𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐃𝐇 𝟑𝟔

Autumn had arrived like a whispered promise that year. The morning of September first was crisp, sunlight gilding the edges of the trees and sparkling faintly off the pavement. The little family moved toward the station, the rumble of car tires beneath them and the soft clouds of their breaths catching in the cold air.

Two large cages rattled atop the trolleys Emily and Harry pushed; the owls inside hooted indignantly, wings fluttering against the bars. Emily's children trailed behind: Minnie, clutching her father's hand and bouncing on her heels, and her twins, Eric and Ethan, arguing quietly as they walked.

"It won't be long now," Emily said gently, bending down to Minnie's height. "Soon, you'll be on the train too."

"Two years!" Minnie sniffled, her bottom lip trembling. "I want to go now!"

The bustle of commuters swirled around them. Emily's heart tightened as she noticed how much her children had grown, how independent yet small they still seemed against the towering station.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" Ethan called, voice carrying over the hubbub.

"Eric, give it a rest," Emily said with mock sternness, though her lips twitched with a smile.

"I only said he might be," Eric shot back, grinning mischievously. "Nothing wrong with that. He might—"

Then Eric caught his mother's eye, and the smile faltered. He fell silent.

The family reached the barrier. Eric glanced over his shoulder at Ethan, his usual cocky confidence bright in his expression. He grabbed the trolley from Emily and sprinted toward the wall. In an instant, he had vanished, leaving only the faint echo of his laughter.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Ethan asked anxiously, eyes scanning the thick white mist that hid the platform.

"Every day, if you like," Emily said warmly, brushing a stray curl from his forehead.

"Not every day!" Ethan shot back, shaking his head. "Eric says most people only get letters once a month."

"I wrote to Eric three times a week last year," Harry said with a grin. "And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts. He likes to exaggerate."

Side by side, Harry and Emily guided Ethan forward. The platform stretched before them like a scene from an old memory, steam curling from the scarlet Hogwarts Express, figures moving through the mist like living shadows. Eric had already disappeared among them, leaving only the soft sound of the train hissing and the distant chatter of excited students.

"Where are they?" Ethan asked, anxiety threading through his voice.

"They're here," Emily said gently, scanning the mist. "You'll see them in a moment."

And then, emerging from the fog beside the last carriage, four figures came into focus:

"Hi," Ethan said, relief washing over his face as he spotted familiar figures on the platform.

Rose, already clad in her crisp new Hogwarts robes, grinned at him—but the moment she saw Minnie, she sprinted forward and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry with a mischievous grin. "I did. Hermione didn't think I could pass a Muggle driving test—thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," Hermione replied, arching an eyebrow. "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry as they hoisted Ethan's trunk and owl onto the train. "I just forgot to check the wing mirror. But honestly, I could've used a Supersensory Charm anyway."