A/N:

poll results as of when i was writing this were going back and forth between septimus and adelaide. so i made the decision to split the epilogue into two parts; septimus has a the majority of the word count because i had the preference for it. on the bright side, this means you all got a longer epilogue!

also, it feels very weird for this year to have finally come to a close. hope you all enjoy this chapter.

p.s. get ready for my rambling author's note at the end :)

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epilogue

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Septimus Weasley

September 1938

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Being practically at the end of the alphabet means Septimus gets to watch as most of his classmates are Sorted. A lot of the names he knows and recognizes—some are prominent families, others are children of people that his parents and siblings work with.

The wizarding community is not so large that any magical families go unnoticed, though his mum would say that some people would deliberately act as though your blood, or lack thereof, would mean you were beneath notice. Septimus thinks it's the opposite. People recognize the children of gossip and scandal. People notice Muggle surnames.

So when Harry Evans is called to the front of the room, people notice. When Evans sits under the hat for long, long moments, people notice more.

But as Evans goes to Gryffindor, his face pale and noticeably shocked, Septimus sees. He sees Evans look back at the crowd of first years, how Evans' eyes go wild and pained as he meets someone else's gaze.

Septimus looks over to his left. A taller boy with neat hair and a proud posture stands in the space where Evans had been momentarily fixated. This boy, too, is stunned: jaw slackened, eyes stricken. Septimus wonders if they're brothers, if they'd planned on going to the same house together.

But no, after 'Evans, Harry' is a girl named Felicity Fairbourne. She is sent to Hufflepuff.

"Greengrass, Adelaide."

Septimus knows about this family. Wealthy and well-known for adhering to tradition. Their eldest child, Sebastian, is in the same year as Nathaniel is.

Greengrass approaches the stool with every inch of poise and grace expected from the daughter of a noble house. Her brown hair hangs in loose curls around her face as she seats herself confidently upon the stool. She seems certain of where she'll go. Septimus envies her; he wishes he had a better idea of what house he'll be headed for. Nathaniel thinks he'll be sorted into Hufflepuff, but Septimus isn't sure if it fits.

"RAVENCLAW!"

As the hat is pulled from her head, Greengrass seems surprised. But she slides obligingly from the stool and walks over to the Ravenclaw table where her brother is waiting for her. It is common for siblings to be Sorted to the same house, so Septimus thinks it makes sense. The girl certainly looks like the brainy type.

The next name Professor Dumbledore calls is, "Greengrass, Annalise."

Another, identical girl startles into motion. She makes her way up to the hat, her steps jerky and harried. The Sorting Hat is dropped upon her head, where it sits for a moment. Not as long as it did with Evans, but longer than with her sister.

Annalise Greengrass has her eyes screwed shut and she appears to be mumbling under her breath.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Greengrass jumps off of the stool, stumbling and nearly falling over. Septimus feels bad for her, but really, Gryffindor isn't a bad house, and he doesn't get why people seem so against being Sorted there.

Septimus watches as she heads to the Gryffindor table and takes a seat, bumping into the bench as she does so.

After the twins' Sortings, nothing out of the ordinary happens. More names are called; more students are Sorted. Two more boys go into Gryffindor house along with Evans. Septimus is now waiting for the tall boy to be called to the front, interested in what the result will be.

"Riddle, Tom."

This boy also walks with grace in his step. Septimus would have had him pegged as an heir to some house or another if not for his Muggle surname. Perhaps he's a half-blood, with manners like that.

Riddle pulls the hat onto his head. His mouth is set firmly, his brows pulled together in deep concentration. He's going to argue, Septimus realizes belatedly. Whatever house Riddle had originally thought he was going to go, he was now going to argue for Gryffindor so he could join Harry Evans. Septimus wonders if Annalise Greengrass had tried the same thing, only to fail in her attempt to join her sister.

Minutes pass. Professor Dumbledore remains calm where he stands at the front of the Great Hall, his expression smooth and polite, as though they are all listening to an interesting lecture on Transfiguration.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Septimus blinks. While Riddle had seemed extremely confident in going up, part of Septimus is still surprised at the Sorting Hat's declaration.

As Riddle steps down from the stool, his dark brown eyes move almost expectantly to Professor Dumbledore. So Septimus also goes to look, and what he sees is an uncharacteristic expression of shock on the professor's face.

Riddle walks over to join Evans at the Gryffindor table. Annalise Greengrass automatically shuffles over so that Riddle can sit down next to his friend.

By the time Septimus' name is called, he has a feeling that he, too, will be sent to Gryffindor, and this assessment proves correct; as soon as the Sorting Hat is dropped upon his head, he only hears a light chuckle before his house is announced as—"GRYFFINDOR!"

The next day, Septimus wakes up to his alarm going off. Nathaniel had given him an alarm clock for his tenth birthday, and it is now at last being put to good use.

Reaching over to his side table, Septimus grabs at the device and shuts it off. The magic built into the alarm ensures that he will be the only one to hear it, so that if he wants to wake early he won't be disturbing his classmates. Alarm now settled, Septimus goes to check the time.

Quarter past seven.

Septimus rolls out of his bed, shoving his curtain aside so he can plant both feet firmly upon the ground. A quick look around shows that all the rest of the beds are closed off, meaning his dorm mates are likely sleeping. Moving to the end of his bed, Septimus is about to open his trunk when he hears a rustle of curtains behind him.

Harry Evans is peeking out, green eyes curious. Behind him, Tom Riddle is also there, though his face is impassive. Though it's strange to see them like that, Septimus decides it's probably better not to act like he finds it odd. Truth be told, it isn't that odd anyways. Obviously they're already a lot closer than anyone else is, and Septimus isn't about to go accidentally offending them on the first day of classes.

"Oh," Septimus says. "Good morning. I didn't think anyone else would be up yet."

Septimus is beginning to think his classmates are a bit… unusual.

Nathaniel had made it sound like all the most straightforward types of people were in Gryffindor, but Septimus feels this is rather far from the truth.

Though Septimus has been eating meals and sharing a dorm with Harry and Tom, the two Muggleborn boys are somewhat reserved around him. Harry is friendly enough, but his actions and words revolve around Tom, who seems at best disinterested and at worst disdainful, though he's fairly good at hiding it. But seeing as Harry and Tom are already such good friends, Septimus thinks it shouldn't be impossible to befriend them both properly if he works at it.

Annalise hangs around as well; a lost, mewling kitten without her sister. Septimus still feels bad for her, and even though he thinks that she doesn't like him much he tries to be nice anyways. Septimus has his brother, Harry and Tom have each other, and Annalise has no one. If it had been him, all alone and friendless in his new Hogwarts house, he would have been crushed. Harry seems to empathize with Annalise as well, because Septimus can see him making an effort to include Annalise in their conversations.

There is nothing to be done about the Sortings now; they all must learn to make do. But Septimus can only stand by as Annalise watches the Ravenclaw table with a guilt-ridden gaze, as Tom stares with carefully disguised longing at the Slytherin table. And then there is Harry, who examines Tom's regretful expressions with a small frown on his face. It seems no one is truly happy with the way things turned out.

Still, Septimus tries. He makes jokes and asks questions and engages his new friends in the hopes that they'll someday be as glad to be here in Gryffindor as he is.

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June 1939

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Annalise, Harry, and Septimus are making their way down from Gryffindor Tower after having checked the class rankings posted on the board. Harry had ranked sixth place. Which makes sense, given how hard he'd been working on compiling Tom's notes together during their revision. Septimus also assumes that Tom has been making Harry practice spellcasting when the two of them wander off together.

As for his own marks, Septimus thinks he's done well enough. He's not a genius like Tom and he's not as motivated as Harry. His marks are good and he's proud of himself, which is reward enough on its own.

They're nearly at the Great Hall when Septimus spots a gaggle of Slytherin students loitering in the corridor. Avery is sat upon one of the windowsills, his pointed nose angled in the air as he talks. As Septimus and his friends draw closer, the Slytherins glance over at them.

Lestrange eyes Annalise and Septimus each in turn, and then allows his gaze to linger on Harry.

Harry is talking to Annalise, walking backwards a few paces ahead so that he can face her as he speaks. He's trying to distract her from thinking about their marks and so he isn't paying attention. Septimus is paying attention, but he's not fast enough to stop what happens next.

He's not fast enough to knock Harry out of the way, or to give any kind of warning, but he is fast enough to lurch forward to grab Harry's arm just before the purple spell smacks into Harry's feet, sending him toppling over.

Harry lands awkwardly against Septimus' shoulder and chest, his breath knocked out of him. Septimus stands Harry back up, careful to avoid looking over his shoulder at the Slytherins.

"Keep walking," Septimus mutters. There'd be hell to pay if they were caught dueling in the corridors, depending on who came across them, and Septimus isn't about to try and navigate the politics of whichever prefect or professor happens upon this mess.

Once they are out of earshot, Annalise says, "Who cast that?"

"I'm not sure," Septimus admits. "But it was one of the Slytherins, I know it was."

Harry's eyes have been distant since Septimus had set him back on his feet, but at the word 'Slytherins' his gaze snaps back to the present. "It's not a problem," Harry says. "It's fine."

"But Harry," Annalise says, doubtful. "We should tell a professor if they're going to start attacking you in the hallways."

"It's not an issue," Harry insists. "Just drop it."

They walk a few more steps. "We should tell Tom," says Annalise. "I bet he'll have a plan on what to do."

"No," Harry says, now irate. "We're not going to say anything to him, alright?"

Septimus looks Harry over skeptically. His adamance to not tell Tom is a bit much. "If they keep this up, Harry, then he'll find out eventually," Septimus says.

Harry doesn't respond right away. Then he says, "I just don't want to cause any trouble. I can handle this, alright? It doesn't need to become a problem. Besides, it's almost summer now. They'll forget about all this by the time we're back for our second year."

Septimus doesn't think so, but he's wise enough not to push it for now. The three of them enter the Great Hall. Tom and Adelaide are seated together at the Gryffindor table, not speaking to each other. Septimus doesn't get how anyone can want to sit around in silence all the time, but those two seem to do a fine job of managing it.

"I still think you should say something," Annalise says to Harry. "It's not right for them to get away with it."

"Exactly," Septimus says. "So you should tell Professor Dumbledore."

"I don't want to," Harry whispers. "Now please, shut up!"

It's the most vehement Septimus has ever heard Harry be, which is almost enough to get Septimus to leave it alone. Almost, but not quite. He nudges Harry with his elbow as they approach their friends, and then resists the urge to sigh as Harry shakes his head in defiance.

Septimus has noticed that Harry hates to think he's being a bother. He constantly lurks in Tom's shadow, he downplays his achievements, and he doesn't ask for help until it's shoved into his face. It's all not very good, but hopefully things like ranking on the school list and playing Quidditch will help Harry out more.

Tuning back into the present, Septimus sees Tom staring at them.

"Was there something you wanted to share?" Tom asks.

Looking at Annalise to see what she will do, Septimus tries to gauge just how willing she is to go against Harry's wishes.

"Nothing," says Annalise. "It's nothing."

Septimus grimaces. He doesn't blame her for not wanting to say anything, because Tom's been irascible before and this likely won't be any different. Tom is protective of Harry, that much is plain to see, and so they all know that telling Tom the truth will have consequences. This is probably what Harry is hoping to avoid—inciting Tom's anger and stoking a desire for vengeance. But Harry needs to know he has worth, too. That he's worth fighting for.

The three of them sit down. Tom appears busy with his sausage, but the air around them is still thick with tension.

"Someone tripped Harry in the corridor," Septimus says at last.

Tom will cross lines to defend Harry, Septimus knows, and so he feels a bit like he's just unleashed a dragon upon Hogwarts. He tells himself that Tom would have found out soon enough anyways. It's doubtful that Harry would have been able to keep the secret all summer; Harry's a pretty terrible liar. And Septimus doesn't want to see Harry get bullied or hurt, so if that means letting Tom pull some underhanded Slytherin tactics, then fine. Septimus is fine with that, because Harry is their friend, he's important and cared for, and that matters more than keeping toes behind the line at school.

Besides, if Tom thinks that Septimus is willing to help him break the rules, then Septimus will be able to head off any real trouble before it gets out of hand.

Harry stays moody all throughout breakfast, good mood from his ranking forgotten, and Septimus wants to tell him it's for his own good, but it probably wouldn't be well received. Harry is stubborn like that.

It's alright. Septimus can handle Harry being mad at him for a while. He'd rather have Harry be mad at him than see the situation get any worse. Even if Harry only keeps his head down, it won't be enough to deter bullying, not while Harry and Tom continue to perform well in class, drawing attention from both the good and bad sides of Hogwarts.

As Septimus watches Tom, who is now relaxed and calm as he pours himself a glass of water, Septimus thinks he's made the right choice in telling. Tom will handle it, and everything will be fine.

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Adelaide Greengrass

June 1939

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Septimus Weasley must have asked his brother and Genie Jones to check in on them, probably to make sure that Tom didn't do anything reckless on the ride back to Hogwarts. The group of them have barely had five minutes alone in their compartment at a time for the entire train ride. Riddle looks increasingly annoyed each time Nathaniel or Genie have to leave to tend to their Prefect duties. They leave only to return some time later, as if they're coming and going in shifts.

Adelaide doesn't mind the interruptions—they're a welcome distraction from her other thoughts.

Her sister Annalise is quiet as she watches the scenery pass by through the window, her hands clasped together in her lap. It's been a week since their marks were released and they've had time to come to terms with the results they will be bringing home to their mother and father.

Sebastian had come by earlier with some of his friends, peering closely into their compartment as if to check that his sisters still existed. But Nathaniel had been sitting with them then, telling an animated story of how he had been trying to Transfigure his dinner plate into a mushroom during his OWL when the girl next to him had accidentally conjured an entire pack of toads by mistake. So Sebastian had kept walking on by, much to her relief.

Evans has his feet pulled up on the seat, his toes wedged under Riddle's leg as he leans against the wall with the window. It's a shame that the two of them have to go back to that Muggle orphanage for the summer. They'll have to do their homework in secret and they won't be able to practice any magic.

Adelaide fingers her list of marks in her pocket. The folded piece of parchment has lost its crisp folds from the number of times she's opened it up to look at it. She's done well, sure, but she wonders if it's good enough. She'd fallen down the ranks since the winter exams, because her strengths lay with theory rather than ability, but hopefully it's acceptable to perform below the skill levels of Pureblood boys. It's a bittersweet silver lining that carves a deep hole in her gut, so she tries to think about something else.

"So we're all going to get together this summer," Weasley is saying. "And we should try and meet up at Diagon Alley, too. When it's time to purchase our new school things. We can visit Fortescue's together and get one of those giant sundaes."

"One with lots of flavours," Annelise says wistfully. "So we can try them all."

Adelaide doesn't want to burst the fantasy, just in case it can come true, so she stays silent, watching the interplay.

"Harry and I went there for the first time this past September," Riddle says idly. He has a book on his lap. Perhaps the librarian had made an exception for Hogwarts' newest bibliophile and allowed Riddle to take some books home with him for some extra reading. Riddle's charming enough when he wants to be, according to Annalise. Adelaide's only seen it a few times during Professor Slughorn's parties, but she believes it. Riddle, like her, could have gone to Slytherin.

Adelaide could have gone to Slytherin, because Slytherin would have been an acceptable house to go to. An acceptable house for escape.

But it's for the better, really. She hadn't expected Annalise to go to Gryffindor—neither of them had. So now, with her marks and her house and her standing, it will fall to Adelaide to be the model daughter. Annalise has always been a bit slower to start, a bit too quiet for their parents liking. But Adelaide loves her sister, more than the world, more than life itself, and so she will bear the burden of being the focus of their parents' attention if it means Annalise can be free.

Ravenclaw would have seen Annalise miserable. Adelaide can see that now. Here in Gryffindor, Annalise has friends that will help her and shield her, and that is what's most important, because someday Adelaide will slip up, and so there needs to be someone else to make sure Annalise doesn't fall.

Eventually, the train pulls into King's Cross, and their little compartment group stands together, the atmosphere now somber. They grab their things quietly, though Weasley continues to fill the air with chatter in his usual attempt to lighten the mood.

Adelaide exchanges a glance with Riddle as they head through the doorway. His eyes are tight, his irises as dark as the Great Lake at night. She hopes she's made the right choice, putting her faith in him.

They all proceed out of the train and onto the platform to receive their trunks. Weasley has his old family trunk, Evans and Riddle with their gently-used ones. Adelaide grips the handle of her trunk, which is custom-made and has the Greengrass family crest on it. She doesn't feel any more special for having it.

There are huddles of families already on the platform. King's Cross is so crowded that it's hard for them to move around. Eventually they find themselves squashed up next to one of the brick posts. Nathaniel Weasley is standing a short distance away, leaving the five of them to say their private goodbyes.

"We'll see you soon," Evans says politely.

"Make sure to write," Weasley adds on.

Annalise clutches at Adelaide's arm for a moment. "Promise you'll write? Weekly?" she asks their friends.

"Yeah," Weasley says. "Of course."

Evans nods as well. Just behind him, Riddle inclines his head in the slightest motion.

"Tell us when and where you want to meet," Adelaide says. "And I'll do my best to make sure we can attend."

"Girls, over here!"

Annalise's head whips around. It's Sebastian calling them. "We have to go," Annalise says. "But I'll miss you all."

Adelaide can tell that Annalise wants to hug their friends farewell, but is too self-conscious to do so with their new audience. So Adelaide pulls her arm from Annalise's grasp and tugs on her trunk. "Let's go, 'Lise."

Evans waves goodbye as they turn around, which Adelaide ignores. Annalise, however, waves back belatedly.

Sebastian is still in his school uniform. All the buttons of his shirt are done up despite the humid summer weather, and his tie is knotted neatly underneath his chin. His brown hair, a bland, lifeless shade of light brown, is tied back with a navy blue ribbon. She's not sure why he'd started to grow it out, because she doesn't think it looks very flattering on him. Perhaps it's an attempt to further imitate their father, Adelaide realizes with distaste.

"What took you both so long?" Sebastian asks, lip curling. "Hanging around with those Muggleborns again?"

Annalise shrugs.

Sebastian quirks his mouth to the side, thoughtful, then looks around at the platform. "You have all your things?"

"Yes," says Adelaide.

"Haven't forgotten anything?" Sebastian's eyes narrow their focus to Annalise, who fidgets under his scrutiny.

"No," says Adelaide, firmly.

"Well, mother and father should be here soon," Sebastian says. Then he adds, "We're having dinner with the Notts tonight."

They stand in silence, waiting, and Adelaide already knows it's going to be a very long summer before she and Annalise can go back to Hogwarts.

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END BOOK ONE.

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A/N:

two and a half months of writing like a crazy person resulted in this monster of a story being born. can't say i have any regrets; i feel like i learned a lot along the way, and that my writing is the better for it.

there were a few hints dropped in this chapter. nothing explicit, but there is also one more thing really buried in there in the details. as for tom and adelaide's deal, you see more of her side of things in her POV in this chapter, but what tom's getting out of it has been hinted at in previous chapters. really curious to see if anyone can guess what will happen.

thank you again to hannah (waitingondaisies) for being my number one cheerleader for this story. you all have her to thank for me finishing this first book as quickly as i have.

also thank you to everyone who has favourited and reviewed thus far; your encouragement and presence are super appreciated!

i will spend the next two weeks or so re-editing this book for tone and clarity. after that, i may or may not start on book two right away. going to be perfectly honest and say that if i get a better response on this last chapter (comments!), i'll start sooner. otherwise, i'll switch gears for a short while and bang out some of my other WIPs/ideas before i return to writing this on a regular basis.

to put this into perspective, on average i published a new chapter of this story every 2.5 days. that is a LOT of writing and it takes me a lot of time and effort to write at the rate that i do, so it would be nice for anyone who hasn't taken the time to comment previously to do so on this final chapter.

tl;dr: you WILL see at least some new chapters of this series in january 2020, but you'll see more and you'll see it sooner if i feel like more people are excited to see it :)

also note that book two will continue on directly in this work rather than as a new work, but the chapters are now marked with the book number at the front for clarity. book two will cover years two and three!

things to look forward to: quidditch tryouts, more on the twins' family, first encounter with boggarts, the impact of world war ii.

thank you for reading,

amanda