Before Harry knew it, he, Vernon, and Petunia piled into the car and headed for Smeltings. Harry tugged at his buttoned collar and scratched at his new pants. He'd never before had clothes which fit him so well, but Petunia had gone out shopping for him one afternoon while he stayed at home, returning with a collection of outfits so he would have something nice to wear to the interview.

Harry looked at himself in the rear view mirror and tried his best to flatten his hair. He pushed his round glasses up his nose and looked out the window, trying to spot where his escort was following. He'd had no communication with the wizarding world other than the morning paper which Hedwig brought to him. He was front page news yesterday morning, and sure enough the article was written by Rita Skeeter, so it went deep into detail of just how Harry felt as he kissed his male classmate, and that the toxin which made him incapable of resisting men had sent him to St. Mungo's where he was kept under heavy female security.

Dumbledore even commented, "We hope to have him back at Hogwarts soon – the staff at St. Mungo's are doing a wonderful job treating him and we wish him the best of luck in his recovery. As for the rumor of this being an attack on Hogwarts like the incident with Katie Bell last month, this was simply an unfortunate accident that has been corrected, and all the students are safe."

They got to Dudley's school. It was large, surrounded by acres of patchy snow-covered lawn. Large trees lined the drive, and there was valet at the front doors. Vernon tossed the keys over the hood to the driver, and Harry stepped out and looked up at the ornate building. He then looked all around him, but still he didn't see his escort. He followed behind Vernon and Petunia and they went in and stood waiting in the hall.

A door opened and out came an older man dressed in the Smeltings uniform and a scarf.

"Vernon!" He greeted warmly, shaking Harry's uncle's hand and kissing Petunia on her cheek. Then he faced Harry and looked him over with a keen eye and a smile. "Well, Harry? I'm Headmaster Clarkson. Nice to meet you. You're cousin has made quite the – impression on Smeltings. Let's see if you'll get the chance to do the same."

Harry held out his hand and they shook. "Nice to meet you, too."

Vernon touched the tip of his nose and they followed Headmaster Clarkson to his office. Tea was offered and accepted by all, and Harry was reminded by every inch of this pristine office of how Muggle-ish this man was. He and Uncle Vernon talked golf and cars for some time, catching up and even making a date to go out when the snow cleared. At last things seemed to get down to business, because Clarkson steepled his fingers and looked sullenly at Harry.

"So…Mr. Potter…I have your records here from Stonewall High…"

This was news to Harry. He looked at Vernon and Petunia, and they also looked just as surprised.

"You have very good marks, and they speak highly of you…it all seems to be in order…but I wonder – why you didn't apply for Smeltings with your cousin?"

Harry glanced at Vernon, then said, "Well…my friends were all going to Stonewall."

"Ah!" He shuffled about in the file he was holding, and Harry looked sideways at his aunt and uncle.

Petunia cleared her throat.

"Yes?"

"Does it say – why he left, erm, Stonewall?"

Headmaster Clarkson folded the file up and put it down. "Yes, I'm afraid…" he looked quickly through the documents and pulled out a single sheet. "…an assault?"

Petunia used her long neck to the best of its ability to peer over the document, so Clarkson just handed it over to her. She scanned it and passed it back.

"Yes, that's right. Yes…" she confirmed.

Harry looked between them, and Clarkson seemed suddenly extremely compassionate. "We've never had an incident like the one described in your records, Harry. I'm very sorry to hear it happened to you."

Harry looked at Petunia, but she was looking at Vernon – who was looking angrily at the desk.

"So," Vernon said, sounding loud in the quiet room. "You can see we couldn't keep him at Stonewall! That place was a disaster of a situation all around. He's a good kid. Pays attention. Obeys the rules. Captain of some team or other."

Harry glanced at Vernon, rather shocked that all the compliments stuffed into this conversation were more than he ever got in ten years. Headmaster Clarkson pursed his lips and wobbled in his chair, examining Harry closely.

"What do you think, Harry? Do you like the campus? Do you think you would fit in here?"

Harry nodded hesitantly, wondering if this whole mess was really happening.

"Yes, I guess," he said.

"You guess? This is your future, Harry. Do you really only guess?"

Vernon cleared his throat and Harry looked at him. He suddenly felt like letting Uncle Vernon down now would be the end of any hope he had left in the world. He looked back at Clarkson and sat up taller in his chair.

"I mean I'm sure of it. What happened to me was…you know…but coming here is a chance to turn things around. I can't go back there – to Stonewall – and all those people. I'm not…used to most of this, but I like it. I think this is a great school. And I think coming here is the only thing that will help me get over – what happened."

Clarkson nodded agreeably. "We do have one of the best children's therapists in the city…"

Harry and the Dursley's glanced around at each other, because it was slowly sounding like Harry made it into the school.

"You would have to see her every day for the first month, Harry. Something like what you went through cannot be talked through enough." Harry nodded in agreement. "Well, Vernon, I would be happy to take Harry in under the Smeltings wing. Congratulations!"

Vernon smiled and reached forward, shaking his hand vigorously. "Thank you, Doug! This means a lot to the family."

Clarkson looked Harry over once again. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter. I'd like you to start on Monday, if that's at all possible, so that we can get you started in the therapy. We board our students here for the week, but you have the weekends to yourself. Is it possible for you to have the Smeltings essentials and be back here with your cousin Sunday evening at the latest?"

"It is," Petunia said, grinning.

Harry never knew before, but it was rather heartening to have his aunt coo over him.

"So…" Harry said, but didn't know quite what to say.

"So, this means you're a Smelting!" Clarkson said gleefully, standing and shaking all their hands again. "The paperwork will be all set up, and the teachers will be expecting you in class on Monday. And I'll personally see to it that you have one-on-one meetings scheduled with our councilor. Smeltings might be the perfect fit for you, son."

Harry summoned up a smile and walked out with his aunt and uncle, feeling rather uncomfortable with the whole thing; it was all so very convenient and set-up.

The halls to the school that were once empty were now bustling with kids walking around with large bags. They walked towards the front exit zigzagging through the crowd of boys, and then they all heard Dudley's voice over the crowd. "Mom! Dad!"

He walked over grinning, but his smile faded when he saw Harry. "What's he doing here?"

"He'll start at Smeltings on Monday, boy," Vernon said, not exactly sounding like a doting father.

Dudley's jaw dropped to the point that he couldn't use it to help him form words. A few strange sounds came out of him, but they were inaudible. He followed next to Harry as they went outside. Their car was waiting for them in front of the building and they piled in. Dudley had a million questions but they all appeared to be vying for priority, leaving him with a puckered expression, so Vernon took the brunt of explaining in a round-about way to Dudley that Harry left Hogwarts because it was a horrible place, and now he was let into Smeltings.

"But they don't let just anyone in! They've never let someone in past registration!"

"Don't you see?" Harry said, sounding like it was obvious.

"See what?" Dudley asked.

"They helped make this happen. Dumbledore, magic, them. Headmaster Clarkson had a file from Stonewall High; how do you think he got that if it wasn't by magic? Unless one of you did that…"

"You're driving rather fast, dear," Petunia said to Vernon, and he let off the peddle he'd been pressing as he listened to Harry.

Harry sighed and slumped next to the window. "They had something to do with this…probably so I'd get therapy. They knew I didn't want to go back, so they're setting up a safe environment."

"Why do you need a safe environment? I thought you loved it there. Did something bad happen?" Dudley said shyly.

Harry said, "I did like it there…but, yeah, something happened…" He glanced over at Dudley and then stared silently out the window, unable to take in the look of concern from his cousin.

"Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What happened to Harry? He looks…different."

Petunia looked behind herself and Harry met her blue eyes with his green; she looked sad. "Don't ask questions, dear." That was probably the first time she ever said that to Dudley.

They drove in silence, but Harry could feel Dudley's eyes on him the whole time. He finally looked over and Dudley started.

"Go ahead and ask." Harry said at last too tired to keep avoiding him.

Dudley swallowed hard. "Who did it?"

Harry started, because he never imagined Dudley would have guessed what happened to him.

"I never saw his face, so I don't know."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Harry went back to staring out the window.