Ch 3 The Train Ride and Sorting

Thanks as always to JK Rowling, who lets us play in the universe she created. I am using Mafalda Weasley as a character, but of course other than being in Slytherin and not being a heroine type of character, she is totally of my creation.

More major changes because Deb, my Beta, makes sure the story makes sense. Thank you, Deb. Reviews will make both of us happy.

It was August 31, 2018, the day before the students were to leave for Hogwarts. All of the Magi and Elves learning languages, or MELLS as they called themselves, were at Potter's New Burrow or the New Burrow. Most of them had arrived by Floo, or by the North American equivalent, Closets. Harry had installed one of the magical Closets, which used a similar green powder, which took the place of the Floo network in North America. None of the families had used the Magic Carpet network that was common in the Mid-East and Africa, since there were no Magic Carpets in Britain. Magical Carpets were illegal in Britain. The parents of the Magi accompanied them, and the Elves came along with the Magi families. Only Harry and Ginny were at Potter's New Burrow; to allow both The New Burrow and Potter's New Burrow to house the families of the students raised with Elves.

On the morning the train was leaving, Professors Sidney and Kim Stanford came to Potter's New Burrow, along with their three children. Ruth and Abraham Stanford had been sorted into Slytherin, at their request. The Stanford parents suggested that the students volunteer for Slytherin, both because it was the smallest house, and because they wanted to change the character of the house, and their children had agreed. Apparently, the hat had agreed as well, because it sorted them into Slytherin. Their youngest, Jacob was not starting for another year.

"Senda Eseven, Hermann Brandt, please come with me," Kim called those who were too young to attend Hogwarts. "Students are not allowed to ride the Hogwarts Express until their first year."

With a fair amount of grumbling and pouting, Senda and Hermann left through the Floo with the Stanfords.

Galadriel walked into the group just as the Stanfords were leaving. "I have Apparated here," she announced. "We have an area at Hogwarts that the elves can use to Apparate into and out of Hogwarts. I am taking the Elves with me."

The Elves that were part of the MELL group left with Galadriel. Dis, who was nominally a Malfoy Elf, but in reality was a guard for Cleo, and her brother Frerin P/W, who always shadowed Albus, were of course going to ride the Hogwarts Express with them. Although large for Elves, both were usually so quiet that it was easy to forget that they were there.

"I want all of you in three or four compartments, close together," Harry Potter informed the group. We will have extra guards on the train. I want all of you in compartments a half hour before the train leaves. We have one extra person riding with Al and Rose, their cousin Ivana Romanoff. Her adopted father is Al and Rose's uncle."

Gabrielle talked to some of the students, and announced, "The Edingtons, Adel Brandt, Jean-Louis, Maria and Jesus Rios are riding with me."

Scorpius was talking to the Native American students. He looked at Rose, and she proclaimed, "Scorpius and I will go with Harry Eseven, Joshua and Sarah Firewalker."

Albus then acknowledged, "That leaves Ivana, John and Marcy Chang, Harry and Ginny Wang, to ride with Cleo and me."

The students and their parents were taken to the train by Floo. They chose adjoining compartments in the same train car, and settled themselves in, as other people were just starting to arrive.

As soon as the train left the station, all the parents of the students raised with Elves took one of the train station's Floo connections to one of the offices of Dursley, Potter and Weasley. In a large conference room were Al and Carrie Van Lente of the International Aurors Association, Raphael Vaud, the head of the Swiss Aurors, and a number of other Aurors from around the world of the Magi.

Harry spoke first. "If your students didn't tell you, they have chosen a name for their group. They are the Magi and Elves Learning Languages, or MELL's for short."

"We are worried about security," Al announced, gaining everyone's attention. "The attack on Albus during the first Quidditch game last year, the bomb that could have killed four of the students in Switzerland, and some other rumors and intelligence, worries us as it must worry you. We are going to increase the number of people patrolling the grounds. There will be staff stationed inside Hogwarts as well. The professors all know what we are doing and they are going to be working with us. Unless you object, Raphael and I want to appoint Gabriel Habsburg, Raphael's predecessor, as head of security at Hogwarts. He will reside in the castle with his wife, Hermeli, who is also a qualified Auror. Although they will be the only Aurors staying inside the school grounds, we will have a larger group of Department of Magical Law Enforcement personnel, assisted by some Elf assistants, patrolling the outside of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade."

The parents, many of whom were concerned about their children's safety, agreed.

Joseph Marie Felion Jr., the father of Gabrielle, started to complain, "How do you know that our children are safe? You had a Chinese teacher hurt your son, Harry, last year. You have replaced your Chinese Potions teacher with another pair of Chinese Potion teachers. How do we know we can trust them?"

T.T. Chang defended them. "I did not know Dragon Chen, although I do know of his family. Elessar & Arwen Wong have been my students, and I know their extended family well. I can vouch for them. I'm worried about the teachers who run that 'slippery-in' house. Olivia Ollivander seems to me like one of the Ollivanders who doesn't care if their wands are used for good or evil. I know the Ollivander family has lusted after powerful wands, and I do not trust her. I'm not sure I trust any wand maker. I was shocked that the wand that Cleopatra now uses left China. I don't know what Ollie Ollivander did to leave with that wand."

Harry pondered answering T.T. "Slytherin house has produced more than its fair share of dark Magi," he admitted. "Olivia has been teaching for over a decade, not without a little controversy. Slytherin is still more secretive than Minerva and some of the other staff and I would like. Albus is in Slytherin, and I expect big changes in that house eventually. For all her Pure-Blood prejudice, I have a hard time believing that Olivia would deliberately hurt a student."

"What about the non-teaching staff?" Joseph Marie persisted. "Argus Filch, the old caretaker, is just mean, but his new assistant, Igor Karloff, worries me. Then you have Bowman Flint, who ought to be in some prison for just shear nastiness. I know he lives next to the sewage treatment plant, and doesn't have anything to do with the students. He is still within the wards of the castle, and can go into and out of the grounds on his own."

"Bowman cannot bring anyone into the grounds by himself," Harry replied. "He goes to the Hogs Head and gets drunk on occasion, but the Davies know how to handle him. Tracy VanDer Raaltee is related to them, and she is our primary school teacher on the grounds, so when Bowman is too drunk to go home by himself Tracy and Roger bring him home. I do not have any reason to trust him, but I'm not sure how he could be a problem either. Argus vouches for Igor. We are watching him to make sure he is nothing more than unpleasant."

There was a good deal more grumbling about Hogwarts, but eventually the meeting broke up, and Harry left for Hogwarts.

When the students, arrived at Hogwarts, Hagrid bellowed, "First years, any new students, come with me."

Rose explained, "If this is your first year at Hogwarts you need to be sorted into a house."

There was some grumbling by the older students, but Hagrid led them all to the boats to travel to the castle. Albus noticed that three other people, he thought they were Aurors, accompanied Hagrid.

Adel Brandt noticed Albus' curious gaze and explained, before she went with Hagrid, "The older woman going with us is Mrs. Habsburg, and her husband is going with the other students. Mr. Habsburg was the head of the Swiss Aurors, and his wife is also an Auror."

There were what looked like Aurors accompanying the older students as well.

Once they arrived at the Hogwarts Castle, Rose sat with Cleo, and their friends Hanna McGonagall, Patty Finnegan and Christy Shook at the Gryffindor table in the great hall. Rose tried to identify the students led in for the sorting, so she could tell who some of the people were. She did not recognize as many of the people as she thought she would.

Xenia Berry was sorted into Hufflepuff. "We know Xenia from church," Rose whispered to her friends.

Ade Brandt, John and Marcy Chang were promptly send to Slytherin, as was Bennett Davis.

Gabrielle DuMond seemed rather please to be sorted into Ravenclaw. "She is very bossy," Rose observed softly, "and she doesn't like Scorpius or Cleo. I'm glad she is not in Gryffindor."

Harry and Luta Edington were sent to Slytherin, as was Harry Eseven making the three friends quite happy. Rose thought it was hilarious how Harry's parents chose their last name, turning the Canadian E-7 identifier into Eseven was mocking the Canadian government.

Jean-Louis Felion was sorted into Ravenclaw. Rose murmured, "Jean-Louis and Gabrielle are cousins."

Joshua Firewalker was sorted into Hufflepuff. "First of the Elf Friends in Hufflepuff," Rose quietly remarked. "I didn't expect that. He is a nice person, though, and he should fit well in there."

Sarah Firewalker was sorted into Ravenclaw.

When Hudson Jordan was sorted into Gryffindor, Rose observed, "Hudson's father works for my dad and Uncle George at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

Edmund Lewis was sorted into Ravenclaw, and Rose whispered to Cleo, "His father is pastor of St. Merlin and Mungo's in London, the church we attend."

William Lionheart Jr. was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Rose commented, "Bill and his sister Erica fly with the Weasley clan when they can. They are both very good at Quidditch. I think his sister likes James, but James has just noticed that Erica is a girl."

Maria and Jesus Rios were sorted into Slytherin.

Ivana Romanoff was sorted into Gryffindor. James Potter and Rose both stood up and waved her over to the Gryffindor table.

Cleo had met Ivana when she was staying at Potter's New Burrow, and hugged Ivana, welcoming her into Gryffindor. Then Ivana sat with the other first year Gryffindor girls.

The sorting was almost finished when Harry and Ginny Wang were sorted into Slytherin.

When the hat sorted Bert Weasley into Hufflepuff, Rose mumbled to Cleo, "He is one of a whole hoard of Weasley cousins. His sister and some other cousins are also in Hufflepuff. They are mostly farmers, and some of them work for Uncle Harry. His parents work for Uncle Harry."

"You are a Weasley," Patty Finnegan observed, listening in on Rose's running commentary. "How many Weasley cousins are there?"

"Granger-Weasley," Rose promptly corrected. "I'm not sure. They are all over England, with some in North America and others on the continent. It's a really big extended family."

Right after Bert was a girl who looked like a Weasley, red hair, freckles, and all. Rose did not recognize her, and was surprised when Professor Longbottom announced, "Mafalda Weasley." The girl strutted up to the hat like she was the most important person there, plopping the hat on her head, and looked right at the Slytherin table. The hat sent her to Slytherin." She sneered at the other houses before proudly trotting over to the Slytherin table.

"A Weasley in Slytherin?" Rose sputtered. "I have to ask my dad if he knows who she is."

After the sorting, Cleo pondered the situation, remarking to Rose, "None of the students who can speak Elfish were sorted into Gryffindor. I'm not sorry that Gabrielle was not sorted into Gryffindor. She is smart, and she and her cousin may fit in Ravenclaw. She really does not like me, though. I was surprised that the Firewalker cousins were sorted into different houses. Sarah is bright, and I guess she would fit in Ravenclaw. Why is Joshua not in Ravenclaw? He is the only Elfish speaker in Hufflepuff."

Rose remarked, "I'm more interested in what is going to happen when the Slytherin students find out that most of the people sorted are allies of Albus and Scorpius. Even Bennet Davis should be an ally of Al; we know the Davis family, and they are not exactly fans of the worst of the Pure Blood nonsense. We will have to ask them about Mafalda. She doesn't look like a very nice person."

Professor McGonagall stood up and spoke. "I want to welcome all students, new and old. We have a larger than normal number of students from outside of Great Britain this year. We should all try to make them feel welcome. Hogwarts continues to grow, with more students from Great Britain and an increasing number from other countries. We have twenty students, four from Great Britain and sixteen who have just joined us, who are here with their Elves. All twenty of these students are learning to speak Elfish, and will be spending some time working with the Elves. We at Hogwarts are proud to have one of the best schools for Elves in the world.

"For several reasons, including some of the foreign students, we have increased the security in and around the castle. I want to introduce Mr. & Mrs. Habsburg, who will be living in the castle." She motioned for them to stand. "You should all meet them over the next year. If you have any concerns about security please let one of them know. Mr. Habsburg has just retired as the Head Auror in Switzerland, and his wife is a fully qualified Auror.

"There are areas in the castle and around the grounds that are forbidden, including the forested area beyond the lake. You need to ask permission to leave the secure area around the castle. As tomorrow is Sunday, there are no classes. Feel free to explore the castle. You will receive class schedules in morning. I suggest you at least read the introduction for any classes you will have Monday.

"For tonight, enjoy the opening banquet, and enjoy your time at Hogwarts."

Before the end of the feast, Gabriel and Hermeli Habsburg left their seats at the head table to see Olivia Ollivander. "You have been hard to find," Gabriel declared. "We need to talk to you about security in the Slytherin dormitory."

"There is nothing to talk about," Olivia snapped. "The prefects in Slytherin have everything under control."

"All the dormitories have more than one entrance. We need to make sure fireplaces cannot be used to Floo. We need to know where any other ways to enter and exit the dorms are. We have a reasonably good map, but we need to see the inside," Gabriel insisted.

"True Pure-Blooded Slytherin students still run Slytherin," Olivia sneered. "You do NOT have my permission to hassle the students."

Harry Potter, wearing his invisibility cloak, listened to the exchange. Harry was concerned about Olivia Ollivander. So far, Urban Ubridge had just been a not too bright teacher, totally under the thumb of Olivia. Harry doubted Urban was a risk, since he had been teaching for longer than Olivia, and never had caused anyone to doubt his loyalty to Hogwarts.

Harry accompanied Gabriel and Hermeli up to Minerva's office after the banquet.

When the Slytherin students went into their dorm, Tom Riddle Handley was there, and he was telling all the new students, "Stand against that wall."

Albus had warned his new classmates about the previous year, and he and Scorpius quietly told them, "Sit down."

Tom became agitated, shouting, "New students against that wall."

Albus countered with, "What are you doing here, Tom? I know you are an eighth year student, but you are no longer a prefect, and you have no place trying to run Slytherin."

Tom yelled, "I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HERE, AND YOU KNOW IT."

Quietly Albus continued, "My father and I met …"

Tom yelled over him, "SHUT UP, YOU STINKING MUDBLOOD. I AM STILL THE LEADER HERE, AND NO STUPID STINKING MUDBLOOD CAN TAKE OVER FROM US PURE BLOODED ARISTOCRACY."

Tom continued his rants while all the other students sat quietly listening. Albus slipped out his Magi Mobil and whispered to Maria Rios, "I'm sending this to Professor McGonagall." He then gave Maria the mobile, and she quietly took video of Tom's rants.

After the opening banquet Harry Potter, the Habsburgs, and Professor Sidney Sanford went up to Minerva's office. They were not there long when Minerva's Magi Mobile rang, and the five of them could see that someone was sending them a video of Tom Riddle Handley's rant.

Minerva conjured her Patronus. The next thing Tom knew, he was confronted by Minerva's Patronus saying, "Tom, you know you are not allowed in the Slytherin dormitory after hours. You have your own room in the Eight Year housing. Leave now if you do not want to be expelled from Hogwarts."

Tom growled as he turned and instructed Archana Lucy and Tom Higgy, "You know what to do," before storming off.

Tom Higgy stood up, glanced at Albus, and proceeded to speak. "I am Tom Higgy, and I am one of the seventh year prefects. Archana Lucy is the other seventh year prefect. Orion Cowley and Bellatrix Haney are the sixth year prefects, and Victor Valsey and Katherine Wilkes are the fifth year prefects." The prefects stood up when they were announced. "To our great surprise and dismay, Slytherin is no longer pure, but the leaders of Slytherin have always been of Pure Blood. Introduce yourself, and tell us if you are Pure Blooded."

Albus nodded towards the Wang siblings, and they stood up.

"I am Harry Wang," Harry announced.

His sister continued with, "I am his younger sister Ginny Wang. Our great-grandfather is WW Chang, the Chinese Minister of Magic."

The brother and sister sat down. Tom scowled at them, saying, "You need to tell us if you are Pure Blooded."

Harry kidded, "Yes, we are pure blooded Han Chinese."

Albus nodded at the other Chinese couple, and John and Marcy stood up. John snidely remarked, "We are pure Han Chinese as well. I'm John Chang, and my sister is Marcy. Our grandfather is TT Chang, the co-author, along with Albus' Aunt Hermione, of the Potion textbooks that almost all the Magi in the world use. Like Albus and his cousin Rose, we have made all the potions in the first of the text books."

"Are you …" Tom tried to interject, but before he could say any more another two students stood up.

"I'm Henry Edington," Henry loudly proclaimed.

"I am his cousin Luta Edington," a girl immediately followed with. "Our grandmother is the North American Minister of Magic. We are Americans, which usually involved being very modern. We are way ahead of most countries in our ability to use the best of No-maj technology along with the best magic. My mother is Korean, and in American, we are proud of how marrying people who are of a different race or nationality gives us hybrid vigor.

"I have heard of how some people are concerned with the myth of Blood Purity. I never anticipated meeting someone so stupid as to believe it, though. We in America are proud of what we have done, and are not so technologically and magically inferior that we have to look back on some stupid blood purity myth to feel we have some sense of worth."

Another couple stood up. "I am Maria Rios, and my little brother is Jesus. We are West Coast Americans. Our mother is the head of the largest magical school in the world, in Los Angeles, California. We are also at the center of blending the magic of modern No-maj Technology with the magic of magic."

"I'm Adel Brandt," another student proclaimed. "My younger brother will be starting at Hogwarts next year. Meanwhile he is staying at Hogwarts castle with the Stanford family, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. We are descendants of the Swiss Minister of Magic. The Swiss valley has Magi in it from all over the world. It is where the International Council of Witches and Wizards is held. Many of the ancient treasures of the Magi are stored there."

"I'm Ujarek Harry Eseven, and my ancestors have lived around the Arctic Circle for generations. Life is tough up there, and we do not suffer fools. If we had to worry about blood purity, we would probably be extinct. My sister Senda is also staying with the Stanfords, and will be a first year next year."

A young boy stood up. "I'm Bennett Davies. My parents own the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade. It is strange going to London to ride a train to Hogsmeade to get to Hogwarts, seeing as how we live in Hogsmeade."

"Are YOU pure blooded?" Tom asked.

Albus shook his head 'no,' as did several others.

"I'm not going to answer that question," Bennett replied, as he sat down.

"I'm Mafalda Weasley, and I'm Pure Blooded!" a young girl eagerly volunteered. "I have Malfoy, Black, Wilkes, Hanley and Lestrange blood. Unfortunately, I am also related to those blood traitors, the Weasley's. Potter's mother is a Weasley. Blood traitors all of them."

Tom Higgy sneered, "You still look like a Weasley, but you will do." Mafalda did have the red hair and fair, freckled complexion of so many of the Weasley cousins.

Al and Scorpius had been modifying the list of students in Slytherin as the sorting was taking place. Scorpius stood up and announced, "Al and I have a list of all the students in Slytherin, along with what year they are in."

"You do not run Slytherin!" Tom Higgy exclaimed furiously, storming up to Albus and poking his finger into Albus' chest.

"I think Albus probably does," Adel Brandt laughed. "Mr. and Mrs. Habsburg talked to Albus and me, not you."

"Albus is only a second year student," Tom Higgy ranted. "He is not a prefect. And you, you are just a filthy foreigner. We and the head of Slytherin, Professor Ollivander, chooses the prefects, and the prefects run Slytherin."

All the MELL's at the meeting, except Albus, laughed. Albus just smiled. All of the students, even Tom Higgy, took the student list that Scorpius compiled on parchment, and that Al had duplicated on paper.

Tom Higgy looked at the paper list, scowled at Albus, and then announced, "You new boys, I have another dorm room for you. I have been warned that nine is too many for one dorm room, so I'm putting the new boys in a different room.

"Archana Lucy will take the new second year girls to their room. Orion Cowley will take the first year boys to their room, and Bellatrix Haney will take the girls."

Once they were in their dormitory, Albus took out one of his maps, one that just showed the Slytherin part of the Castle. When everybody was in the dormitory room they were assigned to, he duplicated the map with the names of each student clearly identified. Then he fixed the map, so that people did not move. Albus ended up with a map clearly showing where everyone's dormitory was located. Al put the map aside to deal with later.

Albus had left his mobile on until all the new students had introduced themselves, and the people meeting in Minerva's office all listened. When the mobile finally hung up, Gabriel commented, "There is a lot going on that I don't understand. How can one house not be under the headmaster's rule? That doesn't make sense at all. It's not Hogwarts and Slytherin, it's Hogwarts and Slytherin is a house in it."

"Minerva explained, "It is only inside the Slytherin Dormitory, and in appointing prefects, where my authority is limited. Salazar Slytherin set it up that way, before he left the school, and even after he left he set it up so we would have an almost impossible time changing it. I can veto the choice of a prefect, but not appoint one. I understand that even some of the Slytherin heads of house have complained that they could not change how Slytherin is governed. Bullying and other abuses have taken place in that dormitory, and I have to leave it to the Slytherin parents and governors to deal with it."

"Is that why is Olivia so resistant to helping us?" Gabriel asked, puzzled.

Minerva tried to explain. "Slytherin has always been the most difficult house to govern. The charter of the school requires that each house head has to be a professor that graduated from that house. We have to have professors who graduated from Slytherin, and one of them has to be appointed head of house.

"The other professors usually talk about who would be best to be head of house for Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. The decisions have normally been made together. Slytherin has seldom asked for nor accepted any help in choosing their heads. Frequently their heads have been the most difficult to work with."

Harry could not help himself, commenting, "Even Snape?"

"It may be hard for you to believe, Harry," Minerva elaborated, "but from personal knowledge and what I have read, Professor Snape was not the most difficult of the heads of Slytherin. He did ask the rest of us about who to choose as prefects. He was under pressure from parents of students, however, something he complained about."

"Who appoints the head of Slytherin house? Do the Slytherin professors agree among themselves?" Gabriel asked.

Minerva further elaborated. "The Slytherin board members maintain a control over the house that is unusual. Niles Hanley and Wendell Wilkes are the current members of our board that were in Slytherin."

"Wendell is related to a Wilkes who was a Death Eater, but he is just a true believer that pure blooded wizards are better," Harry informed the group. "Niles Hanley is one of five families that we have been investigating for the last twenty years, for the Ministry and also for the Crown. The other families are Lestrange, Malfoy, Rosier and Yaxley. Except for the Malfoy family, all are headed by a man who is cruel. Lucius Malfoy was as bad as any of these five. The investigation has to do with finance, property, and how these families earn some of the money they keep accumulating. From looking at what records we have on previous investigations, cruelty seems to be a key feature of all of these families."

"A male member of one of these families has always been on the Hogwarts board," Minerva informed the group.

"I am as worried about Tom Riddle Hanley as about any members of the staff," Harry declared. "I don't trust him. I would like to have the ghosts and elves watch him, but once he is in the Slytherin dorm there is nothing we can do."

"Will the Slytherin ghosts help?" Hermeli Habsburg asked.

"Everyone is afraid of the Bloody Baron," Minerva explained. "There is another Slytherin ghost, also ironically named Scorpius Malfoy. That ghost is terrified of the Bloody Baron, and is just useless. Those are the only ghosts who can go into the Slytherin dormitory. The Elves do clean, but only certain Elves. The Elves have been a help in finding out what goes on in that house, and we have expelled a couple of students because of their testimony and help. The problem is that under the old house-elf rules a house-elf had to be totally subservient to the people they served, and so the house-elves often felt that they could not tell us of the evil things that occasionally went on in that house. As the Elves have become more independent they have stepped in at times, but their ability to change Slytherin is limited. I think some headmasters were also reluctant to ask for help from the Elves, just treating them as dumb servants. We had a few portraits willing to help at one time, but they have been removed as well."

"It sounds like we are going to have to rely on Albus and his friends," Gabriel proposed. "I will send them a Magi Mobil message, and try to meet with them tomorrow.

"All of the students raised with Elves carry a Magi Mobil. It serves as a Portkey if the student is captured or injured, sending them to the hospital wing. It alerts us at the same time. It can be used by the students to send text messages to each other, but is otherwise very restricted. They should be set up so they cannot use them as a telephone nor as a smartphone while they are at Hogwarts. Harry, how come Albus could use his mobile as a smartphone?"

"Because he is Albus?" Harry suggested. "I think Albus knows almost all the seventh year spells. He can make maps better than I can, and has invented some extensions of the map-making spells. If you do not want him to do something, tell him. Never assume he is too young and cannot do it yet."

The five talked well into the evening, and it was close to midnight before Harry arrived back at Grimmauld Place.

HOME! It always felt good to be home. Harry said goodbye to Dobedo, his Elf shadow and bodyguard, and headed upstairs to their bedroom. THEIR Bedroom. Here at their home he wasn't just Harry Potter, he was half of the Harry and Ginny Potter couple, parent to the growing Potter family. He felt complete in a way he never felt before he and Ginny married, sharing their lives, sharing their bodies.

Ginny was sitting up in bed, dozing, Minerva sleeping on her lap. It looked like she had been reading, probably notes from her stringers at the various Quidditch teams. The fall season was starting next weekend. She wore one of the lightweight pajama tops that buttoned up the front, but none of the buttons was fastened, and those magnificent breasts were exposed. They were just tight enough that Ginny was going to want to nurse before sex; as they occasionally leaked, but if they were too tight, they squirted. It was just a lot more complicated being female, especially being a nursing mother.

Harry used the loo, shaved, and stripped, and took a quick shower. He was probably going to make love to Ginny, and he thought about the five families, and the harshness of some of the men in those families. He knew, from his experiences with domestic violence, that some men never made love, but forced themselves on wives and other women to take 'pleasure.' It was a weird kind of pleasure, one that left the female unsatisfied at best, but more often hurting and devastated. Harry used a spell to help him focus his attention on pleasing Ginny, and away from all the sad stories of men who did not love.

Ginny woke up to see a naked and turned on Harry coming towards their bed. She wiggled her bust, showed off her shape, and held out her hand to Harry. Her balance was still terrible, ever since that Quidditch accident, but Harry would help her to their bathroom, and she would touch him and tease him along the way.

Back in bed, Harry did not even ask. He gently picked up Minerva, checked to see if she was wet, and then handed their latest creation to her. Minerva was just the best baby. She would nurse, then go to sleep for six hours or so. Minerva slept at night, slept when Ginny needed a nap, and was awake when Ginny or anyone wanted to play. She was just the best baby you could imagine. Harry remembered the prophets saying, before they had any children, that the odds peaked at three, and then again at six. Ginny was not talking about having any more children, but Harry wondered.

Ginny thought, as Harry led her to their bed, that it was always hard when your children left for school. At least Harry was usually in bed with her, in her body in that way that gave her, them, so much pleasure.

Harry fell asleep feeling very satisfied. Life was not perfect, but it was very good.

Ginny could not fall asleep. Ginny always prided herself on making things happen, but she had to admit that being female involved a lot of letting things happen. The male went into you, and you allowed it. If you were a loving couple you did more than just allow it, and Ginny did everything to make Harry and her experience as good as it could be, but you still allowed him into your body.

If you did not do something to prevent it, you allowed your body to become pregnant, and then you shared your body with another person for months. Then you fed this other person with your body, and allowed him or her to dictate your schedule, at least partially. That started with Teddy. When she talked Harry into letting her have the Mother Minerva's Bra that let her nurse Teddy, and then became his surrogate mother for those early months, she could not accompany Harry on his trips. She was tied to Teddy, letting his needs dictate what she could and could not do.

Maybe she was thinking this way because two of her children had just left for Hogwarts. That was another kind of letting go. As a mother, there was a desire to keep your children close. James was hurt by that Potions professor, and he still bore some of the scars. There was a world of reasons to be worried about Albus. And Teddy, not the child of her body but in so many ways her child, he was in the International Aurors, and might be going under cover. If Teddy married and had children, she and Harry had already decided that they would be the other set of grandparents to Teddy's children.

Ginny's arms were around Harry, holding him close. Minerva would need to nurse again in a few hours, and she needed to sleep. Life was not perfect, but it was very good.

2019