"Pleeeeeeeeeease, Dad?"

"Sirius, for the last time--"

"Please Dad, please Dad, please Dad, please Dad, please Dad?!"

"Sirius!"


Sirius turned and stared up at his father reproachfully. Harry sighed, reaching down and ruffling the boy's shaggy black hair.

"Look, I know it seems unfair, but next year you'll get to go too, and Tori still has to wait four years. You've only got one more to go."

"But James gets to go!" Sirius protested immediately. "And I can already do loads of magic, Dad, please?"

"It's not my rule, Sirius," Harry said with finality. "You can take it up with Professor McGonagall when you get there... Next year."

He put a hand on Sirius's back and steered him through the train station toward the familiar barrier. He could sense his son's fury at being left behind, but secretly, Harry was glad that Sirius was staying home. The house would be far too quiet and... normal... without both boys.

As they neared the barrier, Harry stopped walking and waited for the rest of the Potters. Ginny came into view holding Tori's hand and attempting to control James, who was bouncing about.

"Dad, come on! Let's go!" he cried, tearing himself from his mother and hurrying over, pushing his trolley in front of him. Inside was his trunk and a cage holding a handsome tawny owl.

"Alright, James, calm down." Harry released Sirius, who sulked moodily as James ran at the barrier, full speed. "Wait--" Harry lunged for James, but the boy was already through. Laughing, Harry quickly followed.

James had stopped just inside Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, marveling at the scarlet steam engine resting in the station. The air was thick and foggy and smelled so familiar that Harry almost allowed himself to bask in nostalgia, but he shook himself out of it and put a hand on James's shoulder.

"I can't believe it..." James looked around, excitement building on his face. "I'm actually going!"

He tried to take off, but Harry held him back and forced him to walk at a normal pace. James's young face was split in a grin as he took in all the sights. He and Harry were attracting stares from passerby, but James didn't notice.

As they moved through the crowd, James peered ahead impatiently. "Jane's coming, right?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "We're meeting them near the end of the train."

At this, James increased his pace and Harry sped up with him. As they neared the back of the train, Harry spotted the familiar faces.

"There they are," he said, and allowed James to run ahead of them.

"Hey, mate," Ron greeted as he broke away from the Weasleys and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "This is crazy, ain't it?"

"Yeah..." Harry looked up at the Hogwarts express, already beginning to fill up with students. "It feels like yesterday we were boarding this ourselves, and now..."

Harry trailed off as he and Ron watched James talking to a girl his age who looked like a much prettier version of Hermione.

"Ah, they grow up so fast," Ron muttered, shaking his head.

Ginny walked up behind Harry with Tori, Sirius slinking along behind them. Ginny smiled and released Tori, reaching up to peck Ron on the cheek.

"How's Colin?" she asked.

"He's not as bad," Ron replied. "He still has a bit of a fever, though, so Hermione stayed home with him."

He knelt down to Tori's level, grinning at her. "Hey cutie." The seven year old girl beamed at him, her green eyes shining. Ron tugged at one of her dark red pigtails and she giggled and slapped his hand away. Harry smiled as he watched his daughter begin to chatter with Ron about her big brothers, and the cookies that Ginny had promised to make with her once they returned home.

Sirius trudged over to James and Jane, scowling. Suddenly, Hermione came running up breathlessly, her bushy hair up in a messy bun.

"Mum!" Jane smiled. "I thought you were staying home with Colin!"

Hermione tucked a strand of hair back behind Jane's headband. "Granddad is looking after him," she assured the girl. "I couldn't possibly miss your first day of school!"

Ron stood up, surveying the crowd. "Speaking of missing the first day, has anyone seen George?"

"I knew you'd miss me," said a voice behind them, and George came grinning into view. Ginny squeezed him.

"George, how are you? It's been ages!" she exclaimed.

"Hi, Angelina," Harry said, spotting the dark woman next to George.

"Hey, Harry," she greeted wearily. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked.

"Mm? Oh, yes, everything's fine, I'm just tired is all," she murmured, yawning. "It'll be nice having Fred out of the house, maybe it will keep his brother in check."

"What was that, Mum?"

A boy strode up to them, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure you said on the way here that you'd miss me." He sniffed theatrically. "Well, I see now where your true loyalties lie."


"Bloody Hell," Ron muttered, staring at him. "He changed a lot in one summer. I think he takes after you a bit, George."

"You don't say?" George rolled his eyes. "Observant as always, little bro."

"Hey Mum, can I board now?" A tan girl with a lot of tight auburn curls appeared next to Fred.

"Not yet, Katie, can't you stand to wait with your relatives?" Angelina looked around. "Where's Oliver?"

"I don't reckon he went aboard, no no, that'd be much too predictable," George replied sarcastically. Angelina groaned and hurried onto the train in search of her youngest son. Katie smiled at Harry.

"Hey, Mr. Potter. Had a good summer?"

"Yeah, it was nice. Didn't get much down time, but what d'you expect? How was yours?"

"It was great, we went down to France with Bill, Fleur, and Maxi and visited Beauxbatons."

"Really?" Harry raised his eyebrows, impressed. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Oh, well, technically you can't, and not everyone was really pleased, but Fleur got us in alright."

"Ohhhhh, are you talking about Beauxbatons?" Jane hurried over, looking eagerly up at Katie. "Dad mentioned you were going. I've heard it's beautiful."

Harry moved away as the two girls began talking and looked up at the clock.

"It's about time we start getting your luggage packed, he announced, finding James with his brother. "Come on."

James followed Harry eagerly to the luggage compartment, helping to lift his trunk up.

"Can I go now?" he asked.

"Not just yet," Harry said, keeping his hand on James's shoulder. "You're going to need these." Every bit of common sense in his body screaming against it, Harry handed his eldest son a wrapped bundle.

"What is it?" James whispered, looking up at his father.

"These," began Harry, "were the secret to my success at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, I mostly only used them for really serious things, so hopefully you'll be able to have fun with them."

"Excellent," James murmured. "Cheers, Dad!"

He gave Harry a fleeting, one-armed hug before running off back towards the others. By the time Harry reached them, the kids were about to board.

"Be good, Jane," Hermione advised her daughter. "Study hard, but don't forget to enjoy yourself."

"Yeah, seriously, don't sweat about the schoolwork," Ron cut in. "Find a smart friend and stick with them, and then you're good."

"Cause trouble," George was telling Fred. "Don't be afraid to get in trouble, detentions usually suck, but you get used to it and if you can land one with someone else it's a lot more fun. Peeves is on your side, Filch isn't."

Tori was in tears, latching herself to James in a fervid attempt to stop him from leaving. He was petting her head absentmindedly and talking to Sirius urgently.

"I'll send loads of owls, Siri, you'll see. I'll tell you 'bout my pranks, you tell me 'bout yours. It'll be fine."

"I know," grumbled Sirius, "and don't call me Siri."

James grinned and punched Sirius in the shoulder before peeling Tori off of him. "It's okay, Tori, I'll write to you. I'll send you some sweets from Honeydukes."

Ginny cleared her throat loudly and Harry laughed.

"That's my boy," he said fondly. "Listen, James, have fun, alright? Don't fail your exams, but don't study too hard for them either. Just have a good time."

Ginny hugged him tightly. "We love you, James."

James choked, horrified. "Mum! Get off!"

Katie, already on the train, called to them.

"Come on, it's nearly time!"

Angelina came sprinting off the train, dragging behind her a boy who was a spitting image of Fred. He was grinning, and gave his brother a high five.

"Merlin, I can't wait till next year," he declared. "It's bloody amazing in there."

Fred ran aboard eagerly and hung out of the window to say goodbye to his mother. Hermione planted one last kiss on Jane's forehead and allowed her to follow Fred. James punched Sirius again and tugged one of Tori's pigtails before bounding up the steps and into the train.

The whistle blew and Harry pushed forward to watch as the train began to pull out of the station. James waved to him one last time before turning to face the direction the train was going. Sirius and Oliver ran next to the train, shouting up at their big brothers until the Hogwarts Express rounded the corner and was gone.