“Books?”

“Check.” Harry said, settling the hefty pile in the trunk, beside his potions set. “School shoes?” he asked, picking up his pair of heeled, black boots.

“Check” Dudley replied, tucking a pair of smart loafers into the recess of his trunk. “Trainers?”

“Check” Harry sighed, regarding his lightweight leather plimsolls with a fair amount of derision; Dad had said that bulky trainers were no good for flying.

“Non-humiliating clothes?” Dudley asked, carefully easing a pile of freshly laundered tee-shirts, shirts, jeans and jumpers off his bed.

“Check. Vaguely humiliating clothes?” Harry asked, holding up three Marks and Spenser’s packages of vests, socks and pants.

“Check. Very humiliating clothes?”

Harry laughed and grabbed his school uniform “Check! And ultra humiliating clothes…” Harry unrolled a bulky, green woollen, complete with a large, golden ‘H’.

Dudley picked up his huge, bulky blue jumper “That’s mean, Harry” he chuckled “but, yeah, check!”

“Pyjama bag?” Harry asked, picking up his brand-new, navy blue nightclothes holder, bulky with dressing-gown, pyjamas and slippers.

“Gottit” Dudley waved his red bag before dropping it into the depths. “Schoolbag, with pens, paper and a spare pair of underpants for Mr Sharp’s Chemistry lesson.”

“Or Mr Snape’s potions lesson…”

“And the stupid stick!” Harry grinned, brandishing his wand.

“Ditto and done!”

“How are you two doing?” Lily asked from the doorway, arms folded and a smile on her heart-shaped face.

“We’ve finished packing, Mum.” Harry grinned.

“Not quite, you’ve still got these” Lily held out  two washbags. “I picked them up from Crabtree and Evelyn, yours has that almond and honey soap you like, Harry, and I got you your goatmilk soap Dud. Sev’s put refilling potions on the shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste and there’s a new toothbrush for both of you."

“Thanks Mum!”

“Thanks Lily!"

“Don’t want you stinking the place up.” Lily grinned, relaxing her toned body against the doorframe “Have you made sure your school-uniform is on the top and you’ve left your shoes out?”

“Shit!” Harry moaned.

“Harry!”

“Siri says it all the time, Mum!” Harry replied pertly.

“Yeah, well Siri does a lot of things, mainly because he’s too old to be put over anyone’s lap” Lily replied, crossing her jean-covered legs. “However, you, my little lad, are not.”

“I’m eleven Mum!”

“Still shorter than me, squirt.”

“Well, I guess we’ve got half an hour before everyone arrives” Dudley said with a sigh.

oOoOo

“A Nimbus 2000!” Harry breathed, green eyes round as galleons as he gaped at the beautiful broomstick in his hands.

Dudley, clutching a brand-new Gameboy in his plump hands, was practically trembling in ecstasy.

Ignoring Severus glare, Sirius beamed toothily “Got to have some fun at school; all work and no play make Jack a dull boy, huh Sev?”

Severus, his slender arms crossed, raised an arched, sable eyebrow.

“CanIgotryitnowdad? CanIcanIcanI?”

“Pleeeeeeeeease Uncle Sev!” Dudley whined “Just five minutes..?”

“Not now, boys.” Lily replied, her emerald eyes firm, “Take them upstairs; you’ll have a chance to try ‘em out tomorrow, before we leave.”

Harry and Dudley nodded reluctantly, too overawed by their good luck to risk their precious windfalls.

“Thanks Siri! It’s the best!”

“Yeah, thanks” Dudley grinned.

“If you hide ‘em in your underwear bag, the Head of House won’t ever know” Sirius said mischievously, tapping his nose.

As the boys raced upstairs, Lily turned to the still-smirking Sirius and a smile twisting her mouth, drawled “You know, Siri, I really don’t think you’re too old to go over my knee after all.”

“Alright!”

“Or Sev’s”

“Kinky!” Sirius smirked, winking at Severus, who was leaning back against the wall, his aquiline face carefully neutral.

“Oh shut it, Siri.” Lily pouted, whacking her irritating partner-in-crime over the head with a cushion.

Sirius, his usually straight, inky hair now as ruffled as Severus’ wayward raven locks, cried “Are you going to let your missus beat me up, Sev?”

“Of course” Severus replied, mischief flickering in his intelligent hazel eyes, as he stalked into the hall to answer the door.

oOoOo

“I can’t wait to go to Hogwarts. It’s not fair…” Ginny mumbled, glaring at her ice-cream as it melted into the golden-fudginess of her treacle tart.

“Yeah, well, we had to wait longer than you, Gin” Ron replied.

“Yeah.” Harry nodded “Besides, it’ll only be another year."

“Practically no time” Neville added kindly “And we’ll send you loads of letters telling you what spells we’re learning and stuff.”

“eeak or oooref” Ron said around a mouthful of apple crumble.

“Ronald! Manners!” barked Mrs Weasley. “Honestly, you should take a leaf out of Neville’s book, young man.” 

Alice Longbottom looked over at her blushing son, a gentle smile on her pretty, plump face.

“Boys will be boys, eh Mol?” Frank grinned, winking a chocolate brown eye at Ron, who was sticking out his custard-besmeared bottom lip and glaring at his mother.

“I hear your godfather got you a come-pooter?” Arthur said, turning to Dudley.

“Oh, yeah” Dudley replied, casting a wary blue eye on Ron, whose ears were as red as his hair, “It’s a special one for playing games, like there’s this little Italian guy and you’ve got to get him through all sorts of obstacles, like big drops, and there are enemies, little turtles and fish and stuff, that can kill him. It’s well fun.”

“And it uses a tape and batterings?”

“Uh, batteries and the tape is actually a cassette, which is a bit more complicated because it’s got, like, animations of stuff and a place to save your work…"

A sudden, sharp beep cut through the room, Severus looked at his watch, an elegant hematite-faced, silver timepiece on a black, dragon-leather strap. Right now, one silver hand, the one shaped like the Ministerial sword of office, was pointing to ‘Office’

Severus looked up, hazel eyes neutral behind his rectangular spectacles “I am afraid that something seems to require my urgent attention.”

Looking up from his watch, Frank muttered “Not us, however. Must be something international, what?”

“Possibly” Severus unfolded his long limbs from the chair and stood up “I am very sorry to abandon my duties as host, I will try to return within an hour if possible.”

“Send us an owl if you get held up” Lily said, her emerald eyes rising to meet Severus’ “And don’t worry if it takes longer, we know what it’s like, remember.”

Severus bent to place a kiss on Lily’s cheek “Thank you.”

“Bye Dad!”

“Bye Uncle Severus.”

“Goodbye boys” Severus ruffled the children’s hair. “As I said, I’ll try to be back before the evening’s over and, if not, I’ll see you all tomorrow at King’s Cross.” 

When Severus had disappeared through the Floo, Harry turned to the other children, a mischievous grin on his pointed face “Who wants come see my new broom?”

oOoOo

“Muuum!”

“Yes Harry?” Lily grunted, manhandling her son’s trunk onto a trolly; lightening spells are all well and good but a petite woman will always face certain logistical problems when attempting to carry a three foot by two foot by three foot object.

“Has Dad’s hand gone to travelling yet?”

Lily pushed a heavy lock of fiery hair out of her eyes and peered at the little golden watch on her freckled wrist “No, not yet.”

“It’s so unfair! He wouldn’t miss Dud’s..!”

“Yeah he would, if another Minister had gotten himself assassinated the day before.” Dudley grumbled “Sev’s got an important job, Harry. I didn’t hear you complaining when he got tickets to that Ireland against Norway game you wanted to see” the blond’s voice dropped to a mumble “he wouldn’t have pulled strings like that for me…”

“Yeah, well he got the house attached to that stupid National grid thingy just for you! I didn’t want to play that stupid game your stupid aunt got you…”

“You did so!”

“Did not!”

“Did so!"

“Did NOT!”

“Did…”

“SHUT UP!” Lily howled.

“Did so” Dudley mouthed.

Harry turned on his heel, intent on taking out his many, very valid (in his opinion) frustrations out on Dudley when he saw a tall, slender figure sprinting towards them, black jacket, tie and hair streaking in the fuggy, city air.

Severus screeched to a halt beside the trolley and pressed a huge bunch of pastel-hued sweet-peas into Lily’s hands “I thought I heard your dulcet tones, dear.”

“Dad! You made it!” Harry cried, attaching himself like a limpet around Severus’ narrow waist.

“Told you he would.” Dudley retorted smugly.

“Come on, we’ve got to get you onto that train” Severus said, chivvying the boys along. “It’s ten to."

“Okay Dad!” Harry replied, trotting to keep up with his father’s long strides.

Lily rolled her eyes to Dudley, whose plump face split into a grin. Giggling, they pushed the trolley through the barrier and onto Platform 9 ¾.

oOoOo

“Well, my Dad says all the houses have merit and, really, the hat generally will put you anywhere if you really insist.” Harry said, unwrapping a pumpkin pasty.

“But, Harry, Slytherin is just so not right” Ron retorted, stroking Lightening, his black and grey European Owl. “All the dark wizards came from there!”

“That’s rubbish” Neville retorted “Dad says they picked up people from all houses in the Big Bust.”

Ron sniggered “The what?”

“That’s what the Auror’s call it” Harry explained “Y’know, Remus’ fake funeral, when they got all the Death Eaters.”

“Almost all of them” Ron muttered, glaring darkly at the door, through with a pale, pointed face, surrounded by moon-blond hair, was peering.

The door opened “Good afternoon?”

Neville rose politely, followed reluctantly by Harry.

“Good afternoon, Malfoy is it?” Neville asked levelly, a neutral expression on his round face.

The boy’s pale eyebrows raised almost comically “Yes, Draco Malfoy.” 

“Neville Longbottom. You look a lot like your father.”

A proud gleam entered Draco’s silver eyes “Yes, everyone says so. Not as much as you though, Potter, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah” Harry replied, sitting down “I’m Harry and this is Ron Weasley.”

“I thought as much. The red hair is rather distinctive, isn’t it” he said sniffily.

Ron’s ears glowed maroon and things may have turned out very differently if the door had not opened to admit a small girl with bushy brown hair and huge, tear-filled brown eyes.

Neville stood up “Are you okay?"

The girl sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes “I… I asked if I could sit with some girls and they asked who I was and I told them and then, after a bit, they were talking about parents and I said mine were Dentists and they asked me a bit more and then… they called me a mu…mudblood and told me to g… go away!”

The blond opened his mouth as if to say something then, on seeing the outraged expression on Harry’s face, wisely remained silent.

“They never!” Harry cried “That’s illegal, that is!”

“Yeah!” Ron replied, shooting a hard look at Draco.

“Not quite, Harry.” Neville replied, handing a crisp linen handkerchief to the girl and ushering her into a seat. “Hate speech is illegal under the 1986 Act but mere name-calling in a social situation is not; Ministry against Avery, 1989."

Draco gave Neville an appraising look “Planning on going into magical law?”

“No, my father ranted about it for a good week” Neville sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Too right! Calling someone a M… thingy is disgusting.” Harry replied vehemently.

“What does it mean, though?” The girl asked.

Neville grimaced “It’s a nasty word for muggleborns, it means dirty blood.”

“Yeah, some people think that only people whose ancestors are all mages are worth anything” Ron said pointedly, fixing a laser-blue glare on Draco.

“Is… Do many people think that?” the girl asked, brown eyes wide and wary.

“Not many, now.” Harry said stoutly “My Mum’s muggleborn and she’s the best Auror there is!”

Draco looked enquiringly at Neville, who simply smiled and shook his head.

“Anyway, what’s your name?” Ron asked brusquely.

“Hermione, Hermione Granger.”

“I’m Ron, that’s Harry Potter, that’s Neville, and that’s Malfoy!”

“Draco, actually.” the blond boy added coolly.

“Um, pleased to meet you.” The girl looked thoughtful for a moment “Potter… are you any relation to..?”

“Yeah” Harry interrupted “He’s my Dad.”

“Your Dad is the Minister for Magic?” she said squeakily.

“Not to mention Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot” Ron added mischievously, sending a daring glance to Neville, who added, in a bored tone “And vanquisher of Voldemort” he winked at Hermione.

“Wow!”

“Yeah” Harry replied, with a sardonic smile “Dad’s preeetty famous but I’m just Harry, right? Now, what were we talking about, Houses, yeah?” 

“Oh yes, I’ve read up all about them” Hermione said, a trifle more confidently “It seems that Ravenclaw is the best, your father went there Harry.”

“Dumbledore was in Gryff, though” Ron said grumpily “So were my parents and Nev’s; if it wasn’t for them, all Voldemorts little helpers would be running around, calling people mudbloods.”

“Mine were in Slytherin” Draco drawled, glaring at Ron “He had very high standards, Slytherin; practical intelligence and ambition, which is simply bravery with discretion.”

“My Dad says that the sorting hat generally just puts people where they want to go and, if they’ve got no preconceived ideas, they'll generally be chosen on personality and stuff rather than their abilities: most people have a bit of all the traits anyway.”

“And, as each house values its own traits, they’ll shape the students, so like a Hufflepuff will be congratulated if they are kind to someone but, if they cheat, they’ll be told off by their housemates for shaming Hufflepuff.”

“Yeah” Harry nodded “And, actually, Dad says Hufflepuff is the best house.” 

“What?” Draco gasped “But… Hufflepuff just takes the rejects!”

“That’s not a nice very thing to say!” Hermione cried.

“Hufflepuff chose the kindest, loyalest and fairest of the students.” Neville said firmly “It’s a pretty clever idea, actually; Puff’s are no trouble to teach.”

Draco raised his eyebrows “Come to think of it, that was practically Slytherin of her.”

“I heard Slyth liked a challenge” Harry said cheerfully “Dad said Slyth said being the Head was like plotting a battle against eighty enemy states, all of whom he needed to keep at peace.”

Hermione laughed. “Which houses do you think you’ll get into?”

“Gryffindor” Ron said firmly, glaring at Draco, who simply smirked.

“Dunno,” Harry said shrugging “Wherever it puts me, I guess; I have people from all four houses in my family.”

“I don’t mind much” Neville replied “Probably not Slyth though; don’t think I’m all that cunning or ambitious.”

“Slytherin… or maybe Ravenclaw.” Draco said, sharply looking at Harry. When the tousle-haired child’s smile didn’t falter, the blond relaxed.

“I was thinking perhaps Ravenclaw, I’ve always loved school” Hermione said “Though Hufflepuff does sound nice.”

“My mum went there” Harry replied “Dad said it was the nicest house.”

“They met on the train to Hogwarts. It was luuurve at first sight” Ron sniggered.

Harry shoved his friend gently “Don’t be gross!”

“Hey, maybe Harry and Hermione will get married” Ron giggled “Harry and Hermy sitting in a tree”

“I’m sorry about him” Neville said, turning away from Harry (who was vigourously attempting to smother Ron with a cushion), to the furiously blushing Hermione.