"Are we there yet?" Lily inquired from the backseat. "Nearly there, sweetie." Her mother Ginny replied. "That's totally not the same thing you said twenty minutes ago, Mum. Thank you for a nice, new, refreshing answer." James said sarcastically, making his brother Albus giggle. "Rose just texted me. They're already there." Lily said worriedly, looking up from her new phone. "And so are we," her father, Harry, said as he pulled into a long driveway.
As soon as Harry stopped, the kids excitedly hopped out of their mini-van to go greet their cousins, Rose and Hugo Weasley. Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny got out and walked over to say hi to their lifelong friends, Ron and Hermione. As a group, the two families made their way to the large front door.
"Looks like everyone is already here," Hugo observed as he rang the doorbell. "It's so hot out here, what's taking so long?" Rose whined as she lifted her hand to ring the doorbell again. Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing Scorpius Malfoy... wearing a purple apron embellished with his initials.
"Hey, guys! Welcome! Sorry about the mess, Dad's getting some renovations done." He said, opening the door wider, welcoming them in, only to reveal the cleanest house they had all collectively seen in their entire lives.
Scorpius led them all to a large sitting room, where people were already gathered. Bill and Fleur Weasley were standing in the corner deep in conversation with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Cho and Dudley Dursley were laughing over drinks with George and Angelina Johnson-Weasley by the grand piano. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were still tan from their honeymoon, were showing off their newly adopted baby girl to an exhausted Charlie Weasley.
...
Practically everyone they had ever known was there. And finally, after what seemed like hours of awkward small talk, Draco Malfoy stepped out the kitchen (wearing an apron matching his son's) and announced that dinner was ready.
...
"Alright kids, you know what time it is," Ginny said just after the last bites of dinner had been taken. "But Mum..." James complained as she herded all of the children up the stairs. "No buts, James. You know the drill. Every year, after dinner on Summer Bank Day, you kids go into the library and play while we adults head into the study and-" " Have a private adult discussion..." The children droned in unison, having heard this speech before.
"But why don't Teddy and Victoire have to come to the library and play?" Rose whined, gesturing to her older cousins as she marched up the stairs behind the others. "Teddy and Victoire graduated from Hogwarts this summer. They are now fully-grown wizards, and adults, which means they can participate in our... discussion," Ginny replied firmly to her niece. "Now no more beating around the bush," she continued tiredly as she stopped in front of the library doors, "We'll come get you when we're finished." And walked away.
And with that, all 14 children filed into the library.
...
An old woman sat in front of the fireplace, slowly rocking back and forth in a large black rocking chair. Even from behind, each child recognized her immediately.
"Headmistress...er...I-we didn't...um.." Dominique spluttered out awkwardly, having almost been expelled from Hogwarts by the witch earlier that school year. "What my apparently socially awkward sister means to say is that we expected you to be downstairs with the adults in the study," Louis said, matter-of-factly.
"Well first, I must say, hello say to you all. And to your quite eloquently put statements, Mr. and Ms. Weasley, I have decided that since I am in fact getting old, I would much rather spend time with you children than discuss... politics when I have been deemed no longer fit to partake in such politics."
"So all of us have beef with the people downstairs?" Scorpius asked his former headmistress.
"I am not fully up to code with all of the slang these days, but if you are suggesting that we are all somewhat angry at the people downstairs, you are correct, Mr. Malfoy." Professor McGonagall replied.
"So why don't we do something about it?" Hugo suggested, raising a mischievous eyebrow. That began a large cacophony of troublesome ideas, which went on for a good three minutes, only to be stopped by the loud bang of the professor's cane against the hardwood floor.
"Having been a professor and a headmistress of Hogwarts, I cannot condone such heinous acts. But I do have a way to get back at your parents... I'm going to tell you a story."
"A STORY?! How in the -pardon my french- bloody hell will telling us a story get back at our parents?!" Lorcan inquired forcefully.
"Sorry about my brother, but he's right. How will telling us a story do anything?" Lysander asked.
"This isn't just any story. It's a story that you've never been told before, partially because none of your parents had been born yet, but also because of some good reason," she paused, "I am going to tell you the story of the Marauders." The children exclaimed excitedly, all except for one. Molly.
"I don't think that my father would be too happy about this," she said, referring to her father, Percy Weasley.
"Oh please, sis. We both know that Dad probably did worse with that old girlfriend of his, Penny Clearbrook or whatever," said her younger sister Lucy, snickering. The group laughed, having heard about what Percy and Penelope had "done" during their years together at school. Once the laughter had subsided, Professor McGonagall continued,
"If there aren't any more disruptions, let us begin.
In 1971, thousands of children in Great Britain turned 11. For most, turning 11 wasn't all that special. But for a select few, it was the day that they had waited for their whole life.
Purebloods hungrily waited for the letter that would change their lives forever. The letter that would prove to them that they were just as special as the rest of their family. Some even slept by their mail slots waiting.
Halfbloods quietly hoped that their parents' magical lineage would pass on to them.
As for Muggle-borns, well, they had no idea what was about to hit them. Literally."