The Flaming Letter

Nineteen years. Nineteen years had passed since Harry Potter had stood across from the darkest wizard the world had ever known, Lord Voldemort, and ended his reign of terror on the wizarding world. Harry Potter was now a grown man, 36-years-old to be precise. His handsome features had drooped slightly, but you could still see the boy within. Harry Potter lay upon his bed, now awakening from his night's sleep. He stared up at the ceiling. It was early morning he could tell, by the pale orange light dancing on the rafters. He looked to his left, but there was no silhouette beside him as usual. He wondered where his wife could possibly be.

Then he started. Today was the day. How could he have forgotten? He jumped out of bed, in naught but his underwear, and rushed to pull on some jeans. He zipped them up, threw on a tee shirt, then quickly hurried downstairs. He stepped into the kitchen and the buzz of his family subsided.

"About time you got up," said Ginny, looking up from the stove, allowing her wand to flip the eggs on her account. Harry stepped over to her and kissed her. The kids at the table sniggered slightly.

"Dad, we're trying to eat," whispered one of the boys at the table. Harry withdrew from the kiss and gave the kids a stern look, then cracked into a smile.

"We'll just see if you change your mind when you fancy a girl James Sirius," said Harry. He looked at the clock on the far wall and clapped his hands together. "Well we better get a move on then, or you'll miss the train. Wouldn't want that to happen now would you?"

The kids all sprang from their seats and hurried out of the kitchen. Harry could hear their heavy footsteps on the stairs. He looked back at Ginny, who looked slightly saddened.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really. It's just the boys will be leaving home for the first time. I'm going to miss them terribly," she said as she turned back to the eggs and placed them on a plate for Harry. Harry sat down and looked up at Ginny.

"Well, Lily will still be home. So, you won't be so alone. Either way, it's all part of life. They need their education, and they'll be home for the holidays soon enough. Don't worry they'll be fine."

Harry finished his breakfast and headed into the hall. Soon the stairway was cluttered with trunks among other things. Harry tripped on the last step and fell a couple of feet down the stairwell.

"James! Get out here and help me get these to the car," he yelled as he nursed his ankle, which he had slammed into a stack of books.

"Coming! Just give me a minute!"

"Now, please."

Harry bounced on his good ankle all the way outside to the car and began packing the trunk with all of the school things. He thought back to his first day going to Hogwarts. Where he'd met his best friend Ron and his wife Ginny for a few seconds before he ran through the stone barrier onto Platform 9 ¾.

How excited he'd been then, and now his children were going to have the same experience. How fast time had gone. At least they won't have to worry about Lord Voldemort, he thought.

How little he had though of Riddle, after all these years still surprised Harry, but perhaps it was best that he kept it contained. His hand automatically shot up to his scar. It had not pained him since that last confrontation, yet he still looked at it in the mirror occasionally and remembered all the pain it had once brought him.

He slammed the trunk and headed inside. It was time to go, and he had to usher his family into the car so they could get to King's Cross on time. After everyone was accommodated in the tiny car, Harry took off ready to set his children free at Hogwarts, where they would roam the halls he once had roamed. Learn the things he already knew.

The kids talked and looked through books on the way to King's Cross. Harry looked in the mirror and saw they were looking through a newer version of, Hogwarts: A History. It had been a gift from Hermione. Suddenly James looked up from the book, his finger pressed against a painting of Salazar Slytherin.

"Dad, what if Albus is put into Slytherin? What will we do?" said James from the backseat.

"I will NOT be put in Slytherin… Will I dad?" Albus wailed, looking longingly for an acceptable answer. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but James flared up.

"If you get put into Slytherin, you'll have to go live somewhere else. We don't want a snake in the house," James said tauntingly. Albus looked beside himself, and frowned.

"That's enough. James leave your brother alone," said Ginny sternly.

"But what if he's in Slytherin. Seriously, we can't have that!"

"I will NOT be in Slytherin!" Albus reared up and crossed his arms, then turned from his brother.

"Enough I said. One more peep out of you, James, and there'll be no packages from home."

Harry looked at his family through the mirror. It was going to be a long, tedious ride to King's Cross, yet he didn't want it to be over too quickly.

INSERT EPILOGUE HERE LOL

Harry turned to Ginny, Ron and Hermione and looked at them all. It had been so long since they had all stood on this platform together. Harry looked at Ginny and hugged her to his side.

"Don't worry mate. They'll fare well. Remember what Hagrid said. No place safer than Hogwarts," said Ron and he proceeded to smile.

"Yeah. Tell that to the east wing. It's still being rebuilt. Whatever spell hit it was powerful enough to keep it from staying together all this time." There was a moment of silence. Harry turned on the platform and called out to Lily, who was still looking after the departed engine. Lily turned and Harry saw tears in her eyes. He held out his spare arm and beckoned her to him. She thrust herself upon his thigh and hugged him.

"I wish I could go with them. I wish I was older," she cried, tears now streaming down her face. Harry let go of Ginny and picked Lily up. He looked into her eyes. Green. Just like his. Just like his mother, whom Lily had been named after. Harry smiled at her.

"You will be old enough next year. Believe me, you'll get your letter and then you'll be off to Hogwarts too. Look at Hugo, he's not upset."

Hugo looked up at Lily and smiled. At last she calmed down. Harry put her down and let her go off to play with Hugo. He turned to Ginny.

"You'll be heading home I trust?"

"Yes. I'll take her home, and put her to bed. She need to sleep. She was up all night talking with her brothers. I heard them, while you were dead asleep."

Ron looked at them both, "Does he still talk in his sleep? He never shut up while we were at school."

Harry laughed.

"At least I didn't wake up screaming about spiders."

Ron's smile wavered, and he pulled Harry into a headlock.

Hermione and Ginny both looked at each other casually, ignoring the scene the two were causing.

"Will they ever grow up?" Hermione asked Ginny across the two men. Ginny simply shook her head. Ron finally let go of Harry, and the two split apart laughing like old friends should. At last the laughing subsided and the men each turned to their wives and kissed them good-bye.

"Well, off to work. Busy men we are," Ron said to Hermione. She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Ronald…"

Ron smiled. He turned to Harry and waved to Ginny. Harry gave one last hug to Lily and Ginny in turn, then disapparated along with Ron.

Ginny and Hermione both turned and headed back toward the stone barrier, ready to head home.

Harry and Ron both apparated outside a grubby looking phone booth. Harry opened the door and climbed inside, Ron right after him.

"Why do you like using these entrances, Harry? We could just use the Floo Network."

"Well, it's a hell of a lot better than the toilets, don't you think? Plus, where's the fun in just apparating to work? Live a little Ron," Harry said and smiled. He lifted the receiver, still disconnected from the main cell, and dialed 62442. Soon, the change return clanged, dropped name badges into the pot, then the lift began to go down into the ground.

Eventually the lift came to a stop and liberated them from the constrained space.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," a woman's voice said casually.

"Yeah, we know. The first floor this, second floor that," Ron said as he straightened his robes. Harry was still in his muggle clothing, but he'd change once he got upstairs to his office.

The Ministry had changed in the last 19 years. The gates were gone, and security was a lot less obvious. The fountain of magical brotherhood had returned, with a few changes Harry had seen to himself. The house elf statue now sported socks on its hands.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," a stout wizard in dark blue robes said enthusiastically as Harry walked by.

"Good morning, Greenwood. How's the family?"

" Good as ever, sir. By the by, Dennis Creevey's been looking for yeh. Says you have something in your office. Told me to tell yeh when I seen yeh."

"Thanks Greenwood." Harry walked along with Ron. He looked at Ron, and he knew he was thinking the same thing. What could possibly be in his office, that Dennis Creevey, now head of security at the ministry, thought important to alert him about? Ron took to the left and Harry continued to the lift. As he walked, he looked up to the new wall of important Ministry workers, and smiled to see Arthur Weasley's face, now lined with age, hair slightly greyer among the others.

He squeezed into the lift, packed as usual with all the notes floating overhead. Although nineteen years had passed and he was more accepted among the wizarding community, people still stared. At him. At his scar. As if wondering, why he was still among them. Why he had survived. He never truly felt comfortable in public.

Finally the lift stopped on his floor and he exited slowly, through the sea of wizards. One on his left was holding a box that seemed to be growling. He quickly veered to the right to avoid whatever may be in the box. After what seemed like ages he made it to his office. He opened the door, stepped inside, slammed the door behind him, and stopped dead. Could it be? Was he looking at what he thought was there? Had he gone mad?

"Fawkes," he said bewildered. The great scarlet Phoenix perched upon his desk, and gave his saddening cry. Harry stepped forward. He wondered if this was perhaps another Phoenix, and he was just being stupid. How could this possibly be the same Phoenix that had belonged to Albus Dumbledore? It couldn't be.

Then the Phoenix turned it's head to look at him with one great, glassy eye. Suddenly a great burst of flame erupted above the Phoenix, then subsided as a flaming letter fluttered to the floor. Against all his instincts, Harry picked up the letter.

His assumptions were now confirmed. The letter was addressed to him, but even stranger was who it was from. The letter was undoubtedly from, Albus Dumbledore.