Chapter 1: The Integration Project

The boy was coming back here, thought Petunia Dursley peering through her shades into Mr. and Mrs. Lewis' vegetable garden, well not so much a boy anymore. He was not yet thirty but was married with three small children, she remembered the invitation she had gotten to their wedding. The woman's name was something vaguely Italian, Gianna or the like. To think it was actually her precious Dudders that called him here. Dudley had said he wanted truly to know what had gone on that year they spent with those people.

Though she no longer called magical people freaks she still thought they were weird and didn't have a place in polite society. She would do this however as she had always done everything for Dudley's sake.

"I've got Lily and Albus, love" called Harry Potter from his spot by the fireplace. "Now where is James and Teddy so we can go?"

"I've got them dear, they were in the garden flying," called Ginny from the kitchen. She came in with Teddy by one ear, James by the other. "Do either of you remember me asking you NOT to get filthy before we go?" she asked exasperatedly. Teddy who though only twelve was quite a bit taller than the tiny Mrs. Potter and nearly bent double by the ear she was gripping.

"Umm well I might recall something of that nature occurring but I forget the exact wording of it all." said Teddy straightening up and rubbing his ear where Ginny had gripped him.

Ginny sighed and tried to scrub James' cheek free of dirt. Harry tried not to grin from behind her back for all her disagreements with her mother it was shocking how similar they could be at times.

When she had finished scrubbing her son's cheek to pink cleanliness she turned to Harry, "Sweetheart are you sure you want to do this?" said Ginny concern etched on every corner of her pretty face. Harry leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"EWW!" cried Teddy and James who was still rubbing his cheek from his mother's wipe down. Lily and Albus giggled. Harry rolled his eyes at the children.

"Yes, why put all of Hermione's hard work to waste?"

"I know but..." she trailed off.

"I'll be fine, Gin" said Harry reassuringly. "Now c'mon we'll be and you know we'll never hear the end of if we don't hurry."

"Oh alright," she mumbled. "You always say that." She eyed his various scars across his forearms where he'd rolled his sleeves. With a sigh she usher the older children off to the minivan as Harry picked up Lily and Albus. They were off to Privet Drive.

Petunia heard the car pull up from where she stood seasoning the roast. "Vernon please get the door!" Vernon Dursley heaved himself off the sofa where he'd been watching football with his son, Dudley and his sister Marge, Dudley's wife Meredith was in the kitchen staying out of Petunia's way and listening to her fuss about how thin the children were. Stupid boy interrupting my game, he thought meanly.

Though it had been over a decade since Harry Potter had been anywhere near Privet Drive Vernon Dursley still liked to blame him for things. He remembered getting an invitation to Harry's wedding and thinking it was probably just a shotgun wedding anyway for some bimbo the boy managed to knock up.

After several minutes he finally made it to the door - he'd put on quite a bit more weight in recent years - and opened the door.

What he found on his doorstep was far from a slag. There stood a stunning woman in her late twenties. She was curvaceous and petite, with bright red hair pulled back into an elegant chignon held in place by a delicate diamond clip that was definitely real. Her clothes were simple but obviously expensive, a dark blue sun dress with cream polka dots, and white sling back sandals.

Vernon blinked, "Hello," said Ginny. Vernon blinked again.

"Er... Hello," said Vernon who just realized he'd been staring.

"Gin darling, I have Al and Tiger," said Harry from the van a child in each arm.

Vernon looked up past Ginny to see his nephew Harry Potter coming up the walk with a little boy clinging to his back and a tiny girl in his arms.

Vernon was once again shocked, first by the scars, from the scar following the line of Harry's jaw to large burn scars on his forearms they all looked old. The next thing that shocked him was how tall and muscular Harry was, true he was not buff by any standard but the scrawny frame was long gone, he was lean and supple the body of a runner or dancer. He wasn't overly tall it seemed he had just missed six foot but his confident easy air made him seem even taller, powerful. His clothes fit perfectly, they didn't hang from him in tatters, only serving to define his his well-muscled body. His glasses were not the awful black coke bottles that were perpetually taped, they were still round but much thinner rimmed in gold, they seemed to define his exotic eyes even more and didn't make his eyes look too big for his face.

This was a very different Harry Potter. Yes, this Harry Potter would be very hard to bully indeed.

Harry couldn't help it he grinned at his uncle's amazed expression. He was a bit surprised to see he was now taller than Uncle Vernon. Vernon had aged rather badly. He resembled a walrus more than ever, his hair was thinning only emphasizing the big bushy mustache, streaked with white, and he impossibly seemed fatter.

Harry wondered what Aunt Petunia looked like.

"Well come in then boy, before the neighbors see," said Vernon gruffly. "Mind those brats wipe their feet." This was the wrong thing to say.

"Vernon, I came here on the request of your wife and son, but make no mistake I don't have to be here or answer to you. While I am here I expect you to be respectful of my wife and children, will not tolerate anyone speaking harshly to or about them." Harry had not yelled or spoken harshly, indeed his tone had been pleasant but there was a definite chill in the air around him.

Vernon spluttered for a moment before stepping aside, wondering if Harry worked for the weirdos mafia, still staring at the amount of scars.

Harry lead the way into the house.

Number Four Privet Drive hadn't changed in the slightest. There was the sickly pink sofa, the boarded up fire place, the too clean carpet, the faint smell of bleach, the plastic feel to the atmosphere.

"Petunia, the b- he's here," Vernon shouted from the hall.

Petunia wiped her hands on her apron took it off and set it on a hook next to the stove. Patting her bun and checking her reflection in her compact she went to greet her nephew. There he stood in her hall, a stranger.

The familiar things were the the wild blue-black hair and the piercing green eyes, and even those were altered. The eyes though sparkling with mirth, looked too old and world-weary for such a young unlined face, and the hair had been cut to a reasonable length. Then she took in the people he'd brought with him. A beautiful red-head who was obviously his wife, a tiny girl not a day over two with wild red curls that were trying to escape their ribboned confines. A sturdy boy on the brink of puberty with Harry's eyes and hair, but surely Harry was too young to be the boy's father. A small boy who looked like a carbon copy of Harry at that age, and another small boy with dark hair, and his mother's brown eyes and freckles.

What she had meant to say was "hello" but what she said instead was; "I thought you only had three children."

"Hello, Aunt Petunia." said Harry. He raised an eyebrow at her inquiry.

" Surely you're too young for," she said nodding at Teddy.

Harry's eyes widened and turning to look at Teddy he'd become so used to his godson's changing appearance that he hardly noticed anymore. "Oh, Teddy's adopted."

"But-"

"Oh and he's a metamorphmagus, which means he can change his appearance at will." explained Harry.

"Aunt Petunia this is my wife, Ginerva, and our other kids James, Albus, and Lily," he said indicating each of them in turn. She stiffened a little at the last name.

"Well come on, Dudley and Marge are in the den, and can meet Dudley's wife Meredith."

They followed behind her, into the living area. There on the sofa was Aunt Marge, who had aged worse than Vernon and a man Harry vaguely recognized as Dudley.

Dudley had the look of a powerful man gone to seed, he had a slight paunch, but the watery blue eyes and dark blond hair were familiar. What really threw Harry off were the large pair of horn-rimmed glasses that seem make his eyes look even smaller.

"Hey there Dud, how've you been?"

Dudley looked around. "Bloody hell, Harry you look great!"

Harry chuckled awkwardly, "Thanks."

Ginny gazed around at the surgically clean house and decided she loathed every inch of the place. She could see why Harry hated it here, she remembered when she and Harry went shopping for furniture when they first got married. She hadn't liked the displayed home sets because they didn't feel like they belonged in a home. This house felt the same way, false.

Harry had awkwardly introduced her and the children to his "relatives", the only decent ones seemed to be Dudley and Meredith.

"Oooooo Harry where the did you find her," Dudley had said appreciatively, "she's gorgeous."

"Well Dud, you remember the guys who blew up the fireplace?"

Dudley stared around at Ginny.

"Yup," said Harry. "Their sister," said Harry cheerfully.

Then there was that awful woman with that vicious beast. It made her want to reconsider getting the children a dog.

"So, you actually found someone who'll have you," boomed Marge, peering beadily at Ginny. Ginny's back had went ridged at that.

"Excuse me? What exactly is that supposed to mean?" she had snapped at the gargantuan woman.

"Oh, spitfire is she? Figures you'd want a feisty woman. Not good for homemaking."

"I like spitfire and feisty just fine," Harry said smirking. She blushed knowing what he was implying. Thankfully it had gone over the old woman's head.

"Harry, really you are the limit," she told him. Ten years of marriage and he could still set her off kilter like that, well that not she couldn't do the same. She sighed as they were led to the love seat opposite Dudley and Meredith.

Dudley was amazed at what his cousin had become. "Wow you've really changed Harry."

He'd been trying to get in contact with Harry for the past twelve years but had been stymied to find an address or phone number. Now he realized looking at his cousin Harry had an air of command and importance, he doubted Harry actually noticed what commanding figure he struck. That coupled with the expensive clothing, Dudley for all his not being "the brightest Crayola in the pack" knew a man like this would not be listed in a phone book.

"Harry are we finally going to hear about what happened when you left?" asked Dudley.

"Yeah you are I'm gonna tell all bout it and I'll start from the beginning, or at least we'll read from the beginning."

"What do you mean?" asked Meredith.

"Well you remember how you found me?" asked Harry. Dudley nodded remembered the Hermione Weasley woman that helped him connect to Harry.

"Yeah," said Dudley.

"Well, she took my thoughts and memories and transfigured them into books that we will be reading."

"Ahh I see," said Dudley not understanding at all. "Err... Harry where exactly are these books?" Seeing Harry's arms full of kids but no books and Ginny's tiny purse didn't look as if it could hold a book of any size.

"Oh yeah," said Harry. He smiled and reached into the pocket of his black slacks and pulled out seven books that couldn't have possibly fit.

Seeing the looks on everyone's faces Harry chuckled. "Magic remember."

Meredith had always assumed Dudley had meant his cousin was a magician or illusionist when he said Harry was a wizard, but she had just seen real magic. It was incredible really. Well that's one mystery down, she thought. Though it seemed magic like everything was dangerous too, she mused looking at all the scars on Harry. She wondered if she'd find out how he got them, she thought it would be rude to ask outright.

So, thought Petunia, he is officially one of them. He survived that war those people were in. Her thoughts of course turned unwillingly toward the long dead Lily Potter née Evans. He made it and Lily didn't. "We can start while the roast is in the oven," she said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. It wouldn't do to loose composure now.

Before anyone could take a seat there was a knock on the door. Petunia went to answer it, "Hello Petunia, we saw you had company and wondered if they'd like a bit of pound cake." It was Mrs. Lewis from number six with her husband, and Mr. Roberts from across at number seven. Petunia quickly hid her glare bunch of nosy busy-bodies. She stepped aside to let them in, "My nephew and his family," she said stiffly.

She saw them raise their eyebrows as one. She knew what they must be thinking not that nephew, not the dangerous hardened criminal.

She returned to the den with the small group peering around her elbow to catch a glimpse of Harry. "Vernon we have more guest," she sniffed disdainfully.

Their eyes widened as the took in the scene, there was a scarred man with a faint resemblance to Harry Potter sitting close to a pretty red-haired woman. He bounced a tiny girl on his knee and two small boys leaned on his legs, a pre-teen boy was in an armchair was teasing the two other boys, and the man was laughing at something the lovely woman said in a disgruntled whisper. They look the epidemy of a suburban family.

Surely this was not Harry Potter.

"Well, hello" said Mr. Roberts. Harry stood tucking his Tiger Lily under one arm stretching out a hand to shake with the other. He tried not to show his amusement at the man's shocked expression. After greeting each person in turn he turned to Petunia who nodded jerkily what he knew he was about to say would irk her to no end.

"Well, as you all know I am Harry Potter, and I am a wizard."

Silence.

Harry sighed and pulled out his wand, "Accio wine!" The bottle wine they'd brought shot across the room and into his outstretched hand. Then he Summoned ten glasses from the kitchen and the wine opened itself poured into the glasses and floated to each person accordingly. The new guest gaped and the Dursleys looked unnerved, but everyone silently accepted.

In the end it was Lily who broke the awkward silence. "Daddy," she giggled, "put me down I'm dizzy." Harry blinked he hadn't realized the way he had been holding his daughter had the blood rushing to her pig-tailed head.

"Dudley, you wanted more information on what happened after I left and lucky times are changing or I wouldn't be able to give it you." As he spoke he conjured some comfortable Queen Anne chairs patterned in silver and royal blue paisley, encouraging the still shell-shocked Muggles to sit. "After we won The Battle of Hogwarts , the War was pretty much over. We started changing laws in our community to make certain no one took advantage of our world again. Filling in loopholes and just plain trashing others.

We've relaxed the Statute of Secrecy and we're slowing integrating into Muggle, that is to say non-magical society. It was tough fighting the changes some of these laws as old rich family have a hard time letting go of tradition. With the influx of children from non-magical and half/half families, the amount of non-magic people finding out about magic is on the rise therefore we are taking steps to educate both sides about their neighbors. You though you do not have any magical contacts , save me are going to be our first of many to be educated."

Meredith shuffled off toward the kitchen to put the pound cake the Lewis' had brought on the counter. She came to sit back down by Dudley. "Would you like to start us off on your quest for information Dudley?"

" Er...sure."

Harry handed him the first and smallest book, the cover was grey with a picture of a blood-red stone on it; "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," he mumbled looking at the spine of the book. He opened the book to chapter one and read out: "Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived".