Chapter 2 PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS

The glistening red train was already warmed up and fired up to go. Children were climbing aboard and some obviously first year children were still clinging onto their parents, not wanting to leave them for a whole semester.

Albus inhaled deeply and took in all that he saw. He said breathlessly, "This is it."

Lily's face was bright and a huge smile shone on her face. "Wow!" She marveled.

"Platform nine and three-quarters," Albus added onto the end.

Lily took her eyes off the huge red train and searched the crowd. "Where are they? Are they here? Maybe they didn't come?" Lily questioned, eyes full of worry and distraction.

Harry pointed to familiar faces. Ron. Hermione. And Rose. Lily saw where her father pointed and then ran at full speed towards them. "UNCLE RON! UNCLE RON!" Lily hollered.

Ron looked behind himself and saw Lily bounding towards him. He held his hands outstretched and Lily jumped into his arms. "If it isn't my favorite Potter!" Ron laughed.

"Have you got my trick?" Lily asked Ron.

Ron looked at Lily carefully and said, "Are you aware of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheeze—certified nose-stealing breath?"

Rose overheard her father and instantly said, "Mum! Dad's doing that lame thing again!"

"You say lame, he says glorious. I say—somewhere in between," Hermione chuckled, looking at Ron fondly and then winking at her daughter, who rolled her eyes and gave a sigh of annoyance.

"Hang on," Ron said slowly. He began to bite and swallow pure air. "Let me just munch this… air. And now it's just a simple matter of… excuse me if I smell slightly of garlic..."

He blew a puff of air into Lily's face and Lily giggled. "You smell of porridge," She mused absentmindedly.

"Bing. Bang. Boing. Young lady, get ready to not being able to smell at all!" Ron said in a magical loud voice. He pretended to lift her nose off.

"Where's my nose?" Lily awed, her face completely convinced of Ron's stupid trick.

Ron grinned and said, "Ta-da!" He showed Lily his empty hand. Ron roared with laughter, which made Hermione chuckle, and Rose roll her eyes. Harry and Ginny watched amused, and James laughed at just how purely lame the joke was and how gullible his sister was.

"You are silly!" Lily insisted, pointing at Ron.

Albus shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Everyone's staring at us again…" He said again as if it happened quite often. Like… every freaking day.

Ron nodded smugly and jostled Albus, who in returned glared back. "Because of me! I'm extremely famous. My nose experiments are legendary!"

Hermione gave her husband a wry smile and said, "They're certainly something."

Harry turned to Ron and questioned, "Parked all right, then?"

Ron had recently token up to driving and had recently actually passed, despite of how much his children joked and teased. Even Hermione had done her share of teasing, even though she denied it thoroughly.

Ron winked at Harry and said proudly, "I did! Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you?" he took a pause to glance at the innocent looking Hermione who held her hands up in defense. "She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

Hermione insisted, "I thought nothing of the kind, I had complete faith in you."

Rose sneered slightly and said, "And I have complete faith he did Confund the examiner." For such a sweet girl that everyone thought she was, Rose was quite cynical and sarcastic at times. It ran in the family.

"Oi!" Ron said, giving Rose an accusing look.

"Dad…" Albus said, turning to his father. He tugged on Harry's robe and Harry looked at his son. "Do you think… what if... I am… what if I am put in Slytherin?"

Harry chuckled lightly and said, "And what would be wrong with that?"

"Slytherin is the House of the Snake, of Dark Magic… it's not a House of brave wizards."

Harry saw Albus' worried face and changed his tone. "Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

Albus didn't look convinced. "But… just saying…"

"If it matters to you, you, the Sorting Hat will take your feelings into account," Harry reassured Albus. He took Albus' by the hand and knelt down to face him properly.

"Really?" Albus asked a little hopeful.

Harry smiled. "It did for me. Hogwarts will be the making of you, Albus. I promise you, there is nothing to be frightened of there."

James popped up from nowhere, breaking the lovely sentimental moment for the two of them and said, "Apart from the Thestrals. Watch out for the Thestrals."

Albus blinked and frowned. "I thought they were invisible!"

"Listen to your professor, don't listen to James," Harry chided to Albus, shooting his other mischievous son a glare. "And remember to enjoy yourself. Now, if you don't want this train to leave without you, you should leap on!"

Albus nodded got ready. James had already darted off to the train. Lily hugged her brother goodbye and said, "I'm going to chase the train out."

Ginny ordered her daughter, "Lily, come straight back."

Hermione took Rose into a hug and said sweetly, "Rose. Remember to send Neville our love."

Rose wrinkled up her nose and muttered, "Mum, I can't give a professor love!" She hastily scampered off onto the train, not waiting for Albus to catch up.

Albus turned to his parents and hugged both tightly. "Okay then. Bye." He hastily ran up to the train and climbed onto the train. He waved to his parents.

"They're going to be okay, right?" Ginny said absentmindedly to her family.

The train let out a long toot and blew steam. "Hogwarts is a big place," Hermione said a little worried.

"Big. Wonderful. Full of food. I'd give anything to go back," Ron reassured his sister and wife.

Harry frowned a little and murmured, "Strange, Al being worried he'll be sorted into Slytherin." The comment was more to himself than anyone else.

"That's nothing. Rose is worried whether she'll break the Quidditch scoring record in her first or second year. And how early she can take her O.W.L.s!" Hermione chuckled, giving a sideways smile to Ron. Ron sighed in awe. Hermione 2.0. His daughter was Hermione 2.0!

"I have no idea where she gets her ambition from," Ron complained, returning the playful smile.

"And how would you feel, Harry, if Al—if he is?" Ginny asked her husband, taking his hand and rubbing it with her own hand.

"You know, Gin," Ron said. "We always thought there was a chance you could be sorted into Slytherin."

Ginny frowned, glaring at her brother. "What?" She demanded.

Ron said absentmindedly, "Honestly, Fred and George ran a book." Ginny gave a questioning look at Ron, trying to understand what he meant. She gave up and glared at him and then looked away.

Hermione looked around and said, "Can we go? People are looking, you know…"

Ginny looked around. Wizards and witches were staring and gawking at all of them. Was it truly them? Was that the Boy who Lived? Was that the Golden Trio? Was that was that was that. "People always look when you three are together. And apart. People always look at you."

The four of them began to march away from the eyes. Ginny grabbed Harry's shoulder and whispered, "Harry… he'll be alright, won't he?"

Albus wasn't the easiest child to deal with. He could be moody, sometimes never showed his emotions, and was rather insecure.

"Of course he will," Harry assured his wife, giving her a soft kiss on the head. Or at least, he sure hoped he would be alright.