Chapter 32: The Road Home

"Move faster!!"

"Ouch!!"

"Don't push me out of the window!!"

"C'mon!! Chase me!!"

"It's too crowded!!"

"Move on!!"

"Get in!!"

Everyone was floating into Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade Station. The directionless students were floating around to board the train. Hogsmeade Station had its moment of chaos once again. But this time the chaos was on mid-air instead of the usual gravity enhanced chaos. It had been only two hours after breakfast; the floating potion had not worn off.

"Let's go to the last compartment!!" James said, floating in front of the queue. The rest of the Marauders and the three girls followed closely behind. Joey and Samantha had gone to join their friends from Ravenclaw after they left their dormitory together.

"Everyone is carrying their trunks in their pockets for once." Lily said, looking at all the empty handed anti-gravity students around.

"It's incredible, isn't it??" James said feeling proud of his idea on the floating potion.

"It's really great. I mean how often can anyone go against gravity. We can even somersault in the air without the fear of falling." Sirius boasted as he did a combo somersault into the compartment.

"Look like an acrobat." Lily joked. Arabella and Remus laughed at her joke.

"What's an acrobat??"

"Someone who does somersaults in the air."

"Muggles can do that without magic??"

"They got to train for years and with wires tied to their waist and netting below for precaution though."

"Well, nothing impressive. I think I can do it better." Sirius boasted.

"I wonder will this potion wear off by the time we reach King Cross."

"I think so. Four more hours before this potion wear off."

"That's good."

"So what can we do besides floating around??"

"Prank the Slytherins."

"It's getting boring, you know."

"Then what brilliant idea do you have up your sleeves??"

"I was thinking something like painting the ceiling of the train."

"Good idea."

"I agree. How can anyone paint the train??"

"Let's sign our names in the ceiling of this compartment."

"Let's not do it magically."

"Why not??"

"Because they can get erased."

"Then what do you suggest??"

"Muggle permanent markers??"

"Accio markers." Arabella had a pocketful of markers. They had once used these markers to draw the hands for each other. It lasted for about three days before it had gotten washed off completely.

"Grab a colour each and sign."

Lily took yellow; Arabella took purple; Stefanie took orange; James took green; Sirius took blue; Remus took Red and Peter took brown. They made a large marking of their name on the ceiling of the last compartment.

"Let's design the rest of the train after this."

"I'm done."

"So am I."

"Let's head out!!"

The seven dropped their markers and with their wands on their hand floated out of the compartment to design the rest of train. After two hours of magical painting, the potions had kind of worn off. They were drifting nearer and nearer to the ground.

After another hour or so, they were down to walking. Suddenly many footsteps of the students could be heard. By now, probably most of the students were down on foot again.

"Let's head back to the compartment."

"I'm sure everyone had noticed our art pieces by now."

"Definitely."

"How abstract looking."

The whole train was filled with graffiti. After the seven of them started designing the corridors of the train, the rest of the students, followed suit. Prefects were unable to stop the entire student population from painting the train. Some of the nicer prefects closed one eye while the more mischievous prefects actually joined in the big graffiti project.

"It's going to be a tough time for the house-elves to wash the train."

"Maybe it's Filch who's going to wash it??" The group started laughing. Argus Filch hated washing and cleaning more than anything. In fact, assigning detentions was the only thing he seemed to enjoy doing.

"Looks like we're reaching King Cross in ten minutes." All of them took out their trunks from their pockets and put at the corner of the ground.

"Let's get our trunks back in shape." Lily muttered the reverse spells and all their minuscule trunks returned to their normal size stacked nicely in the compartment.

Within five minutes, the train slowed down and came to a halt in front of King Cross Station. All the students ran out of the train and cross platform nine and three quarters.

"I found my parents already. I see all of you during the break. Owl me ok." Lily said and gave each girl a hug and waved bye to all of them before running over to her parents pushing her trunk in front.

"Let's get going." James said after seeing Lily off to her parents.

"Master James." Someone greeted politely.

"Hi Ivan." James greeted his family chauffeur happily.

"Let's get going." Ivan, a young man in his twenties, said and started pushing James' trolley towards their family Limousine.

"Bye guys, owl you about the plan soon." James said before turning away, chatting with Ivan.

"I see my mother already. Bye guys. Owl me soon." Remus said and pushed his trolley towards his mother.

"That left us, let's go and see if Mum or Frank is around somewhere." Sirius said and the three started pushing their trolley towards King Cross exit.

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"Dad, mum, Fion?? What a surprise!!" James exclaimed after Ivan opened the door of the limo for him.

"Hey, brother dear." Fion greeted rather solemnly.

"How's school??" Helen asked in a motherly manner, with not much expression.

"What's going on?? Why are you here to fetch me??" James asked, bewildered.

"James, we've something serious to tell you." Harry said in an expressionless tone.

"What is it??" James asked, afraid of whatever his parents were going to say. This had never happened before.

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"We're going to Taiwan??" Lily exclaimed.

"Just for a holiday, dear."

"But why all the way there??"

"I had to go to Taiwan for two weeks for a business trip." Daryl told Lily. Daryl Evans worked in the sales department for his computer company.

"Can't I stay here??"

"Who's going to take care of you??"

"I can take care of myself."

"You and Petunia would be coming with us. It's just two weeks."

"It's going to be fun."

"We're staying with my old friend back in university."

"They had a daughter the same age with you as well."

"Alright, I will tell my friends about that."

"The flight is tomorrow night."

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"Mummy!!" Stefanie exclaimed she hugged her mother.

"Hey Mum!!" Sirius greeted his mother with a kiss.

"Hi Mrs. Black." Arabella said politely and hugged Mrs. Black. Jeraldine had treated Arabella like another daughter.

"Had a wonderful year??"

"Definitely!!"

"Yup!!"

"Your aunt Joanna is staying with us for the coming month."

"What's bring Aunt Joan here??"

"You'll know soon enough."

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"Mum, is there something wrong??" Remus asked his mother.

"Remus dear, there is something we need to tell you."

"What is it??"

"Wait till we get home. Your father is waiting."

"Why didn't he come then??"

"He needed to settle some things first."

"Ok."