Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine!
AN: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you - for your reviews. I Know I said the boys would go to Hogwarts but I was hold up in Diagon Alley. Sorry! Hogwarts and the sorting will be next chapter. I Promise!!!
ENJOY!
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Albus Dumbledore looked up from his desk when Minerva McGonagall entered his office. Minerva looked confused, something that amused Albus to no end. Carefully masking his amusement with a concerned expression he asked:
"Minerva, what can I do for you?" Minerva handed him a scroll of parchment. It was the list of the First Years of this year.
"Albus what do you make out of this?" she asked. Now Albus was confused.
"Pardon me?"
"The Longbottoms, Albus. I wasn't aware they had triplets!"
Potter Manor
Owen was excited. He would go to Hogwarts this year. Great Uncle Albus himself had given him his Hogwarts letter. Looking in the mirror Owen at his spotless robes Owen decided he was ready for Diagon Alley. Hopefully no one would recognize him Yeah right, he thought, and cows are going to skate on the lake by Christmas this year. Suddenly Owen was less excited to go to Diagon Alley. People just did leave him alone and worse, his mother supported that.
Going down to breakfast he heard shouting from the library. His parents were fighting. Again.
"MERLIN LILY! Give the boy a break! You know he doesn't like all these events! You don't have turn his school shopping into one!" his father shouted.
"He has to stay in the public eye so that people will not loose interest! He is a hero!"
"No Lily! He has to be a soon to be eleven year old boy. He should play with his friends – not signing autographs!"
Choosing to ignore his parents for now, Owen went down to get his breakfast.
Longbottom Manor
"Alan! Nat! Our letters, they are here!" Neville raced in the potions lab where he and his brothers not entirely voluntary were helping their grandfather. It had been their punishment for their latest prank. The three now soon to be eleven year old boys had, after a long research, brewed a potion, that would turn the hair of everyone who was sprayed with it into neon blue. They had sprayed their friends Susan Bones and Ernie MacMillian, Susan's aunt Amelia Bones and their parents with it before they were caught.
Elroy looked up and scrowled lightly at his oldest grandson: "Neville! How often have I told you not to burst into a potions lab like that." He scolded. "Some potions are very sensitive. It's dangerous!"
Neville looked up sheepishly: "Sorry grandpa! Mum sends me to get Alan and Nat. Our Hogwarts letters are here!"
At that Elroy smiled. The Hogwarts letter was something every child of a wizarding family in Britain was waiting for. It was special. "That's great, Neville. You three clear you're working place and just let me take care of that potion. Than we go looking for your dad and grandmother. They will want to be there, when you open them."
Fifteen minutes later everyone sat in Elroy's study. The boys were nearly bursting with anticipation. Together they ripped their letters open
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Longbottom,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress"
(From JK Rowling's, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone)
"Can we go…" (Neville)
"to Diagon Alley…" (Alan)
"today?" (and Nathan asked.)
Frank and Alice looked at the identical and hopeful faces of their sons. Since the ritual and the destruction of the Horcrux Voldemort left on Nathan (or Nat, like he was called most of the time), the scar had finally healed. For people who didn't know where to look it was nearly invisible.
"Did they behave?" Frank asked his father. The older Longbottom nodded and smiled. "All right you rascals. After lunch we will go and get your supplies."
Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley was packed with Hogwarts students and their parents. The Longbottoms went to Madame Malkin´s first. While the boys were fitted for their school robes, Alice and Augusta browsed through the children's section looking for casual robes and some muggle clothing. Frank and Elroy strolled along nodding occasionally to whatever their wife's choosing internally hoping that this boring part of shopping would be over soon.
After that they went to Flourish and Blotts for their school books. Frank nearly became a stroke when his sons not only piled their school books on the counter but a healthy pile of other books about Transfiguration, Potions, Charms and DADA, too. "This is all your fault!" he mouthed at his wife. Alice just grinned. She had always encouraged their boys to learn and read. Frank sighed when he paid for the books. It seemed that the days for a Longbottom in Gryffindor were over. Still grinning at her husbands' antics Alice led Frank and the boys to the apothecary, while Augusta and Elroy went to look for cauldrons, brass scales and phials.
"Where now?" Frank asked, when they left the apothecary. He had just said it when Lily, James and Owen Potter left the Magical Menagerie. The four adults stared at each other for a moment and Frank was suddenly very thankful, that his mother wasn't there. Like all of them Augusta despised the Potters for what they had done to Nathan and could be very vocal about it.
While there was an uncomfortable silence between the adults Owen Potter stared at the three identical boys before him. He vaguely remembered Neville but couldn't remember Neville being a triplet.
"Hi Neville." He greeted calmly. The boy on the right nodded.
"Hello Owen. Have you met my brothers Alan and Nathan?" Nathan looked at his former twin while Alan greeted him first. Owen was a tall, wiry build boy now.
"Hello Owen!"
Frank looked at his sons. Nathan seemed a bit pale. His brothers had moved closer to him and Alan had put his arm around his shoulders, whispering something in his ear. Nathan looked grateful at his brother, still a bit pale.
"James, Lillian!" he greeted the Potters calmly, doing his best to keep his voice neutral. Lily made a move to grab her son and go but James stared at the three boys in front of him. He was sure one of them must be Harry. On Franks greeting he nodded.
"Frank, Alice! I hope you are well?"
Lily had not said a word the whole time, ignoring their former friends and their children. For her taste James was giving these three boys too much attention.
"James, we still have to get Owens books and potion ingredients." She said and started to drag Owen along, who waved silently at the triplets. James sighed and looked at the Longbottoms.
"I am sorry!" he said calmly. "Neville, Alan, Nathan; I wish you a good year at Hogwarts."
"Thank.."
"you.."
"Mr. Potter!" the three answered, reminding James eerily of two other boys. He smiled at them. Than he looked at Frank and Alice.
"Thank you!" He whispered before he followed his wife and son.
Nathan let out a sigh and began shaking the moment James Potter was out of sight. Alice let the upset boy to a bench before the apothecary, holding him murmuring comforting words until the shaking stopped.
"Are you alright now?" she asked softly. Nathan nodded. It had been a shock to see his former family, even though Lily and Owen Potter seemed oblivious to whom he once had been. With James Potter Nathan was not sure. The man had stared at him for too long.
"So what do you want for a pet, boys?" Frank asked to lighten the mood. He had planned to just buy an owl that the three should share. But now it was a welcome opportunity to get the boys minds from the meeting with the Potters.
Longbottom Manor – Nathan's room
Nathan was sitting on his bed and stroked the feathers of his new owl. She was snow white and he had immediately in love with the beautiful bird. Alan let himself fall on the mattress beside his brother, placing his kitten in his lap. The kitten was purely black spare two red dots on every ear. They were soon joined by Neville and his tawny owl.
"You OK?" Nev asked. Nat nodded.
"For a moment I thought, I had to…" he stopped.
"… to go back?" Alan asked. Nat nodded: "Yeah. But than you whispered ´triplets in my ear and I remembered, that they will never be able to do that."
The brothers were silent for a while. Than Alan asked.
"How will you name her?" Nat stroked his owl.
"I think Hedwig would be a good name, what do you say girl?" Hedwig nipped his fingers, hooting affection ally.
"She seems to like her new name." Alan grinned. "Nev? What's about your guy?"
"I always liked the name Trevor." Trevor hooted. He seemed to like his name, too. "What's about your little tiger, Al?" Alan glared at his brother.
"Don't call me ´Al! I swear, if you call me that again I'll call you ´Willie!" Nat snickered when Nev paled. Giving him a look that said: ´I have warned you! "Back to this one. What do you think of Merlin?" Nat chuckled.
"Big name for a little kitten." He grinned. "I like it."
Longbottom Manor – Library
Frank sat down on the couch beside his wife.
"Are they alright?" she asked. Frank nodded.
"They are in Nat's room. I know it's late but let them." Alice snuggled closer to her husband.
"He seemed sad."
"Hmm!"
"James. I think he regrets, what he has done to Nathan."
"That doesn't make it better, Frank!"
"No, of course not. What do you think of Owen?"
"Well, he was polite enough."
Potter Manor
The great grandfather clock stroke twelve times. Midnight. Midnight of the first day in nearly five years he had seen his youngest son. Only – he wasn't his son any more. He was Alice and Frank's child now. With two brothers who obviously cared about him. Nathan! James liked that name. He had looked different from when he had been Harrison James Potter. If not for the nearly invisible remains of that scar and the reaction of the boy James would not have recognized him. When James, Lily and Owen had come out of Flourish and Blotts James had seen him again. They were coming out of the Magical Menagerie holding various pets. They seemed happy. Thank you my friends he thought staring into fire. Lifting his glass in greeting to the flames he gulped the drink down.