As James walked slowly onto the train, which had just started moving, he noticed a beautiful girl a couple compartments down the aisle. She had long, brown hair and matching warm, brown eyes. She beamed as she rushed to him for a hug.
"James! It's been so long!" said Olivia, James' girlfriend.
"Too long, Liv. How are you?" he asked, returning her hug.
"I am just perfect now that I can finally see you! Not that I don't enjoy your letters, but I can't believe I only got to see you once over the holiday!" she exclaimed, then grasped his hand to lead him to a compartment.
James sat across from Olivia and held her hand on the table between them. He gazed out the window as she spoke of upcoming classes and friends she hadn't spotted on the train yet. Eventually, Olivia realized James wasn't paying much attention.
"James? Is everything alright?" asked Olivia.
James looked at Olivia with worry. He'd known her ever since they'd been placed in the same boat to Hogwarts as First Years. They'd become best friends, and at the beginning of their fifth year, they'd become slightly more than friendly with one another. He knew he could tell her anything. So, James told Olivia what his father had told him just before the train left.
Olivia was frowning; her face was pinched with worry.
"How many broke out? Who are they?" she asked.
"I don't know, he didn't really have time to tell me. He actually didn't tell me much at all. I don't even get why he was so worried. I mean, I'm sure there was a reason, but he sure didn't share it with me," said James.
Olivia nodded, but now it was her turn to gaze out the window. She was thinking hard about something, and James could tell.
"What is it, Liv?" he asked her.
Olivia turned to look at James and said, "It's just...what if they're Death Eaters?"
"So what if they are?" asked James, confused.
"James, your dad put most of them in Azkaban. Even the ones who weren't captured immediately after the war...he helped hunt the rest of them down. He led the hunt. They've been stuck in Azkaban for like twenty years because of him."
James stared at Olivia, unsure of what to say. Olivia looked down at her hands and continued.
"Those Death Eaters have been sitting in Azkaban for years thinking about how much they hate your father for sending them there. They've had years to think about what they'd do to him if they got out. Now, they're out."
James smiled and said, "He beat them once, he'll beat them again. They don't stand a chance against my dad, especially when his Auror buddies are with him."
Olivia's frown did not falter, and she looked down at her hands once more.
"I think they know that, James," she said slowly.
"Then what are you getting at?" asked James, frustrated.
Olivia took a deep breath. "To hurt someone, it doesn't always require physical pain. Your father is one of the greatest wizards of our time, and those Death Eaters know that. They're horrible, disgusting people, but they're not stupid. They know they don't stand a chance against your father. They'd settle for the next best thing."
Olivia slowly looked up to stare right at James, whose stomach clenched as realization hit him.
"Which ones?" asked Hermione, rushing up to the sign along with her friends.
"Yaxley, Dolohov, Rowle, Macnair...there's ten of them!" said Harry, running his fingers through his jet black hair.
"Harry, they might not be planning anything. They escaped, maybe that's all they wanted to do," said Ron hopefully.
"I don't think so. For them to escape, they'd have needed outside help. Death Eaters are all selfish. They wouldn't help one another unless they gained from it as well. They have to be all focusing on something. They're working together," said Ginny, staring at the sign picturing Rowle, a blond, burly man.
"So they're after Harry?" asked Ron.
"It's not me I'm worried about, Ron," said Harry, "it's the kids."
Ron gasped and turned to look at the train as it disappeared, as if he could catch up and pull his children out of it.
"Ron, they'll be safe at Hogwarts," said Hermione, placing a hand on Ron's arm.
"Should...should we tell them?" asked Ginny, looking at Harry.
"I told James a little. I don't think Albus and Lily need to know anything just yet. They shouldn't have to be worrying about Death Eaters while they're in school," said Harry.
"We did," said Ron, rolling his eyes.
"Exactly. I know how that feels. I don't want my kids to deal with that, too," said Harry, staring at the sneering photo of Yaxley.
Harry checked his watch and looked back up at the sign. "I don't understand how we didn't get an owl about this. This says it happened around 6am."
"It probably crossed paths with you as you drove here," said Ron.
"Even so, we didn't leave until about 10:15. I should've received an owl within an hour of this breakout," said Harry, turning away from the sign in disgust.
Ron nodded and said, "I'll check with Cameron at the office and see what caused the delay."
Harry turned to Ginny and handed her the car keys. "Are you okay to drive home?"
Ginny glared and said, "I'm sick, not drunk. I can drive just fine," and she snatched the keys from Harry.
Harry smiled and said, "I probably won't be home until late tonight."
"I know. I'll wait up for you."
Harry kissed Ginny and disapparated.
"Rose, would you mind passing the gravy?" asked Albus, hastily covering his plate with food.
Rose did as she was asked and looked around. The Great Hall was flooded with students. Some were shoving food into their mouths like Albus, others were scurrying around and finding their friends. When Rose spotted Hagrid taking his seat at the staff table, she waved, to which he smiled and did the same. Albus noticed the exchange and smiled at Hagrid.
"It's a shame we don't have room for his class this year. It was always a good laugh," said Albus.
"Yes, well, I think it's best. After all, did you see the burns Lily got last year? Those horrible skrewts..." said Rose, shaking her head.
"Hey! Hagrid's great! Besides, Lily wasn't even in his class! She just offered to take the skrewts for a walk one day and it didn't end so well. Hagrid took care of her," said Albus.
"I'm very fond of Hagrid, I just prefer visiting him to taking his classes with those dangerous creatures," replied Rose.
"Albus! There you are!"
Albus turned to see his older brother standing above him.
"Oh come on James, not now. We just got here," groaned Albus.
The two brothers loved each other, but that was never something they'd care to admit. Even though they were only a year apart, James spent most of his time picking on Albus.
"What? Hey, where's Lily?" asked James.
Albus stopped shoveling food into his mouth for the first time since they'd sat down and looked up at James.
"Um...I don't know, probably with her friends," said Albus.
Rose looked at James curiously. He was speaking to Albus, but looking around the room urgently.
"Ah! There she is! See you later," said James, and he hurried away to speak to Lily.
Rose's eyes followed him all the way to the other end of the table, where Lily was sitting next to Hugo and some of their friends. Rose turned to look at Albus, who was looking right back at her, his face reflecting utter confusion.
"Hey, Lily," said James, walking behind his sister.
"Hey, James," said Lily, looking just as confused as Albus.
Upon returning to Hogwarts each year, James' first plan was to immediately find his friends and pretend his siblings didn't exist. James didn't feel particularly "cool" when talking to younger kids, especially if they were his siblings. And James was all about being cool. Therefore, James' determined search for his brother and sister was highly unusual.
"Just checking to see that you made it off the train alright. I guess I'll see you later," said James.
Lily froze and turned slowly to face her brother.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," said James, not looking at Lily.
James waved at Lily and her friends, then walked back to where his friends were sitting. Some of Lily's friend giggled.
"Your brother is so cute," said her friend Abigail.
"I don't know, I think I prefer Albus. He has those gorgeous green eyes," said another of Lily's friends, Emma.
"Please, stop that before I hurl," said Lily, rolling her eyes.
Abigail and Emma laughed.
"What happened to him over the summer?" Hugo asked.
Lily looked up to see Hugo looking down the table at James.
"I don't know what was up with that, to be honest with you. I think maybe Olivia put him up to it. She's so nice. I don't know how he ended up with her," said Lily, shaking her head.
Hugo laughed just as Professor McGonagall could be seen standing from her seat in the center of the long staff table. Silence fell over the Great Hall almost immediately.
"Well, I think it's time you all got some rest. First Years, please follow your Prefects to your common rooms. Tomorrow, your schedules will be handed out by hour Heads of House during breakfast. I suggest you all get a good night's sleep in preparation for your classes. Off you go," said Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall continued to stand and watch as all of the students shuffled out of the Great Hall. She looked almost identical to when Harry was in school, just more wrinkles and more gray hair. She looked imperiously over her glasses, examining the students. Lily smiled and waved at her as she passed, and Professor McGonagall returned the gesture with a small smile and a nod.
As Lily walked into the warm and comfortable Gryffindor common room, she realized how tired she was. Her eyelids were suddenly very heavy, and her legs took a lot more effort to move.
"See you in the morning," said Hugo, and he walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
Lily said goodbye to her cousin and headed the opposite direction. She caught sight of Albus, said good night to him, and went straight to bed.