A/N: It's me! I'm back! And yes, there is more actual writing with this update! (though it isn't really furthering the plot like, at all)

So here I am, about a year and a half since my last real chapter. It feels like it's been much, much longer. A lot has happened since then. A lot more has happened since I first began this story.

This fic was my first serious attempt at story writing, which may cause you to think "well, that explains a lot." Much of this story, especially the earlier chapters, were... clumsily written. If I were starting this story now, it would be very different. Hopefully better.

I've recently gotten back into writing as a hobby. Including fanfictions and original stories, I now have 6 WIPs. Thats because I decided to pick all 3 of my previously abandoned fanfics back up. "Why would you do that when you already had 3 stories to work on?" Well, there are... 3 reasons.

1. I like writing! I'm not that great at yet but still enjoy it. Also have to practice to get better at it. It's much easier for me to write if I can choose between different projects.

2. Poorly executed as they might have been, I still have passion for the ideas that got me started. And I still want to see them through!

3. Reviews. After picking up the abandoned story that I was most happy with, I ended up rereading all the reviews on my stories. And I found them very encouraging, especially the ones for this story. It still amazes me, that this one, the one I'm least proud of, is the one that got me the strongest response. I have no idea why it is, but I guess I must have been doing something right.

I've decided that I will not be replacing the earlier chapters with edited versions. I may still write better versions of them, but if I do I'll be posting them to ao3, where editing a published chapter is much easier. For now, I plunge onwards.

Shoutout to the 184 people who didn't turn off alerts for this story. If you're one of the 5 who did: that's okay I don't blame you. Glad you're back though!

Hi Dudley,

I was really surprised to get a letter from you, and I honestly don't know what to say. I think I want to forgive you, but I don't know if I'm ready to yet.

I was just adopted by a magical family. I have a brother now! I've sent you a picture of us, but not one of the moving kind. That would probably be illegal since you aren't a wizard.

It sounds like you've changed a lot these last months. I think I have too. That's probably a good thing, for both of us. You could tell me about it, if you want.

Harry

Hi Harry,

I was also surprised to get a letter back from you. I'm really glad you have a real family now.

I don't think it's been very interesting for me since I last saw you. Well it was for a bit, with Mum and Dad going to jail, but after that it's been boring. My foster parents won't let me watch TV very much. They want me to play outside and read books but I still haven't made friends here to play outside with and I can't read any of the books they've given me because they aren't interesting enough. I guess that's partly why I wrote to you. Because I'm really really bored here.

I bet there's loads of interesting stuff happening at your school though. Can you turn a person into a toad? Please don't turn me into a toad if we see each other again.

Dudley

Hi Dudley,

Now you know how it feels.

You really should give reading a chance. It's the only thing that kept me from going mad when we in school together. It's good to focus on things you don't like sometimes too. I think reading some boring books would do you good. I guess it's okay if you find interesting ones too.

School has been... far too interesting to tell you about. Unfortunately I cannot turn you into a toad. I will need years of practice before I can do something like that. Let's not meet again until I'm done school.

Harry

Hi Harry,

Please do not turn me into a toad, ever. Please.

After the last letter I sent you, my foster parents got me an interesting book. They asked me about the kinds of TV shows I liked to watch, and when I told them that I wasn't allowed to watch anything with magic in it, they gave each other this look and they took down this set of books from a shelf and gave them to me. They're called "The Chronicles of Narnia" and I've started reading this one called "The Magician's Nephew". Mum and Dad would NEVER let me read these. I think you would like this book too. Unless you've found way more interesting wizard books.

Dudley

Hi Dudley,

I did not say I was going to turn you into a toad. Why do you think I want to turn you into a toad? You really shouldn't make assumptions like that.

I think I've heard of those books before, but I never found them at school to read. A lot of people say they're good. Theo says he wants to read them now, to see what kind of ideas muggles have about magic. Says he wants to be more "multi-cultural". Maybe I will read them too, if he asks our parents for them. If Mr and Mrs Dursley would hate them, they can't be all bad.

Harry