.

Five rounds in both of them were proclaiming it the best fight of all time, even better than Ali vs. Foreman, the fight they'd gotten for Christmas a few months ago.

It didn't take long for sides to be drawn though. Dudley was a devout Tyson fan, standing by the champion all the way, but Harry quickly fell in line with Douglas, screaming and shouting about how the champ was finally going down.

Vernon laughed as Harry danced in place, while Dudley pounded the ground in defeat.

Petunia just chuckled and shook her head to herself moving up the stairs to make sure the screaming hadn't woken the two year old sleeping upsairs.


The day Harry's baby sister showed her first signs of magic, was the day Harry finally made the connection to what his colors meant.

She had somehow gotten her hands on one of Dudleys old toys, one that he was still particularly fond of. Dudley snatched it away from her, shouting she would break it. When the crying started Dudley stoutly ignored his parents crowing at him to give it back, and pouted in the corner of the Den, as far away from the crying baby on the floor.

Harry watched in awe from over his book he'd been reading as the toy ripped itself from Dudley's hands and flew to Marjorie, the crying stopping in an instant to be replaced by the happiest little burbling he'd ever heard. Harry, Vernon, Dudley and Petunia all stared in awe at the little girl, before the ten year old Harry ran to his sister, scooping her up and twirling her in place. Harry knew she loved when he held her, and he loved hearing the way she laughed when he twirled.

Both elder Dursleys shared look, before settling into a calm smile on both their faces.

None of them noticed the sad frown on Dudleys face.


"Ha- harr- Haarrry!" Little two year old Marjorie squeaked out in triumph, finally getting her Brothers name right.

Harry scooped her up and tossed her screaming and laughing into the air, peppering her face with kisses whenever she came back down.

Dudley scooped her from his arms, jealousy saying "okay Marjorie, say 'Dudley' for me." He said, cheering with glee when she chirped back "Dudley" and laughed the happiest little laugh.

Vernon and Petunia watched from the kitchen with beaming smiles on their faces, the boys had been trying to get her to say their names since she'd said her first words months ago.


"Go Harry!" A three year old Marjorie screamed from the sidelines, jumping up and down every time Harry moved. She loved watching her big brother run back and forth, kicking the ball into the big nets.

She didn't know what it meant, but she loved cheering along whenever Harry kicked the ball into the big net, or when Dudley caught the ball before it could get into the other big net. She didn't get why Dudley was only blocking one net, but she liked that Harry wasn't kicking at Dudley.

She didn't like when they fought.

But she liked watching Harry run faster than anyone else on his team, kicking the ball so fast she couldn't even see it! She liked it best when they played together in the yard, she would always have the ball the longest, but it was fun watching them play on the big yard with all the other big kids.

"Go Dudley!" Marjorie cheered, watching Dudley punch at the other kid. She didn't get why they weren't wearing shirts, or the big red gloves, but her daddy said it was Dudleys job to hit the other kid and knock him down.

The other kid had already been knocked down several times. But he kept getting up! Marjorie didn't think that was very fair. If they were supposed to knock them down, why did the other kid get back up?

She'd already watched Harry win his match earlier. She was glad they didn't have to fight, she didn't like when they did what her daddy called 'practice'. Brothers weren't supposed to fight.

She didn't think so anyway.

"Yaaayyyy!" She cheered when the stripe guy waved his arms over the other kid. Dudley just threw the hardest looking punch she'd ever seen, and he fell like when she dropped a toy.

"Winner!" The stripe guy yelled, holding a grinning Dudleys arm up in the air.

She cheered with everyone else as they presented Dudley with the Big shiny thing Harry called a trophy, it looked just like Harry's!

She hoped one of them would let her hold one, she liked all their trophies at home but they were too high up!


The morning of July 31st, 1994 was a simple one. Harry woke up first like always, and plodded down the stairs in his pajamas and sat on the couch, pulling out his book from the small basket on the coffee table. A short time later his dad came down, tousling Harry's hair as he went by, still groggy without his morning coffee.

A few minutes after that had Petunia following a running Marjorie down the stairs. Harry had a few seconds to put away his book before a screaming 4 year old girl was tackling him back into the cushions.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" She was screaming over and over again, to which Harry just chuckled and hugged her to him as tight as he could.

Arabella walked in from the guest room, wishing him a tired sounding "Happy birthday Harry…" followed by a long yawn and her trudging to the kitchen where the delightful lifeblood that was coffee awaited her.

He smiled at the kiss Petunia laid on his forehead, and he pulled his wild mane of hair into a long red ponytail when Dudley came down and they all moved to the kitchen to eat the breakfast that was just finished being prepared.

Shortly into breakfast there was a knock at the back door, to which Vernon leaned over to open the door and let in a grinning Albus Dumbledore, holding a thick yellow parchment envelope in his hand.

"Good morning all! And a happy Birthday to you Harry!" He said with a jovial smile and a twinkle in his eye.

"Morning Pappa Albus, what are you doing here so early?" Harry asked through a mouthful of eggs and bacon.

"I came so early in the morning to give you something I have been very much looking forward to giving you Harry." Albus said with a smile just a little bit wider after hearing Harry's words, handing him the thick letter in his hands.

Staring down at his hands Harry read the words

Mr H. Potter-Dursley

the second bedroom on the left upstairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Harry didn't even realize he'd opened the letter until he was already reading its contents.

Hogwarts School of

Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,

Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,

International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Potter-Dursley,

We are pleased to inform you that you have

a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list

Of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September.

We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Obviously as today is the 31st and I am delivering your letter by hand, you will not be expected to send a return letter." Albus said merrily, loving the look of wonder on Harry's face.

Harry had known this year was the year he finally got to go to Hogwarts, Albus having told him about it years ago. He was so excited to finally get his letter he couldn't contain it.

"I had hoped I might be able to take you to retrieve your supplies myself." Albus spoke again, loving the way Harry's head whipped to look at his parents with a hopeful expression.

"Of course you can go Harry, finish your breakfast and go get dressed. You can open your presents from us when you get home." At those words from his mum Harry scarfed down what was left on his plate and dashed to his room, coming back down fully dressed in his favorite jacket and shorts in record time.

"I will try to have him returned as soon as possible." Albus said, happily taking Harry's hand and disappearing with a sharp. *CRACK*

Neither Petunia or Vernon noticed the frown on Dudleys face.

"Where are we Albus?" Harry asked once his head stopped spinning and he'd picked himself up off the ground.

Albus smiled down at him, walking over to stand in front of the brick wall at the end of the narrow alleyway they'd landed in. Pulling his wand out he replied "this Harry, is the entryway into the primary Magical shopping district in Great Britain." While he spoke he was tapping a specific pattern of bricks, and stepped back slightly when the wall rippled, and started to move away, forming an archway into the single most beautiful thing Harry'd ever seen.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Albus spoke calmly, joyously watching Harry's eyes light up at the wonders around him. He'd always loved showing the Mundane raised students to the Alley, and he'd been immensely happy when his chance to take Harry finally came around.

Harry was in love. He'd known that magic was amazing, but this… this was something else.

People in all sorts of robes and other fantastical clothes bustled about every which way minding their business and performing displays Harry knew must be everyday occurrence, nothing to turn your eyes to or gawk at, but something so amazing to his eyes he couldn't believe it. And then the shops, ones selling brooms, ones selling cauldrons of every size and material, ones selling pets and ones selling plants, all kinds of shops and every single one Harry couldn't wait to see what they held beyond the windows and outside displays.

"Come Harry, there will be time for every shop, but first we must make a stop at gringotts, the wizarding bank." Albus gently took Harry's shoulder, leading him down the street towards the large white marble building at the end of the way.

Harry didn't hear him though. He'd made a mistake that made him fall in love. He'd focused on his colors. Everything he saw was an explosion of every color and every pattern he could imagine. It was all so beautiful and if it weren't for the gentle hand on his shoulder as he looked around every which way he might have forgotten to breath in his excitement.

Harry eventually had to force himself to stop seeing them. He wrestled with himself as he walked up the stairs to the large door, walking past to the stout ugly little creature that looked almost human but almost not at the same time.

"These are goblins Harry, they control Gringotts bank, and it would do you well not to stare. Do not speak unless spoken too and try to refrain from colorful language. Goblins are short worded and direct creatures and it is easiest to treat them the same, lest you find yourself at the mercy of their wrath." Dumbledore leaned down to Harry's ear to whisper this too him, sending him a pointed look that Harry knew meant he wasn't joking around here.

Harry nodded and looked back in forward, staring at the pair of ornate silver doors, engraved with a poem that set the same message Albus had just imparted

Enter stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

Harry tried not to think what they meant, walking forward and making sure not to look too long at anything around him.

There were lines and lines of booths and tills, goblins sitting behind them, signing parchments, stamping contracts and appraising gems and coins.

Albus and Harry waited for a time, for a goblin to signal them next and to walk up to a till.

"Good day, Mr Potter here and I would like to make a withdrawal from his vault." True to his word Albus was short and precise, stating exactly what he needed.

"Key?" The goblin didn't even look up from his parchments, holding out his hand to take the proffered key from Albus' outstretched hand.

He glanced at it for the briefest of moments before slamming his hand onto a small brass bell, and tossing the key at another goblin already walking passed.

"Follow Griphook, he'll take you to your vault. NEXT!" The goblin told them, before shouting out and grunting at the next wizard to walk up behind them.

Harry and Albus both followed the small waddling goblin into a large minecart "Watch your limbs." The Goblin, Griphook, stated shortly before pulling a lever.

The kart rocketed forward, twisting and turning this way and that, and harry was having the time of his life. And then they passed a large ornate cavern, where Harry saw the briefest flash of scales and a burst of flame.

"I just saw a Dragon!" Harry screamed excitedly, turning his head around to try to catch a glimpse of it again.

"Many a creature can be found guarding the vaults of gringotts, Harry." Albus told him, an uneasy smile on his face and his eyes focused on a small unmoving part of the kart.

"I want one." Harry stated matter of factly, glaring at the Goblin when he just scoffed at him.

"Dragons are a little too unruly to have as pets I'm afraid." Albus told him, sounding a tad more queasy than he meant to.

"Don't care. I'm getting one." Harry said, turning his head forward and pointedly staring, declaring the subject finished.

A few minutes later and splash of water as the kart went through a waterfall, it was parked outside of a large circular stone door.

Griphook was out first, standing by the side of the vault in no time, Albus was out seconds behind, dry heaving over the wall and looking almost as green as Harry, and Harry was out last, calmly trying to tie his hair back into its ponytail, hating how much worse the wind made its already unruly and disheveled nature.

When all three of them were ready Griphook had the door open, and Harry was gaping at the veritable mountain of gold silver and bronze coins. "The gold ones, Harry, are galleons. There are 17 silver sickles to a galleon, and twenty nine bronze knuts to sickle." Albus explained as Harry stepped forward and scooped a big handful of coins.

"Those numbers make no sense." Harry said pointedly, inwardly doing the math to try and figure out what one Knut must be worth if twenty nine went into a sickle.

"I suppose it doesn't." Albus had said those words more than he could possibly hope to remember, and he'd long since given up petitioning the ministry to change the conversion rates.

"Hey Griphook, is there a way I can take all of this with me?" Harry asked, turning his head to the scowling goblin.

"For a small fee of 10 galleons you can commission a linked coin bag that will allow you to pull out any amount you desire, provided you actually have the coin." Griphook did not look like he enjoyed answering questions.

Harry grabbed the necessary coins, handing them to Griphook, who pocketed them in an instant before slamming a long fingered hand against a small circle of intricate runes, drawing it back with a small brown leather bag. "If that is all let us be on our way, some of us have things to do." Griphook said pointedly, thankful when Harry and Albus both moved to leave the vault.

"If it might not be any trouble I would like to visit vault 713 as well." Albus said, already drawing forth the key.

Griphook looked at it, grumbled to himself something about lazy wizards, and said "Get on then, you're lucky it's only one cavern away."

Seconds later Albus was walking into vault 713, pocketing a small last leather bundle, and hopping back into the kart. And away they went. A short ride later and another quick bout of tying hair back Harry was walking back into the alley, colors blaring to life in his eyes and trying his best to decide where he might possibly want to go first.

Then his eyes caught sight of the place. It was the purest he'd ever seen, colors and patterns blending into a solid chronic mass of pure white. Harry knew he had to go there. And something told him not to deactivate his colors.

"That one, I wanna go in there first." He said, nodding in the direction of the shop, not even caring at Albus' soft chuckle.

"That Harry, is Ollivanders wand makers. Are you sure you want to go there first? It is often the most memorable part of the day to retrieve your wand." Albus knew it was a losing battle trying to argue against it when he saw the look in Harry's eyes.

"Come along then, this usually takes some time." He said, surprise overtaking him when Harry shot off towards the store.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair which Albus sat on to wait.

Harry was looking around in wonder. From the outside the shop looked like a blinding mass of white, but inside? Every color that made up the white on the inside was distinct. Short slivers of every color of the rainbow, forming new patterns and colors he'd never even seen, it was a symphony of color and beauty.

"Good afternoon." A soft voice said from his side. Harry heard Albus jump in his seat, but Harry couldn't bring himself to look away.

An old man with wide, pale silver eyes shining like moons through the shop.

His eyes widened a step when he saw the way Harry's eyes darted around, taking in every minute detail he could see.

"Mr Potter. I had wondered when I might see you enter my shop, and I had hoped it would be interesting to find you your wand. But now I know my work to be done." He said, gazing at Harry with a softness Albus had never seen in the old man. Mr ollivander had helped him find his wand, and even then Albus believed him to be the oldest man he'd ever seen at the time.

Harry finally looked fully at Mr Ollivander, a shot of fear going through him. Was he not going to get a wand?

At his look Ollivander softened just a touch more "you have a wandmakers eyes, Mr Potter." He spoke, leaning down to be more level. "You can see the natural magic in a living being that lies within so much of all us. You might have noticed you can't see spells in the air, or the latent magic in a rune. What you can see is the true essence of magic, the purest form that only a very small number of us ever get to partake in." He gently reached out, taking Harry's hand and leading him and a stunned Albus Dumbledore down the aisles.

He stopped a short few meters down, pulling a box down with a the most striking pattern Harry had ever been this close to. Inside was red, clumped mass of bright red that harry couldn't discern a single dot. But the outside, it was the purest yellow he would ever see, golden lines zigzagging around in the sharpest, wildest pattern he'd ever seen, all perfectly contouring around the red inside, not a single bit of it mixing, not a single ounce of orange to the wand.

"Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Ollivander said, holding the wand out to Harry, letting him reach out.

Harry tentatively did so, watching his own colors swarm to his finger tips excitedly, before slowly receding. Harry didn't take the wand, pulling his arm back and looking up to Ollivander.

"I thought not. That wand was the one I rather expected to be yours before seeing you walk in, but now I know for sure. None of the wands here in the main body of my shop will be exactly right for you. Come with me Mr Potter, I have a room with Wands made specially for people like us." Ollivander took Harry by the shoulders yet again, leading him to the back, and pushing him through a door Albus didn't even know was there, into a small work room, small wood carvings tools, and bottles of materials Harry couldn't recognize all over.

Ollivander walked directly to a small chest, pulling out from its contents a number of wands that had Harry holding his breath.

"Mr Potter, I find I will not be much help any longer, please, choose the wand that feels best to you." Ollivander stepped back, moving next to Albus and watching with bated breath as Harry moved to the line of 21 wands on his desk.

Harry knew the moment he saw it which one was his, and when he reached his hand toward it, he could see and feel his magic swarming to his fingertips, begging to be in contact with the wand he was about to grab.

It was amazing. A dark purple core, spirals upon spirals swirling around each other beautifully. Encased in a combined mass of the most striking pattern of bright blue and orange he'd ever seen.

"What is it, Mr Ollivander." Harry asked, wonder and awe in his voice.

"The core is a dragon tail feather. Before you ask I know dragons have scales, but not forever, as a dragon ages and grows it's scales will be replaced, slowly, by some of the most beautiful plumage you would ever see. Most people don't know of this as dragons live to be so much older than we humans, but that tail feather was willingly given to me by the oldest dragon in the English isles, shortly before she passed. It belonged to a Norwegian Ridgeback, one of my favorite species of dragon, one which I prefer to use when I use dragon ingredients. The reason dragon feathers are not used in most wands is simple, they are too strong. Too much pure, natural magic courses through them for any normal wizard to connect to them. The same can not be said for wizards like you or I Mr Potter." Ollivander ignored the fascinated look on Albus's face as he continued.

"You might think from the mix of two different colors that there are two woods there, mister Potter, but it is only one. The body of the wand is petrified cherry wood. It was buried underground for what must have been hundreds of thousands of years, turned practically to stone. The orange you see is its natural color, and the encroaching blue is its stonelike nature it has taken on. Once again petrified woods are not commonly used in most wands. Not because they are overly powerful, but because I find them too troublesome to work with."

"11 inches, and the most bendy I have ever produced, you could very well bend it in half and it would spring back to shape with no wear." Ollivander stepped towards Harry, watching the way Harry's colors mixed with the three distinct of his new wand, becoming an extension of himself the way all great wands do.

"Take very good care of that wand Mr Potter, and if I were you I would pay close attention in Herbology, care of Magical creatures, arithmancy and runes when you start Hogwarts and those later classes become available in your third year." Ollivander took Harry's shoulders again, carefully maneuvering him back through the stacks and stopping him next to a small rack of leather holsters. Grabbing one of a good length and continuing back to the front of the store.

"Now Harry, I understand the desire to stare, but you have other things you need to do today, and it would do yourself some good now to teach yourself when to have your sight active and when to leave it." Ollivander said, watching with pride as Harry tore his eyes from his wand, blinking and refocusing on the world around him.

"That's better. Now I won't be charging you for the wand, a true work of art like that would only ever be at home in your hands. It'll be one galleon for the wrist holster I recommend you get and that will be it." He smiled when Harry nodded and handed over the galleon without question, pulling it from a Gringotts vault pouch.

"Thank you, Mr Ollivander, for everything." Harry didn't think he would ever be as sincere as he was looking at Ollivander now.

"The pleasure was all mine, now be along, and be sure to get lots of extra books, most people find themselves lacking when they've read through all their course texts and still want more, with no way of getting to the alley yet." Ollivander had the first real smile in almost three hundred years on his face as he shooed Harry and Albus away, turning back to his stacks and already pondering how to replace the wand Harry just chose.

"After something as exciting as that Harry I think it might be best to calm down a tad. Why don't you walk to that store across the way and be fitted for your school robes, I'll be along with your cauldron and scales." Harry nodded along, more than happy for something boring after the experience in Ollivanders.

Walking into Madam Malkins, Harry tried to ignore the urge to go back to staring at his wand currently strapped to his wrist under his sleeves. Looking up he saw Madame Malkin, a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts dear?" She said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact.

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hullo," said the boy "Hogwarts too?"

"Yes." Said Harry

"My father's next door buying my books, and m-y lord what happened to your skin!" The boy shouted, gawking at Harry in shock and what Harry thought might be a tad bit of fear.

"I got really sick when I was young, a side effect of the cure gave me my green skin." Harry said impatiently, he'd been hoping no magic person would question him, seeing as magic could certainly do weirder things than permanently turn a persons skin green.

"What kind of quack doctor messes up so bad he turns his patients skin green!?" The boy shouts, outrage that Harry didn't understand showing through.

Harry bristled a little bit, not likeing the insult to doctor Howard "Dr Isaac Howard is the best doctor in the world, if he could have saved my life without turning my skin green he would have."

"Whatever you say." The boy replied, sounding not in the least bit convinced. At a gesture from the witch tending his robes the boy hopped down.

"I hope for both of our sakes you and I don't share a house at Hogwarts, I don't know what I'd do if I had to stare at skin like yours all day." He said, before saying a clipped farewell and leaving, Harry not missing his presence in the slightest.

Harry learned a long time ago how to ignore people that judged his skin, but that doesn't mean it didn't put him in a bad mood when someone, especially a stranger, was rude about it. He walked silently through the apothecary picking out all his supplies, and didn't cheer up until he was walking through the doors of Flourish and Blotts, the Alleys book store.

"Go ahead and look around, pick out any extra books you might want, I will gather your required texts." Albus was not surprised to see the young man dash into the aisles, pulling books out anytime a title caught his eye.

Close to 100 books, a bottomless pouch, and 32 galleons later Harry was walking back up the path to his house, lugging all his supplies behind him.

He had some reading to do.


"So you're leaving tomorrow huh?" Dudley spat out, sounding way too aggressive from his side of their room.

He'd been standoffish with Harry all month, but it was worse today. He'd been angry and avoiding everyone all day, and Harry wasn't exactly looking forward to the fact that they shared a room.

"Yes, I am leaving tomorrow. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, there is."

"Care to share?" Both of them were angry, but Harry at least felt he had a real reason to be. Dudley was being stupid.

"You get to go off alone to your fancy 'magic' school and leave behind the rest of us!" Dudley was quick to shouting, waving his arms aggressively.

"I'm sorry that I was born different than you Dudley, but I can't exactly help it, and I'm not going to spend my life ignoring an important part of myself!" Harry shouted back.

"And I'm sorry that I convinced myself for so long that you being gone for so long couldn't mean anything! But I was wrong, you come home with a 'wand' and some fancy books and you completely ignore the rest of us for a month!" Dudley took a step forward, pushing at Harry's chest.

"I have not been ignoring you!" Harry screamed back, pushed Dudley away from him. He fell back onto his bed and shot Harry the hardest dirtiest glare he'd ever seen.

"Fine then! Go! See If I care when you're gone!" Dudley yelled, pulling his covers up and turning his back to Harry.

"Fine!" Harry yelled back, doing the same, throwing a sock at the light switch to turn them out.

A short few hours later soft footfalls in the dark could be heard as Dudley crawled into bed with his brother.

"I don't want you to leave and forget about me." He whispered, pulling Harry as close he could.

"I could never forget about you Dud. I'm not going because I want to leave you guys, I'm going because my magic is an important part of me, and I need to learn how to use it." Harry whispered back, refusing to look at him.

"But why do you and Marjorie get magic and not me." And it all finally clicked for Harry.

He turned to him, wrapping him in the tightest hug he could manage, and whispered "I'm sorry Dudley, i know it's not fair, but you can't blame us for something we were born with. I promise I'll never let either of us drift apart." He didn't react when he heard the soft sniffles.

"Never." Harry repeated.

They were both asleep within minutes.


"Whooooooaahhhhh." Three Dursley children whispered in awe, staring up at the Hogwarts Express, the train Harry was supposed to board to go to his new school.

"You be sure to write once a week young man! I don't want to have to tell your sister that you're not writing to her." Petunia scolded, the awe at the sight of the great red train reduced after seeing her sister off for seven years. 'Why do they even use a train when they can travel instantly?' She thought to herself not for the first time.

"Yes mum." Harry repeated, rolling his eyes at the fact she'd told him that 4 times already.

"Don't you come back soft of me you hear? I expect you to get in some boxing practice whenever you can." At this point in his life Harry had learned by now when to recognize when his dad was deflecting.

He rushed to Vernon, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you too Dad."

Vernon smiled, before returning the gesture. Marjorie clung herself to Harry's legs and Dudley and Petunia both came up to his side and joined in.

Five Dursleys stood together and hugged goodbye.


After the fact authors side note: I absolutely loved the idea of Harry having a little sister and I could not hold myself back, and honestly I gave her magic simply because I wanted the summers in between to be a little more interesting. And the reason why I had her be so much younger than Harry and Dudley? There was no way in hell I was letting her get anywhere near voldemort and his blood-war.

Also I killed aunt Marge because I couldn't bring myself to even try to change her character to fit the more open and loving Dursleys. And it gave me a reason to be able to give the name Marjorie (one of my favorite names) to a character that I could actually enjoy.