Harry spotted Dudley coming out of the back of the store, through the small, discrete door that said, “Super Savers Club Only.” That was the entrance to the more overtly Magickal side of the business, catering to older wizards and witches who were still uncomfortable around large groups of Muggles. Dudley was puffing slightly.

  “I should never have let George talk me into ‘upgrading’ those steps. That third floor landing gets me every time. If I don’t pay strict attention, it jumps me back up to the fourth floor over and over! I walked down ten flights once. In a five-story building!”

  “It’s just teasing you, Dud. Isn’t it nice to not have to walk up the stairs, though?”

  “Yeah, but you’ve got to pay attention there, too, or you’ll shoot right past your floor. Come on, walk over to the Tool Sales with me, I need to drop off some forms. What brings you by? Just stretching your legs? Up for some lunch?”

  “No,” Harry sighed. “It’s James. Again.”

  Dudley winced sympathetically. He was well aware of the running battle Harry had been having with his older son. Harry suddenly realized this was why he had come in here. He wanted to get a sympathetic ear from someone who knew, knew, deep down in his heart, what it was like to live with an unknown quantity, (like James had become, and Harry had once been).

  “He’s just that much too clever, and he really resents the hours Ginny and I have to put in lately. Plus he’s all atwitter about Hogwarts this fall, I just don’t know what to do...”

  “Here’s a thought,” Dudley interrupted. “Send him to stay with us for the rest of the summer.”

  Harry gaped. Was the man MAD? Dudley knew from his own youth what a loose cannon an untrained wizard could be, and here he was volunteering!

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Think it through,” said Dudley. “He’s always on his best behavior around Iris. He loves Emily to death, and would run his legs off to please her. And Mum spends a lot of time at the house, and you know how he feels about her.”

  Harry slowly closed his mouth. It was true that his eldest found Mrs. Petunia Dursley both fascinating and terrifying. And he certainly did not put a toe out of line when she was around.

  “But what about how she feels about him?” Harry asked. Dudley shrugged.

  “Mum knows Iris loves her cousin James, and she won’t do or say anything that would make her look bad to Iris. Emily has no sympathy for any anti-magic nonsense, and believe it or not, Mum really cares what Emily thinks.” Dudley chortled. “Emily’s only lost her temper once that I’ve seen, back when we were first dating. Mum made a snippy little remark about no woman being good enough for her Duddikins, trying to pass it off as a joke. Emily drew back and let her and Dad have it, both barrels! It was like being in the middle of a hurricane for about ten minutes, and when she was done, she finished with, ‘,,,and I’VE decided that HE is good enough for ME, and THAT is the way it’s GOING TO BE!’”

  He chuckled. “I swear, it took the curl out of Mum’s perm, and left Dad gasping like a fish out of water.”

  “But, Dudley, we’re talking almost two months. Of James.”

  “Harry, I’ve been going to ask if he could spend some time with us, anyway. Iris has been a little down lately, I think she’s going to miss visiting back and forth, when he goes off to school. Any time we don’t have something going on, she just sits up in her room and plays with her Levi-Sphere.”

  “She still likes that thing, after all this time?”

  “Loves it! She’s figured out all sorts of variations on the games in the pamphlet that came with it, looks like she’s juggling in thin air sometimes. And she found some sort of setting that makes the balls glow! Uses them as a night light when Mum isn’t around.”

  Dudley chucked Harry lightly on the shoulder. “So, c’mon, mate. Do your favorite first cousin a favor?”

  “Dud, you’re my ONLY first cousin.” Harry sighed, and temporized. “I’ll at least run it by Ginny, okay?”

  “Sounds like a ‘yes’ to me.” Dudley glanced away. “Oh, hey, that’s young Jeremy doing a demo over there! You okay to watch? I want to check on how this new feller is coming along.”