(A/N: Between delaying today's release and publishing half a chapter, it's obvious what I went with. What do you think, should I have just delayed, or is this better than nothing?)

James Potter eyed the Hogwarts Express with distaste. He had nothing against trains in general, but nothing in favor of them either. To many, the Hogwarts Express represented the start of a new year, the chance to learn magic, interact with friends, have an adventure. To those with unpleasant home life like Harry Potter or Severus Snape, it represented an escape to a safe haven.

To James, the Hogwarts Express looked like a loading screen. It was probably the slowest transportation method that wizards and witches subjected themselves to – even Arthur Weasley's enchanted car was faster – as it was able to catch up to the train, and it was nothing more than his hobby. Perhaps it served an actual purpose, maybe to have kids interact with each other before the feast…

In James' head, the trip was so long because there was a lot to render at Hogwarts. Maybe the train was related to Mass Effect's elevators.

Shaking away those silly thoughts, James glanced at the way they came from. The floo. Because of course they would have set up the floo at the station, why wouldn't they? He couldn't imagine someone like Malfoy going through the muggle way, and it would be a statute of secrecy nightmare to have so many clueless magicals go through the station. It would be impossible for obliviators to fix everything, since many people aren't just sticking around, they have trains to catch. With enough oblivious magicals saying the wrong thing or acting strangely, it wouldn't take long for rumors to spread… Especially once the internet, and smartphones, become popular.

With all that taken into consideration, is it really a surprise when fanfictions give the Weasley platform introduction a more manipulative spin? And that wasn't something that can be easily explained away as innocent in other worlds. To not have the floo network installed made no sense. Without knowing that Harry was there, the Weasleys had no reason to take the muggle route.

Well, it didn't matter. James turned to his parents, looking at his tearing mother and somber father. "Are you going to be alright?" He asked with concern.

Fleamont at least laughed at that, though amused but not quite happy. "We're the ones that are supposed to tell you that it's going to be okay, son… But you always were too independent. Don't worry about us, we'll be… Fine?" The last came out as a question because Euphemia Potter practically threw herself at her son, hugging him and sobbing.

The only reason they weren't attracting a crowd was because James had thrown a not-my-problem ward quickly enough.

"Don't worry mom, I'll write you weekly, okay? And with Hestia delivering letters, you'll be getting be getting them in a flash!" James said, awkwardly petting his mother's shoulder.

While he was saying his goodbyes and waiting for his friends, James was also looking at the crowd, interested and amused by their own reactions. Most of the kids were excited to go, or anxious to leave, but the adults… Maybe his mother's scene wouldn't have been out of place in this crowd. They looked so lost…

It had been a month since news got out that Dumbledore retired, and though the circumstances were different, the public's reaction was almost the same as when he retired in his last life. Dumbledore didn't really do much, he wasn't a good politician and did very little with the insane amount of influence that he had, but he did have a presence, and the things that he did do, left an impression that he actually did even more. He dueled Grindelwald, yet people act as though he fought and ended the war against him on his own, ignoring that he only got involved after many had died and he could no longer ignore the begging. Him discovering 12 uses for Dragon Blood is well known, so much so that it's on his chocolate frog card, yet it's rarely mentioned that dragon blood is expensive, and most of the uses have much more reasonable and cheap alternatives.

The reality of Dumbledore was often irrelevant. His mere existence provided comfort and security, and now he was gone. Of course, the public was reassured that Dumbledore was still going to come to aid the wizarding world should there be any need, but many weren't reassured by that. They needed him around to know that if their toilet was suddenly clogged, he'd be around to cast a vanishing spell for them because they failed Transfiguration OWLs and, well, everybody knows that Dumbledore's good at Transfiguration!

Magicals were often so bizarre that James couldn't claim with any degree of certainty that this was a hyperbole.

James was glad that none of his friends displayed the Weasley tendency of arriving at the last minute. Of his friends, Lily had arrived first, an hour early, accompanied with an excited Petunia and exasperated Evanses. Lily was practically bouncing, excited at the prospect of meeting more magicals her age. James was glad to see that Petunia was so far from her canon self, no hint of resentment in sight. Of course, perhaps the changes that are going through Hogwarts that he suggested and were passed through the alliance helped.

With Minerva McGonagall finding herself Headmistress suddenly, she wasn't secure in her position to argue against any changes that the Board of Governors wanted to push. Still lacking experience, and the suggestions being either harmless or beneficial, with the promise of additional funding, she had little to argue against, though she did try a bit.

The biggest change was that the Wizarding Culture course, mandatory for all for their first two years. Even kids from magical backgrounds would be attending, so that they at least have a different perspective than the one taught at home. With the Light shunning tradition and the Dark shunning anything else, it was necessary.

Another change James had suggested was to allow Hogsmeade visits to all ages, and during all weekends. Kids would be allowed by default unless they misbehave or the parents rescind permission – done so mostly for cases where the parents are abusive and would refuse on principle.

James hoped that by having more kids visit the village, and do so more often, it would encourage its growth. Currently, there was very little to actually do or buy there, which he felt was rather sad. The potential customer base had been increased by reminding parents that they can meet their kids during the Hogsmeade visits, and the kids are going to be more willing to meet their parents if those visits aren't so rare.

The parents of muggleborns were also informed of the different ways they could get to Hogsmeade, mainly the Knight Bus and the Floo from the Leaky Cauldron, and that part is what made Petunia happy. She could visit James, and her sister, on an almost weekly basis. Since she met Severus, she was already exposed to the negative attitude magicals have towards muggles, so she wasn't too excited about that aspect, but she was hopeful. She didn't notice too many glares and sneers when they were at Diagon Alley.

Mr. Evans was the only adult not happy seeing the hugs the two girls gave James, the rest being amused and smiling knowingly to each other. James was somewhat annoyed that they would act in such fashion in response to such a simple show of affection, but he also knew that in the wizarding world relationships often started early and were lasting – though this specific one was early even by their standards.

As the Blacks arrived, a rather large group, James noticed that the disapproval they did show at the sight of muggleborns and muggles wasn't as bad as he had initially expected. Of course, he expected his father to have already shared some knowledge regarding their friendship, so they may have had time to at least hide their feelings, but they were able to interact civilly, and for now it was enough.

And Bellatrix was staring at him, unblinking. Great.