Chapter Text
Part 1: Bonds of Friendship
September 2019, Grimmauld Place, London
The first of September had finally arrived, and Lily Potter was going through her school trunk to make sure she’d packed everything she needed. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. At last, she’d received her letter from Hogwarts, welcoming her as a student at the best school of witchcraft and wizardry in the whole world. She’d read the letter a thousand times over the past few weeks and knew it by heart, but she still glanced at it as she checked that she had all her schoolbooks in her trunk.
Just the feeling of looking at her own schoolbooks was exhilarating. They weren’t her big brothers’ books; they were her own. She got to put on her school uniform and go to Hogwarts for her first proper school year. She stroked the black robes with a smile, savouring the feel of the stiff fabric. They’d been to Diagon Alley to buy several outfits for her for the coming school year, and she was already longing to put them on.
At that very moment, she heard her mum’s footsteps on the stairs and jumped up to run to the door.
“Mum, come and help me,” she called out into the corridor.
“What is it, sweetie?” said Ginny Potter, popping her head round the door of Lily’s room.
“Can you help me check that I’ve got everything I need for school?”
“But we packed everything yesterday. Why have you opened your trunk again?”
“I wanted to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.”
“Oh, sweetheart, of course we haven’t forgotten anything! We double-checked everything last night,” said Ginny, stepping into the room to close the trunk. “C’mon, we need to get out to the car.”
“But Mum, what if I’ve forgotten something?” Lily said, looking anxiously at her trunk.
“In that case, we’ll send it to you. It’s no big deal, sweetie. We’ll be writing to you every week, after all.”
Lily’s face broke into a relieved smile. “Right then,” she said, and ran out of the room, dashing down the stairs at such a speed that her long hair fluttered behind her. She’d inherited her red hair from her mum’s side of the family, and overall resembled her mum more than her dad, but she had her grandmother’s smile. It was the opposite with her brothers, who’d both inherited the Potter family traits and had hair as black as their dad, Harry.
Ginny raised her wand to make the heavy trunk lift off the floor and float out of the room and down the stairs after Lily. As she followed, she heard Lily calling for her dad and smiled to herself. Lily had been over the moon all week now that the summer was finally over and the school year was about to begin. Ginny’s mum, Molly Weasley, had said that Ginny had been just the same when she was eleven and had started school at Hogwarts alongside her older brothers.
“Are we leaving already, Dad?” Lily could be heard calling from the hallway.
“Yes, yes, I’m coming,” Harry replied in a languid voice, then called out to his sons.
Running footsteps echoed down the stairs as James and Albus came bounding down to the hall from their rooms.
“Great. Everyone’s here,” said Harry contentedly, opening the front door.
Waiting outside was the Mercedes he’d bought four years earlier, when their eldest son James had started at Hogwarts. The three levitating trunks had come to a halt by the front door and settled in a pile on the floor, and Harry picked them up one by one, loading them into the car. Grimmauld Place outside their front door was deserted, but it was still best not to use magic openly out in broad daylight.
“Right then, hop in the car,” he said as he opened the back door for his children.
All three climbed in one after the other, Lily squeezing in first and James slouching in last.
“Have you got your prefect badge with you, James?” asked Ginny, just to be on the safe side.
“Yeah, I’ve got it in my pocket,” he said, patting his right jeans pocket.
“Good,” she said with a smile, taking the seat next to the driver. “Your uncle Percy would’ve had his badge on by mid-August, and not just carelessly stuffed into his jeans pocket,” she added as Harry started the engine and drove toward King’s Cross station.
James chuckled. “Uncle Percy’s welcome to have my badge if he wants it. I’ve no desire to be a prefect.”
Harry snorted. “Stop whingeing, James. There are worse fates than having to look after first-years.”
“Maybe so, but what on earth was Aunt Minerva thinking when she made me a prefect? Being Quidditch captain would’ve been brilliant, but being a prefect is bloody boring!”
“You can hardly become captain when Dominique’s boyfriend already is,” said Albus.
James grumbled. “Sure, but I play better than Kent Jackson and would’ve deserved to be captain more than him.”
“Who’s Kent Jackson?” said Ginny.
“He’s been a Chaser for Gryffindor for several years now. Dominique told me he got the captain’s badge with his letter in August.”
“But who is he? I thought Dominique was going out with Henry Edgecombe from Ravenclaw.”
“Nah, they split up back in April. Dominique says Edgecombe’s a sourpuss with zero sense of humour. She can’t stand the sight of him any longer and got together with Jackson in May after we’d won the Quidditch tournament.”
“So how old is this Jackson, then?” said Harry.
“He’s in sixth year with Dominique, just like Edgecombe.”
“But he’s in Gryffindor, then,” said Ginny.
“Yeah, and given that he’ll still be at school next year, I can’t hope to become captain before my seventh year,” said James, sounding dejected at the thought.
“You could always lose the Quidditch tournament this year, in which case he might lose his position as captain,” interjected Albus.
“Shut it! We’ve already won two years running now, and I intend to make sure we keep winning,” James snapped. “At least as long as we’ve got Rose as our Chaser and me as our Keeper.”
“I don’t know of any family called Jackson,” said Ginny, who didn’t want to drop the subject of Dominique’s new boyfriend.
“That’s because his dad’s a Muggle,” said Albus. “He’s half-blood.”
“Oh, really? Who’s his mum, then?”
“I think she was called Glossop in her youth, if I remember correctly,” said James.
“I don’t remember any witch with that name in Gryffindor,” said Harry, frowning.
“She wasn’t in Gryffindor. She was in Ravenclaw. Jackson has told me she’s unhappy that he’s in Gryffindor.”
Harry snorted in contempt. “Well, there are always parents who can’t love their children for who they are.”
“Sure, but I’m equally unhappy that Al’s in Slytherin. It’s a disgrace to the whole family,” said James, casting a spiteful glance at his little brother. “Make sure you don’t end up there too, Lily. Otherwise, I’ll cut ties with you.”
“Stop it, James!” said Ginny sternly. “We’re just as proud of Albus as we are of you. It doesn’t matter which house you’re in. What matters is who you are at heart.”
“But most people in Slytherin are evil at heart.”
“They’re not at all. They weren’t even like that back when we were at war with Voldemort,” said Harry. “A large proportion of his followers chose him solely because of the propaganda that, in the past, exalted pure-bloods above all other wizards and witches. When they eventually realised how evil Voldemort was, they didn’t want to follow him, but they no longer had a choice. Anyone who defected was murdered.”
“I’d rather have died than followed him!” said James fiercely.
Harry met his gaze in the rear-view mirror and smiled. “Of course you would. You’re my son, James,” he said proudly, but then turned his gaze forwards to look for a parking space. They had arrived at the station, and he pulled in with a quick parallel park.
“Listen, James, do you know how serious Dominique is about that Jackson?” said Ginny as they stepped out onto the street and waited for Harry to lift the trunks out of the boot.
“I’ve no idea. The past few years she’s changed boyfriends about as often as she changes her clothes,” said James nonchalantly.
Harry and Ginny exchanged glances.
“Could you please not say things like that when your Uncle Bill is around, James?” begged Harry.
James grinned, chuckling softly. “I promise I won’t upset Uncle Bill, Dad. He’s a bit too sensitive when it comes to both Dominique and Victoire.”
“I’d be too, if I had daughters who were one-eighth Veela and so beautiful that all the lads were drooling over them,” Harry grumbled, then turned to his own daughter. “Please remember not to follow Dominique’s example, Lily. I don’t want to hear that you’re changing boyfriends like clothes at school.”
Lily burst out laughing. “I promise, Dad. I have no intention of having a single boyfriend.”
“That sounds much better indeed,” he said with satisfaction.
Ginny took Harry’s arm with an amused smile and followed him into the station building, their three children hurrying ahead with their trolleys. They all had their own owls, which sat in cages on top of their trunks, and people looked on in bewilderment.
“Look, there’s Hugo and Rose,” Lily cried ecstatically and started running towards platform nine.
“Don’t tip your trolley over, Lily,” Ginny called after her, whereupon Lily left her trolley behind and ran without it to throw her arms round her cousins’ necks. Ginny took the abandoned trolley with a sigh and repositioned the owl cage, as it looked as though it might fall off at any moment.
“Hello, Ron and Hermione!” said Harry, hugging them both.
“Hello to you,” replied Hermione with a smile. “How does it feel to be sending your last child off to school?”
“It’s a bit bittersweet,” admitted Ginny, looking at Hugo and Lily, who were jumping up and down with the excitement they both felt. They were both eleven years old and off to boarding school for the first time.
“Yes, that’s exactly how it feels,” said Hermione. “I’d have loved to have Hugo at home for another year.”
“As if that would’ve worked, when you’re hardly ever at home these days,” said Ron ironically.
“I know,” she said, casting a wistful glance at her youngest child. “Being a minister doesn’t really work out so well when you’ve got children. I’ve really gained a new understanding of Kingsley and Hestia this summer for hiring nannies so much for their children.”
“We should be grateful we’ve had Mum to help us with the children this summer,” said Ron.
“Yes, Molly really is amazing!”
“Molly’s lovely, but I think the best thing is that we’ve got Hogwarts,” said Harry. “With McGonagall as headmistress, we can happily send the children there and not have to worry about babysitters.”
“Absolutely. Especially as Hugo’s done nothing but go on about Hogwarts for the past few weeks,” said Ron with a smile. “He’s over the moon to finally be going there.”
Hermione sighed and didn’t seem to agree with them on the matter. She would’ve preferred to keep her youngest as a little boy for a while longer, but it was a futile longing now that she’d taken over the Ministry of Magic that spring and no longer had much time for her family. She’d been given responsibility for the entire wizarding community and was working more overtime than ever before.
Her gaze grew tender as she looked at her son. “He’s grown so much this past year.”
“They all have,” said Harry, looking proudly at the five children. “By the way, has Rose chosen many subjects for her third year?”
“She’d surely have liked a Time-Turner like I had in my day, but as you know, that’s no longer possible. Instead, McGonagall has been working tirelessly to put together a timetable for Rose that fits in with the hours we have in a day.”
“She’ll still have time to carry on playing Quidditch, won’t she?” said James, taken aback.
“Of course I will,” replied Rose sharply. “I’m not going to give up Quidditch just because I’ve got more subjects to study.”
“I think she’ll be able to play Quidditch this year and next, but in her fifth year it’s not so certain, at least if she carries on studying all the subjects she’s chosen,” said Hermione sensibly.
“But surely she can’t give up Quidditch for the sake of her studies!” said Ron, dismayed.
Hermione gave him an amused look. “Perhaps we shouldn’t worry about that just yet. It’s still two years before she’s in her fifth year.”
“Not for me. I’m in my fifth year now and need to get to the train,” said James. “It’s already ten to eleven.”
“Oh dear! We’ve been chatting away the time here!” said Ginny, alarmed, and they all hurried through the invisible barrier to platform nine and three-quarters.
When they arrived on the platform, the crowd was already thinning there as all the students were queueing to get onboard the train.
“Bye, Mum and Dad!” said James, giving them both a hug and then hopping onto the train. His best friends Timmy Walker and Nate Wood were already sitting by the window in the compartment closest to them, and he disappeared in there to greet them.
Albus didn’t take much longer to say goodbye. He gave his mum a quick hug and his dad an even quicker one before disappearing onto the train without looking back. Rose was the only one who stayed behind to look after her little brother and Lily as they boarded the train just before eleven. They stood by a window to wave to their parents as the Hogwarts Express left the station at the stroke of eleven, and stayed there until the train had disappeared round a bend, and the station was no longer in sight.
“Go and find yourselves some seats,” Rose ordered as she turned away from the window. “I’m going to look for my friends.”
“Sure, Rose,” said Hugo, turning to Lily with a beaming face. “Shall we go somewhere where we can change into our school robes?”
“Let’s,” she replied excitedly.
They half-ran down the corridor until they found an empty compartment to claim. Quickly, they took out their black robes and changed into them. With beaming faces, they sat down in their new school uniforms and looked out of the window. Sitting on the train on their way to Hogwarts was the most exciting thing either of them had ever experienced.
“I hope we both end up in Gryffindor,” said Lily eagerly.
Hugo smiled. “I think so. Dad said I’ll definitely be in Gryffindor, as both he and Mum were there, and Rose’s is there, too.”
Lily pursed her lips. “I’m not quite so sure about that. Al’s in Slytherin, after all, even though everyone else in my family is in Gryffindor. Dad told me yesterday that even his godfather was in a completely different house than the rest of his family.”
“Are you serious? Could we end up in Slytherin just like Al?” said Hugo, dismayed.
“The risk exists, but Dad said it’s just as good to be in Slytherin as in Gryffindor.”
Hugo snorted. “I don’t believe that for a second. Ending up in Slytherin is the absolute worst. That’s where all the pure-bloods are, and I don’t want to be there. I’m a half-blood and proud of it!”
Lily looked at him with amusement. “You do realise that Al is just as much a half-blood as I am.”
“Maybe so, but you run the risk of having pure-blood children if you marry a pure-blood wizard. After all, it’s only your grandmother who’s Muggle-born.”
Lily laughed, but didn’t comment on the matter.
“Anyway, Dad says it’s important to marry a half-blood or a Muggle-born when you’re a pure-blood. That way, you bring fresh new blood into the family.”
Lily laughed even more. “And what does your mum say about it?”
“She says Dad’s a wanker and that I shouldn’t listen to him.”
“That’s exactly what my dad would say. Uncle Ron is sometimes a bit odd with his ideas.”
“Actually, they’re Grandad’s ideas. Dad’s said that Grandad’ll have a heart attack if Rose starts seeing someone like Scorpius Malfoy.”
“I can well imagine. Grandad’s even worse than Uncle Ron,” Lily grinned. “Though Rose doesn’t even like Scorpius. It’s only Al who does.”
“Yeah, your brother’s a bit odd about that,” said Hugo with a grimace. “I’ve decided not to have a single pure-blood friend at Hogwarts.”
Lily chuckled. “In that case, you’ll have to stop hanging out with at least half of your cousins.”
At that very moment, the door to the compartment opened and their pure-blood cousin Roxanne Weasley appeared in the doorway.
"Hi, there! Are you sitting here?" she said cheerfully, stepping inside to sit next to Lily.
"Hi, Roxanne," Lily said just as cheerfully, giving her a hug in greeting.
“How does it feel to be off to Hogwarts finally?
“It’s absolutely marvellous! I can hardly wait until we get there!”
“Me neither,” said Roxanne. “I see you’ve already changed into your school robes.”
“Of course,” said Hugo.
Roxanne smiled at him. “I hope we’re all sorted into Gryffindor…though Ravenclaw wouldn’t be too bad, of course. Molly, Dominique, and Louis are all there, after all.”
“Yeah, I suppose Ravenclaw would be all right,” said Hugo. “Mum said the Sorting Hat was considering sorting her there before she was sorted into Gryffindor.”
“It was the same with Rose. She told me, and Molly says Rose ought to be in Ravenclaw, given that she’s the smartest student in the school.”
“Molly’s mum was in Ravenclaw, so it’s fitting for her to be there, but I don’t want to end up there,” said Lily firmly. “It would mean I’m not as brave as my parents.”
“Oh, c’mon, it doesn’t mean anything of the sort. There are plenty of people from Ravenclaw who are just as big war heroes as those in Gryffindor.”
“Maybe so, but our parents were founders and leaders of Dumbledore’s Army. No one in Ravenclaw was.”
“Your godmother was exactly that,” Roxanne retorted, making Lily blush as she realised it was true.
“All right then,” she said. Her godmother was, after all, the famous magizoologist Luna Scamander, daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood, who had belonged to Ravenclaw along with her entire family. Luna had been one of the leaders of Dumbledore’s Army during the Second Wizarding War and now travelled the world in search of new magical species in deadly dangerous wildernesses, which only the bravest would dare to set foot in.