Here is the next chapter. Please note that in this chapter I wanted the Dursleys as a whole to learn why they had been wrong and to improve because they know it's the right thing to do and not because anyone tells them they should. I wanted it to come from the heart. Hopefully I was able to portray what I intended to well enough. Please read and review it and we'll see where it goes. Love Moon xxx

Vernon was having to face some serious home truths he wasn't happy about. He was jealous of Harry so much because he soaked up everything he ever said like an interested sponge and Dudley didn't give a damn. It sucked to know that your own son didn't care a toss about anything you should tell him no matter how intelligent it was. Dudley of course had realised after his tenth tantrum had gone ignored that things had changed. He didn't understand why though as he wasn't yet smart enough to get it. He'd been to school to see that psychologist who had said he had defiance disorder meaning that he would always want to defy authority and authority figures if it got him attention. He didn't seem to realise that not all attention was good attention yet. They had been told he would learn this with age as he grew up. He was still quite young yet.

Vernon fondly remembered his friend John who he'd arranged to meet for lunch today. He had called him yesterday to arrange it. He needed to have an uncomfortable conversation with him he just hoped John would be receptive. He entered the restaurant and smiled as the man got up to greet him.

"Vernon old boy! It's been ages! You know you're my best friend but we really need to make more time to see each other. We shouldn't let it go for months again. How is the drill business?" said John smiling at him.

"John it's good to see you and you're right of course. We'll definitely meet up more often in the future I can assure you of that. The drill business is great. I was promoted last week so all is well. How is the insurance business?" he replied.

"Oh well you know same old, same old. I was promoted a few months back myself and to be honest it felt great. I'd imagine you'd know all about that feeling now though. What did you want to talk to me about today you seemed rather urgent on the phone?" he asked in concern as the waitress came over and took their order. Vernon had ordered a light pasta dish as he wasn't in the mood for something heavy right now.

"John I need to ask you a sensitive question but what was your childhood like before Smeltings when I knew you?" he asked as John's face paled considerably. Now Vernon was worried as he'd not expected this reaction from John.

"We're best friends Vernon and I know you wouldn't ask without just cause to do so. If you must know my childhood was exceptionally tough as my mother was a raging alcoholic and my father was so stressed about her that he often forgot about me. I'm not saying he meant to forget about me of course but it did make my behaviour bad. I mean I always threw tantrums. Anything to get some attention eh? I never cared if it was good or bad attention so long as he paid me attention. I was stunned when he sent me to Smeltings. I am assuming he did so because he couldn't bear to look at me when he knew he'd neglected me for so long!" he responded as Vernon sighed deeply. I mean he wasn't an alcoholic but he did have times once every few months where he drank so much he would buy unnecessary things. Before Harry had gone to the attic he'd always done the gardening but after that Petunia had insisted on doing it herself saying she couldn't trust him to do it to her exacting standards. Vernon was highly concerned as they'd never neglected Dudley once. He was loved so much and he was awful yet Harry whom they'd actually neglected was the better boy. He felt bile rise in his throat as that thought occurred to him suddenly. It was never too late to rectify things and he promised himself he'd make it right later on.

"I'm so sorry to hear that John. I asked because Dudley has always thrown tantrums and he didn't grow up like you. We didn't understand it. As you know my nephew lives with us and he is everything I wish Dudley could be. I am thinking to send him to Smeltings next year Dudley that is but how did you cope there yourself? If I remember it was very tough for you. I'm scared for him John!" he said with a huge sigh.

"Well our Damian will be going there too Vernon so he won't be alone. As for me I found it very tough but not for the reason you are thinking of I am sure. I found it so tough there my first year because I always got all the attention I needed without having to throw a tantrum or act out for it. I did a few times at the start as you no doubt saw but when I realised I would never need to have another tantrum to get attention it broke me and I essentially broke down with relief! For once someone truly saw me for all that I could be which is priceless as you know" said John as their meals arrived. Vernon was stunned to hear that as he had always assumed it was for other reasons.

"But John I love my son so much and he never gets ignored or neglected by us. Why then do you suppose he throws so many tantrums? I mean finding out my nephew is much smarter in every way then my own flesh and blood son has been very hard to take. I am sorry to say that my nephew Harry is everything I wish my own son could have been and I am afraid I am starting to resent Dudley a bit for it. He cares nothing for education or being a good person like I did in my youth. I actually wanted to succeed. He doesn't. He just wants everything handed to him. Hell I know most kids these days do but he truly cares for nothing John!" he said taking a large swig of his wine. John had listened to him intently and felt sorry for Vernon.

"Vernon Damian is the same way himself. I mean Damian cares for his studies of course but he does also expect everything to be simply handed to him. In the seventies things were different and we know that. We had to work for everything we ever did. Smeltings helped me to see I didn't need those tantrums and I am sure it will help your son in the same way. As for your feelings about Dudley they are natural and I don't think a parent anywhere could say they hadn't wished their child was like someone else at times. I mean take our Damian for example. He wasn't always into his education or good grades but once we explained many different ways to him over a short period of time why they mattered and made sure he understood us his grades did improve. He used to get D's and now he gets B's" he said as Vernon felt less like the worst parent in the world. That didn't count for Uncle though as he'd been a shit uncle and he knew it. Hearing of John's childhood had been enough to highlight that for him. He'd been so deathly afraid of magic over the awful things James Potter had repeatedly done to him that he'd neglected his own nephew severely becoming the one thing he hated a bully.

He would never be able to just love Harry like that as that would be disingenuous but they could start someone civil and go from there. He saw his son for the first time the other day for what he really was and he was sick to his stomach thinking about it. He'd been good in his youth not the mess of a son he had. There was no honour in behaviour like that. They spent ages catching up and before they knew it two whole hours had passed. They arranged to meet up again in a few days and Vernon headed home feeling much better than he had felt. Talking to ones best friend about ones feelings was always cathartic.

When he arrived home he called Dudley into the kitchen for a chat intending to make him see sense even if he'd need to lie to do it. "Come in son and sit down. You know I love you don't you?" he asked as Dudley looked confused and very angry indeed.

"It doesn't feel like it. I've had no new toys or anything for two bloody weeks. How can you love someone and not get them new things anytime they want them!? Some dad you are!" he said sounding exceptionally stroppy. Vernon recoiled seeing what he had done wrong even plainer then he had earlier on. Hopefully it wasn't too late. He'd overindulged and spoiled Dudley and now he was suffering the results of those actions.

"Well either way I do. When we grow up we must earn new things. If you want new toys you must get good grades and tidy up your room properly. Harry is not responsible for your room so don't even go there mate. Do you even know all the toys you have right now? How many are still working?" he asked seriously as Dudley sighed and rolled his eyes to heaven.

"I dunno dad maybe a few still work. They're not your toys why do you even care about them at all? Why are you still going on about school? It's the summer time and no more hellish classes for me. I hate school dad! They expect you to remember stuff and actually write it down later on! Who in their right mind does that? That's just not fair!" he moaned sounding highly bored as Vernon decided he needed to act now. He walked over to the filing cabinet they kept in the corner of their kitchen and yanked it open. Dudley was confused. Vernon walked over to the wall still looking at Dudley and pointed at the light switch.

"What is this Dudley and what does it do?" he asked as Dudley looked highly confused now.

"Why are you asking me that? You're so damn weird today. It's a light switch obviously and turns on the lights!" he answered as Vernon nodded. Now he knew he'd need to lie here to get Dudley to toe the line and had no choice.

"Yes it gives us power. Power which keeps your computer and indeed Play Station running. Without power they won't work. If I don't use my money from work to pay the electric company which gives us that power none of us can watch T.V or anything we like to do. The electric company have decided to punish me because I didn't make my last payment on time and so they have cut power to one room in the house yours. I am sorry but your computer and play station will no longer work!" he said as Dudley gasped screaming no as he ran to his room. When he was running there Vernon switched off the power to his room on the circuit board for their house. He'd needed to lie to teach Dudley a lesson. That power would remain off for the summer holidays. He'd even say because Dudley had gotten bad grades they were being punished. Dudley was stupid and highly naïve so he believed everything he was being told. It did make him study though. He hated it and threw many more tantrums but as he was ignored he made himself continue hoping to be noticed at some point in a good way. He hated it so much but if it did get him any new toys he wanted whenever he asked for them he'd do anything.

Harry however was the most stunned. Vernon and Petunia had admitted they'd been wrong and could see that now. They'd not be able to love him right now as that would be unrealistic but they would indeed be civil and or friendly to him. He could even eat family meals with them now. It was a change he'd not been expecting. They had told him they'd been wrong and that was the end of it. They'd said he didn't need to hear much more on the matter and considered it closed themselves. They had said they'd never be able to give him back the earlier years but being friendly now was a step in the right direction. They had told him they realised he was not his father and were sorry they were always so scared or terrified of him and magic in general. He was happy in a way that they were being sensible about it all at least. It did mean he could start Hogwarts without anything from home hanging over him.

"Harry come here please there is something I seriously need to do!" Petunia said as he looked at her awkwardly and stepped forward. She grabbed his face and stared into his eyes for a moment before squeezing him in a tight hug and breaking down in sobs over the loss of her sister. It was like it was finally hitting her now even if it was eleven years late.

"I am so sorry Harry. Your dad was so awful and he tormented people so much that I grew to resent everything magical. I could never be a part of that world something I have regretted my whole life. He made fun of me for wanting to be a witch continuously something which I never told Lily but something which hurt me more than that rejected letter from Mr Dumbledore. I can be a part of that world now through you. I want you to promise me to do well at school and write to me about your experiences there. I know I don't deserve it and I was an awful human being but I really am sorry!" she said still sobbing violently in between words. Harry was totally floored. If he'd expected anything from his aunt it wouldn't have been this.

"Thank you for apologising to me and telling me about my father. That's not an easy thing to hear and I am sorry he did that to you. That wasn't fair. I will promise to write to you every month ok? As for magic I have if you like some medical potions which could heal broken bones quickly and aid you if you have a tummy bug very quickly. I got them in Diagon Alley as you never know when you may need something like that and Vernon taught me always be prepared for anything. Would you like one or two bottles to keep here?" he asked as she smiled at him. Even now he was still so thoughtful and mindful of others. When Dudley had been born he was a menace. He'd suffered with severe colic and given his parents hell for the first year of his life. Top that off with Petunia suffering from extreme post-natal depression for a few months of that year and you can see why she did all she could to simply give Dudley anything he asked for. She had never been prouder of her nephew and disgusted with herself and her own son. It was like something in her brain had snapped and she got this resolve from somewhere she'd never known it existed. If Dudley didn't do as he was told now there would be consequences.

"Dudley come here please! From now on there will be a chores list for all of us. You must clean your bedroom and the upstairs bathroom. I will clean the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom myself. Your father will clean the garage and the shed and Harry will be cleaning his own room and the living room. We need to make things equal for all in this house and that starts immediately. When you boys are home for the summer you will each be given chores and must do them. Also Vernon dear we'll be taking the junk from the attic we do not need and selling it!" she ordered so firmly he couldn't even argue with her. He did hate it but even he could see it did need to happen. Dudley had protested greatly throwing himself on the floor and went without his dinner or desert that night. He would learn eventually. They'd been so bitter and frightened of what James had done before that they'd missed and neglected Harry in the process.

He was so studious himself that he had read two of his six course books already. He had the rest of the summer to read the remaining four books. He absolutely detested quills though and decided to ask his uncle about it. He figured as they were now being friendly it wouldn't be a problem.

"What is it Harry?" he asked as Harry approached him.

"Well uncle I will have no choice but to use a quill and parchment when I go to school in September but it's so hard for me. I detest the quill with every fibre of my being. It's so messy and makes my work a mess. Can you think of anything else I could use? I really do need the help" he asked as Vernon requested to see the quill and parchment for himself. Vernon was stunned at how archaic it all was. In fact he laughed about it like Harry had done in the bank. He attempted to use the quill himself cursing at how awful it had made his writing and saw how right Harry was.

"Yes it's a mess and I can see that. I mean look at my hands and everything. Were someone to read that now they'd assume my writing is awful which it most certainly is not. I do have something you can use actually. I got it for Dudley today to force his writing to become better but I can get another one for him tomorrow. I thought if he made a mess of himself a few times while writing he would learn that neat writing equals no mess. Here it's a feather fountain pen which you dip into ink to use. I got it at our local arts and crafts store! You see it's much like your quills and works the same way except it has a metal fountain pet head and makes writing with it neatly such a joy" he said as Harry looked at the teal fountain pen tipped feather in awe. He dipped the tip of the fountain pen nib into the ink stunned as he was able to write oh so neatly with it. In fact it had managed to make his really not bad writing even better and what's more no one would notice it at school as it so closely resembled a traditional quill.

"Thank you so much uncle Vernon! My writing was never bad to begin with but this thing has made it so much better wow! To be honest I really didn't think you'd be able to help me much at all. Thanks again" he said with a huge smile which in turn served to make Vernon smile. He was a good boy really even if he did still detest the father. And as he thought the son is not the father he learned that Dudley would need to become his own individual as he grew up too. That didn't mean of course they would no longer punish him when he did something wrong. He'd still get punished but he really did need to grow up in his own way with his own interests.

"You are quite welcome Harry now off you go to bed. I've got things to be getting on with tonight!" he said picking up his keys to go and buy Dudley a new feather pen for tomorrow. The next day Harry himself went to that store and picked up one in every colour they had and brought it home again. No one had noticed his lack of glasses since however the magic used in that potion meant that no one would notice it either. It was supposed to be that way. Things were slowly but surely getting better for Harry and the Dursleys. It would seem with time to reflect by the end of the summer Dudley had no more tantrums. He did however now enjoy reading even if his choice of books was not to the same standard as Harry. All in all it had been a great summer in which Harry had finished reading all of his text books for school and gotten closer with his family who now included him in many more things. He'd even become friendlier with Dudley who had said sorry to him. It was a start. He was off to school tomorrow and very excited indeed about it.