CHAPTER I

Harry Potter hit the brakes with his foot and the car stopped. Ginny smiled at him and turned around to separate James and Albus, who had been bickering most of the journey about who they thought hottest in Gryffindor House.

James was already in his seventh year, while Albus was on his sixth. Next to them sat a very grown up Lily, already fourteen. She'd been studying abroad, at Beauxbatons, for the first three years of her school education. Now she would be starting her fourth at Hogwarts. Both James and Teddy, their adopted big brother, were proving to be big jerks regarding this. During all Summer, they'd been telling her not to 'go off and hook up with some big Slytherin loser'.

Lily wasn't used to rivalries. At Beauxbatons they weren't sorted out into Houses, there were just several groups in each year to make it easier for professors to actually teach. A classroom full of one hundred students would have certainly been hard to control. The decision of her moving back in and going to Hogwarts had been hers. She was fluent in French and had made good friends there, but she had no intention of taking a job in France and she wanted to try the school all her family had gone to. Besides, she was closer to home that way.

Lily sure was her grandmother's namesake. Her red hair was a few shades darker than her mother's, so that it resembled a furious fire, and it fell in waves around her pretty face. Two hazel eyes, much like her brother James's, sparkled, hiding a dangerous twinkle within. Lily was exceedingly good at Potions, Charms and Transfiguration. She could hex, jinx and curse most anything and she always won the duels. That meant that everyone was careful not to anger her, as they knew the consequences. She was also one of the youngest animagi in three generations. Even Teddy hadn't achieved that yet (although he had the Metamorphagus advantage, which was not that bad)

Due to all this, Harry had spoken to Mcgonagall and she had agreed that doing Fourth Year would be a sad waste of her talent. So she was going directly on to Fifth Year, the year of the O.W.L.S. She was deeply excited. She couldn't wait to get to the castle, into Gryffindor (although according to her Auntie Hermione she could very well be placed into Ravenclaw) and start working on more advanced stuff.

The Platform 9 and ¾ was full of parents waving goodbye to their children. The Potter family found the Weasley one soon enough. Ron messed Albus's hair.

"My Lord, you look more like your dad every freaking day" he mused.

"And I daresay James is so much like Sirius regarding personality it's a wonder he hasn't gotten himself expelled yet" Hermione said reproachfully, looking at her oldest nephew.

"Come on, Hermione, Sirius was never expelled"

"Mere luck" the woman answered.

"Mere awesomeness" Ron corrected, kissing his wife's temple.

"How is it that you never talk much about that Sirius James was named after, dad?" questioned Albus.

Harry's face went a little sour.

"Darling, we'll discuss this another time, your father always finds it hard to talk about him" Ginny whispered softly to her middle son.

"It's okay, darling, really. It's just... I sometimes miss him. He was my godfather, and it was partly my fault he died when he did" Harry's expression was contorted by the pain.

Lily gasped slightly and hugged him.

"I'm sure that's not true" she muttered.

"And I know it isn't true" Ginny smacked her husband in the head "Stop saying things like that, really! And you, miss, get on the damn train!"

Lily hopped on, followed closely by her brother Albus (James had jumped on as soon as he had gotten on the Platform) and her cousins Rose and Hugo. Rose was a proud Ravenclaw and Hugo was a Gryffindor, same as Albus and James. They all played Quidditch: Hugo was a tough beater, along with James, and Albus was the best catcher on the Gryffindor team. Though he was so physically similar to Harry, it was Ginny's abilities and personality he had taken after. Lily was the one who resembled their dad most. Not looking for trouble, but if she got into any, she always snaked her way out, winning something in the process. And she was brave, oh, yeah. Only not reckless. Lily just hoped that the Seeker spot would be free on the team. She was as good as Harry had been by then.

The train shot smoke from the chimney as it began to move. Harry looked on as it disappeared in the distance.