He glided out through a wall and made his way into the great hall. He looked over the four tables, smiled to a few Gryffindor students on their way out of the great hall and continued looking for a seat by the Gryffindor table. He saw one, up by the end of the table next to a young girl, with bright blonde hair flowing down her back, all the way down to her waist, must be a seventh year student he thought. She was a head girl, judging by the badge on her robe. He was almost there, by the open seat when something else caught his attention.

No?...

Was it?

Could it really be?

…

The Potter boy? Harry?

No. It wasn't possible, Harry was all grown up now, he was working in the ministry of magic, Harry made his goal, he was an auror, Nick was sure of that. McGonagoll told him about it when she'd gotten the letter Harry sent her with the good news.

But there he was, sitting by the Gryffindor table.

He had to talk to this boy, and now he was just a few feet away from him, but then, the boy got up from his seat said goodbye to his friends and started walking out of the hall. Nick decided to follow this boy, but as the boy had gotten up the staircase and a few steps down the west corridor he noticed the ghost following him.

The boy stopped, and slowly turned around. Nick considered just disappearing through the nearest wall, but his curiosity was holding him back. The boy smiled at him and greeted him with a polite "hi" and continued by saying "my father told me I'd be seeing you, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington." Not expecting hearing anything like this from the boy, Nick was chocked by this saying, but all he managed to reply with was just the two words "your father?" and a very, very confused look on his face. "yes. He told me a great deal about you, like your 500th death day party." Nick moved a little bit closer to the boy and said "So you're…" but he wasn't sure what to say next, and just stopped mid sentence. But the boy understood where he was going. He smiled and said:

"My father is Harry Potter… I am James Potter"

The boys grin while telling Nick this was so wide, and he looked so proud.

"well… it was about time I've met you, young Mr. Potter" Nick said, with a rare smile. He didn't smile like this very often. "You're here all by yourself?" Nick asked. James understood what Nick was wondering. "my brother and sister aren't old enough to go to Hogwarts yet, Albus Severus and Lily Luna are still at home with mom and dad. Hugo is also too young, but Rose is here"

Nick smiled to the boy looking at him with twinkling eye, he looked so pleased to finally meet him, imagine that, someone was happy to see old Nicholas. "Who's this Rose and Hugo?" Nick asked, he understood that Albus Severus and Lily Luna was the two remaining Potter children, so typically for Harry to name his children like that. Much could be said about Mr. Potter, but one thing no one could deny was the fact that he was a fine man. But Nick couldn't quite place the last two children James spoke of, Rose and Hugo. He knew he'd heard the names before, but who where they?

"They're my cousins. Ron and Hermione's kids of course" the boy giggled, like he remembered something fun. "of course they are" said nick, with a smile, brighter than ever before.

James noticed the change in Nick's smile, and looked a bit confused. But he wasn't sure if he could ask why. "I remember back when your father and his friends was in their first year here at Hogwarts" he smiled and sighed, before continuing "The way young Mr. Ronald looked at Miss Granger was just heartwarming, he looked at her like the way a blind man looks at the sun for the first time. He'll never admit it, but he loved her since the first time he led eyes on her." Like the young boy he was James, he wrinkled his nose and said "eww" as he giggled simultaneously. "The same goes for your father, oh. He loved his Ginny from the start" Nick continued, he let his mind wander back, his eyes faded in to the past along with his thoughts.

He'd seen so many students, followed them through the years. And after a long time, he followed their children, and grandchildren. He followed generations by generations go by.

The though made him both happy, and very sad at the same time.

He shook his head, and returned to the present time. James was looking at him; his face was glowing of questions he didn't dare to ask.

"I'm just an old soul, young Mr. Potter. Never mind me. Run along now. You're probably late for class… You'll be running in to me again sooner or later" Nick said with a smile, he enjoyed the thought of talking more to the son of Harry and Ginny Potter.

James checked the watch on his left wrist; his eyes widened as turned around and started running back down the stairs and towards the green houses. "Neville is going to kill me if I'm late for my first class of his!" he murmured.

Nick hadn't moved. He was floating mid air following the running boy with his eyes. Even when he was out of sight he was floating at the same spot as before. Nick shook his head again, not to clear his thought like before, but simply out of habit, a human reflex, and floated away, down the west corridor.

He didn't have any particular destination in mind; he just floated though the castle. And a little voice in his head, that hoped he'd run in to other familiar faces. Maybe he'd meet Rose Weasley, or the Malfoy boy, Scorpius.

Oh, this would be a great time to be at Hogwarts, Nick though.

So many children, so many children of previous students he'd followed through the hardest, most challenging time of Hogwarts history. Imagine what their kids would be like.

Nick was happy about the thought that he, of all, could see the children of the greatest generation of all grow up. See them grow up in peace.