"Welcome to Hogwarts everyone…that includes those who have never been!" Dumbledore stood in the front of the Great Hall with his arms raised towards the enchanted, starlit ceiling. "None of you could possibly imagine how ecstatic we are to have you all return." He smiled around at all of his former students and their families.

"Now, all of you please enjoy yourselves!" With that Dumbledore stepped off the podium as everyone else clapped joyfully. Then, the band that had played at the Yule Ball so many years ago, the Weird Sisters, started playing loudly.

Hermione and Ron were sitting at one of the many tables with their children, smiling brightly at the chaos surrounding them. "Ron?" Hermione asked her husband. "Will you get some pumpkin juice for the kids? They're all thirsty."

He nodded quickly in reply and added, "Yeah sure, be back in a jiffy." So, Ron stood up and walked to the other side of the room toward the buffet table.

"Mommmmmmmy…I'm hungry, too," three-year-old Meggie whined, noisily.

"Well, you should have said something before your father left…and you just had a grilled cheese before we left! You can wait a little while, can't you?" Hermione asked her daughter teasingly. Meggie huffed a reply and nodded solemnly.

"Momm!" Hermione looked over at her daughter and raised her eyebrows. "Hey, me and Eric don't need any food because we're older." Allison puffed out her chest and put her arm around her brother's shoulder.

Eric began coughing dramatically and shouted, "Get OFF me, Allie. You're choking me!"

Hermione sighed and said to Allison, "Sweetie, its Eric and I."

"Nooooo, Mom, you silly…not you. Me and Eric." Allie laughed and nearly fell out of her chair.

"You Pee Brain! She's talking about grammar again…you're being stupid!" Eric told her poking her arm.

"OWWW!" she screamed. Hermione saw that fight and tried to no avail to stop it. "Don't call me names, you Butt Head!" Allison quickly pinched Eric's arm.

"Hey, guys. That's enough," Hermione pleaded, trying to get their attention once more.

"HEY!" he shouted at Allison. "You Stupid Head!" he retaliated as he pulled her long red hair.

"Booger Eater!" She poked him sharply in the eye.

"Seriously, that's ENOUGH!" The twins looked at her in amazement. Eric had a fistful of Allie's hair and Allie had Eric's other had in her mouth, ready to bite down.

"Eric dropped the curly gob of hair and looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Mom. We'll be good." Allison nodded and kept staring at Hermione in awe.

Hermione then felt and swift tap on the shoulder. She turned around and looked up at a short blonde woman in front of her holding the hand of a little black haired, blue eyed boy.

"Hermione?" she asked softly, with a smile on her sharp featured face.

"Lara!" she said happily as she stood up, placing Gemma in the baby seat. The two women embraced. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you in ages."

"Oh…I know, but we've been so busy, you know how it is," Lara replied sighing. "And how are you all?" she asked Eric, Allison, and Meggie.

"Good," they all replied, simultaneously.

Hermione looked down at Andy and asked, "Do you want to sit down?" He nodded jollily and sat down in the vacant seat next to Meggie.

"Hi Andy…do you want to help me color Pokie-hontas and Johnny Smith?" Meggie asked him shyly, holding out a shocking pink crayon.

"Okay!" he said enthusiastically, taking the crayon. They both began to color furiously as Lara and Hermione laughed.

Hermione wiped her eyes and asked, "So where's Harry?" She looked around the crowded room eagerly.

Lara pointed to the front of the hall and said, "Getting some snacks for Andy over at the buffet."

"Oh well, he's probably talking to Ron, then. He's over there, too, and I was wondering what was taking him so long. How is Harry anyway?"

Lara looked up at the ceiling and rubbed her temples. "Busy," she told Hermione quietly after a few minutes. "Really, very busy. It was like pulling teeth getting him to come with us."

"You were going to come without him?" Hermione asked incredulously. "You didn't even go to Hogwarts!" Hermione laughed loudly.

Lara began to laugh, too, and she replied, "When you say it like that…it does sound pretty strange."

All of a sudden, both women turned as they heard a high pitched cackle behind them. "Well, hello, Hermione." Pansy Malfoy looked at them viciously and glared at the children sitting behind them.