Raised by Canines {A Harry Potter fanfiction}

Epilogue

Edited: 4-6-16. I changed Harry's name from "Prongs" to "Abba" because I liked that better. Sorry for the confusion, guys. :)

September 1st, 2006

It was James that gently shook his shoulder, waking Harry up on possibly the most important day of his life--the day he would leave for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Come on, son." James prodded. "Your Mum and Papa went crazy making breakfast, and the Weasleys will be here any minute."

"'M up." Harry gave him a small smile as he got out of bed. "Abba? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, kiddo."

"Were you nervous?"

"Not really." He shrugged. "I was cocky and arrogant back then, though." James took a seat on Harry's bed and patted the spot next to him, indicating that Harry sit. Harry did and James put an arm around him, giving him a light squeeze. "We're going to be proud of you no matter what house you're in, Harry. You're a good kid, and we are so, so impressed with you. I'm sure you'll be at the top of your year."

"Thanks, Abba." He smiled. "So did Papa make pancakes?"

"Did he." James snorted. "There has to be 60 of them."

"We better get to them before Dad, Fred, and George do." Harry was off the bed in seconds, pulling on the jeans and t-shirt he'd set out the night before. "Coming?"

"I'll always be right behind you." James put a hand on Harry's back, leading him down the stairs and trying to push back any negative emotions.

It was the most important day of his son's life, and guilt wasn't going to ruin it for anyone.

*~*~*

Harry, the Marauders, and the Weasleys were quickly making their way through Kings Cross, not late, but not exactly early, either.

"Come along!" Molly's voice rang. "Platform nine and three-quarters this way!"

Harry was growing more and more nervous with every step, but he really didn't even know why. He'd been excited about this day for years, but now that it was actually time...

He didn't want to leave his family.

He watched as Percy and the twins went through, and then braced himself for what lay ahead as he followed Ron.

"Whoa," Harry breathed.

"Wicked." Ron was grinning ear to ear as he took in the Hogwarts express.

Harry jolted when Molly was suddenly next to him, yelling for Fred and George to slow down when they nearly ran over a girl with her mother. Harry stared at her for a moment before someone urged him to start walking; realizing that she wasn't a bit interested in him, Harry followed the twins to get his luggage loaded before going back to say goodbye to his parents.

*~*~*

"Sirius," Remus said in a low tone. "Sirius, look."

Sirius glanced over at where Remus was indicating and did a double take. A young girl stood with her mother, looking very nervous. It wouldn't have been out of the ordinary had she not had hair as dark as night and a familiar aura of energy radiating from her. Every her little nose was enough to give her away. "There's no way that's her."

"Sirius, look at her for a minute."

"Dumbledore told me she was muggle." Sirius muttered. "Absolutely no way..."

"You didn't look into it any further?"

"The secrecy laws are much stricter in America than they are here." Sirius was speaking under his breath, so he wouldn't chance anyone overhearing. "He told me she was safe and happy with muggles whose names he couldn't give me because of the laws. I figured that I could maybe trust him on that."

"He's lied to us before." Remus reminded him. "Go. Say hi to her, meet her mother. It's the right thing to do."

"I know it's the right thing to do." Sirius said, resigned as he straightened his tie. "I just really hope we're wrong."

As Sirius walked away, Harry nearly knocked Remus over with the force of his hug. "Oof--aw, hey, kiddo. Did you say bye to Mum and Abba yet?" Remus wrapped Harry in a tight hug as he asked this, burying his face in the boy's hair and breathing in his scent one more time; Remus knew that Harry wouldn't let him be so mushy next year.

Harry nodded against Remus' chest. "I'm going to miss you, Papa."

"I'll miss you too, darling." Remus whispered, sneaking a kiss into the boy's hair before letting him go. "Be good, Harry, and write often. And don't forget about that mirror Dad gave you; you can use it anytime you want or need to, alright?"

Harry nodded and gulped hard.

"What is it, Cub?" Remus asked, running a hand through Harry's hair. "Aren't you excited?"

Harry nodded. "I'm just really going to miss you all, is all."

Remus nodded. "You don't know how much I want to just take you right back home, but this is the best thing for you." He encouraged. "You're going to learn a lot, make a lot of friends, and you're going to grow up quite a bit." Remus had a funny look on his face. "You're going to be a man soon."

"I swear I'd mistake him for one if I didn't know him." Sirius said, suddenly behind them with a hand on his son's shoulder. "You are not allowed to get any taller, do you hear me? I can't have you being taller than me, ever." They'd been a little worried that that stint at the Dursley's would have stunted his growth, but it hadn't. Sirius liked to think it was because of their excellent parenting skills that Harry was growing so quickly.

Harry just laughed as Sirius pulled him into a hug and placed a rough kiss against his temple. "Write and call me often, okay? If your phone doesn't want to work at Hogwarts, that mirror will."

"I don't think he'll have any problems with that phone." Remus interjected. "Fred and George seemed insistent that everyone else's worked."

Harry smiled and gave them each one last hug goodbye before boarding the Hogwarts Express, waving to them as it departed, and then finally finding the compartment that Ron had already saved for themselves and the twins. Not long into a game of wizard's chess, a girl who must have been a first year opened the door to their compartment, her head held high.

"Has anyone seen a toad?" A young Hermione Granger asked, pushing a bit of her bushy hair behind her ear. "A boy named Neville has lost one."