As Albus got on the Hogwarts Express, he felt a pang for his parents. They were standing on the platform, waving at him with sad smiles. Lily was running to catch up with the train, and Ginny grinned as she remembered doing exactly the same thing with her brothers. Albus had always been really close to his only sister, and he trailed his hand towards her as she stopped and waved one last time.

This was it, he thought, as he dragged his trunk next to Rose's, looking for a place to sit. He had finally done it. He was going to Hogwarts! Albus had dreamed about this moment ever since he had learned about the Wizarding school, and heard all about his relatives adventures. He followed Rose to a compartment, and saw that it was already occupied, by what looked to be twin boys, both with dirty blonde hair, and a nervous looking girl with plaits, who was clutching a toad.

"No, it's fine. It's Annie, look!"

Albus strode into the compartment confidently with Rose grinning behind him. As he waved to Annie Longbottom and Lorcan and Lysander Scamander.

"Annie! Lor, Sander. Great to see you!" Al exclaimed.

The girl with the plaits broke into a wide smile. "Hey you guys!"

The two blonde haired boys stood up and clapped Al on the back, and then they all sat down again.

"So," said Rose nervously after a while. "Are you guys excited?"

Annie clasped her toad further to her chest. "Yes, but I am very scared as well. It'll be great having Dad there, but even so…" She tailed off, looking apprehensive.

Lor broke in with a hearty, "There's lots of trouble that-"

"We can make-"

"Without Dad around!" the twins finished for each other.

They smiled such mischievous smiles that Rose frowned at them in a perfect imitation of her mother and said "Yes, but not too much. You don't want Professor McGonagall after you on the first day."

The twins sighed and protested, and Rose gave her trademark arms-crossed and eyebrows-raised looks. This made everyone burst into uncontrollable bouts of giggles.

"Hey!" she objected. "That's not funny! Why are you laughing?" she pouted. Then, seeing the funny side of it, her lower lip trembled in a fruitless effort to stop herself laughing.

"There you go-"

"Rose. We-"

"You-"

"Laugh!"

They finished for each other several times. Then they fell about laughing, and the brothers were so likable, as usual, that Albus and Rose couldn't help joining in. Then was a few minutes of friendly chatter about which Houses they all wanted to be in, while Albus pondered the conversation he had had with his father before getting on the train.

"I want to be in Gryffindor, like my parents." said Albus, lifting an invisible sword. "But I wouldn't mind going in the other three."

"Me too!" said Annie, "Although I'll probably end up in Hufflepuff. Herbology is the only thing I seem to be any good at! I probably get that from my dad. You know, he's the Herbology teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Longbottom? It'll be really embarrassing when we have our first lesson, imagine! I mean, having my dad teach me and everything, and setting me homework! Weird…" she trailed off in thought.

Rose, who had been quite quiet until then, said,

"I want to be in Ravenclaw. My parents say I have the brains and it seems much better than all the others. I suppose I wouldn't mind being in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but I would detest being Sorted into Slytherin."

"Hmm, me too." said Lor.

"Yeah, and me." seconded Sander.

"Well, actually," Albus started, confident after his 'father to son' talk, "Maybe Slytherin wouldn't be so bad. My dad knew someone pretty decent from there. He said that he saved his life. They're not all bad, y'know."

"I guess you have a point," said Rose thoughtfully, "After all, Teddy's grandma is a Slytherin and she's so sweet! She makes us cookies!" She added after receiving a disbelieving look from Lor.

"I guess you could be right, but I still wouldn't want to be in Slytherin." Annie added, shuddering.

"How is our Uncle Neville?" Albus asked, quick to change the subject.

"Fine, fine. And your parents?" questioned Annie.

"Good. Dad gave a few good tips for life at Hogwarts." said Albus jovially, tipping a wink at Lor and Sander. They grinned back.

"I hope they weren't about sneaking around at night! Mum warned me you might take after Uncle Harry." Rosie said disapprovingly.

"Rose! I am deeply shocked you would consider me capable of such a heinous crime!" Albus said, looking positively offended and innocent at the same time.

Annie giggled behind her hand.

As the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, the five friends were genuinely shocked at the time; their first train ride had gone so quickly. As they descended onto the platform dragging trunks, cauldrons and Trevor II, Albus smiled at Rose. She gave him an excited, reassuring grin back, and they boarded the boats. Their great adventure of Hogwarts had only just started…