(And the first chapter is finally here! Sorry it took such a long long time but I went through several different character designs before I finally convinced myself that so long as I didn't change their appearances in the story, it's ok to constantly change them in drawing. Anyways, enjoy the first chapter, it is filled with some fluff and a good deal of amusement, more kids appearances and personalities will come throughout the rest of the story. There is no main point of view from which this is written so the chapters may involve different characters each time. Enjoy!)

Chapter 1: Arrivals

It had actually taken less time than Arthur Kirkland had anticipated for the letter to return. He was still in the middle of an important meeting with his seven most important colleagues...plus Prussia and what's his name...when his owl, Merlin, flew through the open window and alighted in front of him.

Angletere the bird's back already?" Francis mused, "Could this mean bad news?"

Arthur gritted his teeth and glared at the Frenchman as he snatched the letter out of the owl's beak.

"I really don't think Headmistress McGonagall would refuse. Especially not if Harry Potter and his two friends convinced her not to."

"Which is what I was counting on." He murmured under his breath.

"Read it out loud Iggy!" Alfred shouted excitedly leaning over his partner's shoulder and grabbing onto his arm.

"Hold on bloody git!" Arthur shouted with an irritated but slightly amused tone. He always got that way with the younger man's antics, which he found annoyingly sweet most of the time.

Carefully he tore open the letter and read clearly to the gathered nations.

"Dear Mr. Kirkland, While your letter was very unexpected and while I was not at all willing to accept your request at first, my mind has been swayed. I am therefore obliged to tell you that Hogwarts will play host to yours and your fellow colleagues' children for this summer. I must tell you ahead of time though that the castle is still undergoing repairs caused by the final battle with Voldemort; as such, most of our staff is busy making these repairs and not in the position for full on teaching at the moment. For these reasons, I consider it highly unlikely that the young ones will get any teaching in magic, if they so prove to have the ability. Mind you this does not guarantee that opportunities may not arrive to do so. For this reason I state here and now that any damage done to the school by your children is your responsibility and any damage done to them by themselves, magic or otherwise, is not the schools responsibility. I hope these terms are acceptable to you and I await the arrival of the children. Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Arthur stopped and placed the letter down.

"Well there you have it. The capitals and cities have been accepted and will have a home for the summer while we deal with the worlds issues."

Francis leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"It will be so strange not having my petits chéris around for awhile."

Ludwig sighed as well and rubbed his forehead.

"The villa is going to be quiet for a change." He looked at the young man next to him with a small smile, "Well quieter."

Feliciano met his gaze and tried to smile but his lip trembled a bit.

"Now I don't know if I can let them go."

Ludwig's smile turned gentler as he brushed strands of hair away from his partner's face.

"It's only for the summer." Then his eyes turned serious, "And we need quiet and calm to figure things out for the good of our countries."

Feliciano smiled back sadly and placed his hand on his loves cheek.

"I know, but I'll still miss them."

"Ja, so will I." Ludwig admitted softly.

"Hey we decided no PDA in the conference room." Arthur shouted angrily across the table.

"Lighten up Iggy this is our kids leaving for a whole summer we're talking about here. Surely we can break that decision just this once." Alfred looked at the older Brit with his pure blue puppy dog eyes and perfect pout.

"I must agree with America san in this case." Kiku smiled from across the room, "I feel that as this is a family matter we are allowed to use affection."

He rose and bowed.

"I must therefore excuse myself and go find Greece san as he was watching over Athens and Tokyo today."

With that he was out the door.

Yao had been watching the younger Asian in amazement the whole time. Rarely ever did Japan speak in such a tender and gentle voice that allowed his emotions to be shown clearly. Apparently he was even more attached to his odd family than at first thought.

"Yao we go rescue our little drakony from our siblings now da?"

Yao was broken out of his musings about Kiku by his partner Ivan taking his hand and trying to pull him to his feet.

"Oh um, shì aru." He exclaimed hastily as he got up and half walked and was half dragged out the door by the strong Russian man.

"Well as it appears that the meeting is over I too will take my leave and head off to my little island paradise." Francis smiled and rose as well, heading for the door.

"We can bring the children to the school as soon as they're ready oui?"

Arthur nodded feeling flustered and a bit confused that the meeting had simply dissolved so quickly.

"Yeah yeah. McGonagall will be expecting them."

"Oui" Francis smiled again, blew a kiss, and swept out the door.

"Welp the awesome me needs to go rescue my awesome Kind from Hungary and the piano freak so..." Prussia stood up and pulled Canada up with him.

"Come on Mattie let's get out of here."

He headed to the door dragging the bewildered younger nation and Kumajiro with him, while Gilbird squawked around their heads excitedly.

Arthur sighed at last and rose, taking Alfred's hand.

"Come on git. Meetings adjourned and I don't like leaving the boys with my brothers for too long. I think Scottie offered them a fag last time."

"A what?!" Alfred exclaimed in utter horror, his grin temporarily leaving his face.

"A cigarette." Arthur explained realizing his mistake. "Not that you bloody moron. I would have killed him if it had been that!"

Alfred calmed down slightly but he still practically flew out the door tugging Arthur after him.

Feliciano stared at the now empty room with a confused grin.

"Ludwig, if none of them like leaving their kids with those people then...why do they?"

Ludwig shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know Feli...same reason we do?"

"You don't like fratello and Antonio?"

"It's not that it's just..." Ludwig sighed and patted his love on the head.

"Nevermind Feli, I think they're great caretakers and the kids love spending time with their cousins."

Feliciano grinned happily and hugged the much larger German.

"Veee~ Ludwig I love you."

Germany blushed and hugged him back awkwardly.

"J...Ja, I love you too."

As they headed out the door he thought about what he had been going to tell Feliciano before he thought better of it.

Your brother doesn't like me. That's apparent. So there are certain days when the twins have done something to piss him off and he temporarily seems to forget that they're your sons too. Laszlo told me last time when we left them there that uncle Lovi called them Daemon Potato Spawn.

~*~HFSC~*~

McGonagall was overseeing the rebuilding of one of the second floor classrooms, which a very laze fare Luna Lovegood was in charge of, when Peeves floated giggling through the ceiling.

"Kirk is irked and being a jerk. He's throwing a tantrum which makes me smirk!"

"Here already?" McGonagall sighed and excused herself from the room, "He certainly wasted no time in getting those capitals here."

She stalked off down the hallway, took the stairs to the main floor, and entered into the Great Hall, assuming that was where Mr. Kirkland would be waiting. Her assumption was correct.

"Where is the headmistress? I demand to see her at once!"

"I already told you sir that headmistress McGonagall is busy overseeing reconstruction at the moment. Please be patient." Madam Pomfre assured while she busily wrapped a bandage around the arm of a young boy sitting on the bench. She sighed and secured the sling over his head, "There, you're in for a lot of pain and I'd recommend taking a load off for awhile. Don't use this arm for a good few hours."

The boy blinked back at her out of bright tear filled green eyes and the funny little piece of hair that stuck up from his head wobbled about slightly in his distress. Another boy, sitting above him on the table snorted slightly.

"Come on Aaron you're alright. Don't be such a whiny baby. You're about 13 appearance wise now."

The younger boy glared at the other and gritted his teeth.

"You try having your arm nearly burned off by your older brother's careless spell and see that you don't get a bit upset as well!"

McGonagall groaned at that remark and stepped closer to them.

"So trouble with magic is being caused already by our guests then?"

Arthur Kirkland whirled around from his tirade to Madam Pomfre and faced McGonagall.

"Ah there you are headmistress." His tone was casual but she could still see the fury hidden behind skilled eyes.

"And here you are Mr. Kirkland. I hope you do not plan to shout complaints about the state of the castle or your son's actions do you?" She turned equally skilled calm eyes on the elder blond boy sitting casually on the table.

The boy in turn looked back at her out of sparkling blue eyes that could barely contain excitement and mischief. He also sported a strange cowlick of hair that stuck up slightly off center, however his dirty blond hair was parted on the opposite side of his brother's. And he sported a pair of glasses on his nose.

Unfortunately for them though, it appeared that both boys had inherited eyebrows quite similar to Mr. Kirkland's. Not nearly as bushy of course, but still far more so than one would expect.

Arthur shook his head in annoyance and sighed.

"I do not mean to complain about my boys' careless actions headmistress, nor about the castle's state..."

"But woo wee is this place ever a mess. Thought you guys could magic it back to normal in no time? Or has Artie been lying all this time about how powerful magic really is?" the Taller man in the room interrupted, waving his hand about dramatically.

McGonagall smiled slightly.

"You are Mr. Jones I presume? Country of the United States of America?" she addressed the man.

He grinned and tipped an imaginary hat.

"Mhm that's me. You can call me Alfred or Al..."

"Or git, or arse hole...wazzack is one of my personal favorites." Arthur muttered, folding his arms and looking up at the ceiling.

The two boys chuckled and twin grins spread across their faces.

McGonagall shook her head and returned to business.

"You still have not explained why you were so upset Mr. Kirkland. Would you kindly explain now before I ask you and Mr. Jones to vacate the castle grounds?"

Arthur Kirkland regained composure and looked back at her.

"Well my main concern was that we had to let ourselves into the castle and there was no one in sight until we ran into one of the ghosts who went off in search of your nurse here. What kind of a staff is that?! They have no courtesy towards important guests?!"

McGonagall sighed yet again and folded her hands in front of her robes.

"Mr. Kirkland, I did explain in my letter that my staff was very busy with repairs. I told you that it was unlikely that the children would see them except in passing. The fact that you are here means that you read my letter and accepted my terms. I apologize if you feel you have been thus far treated uncivilly, but that is my final word. Now then..." she turned away, "I will give you five minutes to bid farewell to your children and then I expect you to leave Hogwarts immediately. Do you understand me Kirkland? Jones? Five minutes."

With that, McGonagall was out the door with a hasty, "I'll send someone to take them to a dormitory shortly."

Alfred whistled with a grin.

"Dang she's one tough old woman. Impressive standing up to two countries like that."

"Professor Dumbledore told me many interesting stories about Minerva McGonagall."

Arthur smiled slightly before turning to his partner and children.

"Right then, we've got five minutes so I'll make this quick."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Behave. No magic without supervision. Listen and do as you're told. No pranks. And..." he dropped his eyes but the other three still caught the choked catch in his voice, "Don't forget that your father and I are only a phone call away."

"Oh come on Mum, stop being so sentimental." The older boy tried to joke but he still hugged tightly to his parents and took several deep breaths to force himself not to cry. His younger brother on the other hand completely broke down and sobbed into his "mother's" shirt.

"Summer doesn't last forever right mama? 3 months is no time at all right? You'll soon be back for us again right?" he looked up at Arthur through tearful green eyes so like his own.

Arthur smiled and hugged him close stroking his hair.

"Of course Aaron." He soothed, "Of course."

Alfred grinned and patted his smaller son's head while he squeezed the elder one's shoulders.

"You'll see Airy." He grinned using the boy's nickname that Arthur absolutely hated, "When all the other kids arrive you're going to be having the time of your life and by the time we come back you won't even want to leave."

Aaron laughed a bit at that but Arthur shook his head and put a finger out in a warning manner.

"I hope you have fun yes...but at the same time remember you are guests here. As I said before, Listen to what you're told and don't get into trouble. Or else." He said the last part with as much authority as he could and the boys both nodded. He paused for a moment, thinking, and then nodded.

"Yes and...Andrew..." he turned to the older boy who smiled innocently and grinned.

"Yes Mum?"

"Don't try and fool me with your innocent act London." Arthur warned, "I'm most concerned about you causing trouble here. For that reason...I'll have your wand for now I think."

Andrew looked horrified and tried to hide the wand behind his back.

"No Mum! I swear I won't use it unless I'm able to get lessons. But please Mum, I have the chance to actually learn magic while I'm here and I'll need it for that. Please Mum don't take it from me." He whispered the last part with such desperation that Arthur almost caved but instead he looked at his watch and sighed.

"It's been five minutes and we have to go. If you need it then send me an owl saying so and I'll send it back but until then...Hand it over..."

He was interrupted by a loud projection of McGonagall's voice.

"What in the world do you think you're doing swimming in the black lake?!"

The family of four looked at each other in confusion before they all went running out to the castle grounds. As they ran, Andrew took the opportunity to stuff the wand inside his coat and desperately hoped that the distraction would make Arthur forget about the request to have it.

As they reached the front steps and looked out to the lake Arthur groaned and put a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"I might have known the stupid Frog had something to do with that comment."

~*~HFSC~*~

Francis was actually as exasperated with the situation as Arthur was. He looked up at McGonagall, stories above, with a very apologetic expression and held up his hands in a "I have nothing to do with this" gesture as he turned his attention back to his children in the water.

"Pierre, Serena, get out of the water this instant! À l'heure actuelle!"

His son looked back from across the water and desperately shook his head.

"Non Papa. There are supposedly actual Mermaids in this lake! I want to meet them!"

His younger sister nodded her agreement and dove under the surface to further emphasize her intent to remain in the water.

Francis shook his head in frustration and turned to the young woman beside him.

"Rachelle do something please! They ave been on about mermaids ever since you told them the stories when zey were little."

Seychelles smiled, a bit embarrassed that the current situation probably was mostly her fault as she walked over to the water and called out to her children.

"Paris, Victoria, you're making your father worry and you're also not making a very good first impression to the headmistress that is letting you stay here for the summer. I know you want to meet the mermaids but I think that is better left for a later day. Perhaps one of the staff will personally introduce you to them."

The two youngsters both pouted but they swam dutifully back over to shore and got out as some castle staff, that had been watching with interest ,summoned towels for both of them. Pierre dried himself off and smiled flirtatiously at the staff from under his unkempt light blond hair. His sister giggled and rolled her eyes at him.

Francis waited till they were both dry before he and Rachelle approached the two to hug them and give them last minute instructions and teary farewell hugs. When the two were at last released from their parents they ran up the stairs and past the other family of four. They would have kept running but they smacked straight into what felt like an icy marble statue.

"Ah careful young things, you could have run into someone dangerous and then you would be in trouble. Kolkolkol."

Both children jumped back and stared up in slight fear at the large country before them.

"So...sorry Mr. Russia." Serena said through slightly chattering teeth, "We'll be more careful in the future."

"That would be a wise idea." Ivan Braginksi smiled and stepped aside to let the children continue on their way. His sons, however, did not step aside.

"Pierre, Serena, we haven't seen you in awhile. How are things?" Wang Chen Braginksi asked calmly, twirling his bamboo staff in one hand while looking at them with his calculating violet eyes from beneath his light brown bangs.

Pierre stepped protectively in front of his sister but did not meet the other boy's eyes.

"We've been doing fine Chen. How are you and Vlad today?"

"Call me Vladmir da?" the boy beside Chen replied softly, "It's only polite since it's my actual name."

Pierre found himself unable to pull away from the gaze of the younger Braginski boy. Vladmir's deep brown eyes were capable of the same calculating stare as his brother's, but unlike Chen's , Vlad's studied more out of curiosity than contempt and the possibility of finding one's weaknesses. Vladmir's light silver hair was always more of a mess than his brother's and had two peculiar clumps that stuck out slightly at the top of his head. His favorite scarf, the first ever Christmas present from his Otets, was wrapped snuggly about his neck and shoulders, its customary place.

Pierre finally managed to break his gaze from the younger boy's, and managed to get himself and his sister past them, by walking on China's side, with a hasty, "Well we need to find out where we'll be staying so we'll have to talk more later. Goodbye Chen, Vladmir."

"Ah we should do that as well." Vladmir turned to his brother and then his parents, "We should say goodbye now da?"

"Da malen'kiy drakon." Ivan smiled at his capital, "Do svidaniya." He hugged the boy tightly before releasing him to go to his mama and wrapping his arms around his older son. "Igrat' khorosho Chen."

"Da, of course Otets." Chen smiled and nodded at his father before he went over to join his brother and Fùqīn.

"All right," China began, "Best behavior both of you. You carry our family names with you so you must honor them well. Chen, I heard what your Otets told you and I'll repeat it, Fāhuī hǎo."

Chen simply nodded and hugged his Fùqīn tightly before he stepped back to allow Vladmir to do the same.

Then, both boys picked up their luggage and hurried off down the hall.

"Domoy?" Ivan asked.

"You go ahead. I need to ask the headmistress something." Yao replied with a bright smile.

Ivan nodded and disappeared.

Yao waited for a few minutes before he headed in the direction of the stairs and McGonagall.

"What do you suppose he wants to ask?" Alfred blinked at Arthur.

The older man shrugged and sighed.

"I think it's time for us to go. For real this time." He nodded at his boys and disappeared before Aaron could start crying and protesting again. Alfred grinned and winked at his two sons with a "Later" before disappearing himself.

~*~HFSC~*~

At the end of the day, McGonagall paced up and down the row of occupied sleeping bags that had been laid out in the great hall. She contemplated over all that had transpired during the long day and chuckled a bit to herself at remembering the group of, what she had discovered were, the Nordic countries, and Hong Kong, come tearing out of the Forbidden Forest with Denmark in the lead waving an axe about like a madman.

The other group of six countries that arrived all together was much less wild but non-the-less chaotic in their own right. That group had consisted of Germany, Veneciano and Romano Italy (why there were two Italies she had no idea), Spain, Prussia (his country dissolved many many years ago so why did the personification still exist?), and Canada. They were accompanied by seven children, the youngest of which, a girl that appeared to be probably 8 or 9 at the most, had been clinging tightly to Veneciano while moaning that she didn't like the ghost one bit. Peeves, of course, was the ghost in question. One of the most wild looking boys in the group, a silver blond haired boy with light violet-red eyes and oval glasses, was chasing said ghost around the group with a butterfly net and continually jumping and trying to catch Peeves in it. The younger girl that stood by Canada had her hands covering her eyes and was muttering "Why me? Why do I get stuck with such a strange frère?" Prussia had just stood back grinning and cheered his son on. In the meantime, Romano Italy and Spain had been in an argument and their two children were just standing before them watching with arms folded and "here they go again" looks on their faces. The younger boy was actually smiling though and even giggled into his arm at something his parents said.

The headmistress had not even given much time to take in all the children's appearances as she had shoed Peeves away and given her usual instructions to the countries and children. She had noted that this group contained one more child than parent. The little girl that Feliciano, as he introduced himself, held was actually their third child, the first two were twins that appeared to be the oldest of any of the children she had met so far. She had simply nodded and given a curt wave at the two capitals in question and gone on her way, to the sounds of Romano shouting unpleasant names after her for not showing proper courtesy.

McGonagall now took the opportunity to study the faces of the two boys curled up in their sleeping bags each holding a hand of their little sister between them. The boys had light brown hair that swept up to a peak on one side of their face, different for each, and an unusual curl of hair that flipped up from the side of their hair, again different side for each. She recalled having seen a similar curl on both their Papa/Mama and their zio Lovino. Since their eyes were closed, she couldn't tell if they had the same auburn brown color that Feliciano had or crystalline blue that Ludwig, Germany, did. She remember that little Juliet, Verona, between them had Feliciano's eyes which seemed to make her slightly-dirty blond hair shine even more.

McGonagall smiled slightly as she continued down the rows of sleeping children. They might all be powerful capitals and cities but to her in this moment, and she hoped for the rest of the summer, they were simply children that had been separated from their parents for the three or four months of summer, and been placed under her care. She had instructed her staff to keep an eye on them, especially the ones that showed the most magical prowess, but to not shirk their duties in the process. She had also instructed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to join her in the great hall tomorrow to be witnesses for the sorting ceremony. (Well she wasn't about to just let the children continue to sleep in the Great Hall. The dormitories would be a much better place to house them, and making certain that they actually belonged in those specific dormitories would help the staff keep even better track of them and know what their individual needs might be).

"We've never had this many children here during the summer," Madam Pomfrey said softly as the headmistress exited the huge room into the corridor, "Do you really think we can handle them and the reparations of the castle at the same time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," McGonagall sighed and waved the doors closed behind her, "But I certainly hope so. I think we may find ourselves relying on Potter and his friends more than we expected to."

"Well there's no doubt that they can handle it," the castle nurse laughed lightly, "How they do that though, that will be a surprise."

McGonagall nodded and waved her hand at the other woman as she headed up the Grand Staircase.

"Goodnight Poppy. You should make sure you're well rested because I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll be needed within the next few days."

Poppy Pomfrey laughed lightly at that and looked at the doors to the Great Hall as if they could tell her which of the ambitious little capitals would need her care first.