I am sorry for the hopscotch with this epilogue. I will rearrange the chapters once all of this is finished.

Chapter IV

The business of the lodge continued into the summer. Other than the stir caused amongst the guest mothers and daughters whenever Ginny appeared pushing her stroller full of triplets, nothing much changed. Harry took over most of Ginny's duties, and the others pitched in, as well.

Molly stayed behind the scenes doing 'grandmother things' as she called them. Ginny spent more and more time breastfeeding the babies as they started to rapidly grow. All three babies weighed between three and three-and-a-half pounds at birth. Everything was going well thanks to the help of Maomao.

By mid-August, all three babies were over four pounds. Molly had returned to The Burrow. Ginny was starting to feel the stress of trying to feed three hungry mouths. She pulled out the directions for the baby formula that Madam Qingwa had given.

Luna, who had picked up many of the duties Molly had been performing, started complaining about her breasts feeling strange of late. They seem tender for some reason. Then it happened. Maomao and Luna were assisting Ginny as she tried to satisfy the squalling of three angry, hungry babies.

"They can never wait their turn," complained Ginny. "And they always want to feed at the same time."

"Yes, Mistress Ginny," said Maomao as Reishi wailed while Chanterelle and Remus nursed hungrily from Ginny's breasts. "Babies very greedy. Only think of themselves. I will get bottle from kitchen."

Luna, who was holding the crying Reishi, reached up to rub her left breast only to find the front of her blouse quite wet.

"What is this?" said Luna, a bit surprised as she tried to calm the hungry baby. "What did you do to me, Reishi?"

Maomao looked at Luna for a moment, then smiled. "Reishi did nothing, Mistress Luna. 'You do it. You making baby milk with your breast. Maomao has seen this before. Now you can feed babies, too."

"What?" replied Luna in a startled voice that drowned out Reishi. "How is that possible?"

"Ladies who are mothers have this happen sometimes when they around crying babies. Very common."

"What can I do?" asked Luna, looking very perplexed and concerned. "This is exceptionally unexpected."

"You can do nothing, Mistress Luna," replied Maomao. "Or you can feed baby your milk."

"I can?" said Luna, looking at Maomao, and then at Ginny like she was considering it, but seeking permission.

"If you can do it, please go ahead," said Ginny, not waiting for Luna to say something. "I would love some help. So would the babies."

Luna looked at Ginny, then at Reishi who was still squalling. Her eyes indicated she was thinking hard about the situation. Then, she handed Reishi to Maomao and started to unbutton her blouse.

"I think it is okay," said Luna as she reached over and pushed the strap of her bra off her left shoulder and pulled down the cup to expose her breast. "I think it is the right thing to do."

"Yes," said Ginny. "I think it will be a wonderful thing for the children and our whole family."

Maomao handed the crying Reishi back to Luna as she sat down next to Ginny. She raised Reishi to her breast and tried to entice her to accept her nipple. Reishi hesitated at the strange breast. It was like she could innately sense the difference, that it was not her mother's. Then, after a moment of further enticement, she latched onto this new food source and settled down and began nursing happily.

Maomao placed a blanket on Luna and said, "Babies all happy now. You both share feeding job. Make life better for everyone."

A few minutes later Harry walked in as the babies were quietly feeding while Ginny and Luna chatted. Maomao was cleaning up the room.

"What the bloody hell is…" he blurted out, stopping before the rest of his words escaped him.

"We're feeding the babies," said Ginny like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I know, but how is Luna...? Is it a spell? Are you using a potion?"

"No," replied Luna. "It is because I'm a mother, too. Maomao can explain it. It is exceptionally wonderful."

"I thought you said you were the father," said Harry, regaining enough of his senses to exhibit a little wit.

"I hadn't thought about that. Stop trying to confuse me, Harry."

"Just be happy," said Ginny. "It is going to make life better for all of us."

"Yessss. I still have one more if you like," said Luna, reaching up like she was going to uncover her other breast.

"N-n-no," stammered Harry as he turned to make an unplanned but hasty exit. "Just continue what you're doing."

From that day forward, Ginny and Luna shared feeding duties, including the nightly ones. The babies continued to grow as the other children returned to Ilvermony, tourist season ended, and winter started poking its inevitable presence over the landscape.

By the time the school year ended, all three children were potty trained thanks to the Chinese training system employed by Maomao. "Chinese parents very embarrassed of baby not potty trained by time they start to walk," explained Maomao. "Save a lot of time dealing with dirty nappies."

Reishi took her first steps just before the start of the next school year. When the children returned for the Christmas holidays all three of the triplets were toddling around the lodge and speaking their first words. Reishi seemed to be the de facto leader of the trio, always getting the first choice of the toys and being in the lead as the trio moved about the lodge. Chanterelle was the quickest learner, being the first one potty trained, to have started walking, and to begin speaking. Remus was the quietest, most observant, and reserved, seeming to think about everything before acting.

"Potty, mommy," said Chanterelle to Ginny, who was talking to a pregnant muggle mother about children.

"Excuse me," said Ginny. "I will be right back."

"Of course," said the woman as she turned to get a cup of coffee from the nearby coffee pots.

Ginny hurried off with Chanterelle towing her and Reishi and Remus toddling at top speed in close pursuit.

When the group returned a few minutes later, the woman had a ream of questions ready to ask about how the children were potty trained at such a young age. Ginny explained it as best she could, relying on the explanation Maomao had given her about the Chinese system. The woman asked about talking to Maomao but Ginny managed to dodge by claiming Maomao spoke very poor English. She promised to give her the booklet about it that Madam Qingwa had given to her.

The woman remained quite envious, having gone well past the age of three in training her first child and was still spending a fortune on nappies for her second. Ginny told her that she understood her feelings.

"My three older children went past three before they were out of nappies," said Ginny. "Maomao's system was new to me, as well. I still don't understand her all of the time but I trust her implicitly." This provided the woman a modicum of solace.

They both agreed that there was a certain level of competition among the three toddlers that sped up walking and talking. Still, the fact they were potty trained at such a young age was somewhat amazing. Ginny noted that they were all still breastfeeding and taking formula. She did not think that process was going to be any different from the other three. But only time would tell.

The years passed at Deer Lodge as the trio grew like the weeds your lawnmower can't reach along the side of your house until they surprise you and turn into rather stunning plants. The lodge grew into a major tourist destination for both muggle and magical lovers of nature. Several heads of state for various countries vacationed there with their families. Many of the elites from the wizarding world did likewise. Reservations needed to be made at least a year in advance to get in at the prime times of the year.

Herman finished up his advanced studies to become a magizoologist. He turned down several offers and returned to Deer Lodge to work alongside Rolf and Luna. This not only benefited him by ensuring him a solid future, but it guaranteed the lodge's wildlife would be in great hands for many years to come. Lorcan, Lysander, and Ginille all elected to make the lodge their career. Meanwhile, Rhonda moved to London to open a shop in Diagon Alley filled with magical herbs and potions, many of which were from Luna's gardens at the lodge.

James and Albus decided to stay and England to take jobs at the Ministry of Magic. While initially slated to attend Ilvermorney, they had been accepted into Hogwarts with the help of Hermione. It seemed one of them contacted her through their cousin and she made it happen. The final member of the original eight children, Lily, went to work in the MACUSA Office of International Association as a junior liaison between the US and the UK. Being related to the UK Minister for Magic had its perks.

Time passed and Reishi, Chanterelle, and Remus turned eleven. They all received their letters from Ilvermorney. Herman said he could use his influence and contact to get them into Castelobruxo if any of them wanted to study magizoology. Their Aunt Hermione offered to get them spots at Hogwarts, but in the end, they decided to stay on this side of the Atlantic and north of the equator.

As leaving day rapidly approached, the excitement at the lodge was reaching frantic proportions. All three of the trio were going over their required items for first-year students. Proper attire for each had been purchased, 3 sets of books were bundled up, cauldrons, writing equipment, protective gear were all pre-packed.

Rolf had allowed each of them to select what would prove to be prized familiars to accompany them to the school. Reishi selected a rare, spectacled Jarvey; a creature resembling an overgrown ferret and capable of human, often rude speech...a characteristic that would earn it a restrictive speech collar on its first day at the school. She named it Alastor after a story she heard from her parents about Alastor Mad-Eye Moody.

Chanterelle selected an 8-point Jackalope. She named it Prongs after her grandfather James Potter's animagus form.

Remus selected a very rare Valravn that he named Poe after Edgar Allan Poe because he thought it would be the most badass pet at the school. It certainly had that potential and more, but just like Alastor, it was destined to be fitted with a restrictive band that would prevent it from acting out to its full potential with some of its darker capabilities.

They were also gifted a trip to London by their Aunt Hermione so they could buy their wands in Ollivander's Wand Shop from the now very elderly Mr. Ollivander. Ginny accompanied them so she could also pay a call on the rest of her family.

When they entered the shop to the tinkling of the bell that had been over the door for hundreds of years, a bespectacled man who looked distinctly like a much younger Garrick Ollivander popped out from behind the shelves. Upon seeing Hermione leading three children and Ginny, he gasped, "MINISTER! I will get my father immediately. He's in the back."

"Relax, Yennick," chuckled Hermione. "We are just here to be fitted with wands.

A couple of moments later Mr. Ollivander came out. "Ah, Hermione...uh Minister. It is always a pleasure. And who have we here? Ginerva? Are you Ginerva Weasley?"

"Ginny, sir," she responded. "It is wonderful to see you."

"And are all of these your children? I thought I had seen all of you children when I helped Lily with her wand."

"Yes," laughed Ginny. "They are mine. A sort of late surprise...or blessing."

"Wonderful. Wonderful. And what are your names?"

"I'm Remus."

"I'm Chanterelle."

"I'm Reshi."

"It is wonderful to meet all of you. Now let's see about finding you some wands."

Mr. Ollivander disappeared around the corner of the shelves as Yennick stayed and chatted about ministry things with Hermione. After a few minutes of noisy rustling and shuffling, he reappeared with several boxes of wands for them to try.

Forty-five minutes later, all three of them had been pick by their wands. They were glowing with excitement.

Reishi was selected by a 12' Sycamore wand with a Dragon Heartstring core with pliant flexibility. "That's a wand for an adventurer," Mr. Ollivander told her in his aged, gruff voice. "It will lead and defend you well. I expect many stories and tales lie in your future, young lady. I hope I am still around long enough to hear some of them." Reishi blushed, not certain how to respond.

A supple, 10½" Walnut wand with a Unicorn Tail Hair core had picked Chanterelle. "This is a wand for only the most brilliant among us," he said. "The Unicorn hair will help you stay in the light. Use it only for good and it will serve you well."

"Thank you, sir," replied Chanterelle. "I promise to always use it for good things."

Remus took a while before an 11" Blackthorn wand Mr. Ollivander called slightly springy with a Phoenix Feather core lit up the room. "Impressive," were Mr. Ollivander's words. "This is a most powerful and testing wand. It is meant for someone with a warrior's heart and a strong, determined mind. Aurors and dark wizards alike prize blackthorn wands. The Phoenix feather will make this wand one of great versatility not for one of weak-minded once it gets fully developed. You need to take great care to stay in the light as you grow. The temptations of the dark side are always on the lookout for a person who fits a wand of this type. Take great care with the choices you make in your life."

"Should I find a different wand, sir?" said Remus as he offered the wand back to Mr. Ollivander.

"No, my boy. The wand selected you," said Mr. Ollivander, refusing to take the wand. "You did not select the wand. The wand selected you because of the abilities it sensed inside you. The great wizard Albus Dumbledore once said a very famous thing to your father when he was conflicted about good and evil. He said, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Remember that and always work to make good choices. I suspect you will do splendid things."

Hermione paid Mr. Ollivander his standard 7 galleons for each of the wands. The group left the shop and headed towards Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to meet up and hang out with their uncles George and Ron. On the way, they stopped at Honeyduke's for snacks and treats at Honeyduke's at the insistence of the kids.

When they entered Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, the kids were all buzzing high on the sugary treats they had purchased. They immediately started running around the shop in search of wondrous trickery and pranks to take back home. After a friendly catch-up with Ginny, George and Ron fixed the kids up with enough deviltry and mischief to reduce both the lodge and Ilvermorney to ashes and rubble if they were not well supervised.

A couple of days later, the group was all back home at the lodge. Leaving day was still a week away, so it was a good chance to relax and make final preparations.

Notes:

The companion animal chosen by the kids, the jackalope, jarvey, and Valravn, come from a list of acceptable animals at Ilvermorney. I tried to pick ones that might be compatible with their future personalities.