Nineteen Years Later

I do not own any of the characters in this. I have changed and edited names, but all characters belong to J.K. Rowling

Autumn seemed to arrive early that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages rattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed glumly behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.

"Two years, two whole years," grumbled Ruby. "I want to go now!"

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Regulus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!"

"Sirius, give it a rest!" said Ginny.

"I only said he might be," said Sirius, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth-"

But Sirius caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, Sirius took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Regulus asked his parents, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny, with a smile.

"Not every day," said Regulus quickly. "Sirius says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to Sirius three times a week last year," said Ginny.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Regulus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto the platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which Sirius had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Regulus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down to the platform.

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly.

But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. Harry thought he heard cursing Dean loudly at Seamus for losing their kids, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello. . . .

"I think that's them Reg," said Ginny suddenly.

A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Ruby, and Regulus had drawn right up to them.

"Hey!" said Regulus, sounding immensely relieved.

Jean, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.

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