Sooner or Later [Abandoned]

Chapter Eight

September First 2014

Last night I got four hours of sleep. The past ten days have been very hectic for me, not just because the fact that today is the day I'm leaving for Hogwarts.

Albus and Lily knew something was different. Albus told me that himself. Unfortunately, I'm forbidden to tell them the secret of our family's fame. Though in retrospect, it is obvious. I still am beating myself up over the fact that I didn't come to realize earlier.

After a week, I finally began to talk to them again. It takes time to be comfortable with the truth. I got to talk with Teddy too. Apparently he went through something similar when he was my age. It also had dawned on him how famous he was because he was my dad's Godson.

I toss and turn and bed. After a while, I give up and just lay there waiting for my alarm to ring, letting thoughts aimlessly float through my head. I'll have to be at King's Cross station in four hours. Heavy waves of nausea and excitment come over me as I think.

I'll finally get to see Hogwarts. The magnificent castle, standing broad and tall. Hagrid's little hut, and the Forbidden Forest. Oh, I'm going to have some fun in there. The Room of Requirement, the Great Hall, the kitchens, and the Quidditch Pitch....

I'm going to break all the school records. Which, according to Uncle George, were broken by him and Uncle Fred in their fifth year. God, I am so looking forward to that. Hogwarts, here I come.

***

Don't you hate when you actually pick up the clock to look how much longer you have to wait, and it goes off. As soon as the high pitched beeping started, I slammed it onto my dresser and quickly got dressed. I ran into my parents room, who were coincidentally awake.

"-when you get there," my dad said into the phone. "'Bout ten-thirty if nothing crazy happens. Okay see you there."

"Who was that?" I asked him.

"Nobody especially important," he said. "Now, breakfast? It's going to be a long train ride."

I knew this was going to be the last time in many months I was going to actually sit at the same table as my family. I made sure to remember the moment as I ate the last of my toast. It may have been a typical morning, but I knew it wasn't.

By nine o'clock I had my trunk loaded back into the back of the car. It took another thirty minutes to actually get Lily calm enough to get everyone in the car("Why can't he stay?" "I don't want him to go!" "I can come with too!" "James, pretty please don't go!").

After a long hour in the car wedged against Lily's car seat and the door, we arrived at King's Cross Station. I'd only been here three times, all of which were to see Teddy off. This certainly felt different as I pushed my own trolley through the station. Lily trailed besides me, clutching onto the trolley.

"Mum, haven't you explained to Lily why she can't come with me?"

"Many times, but it hasn't seemed to sink in yet."

"But I want to come with."

"Lily, you're sweet. But can you bother Al right now?"

"Promise me dat you won't leave yet?"

"I... promise." For the first time in an hour, Lily finally left my side. She could get annoying, but I knew I was going to miss her the most.

After a few more minutes of walking we reached platforms nine and ten.

"You go ahead," dad said to mum.

"Are you sure?"

"We don't want James to be late. I'll be there to see him off."