A/N: I know I haven't updated my other story in a while... but this has been in my head for a really long time... so hopefully you all enjoy.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately no money is being made for this... so you can't arrest me.
I'm currently standing on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. I guess you can say I'm remember the last time I got off the Hogwart's Express. It was right after the Battle of Hogwarts (ironic right?), we won that night.. and even though the wizarding world gained so much, I lost a part of me. It's pathetic for me to say that, I'm not like George Weasley, I didn't lose a twin. I just lost.. the urge to fight.. ever again. I'm glad we won. I'm glad that for once I was seen as a somebody. I just wish my kids felt the same way.
Which brings us to why I'm here in the first place. I have two kids at Hogwarts currently. My son, Matthew Macmillan, and my daughter, Emily Macmillan. Matt is in his sixth year and Em is in her fourth. Thankfully they don't have to go through the same stuff we had to in my day. Unfortunately though, neither of my children went to my house, both ending up in Gryffindor. They should be here any second actually, they'll probably insist on saying goodbye to their many friends and wishing everyone they pass a good holiday. Its so Hufflepuff of them, which makes me proud.
Ah, here is the train now. It's a little less scarlet as it was when I went to school. But magic has it's ways of making I better than ever. I almost miss it.
Two minutes later..
"Hey Dad, where's mom?" Matt asks as he gives me the one armed man pat.
"She insisted on staying home to cook you guys your favorite foods for when you got home."
"Ah cool. Oh look here comes Em."
"Daddy, Daddy! I just have to say goodbye to three more people.. here's my stuff." Em drops off all of her stuff at my feet and takes off running. I hate that stage where they insist that hugging their dad in public isn't cool and that ten minutes without their friends will literally kill them. Ugh, teenagers.
xoxox
I get out of bed in the morning, stretching and hearing all of my back muscles crack in a disgusting way. After using the bathroom I realize that I should probably head downstairs for coffee before the kids wake up, suck up to me, then abandon me on their first day of holiday so they can hang out with their friends. Let the cycle begin.
It isn't until two days later that one of my children even speaks more than a few sentences to me. It isn't even an impressive paragraph.
"Dad, we were out of toilet paper. So I decided that flying my broomstick to the nearest store was a good idea. It wasn't. I may or may not have been seen by mugles. Hope I'm not in trouble. Bye."
Oh Emily, how incredible daft you are.
So, seeing as it isn't common that my kids even care about dear old dad, much less acknowledge him in conversation, you will be as surprised as I am at what is happening in front of me right this second. Here is my first born son, well my only born son, willingly sitting in front of me for lunch. And when I asked if he was feeling okay, he said "Yeah." It came as quite a shock to me as well. I had to check my pulse to make sure I wasn't going to suffer a heart attack. While still in my frantic checking of my pulse, Matt addresses me.
"Dad, did you know there's a picture of you in the Hufflepuff Common room?"
"Is there? Hmm.. wonder why?" I continued reading the paper before it dawned on me that he wasn't even allowed in there.
"Wait, you aren't aloud in the Hufflepuff Common room, so why were you there?"
He looked quite awkward while he was scratching the back of his neck, I don't think he realized that I may notice his little mistake while telling me this bit of information.
"Well, you see, there's this girl I'm seeing.. Well that doesn't really matter. Back to the picture!" He even clapped his hands for effect. He should be glad I'm not his mother, or she'd be pretty peeved right now.
"Okay, so why is there a picture of me in the common room?"
"Don't you already know?"
Now I'm really questioning what he's onto. "What are you talking about Matt?"
"You're like their hero dad. In the picture your fist is pumped in the air and you have one foot up on the table. You appeared to have quite the courage. The inscription had your name, the year you graduated, and Hufflepuff's Greatest Hero written underneath."
"And why in the world would I be known as that?"
"Well I asked the same thing." At least he had the grace to blush. Ugh, kids. "And the reply I got was, "He was the one who insisted he stay and fight in the Battle, he's shown our House great honor and he's displayed that not all of us are weak or pansies."
"I don't know what to say.."
"Dad, I've never been as proud of you as I was when standing there looking at your photo. I swear the kids in there would kill to even meet you. I got a couple requests for your signature, actually."
I walked the rest of that day with a little spring in my step. I guess I'm not as weak as I've always assumed. I guess there is a bright side to everything.
A/N: I must say, I hate the way it turned out. It was so much better in my head. But I had to get it out. I feel that Ernie deserves his credit. That Hufflepuff is so much more than Cedric Diggory.
Review please.