The Next Generation: A Year in Time

The Weasley-Potter-Lupin clan ages for this story

Teddy - 21
Victoire - 19
Dominique - 17
Louis and Molly - 15
James, Roxie and Fred - 14
Rose, Al and Scorpius - 13
Lorcan and Lysander - 12
Lily, Hugo and Lucy - 11

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, as much as I love Rose and Scorpius... they aren't mine :( :(

Well, if you don't recognise someone, they're probably mine! I'm pretty sure there are OC's in every chapter, but majority have canon relatives or parents :) :) AND THEY'RE ALL MINE! MUAHUAHUA *coughhairballcough*

Chapter 1

Hugo looked out the window of the Hogwarts Express, sighing slightly. A foot nudged his and he looked up to see Lucy's questioning expression. He just shook his head and looked through the window once more. Hugo mused to himself. Lucy was far more perceptive than the average family member, which could be both a blessing and a curse. He sighed again, wanting to talk but he didn't want to spoil the novelty of the Hogwarts Express for his cousin. And yet... He didn't have to sigh again, Lucy beat him to it. He looked at her questioningly and she just smirked. "Hugo, come on. I'm your cousin; I know when something is up. Tell me," she commanded. He looked at her sullenly.

"Nika's my cousin and she didn't notice," he muttered darkly. Lucy appraised him. "Well, Nika is in the prefect carriage at the moment so it would be rather difficult," she pointed out. Hugo smiled involuntarily and Lucy took that as a breakthrough. "Come on Hu, you and I both know this has nothing to do with Nika being the new head girl," she said. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"Luce.. What if I'm not good enough to be a Gryffindor? Or smart enough to be a Ravenclaw? Or loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff? Heck, I'm even worried I won't be cunning enough to go to Slytherin! What if they send me back, if I have a recessive gene that means I'm not good enough for Hogwarts?"
Lucy eyed him warily. She had an inkling where this had come from and she was going to murder her cousin as soon as she calmed down her best friend. "Hu, does this have anything to do with what happened this summer?" He nodded slightly. She sighed deeply then fixed her baby blues on his deep brown eyes. "Hugo, listen to me. Hogwarts is amazing, and you'll just make it even better. There is no recessive gene, and you're going to do fine at Hogwarts. There isn't a house that would be unlucky to have you. You're one of the bravest people I know. Only someone with Gryffindor courage would dare wake Rosie up at 6 am cos James had forgotten to mention to her that the portkey to the World Cup was leaving early. You're also incredibly wise and intelligent; you can calm even Rosie down from her worst moods with your cool logic and interesting perceptions of the world. You'd make a great Hufflepuff because you're so loyal, and the best friend a person could ever dream for. And Slytherin would be incredibly lucky to have you because having you to themselves would make all the other houses jealous for having such a brilliant kid. Don't worry Hugo, you'll do fine. I promise we'll be best friends no matter what house we're in, and if for some insane reason they decide you don't belong then I'm leaving with you," she told him sincerely. He nodded and hugged her. She hugged him back, smiling. "Hugo, I'm going to go find Lils. I'll send her back here okay?" He nodded happily and looked out the window with excitement.

Lily was walking down the corridor looking for her two cousins when she crashed into one of them. "Sorry Luce, are you okay?" she asked the fallen redhead. Lucy nodded and Lily hauled her up. "I was just looking for you. Hugo is at the end compartment, I'll meet you there in several minutes," Lucy said to her cousin. "Did something happen?" Lily asked her friend curiously.

Lucy nodded and said, "I need to kill James". Lily just nodded and began walking away. She stifled a laugh as she heard an enraged redhead girl yell, "JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!", and turned to find her fourteen year old brother cowering as her cousin glared evilly at him. Laughing fully this time, she turned and left her brother to what she was certain was a well deserved fate. She went down the corridor to find Hugo, still chuckling.

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!" The boy in question cringed noticeably before turning to meet his cousin, glaring as his friends doubled over laughing.

"Erm.. Hi Lucy?" Now Louis was shaking his head, torn between amusement as his friend cowered in front of their eleven year old cousin, and fear for his safety as Lucy walked closer to James, frighteningly similar to a lioness stalking her prey. Freddie had completely skipped over the fearful part and was laughing so hard that Louis wouldn't be surprised if he wet himself. Roxie was looking on in exasperation, glaring at James whilst wringing her hands, as if to silently accuse him of doing something. Molly's reaction by far was the most bizarre. She looked as if she wanted to intervene, though on whose behalf Louis wasn't sure, but she was having a hard time trying not to smirk. She was alternately glaring at James and exchanging exasperated glances with Roxie but she definitely looked the most curious. Lucy glared ferociously at James, murder in her eyes. "Oh Godric James, what did you DO?" Roxie demanded, infuriated. He shook his head, looking confused. This was evidently a bad move as Lucy noticed and started yelling. "What did he do? What did he - I'll tell you what he did Roxie. This summer, the summer RIGHT before Lily, Hu and I get sorted, what does this stupid prat decide to do? He decides to INFORM Hugo that there's a recessive Weasley gene that means that they're not special enough to get into ANY Hogwarts house, and then goes and convinces the poor boy that he's got it! He decides to tell his cousin who is THREE YEARS YOUNGER that he won't be allowed in Hogwarts, that he isn't special enough to be accepted in the place he's been dreaming about his entire life! I just gave him a pep talk, James! He was so worried that he wasn't even enjoying the novelty of his first ride on the train!" Lucy ranted. By now Roxie and Molly were glaring at James ferociously, though not as angrily as Lucy. Fred was shaking his head, irritated with James and even James looked ashamed. Louis stared at the ceiling, as if he was hoping for divine intervention. Molly broke the silence first. "James Sirius Potter. You. Did. WHAT?" James backed away from the two fuming sisters and attempted to hide behind Fred. Roxie pulled Freddie out of harm's way, shaking her head at James as if to reprimand him for using her brother as a human shield. All the girls were glaring at him and even Fred looked irritated so James looked towards Louis. If he was looking for an ally he wasn't going to get one. Louis stood his ground, staring at the younger boy with a level gaze. "Fine! I'm sorry!" James told the raging females. They all shook their head in unison, scaring Louis slightly.

"Uh-Uh. You're apologizing. And we are coming with you!" Lucy told James firmly as she prodded him in the chest. James looked as if he was going to whine but a sharp look from Molly silenced him. "Fine," he grumbled and they followed him out to the corridor.

James knocked on the door to the compartment where Hugo and Lily were sitting, animated by their discussion on the houses. The duo looked up, Lily faintly amused and Hugo slightly nervous. Lily got up and allowed her brother and her cousins in, wondering how fiercely she should be glaring at James. If the guilt on his face was anything to go by, then pretty fiercely. Lucy poked James in the back and he scowled at her. Scowling right back, she tapped her foot impatiently. James couldn't believe it. Since when did eleven year olds terrorize their fourteen year old cousins? Shaking his head, he turned to Hugo, apologetic. "Ah, look, Hugo, I'm sorry about the recessive gene thing. I was joking, honestly! But, ah, Lucy darling here made me see the error of my ways," he told Hugo anxiously. Molly stomped on his foot. "OWW! Merlin's rickety crickets! Molly! What the bloody hell was that for?" James demanded, irate. She glared down at the younger boy, sniffing slightly. "You haven't apologized for the worthiness issues yet!" she whispered angrily, reluctant to allow Hugo to hear her prompting his prat of a cousin. James rolled his eyes and whispered back, "Fine." Turning to Hugo, he cleared his throat and told him, "Hugo, you'll be brilliant no matter what house you're in! I promise to support you no matter your house, as long as you promise me to stay unprejudiced and wise, okay?"
Hugo nodded his assent, tears welling up in his big, brown eyes. "Oh!" Molly wailed before coming up and hugging her youngest male cousin.

Rose was walking down the corridor with her best friend Albus, looking for their family. What they didn't expect to find was Dominique and Jake Boot chatting away to their heart's content with Gina Delsch glaring at Dominique, obviously affronted by the lack of attention she was receiving. Rose erupted into silent giggles as Albus looked at her, confused. She sighed exasperatedly and beckoned him over to a secluded part of the corridor. "Gina Delsch is jealous of our Nika! That Hufflepuff nuisance is jealous over Jake TALKING to Nika! Delsch has been after Jake for years and now the Hufflepuff harpy has another reason to hate Nika... First being the quidditch cup last year and second being the fact that Delsch still thinks she deserves head girl!" Rosie explained to Albus, who was suddenly less confused. "So... Does Nika like... Jake?" he asked slowly. Rose tilted her head thoughtfully. "It looks like it," was her eventual answer.
"Are we going to, y'know, get her?" Al asked his cousin hesitantly. "Of course not! Why would we do that?" she exclaimed. "Well... Uh, the compartment?" he offered weakly. Rose just shook her head, exasperated. "Nika's been going to the compartment for 7 years now, she'll find us eventually," she told her cousin, tugging him along the corridor. "Come on, I hear James," she told him and shoved him into a large compartment filled with brunettes and redheads.

Al fell through the compartment door and hit the floor. Rubbing his head, he glared at Rose, who just smiled, unperturbed. He looked around to see Molly staring at him in bewilderment, clutching Hugo for some reason. James was wringing his hands a bit, but stopped and grinned when he saw his brother on the floor. Lucy was scowling at James fiercely and Lily's stony gaze was fixed upon her eldest brother. Rose, who had evidently taken in all the signs her relatives were giving, sighed and said, "James, what did you do?"
"Why must everyone always assume that I did something?" James asked, indignant. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Dude, do you actually want an answer?" Louis asked his cousin, smirking slightly.

"... You may have a point," James conceded.

"A point? Mate, they have an entire bulletin!" Fred told him, laughing. James merely stuck his tongue out at him. Rose decided to intervene.

"So what actually happened?" she persisted. The female cousins all glanced at one another and then Lucy began to speak.

"James teased Hugo about something during the holidays but it kinda... Exploited some insecurities that Hugo had been hiding from us, and I got mad and yelled at Jamie and he apologised to Hugo and yeah," she trailed off. Al could see the different emotions warring on Rose's face. The way he knew exactly what she was thinking was just a testimony to how long they'd been best friends. He knew that she was upset that Hugo didn't tell her, outraged at what James had done and incredibly amused at what Lucy did to the oh-so-brave James Sirius Potter. Eventually amusement won out. As James watched her warily, she leaned against the compartment door and cocked her head towards her family. Then she promptly burst out laughing. "Sorry, Hugo, for making light of your worries but you," she turned on James, gasping with mirth, "cowered and actually APOLOGISED because your eleven year old cousin glared and yelled at you?"
Now Al was rolling around on the floor, shoulders shaking with mirth. Louis was chuckling, both at his cousin's surprising reaction and at James' obvious chagrin and discomfort. Molly muttered something along the lines of 'idiotic fourth year' and 'stupid boy' while Roxie collapsed into giggles next to her, holding onto a cackling Fred for support. Lily and Lucy only cracked a smile after Hugo started laughing, and before long the three first years were laughing themselves hoarse. "What in the name of Merlin is going on in here?" came a shocked voice. Everyone turned to look at Dominique, standing in the doorway with a questioning look. Everyone began talking at once but could never say more than three sentences without collapsing into giggles. Except James. Dominique noted his odd silence and obvious discomfort. She pointed her wand at Molly, who she thought would be the most truthful, and muttered a quick sobering spell. While most people used it for alcohol, Dominique had her own creative uses for the spell. "Molly. Talk," she commanded her cousin. Molly recounted the entire tale, James blushing slightly but seemingly more defiant. When Molly concluded her tale, James said defensively, "Don't look at me like that! Lucy can be SCARY!"
Nika just shook her head and laughed. They all sat down and played exploding snap, occasionally teasing each other and laughing all the way to Hogwarts.