Epilogue-Nineteen years later
September 1, 2016
Harry pushed the trolley forward, pointing with one hand toward the metal barrier with a sign attached.
"So, we used to have to walk through that. Nowadays, it's just normal metal, but they've left it up as a memorial of how we had to hide from muggles. You would walk straight through it, and come onto a totally different platform!"
No-one really seemed excited by this. Daphne was trying to get Agrippa to walk on his own, Livia was gripping the trolley and looking around for the Malfoys, Bellona just glared at everything, Hector was walking slowly, deep in thought, and Damien kept calling out and waving to his friends.
"No need to be so overjoyed," he said, a bit grumpily.
Damien shot him a cocky grin. "Dad, we've all seen the sign. And you talk about it every year"
"When you get to my age, you'll find-"
"Hey, it's the Malfoys! I'm going to talk to Lucius!"
With that, Damien was running off, leaving his trunk and owl still on the trolley.
"Mum? Please, can I go to Helena?"
"Livia, we'll be there in a second!" Daphne put Agrippa on the ground and folded her arms, ignoring his cries. "Please!"
"Fine"
Livia ran off to her cousin, squealing loudly.
"I still find it hard to believe how different it is now," he said softly, pushing the trolley again.
"You always go on about that" Bellona muttered.
He looked around. They still hadn't finished clearing all the ruined buildings and rubble, and there were still large scorched craters on the ground.
They weren't hiding out in platform nine and three quarters, no. They had the entire King's Cross station. It was a lot bigger than strictly necessary, but still.
The Hogwarts Express was the only train leaving the station.
Parents clustered around the red locomotive, children running around and playing.
"Come on, Harry. I want to speak to Damien before he gets on the train"
He grinned at her, turning back to where the Malfoys waited, Draco waving at him while Tori bent down and spoke to Scorpius.
He spun around at the sound of shifting metal, his wand flashing.
A small boy, no older than twelve, rose into the air, shouting for help until Daphne hit it with a body-bind and it stiffened, its back straightening up sharply.
He looked the child over, ignoring Bellona's tugging at his hand.
The boy was scrawny, ribs clearly visible through the hole in the shirt. Its pants were ripped, its face scratched.
And it was clearly a muggle.
Nevertheless, he had to be sure.
"Daph? Will you check, please?"
She muttered under her breath, her wand twisting.
And a flashing red light appeared above the muggle boy's head.
He scowled.
"Well. They always manage to escape. Avada-"
Bellona tugged his hand hard, squealing loudly.
"Daddy!"
"What?" He snapped, interrupting the curse and looking down at her.
He sighed when he saw the light in her eyes.
"Can we keep it? Please, daddy? Please?"
"You know the rules, honey," he said gently. "Besides, what do you even want it for?"
She pouted, sticking her lip out.
"It's gonna be so boring, with the boys gone. Livia's always with Helena, and Agrippa's just a baby, and then there's me! Please, daddy, please! I'll even feed it and clean up, and it won't make extra work for Badgy, and-"
His heart was already melting. He couldn't say no to her, not when she looked at him with those wide eyes.
He glanced at Daphne and saw her giving a minuscule nod.
"Fine," He said, squatting and looking his daughter in the eyes. "But if it makes trouble, we're getting rid of it. And I don't want you forgetting to feed it. Ok?"
She nodded, sticking out a small hand.
"Deal"
He shook her hand and turned back to the muggle boy.
His wand flashed, and the boy fell to the ground. Before it could try to run through, a leash was conjured around its neck, and he pulled on it tightly.
"Now. You can talk to it, but you're not allowed to touch it or anything. Not till we've had it tested"
Daphne's lips curled in distaste. "I don't even want to think about what type of diseases it could have, living out here for so long"
Bellona held out her hands expectantly. Harry shook his head, preparing for an outburst.
"Sorry, dear. But you can hold the leash when we get home. Not out here, like this. K, honey?"
She looked like she was going to have a tantrum for a moment, then she simply smiled up at him and hugged his legs tightly.
"Thank you, Thank you! You're the best!"
Daphne smiled warmly at her when she ran over and hugged her as well.
"Dad? Can I-can I talk to you for a bit? Before we meet up with everyone?"
He looked down at Hector.
"Sure. Daph, can you take this stuff? We'll meet you over with your sister and Draco"
As Daphne took the leash and trolley, a loud slap split the air behind them.
His head whipped around again, just in time to see Bellona ball her hand into a fist and punch the muggle straight in its nose.
"If you ever talk to me like that again," she shouted, the words sounding strange in her little girl's voice, "My daddy will cut your balls off and make you eat them!"
He shared a bemused glance with Daphne.
Bellona meanwhile had moved around the fallen muggle and kicked it in its back. "Stand up! Fucking walk, muggle!"
"Wow," He said softly, scratching his chin, "Maybe I shouldn't have taken her to work with me"
Hector chuckled, his nervous demeanor breaking for a moment.
They moved to a bench, watching as Daphne pushed the trolley to the Malfoys, her tugging on the leash causing the muggle to fall every few meters.
Bellona would invariably shout at it and kick it.
He waited for Hector to speak. He knew he wasn't a top class parent by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew not to try and dig something out of his son before he was ready to talk.
"I'm-I'm scared," Hector finally admitted. "I've never really been away from the family before. Not for long"
He didn't interrupt, only moved his arm around Hector's shoulders.
"What if-I've heard of people getting bullied-what if-"
"Hector. You are my son. And I know, one hundred percent, that you will be more than capable of taking care of yourself"
Hector looked up at him, eyes a bit watery.
"And Damien, Lucius, and Scorpius will be there. So'll Amber and Emily. You already have a strong friend group. You're not going to be lonely. And if you have any problems,"
He put his hand next to Hector's, the twin ravens on their wrists glittering evilly.
"If you have any problems, or even just feel like talking, you know you can reach your mother or me in an instant. And if you need us, we'll be there"
Hector looked him in the eyes and whispered.
"What if I don't get into Slytherin?"
Harry smiled.
" $Do you really think you'll go anywhere else?$"
Hector switched as easily as he had, smiling a little as they spoke the sergeants' tongue.
" $No, it's just-what if I'm not good enough?$"
" $Hector. It's not a matter of good enough. It's about what type of person you are. Horatio was a Ravenclaw. So was Alaine. Auntie Capella was a Hufflepuff even$"
" $But you and mum were Slytherins. So were uncle Draco and aunt Tori. And Mum's parents. And Damien and Lucius. And-$"
"Hector," he said gently, rubbing his fingers over the boy's wrist, "look"
He did, focusing on their matching tattoos.
"Of course I would like you to go to Slytherin. But no matter where you're sorted, you'll still be my son. I'll still love you no matter what. And if you go somewhere else, well. Tradition has to start somewhere"
Hector rubbed at his eyes, looking away.
"And you certainly don't have to worry about being bullied. You're my son. The only people stupid enough to mess with you would probably be too stupid to know how to fight"
Hector sparked up at that, a smile creeping across his lips.
"And you know what? If there's anyone giving you issues, and they're too much for you to handle, let me know and I'll kill their family"
He looked up at his father.
"You mean it?"
"I promise"
After a moment, they stood up and began making their way to where the rest of the family stood.
"Why do we have to take the train?" Hector asked suddenly, sounding far more like his usual self. "You and mum could apparate us there in literally a second! Why do we need to take a seven-hour drive?"
"It's traditional," Harry said firmly, "Besides, it gives you a chance to get your head into school mode"
"So, taking in strays now?" Draco asked snidely as they reached the group.
He rolled his eyes, groaning. "God, if she wants more of them…"
"Then you'll give her more. C'mon, you've never been able to tell her no"
He punched Draco lightly on the arm, watching as the boys ran onto the train with their trunks and owl cages.
"Gonna be a big one this year," Draco said, "the memorial. Twenty years on"
"Don't remind me," Daphne said with a sigh, "I hate those damned things. Draco, can't you at least arrange better food?"
Draco shook his head regretfully. "Trust me, I wish I could"
"He wants us each to talk," Harry said, "yes, Draco, even you"
"I wasn't even there" he grumbled.
"You can argue with Him"
"No, he won't," Tori said, looking affronted, "he'll talk, and he'll talk marvelously. Won't you, dear?"
"Of course I will"
"What had Hector so worried?" Daphne asked him quietly. "Just first day nerves?"
"Yeah. And he was worried he wouldn't get into Slytherin, and that we'd stop loving him or something"
"As if. Did you tell him Damien asked the same thing his year?"
He shook his head. "I don't want him thinking that I'll tell his siblings all the stuff he tells me"
"Smart"
"Cunning, babe. Cunning"
The boys came running off of the train, ducking and weaving through the crowds as the first whistle blew.
"Bye, mum! Bye, dad! See you Christmas!"
"Bye Damien! No more detentions this year! And give Severus our love!"
Damien just winked at them, waving as he and Lucius disappeared onto the train.
Harry waited patiently, while Hector tightly hugged Daphne and kissed her goodbye.
"It'll be Christmas break before you know it"
He smiled up at her, nervousness clouding his joy again.
"You'll be fine son. I promise. You'll be better than fine. You'll be fucking amazing"
His grin split his face as he pulled Harry into a tight hug again.
"Thanks, dad"
Daphne called after him as he ran into the train, her voice piercing through the whistle's shrill cry.
"Don't forget to write!"
"I won't"
And a few minutes later, the pistons began to move, and the Hogwarts Express left the station.
They stood there for a few minutes longer, watching the great bellows of steam trail the crimson train into the distance, listening to the muggle boy cry as Bellona talked about what a nice kennel she had in mind for it.
"They'll be fine," Daphne said, giving his arm a squeeze.
He smiled, his fingers running along his cheek, rubbing his scars.
"I know"
The muggle broke out into great sobs when Bellona started talking about its training, how it can help Badgy with the housework since the elf's been getting older, and his grin widened.
It was nineteen years since they had conquered Hogwarts, fifteen years since they had conquered Africa, six years since the last major muggle uprising on the farms, and all was well.
THE END