Chapter 1 :

Ninteen years later

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road towards the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air.

Two large cages rattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed tearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.

"It won't be long now, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.

"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Albus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!"

"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny.

"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth—"

But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

"Not every day," said Albus quickly. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly. But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. Harry thought he heard Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello.

"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly. A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up beside them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved. Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry.

"I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."

"Ron!" Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.

"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny, but Ron was no longer paying attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away.

The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added,

"Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Hey!" James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are so like Ron—"

"— and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away! He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married," whispered Lily sarcastically.

"Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing a room with Al

—Teddy could have my room!"

"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished." He checked the battered old watch which had once been Fabian Prewett's. "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him.

"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"

"But you know Neville!—"

James rolled his eyes. "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . ."Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"

But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny kissed Albus goodbye. "See you at Christmas."

"By, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was. Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say —"

"— then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Harry. He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the doors were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents were swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders. Albus jumped into the carriage, and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned towards Harry.

"Why are they staring?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him.

The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.

"He'll be all right," murmured Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.

"I know he will."

The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years.

All was well.

Chapter 2 :

The Hogwarts Express

On the Hogwarts Express, James hurried to join Fred, his cousin, who had just received a new broomstick, a very trendy Bluebuttle. The two boys quickly entered the first available compartment and began to enthusiastically discuss Quidditch.

"I've been practicing flying on it all summer!" Fred exclaimed excitedly. He carefully picked up his broomstick and showed it to James.

"Beautiful," James smiled as he examined the Bluebuttle in detail. "With this, I'm sure we can win the Quidditch Cup this year!"

Pixie Brown had indeed struggled to digest her team's defeat the previous year. The Hufflepuffs, led by Edern Chadwick with an iron hand, had won the highly coveted Quidditch Cup for the second consecutive year, crushing their opponents.

Thinking back to their bitter defeat, Fred grimaced. He was a good Beater and hoped that his summer training would pay off. James, relaxed, took out his wand, waved it casually, and turned the handle of his cousin's broomstick green, making Fred laugh.

"I attended a few Harpies' training sessions this summer. They are really talented... I wish I had a Omniculars; I would have loved to see some of their moves again. I need to learn from them if I want to keep my position as a Chaser."

He sank into the seat and glanced at Fred.

"If Brown doesn't pick us again, I'll show her that I can perform the Hair-Raising Hex well," the boy added with a smile.

The two cousins got along perfectly; they had always been close and were partners in crime whenever there was mischief to be done, much to the frustration of their parents. Their pranks were numerous, much to the chagrin of Angelina Weasley, who observed with dismay that George, far from reprimanding them, found their antics amusing and even offered them tips on how to execute their pranks better.

As they continued to enthusiastically discuss their respective sports training, Albus remained glued to the window in one of the train's corridors, not taking his eyes off his parents, waving goodbye to them. He dreaded this departure. Fairly independent and rather solitary, he didn't appreciate the commotion on the Hogwarts Express and the noise made by his excited classmates as they reunited. It was with a heavy heart that he heard the whistle blow at precisely 11 o'clock, indicating that the train was departing. He gave one last smile to his parents before setting off in search of an empty compartment. Squeezing through the crowd of young wizards, he passed by the one where his brother and cousin were comfortably seated. They were too busy casting spells and laughing to notice young Albus. Besides, the jet-black-haired boy had no desire to sit with his brother; he disapproved of his casual attitude and lack of discipline.

"They're really dumb!" exclaimed a cheerful voice behind him, making him jump. It was Rose.

Laughing at the fact that she had scared her cousin, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him along.

"Come on, Al, don't make that face! We're finally going to Hogwarts; it's going to be fabulous. I can't wait to meet our professors," the girl added with a radiant smile. "The books we had to buy are fascinating, but it's so frustrating to be limited to theory... Aren't you excited to practice?"

Albus relaxed and allowed himself to be drawn into the conversation. He couldn't deny that he, too, was eager to learn magic. The two cousins arrived at an almost empty compartment, occupied by a small group of first-year students.

"Come and sit with us," a chubby boy said by way of greeting. He shifted over on the bench and nodded for them to sit down.

"I'm Lewis," he said, with a smile.

Rose and Albus introduced themselves, and then it was the turn of the two girls in the compartment.

"I'm Sofia, and this is Tansy! We both came a long way from Wales."

A continuous flow of conversation ensued for a good part of the journey.

The five first-year students couldn't exhaust their topics of conversation. After a heated argument about the best Quidditch team of the moment, the fateful subject of house sorting finally came up.

Confidently, Rose believed that the Sorting Hat would make the best choice. Sofia nodded in agreement while the other three looked at them in astonishment.

"You guys are crazy," Tansy exclaimed. "There's no way I'm ending up in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was in that house, and I refuse to follow in his footsteps," she said firmly, as Lewis nodded in agreement.

"That's absurd," Rose explained gently. "The Death Eater Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor, and he quickly pledged allegiance to Voldemort."

Albus was amazed to see that, 19 years after Voldemort's disappearance, his name still evoked strong reactions. Coming from a family of resistance fighters, including his parents, grandparents, and even his godparents, everyone around him didn't hesitate to call the sinister dark wizard by name.

"Moreover, in Slytherin, they don't only have bad wizards. I'm sure you all know here that Severus Snape played a major role in Voldemort's downfall," she continued, ignoring the reactions caused by the mention of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord.

Clearly, not everyone knew these details about the Battle of Hogwarts. It was now in the past, and many families preferred not to dwell on that dark time.

To alleviate the discomfort that followed Rose's words, Sofia spoke up. She had listened attentively to Rose's words and seemed to agree on all points.

"Whatever happens, I'm sure I won't end up in Slytherin."

"How can you be so sure?" Albus asked, eager to know how to ensure a particular house placement, momentarily forgetting the conversation he had with his father that morning.

"I'm a Muggle-born," the young witch explained with a giggle.

The conversation continued joyfully, with a game of Exploding Snap brought by Lewis. After beating their companions eight times in a row and gorging on sweets, the group of friends, including Albus, put on their Hogwarts robes and eagerly anticipated their arrival at the school.

The journey was not much longer, but Fred and James seemed completely oblivious to it. Still dressed in their Muggle clothes, they had been joined by their friends Luella Dafoe and Archie Barthe. All four of them had cast a spell on the compartment door to prevent it from being opened from the outside, so they wouldn't be disturbed. They were having a blast, playing with objects from Fred's father's joke shop.

"I can't wait for the first trip to Hogsmeade. We're finally in our third year; getting out of the castle for a while will be a welcome change," Luella exclaimed, talking about leisure activities as if she were already exhausted, even though the first classes had not yet started.

Fred immediately chimed in, "And you can see my dad's second shop!"

Except for James, no one knew that Ron and George Weasley had bought Zonko's Joke Shop. There were joyful exclamations at this news. The group liked the owners of these shops. The inventions of the Weasley twins had greatly assisted them in their nighttime escapades and countless rule-breaking at school.

Fred continued

"Yes, my father and his twin had this idea before the Battle of Hogwarts."The boy had never had a difficult life, but he knew how much his family had suffered during that time.

He continued more softly, "Well, since my uncle Ron started helping with the shop, he had time to figure out how to implement the idea they had."

He added with a laugh that it took a while for Ron to gain his father's trust in terms of marketing, but George had eventually managed to train him reasonably well. In any case, the Weasley brothers were now in charge of two major joke shops, located in the two busiest wizarding districts in England.

"That's good news," Archie said. "Filch had a tendency to snoop through the packages we received last year. It will be much more convenient to buy our products directly from the shop instead of using their Owl Service," the boy affirmed.

Indeed, the four friends had earned the wrath of the Hogwarts caretaker countless times and he had taken to watching them too closely for their liking.

"If your brother is sorted into Gryffindor, we'll have to be careful about what we say in the common room," Luella grimaced.

Just like Archie, the girl knew the Potter family well, and they often met at the Potters' house in the summer. Albus's meticulous and rule-abiding nature was no secret to anyone.

James growled, "If he tries to pry into our business, I won't hesitate to use the Imperturbable Charm against him. And anyway, we can always avoid him by using my dad's old Invisibility Cloak."

Under his thick, dark red hair, the boy's character was evident; he undeniably had the mentality of a Potter, and it was clear from his behavior that he had heard a lot about Sirius Black, whom he apparently regarded as a role model.

"Such a racket! I wonder what's gotten into the others," Archie exclaimed.

Indeed, the train seemed to be particularly noisy, more so than usual.

"But we've arrived!"

Fred shouted as he leaped to his of them had put on their wizarding robes yet, so they quickly changed into their red and gold robes, which they wore with pride, and burst into laughter when they saw Fred's ridiculous hat. It was a special hat, a new product from his father's shop, which reduced the wearer's head to the size of a large apple. They left the Hogwarts Express, joining their fellow students who had already started boarding the carriages.