Chapter Text
For the 12th time that evening, professor Potter pulled the envelope from his pocket and turned it in his hand a moment, before sighing and putting it back again. He ran his hands through his hair - a nervous habit he had picked up after the war - before grabbing his cloak and deciding to go for a walk to clear his head. Hogwarts was beautiful in late July. The students wouldn’t be back for another two months, and the warm rays on the empty school grounds were serene in a way he had never experienced before becoming a professor. It was nice to know his castle still had ways to take his breath away, all these years later.
He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed he had come across another person until he stood up from where he had been tending to one of the outside garden patches, causing Harry to jump
“Oh hi Harry”
“Er, hello Neville”, Harry smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there at first”
“I could tell. I was just planting some dittany for Pomfrey for the upcoming school year. It’s a really powerful healing herb. Did you know when you mix it with….” Neville trailed off, noticing that Harry wasn’t really paying attention. Instead, he was staring with what looked like a slightly crumpled Hogwarts letter grasped in his hand. “Do you want to tell me what this is all about?” Neville asked, wiping the dirt off his hands and peering closer
“Nothing!” Harry said hastily, trying to shove the letter back in his coat, as if that would cause Neville to forget what he had seen
“How long have we been friends, Harry?” Neville sighed. “We slept in the same room for 6 years, we fought in a war together, we picked up the pieces afterwards, we were groomsmen at each other's weddings, our children play together, we’ve sat next to each other at every great hall feast for the past 10 years. I think I can tell when something is on your mind. I haven’t seen you this stressed since James got in trouble for trying to touch the whomping willow.”
Harry’s mouth twitched into a smile at the reminder of his son's antics. He really had inherited his namesake’s knack for getting into trouble. Neville did have a point. This particular piece of parchment had been bothering him for days. Wordlessly, he handed the letter over to Neville.
“Mrs. Daisy Dursley, The second bedroom on the right, 26 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.” Neville read aloud. “Hang on, Dursley? I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t that the aunt and uncle who raised you?”
“Yeah” Harry sighed. “My Cousin, Dudley. He’s the same age as me. He must have had a child. I wouldn’t know, I haven’t talked to them since I left at 17. Didn’t figure there was anything left to say between us…”
“So what are you going to do?” Neville asked, deciding to move past the fact that Harry was only just finding out he had a niece of sorts, 11 years later. He had gathered from their time at Hogwarts together that Harry hadn’t had the best home life.
“I guess I know what I have to do" Harry responded, reaching out to take the letter back. “I sent the rest of the first year letters out days ago. I’ve just been putting this one off as long as I could”. Neville patted him on the back sympathetically. Normally he would offer to take his place and do the home visit, or come with him for support, but he had a feeling that this was something Harry needed to do alone. “Right, thanks Neville” Harry said, awkwardly waving goodbye as he marched back up to the castle.
19 years later, and Harry Potter was going back to Privet Drive.