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The Return to Privet Drive
By Bingham1

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Category: Post-DH/PM
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other
Genres: Drama
Warnings: Mild Language
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 4
Summary: Harry returns to Privet Drive, 18 years after the Battle of the Seven Potters. What happens next?
Hitcount: Story Total: 1760



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
This story is roughly about two years before the epilogue in DH. There may be some grammatical errors.




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It was a delightfully clear day in Spring. Thirty-five year old Harry Potter apparated on a lonely stretch of a road on Wisteria Walk. Gripping his hand on either sides were his youngest children, Albus and Lily Potter. They began a slow walk towards Wisteria Walk. They were here to visit Harry’s cousin, Dudley

‘Don’t run Lily, or you’ll trip yourself!’, cried out Harry.

‘Don’t worry Dad! I’m quite alright’, yelled a seven year old Lily.

Albus moved ahead in order to keep up with his sister, yet not enough to lose his father. Harry’s mind was however, not completely focused on his children. He was walking with mixed feelings. He had spent the better part of his eleven years in this neighbourhood. He did not have any good memories to show for during this period. However, he was happy that he had somehow survived and had a caring and loving family.

The houses in the neighbourhood did not seemed to have changed a lot. The only evident changes were the ones from modernisation. It had been eighteen years since Harry had last been here. He had met Dudley a few times after the war. He had even invited him for his wedding. Harry had also attended Dudley’s wedding. However, the Weasley clan had not been so forgiving like Harry had been towards Dudley. Ron and Ginny had blamed it on the Dursleys for his childhood and had made their displeasure more vocal. This ensured some pranks with George’s help to ensure payback for Harry’s childhood trauma. To his credit, Dudley took it under his stride and said that he had deserved it.

One fine day, the Potters had bumped into the Dursleys and though the interaction amongst the adults were strained to say the least, the children being children got on fairly well. From that moment onwards, there would be some occasional meetings between the two families in which the children all played together. Dudley had lived in Birmingham previously. After the death of Uncle Vernon, moved back into Privet Drive again. Harry had received a text from him one day asking if he could bring the kids to interact with his own (Yes. Harry did own a mobile phone for auror business). After a lot of deliberation, Harry accepted much to Ginny’s ire. He felt it would be better if the kids interacted with muggles as well and mingle with his only living blood relatives. So lost was Harry in his musings, he did not notice a tall, scrawny and rat faced man walking on the other side of the street.

‘Harry! Harry Potter! ’ called out the man. So used to strangers calling his name, it became Harry’s second nature to ignore such calls and did not think to find it strange to be called by name in the Muggle world. The man came closer and called out to him again.

It was then that Harry looked into the face of Piers Polkiss. He was a lot taller and was nearly Ron’s height. His face however, reminded him of the same unfriendly and foolish face from his childhood. Albus and Lily came back towards their father.

‘It is you! Whoever would’ve thought that we would have to see you sorry face again?’ said Polkiss with a bit of sneer.

‘Hello, Polkiss’ said Harry in no mood to catch up with him.

‘Are these your brats? That lad looked exactly like you which was how I found out that ‘twas indeed you!’ replied Polkiss looking closely at the two kids.

Harry felt his temper rise, but brought it back to a cool tone wanting to give a clever reply.

‘Who’s this man, Dad?’ asked Albus, eyeing the stranger warily.

‘He is Dudley’s friend.’

‘Yeah, I was chummy with your dad as well. We had fond memories as well.’ replied Polkiss in a mocking
tone. ‘So what you’ve been up to, Harry? They say you’ve managed to escape St. Brutus’ which is a record in itself. Settled and changed your identity have you?’

Lily was growing more and more restless and angry with every passing word.

‘St. Brutus is the place for criminals right Dad? ’, asked Albus.

‘Yes it is, Albus. I have got other matters to attend to. So if you’ll excuse me Polkiss, We better get going. ’, replied Harry tersely. Though Polkiss was irritating and annoying, he didn’t want to lose his temper in the muggle world that too in front of the children.

‘Yeah I know that Potter. You’ve come to blow up Dudley’s house just like you managed all those years ago innit? ’, replied Polkiss.

BAM! A branch flew out of nowhere and hit Polkiss squarely in the back. Lily had an incident of accidental magic and Polkiss had fallen prey to it just like Petunia Dursley had fallen prey to a sallow faced boy all those years ago. Harry smiled in nostalgia, which Polkiss took to be a sneer of contempt.

‘Aah! Already started your rubbish, have you Potter? I’ll get you for this you sucker! ’, replied Polkiss getting ready for a fight. Harry discreetly drew out his wand ready to cast a Confundus charm just in case.

‘HARRY! PIERS! ’, rang out a deep voice from 50 yards out. Dudley had arrived.

‘He did something to me Dud! Look at him! ’, cried out Polkiss.

‘Leave him alone, Piers. I invited him here. ’, said Dudley.

‘Fine! Go hang out with your freak cousin and his brats! ’, replied Polkiss and stalked off angrily.

‘I am really sorry about him, Harry. He somehow thinks that you were somehow involved in vandalism of our old house. Hello kids. How are you? ’, said an apologetic Dudley.

The children waved to him. However, curiosity and anger were still in their minds.

‘Yeah, I understand Dudley. It’s fine. ’, replied an ever-forgiving Harry. ‘ Move along kids.’

As the children began to move towards No. 4 Privet Drive, Harry pulled Lily aside and motioned for Albus to move along.

‘Now what did I say about using magic in front of the muggles, Lily? You’ve got to have better control of your magic, Lilykins. You know what happens when we use magic in front of muggles.’

‘It was Accidental dad. That’s why it’s called so. ’, said Lily, rolling her eyes. She was tired of her father’s paranoia in front of the muggles. ‘Besides, I was angry with that man, dad. He insulted you. How could you just let him talk to you like that?’

Harry was touched at Lily’s affection. However, he also wanted his children to have a better control at their capabilities. ‘I am used to such talk Lily. I also understand that it was accidental. Just try to be more careful alright? ’, said Harry picking her up in his arms.

They soon arrived at No.4, Privet Drive. The house had not changed a lot. After the Death Eaters’ vandalism, there was a fair deal of building to be done(both magical and otherwise). The kids went off to play while Dudley invited Harry into the drawing room.

‘Really sorry about that, mate. How about we watch the cup final while the kids go and play? It’s Villa against Arsenal. ’, said Dudley.

‘Yeah sure. Haven’t watched football in a while.’

‘Really? Oh, yeah. You follow that broomstick game, Queedirch. I remember now. So how’s Ginny and her brothers? Still angry at me, eh?’

‘Yeah. They’re good. I’m sorry about that.’

‘They are right for a reason. I was an arse back then.’

‘Not your fault, Dudley. ’, said Harry, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

‘Yeah. It’s mostly dad though. Well, to be fair, he did suffer quite a bit towards his end. Probably because of all that horrible things he did to you. To be fair, he coddled me and made me grow into a right old tosser. If it were not for Janet, I’d still be the same I guess. ’, replied Dudley.

‘I am sorry to hear that Dudley. Janet did change you into a new person I guess, though to be fair you were already on a new path after my sixth year. Dumbledore’s conversation did it, I guess. ’, offered Harry. Janet Dursley was Dudley’s wife.

‘Yeah. Mum was a wreck after Dad’s death though. She was repenting all those years of neglect towards you. She even told me that she visited your mum’s grave.’
‘How? ’, replied a puzzled Harry. ‘She didn’t know where my parents are buried.’

‘She apparently did know all along. Your mum had sent her some letters when she was alive, I guess. She
took a train or something. She was never the same after coming back. She passed away soon after that. Probably due to grief and guilt. It’d’ve been better had she actually talked to you. I asked her to talk to you, but she declined.’

Harry nodded, taking in the events that he did not know about. He had no suitable reply. Petunia had also lived a troubled life in a quest to live an ordinary life to suit Vernon Dursley.

‘I’ve actually got the letters from your mum to mine. I actually found it in a box in the attic. That’s why I called you and also so that the kids could bond.’

‘That’s kind of you, Dudley. Thank you. ’, replied Harry trying to sound casual, but was actually excited. Here would be another priceless treasure, his mother’s letters.

Dudley went in and brought the box and handed it out to Harry. Harry just glanced through it and then transfigured into something that he could easily carry around. He would look into it later only in Ginny’s company. It was too private and personal for him.

‘Alright. I think the match has started. Come on. Sit and watch, Harry.’

‘Thank you very much Dudley. These mean a lot to me.’
Harry and Dudley watched the match with some tense commentary (and some language) from Dudley. Though his eyes were peeled on the screen, Harry’s mind was very far away. Two hours later, Arsenal had won the FA Cup. Harry felt it was time to leave. He called back Albus and Lily.

After bidding farewell to the Dursleys and the cousins planning to get together more often, the Potters departed. Harry wanted to take the kids through the tube and roam into muggle London. They boarded an ordinary bus near Wisteria Walk to take them to London. Harry never thought he would come back to Privet Drive when he was last here. He didn’t even think he’d make it through the war. Still, fate had other plans for him as well. He actually felt good in Privet Drive, but was also happier when he was leaving it (like so many times before). Only this time, he was happier and excited to find out more about his mother’s letters.









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