September 1st, 2021
Harry shepherded his children onto Platform 9 ¾ yet again, but there was something decidedly different about this occasion. Nobody but his family and a few select others knew he would be boarding the train as well today. Lily and Lyra were not terribly excited to have their father join them and tried to keep their distance. Rather than waiting until the last second to board as they usually did, they kissed their dads goodbye quickly after arriving on the platform and jumped onto the train to find an empty cabin. They didn't want anyone knowing until the last possible second what new change was coming to Hogwarts this year.
James couldn't have gotten on the train with his sisters if he had wanted to, however, because Caelum had his arms locked around his brother so tight he couldn't move.
"I promise I'll write a bunch."
"No, just don't leave at all," Caelum insisted.
"I have to, Cael. You'll get to come with me in a couple years."
"Really," Harry said, "It'll go by faster than you think."
Caelum reluctantly let go of his brother and wiped his tears off on his sleeve.
"I'll be home for Christmas. Besides, you still have daddy."
"But I won't have dad," Caelum looked back at Harry with great melancholy.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Draco muttered bitterly to himself.
James heard him and smirked, "But daddy can have fun too. Trust me, it won't be bad." He said one last goodbye to his brother before turning to Draco and hugging him.
Draco squeezed his son tight for a moment and murmured, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. You behave yourself okay?"
"Y'know dad," His son replied as he let go, "When you say things like that it really makes you sound like the un-fun dad."
Draco rolled his eyes and nudged his shoulder, "Okay, go, I've had enough of you. But seriously, be good. Dad will know if you're misbehaving"
"We'll see about that," James laughed before turning to the train. Harry stopped him short, "Hey, where's my hug, mister?" The first year protested that they were both riding the train anyway. "Yeah, I know, but it's not like you're going to let me give you hugs in school." James shrugged, admitting his father was right, and gave him a quick hug before boarding the unmoving train to find a cabin.
It was now Harry's turn to exchange goodbyes. He knelt and held his youngest son close. He was going to miss him dearly. Between the other three, Caelum was often the calm in the center of the storm. Lily and Lyra had their spats, James had his antics, and yet Caelum somehow was always keeping to himself, quietly reading and watching the world go by. Caelum had managed to compose himself by now, but he was still remiss to be saying goodbye to the fun dad. Harry reassured him, "You're going to be okay, Cael. If you ever want to talk to me all you have to do is send a letter, you know I always have time for you, and if you ever desperately need me I can always pop by via floo powder too, but only when daddy is being extra unreasonable."
Draco chimed in, "Hey, I know how to have fun. I just got a new set of chess set and Caelum can kick my arse every day if it'll make him feel better."
"Draco, language," Harry admonished his husband as their son laughed.
Draco smirked as Harry stood, taking an opportunity to wink at Caelum. Clearly some rules would be less enforced without Harry around.
"I saw that," Harry shook his head as he faced his husband. He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. They kissed briefly (ignoring the sound of Cael making sickly sounds behind them) before holding each other tight. Harry would visit when he could, as would Draco, but it was going to be rough. They had rarely spent much time apart, and it had only ever been for brief stretches of time. They were both anxious about this separation, but they were prepared and willing to face it.
Harry finally let go of his husband and boarded the train as it began to steam. He waved goodbye briefly to his family before ducking inside the train so as not to draw attention. James' head popped out a window along the train. He hollered and waved at his family as the red steam engine pulled away. The twins appeared a few cars down, waving just as fiercely. Draco and Caelum waved to their beloved family until it seemed their hands would surely fall off, only stopping when the train was nothing but a red dot down the tracks.
Draco sighed softly and looked down at his dirty blonde son who looked so much like himself. Caelum looked up at his father with watery eyes.
"I know," Draco murmured, putting an arm around his son's shoulders, "We'll be okay."
"Dean, am I seeing things or is that Draco Malfoy?" A thick Irish accent came from behind them.
"Pretty sure that's his son, Shay," Another voice replied just as Draco turned and saw, much to his surprise, Dean and Seamus Finnigan. Seamus was staring perplexingly at the small boy before catching on that indeed it was the taller blonde that was the eldest Malfoy.
Draco raised a brow in surprise, "Merlin, what are you two doing here? I haven't seen you since — it couldn't possibly be the wedding could it?"
"Ah, we chanced each other at the last world cup, but we couldn't talk longer than five minutes," Dean said with a casual, forgiving smile.
Seamus looked a bit more bristled, "Don't cut him slack, I almost mistook his son for him 'cause it's been so long. I thought I hadn't seen you since first year at this rate!"
Draco rolled his eyes but smiled, "Do you just get more hyperbolic as you age? Is that what this is?"
Seamus laughed, "Probably. But where are my manners?" He held out his hand to the short blonde boy, "I'm Seamus Finnigan, and who might you be?"
Caelum glanced at his dad, unsure who these men were though they seemed vaguely familiar, "I-I'm Caelum — Caelum Rubeus Potter-Malfoy." He timidly shook the Irishman's hand.
Seamus let out a laugh and turned back to Draco, "I reckon the middle name was Potter's idea? You finally forgive poor Hagrid for the hippogriff 'attack'?"
"Yes, it was his idea. And shush, he doesn't need to know about that," Draco hinted.
Seamus turned back to Caelum, "So dad never told you about his time at Hogwarts?"
"Only some," Caelum shrugged.
"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Draco changed the subject quickly.
"Oh, we just saw our daughter Sophie off," Dean explained, silently grabbing his husband by the hand and pulling him back. He knew how badly Seamus wanted to mock Draco, but he knew now was not the time nor the place.
"She's already off to school? I didn't realize she and James were the same age."
"Yeah, she just turned eleven last month so she barely made the cut off. What about James, I didn't know it was his first year already?"
"Yeah, looks like they're in the same class. They don't even know each other though, do they?" Draco admitted shyly.
"I reckon not. Sophie was at her grandparents when we went to the last world cup. Neither of them had been born when we all went to Ginny and Terry's wedding," Dean reasoned, "So, no, I don't think they do. But it'll be interesting to see if they happen to coincide. What house do you think he'll get in?"
"Gryffindor. He takes after his father," Draco spoke proudly.
"You don't say? Well, not to brag, but I bet our good old girl will be in our house too. But she has a fair chance at Ravenclaw, so we'll see," Seamus beamed.
"I think they're the last of our generation's kids going off to school then. Only other kid I know starting this year is Ginny's son, Rhys. Last of the Weasleys, at least for now," Draco remarked.
"Oh no, I reckon Neville's girl will be last. What's her name again?"
"Daisy," Draco recalled, "I'd almost forgotten. It's been too long since we've seen everyone. We really need a reunion of some kind."
"Well, we could always have a Dumbledore's Army get together, provided you didn't try to break us up and report us," Seamus smirked.
Draco's cheerful expression faltered and he grimaced, "That's nice, Seamus."
"He's joking," Dean insisted, "But he has a good idea. We should throw a get together some time. If anybody has issue with you being there, well, they aren't liable to say anything with Harry around. Everybody knows you're mad for him anyway. How long has it been now?"
"Our seventeenth anniversary is next month," Draco replied instantly. He felt incredibly old to admit it, but reminded himself how young they were when they married. He was only forty one. Merlin's beard, he was forty one. "Okay, saying that out loud makes me feel horrifically old. It's been nice to catch up, but now I have to go and rot slowly with age."
His old friends cracked with laughter and bid them farewell before departing back through the platform entrance.
...
"Listen, Ly, I need to go down to the prefect's cabin," Lily said a quarter of an hour after the train had set off.
Lyra glanced from her twin sister over toward her friends Caroline and Cletus. They had more or less become Lily's friends as well, despite their being in different houses. She turned back to her sister, "Do you have to? You don't even know them."
"That's the point, I need to make alliances with them so that we can support each other in making sure that students are behaving."
Caroline laughed, "Oh you're such a perfect little Hufflepuff."
Lyra smirked, "Fine, go have fun with your fellow nerds."
"You act like there's no Slytherin prefect."
"Of course there is, and it's that nerd Prescott," Cletus teased.
"Mollie is the other Slytherin prefect and you like her."
"Barely," Lyra sniffed, "She hates Lion King."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I'll catch you guys in the Great Hall?"
"Yeah, yeah," Lyra said dismissively.
Lily laughed to herself and turned to head down the corridor of the train toward the prefect's cabin. Halfway there she was startled by one of the cabin doors sliding open abruptly. She jumped out of the way as a cat ran from the cabin and down the hall, followed by her brother.
"James!"
"Hang on!" He hollered as he caught up to the cat and scooped it up. The wily gray cat squirmed against him, hissing and spitting angrily.
"Whose cat is that?"
"My buddy's," James explained as he head back toward the open cabin he had exited. She glanced over to her right and looked in to see some first years watching curiously from the open cabin. A boy reached out and accepted the wriggling cat from James as he entered the cabin. "Thanks James, he always manages to escape his cage." The young boy tucked the cat into the cage again. Lily leaned in through the open door and slipped her wand out of her robes, pointing it at the cat carrier, "Colloportus. There, that should help."
The young kid looked up at her happily, "Thank you!"
"James," Lily said with a raised brow, "Less trouble making please."
"I didn't cause trouble, I was helping a friend," James pouted irritably.
She smiled, "I know, but still." She swept away and headed toward the prefects cabin. Why was she not surprised he had made friends in under an hour?
The shabby brunette boy with the cat turned to him, "How do you know a prefect?"
"She's my older sister," James rolled his eyes.
"I'm so jealous, she's so cool. She must have taught you a bunch of magic at home."
"No, Lily never thought it was a good idea. Lyra taught me a few tricks when I got my wand a few weeks ago though."
"Who's Lyra?" Asked the second boy, a neatly dressed taller fellow with slick hair.
"My other sister, they're twins."
"Wait, are you a Weasley?" The shabby boy asked.
"No," James laughed, "Do I have red hair?"
"But I heard not all of them have red hair now."
"Well Rhys doesn't, he got his dad's dark hair. But no, I'm not a Weasley. My name's James Sirius Potter-Malfoy." He was unaware that his shoulders pulled back as he said who he was, puffing out his chest with pride.
"You're Harry Potter's son?"
"I am."
"I just got his chocolate frog card the other day! Your dad is legendary."
"I don't know, I think he's kind of lame."
Both boys laughed and the subject of his famous lineage was quickly dropped. The boys introduced themselves properly. The boy with the reckless cat was named Arnold Dawkins and the pristine boy was Clarence Bailey. The boys pooled their pocket change together and collected as much candy as they could from the trolley as it came around. James laughed when he opened his chocolate frog and saw his aunt Hermione waving at him from the card inside. He had no idea his family were so notorious to be on the cards. He flipped it over and read the passage about her:
Hermione Jean Granger is notable for her part in defeating Lord Voldemort in the second wizarding war. After the war, Hermione pursued a career in the Ministry of Magic. She helped to change the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures into the Department for the Welfare of Magical Beings. She is now the head of the department and works with magizoologist Rolf Scamander to create laws to restrict the abuse of magical beings including but not exclusive to: house elves, goblins, centaurs, and more commonly known magical creatures such as hippogriffs and thestrals. She enjoys any and all books and recreational rune reading.
James was unaware of the vast majority of this information. He only knew her as his wicked smart aunt who made the best biscuits for Christmas. He had no idea what she did every day. He smiled proudly to know that he was loved by such a clever, brilliant witch.
"Hey, I got your dad!" Arnold said excitedly as he thrust the card toward James.
"I've already seen his," He started to say before realizing that it was not his bespectacled father staring up at him from the card but his other father. "Wait, when did he get a card?"
"There should be a trademarked year on the bottom," Clarence pointed out, flipping to the backside with the biography and pointing to a tiny scrawled number: 2020. James picked up Hermione's card from where it had fallen in his lap and flipped to the back again. This card read in molecular gold script: 2015.
He dropped his aunt's card back on the seat. Clarence snatched it up, "Oh, I don't think I had Hermione Granger yet. Is it okay if I keep this?"
James nodded absently as he read the back of his father's card:
Despite once being a Death Eater, Draco Malfoy is now most known for being the Director of St. Mungo's Hospital of Magical Maladies and Injuries. After his family vanished from the war, they were absolved of their crimes by Prime Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. Draco went on to marry Harry Potter himself, creating a stir in both conservative and progressive wizarding communities. Since the end of the war, he has worked tirelessly in his career as a healer, rising the ranks to become Director. He deeply enjoys watching Quidditch matches and reading muggle literature.
James stared blankly as he finished reading the card. He flipped it over and stared at his father. The photo looked recent. Why hadn't he known this card existed? More importantly perhaps, how had he not know his father was once a Death Eater? As he sat in the train, he could vividly remember when he was very young and had been reading with his father. His arms around his son, James couldn't help but notice the obscenely long scar on his daddy's arm. He had pointed it out, interrupting his father's storytelling, and asked what it was.
"Oh, that's a scar."
"From what?"
"Daddy made a mistake and it hurt him really badly."
"Like when I fell off my broom and got a cut?"
"Yeah, something like that."
He leaned back against his seat in the train, thinking so intently he hardly knew what was going on around him. His attention was finally grabbed again by Clarence waving a hand in front of his face, "Hello? Earth to James?"
"Hm?"
"We asked you what house you were hoping to get in, and you didn't say anything."
"Oh, sorry."
"What's up?" Arnold chimed in, watching his new friend curiously.
"Did…" He hesitated and held up his father's chocolate frog card briefly, "Did you know about this stuff?"
"Of course," Clarence shrugged, "Everyone knows about it."
"Well," Arnold clarified, "Anyone who keeps track of wizard news. I don't imagine a great deal of muggle borns will know."
"Wait, did you not know your dad was a Death Eater?" Clarence asked, his tone shifting to one of shock and awe.
"N-no, he never told us," James muttered as he shoved the card into the pocket of his street jeans he was still wearing. Only the prefects already had their robes on.
"Well, can't say I blame him. Would you want to tell your kids something like that?" Arnold suggested sympathetically.
"Yeah, you're right," James cleared his throat, "Hey can you pass me the treacle tart? Those are my favorite."
Seeing that he wanted to drop the conversation of his heritage, his new friends quickly let it go with him and carried on chatting around their pile of snacks.
They changed into their robes just before the train came to a stop at Hogsmeade Station. The first years milled on off the red train and were startled by a booming voice, "FIRS' YEARS. FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY."
James turned around and saw up ahead a giant man with a thick bushy black mane gesturing for the young ones to follow him. James, Clarence, and Arnold followed the small crowd of first years and the ridiculously large man down from Hogsmeade toward the black lake. They ended up toward the front of the crowd by coincidence. The tall man turned to be sure there were no stragglers. As he did, his small dark eyes flitted down and locked onto James' eyes.
"Blimey, if that ain't Harry's boy. Now, are you the one he keeps telling me about that has me name?" The giant said with a barely visible grin under his giant moustache and beard.
"I don't know, my name is James Sirius."
The man's eyes scrunched slightly, "Ah of course he named ye after 'em. I knew both the men you were named af'er. I 'ad Sirius' bike once upon a time. Not sure what 'appened to it to be perfe'tly honest."
"I'm sorry," James said shyly, "But who are you?"
His cheery disposition faltered slightly, "Ah, I'll have a good yell at your dad for that one. How could he not tell ya? Not yer fault though. The name is Rubeus Hagrid, keeper o' the grounds and professor at Hogwarts."
James beamed, "Oh! Dad's told us about you! I just didn't know what you looked like. My little brother was named after you!"
"Ah, yeah, that's the one. Can't hardly wait to meet him. Is he the last of ye?"
"Yes, Caelum is the youngest."
"I reckoned. Four kids. Blimey, if he ain't trying to outdo the Weasleys," Hagrid seemed to mutter to himself before bellowing to the crowd, "FIRS' YEARS INTO THE BOATS. ONLY FIVE AT TIME PLEASE."
They had reached the edge of the black lake and boarded the boats that were awaiting them at the shore. The crowd of students surged forward. James barely managed to get in the same boat as his new friends. The two other students that joined them were unfamiliar to him, though that was of little surprise. The only other student he knew that was starting this year was Rhys Weasley, and he was nowhere in sight yet. Once all of them had boarded, the boats lurched forward, pulling them across the lake by magic. James exchanged furtive looks with the other students. The two girls were talking animatedly. One girl had pin straight blonde hair down to her shoulders, the other a razor sharp bob that looked entirely inappropriate on so young a face. He associated such a look with only middle aged suburban mothers, the likes of which he was delighted to not interact with again. He truly hated living in the muggle suburb with his family. He had always hoped they would move, but perhaps once Caelum went to school his parents wouldn't object to the notion so much.
Ignoring the gossiping girls, the boys started their own conversation about who their favorite national Quidditch teams were. As they were all having their separate discussions, however, the boats turned a bend in the lake and they came in full sight of the castle. All of the first years hushed and looked up toward the castle. The ones who had been raised by alum of this prestigious school had been looking forward to this day since they could remember. The muggle borns were just in awe that they were really becoming a part of a magical, exclusive world. The windows that dotted the castle walls were all glowing in a warm candlelight and the full moon behind it gave the exterior of the school a cool glow.
Dazed by the wondrous beauty of Hogwarts, many of the students were hardly aware as they were shuffled off the boats and lead up a long winding staircase toward the entrance of the Great Hall. Out of breath from climbing well over a hundred stairs, the children clumped together in the empty entrance hall. Hagrid had left them at the front door and disappeared. They were greeted in the entryway by a rather tiny wizard with a high pitched voice who gathered them in two orderly lines before the Great Hall's shut doors.
A moment later they were striding in through the grand entrance between two incredibly long tables. The banners above indicated that they were walking right between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. James' head swiveled around as he tried to spot his sisters. Lyra was peering from the far table on the right, watching eagerly with a giant grin. Lily reached out as he passed and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. She worried he looked scared, but in truth he was in awe at the grandeur of the hall. The tiny wizard lead them up to the front of the hall before placing a small stool (almost as tall as he was) in front of him and placing a raggedy hat on it.
James was unsurprised when the hat began to sing of its duty to the school and the traits of the houses. His sisters had done their job in preparing him for what was to come, having professed they were startled when they first arrived themselves. James waited his turn patiently as the students around him were sorted. The first student was put into Hufflepuff to raucous applause on their right. He glanced over and watched his sister greet the small first year girl. He was startled when he heard, "Bailey, Clarence," announced to come forth. He had already forgotten how quickly his friends would be sorted. He hoped they remained together and would not be split apart by house.
The hat sat upon the smooth flat hair of the prim and proper boy. It sat there quite longer than it had on the first girl. Just as James was hearing people whisper if the hat was broken, it burst out loudly, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Despite not having been sorted yet, James felt relief for his friend. They had all hoped they would end up in Gryffindor. Each of them had family from the house, so they had good reason to suspect they may get in, despite James' warning that it wasn't always going to apply since it clearly didn't with Lily.
"Dawkins, Arnold," was called shortly thereafter. James wished him luck quietly before he headed out of the crowd of first years and sat upon the stool. He too ended up in Gryffindor. James watched nervously as students continued to be sorted. The girl with the weird haircut that had sat in his boat was apparently named Easton, Esmerelda which James found it incredibly fitting. She ended up in Ravenclaw, which relieved him somehow. The blonde girl that she had been chattering with followed her: Finnigan, Sophie was sorted into Gryffindor as well. The crowd thinned considerably before it was James' turn. The wizard who had been calling names had been expressionless until that moment. His eyes twinkled and a small curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Potter-Malfoy, James Sirius."
James stepped slowly forward. As he did, he glanced up and noticed the Headmistress watching him coolly but with keen interest. His father sat directly beside her, despite the fact that Defense Against the Dark Arts professor never usually sat beside the Headmaster. Harry smiled reassuringly toward his son. He turned and sat on the stool, facing the crowd of onlooking students. Every single pair of eyes seemed to be drawn to him, watching closely as the hat was delicately placed upon his head.
The hat whispered in his ear, "The Potters live on I see? I can sense their blood in you, oh yes. The pride of your forefathers runs thick in you. There's no doubt where you truly belong, dear boy. But perhaps you have an opinion of it like your father before you?"
James thought intently, I want to go in whatever house I belong in, that's all
"Oh, but you forget I can see inside your mind. You have a particular inclination for Gryffindor don't you?"
Yes…
"And why's that?"
I want to make my father proud and … I want to take pride in myself.
"Ah yes, that's what I thought. Then I guess you better be GRYFFINDOR!"
The entire Gryffindor table stood in raucous applause, far greater than the applause received for Arnold and Clarence. He headed directly to his house table, not looking back to notice the exchange happening between three professors at the head table.
"That'll be ten galleons," Neville leaned over to whisper to Harry.
"For the record, I'm not surprised," Harry said as he handed the change over to his friend. Minerva was chuckling beside them, betraying a rare smile.
"Oh, as if you thought he would go anywhere else," Harry commented dryly.
"With a name like that? Frankly, Harry, I don't see why you even added Draco's surname onto his. He is a pure Potter, through and through. He looks just like you and your father. Are you sure he had a mother at all?" Neville teased as Minnie laughed.
Harry smiled proudly as he watched his son sit down beside two young boys he was clearly already acquainted with and chat lively with them before being shushed by the next sorting.
A/N: Goddamn guys I'm so sorry about the coding error. This is what I get for trying to do it on my phone during the holidays. Thank you guys for being patient!