Prologue

"Dad. He keeps saying it," whined eleven-year-old Albus Potter.

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

"I only said he might be Slytherin, and he might…" Catching his mothers glare, James broke off.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" asked Albus.

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

"No, not every day. James said people are only allowed to get letters from home once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny, trying and failing to suppress a smile.

"Yes, you may not want to believe everything your brother tells you. He likes a laugh, your brother," said Harry.

The Potter family were standing in Kings Cross Station, pushing two trolleys loaded with trunks.

"All you have to do is to walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll run into it. That's very important. Best do it at a run if you're nervous." said Harry.

"Ready?" asked Ginny.

"Ready," chorused all three children.

Together, the Potter family ran hard into the barrier. They emerged on the other side, and instead of seeing Muggles in suits and ties, they saw witches and wizards in robes saying goodbye to their children. Lily was holding her mothers hand and sniffling.

"I want to go to Hogwarts." she pouted.

"It's not long, and you'll be going too." replied Harry.

"Two years! I want to go now!"

"Where are they?" asked Albus, trying to peer through the haze at the indistinguishable figures around them on the station.

"We'll find them, don't worry." said Ginny reassuringly.

"Look. I think that's them, Al." Harry said.

The haze had thinned, and they saw four people - Ron, Hermione, and their children Rose and Hugo.

"Parked alright then?" Ron asked. "Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test. She thought I had to Confund the examiner.

"Don't exaggerate Ron, I had complete faith in you."

"And I had complete faith that he did Confund the examiner." said Rose.

"Oi!"

"Can we go now?" asked James with a grin. "Remember to give Neville our love." Ginny called to James.

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

"But you know Neville!"

"Outside, yeah. But at school, he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he?"

And, with a last cocky look at his mother, climbed onto the Hogwarts express, calling over his shoulder, "Watch out for the Thestrals!"

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

"Thestrals are all right," said Harry reassuringly, "They're gentle creatures."

Harry felt someone tugging at his sleeve, and looking down, saw that it was Albus.

"Dad… What if I'm in Slytherin?" Albus asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Harry waited until all the other children were on board before answering, so that only Albus and Ginny could hear, and Ginny was tactful enough to pretend to be waving at James, "Albus Severus, you were named after two of the bravest people I had ever met, and one of them was a Slytherin."

"But just say…"

"But if it matters to you, the Sorting Hat will take your feelings into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me."

Albus, looking reassured, climbed onto the Hogwarts Express.

Ron nudged Harry in the ribs. "Look who it is." The fog had thinned some more, and three people were thrown into sharp relief - Draco Malfoy, his son, Scorpius, and his wife, Astoria Greengrass. "So that's little Scorpius. Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie."

"Ron," Hermione said severely, "Don't turn them on each other before they've even started school!" She started chivvying Rose and Hugo on the train. "On! On! Get on!"

Harry and Ginny waved at their children until the train rounded the corner. Harry's hand was still in the air as a gesture of farewell. "He'll be alright, won't he, Gin?"

"Of course he will. Don't worry."

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