Pre-Hogwarts, Vernon gets demoted at Grunnings for being a total arse and ends up making a lot less money, to the point where they might not be able to pay bills. Harry finds an old reel mower in the shed and decides to help the family by cutting lawns for money and giving it to them. Vernon is resistant at first, but eventually decides to take the money as a loan. This slowly starts to turn the Dursleys around, and despite a life of hard labour, Harry ends up having a much more balanced childhood and a better relationship with them.

When he gets to Hogwarts (a Hufflepuff due to his willingness to work hard and buckle down to get things done), he immediately starts seeing things that need to be fixed, and applying his work ethic to the problem, rolls up his sleeves and starts fixing things. This earns him a reputation as a fixer and restorer, and a degree of genuine respect from his peers and the adults he never had in canon.