Chapter 6: Back at the Dursley's

Harry woke up in an awkwardly good mood. It had been over six months since he'd left the school. His scar didn't hurt and he wondered whether Voldemort believed him dead. This gave him a great concern. What if Voldemort tried to be sure Harry was dead by checking the scar. Harry thought about the occlumency classes Dumbledore had mentioned just before he left. He supposed he would just have to work extra hard to keep his mind clear. He planned on training later.

Harry got out of bed and went to his new dresser and pulled out a pair of black sleek pants and a white top. He grabbed a black tie and went down the stairs to grab some breakfast.

"Morning Simon" uncle Vernon was always the first to wish him a good morning now.

Seemed only like yesterday, they had been throwing him under the cupboard and yelling at him to stay hidden. He remembered eating scraps and now he was sitting at the table with the family and they were all seemingly happy and eating. Dudley of course was eating the most, but today Harry thought he noticed a glare from Dudley but when he looked up, Dudley was still munching on toast.

He supposed it would be hard for Dudley to cope with this new attention loss. Mummy was always fixing Simons hair now and Daddy was always taking Simon to work. Then they'd be gone for hours and when they'd come back, they'd be laughing about something Simon had said at that day. Harry had a job as an apprentice for Vernon's office now, and Dudley was still hanging out with his friends by the park. Torturing some 10 years old Harry supposed. He had thought about following Dudley to try and keep him out of trouble but that's what Harry would do. Simon was a good boy. Nice and normal. A muggle to be proud of.

"Simon, I've been talking to the Mason's and they said they've enjoyed your company so much that they'd like to bring you up farther into the business. What do you say?" Uncle Vernon said proudly.

"Sounds great! What is it I will be doing exactly?" Harry said still grabbing at a few boiled eggs. "You will be my assistant, or more closely a prodigy of mine. You will be in my office, with your own desk of course and twice the pay! You'll even get your own parking spot, right by mine!"

This statement confused Harry as he would love to make more but what would the point be of a parking spot when he always rode with uncle Vernon.

"I know that look my boy, but don't worry. We've taken care of that problem right enough! You'll see when we head outside." Uncle Vernon has never seemed prouder and Dudley never more jealous.

After breakfast they went outside and Harry saw it. An almost new car just for him. Uncle Vernon had already set it up so that he could get his license within the week. He would just have to pass the tests. Harry was making enough money to pay for the insurance on it and soon he would find himself an apartment.

Until then he would enjoy this time away from it all. Eventually, of course, he would have to think about Lord Voldemort and he would spring the attack on him. Although Harry had no wand, Harry had kept a few books secret from Hermione about wands. The main purpose of a wand was to control a wizard's power while they are young because they don't know how to control themselves. Emotions drive a young wizards magic and before you know it, they'd be blowing themselves up accidentally.

So, wands were created with a divine gift to control and to improve wizard magic in order for a wizard to cast spells on others and not themselves. Harry lately had come to find that he could control his mind and make it clear and not only did that keep the dark lord at bay, but it also taught him how to focus. He had a theory that maybe wizards kept their wands after graduation because they had always used them. But perhaps with enough practice he may not need it in the end. Without needing a wand he could attack the dark lord and Voldemort would never suspect it.

Harry also knew that he couldn't do any magic for another two months for his birthday or else the whole ministry would know he were alive. Underage magic indeed. In the meantime, Harry would make a living and enjoy the life he was taken from. He had been keeping an eye on the papers as of late. Making sure the dark lord didn't harm too many families while he was away. But he supposed that without a wizard newspaper there would be no way to know for sure. It has been months since he had faked his death and he was blind to everything that happened in the wizarding world. No contact at all, but why should there be.

Harry Potter was dead. He almost felt a loss as he started to believe that Harry Potter had in fact died. He truly began to feel like a muggle and it wasn't so bad so long as he was "normal". Uncle Vernon loved him now and Aunt Petunia was somewhat coping. Dudley wasn't getting on so good but eventually he'd come to join the rest of them.

Summer came and Harry was able to celebrate his birthday, and the day when he was no longer on the underage radar. Aunt Petunia took Dudley out for ice cream to help soothe his wining. Meanwhile Vernon and Harry went on a fishing trip. Harry had never been on one and Dudley certainly had no interest. It was a soothing experience. They sat on a small boat in a large lake and waited all day only catching 2 or 3 fish each.

"Uncle Vernon?"

"Yes my boy".

"Why do you do this?" Harry nodded to the fishing pole.

"You know, fishing is the absolute best way to relax without staying home. You don't even have to catch fish, to enjoy it."

Harry understood. There was something about sitting out in the woods and away from life in the cities and towns. He could get used to this. Feeling this quiet, Harry would use this moment as inspiration for focusing his mind in his training later.

As the fall rolled by, and Christmas came to, Harry was amazed to see gifts under the tree and some, a great deal, were for him. He had presents and the Dursley's bought them for him. He very nearly cried as uncle Vernon gave him a great big hug and passed him a large box. Harry unwrapped it finding lots of brand new clothes. Another box held a television set. Dudley was miserable at finding he had gotten clothes that wouldn't fit him till he kept to his diet. Another gift he opened had an exercising kit for yoga and such. Dudley gave a huff at Harry's gifts. He finally blew up.

"Nearly a year ago you didn't even like the freak, now the freaks gone and replaced me! Have you all gone mad?"

"Duddykins!"

Aunt Petunia yelped and ran to her beloved son.

"Mummy loves you very much and first thing tomorrow we can go out and buy you new presents, how about that? Would my duddykins like that?"

She cooed and swayed him as if lulling an infant to sleep. Dudley seemed content with that and sat back down to watch Harry open one last gift, happy to see that Harry's gift was much smaller. As Harry opened it, he had noticed it was a folder with many documents inside. And on the front page was a form that read "Adult Adoption Services". Harry's eyes welled up in tears and that guilty pang had come back. He had used them and now they loved him and wanted to keep him forever.

"Simon, we've come to grow attached to you. Would you accept us as your new parents? Your aunt Petunia and I care about you and we thought it was a great gift to give you, if you'll have us of course."

Harry was stunned. He had never felt like he had a family. Hogwarts was the closest thing but that was more of a home and Draco Malfoy was no family. He glanced at Dudley and even Dudley seemed alarmed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he kept his mouth closed. This was it; the family Harry could call his, with a mom, a dad and even a brother.

"I'd like that very much, thank you."

Harry said meekly and they enjoyed the rest of the evening by turning on the telly and watching carolers sing merry songs such as "It's the most wonderful time of the year. "And for the first time, Harry could agree. It truly was.