Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed fearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.
"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.
"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"
The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Regulus' voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.
"I won't! I won't be a Hufflepuff!"
"James, give it a rest!" said Daphne.
"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Hufflepuff"
But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.
"You'll write to me, won't you?" Regulus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.
"Every day, if you want us to," said Daphne.
"Not every day," said Regulus quickly, "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."
"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Daphne.
"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."
Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Regulus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.
"Where are they?" asked Regulus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.
"We'll find them," said Daphne reassuringly.
But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud, Harry thought he heard Ron discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello. . . .
"I think that's them, Reg," said Daphne suddenly.
A group of five people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Daphne, Lily, and Regulus had drawn right up to them.
"Hi," said Regulus, sounding immensely relieved.
Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.
"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound the examiner."
"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you." Harry sniggered at that.
"As a matter of fact, I did confund him," Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Regulus' trunk and owl onto the train.
"I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."
Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.
"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."
"Ron!"
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Rose looked solemn while Regulus shook his head.
"He doesn't mean it," said Lavender and Daphne, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.
"Look who it is."
Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife Astoria and son Scorpius, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. Scorpius resembled Draco as much as Regulus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Daphne staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.
"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."
"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Lavender, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie."
"Hey!"
James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.
"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam.
"Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victorie!"
He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.
"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! And I asked teddy
What he was doing –"
"You interrupted them?" said Harry. "You are so like Ron –"
"—and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.
"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Daphne ecstatically.
"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"
"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Siri—Teddy could have my room!"
"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Siri will share a room only when I want the house demolished."
"We have ten rooms even if we leave the rooms we are currently staying. There's no need of demolishing the house." Daphne rolled her eyes.
Harry checked the battered old watch that had once been Sirius Black's.
"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."
"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Daphne told James as she hugged him.
"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"
"But you know Neville—"
James rolled his eyes.
"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . ."
Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Regulus.
"See you later, Reg. Watch out for the thestrals."
"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"
But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.
"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Regulus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."
Daphne kissed Regulus good-bye.
"See you at Christmas."
"Bye, Reg," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."
"What if I'm in Hufflepuff?"
The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Regulus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.
Harry crouched down so that Regulus' face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three sons, Regulus had inherited Lily's eyes.
"Regulus Neville," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Daphne could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to James, who was now on the train, "you were named for two bravest man I ever knew."
"But just say—"
"—then Hufflepuff House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Reg. Your mother is a Slytherin and I am a Gryffindor, your elder sister Nymphadora is a Ravenclaw, do you think we will mind if one of our sons goes into Hufflepuff. And if it makes you okay then let me tell you a secret. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."
"Really?"
"It did for me," said Harry.
He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Regulus' face when he said it. But how the doors were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Regulus jumped into the carriage and Daphne closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Harry.
"Why are they all staring?" demanded Regulus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.
"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."
Regulus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to more, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide
Away from him. . . .
The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.
"He'll be alright," murmured Daphne.
As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.
"I know he will."
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.
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After the train departed, Harry, Daphne, Ron , Hermione and the two remaining kids moved to the Leaky Cauldron.
"So, how's life treating the future Bulgarian Minister?" Harry teased the bushy haired girl who blushed and smacked Harry's head.
"Viktor and I are very happy. I'm glad for the first time I listened someone else advice and followed my heart. My eldest is now nine and is too excited to go to Durmstrang to start his official magical education." Hermione snorted.
"You really took to much time for having kids to yourself and your husband." Daphne asked amusedly.
"It took me almost five years to deal with the fact my parent's death wasn't my fault. Viktor was very supportive and so his parents. They never forced me for anything, you know." Hermione smiled sadly, she wanted to save her parents and they died in a plane crash while moving towards Australia.
"Well, everyone is not like Harry to get married as soon as the war was over." Ron teased the blushing raven haired boy. "Mate, even I took three years before proposing to Lavender."
"Our situation was different, guys. We had two children to look after and if I had a job then how could I have spent my time with them. Delphi was two years old and Teddy just a month. We did what we thought was right. Because without a job nobody would have allowed me to have two babies in my custody and with job they would have said who'll take care of the children in my absence. That's the I looked through marriage contracts and married Daphne." Harry shrugged.
"True, at first it was difficult for us to adjust we did what was written in the contract, having a child within a year and taking care of the two kids consumed our time, we didn't even knew much about ourselves. It was after Harry was promoted as the Head Auror that we started having a bit time. After three years of our marriage we started knowing each other. Till then Delphi was five, Teddy was three, Sirius and Nymphadora were two and a half, Winky and Kreacher were always at their disposal. I swear Winky loved the children she always asked us if we can give her more children to take care of." Daphne snorted at the end.
"Don't ask me, when James was born, the happiest person was Winky that now she will have another child to take care of. Merlin! Winky had really taken care of the children so well." Harry said chuckling.
"How's your elder kids?" Hermione asked fondly.
"Delphi has become a potioneer and I bought her a flat in Diagon Alley. She just loved that place since I remember her first time entry. She just didn't sit well with muggles which is a surprise because her best friend is a muggle-born. Teddy is working in DOM and I believe he'll soon get a promotion. He has taken up the Lordship of Lupin family and he's staying in the Lupin Cottage since last month, I believe he'll move to the manor after he and Victorie get married. Oh and a great news, I am finally free of one Lordship, Sirius wasn't happy becoming a Lord at the age of eighteen but I wasn't going to hear anything and finally freed myself from being called Lord Black and Nymphadora had decided to follow her namesake, she's currently training herself to become an auror. Sometimes I feel, Tonks has reincarnated as my daughter." Harry smiled sadly at the mention of the girl he had always considered his sister.
"Sirius is such a darling when he doesn't do pranks. My baby is now a Lord, my heart fills with pride when people call him Lord Black." Daphne gushed.
"It does when everyone calls Hugo, heir Brown. I really feel proud of that and I can't wait till Victorie and Teddy marry, my daughter will be Lady Lupin, it's just when people call it with respect it's just I can't express it. You know always living in my brother's shadows, I always felt the need to do something so that I get recognize by everyone for who I'm. But Lavender and her love for me and the constant pressure people made on Harry made me realize that I'm better in sidelines only and now see I'm a proud father of three kids and husband of a girl who doesn't care anything except that she loves me just for being myself. Victorie is now sixteen and my little eleven year old Rose has now started Hogwarts, Hugo is nine and he's best friend with Lily and Luna's twins, everything is perfect in my life. Lavender had supported me when I resigned, I was worried she'll not be happy with my decision but she said she understood and now I'm a keeper of Cannons, a job I love to do even if doesn't pay me much. Lavender is now Dowager Brown till Hugo doesn't take the Lordship." Ron said smiling.
"Well, you only have a future son in law but I have two future daughter in law in waiting. Sirius had finally got the guts to ask Alice out and James like his namesake had gone after a redhead." Harry snorted.
"Redhead? Don't tell me your son proposed Amelia?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Your son has got balls, Victorie told me that Amelia always hex boys who ask her out." Ron was amused.
"I swear when James first mentioned Amy. I thought that he was with some muggle-born, not even in my worst nightmare I have thought he was proposing to Amelia Bones." Harry shook his head in disbelief.
"My eldest is too upset that we live so far away from you guys, and he blames me for that saying I shouldn't have married this far." Hermione smiled fondly.
"Regulus too is upset that he can't meet Daniel regularly like he does with his other friends. You know Regulus is just different from my all children while the others are outgoing, Reg is an introvert, he's just happy with his books and potion set, my son doesn't even like flying much." Harry was clearly upset.
"Reg has just gone on me and it is quite good that atleast one of my children are like me. Others just look like me but have not even a single quality of mine. Siri has this bird nest at the name of his hair just like Jamie and Reg but my baby has my perfect and beautiful pale blue eyes and Jamie has this hazel eyes like Harry's father while Reg just look like mini-harry except for the scar and glasses. Nymphie has her beautiful blonde hair like me while Lily again like her namesake has this fiery red hair and both the girls has those green eyes of their father. Other than that only Reg is the one who has taken interest in studies and potions otherwise the others are just troublemakers and know about nothing other than Quidditch." Daphne sighed at her children.
"So, do you visit the Malfoys?" Hermione asked after avoiding the subject for nearly two decades.
"We aren't close. We often visited Astoria till her marriage with Draco. It's Teddy and the kids who visit them much especially after Scorpius was born. Reg and Scor are year mates, you know born in the same year and now starting Hogwarts together, they're best friend's even if we exclude they're first cousins. Teddy is close with Cissa especially after Andromeda died. Draco and Harry spent balls, Yule and Samhain without going to each other's throat which is a progress. I love to visit her but then I know Harry doesn't like the Malfoys much and no matter how much I love to visit Astoria, I am Harry's wife first and even if Harry never forbade me meeting her, I know he doesn't like it." Daphne smiled sadly.
"My youngest son is five and he loves me and his elder brother very much. They can't stay away from each other that much. I never had siblings but I know it must be hard for you." Hermione consoled her.
"My whole time goes in worry of my kids. And now as Harry has become the head of DMLE, my worry for him is more and then spending time with kids and Harry, I sometimes don't even understand how fast the time flies. And till Lily will go to Hogwarts, James will be big enough to graduate. It's just feel like I was married just now and suddenly I have five kids of my own, two of them are adults making their own decision another two in Hogwarts and the youngest daughter waiting for her letter. I never really missed Astoria, you know. I have this big family two god-children and five unruly children to dot on, a husband who cares for my feelings, considers me as his equal. I have everything in my life. So, no it's not hard for me and we have atleast one ball in two or three months and now as there is no dark lord, we have a population boom and that means more parties. And don't get me started with the ministry balls and parties." Daphne chuckled.
"I'm glad I live a quiet but happy life with my family." Ron smiled at his wife who sat their quietly.
"Yeah and now my life is soon going to be disruptive." Hermione snorted.
"It will be now new life and beginnings for our children and I'm glad that they don't have to face what we did." Harry smiled.
"To the new life and beginnings." Lavender raised the toast.
"To the new life and beginnings." The others cheered.
"Ahh…"
"Harry, what happened?"
"My scar is paining."
"WHAT!!!!"
Hogwarts Express
"Ahh .." James and Regulus clutched their head tightly.
"Jamie, Reg, what happened?" Rose asked worriedly.
"My head is paining" the boys informed in unison.
Somewhere in London
"Ahh, why the hell my head is paining?" asked Sirius Potter-Black to himself
Maybe it is truly a beginning of something else……….