Like Father, Like Son

"MUM! DAD! Come quick!"

Harry was woken up by his daughter's sweet voice yelling from downstairs. He felt Ginny sigh. Her head was resting on his shoulder; her breath was hot against his neck. He tightened his arms around her and wished that they could ignore Lily and go back to sleep.

Last night was wonderful but tiring all the same. To say that he was delighted when Ginny had told him that she had big plans for him that night was an understatement, but his good mood changed visibly when he saw that his little angel showed no signs of intending to go to bed anytime soon. Lily ended up falling asleep some time after midnight, postponing Ginny's plans for a good two hours. As if last night's torture wasn't enough, now she was also waking them up at… What time was it exactly?

Harry reached blindly for his glasses on the nightstand. He put them on and turned to look at the clock.

"Six thirty? Our daughter is unbelievable!"

"MUM! DAD! Come on! WAKE UP ALREADY!

Ginny tried to sit up, and Harry pulled her back against his chest. "Don't go," he murmured, stroking her hair. "If we don't answer, maybe she'll give up."

"You don't really believe that, do you? The last time we pretended not to hear her she burst in on us! Then I had to explain to her how babies are made, and she wouldn't leave us alone for a month! Do you think she'll find it any less disgusting now?" she said, though she didn't make any move to get up again.

"Yeah, I remember that. Thanks for sharing the memory. I've been trying to forget about it ever sinc-"

"IF YOU DON'T COME I'M READING AL'S LETTER ALONE AND BURNING IT AFTERWARDS!!"

At this point both Harry and Ginny jumped off the bed as if it was on fire. Ginny began running to the door.

"Ginny! Clothes!" Harry hissed at her as she was stepping out of the bedroom.

She cursed under her breath and ran to the wardrobe, taking out a short nightie and putting it on quickly. All the while, she glared at Harry who was waiting for her by the door sniggering. She pushed him out of the room, while stating matter-of-factly, "That was some great reflexes, you know!"

"That was some great view, you know," he answered, laughing loudly.

He ducked his head as she hit him half-angrily, half-playfully. "Prat!"

They went down the stairs and found Lily sitting by the kitchen table reading a long piece of parchment. She looked up at them.

"There you are! You took your time..." she commented slyly, sounding to all the world as if she were the parent and Harry and Ginny were the mischievous children that did something naughty.

Harry looked smugly at Ginny as if to say "She's all you."

Ginny avoided his gaze and turned to Lily. "Is that Al's letter?"

"Yeah, but I'M reading it! You sit down!" she said.

Harry thought it was no time to object, especially since she was the one holding the letter, and took a seat with Ginny on his lap. He looked at his daughter. who cleared her throat and started to read loudly.

Hi Mum, Dad, Lily!

Sorry it took me so long to write but my first week here was fascinating, and I got sidetracked. I was sorted into Gryffindor! Isn't that great? Rose is in Gryffindor too, though she told me that the Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw. Everyone here keeps staring at me. It's really annoying! I don't know why James enjoys all this attention. I think it's creepy.

The first days of classes were interesting. Professor McGonagall is very strict, but she's okay, I guess. James doesn't think so because half his detentions are from her, and he and Fred spend half their time making up nicknames for her. I think the latest is "Picky Kitty."

Professor Flitwick is tiny, but he's very kind. strikeNeville's/strike Professor Longbottom's lessons are very funny though. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't do it on purpose. He's tripped over the water can five times in the three lessons that we had this week, one of them ended up with him landing face first into a dunghill! James told me that he started putting water cans in Professor Longbottom's way since his first week here. That's just mean because he's a good teacher. The thing is, no matter how many times he's made a fool of himself everybody still thinks he's cool because he lives above the Leaky Cauldron. I think James' effort is going down the drain here!

Professor Slughorn is a little pompous. He tells me in every lesson that I have Grandmum Lily's eyes and he's invited me to a party next week. I'm still trying to make up an excuse not to go.

I visited Hagrid on Friday for tea. I had fun with him, but I was careful not to eat too many of his homemade cakes or else I'd need to make an appointment with Aunt Hermione's parents! The best part was when he showed me the creatures that he'll use for his lessons! Hagrid is nice but I feel really sorry for his students, and I'm not looking forward to my third year! He also explained to me about thestrals, and I think I like them more now. He said you and Mum have ridden one, and so has Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Neville and Luna! You flew to London on thestrals! Something you want to tell me???

I almost forgot - I almost got detention on Tuesday! I was late for Transfiguration because I got lost, and Professor McGonagall said that I'm Dad all over again. But she didn't give me detention! She said she will the next time, though. Needless to say James was furious! He says that it's unfair, and Picky Kitty is partial towards me and it's all a conspiracy to expel him from Hogwarts! Actually, it was funny seeing him harp on it to anyone who would listen.

Yesterday he told me that I let him down because I didn't make the Quidditch team on my second day here like he did. I mean, come on! I told him my first flying lesson is tomorrow, and I'm not about to break into the Quidditch locker or bring my broom secretly to Hogwarts so that I can show off like he did too! That shut him up for now, but I'm sure that he'll bring this argument up tomorrow if by the end of the lesson I still haven't impressed Madame Hooch enough to put me on the team.

That's all for now. I'll write to you again sometime next week.

Love,

Al

P.S. I met Scorpius Malfoy and he's not THAT bad. However, I'm sure Uncle Ron will be happy to know that Rose had a hell of a fight with him about House-elves' rights!/

By the time Lily had finished reading Ginny was shaking with laughter and Harry was looking at her questioningly.

"You know, Minerva's right," said Ginny between fits of laughter. "He really is you all over again!"

Harry couldn't object to that, and smiled at her. He then asked Lily to bring some parchment-lots of it-to fit the memories of his fifth year that led him and his friends to ride on six seemingly invisible horses.

**Fin**