Going to Hogwarts
When he finally got home, Tom and Morgan were beyond worried.
"You're back."
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"They found me, I kept both of you secrect."
"So?"
"If I don't spend a year at Hogwarts, I'll have a problem."
"I see."
Tom, Morgan and he himself sat down in the living room, and Harry told them everything he knew.
"Hogwarts assistant caretaker, right?"
"Yeah."
"You should take Morgan with you."
"WHAT?" Harry couldn't believe his ears.
"You didn't just say I should take Morgan with me, did you?"
He really, really hoped he hadn't heard correctly.
"That would be insane!"
"Hear me out. It won't be that much of a problem. Your trunk has some enlarged rooms, she can stay there, and, well... I don't think Morgan would like being stuck here without you, Harry."
"That's way too dangerous and crazy!"
"And I'm pretty sure Morgan would like to see the Hogwarts library."
"Library?" Morgan perked up.
"Do you want to see Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"Then it's decided."
"That's insane!"
"It is. Have I ever mentioned that I am?"
"Yes. Too often. It's a convenient excuse, Tom."
"I know. But Morgan needs to see something of the Wizarding World. She can't grow up totally Muggle. And she won't need this next year, anyway. We can homeschool her for that long, officially."
"That's..."
"It's better than Morgan being stuck here. And besides, she wants to go there, I'm pretty sure."
"Yes!"
"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."
"So you are."
"Okay. But Morgan, you'll have to be careful, do you hear?"
"Yeah, yeah I do! I'll be way careful, Dad!"
And so, Harry entered the Hogwarts Express on the first of September with an enlarged and enchanted trunk.
He charmed and warded his compartment, and opened the trunk.
"Hey, Morge, you can come out."
"So this is the Hogwarts Express."
"Yes."
"This is awesome. We're going to Hogwarts! Hoggy-Warty Hogwarts!"
He smiled despite himself.
"You do know I only agreed to this because you and your Grandpa 'convinced' me?"
"Yeah? So? We're going to Hogwarts! The real Hogwarts! I'll see the Hogwarts Library!"
"That's the part you're most excited about, aren't you."
"What else should I be?"
It wasn't said impatiently, or derisively, just like it was the most obvious thing in the world for her.
She really, really loved her books.
He gave her one of his potions books that she nearly ripped out of his hand. He had the slight feeling she'd start drooling, until she opened it to devour it.
She didn't read books, she devoured them. There wasn't any other term for it. She read carefully, yet so fast he could never hope to match her. It was strange, seeing her read, so lost in the pages that nothing and no one could get her out of their world of black and white, of ink and paper.
He observed her for a few minutes, then turned to his own book.
Their voyage passed in companiable silence.
When there was the message through the speakers: "We'll arrive in five minutes." Morgan quickly climbed into the trunk again, while Harry hoped someone would help him get to the castle.
Removing the warding didn't take him to long. Stepping outside with his featherlight trunk, he joined the first-years in their boats, talking excitedly about what house they'd like to be in. Harry landed in a boat with three young boys, one with blonde, one with brown, and one with black hair.
"So, which houses do you want to be in?", asked black hair.
"Gryffindor! Where dwell the brave of heart!", said blonde and brown hair in unison.
"My Dad's a Gryffindor!", said brown hair proudly.
"I'm Muggleborn, but I heard Gryffindor was the best, I mean, Dumbledore was in there, and the Weasleys...", said blonde hair.
"Oh...", was black hair's answer.
"Most of my family was Slytherin..."
"Dad's always complaining about the slimy Slytherins, they are evil!"
Harry saw black hair squirm, and chose to intervene.
"You know, generalizations like that are pretty stupid."
"What, were you a slimy snake? They're all Death Eaters!", asked brown hair.
"No, and snakes aren't slimy. I was in Gryffindor, for your information, and I know of quite a few Death Eaters that weren't Slytherin, and quite a few Slytherins that weren't Death Eaters, or switched sides from the Death Eaters. For example Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy."
"They were Slytherins?"
"Yes. Alastor Moody was one as well. In contrast, Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor who betrayed his friends to the Dark Lord."
"Oh! I've heard of him... You're sure he wasn't Slytherin?"
"Yes. One-hundred-percent sure. Saying all Slytherins are Death Eaters and evil is pretty much the most stupid thing you can do. What are your names, by the way?"
"Marcus Gamp." Black Hair.
"James Bell." Brown Hair.
"Mike Roberts." Blonde Hair.
"Bell? Any relation to Katie Bell?"
"My aunt's called Katie, why?"
"She was in the year above me."
"Really? Who're you?"
"You'll find out. I'm the assistant caretaker this year."
"Cool."
That was when the first years got their first view of Hogwarts.
It was still as beautiful as Harry remembered it.
He was rather proud that they'd put in a two way-mirror on the trunk so Morgan got a view as well.
They were received by Professor McGonagall. After she had intimidated the first years good and proper, she turned to Harry.
"Ah, Harry, here you are. Come with me and seat yourself at the High Table."
"Of course, Professor."
He followed her and sat down on the chair that was shown to him, between Ginny and Draco.
AN: Again, thanks to every single reviewer, and again, extra-thanks to TheBigCat, for yet another OMAKE.
OMAKE by TheBigCat
Morgan stared at her grandad. Harry did too.
"Uh?" He said.
"Um," Morgan added.
"Er," Harry finished.
"What the hell?" They both said together, after which Harry slapped his daughter gently for her language.
The Dark Lord looked up innocently from where he was on the floor.
'Yes,' he said innocently. The effect was ruined when one noticed that he was clutching My Little Pony accesories.
"Pinkie Pie is my favorite," he explained somewhat randomly.
He blushed. "I got hooked on them when I saw Morge playing with them..."
Morga flopped down to play with her grandad.