For all it was impressive, Dudley had somehow thought the scarlet train would be bigger somehow. It had always seemed that way in his head. But now, seeing it with his own eyes, it sat as if on display at a museum. It didn't seem quite real and fitting to what today and it stood for. It stood for magic and learning and leaving the safety of the known. To meet more kids his age, possible friends, classmates, and roommates.

He clutched onto the trolley tighter, fingers slick with fear as he stared at the scarlet school train.

The houses. Harry and he had only a what, 2 out of 5 chance of being placed in the same house as roommates together. It was less than 50-50, Dudley knew that at least. Adding in the chances of the house possibilities of another boy only flustered him more. He dragged his feet, wiping off his left hand on his pants and fisting the fabric. And even then, they wouldn't be alone. What if the new roommates didn't like him? Realized he didn't fit in?

"You will not," Aunt Lily's decisive voice cut through his panic. The blond jerked his head over to see what set his aunt off. Given that James looked like a child caught at trying to sneak a sweet and Harry's wide eyed face pleading innocence, it didn't take much to figure what happened. "Do you hear me Harry?"

"Yes." Harry dragged the word out and then rolled his eyes. "I know when not to take Dad seriously Mum."

Uncle James looked betrayed, spinning around to stare at his son. Harry stared back. "I'm not arguing with her," he stated incredulously. "Mum's scarier than you are."

"B-b-but I'm the auror of the family," James sputtered out. Lily tilted her head up with a smug smile. Harry just stared at his dad. Uncle James shrugged, shooting a grin over to his wife. "It was worth trying."

"You will be treating all your professors with respect. Both of you. Dudley?" Aunt Lily's own green eyes beseeched him and he shifted awkwardly. He remembered all too well of her commenting on how he helped hold Harry back. And how she mentioned they should keep an eye out for each other at Hogwarts. She'd been looking at Dudley when she said that. Aunt Lily had that same look in her eye as then.

"Do all the houses share classes?"

The blond caught the realization flash across his aunt's face. "Sometimes."

"Thank Merlin they don't." At his wife's accusing glare, James backpedaled. "What? Can you imagine what it would have been like if Sirius had to share classes with his mum's favorite house all the time as a kid? Everyone in Slytherin was jumping to join the power on the opposite side of the war going on then."

"Or forced into it."

"Which likely wouldn't have been great for Sirius," James commented darkly. "The few shared classes wreaked havoc on him enough. Not to mention what Bella started up our first year to have the rest target him, then cornering hi—sorry. Sorry."

Uncle James rubbed at his temple, upset. Wide eyed, Dudley and his cousin stared up at the man. They shared understanding looks with each other though. It happened enough times in the past that they knew it was something bothering him from work. His uncle had been looking strained the past few days.

The man usually went out of his way to keep all his paperwork away from the cottage, steering them away whenever someone wanted to talk work with him, and insisting they enjoy being a kid and not worry about things like that. The worse ones Dudley would see the older man go through and stress over always led back to cases handled over the wizard war that ended a few years back. When Dudley and Harry were being potty trained. In a few months it would be ten years since the war ended.

"It's okay Dad. It's not like that now. Besides, Mum had a friend who was a Slytherin when she was in school," Harry added brightly. Dudley nodded slowly, mulling it over. Aunt Lily had been Gryffindor after all. And she had made it work. Harry and he would still be at the same school. It wouldn't be like Dudley would be completely alone even if they were in different houses.

"Your soon to be professor," Aunt Lily stated firmly as she rubbed Uncle James's back. "He's had enough troubles in life and I'll not take it well if I hear you've done so."

Dudley winced at that note.

He'd known even though his uncle didn't talk about the more serious fights at school, he had picked up enough to realize it'd been bad between the Gryffindors and Slytherins during the 70's and that war. How Uncle James spoke about the hated Malfoy family was sign enough. This sounded as though there was nothing spared for even Aunt Lily's childhood friend. But Albus hired the man as a professor, which meant his uncle had been wrong about this Slytherin in particular.

The blond looked to his cousin. Even Harry couldn't miss that connection. Sure enough, green eyes went wide. "Oh."

"If he causes any trouble for you because of what happened when he and I were kids, talk to Albus or tell me," Uncle James instructed them. His voice didn't allow for any question. Them emphasized, "Better yet, your mum."

"Yeah, yeah. We will," Harry answered distractedly. He nudged Dudley, grinning as he pointed across the station. "Vulture at 11 o'clock."

The blond spun his head, searching wildly for a moment and then grinned himself at the sight of Augusta striding purposely through the crowd. Two aurors hurried to follow her. The woman raised her chin in acknowledgment when their eyes met and Dudley nodded back. Then his blue eyes sought out another beside her. Sure enough, in a gap in the crowd, he spotted Neville huffing as he tried keeping up with his grandmother's pace. The round faced boy stumbled a little as he spotted them. Neville hastened his pace, eyes brighter.

"Hello Augusta," Aunt Lily greeted the older woman warmly. "Sorry it didn't work out for the boys to visit each other this summer."

Augusta's gaze traveled from his uncle to his cousin. "Understandable," she drawled. Then her sight fell onto Dudley. "Dudley."

"Augusta."

"A congratulations are in order young man. Hogwarts is earning a good one with you this year." Dudley spotted Neville shuffling uncomfortably besides his grandmother. He offered a shrug to the other boy. "A very good one. Whatever house you are sorted in will be all the better for it. I can only hope the same for Neville. Do be careful with Frank's wand."

Neville jolted and slid the wand back away. Dudley bit his lip. He always got so meek around his commandeering grandmother. The older woman often spoke of her son, almost sounding disappointed in not seeing Neville doing something his father would have done, like she was looking for a piece of Frank in Neville. Dudley thought although Neville's parents didn't have the stories he had of his, that not living up to the image of your parents was fine. He'd told Neville as much. Harry would always agree loudly and then try to talk both of them into doing something interesting.

"It is unusual to show signs of accidental magic so late," Augusta continued on. "Neville here was a late bloomer. Perhaps not as late, but I find myself glad you will be attending school with my grandson. Both you and Harry. Why don't you three find yourselves a compartment together?"

Her eyes switched attention to Aunt Lily, moving on without listening for an answer. It hadn't been a suggestion. Harry's eyes lit up and he rushed away, looking back the whole time with an excited grin as he called back at Dudley and Neville.

"Somehow, I don't think we're going to lose track of him today," Dudley commented. Neville huffed in amusement. "Your summer went okay stuck with your grandmother? Do you really have you're dad's old wand?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders, then nodded as he stopped to pull the wand back out to show Dudley. The wand looked to be in better condition than expected, polished to a shine. It wasn't new, not with the slight indents along where a person would grip it for spellwork, putting Neville's hand to the larger one of his father's hand. It didn't fit right in the other boy's hand. Dudley frowned.

"She does know you're not him. Didn't you say anything?"

Neville's face puckered, grip tightening on the wand which set off a faint pinprick of light at the action. The round face went slack in surprise and Neville hastened to put the wand back, turning back with an apologetic look to Dudley.

"Come on Dudley! Hurry up! The last compartment's open, come on!"

Dudley quickly grabbed the cage from his trolley before his cousin did. Apparently, Harry had already gotten his luggage up somehow and decided to help them. Green eyes rolled at the blond, but quickly turned mischievous as he grabbed Neville's trolley instead. With a squawk, Neville tried to grab his toad before it went flying off, but Harry cracked into laughter as he dodged and made it away.

Aghast, he and Neville shared horrified looks with each other after seeing where Trevor the toad landed. The red headed boy was shrieking and his mother was verbally berating another red headed boy who appeared older, and very much amused at what just happened to his younger brother. Then another one, who was identically to the one being berated, strode over and plucked Trevor up. Harry bounced up beside them, accepting the toad into his hands.

"Thanks," he chirruped. "Sorry. He just hopped right off!"

Dudley stared.

"We're going to finish helping," started one of the twins. Both began slinking backward with their hands on Harry's shoulders, smiles not dimming at the look their mother was giving them.

"Getting all his luggage onto the train."

And before the blond knew it, the twins were rolling his trolley off and away. Grinning broadly, Harry handed Trevor over to Neville. Well, this answered how his cousin got his own luggage on so quickly. Harry certainly had a knack Dudley didn't have with other kids. His cousin would be fine at Hogwarts. Mostly anyway.

"Hopped? Really Harry?"

Perking up, Harry was all teeth and full of glee. "Serious as Sirius!"

"Who isn't at all," Dudley pointed out. Neville nodded fiercely beside him in agreement.

"I know! I can't wait to get there!"

"Can't wait to see where the likes of you get sorted," spoke up one of the twins.

The other one came up behind the first. "Oye, the little firstie is nearly as loud as us. Very bold. Gryffindor."

"Have fun wrestling the troll at the sorting," the first one chimed in.

Neville whimpered from beside Dudley. "They're joking," the blond told him. "It's a XXXX creature. No adult would have us fight a creature that you have to be trained to handle."

The red headed twins pouted in disappointment as Neville sighed in relief.

"No fun."

"Smarter than ickle Ronniekins."

"Ravenclaw," they said at once. The pair gave a salute, quickly returning back to their family. "See you Harry!"

Harry turned back to Dudley with a wide smile. "That's Fred and George Weasley. And yes, their dad is Arthur that Sirius works with at the Ministry for that secret side project." Dark eyebrows wiggled. "Think they know anything about it?"

Wide eyed, Neville shook his head and looked to Dudley. The blond boy only sighed, staring at the scarlet train again.

"What's wrong Dud? Come on, today's the day we get to go to Hogwarts!"

The blond bit at his lip, then carefully said, "Aunt Lily said houses sometimes share classes."

"So," Harry shot in. Obstinate, he declared, "We're going to be in the same house. We're family. Probably Gryffindor like Mum and Dad were. And Albus. Sirius, Remus, and Peter too."

His cousin's confidence wasn't really catching and he didn't have the heart to try to get a real answer out of Harry. Dudley went back to stare at the train. Things would get set in motion once they got aboard. Not just because the train was moving, but it was the start of so much new things and change. Changes he expected, which made him somewhat nervous. And changes he couldn't predict, which had his nerves frayed.

"Try to do me proud Neville."

Yelping in surprise, all three boys spun to see Augusta there. Lily and James stood just behind the formidable woman. Gulping at air, Neville nodded breathlessly.

"Good. Get on the train. Quickly, before it leaves without you."

With a jaunty wave back, Harry made to follow. Dudley managed to snag his cousin before he disappeared inside the compartment after Neville though. The cage in his other hand bounced against the back of his left leg with a thunk. Ignoring that, the blond yanked Harry and then shoved him toward his parents. "Don't make your mum cry more with forgetting to say goodbye," he admonished his cousin.

Harry dropped his head. "Sorry." But black hair was quick to fly back up as his cousin bounded forward to give a hug. "Bye Mum! I promise I'll behave around the professors."

Aunt Lily laughed a little at that. "Classmates too?"

Harry pulled back so he could peer up at her with a disbelieving look. "You know that includes Dudley. Neville too. I've never promised that in all my years of school. I'm not starting now. Eleven is much too young," he declared. "I'm still a kid. Even younger than those two. That's why Dudley promises you that."

Dudley jabbed Harry in the back, blue eyes narrow. "You could at least try."

His cousin only shrugged and grinned impishly at him. Uncle James chuckled and ruffled up Harry's hair into a bigger mess. Harry whined loudly, dancing out of his mother's hold to escape from his dad. "Come here Dudley," Aunt Lily said with a smile. It didn't take much prodding for Dudley. The boy burrowed himself into his aunt's hug, eyes squeezed shut. She pulled him closer and leaned down to whisper. "You'll be fine. No matter what house you'll be put in. Or Harry. You two will still be cousins and you won't always be in class. And no matter what house you join, I'll still be proud of you. If there is ever a problem, you know James and I are only an owl away. Albus will be even closer. But still write. I have a feeling Harry will be too excited to write me much. You try not to worry so much Dudley."

He nodded his head against her. Seeing Aunt Lily worried wasn't something he liked. Dudley knew he would worry anyway, but he could try.

Green eyes peered brightly at him. They were already a bit wet. "Winter will be here before you know it. You should hurry up and get on the train. It's getting close to 11 o'clock."

"Bye Aunt Lily," he said softly. With a final squeeze, Dudley let her go and turned to leave. He realized the whistle was going off and startled by not hearing it before. A different set of green eyes went bright at the sight of him, Harry having waited to drag Dudley on board himself. Suddenly, he was up and in and staring down out the window. Blue eyes watched until the sight of hands waving disappeared as the train went around a bend.

He was on his way to Hogwarts. After everything, he was on his way.

The blond pinched himself.

Harry cracked up into laughter as he fell into the seat beside him. "Pretty sure it's real!" He gave Dudley another pinch, a hard one on his side. Shouting, Dudley shoved his cousin away, who laughed again and bounced on his bottom. Carefully, he took the cage and placed it up, feeling a bit sorry for jolting the owl.

The blond caught sight of Neville inching slowly away. Before the other boy could sit on the opposite seat, Harry reached out and yanked Neville onto their seat. His tongue flew out at Dudley, who scowled. "Me and you and Neville! All together, right? It's going to be great without Mum or your gr—Ow!"

Finally reaching around Neville between them, Dudley had bopped his cousin over the head. It was blindingly obvious Harry had eavesdropped while waiting for him.

"You're only giving me more to worry about when you do that."

Harry gave a lopsided smile. "No one's yelling at me acting like this. Relax, Dud, I'm not getting in trouble." That was debatable. "Besides, I got your mind off the houses. There's no way we're not going to be in the same house. I'm sure of it. Just as sure as you coming to Hogwarts with me. And Neville. Think of all the fun we'll have!"

Neville turned where he sat, face pale and eyes wide. Dudley patted the boy's knee reassuringly. There it was. Somehow, Harry's confidence made this all very real in a way a pinch never could. They were definitely on their way to Hogwarts.

Author's Note: Apologies. I've been busy the past few Sundays. I had time today. So far, the 'What If' story is continuing. Whether that is good or bad, I have no inkling of an idea. I plan on writing small chunks on Sunday as long as it drives me to do so. I've been having fun reading a Harry visiting an AU where his parents are still alive. No Dudley, sad, but I'm a bit biased because of this story. Their James is far less fun. Very much serious dad. I think I like my grown and still very much flawed James. That man totally would tell Harry to say hello to the professors by way of a tiny, little prank. The current guesses on Harry stand at 1 for Gryffindor and 1 for Hufflepuff. Dudley has 2 for Hufflepuff. The Weasley twins took their vote as well for this chapter. Thank you to the favorites and follows and to the reviewers Alicia Olivia Mirza and duj(x4).