Another year passed, and another Potter stood outside the office, however for this Potter it wasn't his first night at Hogwarts, this Potter had been through six years at the school. This Potter was Harry Potter, and despite having been inside that office numerous times, it felt quite daunting standing outside it again. He went to knock but stopped, hearing voices coming from inside.

"I thought you said there were only three children Minerva," said the portrait of Severus Snape.

"I did."

"Then who could possibly be coming to talk to you on the first night of term?"

Harry smiled amused, he could tell already that this would be an interesting visit. He knocked on the door, and the voices behind it quietened. "Enter," came McGonagall's voice. Harry entered, some of the portraits cheered upon seeing him, other's just smiled, many were curious as to why he had felt it pertinent to visit on the first eve of term . Harry smiled at the portraits and nodded.

"Thank-you Minerva," he said.

"Always a pleasure Harry."

Harry's gaze moved to the portrait behind the desk which was beaming at him. "Professor Dumbledore," he said smiling at the portrait, he used to think quite a lot what would happen if the head master had never died, even though he knew that it was inevitable. Would the war have ended any differently?

"Harry, it's wonderful to see you again."

Harry's eyes flickered sideways to Severus' portrait who was maintaining an expression of disinterest to seeing Harry there. "Professor Snape," he said with a nod. Who nodded stiffly back at him. Old habits die hard, Harry thought.

"Well," he said to the office at large. "You've met my children by now."

"Some more so than others," Severus muttered darkly.

"Yeah..." Harry looked to McGonagall. "Sorry about that Minerva, I suppose we got what was coming to us naming him that," he said ruefully with a shake of his head.

"Nothing more than I'd expect from a Potter and a Weasley," she said. "I always thought Hogwarts wouldn't be quite as interesting without trouble makers running amok, it certainly makes things interesting."

"They certainly are their namesakes," Harry agreed. "All three of them I would think," he glanced towards the two headmasters that his second child had been named after. Dumbledore was still smiling cheerily, though Severus Snape's expression was unreadable as always.

"Thank-you," Harry said quietly. "Professor Snape. For what you did."

"I did not do it for you Potter."

"I know, but thank you all the less." He was unfazed by the cool demeanour, he knew the reason behind it. As he stood there looking so much like his father, with the smallest but a major part of his mother. "I'm sure my mother would be very proud for what you did, for her, and her son. Which is the reason why Albus' middle name was after you, though the children don't quite know the whole story yet," he was never sure when the right age to tell them would be. And he also didn't want James annoying the portrait of Severus Snape with the information, as it seemed the kind of thing he would do, as he wouldn't quite understand. "We were quite surprised when he was put into Slytherin," he said. "I have nothing against the house, not anymore. Things have changed. But still," he glanced at the sorting hat that was sitting on top of the shelf. "We thought he would choose to be in Gryffindor. I did."

"He did choose," the hat said, startling them. "But not to be put into Gryffindor. He chose Slytherin. He wanted the chance to show that the house wasn't as bad as it's made out to be. If Harry Potter's son is a Slytherin, then it can't be a bad house."

Harry frowned thoughtfully. That was something he had not thought about. "Or they'll think that we failed him somewhere," he joked. He had always just presumed that Albus had decided not to chose which house to be in, but instead had allowed the hat to place him in the house most suiting.

"Of course Potter's think they can change everything," Severus muttered, though his expression wasn't as harsh as it usually was when he criticized those with the name of Potter.

"At least one child is free from house prejudice," Harry said with an amused smile. "The stories James comes home with," he shook his head. "Almost makes me wish I was here again, I think however that I had enough adventures in my life during those seven years however. James wishes he could have those adventures sometimes, though the other two assure me that Hogwarts is eventful enough without trolls and dementors and tri-wizard cups. Never mind everything else that happened..." he looked wistful and nostalgic but shook his head. "Enough adventures for a life time," he affirmed.

"What about Lily?" Dumbledore asked, he looked amused. "What is her view on the other houses?"

"She thinks the Gryffindors are idiots," he said with a laugh. "She has little patience with them. The Slytherins annoy her, because a lot of the time she has trouble understanding their motives and what they are thinking, she can't understand them. The Hufflepuffs, while they work hard, she doesn't think they have enough ambition. They are content with where they are on the grand scale of things. It's interesting really, she's very thoughtful, and speculative, don't know where she got it to be honest," he laughed. "Not from me. That is for sure.

"James just thinks that Gryffindor is the best and the others don't matter," he said with an amused smile. "Al, he thinks all of the houses are important. He gets into arguments over it with James. Over their houses. He'll defend his house to his death. But he still thinks that each house has important people, and reasons for them. He's the most open minded about the three of them, more than I was I think. They're quite opposite the three of them really. It's interesting."

"They reflect their namesakes quite a bit," Dumbledore murmured. "Or part of them does."

Harry nodded. "They do really, Ginny has joked about having another child, and naming him or her after a Hufflepuff."

"Why did you choose the names you did Harry?" Dumbledore asked, glancing at Severus as he spoke.

"Because, it seemed like the right thing to do. To name them after people who were special, or who affected our lives greatly. People we admired," he shrugged watching the two headmasters. He was quiet for a few moments. "I should be off, before Hogwarts notices I'm here and something disastrous happens," he smiled amused. "Goodbye Professor Dumbledore, a pleasure to see you again. Professor Snape," he nodded. "Again, my thanks. I'll never forget what you did." He nodded in return to Harry, but said nothing as Harry thanked Professor McGonagall for both allowing him entry to the school, and for his children to visit the portraits on their first night. "Thank-you," he said again, before he walked out. But this time it was just in general. "I couldn't have done what I did, without the help that this place, and you, gave me."

"Goodbye Harry," Severus Snape murmured once he had left the room. It was strange, after all of those years to see the boy whom he had sacrificed everything for. That he lied and deceived to save. A boy whom he thought he had sentenced to death when he gave him his memories. The boy who lived, who was no longer a boy. Who had managed what he had not. The last thing he had seen before he had died. He would never get away from those Potters. Even in his death.