From Jupiter's Head | Epithalamium #0.75 | Minerva McGonagall

Chapter Four

19 June 1943

Thorfinn threaded his way through the crowd of eager parents on Platform 9¾, heading towards his son. Einar was waving both arms in the air shouting, "Over here, Da!" and by the time Thorfinn reached him, he was bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement.

The boy threw his arms around his father and hugged him tightly, and Thorfinn took a moment to be glad Einar was still young enough not to be embarrassed to hug his father in public.

'Well, 'tis good to see you! You look to have grown a foot since Christmas." He ruffled his son's curly dark-blond hair.

"I've got so much to tell you!" Einar said. "I got the highest mark in my class on my Charms exam, and Professor Burbage says I can join her fourth-year Muggle Studies class next year, if you say it's all right. Can I, Da? Please? I won't slack off the rest of my studies, I promise."

"Slow down there, lad, and let me catch up. There'll be plenty of time to talk about next term when we get home." He scanned the crowd of parents and children. "Where's your sister?"

"She'll be along. She said she'd be a few minutes, since she has prefect duties."

"Oh, aye, I'd forgotten."

The crowd on the platform began to thin as families reunited, chattering happily and exchanging news from Hogwarts and home. As Einar told Thorfinn about his second-year adventures at school, they were interrupted several times by boys calling their summer farewells. It pleased Thorfinn to see that his son appeared to be popular among his peers. He was studious but cheerful-natured, which Thorfinn supposed helped.

"Oi, McGonagall!" A stocky boy with short-cropped blond hair was coming towards them dragging a dented and scratched trunk behind him. "Thought I'd lost you in the crowd gettin' off." When he saw Thorfinn, he wiped his palm on his shirt and held out a hand. "Hello, sir. You must be Mr McGonagall. I'm Alastor Moody."

Thorfinn shook the hand. "It's a pleasure, Mr Moody. Einar's written to me about you."

"Nothin' too bad, I hope," Moody said, his mouth widening into a cheeky grin.

"On the contrary."

"That's a relief." To Einar, Alastor said, "Only, I was wondering, will we meet up this summer sometime?"

"Sure. You can get your dad to bring you to Caithness. Maybe you could stop with us over a weekend or something?" He looked questioningly at his father.

"Of course. Mr Moody is welcome to visit anytime."

"Thank you, sir," Alastor said.

"I'll owl you," Einar said, holding up a cage containing Balfour, the handsome long-eared owl he'd received for his thirteenth birthday in November.

Minerva bustled over to them, breathless and Levitating her trunk behind her.

"Sorry to hold you up. I had to sort a few students who couldn't find their parents. I don't know why some people can't be bothered to be on time for important things. Hullo, you."

As she hugged Thorfinn, he lifted her and twirled her around.

"Da!" she protested.

He set her back on her feet. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too," she said, her grin and the sparkle in her eyes indicating she had forgiven his grievous assault on her teenaged dignity. "I take it Einar found you all right."

"Obviously," Einar said, rolling his eyes. Thorfinn refrained from telling him he looked just like his sister when he did that.

"Hello, Moody," Minerva said. "Are you having trouble finding your family?"