Authors notes: Ok I am back with Samantha Dursley' story. I wasn't too happy with my last story so I had it taken down. This is an updated version of it :D. Please tell me what you think. Love it or hate it!

Chapter 1

A man with striking green eyes and unkempt hair walked down the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry towards the Headmistress's office. His wife, a pretty witch with fiery red hair and a dazzling smile, was at his side. He glanced around the castle, taking everything hungrily. It had been a long time since he had last stepped foot within the school's walls and it suddenly struck him how much he missed the place.

Hogwarts had been the first place he could gladly call home. It meant the world to him and being back as an adult felt surreal.

The couple walked through the castle's corridors, their feet retracing familiar steps, until they reached the stone gargoyle. The man chuckled as he remembered the password that the Headmistress had given him. He ha laughed when he first read it, reminded of one of the school's previous Heads.

"Lemon drop," he stated, a fondness in his voice.

The gargoyle leapt out of his way, revealing a winding staircase. The pair made their way up into the office, memories of his past visit to this very office coming to mind. His wife had a look on her face that seemed to suggest that she too was taking a quick trip down memory lane, though hers did not seem as wistful as his own. He was about to enquire if she was alright when they were invited to enter the office.

The large circular room took the man by surprise every time, especially now when its rich tones were bathed in the late afternoon sun. His eyes moved instinctively to the wall of portraits behind the current Headmistress. The fond smile that had been playing on his lips grew as he watched Albus Dumbledore snoozing away in his portrait, his wizard's hat sitting at a jaunty angle on his head of white hair. His eyes then shifted down to meet those of the last Headmaster of the school, the dark-eyed sallow-faced Severus Snape who rarely cracked a smile or spoke to the occupants of the room. He'd yet to figure out whether this was because Snape had never forgiven him for commissioning the portrait in the first place or naming his son after him.

Snape did however incline his head in greeting, which the man returned before turning his gaze to the Headmistress. Minerva McGonagall had a smile on her face as she looked upon her former student and his wife. Though her age was beginning to show on the deepening lines on her face, her eyes were no less bright and her presence filled the room as she sat behind the large desk, smaller than that of her predecessors, but no less impressive.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?"

"Why yes, Harry, that is often the reason one sends out an invitation requesting someone's presence, is it not?" McGonagall said, raising an eyebrow at Harry. Accustomed to her serious – and often disapproving stare – it took him by surprise to see her smiling and relaxed. "And as I've mentioned on previous occasions, considering that you are no longer a student here, I think we can do without the formalities. Hello, Ginny – I wasn't expecting to see you."

"When Harry said he was coming back to Hogwarts I couldn't help but tag along," Ginny smiled. "I hope you don't mind. It's not often I have an excuse to come back here."

"Not at all. Please, take a seat." Harry and Ginny did so. "How are the children? Albus will be joining us this year, won't he?"

"Yes, he's quite excited. He's looking forward to finally joining his older brother, though Lily isn't quite too excited by the prospect of being left alone. Luckily, she has a mother who understands exactly what that's like," Harry answered politely, sending a warm look towards his wife as he spoke before returning his gaze to the Headmistress. "However, I have a feeling you didn't invite us over for a friendly chat."

"Astute as ever, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. Ginny snorted. "And yes. It concerns this year's incoming first years. I was hoping that you might act as a point of contact for a specific student's parents."

Harry knew that it was customary for a member of staff to go to the homes of muggle-born children to deliver their acceptance letters. It provided the staff with an opportunity to explain things to the family and answer any questions that they might have about Hogwarts or this brand-new world that until that point they hadn't even known existed. However, this task was always left to a member of staff, not an ex-student.

"Why me?" he asked, confused by this request. "Is everything alright? You can't possibly be understaffed? Is something wrong with Hagrid?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Hagrid is quite well," McGonagall soothed. With a small sigh, she reached into a drawer in her desk and pulled out a letter. "I am asking this of you because, given the situation, and what I know of your history, I thought it might be best if the news came from you." She held out the letter to him. "I trust you recognize the address?"

Harry reached for the envelope, took one look at it, and promptly dropped it. It fluttered to the floor, and from where it settled, the address, penned in bright ink, was glaringly visible.

Miss S Dursley
Second Bedroom
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

Frowning at her husband's reaction, Ginny reached down and picked up the envelope. Her eyes widened at the surname. She recognized the surname and the implications it held. "Harry?" she asked as Harry suddenly stood up. Ignoring her hand as she reached out to him in concern, he strode to the large window behind them.

He stood staring out onto the vast Hogwarts ground, keeping his back to the other two occupants in the room as thoughts raced through his mind. Dursley. It had been a long time since he'd heard that name or uttered it himself. It had no place in his new life, his happy life. He had refused to maintain any contact with the Dursleys since he'd last seen them all those years ago, and quite frankly, it was not a decision he regretted.

"I know this must be a shock," McGonagall said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room, "but given what you – and those who were in the same safe house as them – have shared of the Dursleys…dislike…for magic, I believe that the news would be best broken to the family by a wizard that they already know and trust. I suspect that even after all these years, young Mr Dursley has not quite forgiven Hagrid for that pig's tail."

Though he still refused to face the women, Harry snorted at the memory and the accompanying thought of specialist doctors wondering how on Earth the boy had gotten a pig's tail attached to him in the first place. He wondered how much would have changed if someone who his aunt and uncle knew - like Snape - had shown up at that shack instead of Hagrid. It might not have lessened their fear of magic – for the Potions Master had been frightening to all apart from those who truly knew him – but perhaps they would not have come to associate magic with half-giant men, and later on, with escaped convicts, threatening men with wooden peg legs and mismatched eyes and invisible happiness-sucking Dementors.

No, he owed it to this S. Dursley, his niece or nephew that he hadn't even known about until now, to give them a much smoother introduction to the wizarding world than his own.

"I've not spoken to them in years," Harry started. "I didn't even known Dudley had a kid. I mean I assume it's Dudley's kid. It didn't seem like Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon could have any more kids…"

"Her name is Samantha Dursley," McGonagall explained, "and yes, she is your cousin Dudley Dursley's child."

"Oh, that's good, that's good. I mean – I suppose? He wasn't quite as bad as his parents towards the end. If there's a Dursley who could accept having a magical child, it'd be him. And the last time we did speak, it went okay. It was right after the war, and they'd just left the safe house and we went out for coffee and it was – it was weird, you know? But – but at least it was civil." Harry took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, messing up his dark brown hair even more. "You're right, it should be me. But I just…"

Harry jumped as he felt his wife snake her arms around his waist, settling her head on his shoulder. It was one of the things he loved about her – the way she knew when he needed her affection the most, uncaring of where they were or who was there.

"What do you want to do?" Ginny asked. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

Harry sighed. "I'll do it," he said, resting his head against his wife. "Will you come with me?"

"Try and stop me."

Harry smiled at her as they parted, feeling more settled than when he had first laid eyes on the envelope. "Thank you." He turned back to McGonagall, a light blush settling on his cheeks. "Sorry about that, Minerva. It was just – it was unexpected. It took me by surprise."

"No need to apologise, Harry," McGonagall said. "I'm just glad that you've agreed to go. I think it will be good for all of you. As little as you know about Samantha, she knows nothing of you and the two dozen cousins that she has."

"It's what happens when you marry a Weasley," Ginny agreed in mock solemnness, before sending a grin in the Headmistress' direction.

"We should probably let Dudley know I'm coming," Harry said. "The Dursleys were never the type to appreciate wizards showing up on their doorsteps unannounced."

"Of course," said McGonagall. "Now if you'll take a seat I can briefly walk you through all the information which needs to be passed on to our new student. While I don't doubt your knowledge of the wizarding world, we decided to standardize the information imparted when it became clear that some staff members were missing out important details."

"Like how to get onto Platform 9 ¾."

The Headmistress smirked. "Amongst other things."

++ Page break ++

Dudley Dursley was pacing back and forth in the kitchen. His daughter Samantha's birthday was coming up, and his parents had dropped by to dote on her as they did every year. He knew they didn't fully approve of him marrying Amelia, and the thought had kept him up all night.

He had been a nervous wreck all week long.

When they had first met, Dudley thought Amelia was just a normal person that happened to be in a similar situation through bad luck. He hadn't found out that she was from a magical family until after he fell in love with her. It was only much later into the relationship that she finally told him the truth- that she came from a long line of purebloods but she had been born a Squib. Of course, he had been shocked by this revelation, but it did nothing to quell his feelings for her, and he proudly called her his wife.

They decided not to attempt to keep her mother's lineage a secret from Samantha, who had begun showing signs of magical ability since the age of six. At first Dudley, had tried to pretend it wasn't happening, blaming everything on 'coincidence' but by the time she was eight the mysterious happenings occurred at such a rate that he couldn't really ignore it. His daughter was a witch.

Dudley closed his eyes, never skipping a beat in his anxious pacing, letting out a weary sigh. Given the conclusion that he and Amelia had drawn about Samantha, a letter would be arriving any minute now. She would be turning eleven the next day, and there was a large part of him hat wished that June 21 could continue to just be a normal birthday like any other. Nothing in the world could ever stop him from loving his daughter, and from the way his parents doted on her, he assumed they felt the same way but he still felt very unsure about what their reactions would be to discovering that their granddaughter was a witch.

Growing up he'd found his parents' treatment of Harry almost funny. He'd enjoyed letting out his frustrations on the younger boy, calling him a 'freak', running up and down the stairs knowing that it would shake dust down into the cupboard under the stairs and engaging in Harry Hunting – all with his parents' approval. But he had been young then, and life had taught him a few lessons along the way about living with and tolerating others. Besides, Samantha was his daughter. That made all the difference.

A sound at the window pulled Dudley out of his thoughts. He blinked back at the owl that was staring at him expectantly, a parchment tied to its leg. Dudley suppressed the loud groan that threatened to come out, glancing anxiously back into the living room where he could hear his family figuring out the rules for the new board game that Samantha had acquired for her birthday. The last thing he needed was his parents seeing an owl in his kitchen. Crossing over to the window, he took the letter as quickly and discreetly as possible, grateful that the owl flew off quietly the moment the letter was in his hand.

With a dry mouth, he tore it open and read its contents.

Dudley,

It's been awhile. I hope you're well. I've got a feeling you already know what this letter is about. Since we're family, it was decided that it'd be best if I come and talk to you about Samantha. I'll stop by tomorrow if that's okay with you. Will you be free around noon?

I'm looking forward to meeting Samantha and your wife, and answering any questions or concerns that you might have. I think it would be best if your parents weren't present.

Harry Potter

Dudley read over the letter several times. It was vague, yet somehow so clear, confirming all his suspicions. He hadn't expected Harry to write to him. He'd expected it all to go down like it had gone for Harry, albeit a bit more smoothly. They'd receive the letter, then someone would come to explain and then his little girl would be off to Hogwarts. He never ever factored Harry into the equation.

"Amelia, dear, can you come to the kitchen? I need help with something," he called out, his voice carrying into the living room

A moment later, Amelia appeared, her dark brown her falling into her face. She looked harried. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "Because if it's not an emergency, it can probably wait. God forbid I take one moment away from – what it?" She frowned at the letter Dudley held out to her. It deepened as she read its content. "Oh," she said, leaning against the kitchen counter for support. "Well, I can't say I didn't see this coming. What are we going to do about your parents though? I think they're more excited than Samantha about taking her and her friends out for lunch, and that little shopping trip they take her on is pretty much tradition now. We can't cancel."

"I know," Dudley moaned. He wrung his hands nervously and kept glancing at the doorway. "I just don't think we can change the date either. He must be so busy and yet he's still taking the time – after everything. Maybe I could pretend to get really sick tonight – no, they'd take her with them to keep her from catching what I have. Oh, we could give Samantha that stuff that makes you throw up and-"

"Dudley, we're not poisoning our daughter," Amelia said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She smiled back at the sheepish look he cast her. "He asked if noon was alright, and the answer is no. So just write back to him and ask him to meet us for an early breakfast instead. Your parents can't begrudge us of that – surely we can have some time alone with our own daughter on her birthday?"

"Yeah, I guess," Dudley said, frowning at the letter.

"It'll all work out," Amelia reassured. "They love her. They've loved her since the minute she was born. Nothing is going to change that." She lowered her voice, glancing at the living room. "They're not going to stop being overbearing, interfering and overprotective grandparents just because they find out that their Sammie is a witch."

Though he wasn't entirely convinced, he couldn't disagree with that. His parents loved Samantha. "You're right."

Amelia nodded, satisfied. "I know, I'm always right. Now, get out there before we start getting accused of not giving Samantha enough attention."

Dudley chuckled, pocketing the letter carefully to reply to when he could slip away again. Amelia was right – if he was away any longer his parents would begin to grow suspicious. He gave his wife a quick kiss. "What would I do without you?"

"Die, probably. But that's why I married you, isn't it? Someone has to keep you alive."

++ Page break ++

The Potter family was sat in the dining room enjoying dinner when an owl flew in through the open window, dropped a letter on his lap, before flying out again.

"Who's it from?" James asked, his curiosity peaked by the unfamiliar owl and the stark white of the envelope paper. It was nothing like the parchment envelopes they were accustomed to seeing. Ginny hushed him, having warned him more than once about enquiring into his father's business.

Harry turned the envelope over in his hands, noting the postmark used by the Owl Service to mark a letter that had come in through the Muggle post service, before tearing it open and reading the letter.

Dear Harry,

Thank you for your letter. It has been awhile. You're right – I've had my suspicions and your letter confirmed it. It'll be good to see you again. Noon's no good I'm afraid. Could we meet for an early breakfast instead? There's a nice place that opened in town – Pinnock's Coffee House – that I'd think you'd like. It's quiet enough and the food's great. It's at the end of the high street, opposite where the old library used to be. You could meet us there at 8.

I also think that it'd be best for us to meet without my parents.

See you tomorrow.

Dudley

"Looks like we're going to be having breakfast with them instead," Harry responded to Ginny's inquisitive look, returning the letter to its envelope and placing it safely in his pocket. Experience had taught him to be wary of leaving letters lying around – even if he was there.

Harry had barely taken two more bites of his chicken dinner when James demanded, "Who are you having breakfast with?" Harry ignored him. "Is it someone important? Is it for work? No – there wasn't a Ministry seal. Is it foreign? Oh – is it do with why you and Mum went to Hogwarts the other day? C'mon – give me something!" James complained. Albus rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. "Who's it from? I wanna know!"

"Shut up, James" Lily said haughtily. "Some of us would like to eat in peace."

"Well, you'll get all the peace in the world when you're stuck here all by yourself with Mum and Dad."

"Mum!" Lily said, her face crumbling at the reminder.

"James!"

Harry sighed as the dinner table descended into the typical evening riot, with Lily and James bickering while Ginny tried to mediate between the two and he and Albus focused on enjoying the food.

++ Page break ++

"Thank you so much for agreeing to look after them," Harry said as he greeted Molly, who was still dusting off soot from her shoulder. "I know it was short notice."

Molly smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. "Don't be silly – what else am I here for? I love spending time with my grandkids," she said. "Regardless of how much trouble they can be." Harry chuckled at that.

"Let's go," Ginny said as she entered the room, pulling on a cardigan. She greeted her mother, pulling a face when Molly began to fuss over her, using a spell to iron out a crease Ginny hadn't noticed in her shirt. "Mum, at this rate, we're going to be late. Ready, Harry?"

Harry nodded and they took their leave, heading out to the car. He'd never thought that with all the magical means of transportation that they'd need a car, but when Ginny had been pregnant with James everything from Flooing to Apparation made her violently sick so he'd been forced to learn so that she wasn't stuck in the house all day. Plus, it had proved useful for transporting three kids, even if they drove him mad when they started to get bored. Even though they'd got it for her benefit, Ginny refused to learn enough to drive any more than was necessary to get her into town.

Harry was glad for the magical alterations that he had been approved to make on the car though. He weaved seamlessly through the streets, unhindered by traffic or traffic lights, and just over half an hour later, they arrived in Little Whinging and found the designated café. Though things seemed a little more modern, nothing much about the town that Harry had grown up in had changed.

Entering the café, Harry spotted Dudley sitting at a booth in the far corner with a small, brunette girl with pigtails. There was a woman with her back to them with a similar shade of brown hair who had to be his wife. Dudley caught Harry's eye and waved him over.

"Hi," Harry greeted awkwardly, shaking Dudley's outstretched hands. Neither of them seemed quite sure where to look. "This is my wife, Ginny. I hope you don't mind that she came."

"Of course not," Dudley said, greeting Ginny in turn. "This is my wife Amelia, and this is my daughter Samantha."

Amelia slipped out from the booth so that she could greet them both, and take a seat on the side of the booth with her husband and daughter. She wasn't the type of woman that Harry had expected Dudley to end up with. Harry had expected a carbon copy of Aunt Petunia, with a pinched face and a sour look, but Amelia smiled at them warmly and invited them to sit down.

"Who are you?" Samantha demanded as they all settled down. She looked at Ginny. "He said your name was Ginny."

"That's right," Ginny answered, smiling at the girl. "And this is my husband Harry."

"I'm your father's cousin," Harry blurted out awkwardly. This was all so surreal. "Harry Potter. That's my name."

Ginny exchanged an amused look with Amelia, already bonding over their husbands' nervous states. It was understandable, since it was a long time since they had seen each other, but that didn't stop it from being funny.

"I've heard of you," Samantha stated, watching Harry curiously. She was a small child, much smaller than Harry had expected any child of Dudley's ever to be, but she had her father's chubby cheeks and curious eyes. Other than her chocolate hair, she had also inherited her mother's tan skin and her face had a smattering of freckles which made her look adorable. "You even have the scar, just like Daddy said."

"Err-"

"I'm having pancakes," Samantha continued, either oblivious to or ignoring Harry's awkwardness. "And a milkshake. It's my birthday today. I'm allowed to have anything I want."

"Happy Birthday," Ginny smiled. Harry echoed her when he felt an elbow to his ribs. "I think I'll have pancakes too. Is the coffee here any good?"

"Their cappuccino is to die for," Amelia answered.

The process of ordering food seemed to ease some of the tension around them, and Amelia and Ginny got on instantly. It wasn't quite the same for Harry and Dudley, but at least they were making an effort.

"You've never come for any of my other birthdays," Samantha stated as she finished her pancakes and turned to the last of her milkshake, still eyeing Harry and Ginny curiously.

"I – err – we didn't just come for your birthday," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He couldn't understand why he was feeling like this. He was an Auror, for Merlin's sake! "And your father and I – we don't really talk much so I didn't really know you – err – well, you existed really. Not until the other day. You see, the reason why I'm here is because – it's because well – you're – how to put it – you're special."

Samantha looked at him blankly. "I'm special?"

"Yes, very special."

"What Harry is trying to say," Ginny interjected, leaning forward and beckoning Samantha to do the same with a conspiratorial glint in her eye, "is that you, Samantha Dursley, are a witch. You're capable of doing magic."

Samantha's eyes widened before she turned to her mother, "Like your family!"

Harry and Ginny both blinked at this, surprised by this reaction.

"Err – Amelia's one of those – what do you lot call them – a Squib," Dudley explained. "We didn't want to keep anything from her. We just didn't – well, we weren't completely sure – that she'd have magic too. She showed signs but you know – we just weren't sure."

"And I didn't want to get my hopes up," Amelia said, smiling down fondly at her daughter who she pulled into a one-armed hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"So, we didn't need to come?" Harry asked. "Not that we mind," Harry added when he felt a sharp pain in his leg where Ginny had just kicked him.

"No, we're really glad you're here. I was placed into foster care – the Muggle one – when the September I was supposed to start Hogwarts came and it was obvious my letter was never coming. I only had a child's knowledge of the wizarding world then, and so much time has passed since. I wouldn't know where to start."

"What's a Muggle?" Samantha asked. "And what's Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts is the school you'll be attending," Harry supplied. "It's where you'll learn to control and use your magic, where you'll meet others just like you, and you'll find your place in the wizarding world. Have you ever done anything strange that you weren't able to explain?"

"Mum got my lunch confused with Dad's once, and I hate pickle but Dad loves pickle sandwiches, and I was so upset and angry and hungry, but when I opened my lunchbox at lunch, the sandwich was gone and there was ice cream instead!" Samantha said excitedly. "It hadn't even melted!"

"That's definitely a sign," Ginny chuckled. "That's what we call accidental magic – it happens a lot when you're younger, but the older you grow, the less it happens because you learn to control your magic."

"Can you show me some?"

"Not here. It's very important that Muggles – non-magical people – don't find out about magic, so we must never do it in public. And in fact, until you're seventeen, you must never do magic outside of school."

"Unless your life is in danger," Harry added.

"Is her life going to be in danger?" Dudley demanded, struggling to keep his voice down. "I'm not sending her to that school if there's some crazy evil overlord running about again. If there is, you tell me now Potter – you tell me now so I can get out – so I can keep my family safe. We're not spending another year in a safe house – I won't put Samantha through that, I won't!"

Harry was taken aback by Dudley's outburst. He hadn't realised how much the last war had affected Dudley. "That's not what I meant," Harry said softly. "It's just one of those exceptions which is good for Samantha to keep in mind in case she ever is in trouble. The wizarding world is safe now, as safe as any place can get. I promise you."

"I'm sorry. She's just my only daughter, you know?"

"I understand."

"Vernon and Petunia aren't due for another hour," Amelia said, as she glanced at her watch. "Maybe we could finish up here and you called follow us back to ours? That way we could have more privacy. I must admit, even I'm excited. I haven't seen magic in so long. At least not magic done on purpose."

Harry explained the basics as they finished up, Samantha interjecting excitedly with lots of questions. Her mother seemed proud of her daughter and sharing in the excitement of rediscovering the world, which wasn't always necessarily the case with Squibs – especially when they had been cast out by their family. They tended to be bitter and angry, and it wasn't unusual for them to turn their backs on the wizarding world completely. Harry was particularly relieved to see how relaxed Dudley was about it all. He'd really changed.

"You – err – you don't mind coming back to the house, do you?" Dudley asked, as they stood outside, ready to part to their respective cars. "I know – I know it doesn't hold the best memories for you. Amelia completely renovated it – and I had her take out the cupboard, made it into a reading nook for Samantha but I'd understand if-"

"It's fine, Dudley," Harry reassured. "I'll see you there."

However, once he was in the car, he wasn't entirely sure how fine it was. He was grateful for Ginny's reassuring presence as he turned the car into familiar streets, marveling on how the neat row of houses seemed to not have changed at all. He'd been sure that it would have been one of the first places that the Death Eaters in the last war would have destroyed looking for him.

His eyes widened as he pulled into Privet Drive and saw Dudley, Amelia and Samantha stood outside their black car. Dudley was talking animatedly, pointing at the blue Volkswagen that was parked in the drive while Amelia tried to calm him down.

"What do you think is going on?" Ginny asked, as they parked.

"I think," Harry said, a sense of foreboding settling into his stomach, "that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are early."