I waved out the window to a small chunk of my family standing on the platform. I threw myself down next to my best friend after the station was out of sight. I pushed my hair out of my face with a sigh to see my little cousin and my brother sitting across from me.
"Okay, Dad." Ted said with a smirk.
"What?" I huffed.
"Dad does it when he's upset too."
"You're right Teddy. I have seen Uncle Harry do that!" Jenny piped in next to him.
I sat up from my slouching on the seat and looked out the window. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Psh. Okay." He rolled his electric blue eyes.
"When should we change into our robes?" Jenny asked.
"Not till a little later." Came Lydia's quiet voice from behind her book.
"Don't worry cuz, we have got you covered." Ted smiled patting her on the head.
"Not if I get sorted to Slytherin." She almost whispered.
"What are you talking about? We need to complete the set! It would be great if you got into Slytherin." I leaned forward and tried to reassure her.
"Our Dad says that one of the war's greatest heroes was from Slytherin, and Aurora and Mum wouldn't be alive without the help of another. It doesn't mean anything." Ted pointed to me and I nodded.
"It will give you a choice if you really want it." I smiled at her.
"A choice? Really?" My brother looked puzzled.
"Gave me a choice." I puffed my chest out proudly.
"Well you're the first." Ted pursed his lips.
My hands were clammy and I felt close to breaking out in a sweat waiting for my turn. My brother had been sorted into Hufflepuff (much to his own disapproval) and Lydia into Ravenclaw, before my turn to sit on the stool.
Finally professor Sprout called "Potter, Aurora" and the Great Hall went silent.
I nearly tripped over my robes walking up the steps to the three legged stool but finally I felt the hat being dropped on my head, thankfully covering my eyes from the hall full of gawking children.
"Hmmmmm." I jumped hearing the voice so close to my head "I knew you would be coming along. Potter and Weasley, the only logical thing is to put you in Gryffindor, you do possess a lot of those qualities. What it this, I see cunning in you. You would do Slytherin well too. What to do, what to do. What say you child?"
I sat in shock of a moment. I could be different. Dad said heroes came from Slytherin too. But on the other hand, Mum and Dad were both in Gryffindor, as were all my grandparents. I had always pictured myself in red and gold, and to be honest the thought of being in Slytherin sent chills up my spine.
"Right then. I guess the best place for you is...GRYFFINDOR!"
"It would be nice to round out our group, but I have a feeling you will be with me or Lydia." I patted her knee.
"Because you and the sorting hat are best buds?" My brother teased.
Just then the door slid open to reveal Byron Greengrass, already in his robes. Ted immediately turned to look out the window, the animosity between these two was apparent to everyone at school, but no one, including Lydia and I, knew exactly where it had come from.
"Is your Mum alright?" He seemed genuinely concerned.
"Yeah. Why? What's it to you Greengrass?" Ted snapped.
"She was having some sort of a fit on the platform, I thought you might want to know, Lupin." He bit right back.
"It's Potter now."
"Our Mum was having a fit?" I looked at him curiously. "like, screaming at Evan?"
"No." He shook dark hair. "She was hyperventilating and pointing at the train, your dad had to just about hold her down."
"It must have been someone else, Mum doesn't go into hysterics." I dismissed him. By this point Lydia had even pulled her nose out of her book to see what was going on.
"Who else would your dad hold like that?" Byron squenched his eyebrows. "it was her, I'm sure of it."
"Then you must be lying." Ted turned to him. "Unless there was a murderer on the train Mum would never do that."
"Look, take from it what you want. I just thought you might want to know." He pursed his lips and rolled his dark eyes before stepping out of our compartment, sliding it shut behind him.
"Why would he say that?" Lydia raised an eyebrow, looking at us all.
"I cannot stand him." Ted grumbled.
"Why not?" Jenny inquired.
"He is, I dunno. He just gives me bad vibes." Ted shook his head.
"Doesn't mean you have to hate him." I mumbled, which earned me a look from my brother.
"I have never known Aunt Ginny to act like that." Jenny wrung her hands in her lap.
"She doesn't. It's as simple as that." Lydia picked up her book again, turning to the next page.
"If it's serious, Dad will come get us." I looked out at the passing countryside.
"It's not real AJ. He made it up." Ted reached down to grab his school robes.
"Why would he just make that up about Mum? What purpose does that serve Theodore?" I didn't even turn to him while I used his full first name.
"I don't know! It's part of some sick game of his, Aurora." He returned the favor. " I'm going to change, you girls can lock the door behind me so you can too." He left with a sharp snap of the door.
Lydia stood quietly and locked the door before pulling the shade down. We all changed and settled back in our places before Ted knocked for entry.
Soon the train reached the Hogsmeade station and we had to send Jennifer off to the boats with Hagrid. We clambered into the horseless carriage; we were joined by a few noisy third years. We sat silently on our side, partly because we were watching the gaggle of girls across from us, but mostly because Theodore was still disgruntled and Lydia hadn't looked away from her book yet. I watched Molly walk by with her other fourth year Ravenclaw friends, and Victorie do her best to stay away from Fred and George. The reincarnations of my uncles spent most of their time antagonizing the cousin that was closest to their age; she favored my Aunt Fleur quite a bit outside of her medium length red hair. I had yet to see Louis, but he was most likely sitting quietly with the other third year Hufflepuff.
"You can't be mad at me forever." I whispered to Ted.
"I just, I can't believe you would believe him. Mum isn't some hysterical crazy." He huffed.
"You're right." I sighed.
"And he is just so suspicious." I followed my brother's eyes to the carriage before us, where Byron sat with his back to us. He was surrounded by noisy Slytherins, so rowdy that they were shaking the carriage, while he sat calm and still.
Though things had changed at Hogwarts from my parent's time here the Slytherins still kept to themselves mostly. They didn't really tell us to stay away, but they didn't go out of their way to make us feel welcome. The other houses intermingled nicely, but Slytherins still kept away.
"I get that. But I'm still going to check on Mum when I write her." Teddy nodded shortly.
"I was planning on asking Dad when I wrote him tonight."
We were soon at the castle and forced apart for the welcoming feast. I sat with my roommates Gabrielle, Taylor, Ariel and Holley. They were great, we were close, sat together in class and I would study with them when I wasn't with Lydia and Teddy. They had each taken a liking to my brother at one point or another, all to be shot down immediately. Gabrielle and Holley toward above us all, blonde, full lipped twins that had boys drooling over them constantly. They sat across from me complaining about how hungry they were.
"You ate five cauldron cakes on the train, each!" Taylor said next to me, auburn hair pulled back with a gigantic red and gold bow. "How can you possibly be hungry?"
"Shut up." They said in unison.
"Not to mention all of those chocolate frogs" came Ariel's voice from the other side if Taylor.
"The train ride here was just a pig out?" I asked.
"For some of us." Ariel smirked.
Soon the first years were lead in and sorted, Jenny joined us after being sorted into our house, which wasn't much of a surprise to me. Gabe and Arthur sat together after being sorted one after the other at the Ravenclaw table.
The feast began, and Jenny watched in amazement as the blondes across the table devoured chicken wing after chicken wing.
"Try to avert your eyes, helps your food go down." Taylor laughed, earning a glare from Gabrielle.
"It's like watching Uncle Ron at Grandma Weasley's." Jenny said in amazement.
"Then that man knows how to eat properly." Holley smiled between bites.
I stuffed myself full of dinner and then had to sample some of the pudding. Taylor left to do her prefect duties, Jenny following close behind. I looked over to see Lydia with her friends Amelia and Matt, Teddy with his mate Jack. While we were together most of the time, we each had our own friends within our house. My mum had been so excited to know that, since she had watched Dad, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron just be with each other for seven years.
"I don't care what you say AJ that brother of yours is so handsome." Gabrielle followed my gaze to Ted.
"You are too right sister." Holley smirked, fanning herself.
"Guys. Really?" Ariel piped in, "I'm sure AJ is pretty tired of hearing it."
"Look, just because you are pretty much married, doesn't mean we all are." Holley nudged her with an elbow.
We found ourselves before the portrait of the fat lady.
"Cabbage." Ariel told the painting, which swung open immediately "I am not."
"You really are. You and Rich have been together for ages." I followed her through.
I looked around my second home and felt happier than ever to be there. The plush arm chair surrounded the roaring fireplace. I went straight for the rug, sprawling out immediately before the warmth of the hearth. I looked up just in time to see the girls settling in the chairs and Taylor descend the stairs, bow sparkling in the fire light.
"How was your break?" I asked, rolling on to my belly and propping my chin on my fists.
"We went to the Netherlands to be with cousins. We were there all Summer. I almost never saw Carl, he was always gone with someone or another." She curled up in the arm chair to my right.
"You all know of course I was with Mom all break." Ariel rolled her eyes.
"Step mom from hell still hasn't changed?" Holley crossed her legs on the couch.
"Um, no." She sighed.
"Well we didn't do anything very exciting." Holley twirled her hair in her fingers.
"Went to Diagon Ally a lot. Saw your uncles a few times at the shop." Gabrielle told me. They lived with their parents in a penthouse not too far from the wizarding community.
"How was your birthday AJ?" Taylor asked.
I immediately felt myself turn ridged. "It was, fine."
"That bad?" Ariel asked.
"My whole family came; we had a hard time cramming all of us in the house. We ate gumbo, cake, and I opened presents. Pretty average birthday." I turned to stare into the flames.
"Then Evan and Nympha stayed at my house." I felt Jenny sit next to me.
"You like your dorm mates?" I asked her without looking away from the fire, trying to change the subject.
"They seem nice."
"Did you write your mum and mom yet? Tell them which house you made?" I turned to see the light dancing on her platinum hair.
"Oh, you're Luna and Lena's daughter then?" Gabrielle asked.
"Mhm." She nodded to the twin "I sent them a letter a minute ago. Mars was ready to fly by the time I got to my dormitory." Mars was Jenny's Hawk that she had been gifted on her eleventh birthday.
Jenny yawned next to me and stretched her arms out.
"Head on up, tomorrow will be busy. I will probably be sitting at the end if the Ravenclaw table for breakfast if you want to join, if not that's fine too." I told her as she nodded and rose off the rug bidding us goodnight as she went.
"I'm ready to get in my gown." Ariel said as she stood.
We call made shows of agreement and followed her up to our room. It looked the same as ever, I had Gabrielle on the bed to my left and Taylor on the right. We all changed and got in our beds. Ariel and Gabrielle kept their lamps on, since we were all sitting up and talking.
"So did your aunts adopt or what?" Holley asked from her seated position in the middle of her bed.
I chuckled. "No. My aunt Luna carried both Jennifer and Xander. They had a sperm donor."
"Really? They don't know who it is? Doesn't that bother them?" Ariel asked.
"Oh no. My Uncle Charlie donated. He has the same coloring and personality type as my Aunt Lena so he was as close as it got." I wrapped the blanket around myself as I spoke "when Mum tried to pawn off that whole, when a Mummy and Daddy love each other crap on me I immediately brought up my aunts and their new baby Jenny. I thought my dad was going to die." I laughed out loud.
"Well I'm sure it was fun for your parents to explain." Taylor giggled from her bed.
"Just Mum. I think Mum and dad have an agreement that Dad gets the boys and Mum gets the girls. Ted got his full explanation from Dad after my Mum threw a shoe at him and told him to grow up and talk to his son." I could barely breathe from laughing at the memory. After catching my breath I reached for some parchment to write Mum a quick note, and another for Evan and Nympha, and sending it with Artemis.
The girls got quiet, drifting to sleep as I watched my owl ride the wind until the night enveloped her. My thoughts soon wandered to the prophecy and my fit of anger after my parents exited.
I woke the next morning to see Dad waving his wand, mending my ripped canopy. I watched as the stool to my vanity table mended its leg, and my shoes hopped back on to the shelf in my closet. My room continued to right itself as my father stood there looking at the floor, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed before finally speaking.
"I did the exact same thing when I found out. I tore the headmaster's office to shreds. He didn't stop me, so I figured it might help you too. I understand your anger AJ." He turned, finally meeting my eyes. "I'm so sorry AJ. I wish I hadn't done this to you. This comes from being my daughter. I wish I could take it off your shoulders."
"I'm not mad at you Daddy." I sat up. "I just don't know what to do."
"nothing. You do nothing, you change nothing. Just keep being sixteen. Make trouble at Hogwarts; eat too much junk, play pranks. Be you." He kissed my forehead, stubble scratching my skin.
I turned away from the window, opening my trunk to but out my old photo album.
Aunt Lena made it for Dad when I was a newborn, but we continued to add pictures as time went on. The first few pictures were muggle. A very young version of my mum stood before a door standing to the side with her shirt raised to show her rounding belly. "First kick 21weeks!" Read the inscription.
The next picture showed Mum in a waitress uniform leaning on a small SUV even rounder about her middle.
The rest were moving, the first a picture with Aunt Hermione and Mum hanging line at Magnolia mansion, then Mum sitting by the fire with my cousin Elizabeth, who had to be about six, reading a book. I passed a few more, some of Mum huge pregnant in the river with a floppy hat, some of her walking through the orchard with David and Daniel. One when I was first born, she was covered in sweat, smiling at me as Grana cleaned me on the bed.
The next picture was my very favorite. My mum and dad stood in my Grana's yard next to the shed, she was holding me and talking to dad, when he kisses her and takes me from her arms to stare at me.
The pictures after where mainly highlights. Me and Teddy in his crib together, my first birthday, my first day of preschool, my first day of homeschool. Me holding newborn Evan, and another with newborn Nympha. The day Ted and I left for our first day of Hogwarts. And at the end Dad added two of my most cherished. One of a teenage Mum and Dad dancing in grandma's backyard and the other of my grandma and grandpa Potter dancing in the middle of a street. Each of us kids had our own copy of each, Teddy and Nymphadora had a picture of his parents too. Nympha insisted she have a picture of her name sakes in her album too, by golly my Dad gave Nymphadora Rem a copy too.
I crawled into bed with the album in my arms. I laid down holding it to my chest. I stared into the scarlet curtains above my head and listened to my dorm mates breathe.
How could I possibly just be sixteen when I have a prophesy hanging over my head?
A/N-Where did you guys go? All of my faithful reviewers have gone. I don't seem to be getting much interest so I am wondering if I should continue or not, it is very difficult to write when you don't feel like you have any readers. Anyway, as I said before you can follow me on twitter, and I have a new story in the works. Next time, Danie