Prompt fill for fantasticprompts

(Late, but better late than never!)

Phoenix – June 1931 – 15 (going on 16, 5th year)
Linnet – January 1933 – 13 (going on 14, 3rd year)
Leo – March 1935 – 11 (going on 12, 1st year)
Wren – May 1941 - 5

Kowalski Children:

Toby – October 1929 – 16 (nearly 17, 6th year)
Daisy – April 1931 – 15 (going on 16, 5th year)
Ruth – November 1933 – 12 (nearly 13, 2nd year)
Abel – November 1933 – 12 (nearly 13, 2nd year)
Eli – January 1939 – 7 (going on 8)
Lucy - September 1941 – 4 (1 week away from 5)
Penny – January 1943 – 3 and a half

You also see Linnet's Michael (you all know Michael/the Linnet/Michael headcanons, I'm sure ;) ) and it's all generally very busy on Platform 9 ¾ !

Set 1st September 1946.

It was a crisp Autumn day as the family headed to Kings Cross Station that morning, desperately trying not to get separated as the crowd began to thicken. Two older children pushed trollies with trunks in front of them, already moving further ahead in their excitement; behind, a younger and smaller boy with glasses pushed his own trolley, assisted by his father, as the youngest child – a small girl with a bow in her hair – clutched to their mother's hand tightly.

"It's so busy," Wren said quietly, pressing her lips together.

Tina seemed to hesitate only slightly, though she didn't stop walking; it seemed rather silly now, she thought, to bring a Legilimens as young as their daughter to a busy train station, and she couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better for one of them to stay at home with her instead.

Wren frowned, giving her mother's hand a tug forward. "I'm fine. I wanna see Phee and Lin and Leo go, Mummy!"

So stubborn, Tina thought fondly to herself; Linnet was stubborn too, so it was likely that Wren had picked it up from her older sister, given how much time they spent together.

They found their way to the barrier between platforms nine and ten, somehow managing to not become separated by the other civilians rushing about the station. In the time they waited for their parents and younger siblings to catch up, Phoenix and Linnet had managed to start a disagreement as to who was going first through the barrier.

"I'm a girl," Linnet stated primly. "Ladies go first."

"I'm the oldest," Phoenix reminded her tersely. "I go first."

"Not again," Newt groaned, though there was obvious affection behind it. "Alright, no need to fight in the middle of the station, you two: it doesn't matter who goes first, but if we don't hurry then we'll miss the train altogether."

For a moment his two eldest children locked eyes, silently trying to force the other to back down – and then, finally, Linnet sighed. "Fine. Phoenix can go first – but only because if it's blocked then he'll smack the wall and not me."

Phoenix sent her a dirty but triumphant look as he marched towards the barrier with his belongings; Leo watched in fascination as his brother disappeared easily, mouth agape in awe. Linnet followed shortly after, head held high and without a moment's hesitation.

"Alright, now you, Leo," Newt urged gently, putting his hands on his son's shoulders. "Nervous?"

Leo swallowed. "No. Yes. Maybe."

His father chuckled, shaking his head to himself. "I thought so. It is always slightly nerve-wracking the first time, I must say. You'll be fine, Leo, I promise."

The boy swallowed, trying to steel himself as he stared at the barrier between the platforms; it looked easy, but he still couldn't help but worry that it wouldn't work for him for some reason, that he wouldn't be magical enough or something. It wouldn't do well to hold everyone else up, of course, and so he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and started a half-run to the barrier.

When he opened his eyes, a scarlet steam engine appeared before him.

This platform was just as busy as the muggle one he had come from, though it was now filled with families wishing their children goodbye as they prepared to leave for school. Groups of children crowded together to coo over magical pets, over books on potions, and a few were even clamouring to look at what broomsticks their friends had.

By the time his parents and sister appeared, Leo still hadn't been able to see his older siblings or his cousins; Tina looked around as well as they made their way down the platform, craning her neck and frowning to herself. "They should be here already…"

"I'm sure they're here somewhere, love," Newt assured her, also looking around carefully. "And I'm sure Phoenix and Lin are with them too… Ah, over there!"

Moving through the mist, it became easier to make out the shape of another family clamouring near one of the carriages of the train; Queenie beamed at the sight of them, immediately stepping forward toward her sister with her arms open. "Teenie!"

Tina smiled as she hugged her sister back tightly, laughing when Daisy rushed over to greet her; her niece was wearing her prefect badge on her jumper already, clearly pleased with herself. "Still proud about being made prefect, huh?"

"Of course!" Daisy said excitedly, though she looked somewhat tired. "It means I can boss Phoenix about now properly."

Phoenix rolled his eyes but said nothing, helping Jacob lift the trunks onto the train instead. Leo had grown silent, smiling somewhat nervously when Abel looked over his way; before his cousin could say anything, though, Ruth had bounded over excitedly, blonde curls tied back in braids that bounced over her shoulders. "It's gonna be so fun, Leo!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug without warning. "What house do you think you'll be in? I think you'll be a Hufflepuff, that's the best house of course, and it was Uncle Newt's house – you don't want to be a Gryffindor like Phoenix and Daisy, they get in trouble a lot for doing stupid things…"

Meanwhile, Wren had silently taken Newt's hand as she watched her siblings and cousin prepare to board the Hogwarts Express; after a few seconds, she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Can I go, Daddy? I'll be good, I promise."

He chuckled fondly, giving her hand a tight squeeze. "I know you'd be good, Wren. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until you're a bit older, however – it won't be too long now."

"It's forever away," She complained with a pout. "I'm five, and you have to be eleven…that's…" She hesitated, trying to count her numbers in her mind. "That's…six years away!"

"It is," Newt agreed, amused by the disappointed look on her face. "But it'll pass in no time, you'll see." After all, just think about how fast time has passed for the other three…feels like only yesterday they were just mere babies.

Wren huffed, shaking her head to herself. "I'm not a baby either… And time isn't passing for me. It's not fair. I'm going to be all on my own."

"Not completely – me and Mummy will still be here," He reminded her gently. "You'll have us all to yourself, and you can do more around the case now without them. How does that sound?"

"Well… Okay, I guess," She relented half-heartedly.

Linnet, who had gotten onto the train to put her trunk away, appeared then, now chatting amicably with a tall lanky boy; he was wearing a Hufflepuff scarf, dark hair tousled as he nodded and smiled with whatever she was saying.

Wren's shoulders lifted, wrenching her hand out of her father's so that she could run over to them. "Hello, Michael! It's good to see you again!"

"It's nice to see you too, Wren," Michael laughed quietly as she threw her arms around him. "You're getting taller – soon you'll be taller than me."

She pulled a face. "I hope not."

As they continued to talk, Newt decided to see how Leo was faring; his youngest son was now currently with his mother, having been released by Ruth, and looking anxious as she helped him to load the last of his things onto the train. When she reappeared, she looked rather melancholy – and it didn't require Legilimency to understand why.

"You're sure you've got everything?" Tina checked, and Leo nodded wordlessly. "Books, cauldron, wand, jumper… All of it?"

"Yes, Mum." He hesitated. "I'll write when I get there…I mean, once I'm sorted and everything; I'll tell you what house I'm in."

She bit her lip, and when she spoke her voice sounded surprisingly close to breaking. "Alright. Have fun, okay? Try to stay out of trouble, and make some friends too – I don't want you being lonely over there."

"I won't be," Leo assured her, though he didn't sound too convinced himself. "I've got Phoenix and Lin and all the others… I think I'll be okay."

For a moment, neither of them said anything – but then suddenly Leo was lurching forwards, burying himself into his mother's coat and embracing her desperately. Tina looked surprised but said nothing, instead running her fingers through his hair as she held him tightly.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mum," He admitted, growing tearful. "I know I'm being a baby, I'm eleven, but… I will miss you, Mum, I will."

"I'll miss you too," She agreed, closing her eyes to hide the fact that she was tearing up too. "I'll miss all of you while you're gone – but I know that you're going to have a great time too, learning how to use magic properly."

He nodded, almost to himself. "Yeah, I know…but I'm still gonna miss you a lot, Mum."

Although Leo wasn't her youngest, he was still very much her baby in many ways – perhaps because he was exactly like Newt, from his ruffled hair to his love of animals and the natural world. It was always emotional when a child was about to start their first year, as they had learnt with Phoenix and Linnet over the previous years – but with Leo, it was slightly more so, given the close relationship he shared with his mother.

Queenie had also been watching with a small smile, moving now to stand beside Newt. "Teen's worried about him – he's a quiet boy, and she doesn't want him to get picked on by the bigger kids. I was the same with Abel."

"I can't believe he's already off to school," Newt murmured, shaking his head to himself. "I can't believe any of them are off to school, quite frankly…seems strange to consider."

"I know," She agreed forlornly. "I always thought… I figured that if I had kids then they'd go to Ilvermorny, even when I was just a little girl. It's real odd to think that they don't sometimes."

He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but thankfully the whistle from the train cut him off – a sign that it would be leaving shortly.

It was a flurry of goodbyes and final embraces on the platform as parents said farewell to their children and wished them a fun term at school; Queenie was sure to kiss all of her children and then her niece and nephews goodbye as they prepared to get onto the train, beaming brightly and bidding them a fun year. Jacob grinned at each of them as they hugged him goodbye, slipping each of the children small wrapped-up pastries as he did so.

"You know, for the journey," He said, chuckling to himself when Daisy embraced him tightly in thanks; he would, of course, continue to send them baked treats all throughout the school year, as was tradition now in their family.

Unsurprisingly, Leo was the last to board the train; he lingered to say goodbye to his uncle and aunt before turning to both of his parents once more. He looked uncertain of what to say, of what to do, as he gnawed on his lip thoughtfully. "I'll send an owl as soon as I can," He said finally, and behind his glasses his eyes were glistening. "I…I'll miss you both."

Tina moved forwards, pulling him into a tight hug and closing her eyes. "We'll miss you too – every day. But you'll have fun, Leo, I promise; just don't get into too much trouble, and…and really do have fun."

"I will, Mum," Leo promised quietly, pulling away from her.

"Besides, we'll see you for the holidays," Newt added, patting his son on the shoulder. "It'll give you something to look forward to, won't it?"

Their son's face brightened slightly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I wanna go," Wren mumbled, looking saddened as she folded her arms. "I'm the only one not going – it's not fair."

"You'll go too someday," Newt reminded her fondly. "It won't be long at all now, just you wait and see."

Leo gave his younger sister one last hug and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Wren – I'll think about you every day while I'm gone: I'll even write letters just for you." When she looked unconvinced, he added, "I can get Phoenix and Linnet to buy stuff in Hogsmeade, and I'll send it to you. Would you like that?"

"Hmm… Okay!" She agreed, and she gave him a small grin. "But don't forget, Leo, because you promised!"

They watched as Leo clambered onto the train, and just a minute later he was poking his head out of the compartment his siblings had claimed earlier. All of the children were hanging out of the window as best as they could as the train started to pull out of the station, waving and calling their goodbyes to their parents loudly. The train slowly started to gather speed, and it wasn't too long before the children disappeared from sight.

Wren was crying softly against her father's side as she continued to wave, clearly unhappy to be left behind and to have to say goodbye to all of her older siblings; Newt patted her with one hand as the other waved. When he cast his gaze over to his wife, there was a few tears running down her face – small but still there.

"He'll be fine," He murmured to her. "They all will."

"I know," Tina sighed, still staring at the disappearing train – but a smile was slowly making its way onto her face. "I just…can't believe how fast they've grown up."

Wren tilted her head. "Even me?"

"Even you," She affirmed affectionately, somewhat amused as she squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "Come on, I guess we should head home then – your Auntie Queenie invited us for lunch."

The station was starting to empty now that the train had gone, families leaving as they chattered quietly; Newt kept a firm grip on Wren's hand as they made to leave, feeling himself rather overcome with emotion. It was hard to believe that three of his four children were now attending Hogwarts, learning to control their magic and use it properly, when it seemed only recently that they had been mere babies he had carried about his case with him – and he knew that Tina felt the same, even without her saying it.

Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm at Hogwarts now! The train journey was fine, nothing dangerous or out of the ordinary happened – though Phoenix did eat a bean that tasted like vomit (or so he says). It's only my first day, but I already miss you and I miss Wren too. Will you tell the creatures I miss them as well?

I've only seen a little bit of Hogwarts, but it seems so big! The others said that I'd get used to it, and that if I wanted help finding my way around then I could just ask them, but it seems so strange at the moment. The staircases move all the time, just like you said, Dad, and there were ghosts at the feast! They were mostly polite, however, so I'm happy.

The main reason I wrote this letter was to let you know that I got sorted, and guess what? I'm in Hufflepuff, just like you, Dad! Phoenix looked slightly put out that I'm not in Gryffindor like him, but he congratulated me all the same. Ruth and Toby are happy that I'm in the same house as them, and Linnet's friend Michael let me sit next to him at the feast. I feel better about being at Hogwarts because I know some people already – mostly family, but also a few other people who are friends with Phoenix and Linnet.

I'm going to write at least once a week because I still miss you both so much. Remember to tell the creatures that I miss them, especially the bowtruckles, and that I'm thinking about them every day.

Lots of love,

Leo