"Come now Nympha, pick up the pace!" I grabbed my eight year old's hand to pull her along.
Platforms nine and ten could be seen above the crowd ahead and we were late. The Hogwarts express would be leaving in five minutes and I had two children to get on the train. I looked back to see my sixteen year olds pushing trolleys right behind me and my husband and ten year old bringing in the rear.
"Rora, you ran over my heel!" Nyphadora shouted.
"If you would keep up with Mum then we wouldn't have that problem." Aurora was breathless as she ran behind us.
Finally we ran through the barrier and the scarlet engine stood before us.
"Evan, come help me load the trunks." Harry went off ahead to help our oldest children.
Nympha and I trailed along behind watching them toss things on to the train before sprinting back to us.
"Um, guys. My watch may have been a little ahead." Teddy turned to us. We all turned to see the clock at the station read we have ten minutes until departure.
Harry sighed. "That's alright Ted. I needed a work out today." He patted our oldest child on the back.
"Where's the fire?" I heard a southern drawl behind me. I turned to see Sally McInnis standing behind us. Our daughters embrace just as we did.
"We thought we were late." I smiled.
"Mum, I think we are going to go ahead and get on the train, need to find a compartment and all." Aurora stepped in front of me and I pulled her into a hug.
"Lets try to stay out of trouble, yeah?" I held her arms length to look her over before released.
"Yeah, like you and Dad?" She smiled at me, green eyes sparkling.
"Be better than me and dad please!"
She moved on to hug Harry and Ted approached, ready for his farewell. I wrapped my arms around my son who towered over me. I put my hands on his cheeks and looked up at him.
"It's no use mum. All of my parents were trouble makers, I don't stand a chance of staying away. It's bad blood I say." He smirked
"No. It's the best blood. Now get a move on! I love you two, write me when you get there!" I playfully slapped his arm.
They bid their siblings farewell and ran to the train, Lydia trailing behind.
"I can't wait until next year." I heard Evan sigh.
"It will be here before you know it." Harry patted him on the back.
"No Nessa?" I questioned my friend.
"You know she won't come to Hogwarts send off. She still doesn't like it that Lydia broke tradition, this is her way of showing it." Sally rolled her eyes.
"After five years you would think she would move on." I laughed.
Sally raised an eyebrow "you know how stubourn she is."
We turned when we heard a clatter behind us. Lena and her daughter Jennifer were sprawled out just passed the platfrom entrance. Luna stepped through gracefully behind them pulling their son Xander behind her. She pulled her wife and daughter off the ground as Xander began gathering Jenny's spilled trolley contents.
"Thank you Xander, lets get you loaded up sister." Lena picked the trunk off the ground like it was nothing and took of towards the train. She tossed it in a turned around to face her full of fear eleven year old. My Goddaughtee didn't even see me as I approached from behind.
"Are you excited?" I ran my fingers through her platinum hair.
"Aunt Ginny!" She turned a hugged my middle.
"We are so late!" Lena looked up at me and blew her bangs out of her face. My best friend's voice still held a strong American accent, evwn after living in England for sixteen years. Her hair was still as red as mine, cut to her chin and she had a few wrinkles around her blue eyes, but she was still Lena.
"After you say good bye to Xander, Mum And Mom, Teddy and Aurora are on the train. I'm sure they will let you sit in their compartment." I informed her with a hug. She then went about giving out hugs before climbing on the train. She was Luna's mirror image, execpt where luna had curls, Jenny 's hair was pin strait and baby soft.
My other siblings, besides Charlie, Ron, and Hermione, all were there sending off children. Fred jr. George's oldest and George jr. Fred's oldest ran through us with shouts of good bye. Victorie took her time, kissing her parents as Louis Leading Gabe away to the train. Arthur stood next to Fred and Angelina obviously pondering whether to follow his big brother and his cousin, or chase down Gabe.
Xander had already joined Nymphadora swinging their legs on the bench. He had the same big blue eyes as his older sister, with Lena's red hair, full of curls like Luna.
"Our first off to Hogwarts, can you believe it?" Lena wrapped an arm around her wife, who smiled, still staring up at the train.
A window on the train in front of us dropped and four very familiar looking children's faces could be seen. Aurora and Ted smiled while enthusiastically waved at us, while Lydia had a more controlled wave and small genuine smile. The fear was completely gone out of Jenny's eyes now as she blew kisses out the window. The train began slowly chugging along, our children moving with it. We waved and smiled as they glided passed, Xander, Nympha, and Evan running alongside.
I glanced in another window and that's when I saw him. His dark eyes locked with mine, almost covered by his dark hair. He was tall for a Hogwarts student, and had very pale skin.
I felt my body turn to ice and suddenly I was eleven years old again, lying on the Chamber floor. The world began spinning as I grabbed my husband, I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. The boy continued to stare at me as he slowly slid passed.
"Ginny?" Harry gabbed me " Ginny! Are you alright?"
"Get the children!" I screeched.
"Oh my God, whats going on?" Lena came over while Luna called for our children frantically.
"Harry! Harry, he is here!" I tried to scramble passed him, reaching for Nympha and Evan.
"Who, Ginny? Stop." He held on to me, keeping me in his arms, out of the children's reach. "Who is here?"
"He's on the train with Aurora and Teddy!" I started to get very lightheaded and was causing a scene. Parents had begun staring, Daphne Greengrass and her sister Astoria Malfoy stood closest, mouths hanging open.
"Okay, let's just get home and discuss this. Take a breath Gin." He tried to soothe me.
"No! We have to get on that train!" I tired to pull him off of my arms.
"Mummy?" Nympha came up and tugged my shirt.
Harry let me go to pick up our daughter, I pulled her close and brushed my hand through her hair quickly. I could now feel the tears on my face and I realized I had been crying.
"Ginny. Who did you see?" He pulled me to his chest.
I looked up at him, his eyes full of concern, and I whispered "Tom. I saw Tom on that train."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next thing I knew Harry had me on the couch, having sent Evan and Nympha with Luna and Lena we were alone.
"Now what do you mean?" He sat with me carefully.
"I saw him Harry, with my own eyes. A sixteen year old Tom. Just like in the Chamber. I looked at him, he looked at me. I saw him Harry." I cried.
"But my scar." He tried but I interrupted him.
"I know, you scar hasn't hurt since Aurora was born. It doesn't make any scene. But I am telling you, it was him. He was on the train with our children. We need to get to Hogwarts." I tugged at my hair anxiously.
He looked at me for a long moment, analyzing me before finally standing and pulling his wand out of his pocket. He produced a patronus and sent it to Neville, with a message that we needed to visit.
"You believe me?" I sniffed.
"Of course I believe you Gin. Since when are you for making scenes in public? Something is going on, you don't just act like this for no reason." he sat with me and wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay. It will all be fine."
I had just taken a deep breath of his shirt when a bear patronus dove into our living room and spoke with Neville's voice, "you're always welcome, floo to my office."
We each took our pinch and flooed to Hogwarts to find our friend sanding next to the hearth, pulling us into giant bear hugs.
"Harry, Ginny! Always a pleasure!" He waved us over to a couch and a set of arm chairs to sit. "What's going on? Aurora and Ted just got here, how much trouble could they get into that quickly?" Neville laughed.
"They haven't done anything wrong yet, at least we hope. We need discuss a very serious matter" Harry's tone lowered the mood considerably.
"Okay" he settled in a chair across from us on the train.
"Ginny saw someone on the train that didn't belong there, namely a sixteen year old Tom Riddle." He jumped right in with his former coworker, Neville's face paleing.
"Wait. what?"
"I saw Tom on the train Neville. The kids are in danger." I finally found my voice.
"What does he look like?" The professor gulped audibly.
"Tall, dark hair that nearly covers his eyes. Eyes so dark that you can't tell what color they are. And pale as ever, more than me." I said holding out my arm.
Neville sat in silence before rising out of his chair. He searched around the room for a moment before producing a Hogwarts school paper. Across the top in bold letters read 'Slytherin wins!' With a large picture of the quidditch team below. They all stood smiling and waving their brooms in the air, scarves dancing in the wind. Neville pointed to a boy standing in the back. Snitch in hand, waving it about joyful, there he was again.
"That's him!" I gabbed the paper with my finger.
"That would be Byron Greengrass." Neville folded the paper up and tossed it on his desk. "Slytherin, same year as Aurora, Ted, and Lydia."
I looked at Harry, who was wide eyed beside me. "He is the spitting image."
"Greengrass, as in Astoria and Daphne?" I asked.
"As in Daphne Greengrass." Our friend nodded.
"Is he-" harry began.
"He's a good kid, captain of the quiditch team this year, average grades, stays out of trouble. Not terribly popular, but not an outcast." Neville informed.
"Well. Now I feel like a fool." I sighed.
"You shouldn't. Now that I think of it, Slughorn didn't react well to him before his retirement. It makes sense." He shrugged.
"Well, we will leave you to the feast. Thanks mate." Harry stood and shook his hand before we headed home.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Late that night we were getting ready for bed, Luna and Lena insisted on keeping the kids.
A tapping came from my window as I braided my hair back at my dressing table. I let Artemis in a pulled the letters off her leg.
Mum,
Are you okay? My friend said you were having a fit on the platform, and I told him he must be mistaken. Just let me know. Don't worry about us, we arrived just fine, I am so full I could burst. Please write back.
Love,
Aurora.
I jotted down a quick not, explaining that I was fine, not to worry. I told her to eat some treacle tart for her father and sent Artemis away after a quick snack. The other letter was addressed to Evan and Nympha, so I sat it to the side.
I turned to see my husband climbing under the covers and settle on his pillow.
I cuddled in next to him, while he stared at the ceiling. "That kid."
"I know. I'm sorry I freaked out." I sighed.
"No Gin, that's just it. It I had seen him I would have chased the train down. You reacted pretty well compared to what I would." he turned to me.
"Tom is gone, Harry. That poor boy looks just like him. But he is long gone. Our children are safe." I soothed.
"Your right" he nodded
A/N- Memorial day threw me off, sorry guys! any way, from now on this story will mostly be from Aurora's point of view. Also, so exciting, I started a Twitter to follow me, and get regular updates on what I am doing and when I am writing. You can look me up by Danielle Jacks, or DaniAlexisJacks . I look forward to seeing you guys on there, I will be asking you guys about things when I get stuck, and showing you a few sneak peeks, so I hope I get to have fun with you guys on there!