"Third year. Big year. Here's your permission slip to Hogsmeade." Harry gave Albus his letter.

"I hate Hogsmeade." Albus told him.

"How can you hate a place you've never visited?" Harry sighed.

"Because it'll be full of Hogwarts students." Ablus rolled his eyes.

"Just give it a go, come on- this is your chance to go nuts in Honeydukes without your mother knowing." Harry nodded before he saw Albus getting his wand out, "Albus, don't you dare-"

"Incendio!" Albus set his paper on fire.

"I hear my favorite spell?" Erica raised a brow and jogged over.

"Of all the- He set his Hogsmeade letter on fire." Harry sighed.

"Al." Erica sighed.

"It's not Al, it's Albus." Albus turned.

"Very ironic, he's crap at that spell." Phoenix told them.

"Albus, I've been exchanging owls between Professor McGonagall... She says you're isolating yourself, you're uncooperative in lessons, you're-" Harry began.

"So? What would you like me to do?!" Albus snapped,"Conjure myself into a new house? Magic myself popular? Transfigure myself into a better house?!"

Harry went to speak but Albus quickly ran off to Scorpius, who sat on his case, just... Staring.

"Poor boy." Erica sighed.

Harry turned to her, "Albus is getting bullied due to him being in Slytherin."

"Assholes, all of them." Erica shook her head, spotting Parker and Draco.

Although they weren't their cheery selves, well, as far as they went as cheery. What was wrong?

"Parker? Dray?" Erica raised a brow.

"Hey, guys." Parker smiled sadly as she held Draco's hand.

Oh no...

"Where's... Where's?" Erica pointed though, she knew full well the answer to her question.

Draco just shook his head, "Astoria...She passed last night."

Erica bit her lip and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder,"I'm sorry.."

"It's okay, we... We knew it was going to happen." Draco sighed.

"She passed peacefully, Draco and Scorpius by her side." Parker nodded.

"I'm gonna need a minute." Erica stepped away.

Parker kissed her cousins cheek before she walked after her friend. Erica was leaning against a pillar, a piece of paper in her hand.

"Erica?" Parker spoke softly.

Erica looked up at her friend slowly.

"Come here." Parker quickly hugged her.

Erica leaned against her best friend,"I was going to tell you guys something but... I don't want to anymore."

"What is it?" Parker asked her.

Erica handed Parker a letter, the piece of paper in her hand. Parker raised a brow and read the letter. It was... From Neville! He wanted to meet up with Erica.

"Oh? This is interesting." Parker smiled and looked up at her.

"Should I go?" Erica asked her.

"Of course you should go." Parker nodded.

"But what about you guys?" Erica sighed.

"We'll be okay. And hey, once you're back from seeing Neville... Why don't we flower picking?" Parker suggested.

Erica nodded quickly.

"It's a date." Parker nodded and handed the paper, "Go see lover boy."

"I-It's not a date." Erica stammered.

"It is so." Parker smiled.

"No." Erica shook her head.

"Is~" Parker nudged her.

"Hmph." Erica crossed her arms.

"Let's see the kids off then you go." Parker patted her shoulder.

"Mhm." Erica nodded and got up.

"Come on." Parker hummed.

**

"How did it go?' Hermione asked Harry.

"It was true." Harry smiled.

"Theodore Nott?" Hermione raised a brow.

"In custody." Harry nodded.

"And the actual Tme Turner itself?" Hermione asked.

Harry smirked and removed it from his pocket.

"Is it genuine? Does it work? Its not just an hour reversal, like the one Parker and I used? It can go back... Further?" Hermione smiled.

"We don't know anything yet." Harry shook his head,"I wanted to test it out but wiser heads prevailed."

"Well, now we have it." Hermione nodded.

"And you're sure you want to keep it?" Harry questioned her.

"I don't think we've a choice, look at it. It's entirely different to the one I had." Hermione pointed out.

"Apparently wizardry has moved on since we were kids." Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're bleeding." Hermione got up, "Don't worry, it will go with the scar."

"What are you doing in my office, Hermione?" Harry chuckled slightly.
"I was anxious to hear about Theodore Nott, thought I'd check whether you kept your promise and stayed ontop of paperwork." Hermione shrugged.

"Ah, turns out I'm not." Harry sighed.

"No, you're not. Harry, how can you work in this chaos?" Hermione sighed.

"No longer chaotic." Harry shook his head and started playing with a pencil.

"But still ignored. You know, there's some interesting stuff in here... There are mountain trolls riding Graphorns through Hungary, there are giants with winged tattoos on their backs walking through the Greek Seas, and the werewolves have gone entirely underground." Hermione listed.

"Great, let's get out there. I'll gather a team together." Harry began, standing up.

"Harry, I get it. Paperwork is boring." She sighed.

"Not for you." Harry pointed.

"I'm busy enough with my own. These are people and beasts that fought alongside Voldemort in the great Wizarding Wars. These are allies of darkness. This, combined with what we have just unearthed at Theodore Nott's, could mean something. But if 'someone' isn't reading his files."  Hermione shook her head.

"But I don't need to read about it, I'm out there hearing it." Harry sighed,"Theodore Nott, it was me who heard the rumours and acted upon it. You don't need to tell me off."

"Do you fancy a Toffee? Don't tell Ron." Hermione smirked.

"Can't. We're off sugar at the moment." Harry responded slowly,"You can get addicted to the stuff."

"What can I say? My parents were dentists, I was bound to rebel at some point. Forty is leaving it a little late, but... You've just done a brilliant thing. You're certainly not being told off, I just need you to look at your paperwork every now and again, that's all. Consider this a gentle 'nudge' from the Minister for Magic." Hermione shrugged.

Harry seemed to understand what Hermione was saying, his cheeks slightly red, as he nodded.

"How's Ginny? How's Albus?" Hermione hummed.

"Well, it seems like I'm as good at fatherhood as I am at paperwork. How's Hugo? How's Rose?" Harry turned the question around.

Hermione grinned, "You know, Ron says he thinks I see more of my secretary, Ethel, than him. Do you think there's a point where we made a choice, parent of the year or Ministry official of the year? Go on. Go home to your family, Harry, the Hogwarts Express is about to depart for another year, enjoy the time you've got left, and then come back here with a fresh head and get these files read."

"You really think this could all mean something?" Harry asked her.

"It could do. But if it does, we'll find a way to fight it, we always do." Hermione smiled.

**

"What is your dad and Mr Diggory saying?" Trixie listened in with Albus, Matteo and Phoenix on the stairs.

"I'm going to figure it out." Phoenix stopped Albus before he could speak and got closer the the bottom.

"Why is Amos being mean?" Matteo sighed.

"In his eyes, it's Harry's fault Cedric is dead and he's mad at my mum for not doing anything to stop Harry." Phoenix explained.

"Auntie Erica was in the stands, none of them knew." Trixie sighed.

"They were pretty much best friends, what can I say?" Phoenix shrugged.

That's when all of them literally jumped.

"Hello." A woman spoke.

"Um, who are you?" Phoenix questioned her quickly.

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to startle. I used to be a big stair-listener myself. Sitting there. Waiting for someone to say something the tiniest bit interesting." The woman shrugged.

She must've been roughly around twenty something, quite young though.

"Who are you because this is sort of my house and..." Albus trailed off.

"A thief, of course. I'm about to steal everything you own. Give me your gold, your wand, and your Chocolate Frogs! Either that or I'm Delphini Diggory. Delphi. I look after him, Amos, well, I try. And you all are..." Delphi raised a brow.

"Albus." He nodded, distracted by her beauty.

"I'm Matteo." He held out his hand.

"I'm Trixie." Trixie smiled and waved.

"Phoenix." Phoenix looked at the woman suspiciously.

"Of course! Albus Potter, Phoenix Weasley and the Lestrange twins. God, I can imagine the fame, that's a bit wow." She smiled.

"Not really." Phoenix shook her head.

"Have I just put my foot in it? It's what they used to say about me at school. Delphini Diggory, there isn't a hole she couldn't dig herself into." Delphi chuckled.

"They do all sorts with my name too." Ablus told her.

There was a brief silence before Phoenix walked up the stairs.

"Delphi!" They heard Amos yell.

"Right, off you go." Phoenix nodded.

"We don't choose who we're related to. Amos... Isn't just my patient, he's my uncle, it's part of the reason I took the job at Upper Flagley. But that's made it difficult. It's tough to live with people stuck in the past, isn't it?" Delphi continued talking.

"Upper Flagley?" Matteo raised a brow.

"St. Oswald's home for old witches and wizards." Phoenix explained.

"We're not going to see her." Phoenix crossed her arms.

"Why not? She seems nice." Albus hummed.

"I don't like her." Phoenix shook her head.

"She's good looking." Matteo nodded.

"Ew. Stick to the girlfriends your age." Trixie sighed.

"Just because she's good looking doesn't mean she has our best interest in mind." Phoenix stated.

"Boys." Trixie rolled her eyes and walked into Lily's room where Cedar was.

Cedar was sat on Lily's bed and looking through the books, no intention of reading any of them.

"You okay, Cedar?" Trixie asked.

"Mhm, just bored." She nodded.

"Theres this lady with Amos. Her names Delphi." Trixie sat beside her.

"Is she hot?" Cedar asked.

"Whatever you're planning, I'm doing it." Cedar told her.

"Because there's a hot girl?" Trixie laughed.

"Don't question me." Cedar nudged her gently.

Trixie hummed, "She's like twenty."

"Aw." Cedar sighed,"I'm still coming."

"We might go and see her at her work." Trixie shrugged.

"I see." Cedar nodded.

**

"James, ignore your hair and clean that damn room." Ginny sighed.

"How can I ignore it? It's pink! I need my invisibility cloak." James sighed.

"That's not what your dad gave you the cloak for." Ginny pointed.

"Who's seen my Potions book?" Lily asked.

"Lily Potter, don't you dare think about wearing them tomorrow." Ginny held the bridge of her nose.

"I love them, they're fluttery." Lily told her.

Harry slowly walked into Albus' room.

"Hi. Just delivering a pre-hogwarts gift- gifts. Ron sent me this." He handed him a potion.

"Okay, a love potion, okay." Albus rolled his eyes.

"I think its a joke... About- I don't know what. Lily's got farting gnomes. James got a comb thats made his hair pink.. Well- Ron's Ron, y'know? I..Also, this is from me." Harry placed down a blanket.

"An old blanket?" Albus just looked at it.

"I thought a lot about what to give you this year. James, well, James has been going on about the Invisibility Cloak since time itself, and Lily, I knew she'd love wings, but you. You're fourteen years old now, Albus, and I wanted to give you something which, meant something. This... Is the last thing I had from my mum. The only thing. I was given to the Dursleys wrapped in it. I thought it had gone forever and then, when your great-aunt Petunia died, hidden amongst her possessions, surprisingly, Dudley found this and he kindly sent it on to me, and ever since then - well, anytime I've wanted luck I've found it and just tried to hold it and I wondered if you..." Harry explained.

"Wanted to hold it too?' Albus raised a brow,"Okay, done. Let's see if it brings me luck, I sure need some."

"I think, believe, Petunia wanted me to have it, that's why she kept it, and now I want you to have it from me. I didn't really know my mother, but I think she'd have wanted you to have it too. And maybe, I could come find you, and it, on Hallows' Eve. I'd like to be with it on the night they died, and that could be good for the two of us.." Harry trailed off.

"Well, I've got a lot of packing to do." Albus sighed.

"Albus, I want you to have the blanket." He nodded.

"And do what with it?" Albus questioned,"Fairy wings, they make sense. An invisibility cloak, that makes sense. But this?"

"Do you want a hand? Packing. I always loved packing. It meant I was leaving Privet Drive and going back to Hogwarts. Which was... Well, I know you don't love it but..." Harry stood up.

"For you it was great, I know. The poor orphan bullied by his Aunt and Uncle Dursley." Albus rolled his eyes.

"Albus, please- can we just-" Harry tried.

"Traumatized by his cousin Dudley, saved by Hogwarts. I know it all, blah, blah, blah." Albus scoffed and turned from his dad.

"I'm not going to rise to your bait, Albus Potter." Harry sighed.

"The poor orphan who went and saved is all so on behalf of all of the Wizarding World, we are all so grateful to you. Should we all do a bow or will a curtsy do?" Albus rolled his eyes.

"Albus, please- you know, I've never wanted gratitude." He pleaded.

"Well, I'm overflowing with it. It must be this moldy blanket of a gift that did it." Albus told him.

"Moldy blanket?" Harry scoffed.

"What did you think would happen? We hug? I tell you I love you? What? What?!" Albus raised his voice.

"You know what? I'm done with being made responsible for your unhappiness. At least you've got a dad. Because I didn't, okay?" Harry raised his voice.

"And you think that was unlucky? I don't!" Albus scoffed.

"You wish me dead?" He gasped.

"No!" Albus shouted,"I just wish you weren't my dad!"

"Well, there are times I wish you weren't my son!" Harry shouted, stopping once he realised what he said. "No, I didn't mean that-"

"Yes... You did." Albus looked away and clenched his fists.

"Albus, please-" Harry began.

"You should leave me alone." Albus told him.

Albus then swiftly grabbed the blanket and threw it, smashing the love potion on it as well.

"No luck or love for me then." Albus shrugged.

"Albus." Harry sighed.