A/N: Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and readers! Enjoy the chapter!


Dudley sighed, and shifted nervously in front of the mirror. Aaron was in bed, and Harry would be arriving any minute so that they could go for a drink, and talk. How had this happened? In the space of one day, he was back in touch with his long lost cousin, going out for a drink with him, and even potentially visiting wizarding London tomorrow. Dudley had had no idea that there even was a wizarding London.

There were two sharp raps on the door, and Dudley hastened to answer it. Kate was upstairs, taking a bath, and apparently looking forward to meeting Harry tomorrow.

Opening the door, Dudley was relieved to see Harry was wearing what he considered to be normal clothes. What's more, he appeared to be driving a car, rather than a broomstick, or magic carpet, and none of the many other things Dudley's brain had told him Harry may turn up in.

"Shall we go?" Harry said, chirpily enough to cover the awkwardness that they both felt.

Walking towards Harry's car, Dudley realised that from the outside it looked relatively normal. He was still surprised. However he was more surprised when he got into the car and realised that there was enough room in the front seat for four people. Seeing the look on his face, Harry chuckled, and started the engine.

"This is a model based on my friend's father's car. He has his own business actually, pimping muggle…um, non-magical cars, to meet wizarding needs."

Dudley nodded, looking a bit puzzled.

"What are wizarding needs?"

"Well, when we send our children to school, they take trunks, and animals, and broom sticks. And wizarding families tend to be larger too. We don't often use cars, to be honest, but many wizards marry people who have non-magical families, and as I'm sure you understand, people prefer cars turning up on their doorsteps to some of the other ways we travel."

Dudley nodded enthusiastically. "So, which pub are we going to? I need a larger after today."

"Urgh, muggle beer. Not happening cousin, sorry. I'm taking you to one of our pubs, you can try butterbeer. Or firewhiskey if you need something stronger." Dudley looked...Harry wasn't sure what the word was. Flabbergasted suited well.

"You..have your own pubs?"

"Of course we do." Harry smirked, and parked his car. They'd parked near the Oxford train station, and had a short walk to reach the Perch, a pub that perched over the edge of the River Thames. It was not a well known pub, surrounded by trees and hidden to the naked muggle eye. But amongst the wizarding world it was popular, and much like the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It was a particular favourite for potion brewers, as there were many plants that grew in the fields of Port Meadow, where the pub was based, that grew no where else in the world.

It was a place Severus Snape frequented often.

Harry and Dudley walked along the river, slowly making their way towards the pub. Dudley was looking at his feet, kicking stones into the water.

"What's up Dud?" Harry asked loftily, his hands in his pockets as he ambled along.

"It's just...I'd never try to change Aaron. If magic is who he is I can't change that. I just thought I had everything so good, and now it's all changing around me." Dudley stopped walking and looked out over the water, watching the geese as they glided over the surface, casting ripples.

Harry sighed.

"Why are you so scared of change? Things might get better."

"You want to tell my mum and dad that Aaron is a wizard? Good luck." Dudley chuckled humourlessly, and Harry nodded understandingly.

"Dudley, tell me something. When you hear the word 'wizard', what do you think?"

Dudley looked at Harry strangely, but looked away again, thinking.

"Dunno to be honest. 'Freak' is the first word that comes to mind. Thanks to my dear old parents. Um, I guess I'm pretty scared. Those things that attacked us, and the fact that thanks to some dark Wizard we had to leave home, overall I've not had a fantastic impression."

Harry nodded, considering things from his cousin's point of view. Dudley was right, his experiences hadn't exactly been positive.

Harry sighed.

"Well, if it helps you feel any better, that wizard is dead now. And the minister of magic we have now, Madam Bones, is fantastic. They say things have never been safer. The press call it 'The Golden Age.'."

Dudley nodded, still looking at the ground.

"Dud, I have to tell you. Magic isn't all scary. Do you remember how your parents treated me before I went away to Hogwarts?"

Dudley shook his head.

"I was...so alone. I had all these abilities, accidental magic, talking to snakes, and I had no idea why I could do them. Magic saved me, it made me happy."

"You can talk to snakes?"

"Yeah, it's not very common though. It's kind of complicated."

"Oh. OK. I'm sorry about...everything, Harry." Dudley suddenly didn't seem able to look Harry in the eye.

"I know." Harry said, patting Dudley on the shoulder. "Come on, you need to try butterbeer. Trust me, you'll love it."

They walked the last few yards to the pub, and Harry pushed open the door to let Dudley in. They walked over to the counter, and Dudley noticed that Harry seemed to be acting rather oddly. He kept trying to flatten his hair, and seemed to be attempting to go unnoticed. Not that it worked.

A small man, balding but beaming, hurried over to Harry, and shook his hand incredibly enthusiastically.

"Mr Potter sir, it's such an honour to meet you!"

As soon as the name Potter had been muttered, mummers seemed to go around the room, with lots of whispering and staring.

Harry smiled bashfully and shook the man's hand, thanking him. He patted the man on the back, and once the man had moved on, ordered two butterbeers for himself and Dudley.

Dudley looked at Harry oddly.

"Why...?"

"It's nothing, really Dudley. A fair few people know me here. I'll tell you more about it another day, it's not nice to talk about. It's to do with the reason you had to leave home."

"Oh. OK." Dudley took the strange looking bottle from Harry. He sniffed it. It was warm in his hands. It smelled good.

He took a swig.

"Blood hell, this is brilliant!"

Harry grinned at his cousin, and took a swig from his own bottle.

"See, Dud. Not everything about wizards is bad."


A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Please please review! Next chapter, Harry meets Kate and Dudley and Aaron meet Teddy!