AN: Wow I can't believe that I'm about to start writing the last chapter, it's totally crazy, but I'm going to leave the mushy stuff till the end, okay?

Chapter 53: End of the Beginning

2041

Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean you have to forget

Let memories grow stronger and stronger

Till they're before your eyes

You'll come back

When they call you

No need to say goodbye

-Regina Spektor The Call

Maxine Potter Malfoy dragged herself out of bed with much difficulty on the morning of the first September. She had barely slept at all during the night, and a small headache was starting to creep up on her, joining together perfectly with her already tense body. Max carefully avoided the mirror on the way to the door, and carefully opened it, only plopping her head out to check that the coast was clear. When she didn't find any signs of her brother or her parents, she quickly tiptoed across the carpeted floor and into the bathroom, locking the door securely behind her.

A small hysteric sound escaped her lips as she sunk down on the edge of the bathtub, brushing pale hair out of her face. Keep cam Max, you can do this, she thought, but it didn't make any difference, her small hands kept shaking.

"Oi for how long are you going to be in there Max? You know there are more us of who have to get ready!" Her brothers impatient voice and banging on the door sent her flying up on her feet again, with a groan she banged back at the door.

"I just got here! You've got to wait for your turn!"

"Maaaax-"

"Kyyyyyyleeee"

"Merlin you're annoying Maxine" Kyle's irritated voice carried through the door, and Max forgot for a second that he couldn't see her angry face through it.

"Don't call me that!"

"What? Your name? Maxine Maxine Maaaxi-" Kyle started chanting, and Max threw the door open, successfully smacking it into his shoulder. He staggered backwards in surprise, clasping his arm.

"What the hell Max?"

"Mum doesn't like it when you curse" Max unnecessary pointed out, as Kyle straightened up again, unconsciously pulling a hand through his black hair. Her brother was three years older then her, a lanky 14-year-old boy by now. He was beginning his fourth year as a slytherin, while Max was just about to start her first.

"I don't care what mum thinks" Kyle rolled his eyes, probably trying to look cool, it didn't fool Max though, she knew Kyle feared their mother most of all on the whole planet.

"I'm going to tell her" She grinned slightly as Kyle went startlingly pale. It was quite amusing actually, he was the slytherin, weren't they supposed be able to call bluffs like that?

"Fine, I'll use the bathroom downstairs" He muttered and headed for the stairs, Max grinned at his back until he was out of sight. She didn't get the pleasure to outwit her brother often, but when she did it always got her in a better mood, and right now, that was exactly what she needed.

She quickly washed her face and pulled her ash blonde hair up into a ponytail, trying not to look to close at the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror. With a sigh she walked back to her room, and pulled on a pair of baggy jeans that she knew her mother wouldn't approve of, and an oversized t-shirt over a striped long sleeved one. Alexis usually tried to dress her elegantly, but Max just didn't like it, and her mother had given up on it a few years ago.

The trunk stood ready and packed in the corner of her room, and she briskly caught the handle. It was heavy, but she still boxed it all the way down the stairs without calling for help, the physical work took the toll of her nervousness slightly.

"Max, why didn't you ask me to take that for you?" Her father exclaimed as she panting stepped into the kitchen.

"If she had you probably wouldn't have heard her over your daily prophet" Max's mother, Alexis, said dryly from the other side of the table. James glared at his wife for a short second, and Alexis shrugged. "What? I don't know what it is with you male Potters but when you read, you go completely spaced"

"We do not" Kyle said, pushing past Max into the kitchen, he slid down between their parents after picking up a plate of pancakes. Judging my the nice smell, Max knew it was her father and not her mother who'd made them.

"You do" Max rolled her eyes and also took some pancakes before joining the rest of her family by the table. As usual Alexis was dressed in an elegant jacket and high heels, the blonde hair pulled tightly up into a bun. James on the other hand looked more disoriented, with sprawling hair and reading glasses sliding down his nose repeatedly. Sometimes Max wondered how the two of them ever managed to stay married.

"So you nervous darling?" Max turned towards her mother, and found that she'd been watching her.

"Not really" She shrugged even though she knew it was useless to try and lie to her mother, head of the department of mysteries.

"She was completely freaking out upstairs" Kyle said, and Max glared viciously at him across the table. But as usual he just grinned back slyly. Stupid slytherin.

"And now why would you do that?" James put away the newspaper, a sigh that he was trying to be serious, Max tried to keep her face straight.

"No reason."

"Max…" Alexis raised her eyebrow.

"I'm just a bit nervous that's all, isn't that normal?" Max exclaimed flinging her hands out and almost knocking over her glass of milk. Her father caught it before it could fall over.

"Of course it is, we just wanted to make sure it wasn't something else" Her mother smiled "You know you don't have to be worried about the sorting right?"

"I know" Max's voice was thick, she remembered the day Kyle and Conny had been sorted. James had practically thrown a fit when he found out his son had become a slytherin, then only an hour later uncle Teddy had come dashing through the door, hair flashing and eyes blazing. Apparently he'd though it was Kyle's fault that Conny had also been sorted into slytherin. Personally Max thought it was because Conny fit in there, the pretty girl with the emerald curls and piercing eyes.

After a while Alexis had gotten both her father and uncle to calm down, and they realized that their kids being in slytherin wasn't that big of a deal after all. So that wasn't what Max was afraid of, being sorted into slytherin, but she knew that her fathers side of the family were counting on her now, to become a Gryffindor.

Only problem was, Max didn't feel like a Gryffindor, nor a slytherin, she didn't feel like any of that. She wasn't particularly brave or smart, not even talented in quidditch.

"We'll be proud of you no matter what" She felt her fathers hand on her shoulder, and gave him a thankful smile.

"Unless you become a Hufflepuff" Kyle snorted, and both he and James fell into laughter, Max noticed that her mother broke into a grin too.

"I'm not hungry any more" She pushed the plate away, and fled the kitchen.

Alexis watched with narrowed eyes as her daughter ran out of the kitchen. James met her eyes across the table with equal worry.

"Kyle, you'll take care of your sister at Hogwarts right?" James said, and their son looked up in surprise, before sighing loudly.

"Uncle Teddy wants me to look out for Conny, you want me to look after Max-"

"She's you sister and-"

"Of course I will dad, but I doubt she'll like it" Kyle rolled his eyes, and Alexis couldn't help but agree.

"She don't have to know" James shrugged, and they all turned back to their food or paper. But she still couldn't get the thought of Max out of her head, she'd always been… not rebellious, but different. Something of a tomboy, she didn't like girlish stuff like Ara, but she still didn't get along with Rose and Eric's son Benjamin who was her age completely either. Alexis didn't know what to do with her, James kept telling her to let it be, but she couldn't. She felt responsible.

Somehow, despite that Max felt like the different one, Alexis could recognize herself in the young girl. Being a part of a family that you somehow didn't fit into at all times, a family history always following you around. Maybe Max's history was better then Alexis's had been back then, but the facts where still the same. She and James where both quite famous, whether they liked it or not. Kyle could handle it, Alexis even suspected he liked the attention, but Max… Alexis wasn't sure how she would handle it.

"We've probably want to go now if we want to catch the train in time" James said.

"Yeah, or else we'll end up like last year borrowing uncle Ron's flying car" Kyle rolled his eyes, and Alexis couldn't help but smile. That had been fun.

"Well we wouldn't want that, so let's move it"

About an hour later Alexis went through the barrier, her hand on Max's shoulder. She sent her daughter a reassuring smile, trying to let her know that it would be alright. Behind them James came pushing Max's trolley forward, and after him Kyle.

"Alex, James!" A familiar voice called, and she turned around and smiled as Fred and Megan hurried to catch up with them. Trailing behind them and bickering loudly- as usual, was their twin daughters Terry and Maggie. The two redheaded girls were one year older then Max, and considering the large piles of detentions they'd gotten last year, they weren't exactly angels. Not that she'd expected anything less from anyone related to Fred.

"Bye" Kyle rolled his eyes and quickly departed from them at the sight of the twins, Alexis caught sight of Conny's emerald hair through the fog before also Kyle was gone.

"So are you exited Max?" Fred grinned after they'd all hugged and greeted.

"A little nervous"

"You shouldn't be, Hogwarts is awesome" Terry said, and Alexis saw her daughter raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, if you become a Gryffindor like us we could hang out all the time" Maggie added, and Max nodded with a strained smile. Alexis thought she heard her daughter muttering something startlingly like 'That's what I'm worried about'

"So where are the rest?" James looked around the platform that was quickly filling up with people. As on cue Rose and Eric slid up to join them, their oldest son Benjamin grinning lightly towards Max, while the younger Hazel gripped at her mother's arm. Alexis smiled and greeted them too, but she still kept looking around, Scorpius and Estelle should have been there by now, they didn't want Ara to be late for her last year.

However, the person that caught Alexis's eye wasn't her brother's family, it was someone that made her freeze in a way she had forgot she could.

"Mum?" Max tugged at her arm, but Alexis couldn't move, she could only see his profile, maybe it wasn't him, maybe she was just imagining things…

"Alexis?" This time it was Megan's voice, slightly worried. Alexis didn't answer, because the tall man, standing in front of a young boy in Max's age, had turned around.

After so many years, Alexis found herself staring into the face of Preston Flint, and he was staring right back. For a moment they where both frozen, but then he averted his eyes, and turned his back on her. Alexis felt another tug and startled turned back to her family, they where all giving her curious looks.

"Just spaced out again" She shrugged with a smile, and James rolled his eyes.

"You're overworking yourself" He said, and Alexis shrugged, glancing down at Max who was nervously biting at her nails. If Preston was there it meant he had a kid going to Hogwarts, Alexis couldn't say she liked the idea, but she didn't want to worry her daughter either.

"Finally!" Rose exclaimed as Victoire and Teddy emerged through the fog, Remus was trailing behind them, tugging Conny along with him, while Kyle trailed after her.

"Sorry, we lost these two" Teddy said apologetically and nodded towards Conny and Kyle, who exchanged a look and then grinned.

"Well then, the train's about to leave now so you better hurry up" Megan ushered, and suddenly there was a large commotion between everyone as they had to hug and say goodbye. Alexis once again stood on her tiptoes to find her brother.

"Mum, they're over there" Kyle pointed across the station, and she caught sight of Estelle's black hair. She and Scorpius waved and Alexis grinned back, beside them Ara was already boarding the train, while Draco Junior looked quite sour to see his sister leave.

With a final contented sigh she turned back to find her daughter looking up at her with large hazel eyes. Alexis kneeled down to eliminate some of the height, and pulled Max into a tight hug.

"You're going to do fine Max, as long as you're happy, we're happy"

"Thanks" Max small arms wrapped tightly around Alexi's neck "Bye mum"

"Bye honey" Alexis grinned, and pushed her daughter towards the train, and then Kyle- that had only allowed her a quick hug.

Something stung in her eyes as she watched her two kids enter the train, followed closely by their cousins, they all waved, and Alexis waved back. Still grinning madly, even though her eyes were tearing up. Somewhere when the train was leaving the platform, James put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against his shoulder.

Max would be okay, she would make her own story, a story Alexis had fought her entire teenage life so that it would be a good one.

Max toppled out of the boat awkwardly, her foot catching onto the railing. She heard someone snorting beside her, and turned to glare at a boy with dark mahogany hair and pale skin. She was just about to tell the boy some carefully chosen words when an arm went around her waist, successfully saving her from tripping. She glanced up in surprise to find Benjamin, glaring at the dark haired boy who was still smirking.

"Why don't you just bugger off" Benjamin said, as Max pushed him away and stood up straight.

"Benjamin you don't have to- I would have been fine by my own" She muttered, and moved away as another first year passed by her.

"Yes Benjamin, you don't have to rescue every damsel in distress you know" The boy said, he was still hovering a few feet away from them, with a humorous grin on his face.

"I don't remember talking to you" Max spat back, and the boy sent her a slightly surprised glance.

"She talks"

"Didn't I tell you to go away?" Benjamin took one step closer to the other boy, and Max couldn't help but roll her eyes. The dark haired boy's eyebrows went up, like the situation was amusing to him too.

"And if I don't?" He said, still grinning. Max grasped Benjamin's arm as he made to move again.

"First years this way! Why are you still here? Towards the castle!" Hagrid, the half giant that Max had heard so much about, suddenly broke through their little triangle, and ushered them forward to catch up with the others. Max took a relieved breath, and when they'd rejoined the rest, she'd lost sight of the dark haired boy.

"Wow" Ara breathed beside her as they stepped into the great hall, Max couldn't do anything more then agree with a silent nod. It was just like Kyle had described it, or better. But the moment the amazement passed, her stomach knitted together with nervousness again. Kyle and Conny waved at her from the slytherin table, and she passed Terry and Maggie at the Gryffindor table.

The first years lined up in the ail as Max's eyes raked over the teachers table, she recognized the headmaster, Professor Longbottom, the divination teacher Sameera, who had been a member of the Serpens Order back in the day, and of course Hagrid.

When Longbottom begun to call names from the list, Max had to concentrate to keep from hyperventilating, or possibly fainting. Which would be very awkward to do in front of the whole great hall. Daughter of famous quidditch player and unspeakable fainting, that would be something.

"Flint, Quentin" The headmaster called, and Max found herself watching the brown haired boy from earlier breaking out of the line and calmly strolling forward to the chair. Beside her she could hear Benjamin growling silently, and on the other, Ara had also followed the boy's steps with interest.

"His father was a death demon, wasn't he?" Ara suddenly wheezed in her ear, and something rattled in the back of Max's head. Her mother staring across the platform at a tall man in company with a boy, a boy very similar to Quentin Flint.

"It wouldn't surprise me" Benjamin said dryly, apparently overhearing their conversation. Ara leaned past Max and sent him a dark glare, Max tugged her back.

"How do you know?" She whispered silently as the boy sat down on the chair, somehow she thought the hall had grown extra silent. Maybe his father had been a death demon.

"If you would pick up a book once in a while then maybe you wouldn't have to ask" Ara said, and Benjamin snorted. But Max ignored them, the hat was still on the boy's head, it had stayed silent for an unusually long time now.

"Hufflepuff!" It finally called, and the hall awkwardly applauded, Max followed the boy as he walked to his table, she couldn't see his face, but he didn't seem too distressed to her. Maybe they'd been wrong.

"Hm, that's interesting" Ara mumbled as the sorting continued, and Max forgot about the boy once again, as the nervousness returned in full force.

"Malfoy, Ara" Longbottom called, and Ara quickly turned to Max before stepping out of the line.

"See you in slytherin" She winked, and set off towards the chair with confident steps. The hat barely touched her head before it yelled 'Slytherin!'.

"What a surprise" Benjamin said, just before Longbottom called his name. He just sent a smile towards Max before resuming the chair that Ara had left empty.

"Ravenclaw!" The hat called, and Max watched Benjamin smile and head off to the cheering table. With a turning stomach she watched a few other kids getting sorted without too much interest. Then finally.

"Potter Malfoy, Maxine"

She walked the quick steps up to the podium, feeling the eyes of the hall in her back. It had fallen silent, and she hoped she wouldn't trip, or throw up. When she sat down on the chair Longbottom sent her a kind smile, before the hat sunk down over her eyes.

"Ah, another Malfoy, and Potter" The hat chuckled "I remember when I sorted your mother, such a complicated girl, you're very much like her"

Max had her eyes tightly shut. Maybe she would become a Gryffindor after all.

"No dear… Gryffindor is not the house for you, just because of the reason I told you. Your mother sat down on this chair with a strong love and respect for her own family, but a likewise strong desire to break free from it"

Max let out a breath, Slytherin?

"No" The hat paused "Hufflepuff!"

Max didn't realize that the hat had shouted to words out loud until Longbottom snatched it of her head, and gave her scuff towards the right table. She felt completely dim, the hall was only clapping awkwardly, and she didn't want to glance over to meet her brothers eyes.

Of all the freaking houses, she would be placed in the one that wasn't okay. That was just great. Well done Max.

She slumped down on a chair at the end of the table, ignoring the curious looks of the other kids around her. Her parents would be so disappointed, especially her father, not one of his kids in Gryffindor.

The sorting ended, and food appeared on the table, but Max couldn't bring herself to look up.

"Disappointed much?" A voice finally said, and she glanced up to find the dark haired boy, Quentin Flint, looking at her across the table.

"No" She said defiantly, it almost came like a reflex "Or maybe, now I'll have to put up with you" She sent him a wry smile, and he rolled his eyes, a boy next to her chuckled, while the tall girl in front of her narrowed her eyes.

"Are you James Potter's daughter?"

"Depends on who's asking" Max wasn't in the mood for fixing autographs.

"Sarah Finnigan" The girl extended her hand "My grandfather works with your dad" she paused "And I think our parents knew each other, at least they say so, but I'm not sure I believe them"

"Nice to meet you" Max grinned back, she did recall her parents mentioning something about her dad's old trained being the father of one of their friends or something.

"Oh this is so endearing" Flint said with an eye roll, and Max glared at him again.

"What is your problem Flint?" She emphasized his last name, and as she suspected, he finally snapped and glared back darkly at her.

"Nothing, Malfoy"

"It's Potter Malfoy" She corrected coyly.

"Like I care"

"Woha" The boy next to Max said, cutting them off, the other first years had been looking back and forth between her and Flint. "You two know each other?"

"No" Both she and Flint echoed, and then glanced disturbed at each other.

"Oh I thought Hufflepuff's where supposed to be loyal" Sarah sighed, and took a bite of food. That almost brought a smile out of Max despite her irritation.

"Yeah" The boy next to her agreed, and the two of them fell into talking, soon the other first years joined them too. Only Max and Flint kept quiet, occasionally glancing at each other across the table. None of them ate.

Despite this Max felt a little better, the people didn't seem to bad, and Sarah was cool. Maybe her parents would get over the fact that she wasn't ambitious enough to be in slytherin or courageous enough to be a Gryffindor.

She was Max Potter Malfoy, and she could handle this. Just like her mother had done when she became a Gryffindor.

If she couldn't change herself, she'd just have to change Hufflepuff's reputation.

Oh Hogwarts, she thought, you have no idea what awaits you do you?

.:THE END:.

AN: Wow, where do I begin?

I started this story one year ago, give and take a few days, and I had no idea that it would become so popular. I was first planning on stopping after the first part, but then I just kept going, thanks to you guys. I would never have been able to write this story without you, I really mean it, you're the ones who kept me going chapter after chapter. With almost a hundred favs and alerts respective, almost 250 reviews, this story became more popular then I ever imagined.

Looking back, I can see myself evolving as a writer and plot-creator (uh… new word?) I can easily say I'm proud over this story, and how it evolved. You guys have helped me with criticism and tips, and I can't thank you enough.

I can't believe that I'm going to let go of Alexis and the others now, after having them in my head constantly for a whole year, not a day went by when they didn't flash by at least once. I hope you're going to miss them as much as I am.

I want to thank everyone of you (again) for reading this, especially those of you who were with me from the beginning, when I had like five readers and two favs. It means a lot that you stayed with me, and to the rest of you who managed to take yourself through this novel-length fanfic, thanks.

Finally, I want to say that if anyone (I don't know why, but I'm putting it out here anyway) would want to continue this story, you know, with Max and the rest, I would love it, as long as you tell me.

And, (haha, it wasn't over yet, but I promise this is the end, no more rambling) hope you liked the ending, I know this is how I wanted it, just hope it was enough for you too.

With that, I'm saying Goodbye to this story. If you want you can follow my other fanfics, or read my original works (link at profile).

Bye bye my beloved Minions!

/Facetake