Nineteen Years Later

DH: Changed Epilogue

Autumn leaves carried themselves, back and forth across the ground. The huge gusts of wind blew leaves off of the trees, making it look like a storm and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road towards the great sooty station, the fumes of exhaust and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs on the cold air.

A leaf fell onto the bottom step of the entrance to Kings Cross Station. Out of nowhere, Lily let go of her father's hand, ran towards the steps and jumped on top of the leaf, determined to hear it crunch. She jumped until the leaf turned into what strongly resembled dust. Her curly hair rose and fell with each jump, then losing her footing, she fell over on to the ground. Her father ran over to her and found that she was smiling.

"I think I'm done." She smiled.

Harry laughed.

"Yeah, I think you are."

Harry Potter picked up his daughter and helped her dust off her clothes. He and Lily then walked back over to the trolleys he was pushing along side his wife, Fallon.

"Daddy, why do I have to wait two years to go to Hogwarts? This is age discrimination!!!"

Harry sighed. How his nine year old knew what discrimination meant, he had no idea. He thought that when she had attacked the leaf, her disapproval of attending Hogwarts at the age of eleven had flown out the window. But like she had been doing all morning, she asked the question again.

He looked to his wife for help, but she was occupied with their sons. Albus' voice drifted up to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!"

"James, give it a rest!" spoke Fallon, to their eldest son.

She was pushing Albus' trolley and Harry had James'. Both held packages and a cage, containing an owl. On each trolley, there was a trunk with initials. One with J.P., which was burgundy and gold. The colors of Gryffindor. The other was just black, with the initials A.S.P. It would change as soon as Albus was sorted.

"I only said, he might be,." Said James grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth--"

Just then Fallon stopped, Albus' cart in front and the boys on the side of her. Harry turned with Lily in hand.

"James Potter!! If you don't leave your brother alone, you will not get on this train. Your brother will go and you will come home with us!!" she said furiously.

James fell silent. It was not the first lashing he had gotten from his mother and it would not be the last. Harry noticed that when Fallon yelled, she was a lot like Mrs. Weasley, whom she got along with very well. Things were rubbing off. He then looked at Al, who, he could tell, would much rather be in James' position. He had been dreading this for weeks.

Fallon walked up to Harry with Albus right next to her, and his trolley in front. James trailed behind.

"That is your son." whispered Fallon to Harry.

He smiled.

"Give him a break." He whispered back. "I was the same way at twelve."

"Liar." She smiled, seeing right through him.

Harry looked at his wife, admiring her features. Her dark skin, brown eyes, and curly hair. She came to him in his time of need and he felt blessed. He then looked at his sons, who were identical in looks, but definitely not in personality. Both of them had short curly hair, and their mother's brown eyes, but James was about five inches taller than Albus. Harry looked down at his daughter, his little girl. She was what he had waited her. A girl. His life changed after she was born. Lily had the same hair as her mother, and that was all she had inherited from her. She had the same green eyes as Harry. The same green eyes that he shared with his mother. She was like her in so many ways. Just as gentle and as smart and equally as brave. He looked from his wife to her daughter, to his sons.

They are perfect. He thought.

The five Potters approached Platform 9 ¾. Harry looked at his watch.

"It's only ten." He reassured his wife.

With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took his trolley from his father and broke into a run. A moment later he vanished. Albus looked terrified.

"You will write to me won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Everyday, if you want us to." said Fallon.

"Not everyday." said Albus quickly. "James says most people only get letters once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week, last year." said Fallon, with a smile. Filling him in on a part James left out. "We'll write to you however many times you need us to."

"Yeah. And you don't want to believe everything your brother tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh."

Harry saw Fallon squeeze Albus' hand to comfort him. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him.

"Whenever you're ready, Alby." She whispered.

Five minutes had past and they where still standing outside of the barrier. People would stare at them as they walked past, because they were just facing, what looked like a wall.

When they would stare, Lily would wave and smile at them.

"Oh come on!" Lily said impatiently. She caught her mother's eye and fell silent.

Finally Albus said "I'm ready" after another two minutes.

Fallon looked as if she had been holding her breath the whole time and finally exhaled. She looked down at him.

"On three?" she asked.

Albus nodded. Fallon looked at Harry and gave him a smile.

"Alright" said Fallon. "1"

Albus grabbed the trolley and got ready to run.

"23!!"

Albus and Fallon ran towards the wall and disappeared.

"It's about time!!"

"Hey." Harry said, and then he and Lily ran at the wall.

On the other side, Harry and Lily greeted Albus and Fallon. James had long gone. He was off talking to friends.

"Great job." said Harry speaking to Albus.

"Thanks Dad."

Lily who was still standing with her father, tugged his hand.

"Daddy you never answered my question!"

Harry sighed again. Fallon heard.

"Wanna switch?" she whispered. He nodded, relieved.

Harry let go of Lily's hand and walked over to Albus. Fallon went to Lily.

"Hey Willy Lily!" said Fallon tickling her daughter. She gasped for breath through her laughter.

"Mommom."

Fallon stopped tickling her.

"Yeah?"

"Could you stop calling me Willy Lily?"

"What? Why?"

"Well, I'm nine. I'm practically a teenager. Teenagers don't let their parents call them Willy Lily."

"Oh. Excuse me. Fine, I'll get your uncle Ron, to stop calling you that too then."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, he gave me the nickname."

"And?"

"Oh, never mind." Lily crossed her arms in a huff.

Fallon bent down to her daughter.

"Sweetie. You're nine. Don't be in such a rush to grow up. These are your best years. Enjoy them. Now how about you help me look for your Aunts and Uncles?"

"Ok." Lily smiled.

"There's my baby girl!"

Fallon gave Lily a kiss on the cheek.

"Aw mom!!!"

"What?!?"

"Baby girl!?!"

"Sorry."

Harry watched Fallon and Lily walk over to the barrier. Fallon looked over her shoulder at him and mouthed teenagers. Harry smiled. He then turned to Albus.

"Hey Al, lets put your luggage on the train."

Albus looked frightened.

"Come on. You'll see it's harmless."

"Ok."

He and Harry steered the trolley towards the attendants helping people with thier luggage. One of them assisted Harry and Albus.

"Thank you." said Harry.

"Uncle Dean!!"

Harry and Albus turned to see Lily being picked up by Dean and swung around. They could hear her laughter where they were. Ginny and Fallon hugged. Harry and Albus walked back over to them. Dean put Lily down and she greeted Ginny.

"Hi, Aunt Ginny."

"Hey little one."

Lily frowned.

"Aunt Ginny, I'm almost a teenager. Little one?!?"

Ginny looked at Fallon, whose hand was over her face. She peeked through her fingers and gave Ginny a don't-ask look. Ginny looked and saw Albus.

"Hey Albs."

"Hiya, Aunt Ginny. Hey Uncle Dean."

"Hey," Dean put his fist on his hips and spoke in a deep voice like a super hero. "AL-BUS MAXI-MUS!!"

Albus laughed. Fallon was glad her brother was there. Harry then gave Ginny a hug. She had been his girlfriend, for three years out of Hogwarts, and then they broke up. He hadn't spoken to her for a long time, when he met Fallon. When they found out that they would be marrying into the same family, Fallon made them makeup. It's because of her that they are such great friends.

"Hey Lil sis." said Dean in his deep raspy voice.

"Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you had to work?" she asked him.

Dean missed a lot of things because of his job. Both he and Fallon worked in the Department Of Mysteries, but he was Head of Office and it was a time consuming job.

"Well, I already missed my daughter off during her first year. I wasn't going to miss her second year."

"Where is Jasmine, anyway?" Fallon asked Ginny, speaking of Dean and Ginny's only child.

"Where did she go?" Ginny asked Dean, who had begun playing a hand game with Lily.

"Went to get rid of luggage." He said as Lily sang.

Harry looked at his watch. It was now ten-thirty.

"Don't worry. They'll make it." Fallon told Harry.

The Hogwarts Express began to emit steam.

"Where do you think they are?" Harry asked Ginny.

"I have no idea."

"Ron was supposed to be driving them here." said Fallon. I spoke to Hermione last night."

Jasmine then walked over.

"Hey, Uncle Harry. Aunt Fallon."

"Hi, sweetie."

"Hey Jaz.

Jasmine walked away again spotting James.

"WE'RE HERE!!!"

They turned around, to see Ron, Hermione, Rose and Hugo.

"Hiya!!!" yelled Lily.

"Hey, Willy Lily!!!"

Albus ran over to Rose and began taking to her, they then walked away with Rose's trolley to put her luggage aboard the train. It was also Rose's first year.

"What took you so long?" asked Dean, as Lily and Hugo sat down at his feet to discuss Hogwarts life.

"Traffic!!" said Ron, smiling like it was a good thing.

"Rose almost had a fit. She thought we were going to be late. Not to mention I had Hermione in my ear."

"I was not." said Hermione as Rose and Albus walked back over to them. Turning red.

"Both of them, exactly the same." Whispered Ron to Harry. "When they gang up on me, its hell!!"

Harry laughed.

Ron looked down at Hugo and Lily talking animatedly about which house they would be in.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you." said Ron. "But no pressure."

"Ron!!"

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.

"He doesn't mean it." said Fallon and Hermione, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty feet away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief of the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointy chin. Draco caught sight of Harry, Fallon, Ron, Hermione, Dean and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly and turned again.

"So that's little Scorpius." said Ron under his breath.

"Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't turn them against each other before they've even started school."

"Alright, Alright," he said. "Don't be mean to him unless he's mean to you, then you know, you have to be mean."

"Or you could walk away." said Fallon.

The kids, Harry, Ron and Dean laughed.

"It was just a suggestion. "she said.

"Hey!!" James and Jasmine had reappeared and were evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," James said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing?" "Snogging Victoire!" He and Jasmine gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction. "Our Teddy. Teddy Lupin." said James. "Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin." said Jasmine. "And I asked Teddy what he was doing"

"You interrupted him?" asked Ginny. "You are so like Ron"

"And he said that he's come to see her off. And then he told us to go away." said James

"He's snogging her!!" Jasmine added as though worried that they had not made themselves clear.

"They should get married." said Lily. "Then he'll really be apart of the family."

"It wouldn't make a difference. He already comes over four times a week for dinner. Real families do that. Why not have him move in?!"

"Yeah!!" James said. "I could share with Al"

"No!" said Harry and Fallon.

"You and Al, will share a room, only when I want to see the house destroyed." said Fallon.

Just then the whistle on the train blew to signal boarding time.

"Don't forget to give Nevile our love." said Fallon as soon as she hugged James.

"Mum, I can't give a professor love!!"

"But you know Neville."

James rolled his eyes.

"Outside yeah, but in school he's professor Longbottom, isn't he. I can't walk into Herbology and give him love" He then turned to Albus.

"Come on Al. The Forbidden Forest waits!!!!"

"JAMES!!!!!" Yelled Fallon.

James ran onto the now crowding train followed by Jasmine and Rose. They waited by the window.

"Come on Alby." Said Rose.

Albus looked frozen to that spot. Harry stepped forward and bent down to his son.

"Go ahead Al."

"Dad, I'm not ready."

"You are."

"No"

"Listen to me. Don't let James wind you up."

"He thinks I'm a loser." he said dropping his head.

"But James is a loser." said Harry with a smile. Al looked up and smiled.

"Hey!" yelled James from the train.

"What if I'm not brave enough?"

"You don't have to be brave!" he saw Albus' face fall. "Albus Severus you were named after two very brave men. Both of them where Headmasters of Hogwarts and both died to protect me. Now whenever you feel you aren't brave enough think of those Headmasters. And if it helps think of how" Harry began to whisper. "James was only named after one brave man." Albus smiled.

The doors on the train began to close.

"Hurry."

Albus ran to the door and James helped him on. Harry closed the door behind him and walked back over to Fallon.

"See you guys during Christmas break." she said to the children.

"Bye." they all sang.

The train sprung to life and begun to move, out of view and then disappeared around the corner.

"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Harry asked.

"Definitely." said Fallon, wrapping her arms around Harry's waist.

"How do you know?"

"Because you are a great father." she said, kissing him on the cheek. "He's happy." Harry smiled.

They turned and looked at Hugo and Lily still sitting on the platform.

"Hey guys. How about lunch?" Harry looked down at his watch. "Or breakfast." Harry said realizing it was only eleven o'clock.

"Alright." said Dean and Ginny.

"Lead the way." said Ron. He picked up Hugo and put him on his back and grabbed Hermione's hand. Dean put his arm around Ginny's shoulder and led the way out of the barrier.

"Are you ready to go Wil" Fallon stopped.

"It's ok, mom. I think, for now I'll be nine." Lily said.

Fallon bent down and hugged her.

"THANK YOU!!!!! I wouldn't be able to take it if you became a teen too. You see what I go through with your brother!!!!!"

"Mom. Mom. I can't breathe!!"

"Oh sorry."

She let her go. Lily got up and took her father's hand. Fallon wrapped her arms back around Harry.

As they walked through the barrier, Lily tugged her father's hand and he knew what was coming. He looked at Fallon. She smiled.

"Hey Lily." said Harry. "How about some pancakes with lots of syrup!!!"

"Ok."

Harry was hopeful.

"But dad, if you didn't want to answer my question you should have just said that!!! It would have been easier!!"

He laughed.

"You're right. It would have been easier."