Huge apologies: I meant to upload this yesterday but it slipped my mind. Thank you everyone for the reviews, favourites and follows. Bit of a short one but just getting a few more pieces in place...

CHAPTER TWO: Welcome to Hogwarts

Nymphadora had detached herself from Bradley and Gemini on arriving at the feast hall, heading to join her housemates in Gryffindor while Bradley went to the Hufflepuff table and Gemini went to Slytherin. Balthasar and Tracey of course had gone with the other first years on the boats. Nymphadora sat with her friends Beverley Cardogan and Maxwell Jordan. She glanced across to the teachers' table where Harry, Hermione and James were sitting: All of them noticed her attention and smiled back.

Ernie Macmillan, the deputy head, led the new first years in for the sorting ceremony. Nymphadora listened to the first few names with little interest, applauding each of them politely and giving welcoming smiles to the new members of Gryffindor. Her ears pricked up at Tony Longbottom: That was Tracey's cousin, the son of Emily's brother Martin. And, of course, the grandson of Neville Longbottom, the Hogwarts headmaster.

"Ravenclaw!"announced the sorting hat.

"Andros Lupin!" The younger brother of Nymphadora's friend Flavia.

"Hufflepuff!"

"Balthasar Malfoy!"

"Slytherin!"

"Ron will not be happy about that,"Hermione whispered quietly to Harry. "He was hoping to get at least one grandchild in Gryffindor."

"Maybe Hugo will oblige,"Harry suggested.

A few more names followed and then it was Tracey's turn.

"Gryffindor!"

Nymphadora moved up slightly, gesturing for Nigel Peake, who was sat to her left, to do the same. Tracey sat down next to her. "Thanks, Auntie Dora." Nymphadora winced at having yet another one of her fellow pupils call her that.

The last few names were called and Neville welcomed the students before announcing the beginning of the feast. Chatter soon started up among the students. Nymphadora turned to her friends. "You haven't met Tracey, have you? She's Professor Potter Junior's daughter, Gemini's cousin."

"And her niece,"Tracey interjected.

"Half-niece,"Nymphadora corrected. "Tracey, that's Maxwell Jordan" – Maxwell stretched a hand across the table to the newcomer – "and this is Beverley." Beverley, sat on Nymphadora's right, reached behind her to shake the younger girl's hand.

"And I suppose I'd better introduce myself,"added the boy sat to Maxwell's right. "I'm Philip. Philip Nave." He offered Tracey his hand. "So you're another Potter, are you? Grandson of the great Harry Potter?" His tone was friendly but there was a slightly bitter edge to it.

Tracey didn't seem to have noticed as she eagerly took his hand. "That's right."

Nymphadora looked at the boy in slight confusion. "Sorry, I don't recall you from class."

"I'm a second year,"Philip explained. "So I haven't really had the benefit of your dad's education yet. Professor Souvren was substituting most of last year."

Nymphadora nodded. Both her parents had left Hogwarts to lead a guerilla war against the Ministry, opposing their decision to use the Purification Device, which could deprive people of their magic, on prisoners. They had backed down in the end and the device was now in full use on the inmates of Azkaban, with their magic only being restored once they were released.

"Well, you should get the benefit this year,"Beverley suggested with a certain forced joviality.

"I'm looking forward to it,"Philip agreed. There was something about the way he said it that made Nymphadora feel slightly uneasy.

Harry seemed to be going over their quarters in Gryffindor Tower with a fine tooth comb. Hermione sat on the bed, watching him with a certain amount of bemusement. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure there isn't any of James' stuff left behind from last year."

"We were back in here at the end of the year."

"I know. Just checking." Harry sighed slightly. "I'm still going to need refresher courses to check what the students learned last year."

"I think Professor Souvren knew what he was doing. He did teach Rose and Hugo, after all."

"What about you and last year's Charms classes?"

"Well, I've got Lisa to fill me in." Lisa Weasley, formerly Lisa Turpin and now the wife of George Wealey, had stood in for Hermione as Charms professor during her absence. She had stayed on at the school afterwards as Astronomy professor.

"Do you think we'd have been better off staying here last year?"Harry mused.

"Well, using the Purification Device the way Ron planned was always going to be controversial. I guess at least we brought things to a head quickly."

"Still, I can't help thinking that if trouble comes up this year, we should have as little to do with it as possible."

Hermione gave him a quick kiss. "That sounds like a good idea."