Harry Potter watched his son leave on the Hogwarts train. He waved goodbye and hugged his wife, Ginny.
"He's going to do great." She smiled looking up at her husband.
"I know he is."
All was well.
Harry and Ginny left the platform with Ron and Hermione. They talked and reminisced about their school experiences when someone caught Harry's eye. Across the crowd leaning on a wall, a middle-aged woman with blond hair and blue eyes was smiling at him. She looked almost sad as she clutched a book with his name on it.
"So that's why I was thinking-Harry? Are you listening?" Hermione tried to get his attention but his eyes were fixed on the woman.
"Yeah," he said distracted, "you guys go. I'll catch up." He started moving toward the woman.
"We'll be at The Leaky Caldron!" Ginny shouted to Harry but he was rushing through the crowd of busy pedestrians and did not hear her. Harry was running to her now, not wanting to lose sight for even a second. But he tripped on the pavement and fell with a thud and a curse. When he got up again the woman was gone. Harry nursed the shoulder that had taken his fall, and wandered over to the brick building where she had been standing. Her book was propped up on the wall with a silver bookmark sticking out. Harry picked it up and read the cover.
"Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, it's my culmination of seventeen years of work. And you Harry Potter."
Harry spun around; the woman was standing right in front of him.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Come, I want to take you out for lunch."
Harry followed obediently still holding the book in his hand. He didn't feel threatened by this stranger in fact he felt completely safe. She had another worldly feel about her as did the book he was holding.
They walked to a little place called La Regina and sat down. The woman ordered a tea and Harry a water; he was nervous to start talking but the woman thankfully started first.
"Harry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."
"What?"
"I'm sorry for not giving you a happier life, or letting McGonagall take care of you as a baby, or having you parents not murdered. I'm sor-"
"Stop, stop. Why are you sorry? It happened in the past, it's all done, and it's over. Nothing can change it."
"I know but I could have done something in the beginning. I could have never written you in the first place."
"I don't understand."
"I know, let's forget about the war for a little while. What would you like to eat?"
They each ordered a sandwich and the woman asked him instead about his first year at Hogwarts. Harry relayed in detail about his adventures all the while the woman nodded along; she was completely captivated by his tale. Their food came and Harry moved on to the second year, then the third, and the fourth. He stopped when he began taking about Cedric. The woman put a hand on his her face full of understanding as if she had been there.
"It was very hard for me to kill Cedric. His death symbolized a lot in your story."
"Why can't you bring him back? Why can't you bring any of them back?" He held his hand in hers.
"Because your story is over. And it's no longer in my hands. You Harry Potter now have to decide your own ending."
She paid the cheek and asked him to go for a walk. He stood with her and they walked the streets.
They were silent for a moment then Harry began telling his story again. He told her about Sirius dying, the war, Ron and Hermione, and the thought of losing them.
Then he told her about seeing his parents in the Forbidden forest. He looked down; she was crying.
"Please, continue."
So he did but with more vigor. He wanted to rush through so that he could stop and wipe her tears. So he talked about becoming an Auror, dealing with the war, marrying Ginny, and having their first child. By this time she was slowing down her tears and instead smiling at him. So he went on and told her about raising his family, watching them grow and how much happier he was. He told her about his scar and how it never burned anymore and that he couldn't speak to snakes. Then he told her about watching his son leave for Hogwarts and how heart wrenching it was, and that when he waved goodbye he thought he felt a million people do the same thing.
The woman had stopped crying but didn't stop smiling. She looked at him like a mother looked at her child.
"You've been so brave, Sweetheart."
Harry gasped and looked deep into her eyes. Those were his mother's last words to him. It couldn't be.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who had a good idea and ran with it, but created such devastation that I may never be able to repay. But I created you Harry Potter so I believe that it was worth it all. But if you must know," she hugged him, "my name is Joanne Rowling."
She let go and grinned at him in a satisfied way. He was still stunned. She started walking away leaving him behind but before she did she turned around and shouted:
"And Harry! If your son gets put in Slytherin talk it out with him immediately. Believe me when I say it will save you a lot of trouble!"
She waved goodbye and was gone.
Harry was bewildered and not sure if the encounter had even happened, for all Harry knew he could have been talking to himself. Muggles where passing by him as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred but he looked down at his hands. Her book was still in them. The title now read: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Harry rushed off to find Hermione and Ron.
"I think it's time for another adventure."