Chapter 9: A Surprise for All:

Hooray! Another Sunday for updating. So many favorites and follows on my story. Thank you all so very much. I appreciate it. I even have been getting more favorites on my older story, too.

:) All is well. Enjoy chapter 9.


"Come along, Hugo. Time to leave."

Hugo grabbed his mother's hand, trunk gripped tight in his other with his empty owl cage on top. His owl, Fred, hadn't done very well being in his cage while all the hustle and bustle of the platform went on around them, so Hugo had let him out earlier. He was sure he would find his way home.

"We're running late, Ron! Please hurry!"

Rose, Hugo, James, Albus, Lily, and Hermione stood in the living room, holding hands, awaiting Ron's departure from the loo so they could all disapparate to platform 9¾. They'd have no time to take the muggle way, as Hermione had planned. It would have to wait for another time, she supposed.

"Alright, 'Mione. I'm out. Let's go." Ron jogged over to them and put his hand on Hermione's shoulder, and they apparated.

Everyone landed perfectly on their feet, with everything intact, beside the benches on platform 9¾.

"How are you feeling, loves? Any queasiness?" Hermione looked over the children. She had hoped the ginger root gummies would help their stomachs relax.

Rose, chipper as usual, replied, "Fine, Mum."

James and Albus nodded, a little pale, but alright. Hugo and Lily, on the other hand, seemed a bit green.

"Oh dear." Hermione pulled out her wand and sent some stomach soothing spells to ease the nausea. She also handed them the bag of ginger root gummies from her bag. "Here, snack on some of these on the train, alright? They should help. I'm sorry. I know your first times are the hardest."

Lily and Hugo, with some color returning to their cheeks, nodded and sat down on the bench they were near, each taking a few ginger candies from the bag.

"Blimey, King's Cross never grows old, does it?" Ron gazed around the platform, enjoying the beautiful atmosphere is always seemed to have as it filled with witches and wizards or all sorts gathered along the train platform.

Hermione looked about, too, taking it all in. "Well, we can relax for a moment while Lily and Hue settle."

They all looked about, seeing some people they knew, and many they did not. The faces turned this way and that while the black billowy robes seemed to devour everything else. So many faces passed, moving every which way in a rush to get where they were going. And in the crowd, one face popped out to little Lily's eyes; almond-shaped green eyes, just like Albus had, with crazy black hair spouting off in every direction as if it had a mind of its own, and just vaguely behind it, a lightning bolt scar.

"Daddy!"

Lily instantly stood from the bench, leaving all her belongings behind and ran to her father, just now coming to the edge of the mob of the crowd. She hit him hard, throwing her arms about him and holding on tight and he laughed and steadied himself enough to be able to put his arms around her too.

"Hey, Lil. It's so good to see you."

Albus and James, who had been watching Lily run into his arms, now smiled and made their way over as well.

"Dad! You made it!" Albus threw his arms around his father, too.

"Of course I made it, Albus. I said I would." Harry smiled and hugged his two youngest children tightly. He looked up to see James standing by them all sort of awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Harry hoped he didn't feel too grown-up for hugs. "Come on, James. Join the hug."

James scoffed, and glanced around for any sight of his friends. When he didn't see anyone, he gave in. "Alright, munchins, step aside. Eldest coming through."

They all stood there, hugging each other, feeling the time that had separated them disappear. It had been so many long months since they had last been together. And in all that time, though much had changed, they were still family.

Hermione and Rom watched, unsure of what to do. From what Ginny had told them, Harry had gone a bit mad, and was incapable of caring for himself, let alone his children. But she had told them that so long ago, it seemed. They hadn't even talked to her since she had gotten that new job of hers. Hermione wondered if it had been a while since the children had seen either of them.

"Harry."

He peered up at the familiar voice, seeing Hermione, a hint of tears in her eyes, smiling. The children released him, but stayed by his side. "Hey, Hermione. Ron." He glanced between the two of them. "How has it been?"

"Great, actually." Hermione said. "Ron just got a promotion."

Harry's heart fell, but he nodded and gave a fake smile. "That's…great. Head Auror Ron, then?" He looked to Ron.

"Er, yeah. They thought I was the best candidate after…you know." Ron's face was slightly pink around the edges.

"Well, congratulations. I'm glad the department is in good hands."

Both Harry and Ron stood, not really meeting each other's eyes, until Hermione made a face at Ron, gesturing with her eyes for him to talk to Harry.

Though he made a pleading face in reply, Ron walked a bit closer to Harry, so he could speak soft enough so no one else could hear but them. "You know, er, mate, no one blames you anymore. No one even remembers what happened. We caught the guy and his gang. No hard feelings, okay?"

As much as Harry wanted to scream at Ron, tell him that there was nothing but hard feelings after they fired him, his kids were there with him. He didn't want Lily and Albus and James to ever act like he felt he should be acting right now. He wanted them to always be the bigger person.

"Okay. Thank you."

Ron nodded and went to stand by Hermione.

"Oh Harry, where are you working now?" Hermione's brown eyes had that motherly sheen that was so characteristic of her.

Harry smiled, leaving the bad thoughts of the past behind him. "Ah, yes. That is my big surprise for the day." He looked down at his children with bright, happy eyes. "I'm going to be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year."

Immediately, Hugo and Lily squealed with excitement. In their young eyes, this would be great. Maybe they would get to have some fun in class for once! Albus and Rose, though definitely happy, were confused. James, however, knew this meant his father would now be the target of all beginning-of-the-year pranks. And he wasn't looking forward to getting detention from his own father. Or worse, with his father. What would his friends think of him, then? Oh, he hoped he wouldn't get lectured in public.

Hermione was appalled. "Harry, no one has that job for more than a year. What are you going to do next year?"

Harry shrugged. "Depends on what happens that makes me leave."

Hermione simply gaped, but Ron said, "Nice. I hope you end up like the one who got all that money."

She slapped Ron's shoulder with her hand. "Ronald, what if something bad happens?"

"He's Harry. I'm sure he'll be fine, 'Mione."

"Oh! The train's leaving in one minute!" Rose shouted as the whistle sounded.

The families gathered their things and pushed themselves into the crowd to get the children, and Harry, on board. Harry mostly helped carry Lily's things, since he had taken all his things to Hogwarts the day before. (He now occupied the room directly across the hall from Neville's.)

James quickly parted from them, going off to find his friends. Rose, Hugo, Lily, and Albus all found an empty compartment and settled themselves in. Harry waved and left them be. After all, he was their professor now. No one wants to sit with their professor on the Hogwarts Express, right?

His thoughts drifted to Professor Lupin all those years ago. He understood how he must have felt, to want to be involved so much in his life, but not daring do much more than he had. It was a hard line to walk.

The whistle on the train blew once more, indicating it was about to leave. Though Harry had thought maybe he could ride on the train, from the looks of it, every single compartment was full. He pulled out his wand and just as he was about to disapparate, he saw a young boy, probably a first year, walking past each compartment, his navy blue eyes looking in with a sinking expression. His robes looked tattered on the bottom, barely hiding his very dirty trainers, and his mousey blonde hair stuck out in tufts. As the train began to move, the boy nearly fell over.

Harry walked over to the boy and helped him steady himself. He squatted, getting on his eye level. "Hello. What's your name?"

The boy backed up a bit, perhaps shy, or just unwilling to talk to strangers.

Harry just smiled. "I'm Professor Potter. Do you need help finding a compartment?"

He nodded and let his sad blue eyes fall to the floor.

Harry stood. "Come on. I'll help you. I'm sure there are some empty ones in the back." Harry held out his hand.

As the boy looked up at Harry and grabbed his hand, his eyes lightened into a turquoise color.

Harry began to walk forward, boy in tow. "Those are some interesting eyes you've got there." Harry looked back to see the boy's expression fade once more into a sad one, his eyes turning a navy so dark it was almost black. "Oh, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I have a godson like you. His hair changes like your eyes do. When he's happy, it's a bright bubble gum pink, just like his mother before him."

As they walked along, the boy seemed to lose more and more hope of finding a compartment. Just when Harry thought they had neared the end, he did a double-take as he looked out the saw what seemed to be a whole other car attached to the one he thought was the last. Harry took the boy into the very last car and saw that there was no one in it at all. Harry supposed that Hogwarts was not the only thing with magic up its sleeves.

"Here we are. Now we've got the whole compartment to ourselves." Harry led the boy into the very first compartment. "Here you go." The boy packed his trunk under the seats and sat down, seeming so small with all that space around him. Harry felt bad. How was it that all the other first years had somehow made friends enough to sit with others and this boy had not? "Would you like some company?" The boy was so small and delicate. Did he looked scared? Harry wished he was better at reading emotions. "It's alright, if you don't want to sit with a professor. I get it. No need to worry about hurting my feelings."

They boys blue eyes turned bright yellow in a flash.

"Oh." Harry was sort of startled. "Do you want me to stay? I can stay if you want."

The boy gave a small nod.

Harry stepped in and sat across from the boy, looking out the window at the city going by. "Is it your first year at Hogwarts?" His eyes parted from the window to look back at the boy, who once again wore turquoise eyes. The boy nodded. Harry smiled. "I remember my first year at Hogwarts. I would have missed the train entirely if I hadn't found the Weasleys just as they were going to Platform 9¾. I grew up with muggles, you see. I had no idea what or where the platform was." Harry chuckled to himself. "Little did I know, then, that I'd become a part of the Weasley family."

The boy gasped.

"What? What is it?" Harry looked around for something that caused it, but found nothing.

The boy, now with bright green eyes, squeaked, "You're Harry Potter!"

"What? Oh, yeah. I am." Harry laughed. He forgot he was famous for a second. "What gave it away? The scar?" He put his hands on his forehead absentmindedly. "Always the blabbermouth, this thing."

The boy stared in awe.

"Well, now that you know my name, can I know yours?"

"Gemini. Gemini Swalton," He said softly.

"Hmm." Harry nodded. "Gemini. That's a constellation. So, you're named after a constellation and you can change the colors of your eyes. Are you sure you aren't related to my godson's mom at all? Her name was Nymphadora."

The boy's eyes faded back to blue again. "No. I can't be. I've got no parents."

"No parents? You're an orphan?" Harry asked quietly.

Gemini shook his head. "No. I never had parents. Can't be an orphan if you've never had parents." The boy took to looking out the window.

Harry decided to change the subject a bit. "So, Gemini. Why Gemini? Do you know?"

"Because I was born like this," the boy blinked and his right eye was blue and his left eye was brown. "The ladies at the center named me it because I seemed like two different people. They used to whisper that I ate my twin in the womb."

Harry seemed taken aback. What an awful thing to say about someone. "That's terrible. I learned about stuff like that back when I went to muggle school. They say the two colors are due to genetics, it has nothing to do with…with that."

"Muggles," the boy pondered aloud, "there are scientists that have created technology and can explain almost anything, and yet they don't even know magic exists. They don't even take the time to educate those who can't afford it, so they end up with ladies at orphanages who have nothing but superstitions to believe in. No facts, no science, not even real magic."

Harry was at a loss for what to say. The boy's eyes were a startling scarlet, reminiscent of Voldemort himself. Harry felt the ever strangest feeling that this boy was exactly where Tom Riddle had been his first year at Hogwarts: alone, hating the muggle world, gaining the knowledge to build up his future empire. It was a startling thing. Harry hoped he was wrong about where Gemini was headed.

"Gemini, I understand. Really, I do. Everyone tells the story of how my parents died but I didn't, but no one tells the story about how I went to live with my muggle aunt and uncle who neglected me and made me into a house servant while treating their son like a king. When you're young, all you want is their love, and the more you grow, the more you just want to leave."

The boy looked back to Harry, tears clinging to his firey eyes. "They called me the Spawn of Satan when they thought I couldn't hear them."

In as soothing a tone as Harry could manage, he continued, "There are bad people in the world, Gemini, but they aren't all muggles. Voldemort was bad. Terrible, actually. He killed so many people, from pureblood witches and wizards to muggle-borns and muggles. His power made him terrible, just like the ignorance of those ladies at the orphanage made them terrible. The thing about terrible people is that they make other people around them terrible, too."

Gemini looked to Harry, one eye yellow and one eye red.

"I'm going to tell you a story, okay?" Harry could hear the trolley lady in the distance. "Here, I'll get us some candy and some pumpkin juice from the trolley and then I'll tell you this story, okay?" Harry stood and left the compartment, walking into the next car where the trolley lady was rolling through. "Miss!"

The lady looked at him and smiled. "What'll it be, dear?"

"Uh, two of every candy you have but the beans. And two pumpkin juices." Harry pulled out some money, but he was more than certain it was more than he needed to pay. "Uh, here. Keep the change."

"Oh, bless your sweet little heart. Here, I'll get you a bag."

The lady stuffed the bag with a bunch of sweets and handed it to Harry, who smiled and said "Thank you" before walking back to the compartment where Gemini waited for him.

"Now," Harry stated-matter-of-factly as he opened the compartment door, "the thing about wizard sweets is that most of them try to escape from you as you eat them. Or worse, bite back. So be careful." Harry smiled. "The chocolate frogs come with fancy cards with famous witches and wizards on them. I suggest starting a collection, as many students are willing to trade you if you have one they need. Good way to make friends."

Gemini's violet eyes stared into the bag delightfully and pulled out boxes and boxes of various sweets. "My god!" He found the two pumpkin juices and pulled them out, handing on to Harry.

"Oh, thank you."

"Thank you. I'd never be able to afford any of this."

Harry smiled. "I figured you'd want something to snack on while I tell you this story. Now, make sure you listen. It's an important one that I've only ever told my own children before."

Gemini nodded and munched on a pumpkin pasty.

"Now I believe this takes place some 90 years ago. There was this woman who used a love potion on a muggle man she loved. Her family was absolutely crazy pureblood, but we won't get into that. Anyway, they had a child together named after his father, Tom Riddle. While pregnant with little Tom, his mom ran out of love potion to give to his father, so he left her. She was heartbroken, of course. Eventually, she gave birth to Tom Riddle Jr., but passed away during the process. Little Tom Riddle was then sent to an orphanage, just like you were, before he could even remember.

"As Tom grew up there, there were many things about him that made the ladies in charge there whisper about him. He was odd, and they couldn't understand it. If I remember correctly, they called him a demon, or something like that. Then, when he was eleven, Mr. Albus Dumbledore himself, before he was headmaster at Hogwarts but after his big defeat of Grindlewald, came to tell Tom that he was a wizard and that he could go to Hogwarts and learn magic. Dumbledore had heard from all the ladies of the terrible things he had done, as if he had grown up believing that he was a demon. Dumbledore talked to Tom, asked him about his powers, and Tom told him that he could make things move, and talk to snakes. He was very powerful, since he did all this before he got a wand. Dumbledore made sure to tell Tom that he could go to Hogwarts only if he learns how to control his magic and to use it properly. Tom agreed, probably because he didn't like the orphanage and being a wizard is much better than being a demon.

"So Tom went to Hogwarts. He was sorted into Slytherin house because he grew into this desire to be great. He wanted to be the best. That's not uncommon when going to school. However, while Tom was there, he researched his family and found out about his muggle father who abandoned him. That, along with the horrible muggle ladies at the orphanage, grew his hatred for muggles. Later, even after that, he found out he was the Heir of Slytherin. That was why he could speak to snakes. Parseltongue, they call it. It's a trait so rare that it was said only Salazar Slytherin and his family could do it, so it made sense that he was the Heir of Slytherin. Of course, every summer he had to go from being the Heir of Slytherin to just a normal boy living in an orphanage. It was quite a terrible time for him.

"Tom never made any friends at Hogwarts. He sort of just made some followers who would later prove useful to him. The longer he went to Hogwarts, the more he got into dark magic and the more he hated muggles. He opened the Chamber of Secrets, a secret set of tunnels underneath and around Hogwarts that used to have a huge Basilisk inside it, and he blamed it on someone else. He learned how to make horcruxes and began the process of splitting his soul into pieces by killing people and placing them in objects so he couldn't ever die. He took up the name Voldemort, since he hated his given name, and began to have a following in purebloods. He finished his time at Hogwarts and tried to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, which Dumbledore denied him, since Dumbledore had always been aware of what he was doing. Voldemort, it's rumored, cursed the position so no one could have it for more than a year, and then he grew his following, killing so many people to make himself immortal. He started the first wizarding war, causing many, many more to die.

"And then he heard of this prophecy. He heard there was a prophecy that was about him and someone who could defeat him. He got one of his followers to try and figure out what it was, but he only got the first part: that there was a kid that would be born at the end of July that would be able to destroy him, from two people who had defied him three times. While there were two families that fit that description, he chose to believe it was the Potters. One of their friends had become a follower of Voldemort and told him where Dumbledore had hid them, and so Voldemort went to their house and killed them to get to the baby. But what he didn't understand was that Mrs. Potter, the mother of the prophesized child, had sacrificed herself trying to protect her son, and left a powerful magic over him that rebounded the killing curse Voldemort had sent. The rest, of course, is history."

Gemini sat, eyes wide and pastel blue, gaping at Harry and his story.

Harry nodded. "Yep. Tom Riddle used to be just like you and me. Many people think it was because of the love potion, he was not able to love and that's what made him evil, but I think it was his choices. I think it was the hatred that grew within him that he never let go of that turned him into the evil thing he became." He gave Gemini a somber smile. "Gemini, I want you to promise me that you won't let the hatred eat you up, okay? I know you don't like your life right now, but never let terrible people make you terrible too."

Gemini nodded and stared out the window, lap full of candy mostly untouched.

Harry watched as they passed green hills and grasses that went on forever and he wondered, just for a moment, if he did the right thing telling the story of Tom Riddle to this boy.

"Is Slytherin a bad house to get sorted into?"

Harry immediately shook his head. "No. It's not. I think it's just a misunderstood house. One of the bravest men I know was from that house. He was my potions professor when I went to Hogwarts." The boy looked unsure. "If you like, I'll tell you a secret: the Sorting Hat takes your opinion into consideration. I was almost put into Slytherin, but I told it I wanted Gryffindor, so it gave me Gryffindor."

"Really?" Gemini smiled, eyes changing to a bright purple.

"Oh yeah. No point in putting you in a house you don't want to be in, I guess. But it's best to stay true to yourself."

Gemini smiled and took to searching through the candies on his lap once more. "What are these?"

Harry smiled and picked up a box of them. "Oh, they're fun, these ones. Let me show you."

Harry picked one and popped it into his mouth, tasting what seemed to be toffee. He then made a loud trumpeting as if an elephant were charging right in the very room. Gemini laughed and picked one up as well, eating it with no hesitations. Suddenly, he was making monkey sounds. Harry laughed.

They ate the most they could of their candy and took the rest for later. Harry passed the time on the express with ease. He liked Gemini, and he hoped, for the boy's sake, that his life would get better.