Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: So…finally, right? Needless to say, I was not on my game over the summer with updates. However, hopefully the fact that the next chapter will be updated in exactly one week (yes, just one) will make up for it. I would have updated this last month sometime, but I really thought the next chapter needed to be completed first. And before you start reading, two notes: One, thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. You guys are absolutely awesome and thank you so much for sticking with my less-than-frequent updates. And two…don't be mad at me. Oh, and I apologize in advance if the chapter doesn't upload properly…keeps trying to cut off the text part of the way through the chapter.

Anyway, enjoy! We've finally gotten to the Epilogue!

Chapter 45: No Second Chances

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year.

However, despite the absence of the dense summer heat that had plagued them for months, Dolohov still appeared distinctly uncomfortable, tugging at the sleeves of his robes as sweat clung to his brow.

"And you are sure this is the only way?" he said, his thin face sallow in the poor lighting of the room.

Caius heard his so-called leader's discomfort as easily as he could see it.

Coward.

"Yes," Caius answered. "You are as aware as myself of the setback that has delayed our plans. Despite our promptings, Potter has not yet retrieved the Wand, and the wards placed upon it are as strong as ever."

Caius noticed the twitch of Dolohov's eye, the barely suppressed curl of his lip as he reflected upon the frustration.

"Why have you suddenly decided now is the time to strike?" Dolohov said. "You have insisted upon restraint for this long…what have you discovered that has changed your opinion?"

Caius gave Dolohov a rare smile.

"I have discovered much, Antonin."

It took little explanation to bring forth the avaricious gleam in Dolohov's eyes.

"This is news indeed," he said, drumming the tips of his fingers against the worn wooden table before him. "You have shown impressive foresight in this matter, and I apologize for any...impatience I have exhibited." A wide smile revealed crooked yellow teeth quite unlike Caius'. "Can you imagine the possibilities this entails?"

Caius gave no answer. He could, of course, imagine the possibilities quite vividly.

"All of this wasted time will be quite worth it if we succeed," Dolohov continued, careless of Caius' taciturn nature. "We'll need to proceed carefully, of course. One miscalculation could mean the end of all that we have worked for…but yes, I believe you are right. It's time we pay Mr. Potter a long-delayed visit."

He paused, leaning back in his chair and clasping his arms behind his head as he gazed upward contemplatively.

"I would imagine you've given some thought to the circumstances of our next encounter."

Dolohov fixed his dark eyes upon Caius, and Caius stared back, another thin-lipped smile on his lips.

"I might have a suggestion."

******************

September 1, 2017

It seemed as if no time at all passed before it was time to return to King's Cross.

The bustle of the London streets outside of Hermione's flat compounded the flurry of activity caused as Rose bounded through the rooms, searching for any last-minute items to pack. Thanks to Hermione's efficiency the night before there was little left unaccounted for, and Hermione knew Rose's darting about had more to do with nervous anticipation than anything.

Hermione simply sat on the sofa as she observed her daughter, her limbs feeling abnormally heavy as melancholy settled into her heart. She was truly happy for Rose and the opportunities she would have at Hogwarts (what parent wouldn't be?), but that didn't mean she couldn't feel sorry for herself.

Rose's leaving for Hogwarts would add an unpleasant bump to the life Hermione had only recently settled into. Once her children had accepted the circumstances of her and Ron's separation, which had understandably taken some time, Rose and Hugo had been an undeniable comfort, her one constant in the turmoil her life had become. Hugo, being both younger and of a more easy-going temperament than his sister, had been confused at first. Rose, on the other hand, had been angry at the news, uncertainty causing her to continually place one or the other of her parents to blame, and her long bouts of surly muteness were rarely broken by anything but clipped remarks to direct questions. But kids are nothing if not adaptable, and a few months and many long (and often one-sided in Rose's case) conversations had eased them into the numerous adjustments to their lives.

After Hermione had insisted Ron keep the house in Ottery St. Catchpole (the idea of living down the road from her ex-husband's parents held little appeal), Rose and Hugo had helped her pick the three-bedroom flat that would become their second home. They had both been surprisingly eager to help her decorate, and Hermione had even allowed Hugo to have his bedroom painted Wimbourne Wasp yellow-she figured anything was better than Chudley Cannon orange.

However, despite the separate living arrangements, Hermione and Ron did try to keep things as normal as possible. To minimize the inconvenience to Rose and Hugo, they alternated weeks with their children-one week in Ottery St. Catchpole, one week in London. Additionally, they all ate dinner together on most nights, with the task of cooking falling upon whomever the kids were staying with. As a result, Ron's expertise in the kitchen had risen considerably in the past year. Needless to say, Molly Weasley's aid in this department had been more than welcome.

The rest of the relatives had seemed to have a harder time adjusting. In as large and stable of a family as the Weasleys, the idea of divorce was all but a foreign concept. In the first few weeks after the announcement, Mr. Weasley had been awkward in his uncertainty of how to behave around his son's ex-wife, at times normal and then abruptly formal as though he had briefly forgotten the state of things. Mrs. Weasley had perhaps taken longer than anyone to adjust, torn between loyalty to her youngest son and the woman who had practically been her daughter even before the two had dated. Ron's brothers had been an immense relief to the disorientation of the earliest family get-togethers-Bill's composure eased much of the social clumsiness, and George's well-timed humor lightened any unfortunate lapses that happened to occur.

Ginny's reaction had perhaps been the strangest of all the Weasleys. At first she had been similar in behavior to her parents, caught in the uncomfortable position of sticking up for her brother without accidentally tarnishing the character of her husband's best friend. But this behavior had rapidly transitioned into something Hermione could only describe as smothering. It was as though Ginny had suddenly taken it upon herself to be Hermione's one-woman support group and, consequently, rarely abandoned her side when they were in the same vicinity.

And then there was Harry, who had been…well, Harry.

Hermione had told him first. He had seemed even sadder than Ron at the development, both unsurprised and dazed that his friends' marriage had deteriorated to this point, but had been surprisingly quiet as he listened to her. He didn't prod her for more details than she gave, but his furrowed brow and unsettled expression spoke for the question that troubled his mind.

This isn't about you, she had told him.

Which was the truth.

At least mostly the truth.

She was not leaving Ron for Harry, after all, but she occasionally wondered how deeply Harry had influenced the dissatisfaction that had led to divorce. If not for Harry, would she have ever realized she had reason to be discontent, even considered the possibility of leaving Ron? Ron had been the only relationship she had ever had, and she had never had anything to compare it to until those brief, stolen moments she had shared with Harry when she was pregnant with Rose.

Oddly, she liked to think that, with or without Harry, the end result would have been the same.

But she would never know for certain.

Even if it had been about Harry, she wouldn't have told him anyway. He had enough guilt to burden him without the added encumbrance of breaking up a marriage.

Hermione had unfortunately found it necessary to convince Katherine Granger of the same thing. She hadn't seemed to believe her, but Hermione had more important things to deal with than a skeptical mother.

"Mum," Rose said, skidding to a halt before Hermione and interrupting her thoughts. "Do you know where that Self-Correcting Ink you bought me is?"

"In your trunk," Hermione said, sighing.

"And those treats we got for Sable?" she asked, referring to her new calico kitten.

"Next to her carrier."

"And that bag of Canary Creams Uncle George gave me?"

"Hidden from both you and your brother."

"Aw, you're no fun!" Rose said. She was already dressed in her pristine Hogwarts robes and practically bouncing in excitement.

"Is that everything?" Hermione asked. "Because your father should be here any minute."

"I think so."

"You can always write if you think you've forgotten something. I can send Marcellus with it," Hermione said.

"Okay!" Rose said, already turning to bound away again, but she hadn't even made it out of the room before a loud honk sounded from the streets outside.

"That would be your father," Hermione said, shaking her head at Ron's laziness.

Rose cringed slightly as she peeked out of the window. "Are you sure you can't drive us?"

Hermione shrugged helplessly. "He insisted he wanted to do it. He did pass his driving test, sweetie."

"A passed driving test does not an experienced driver make," Rose replied, crossing her arms as she continued to peer down at her father's car.

Hermione smiled at this. "True. But don't worry so much-I'll make sure he doesn't screw up too badly."

Rose feigned wiping sweat from her brow and then continued to dash away, shouting for Hugo as she went.

"HUGO! DAD'S HERE!"

As Rose fetched her brother, Hermione cast a Featherweight charm on her daughter's trunk. Had they been at the Burrow, she would have cast a Levitation charm, but she suspected that a floating trunk might not go over very well with the Muggles of London.

Rose and Hugo emerged from their rooms a moment later, the former clutching a mewling kitten to her chest and the latter hopping forward as he pulled an unlaced sneaker onto his foot.

Hermione waited patiently until Rose had placed Sable in her carrier and Hugo's feet were fitted snugly into his shoes.

"Everybody ready?" she asked.

Rose and Hugo quickly nodded their assent and then led the way out of the flat.

Excellent, that makes two of us, Hermione thought glumly, and cast one last glance through the room before shutting the door quietly behind her.

******************

Harry would have been a bit ashamed to admit to Hermione how chaotic his own home was in comparison to the relative tranquility of her flat.

He would have thought that, having done this once before with James, the second time around would be considerably easier. He had been confident he could avoid the mistakes that had delayed the Potters last time, and was consequently convinced the atmosphere would be considerably more relaxed.

However, this morning had made multiple things clear to Harry:

One, he had been quite mistaken in his assumptions.

Two, doubling the amount of children preparing to leave for Hogwarts doubled the amount of packing, yelling, stampeding up and down the stairs, and the severity of the migraine pulsing somewhere behind Harry's right eye.

And three, much of this stemmed from the fact that he was absolute rubbish at planning and organizing without Hermione hovering over his shoulder, and Ginny wasn't much better.

Harry massaged his temple as the cacophony of his sons' shouting, Ginny's even louder shouting, Lily's wailing, and the owls' screeching bombarded his senses.

"Harry, what are you doing!?" Ginny said, poking her head into the living room as a distraught Lily clung to her sleeve. "Would you please get up and help James and Al? We're going to be late if we don't leave soon!"

Harry sighed as he heaved himself from the soft cushions of the couch, wondering if there was some elixir that may help his brain pound a little less viciously against his skull.

"Okay," he said, despite knowing that it was unlikely Ginny could hear his reply.

He followed the noise of shouting upstairs until he reached James' bedroom, arriving just in time to hear an outburst from Albus.

"Would you just shut up, James?" he said.

Harry could hear the pronounced annoyance in his youngest son's voice, and almost collided with him as Albus tried to storm from the bedroom.

"Woah," Harry said, halting Albus' progress by placing his hands firmly on his shoulders. "What's going on up here?"

Albus glared downward, his face pale, and seemed to grit his teeth.

"James is just being a jerk," he muttered.

"Is that so?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced up to James framed in the doorway, bearing a slightly guilty expression. Harry knew his sons well enough to know that James could occasionally take a joke too far, and that it took an exceptional amount of needling to rile Albus up to this degree.

"Care to share, James?" Harry continued.

"Not especially," he replied, scuffing his foot on the wooden planks beneath his feet.

Harry continued to stare expectantly.

"Fine," James said after a moment of tense silence. "I was only telling him that there's a chance he could be Sorted into Slytherin. He took it all personally for some reason."

"He said that he'd disown me if I was Sorted into Slytherin!" Albus interjected, seething.

"James!" Harry admonished.

"I was just joking!" he said defensively. "I just mentioned that no one in our entire family had ever been Sorted into Slytherin."

Albus shot James another glare before turning back to his father. Once his back was to James, Harry saw Albus' anger melt into anxiety. Before Harry could say anything, Albus pushed past his father and went to his own bedroom.

"James," Harry scolded again once Al was out of earshot. "Lay off, will you? It's clearly bothering him."

"He should learn how to take a joke," James muttered. "But okay, I'll lay off a bit."

"That's all I ask," Harry said. "Now, are you finished packing? Because we'll have bigger things to worry about if we're not downstairs in about three minutes."

"'Bigger things to worry about' meaning Mum?"

"Smart boy," Harry said, ruffling his son's hair.

******************

"Do you think Al and James are here yet?"

Rose peered up the platform nervously as she spoke. Understandably, Hermione could see that boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time without backup was a daunting prospect for her daughter.

"I don't think so," Hermione said.

"How unlucky of them," Ron grumbled as he waved at the retreating figure of his brother. "Had they been ten minutes earlier, Harry could have listened to Percy's rousing discourse on broomstick regulations…I may just have to fill him in when he gets here."

"Don't do that!" Hugo said, yawning widely. "That means we'd have to hear it all again!"

"Fair point, Hugh," Ron said. "That would be cruel and unusual punishment."

"Hey, there they are!" Rose said suddenly, pointing.

A group of five people emerged from the thick white steam obscuring the platform, their faces coming into focus as they drew near. Al was the first person visible, looking quite pale as he pushed his trolley forward. His barn owl, Aurora, was in a cage perched on top of his trunk, and she hooted a greeting to the group. Harry, Ginny, and a tearful Lily followed directly behind, and James was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi," Albus said as he neared them, sounding immensely relieved.

Rose beamed at her cousin, clearly as relieved to see him as he was to see her.

Hermione flashed Harry a smile, which he returned wearily.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry immediately, causing Hermione to shake her head amusedly at his eagerness. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't, I had complete faith in you," Hermione said, although in truth she had had her doubts about the written portion of the exam. She had even been lenient enough to ignore Ron when he actually did Confund the examiner-he had only forgotten to look in the wing mirror, and Hermione knew he would use a Supersensory Charm for that anyway.

As Harry and Ron lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train, Hermione glanced towards Lily and Hugo, who were animatedly discussing what they thought Hogwarts would be like. Rose and Albus were also bunched together, speaking in much lower tones and seemingly drawing fortitude from each other's presence as they took turns glancing furtively at the scarlet train.

"Lily seemed upset a moment ago," Hermione said.

"She wants to go to Hogwarts with her brothers," Ginny replied with a shrug, smiling as she observed her daughter. "Something I can obviously relate to."

"At least she and Hugo have each other for company while the other kids are at school," Hermione said.

"True. Neither of them have ever been alone without their siblings before."

A moment later, Harry and Ron reappeared, the former looking amused and the latter looking slightly sheepish. The two men approached the group just as Lily and Hugo speculated which House they would be Sorted into.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," Ron said, "but no pressure."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, shooting him a glare. She guessed that Al and Rose didn't need the added anxiety of being teased, and their solemn expressions supported her conjecture. Lily and Hugo's laughter didn't help matters.

"He doesn't mean it," Hermione and Ginny said simultaneously. To Hermione's ire, Ron was no longer paying attention. Instead, he was looking pointedly at Harry, clearly trying to catch his eye. Once he'd succeeded, Ron nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away.

Hermione followed his gaze, and once the steam had thinned, three people stood in sharp relief to the shifting mist.

"Look who it is," Ron said, smirking.

Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son. Although his white-blonde hair had receded somewhat, thereby emphasizing his pointed chin, the dark coat buttoned up to his throat gave him a striking air. Hermione couldn't help but smile when she saw that the boy by Draco's side resembled his father as much as Albus resembled Harry.

Draco suddenly stilled, apparently aware of being watched, and was gratified by the sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him when he turned his head. Hermione could see Draco immediately hone in on one person in particular, and she knew for a moment his ice blue eyes met Harry's emerald ones.

Then he gave the group a curt nod and turned away.

His son glanced towards them for a moment too, clearly interested to see what had drawn his father's notice, but jerked his gaze away rapidly when he saw they were still looking.

"So that's little Scorpius," Ron said under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

Harry caught Hermione's eye, and the corner of his lips twitched upward as he tipped his head obligingly towards her as if to say, Well, it's true.

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Hermione said, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," Ron said, but unable to stop himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

Hermione inwardly cringed at the idea of her daughter marrying into the Malfoys, but had no chance to respond to Ron before her oldest nephew came bounding towards them through the steam, evidently bursting with news.

"Hey!" James said breathlessly, and pointed back over his shoulder. "Teddy's back there. Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

Hermione felt a twinge of delight at James' words, but she certainly couldn't say she was surprised. Harry, Ron, and Ginny seemed equally unsurprised, and James was evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"Our Teddy!" James clarified. "Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing-"

Hermione outwardly cringed now, embarrassed for Victoire's sake.

"You interrupted them?" Ginny said, voicing her similar disbelief as she shook her head. "You are so like Ron-"

"-and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though still worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they get married!" Lily whispered ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," Harry said. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" James said enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al-Teddy could have my room!"

"No," Harry said firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

They all fell quickly into silence as the whistle of the train split the air. Hermione grew solemn as she saw Harry check the battered old watch on his wrist.

"It's nearly eleven," he said, "you'd better get on board."

Rose immediately moved back towards Hermione and Ron as Al and James migrated to Harry and Ginny.

Hermione heard Ginny tell James to give Neville her love as she hugged him. Ron had already enveloped Rose in a bear hug, his eyes looking misty.

"We'll miss you, Rosie," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Don't know what Hugh and I will do without you to keep us in line."

"Don't worry," Rose said, also swallowing a lump in her throat. "I'm sure Mum can take a few extra shifts if you guys need the help."

Ron laughed and gave Rose a final squeeze before releasing her to go to say goodbye to her mother. Hermione saw him wipe at his eyes quickly when Rose turned away.

Hermione tried to smile reassuringly, but then her eyes began to tear up and she jerkily pulled Rose into a tight hug, trying to contain her emotions. Rose didn't seem to mind, though-her eyes had also seemed to be getting watery, and a mother's shoulder is as good a place as any to disguise tears.

"I love you, Rose," Hermione said in a choked voice.

"I love you too, Mum," Rose replied emotionally, her voice muffled by her mother's robes.

"You study hard," Hermione said, "but have fun, too. You're going to meet so many people and have so many adventures…"

Hermione was briefly tempted to mention that there was a chance she'd meet her future husband on the train, but she knew Rose was nervous enough without putting such an awkward idea in her head.

Over the crown of Rose's wavy hair, she saw James aim a kick at Albus and thought she heard some mention of thestrals, which seemed to instantly vex Al. Then in rapid succession James permitted Ginny to kiss him, gave Harry a fleeting hug, and leapt onto the rapidly filling train to search for his friends. Their attention was quickly turned to Albus once James had disappeared.

"And you and Al watch out for each other," Hermione murmured to her daughter as she watched Harry crouch before his youngest son. Al looked so like Harry at that age it made her heart melt.

Hermione held her daughter tighter as she considered what else to say. She had thought of so many things, and it was unlike her to forget something so important-she should have made a list.

"Don't talk back to your teachers unless you have a really good reason," she said. "Don't forget to feed Sable. Don't worry too much if you don't become instant friends with your roommates, and remember that you have lots of cousins there to help you if you need it. You can talk to Hagrid or Neville if you need to discuss something with a teacher, and you can send one of the boys' owls home if you need anything at all. Marcellus should be a frequent visitor if you want to send a letter with him."

She paused, wondering if there was anything else she should mention.

"Just…be brave, alright? Don't be afraid to take a risk…I don't want you to miss out on something you'd regret, because that's one of the worst feelings in the world."

"Okay," Rose said, pulling away from Hermione and straightening her robes in an attempt to compose herself. "And Mum?"

"Yes?"

"Keep Hugo out of my room, please."

"Of course," Hermione said, smiling.

"I'll see you at Christmas, then," Rose said, and she boarded the train.

Hermione exhaled slowly as her daughter left her side. She noticed Ginny wave cheerily to Rose as Harry continued to speak quietly to Albus, and Rose waved back. Happiness had already settled back into her features, and she redirected her wave to Hermione as though to reassure her.

See, Mum? I'll be alright!

Hermione waved back, already anxious for the letter she would receive tomorrow.

Albus jumped into the carriage a moment later as the doors began slamming all along the scarlet train, and Ginny closed their carriage behind him.

Hermione had been so absorbed with saying goodbye to Rose that, until now, she hadn't notice the great number of faces, both on the train and off, that seemed to be turned towards Harry. Harry also seemed oblivious, although that may have had more to do with practice than ignorance.

"Why are they all staring?" Al demanded as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron said. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move, and Harry walked alongside it, smiling and waving to Al and Rose, whose faces were already ablaze with excitement. Hermione knew he must have been feeling just as torn up as she was as they watched their children glide away from them…

The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. Then the train rounded a corner, and they were gone. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell as he stared after the scarlet engine.

"He'll be all right," Ginny murmured as she approached him. Hermione, Ron, Lily, and Hugo were just behind her.

As Harry looked over at them, he lowered his hand absentmindedly until it had reached the lightning scar on his forehead.

"I know he will," he said, letting his hand fall to his side.

Hermione wondered what he was thinking about. She knew Harry's scar had not pained him for nineteen years, since the day Voldemort had been killed. But nostalgia could prey easily upon them on days like this, emerged as they were in an environment that could have been plucked directly from any of their memories and played before their eyes like a film strip. The wistfulness fell even harder upon the observation that the chaos of the platform, of the students boarding the same train that had borne them so many times, could proceed just fine without them. And Harry would, of course, be imagining how close he had come-how close they had all come-to not having the pleasure of seeing their own children experience the same thrill of excitement that had burned through them so many years ago.

But here they were, almost two decades later, doing just that.

All was well.

At least for the moment.

******************

Harry had barely let his hand fall to his side when Teddy appeared among the group, looking marginally dazed and thoroughly pleased. His tousled teal hair was almost fluorescent in intensity, and the extra bounce in his step could have alerted Harry to his godson's activities even without James' earlier proclamation.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Ginny said, smiling knowingly.

"Sorry," Teddy said, not looking particularly sorry at all. "I got a little…held up."

"So we heard," Harry said.

"And you could at least try to look a little more shame-faced," Ron said. "She is my niece, after all."

Teddy worked his jaw furiously in a visible effort to reign in his grin, but the end result was hardly better than when he had started.

Although all of the adults were smiling at Teddy's obvious happiness, Harry noticed that Hermione looked exceptionally delighted, no doubt due to the suspicions she had long held about the two teenagers.

Right yet again.

"Well, I seem to be failing miserably at this," Teddy said, relaxing his jaw and allowing his features to settle firmly into a grin. "I've got to go, anyway-interview at St. Mungo's. Sorry I missed Al and Rose."

"You're not the only one," Harry said, glancing up the rapidly emptying platform.

"Yeah, where is Mitch?" Ron said, following Harry's example and peering toward the entrance to the platform.

"He must've gotten caught up with something," Harry said. "We were going to leave from here to catch lunch before he went to check on a few leads."

"He's probably just running late," Hermione said. "And speaking of late, I need to go. Ron, please remember-"

"To drop off Hugo at Luna's for a play date with the twins and to pick him up around five because you'll be late at the Ministry," Ron quoted, waving his hand flippantly at his ex-wife. "I got it."

"Thank you," Hermione said gratefully, stepping over to hug Ron and peck his cheek with a quick kiss. She then knelt and hugged her son as well. "Be good for Luna, alright?"

"I will, Mum," Hugo assured her.

"Have fun, then," Hermione said, kissing the crown of his fiery red hair. "I should be back in time for dinner."

"I'll make sure Mum sets something aside for you if you're running late," Ginny said.

"Good idea," Ron said, patting his stomach appreciatively at the thought of his mother's cooking. "Between me and Hugh, I can't guarantee anything will be left by the time you get there."

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness," Hermione said with a good-natured roll of her eyes.

Harry was always pleased to see Ron and Hermione on good terms, their friendship largely unaffected by their divorce. In the first few months, he knew (through many long and divided outings) that Ron had been bitter that Hermione had initiated their separation, while Hermione had been guilt-ridden and uncertain about her decision. Not to mention the added anxiety both felt over their children.

Harry was hesitant to mention it to either Ron or Hermione, but now, a year later, he could easily discern how much happier his friends were. From the casual set of Ron's shoulders to the relaxed expression on Hermione's face as she gave Hugo one more hug, they both seemed the better for the separation, removed from the worry of whether a word or action would set the other off. Harry wished he had the time to speak to her about Rose's departure…while both had had their fair share of seeing off a copious number of nieces and nephews, seeing off your own child, especially your firstborn, was another matter entirely. He knew she must be feeling emotionally disoriented, just as he had been with James (and truthfully now as well), but she was hiding it well behind a business-like demeanor.

Hermione met Harry's gaze as she straightened, as though conscious of the fact that he had been thinking of her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and offered her a smile, which she took only a moment to return before turning away.

"I'll see you all later," she said.

A small pop sounded as she turned and vanished from sight.

"Same here," Teddy said as soon as Hermione had gone. "I'll try to swing by for dinner if I can."

A moment later he too had disappeared, although he exited through the barrier to King's Cross, undoubtedly to retrieve his motorcycle.

Ginny looked towards Harry then, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you going to wait for Mitch?"

"Yes," Harry replied as he fished around in his pocket for his car keys, which he placed into Ginny's outstretched hand. "At least for a bit. I'll probably just head to the office if he doesn't show up soon."

"Okay," Ginny said. "And Ron, why don't I take Hugo to Luna's for you so you can keep Harry company?"

Ron looked as if he would decline Ginny's offer until he caught the mischievous look in her eyes.

"I…sure, you can take him," he said. "Save me a trip."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. "I didn't know if you and Luna had anything to discuss."

"No, not a thing," Ron said casually. He added a shrug after a moment for good measure.

"In that case, you both have a nice time at work," she said with a smile.

She reached up to kiss Harry before stepping back and grasping one of Lily's hands in her right and one of Hugo's in her left.

"Bye, Daddy!" Lily called over her shoulder as they began to move toward the barrier, both her and Ginny's vibrant hair swishing back and forth on their backs.

"Bye," Harry called back, and a moment later the three redheads had vanished.

The platform continued to empty of its few remaining occupants as Harry and Ron stood silently by the tracks. Within minutes they were alone.

"So what was that about?" Harry said, although Ginny had already filled him in thoroughly on her suspicions.

"It's nothing," Ron said gruffly. "Your wife being a pest. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Harry grinned. "That pest happens to be pretty perceptive about a lot of things."

"I hope you haven't told her that," Ron said. "She's annoying enough without an ego boost."

"I think she figured that out on her own," Harry said.

When Ron didn't offer anything but stony silence, Harry continued.

"So there isn't anything going on between you and Luna?"

Ron jerked his head rapidly to look at Harry.

"Ginny's talked to you about this?" he said.

"A bit," Harry said.

"Has she talked to anyone else?" Ron asked, nervousness edging his voice.

"I doubt it," Harry said. While Ginny rarely held anything back from Harry, she wasn't one to spout off gossip. "Why? Is there actually something going on?"

"I…I don't know," Ron said. He seemed quite uncomfortable. "Sort of, I guess."

"Sort of?"

"I mean, there's something there," Ron said, quickly adding, "But nothing's happened. Not yet, anyway."

Harry didn't reply immediately, intrigued and thoughtful as he was by the idea of Ron and Luna as a couple.

"You don't think it's too soon, right? For Hermione to know?"

Harry furrowed his brow as he glanced at his friend. His expression was still one of discomfort, and Harry couldn't exactly blame him. They had never been ones to discuss their relationships with each other-between Ron marrying Harry's best friend and Harry marrying Ron's sister, any conversation of the sort would be awkward at best, and mortifying at worst. And now…now Ron was uneasy not only about how Hermione would feel about him dating, but about how Harry would feel for Hermione's sake.

"I can't really speak for Hermione," Harry said after a long moment's deliberation, "but I think this is exactly what she'd want for you. It's been a year…the point of ending things was to find someone who would make you happier than you made each other, right? If Luna makes you happy, then I think Hermione would be happy for you."

"You think so?" Ron said.

"Yeah, I do," Harry said honestly.

"How do you think I should tell her then? I don't know-"

But Harry didn't have the opportunity to hear what Ron didn't know as the sound of rapid footsteps burst upon them as abruptly as Mitch materialized through the barrier wall, an inexplicably panicked expression on his face.

Before either Harry or Ron could sufficiently process this, before Mitch could utter a single word of warning, another figure swept onto the platform, his wand held aloft and a jet of light already surging from its tip toward Mitch's back.

Mitch was thrown through the air by the force of the spell, landing in a breathless heap at Harry and Ron's feet.

"Tried…to tell you…" he wheezed.

Ron knelt next to Mitch as Harry, adrenaline pumping through his veins, lifted his wand and trained it on the wizard who had attacked his partner. However, to Harry's intense ire and unease, four other wizards had joined the assailant during the course of the last few seconds.

His grip on his wand tightened as he surveyed the men before him. He blinked repeatedly, hardly allowing himself to believe what he was seeing. Although he had not laid eyes on the wizards in years, their features were unfortunately all too effectively ingrained in his memories for the years of aging to matter.

"Dolohov," Harry said, his mouth dry, as Ron heaved Mitch to his feet.

"Potter," Dolohov replied, nodding his head courteously.

"I see you've brought your cronies along too," Harry said.

The other Death Eaters lurking behind their leader sneered in response, their stares uncomfortably eager as they aimed their own wands at the trio of Aurors.

"Of course," Dolohov said. "I wanted to have a chat and I needed your attention."

"You've definitely got my undivided attention," Ron growled, brandishing his wand while continuing to support Mitch, who was still attempting to regain his wind. Nevertheless, Mitch's eyes were alert and his wand was pointed amongst the Death Eaters as well.

"Ronald Weasley, correct?" Dolohov said. "The last time Harry and I spoke, I had the good fortune of seeing your wife-or ex-wife, if my sources are accurate-but it's been considerably longer since I've met with you."

"Can't say it's a pleasure," Ron said, his wand arm twitching.

"Hold it, Ron," Harry murmured, his eyes moving rhythmically among the group.

"Yes, I wouldn't try anything rash if I were you," Dolohov said, gesticulating behind him to both the Death Eaters and the barrier. "There may be only five of us here, but there are a number of us among the Muggles as well. We'd rather not cause a scene."

Harry's stomach roiled as he continued to assess his predicament. Mitch had finally recovered from his fall and was standing ready next to Ron, although his breathing was ragged. That brought Harry's defense to three, a number that was not at all to Harry's liking. He hadn't particularly liked the odds when he thought there were only five of them, but now…there was no knowing how many Death Eaters waited in King's Cross. Besides Dolohov, three of the wizards Harry recognized from their last encounter-the dark-skinned Nakul, the ratty, gray-haired Burkes, and the tall, bearded man called Watts. The fifth was a thin-limbed man with wispy, pale-blonde hair whom Harry was fairly certain he had never seen before.

That left, at minimum, Rowle, Krause, the dark-haired twins Krista and Xavier, and the unnamed blue-eyed Death Eater unaccounted for, some or all of which could be prowling beyond the barrier. And it was very likely there were more.

Harry turned his eyes back to Dolohov, thinking hard. There was little to no chance of the three of them holding back a group of ten or more Death Eaters on their own, simple as that. As much as Harry hated to admit it, their best option was simply to retreat-to Disapparate from the platform as quickly as possible before things got out of hand. Questions battered about in Harry's mind, demanding answers, commingling with the dull pounding of anger to generate a deplorable mentality for cool and rational thinking. After one too many ill-considered encounters with Dolohov, Harry at least had the presence of mind to recognize this.

He couldn't risk Ron or Mitch's life for his own reckless curiosity.

Harry breathed in deeply through his nostrils as he signaled a retreat to Ron and Mitch, and before he could change his mind, Disapparated from the platform.

However, just as he began to feel the familiar pressure of Disapparition pushing down upon his body from every direction, the force vanished as suddenly as a tightening rubber band being snapped in half.

The relentlessly steadfast walls of the platform continued to stare doggedly at him, ridiculing him as much as the sight of the Death Eaters still standing before him.

"Harry…" Ron muttered, fidgeting in the periphery of his vision.

Dolohov smiled. "Is there a problem?"

Harry remained silent, his fingers white-knuckled around his wand.

"No?" Dolohov said languidly. "Excellent, for a moment I thought you had tried to leave before we could have a chance to talk. In any case, I placed an Anti-Disapparition ward over the platform before we entered. Rest assured that the exit behind us is the only way out."

Harry's right arm lowered almost involuntarily as he sighed. "Fine, you have my attention."

"Don't act so downtrodden, Potter," Dolohov said. "I truly just want to discuss a matter or two with you."

"And what is it exactly that you want?"

"You know what it is I want."

"I could guess," Harry said. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here now. You've flown under the radar for the past decade-done nothing. Why now? What's changed?"

"A number of things, really," Dolohov said. "Since you've taken to sitting behind a desk and a title for the majority of your work, today was the only time I could be sure you wouldn't be cooped up at the Ministry."

"And how did you know I would still be here? After the train was gone?"

"You don't expect me to reveal all my tricks, do you?" Dolohov said. "Although I will say that an Imperius on your friend there did help matters along nicely."

Mitch scowled as Dolohov gestured in his direction.

"Anyhow, your promotion has only been a small part of the problem," Dolohov continued. "More than anything, your lack of action has drawn significantly on my patience."

"How so?"

"You never collected the Wand," Dolohov said simply. "Despite our promptings, you have never gone to take it from wherever you have hidden it, neither for its protection nor your own."

"Why would I?" Harry said, not bothering to be coy. "It's safest where it is. Even if you killed me, its wards would shield it."

"Possibly," Dolohov said. "I'm sure such wards would be powerful, but once the Wand's allegiance to you was broken I'm sure they would not be unbreakable. Its whereabouts are still the primary priority. I would rather not be too hasty and kill you and have the Wand lost forever."

"So, what, you've been searching for it all this time? That's why you've stayed hidden?" Harry asked, finding it hard to believe that a group of a dozen or more Death Eaters couldn't determine its location.

"Yes and no," Dolohov said. "While I have dedicated some time to searching for the Deathstick, I was also given some advice by one of my colleagues to refrain from taking action too soon. Luckily, some new information was brought to my attention that indicates such advice was well-founded."

"New information?" Harry said.

"Yes, information that quite changes the game. Or rather, quite improves the stakes."

Dolohov spread out his arms, his hands open except for the wand he rolled avidly between his thumb and index finger.

"The Elder Wand alone seems like such a paltry reward when compared to all three Deathly Hallows, doesn't it?"

Harry felt the blood drain from his face, and his mouth felt drier than ever.

He cleared his throat, intent to say something, anything, to refute his connection to the Hallows, to laugh off Dolohov's implication as ridiculous, but before he could even begin to formulate a coherent statement, Dolohov spoke again, as if he had just read his thoughts.

"Don't bother trying to deny it, Potter. It would simply be a waste of your breath and an insult of my intelligence. Your notorious Invisibility Cloak, the ring that Albus Dumbledore so arrogantly displayed before his death, which no doubt made its way to you…all these things point to you as Master of Death."

Harry considered Dolohov warily, anxiety permeating his thoughts as well as confusion, primarily in regards to his returned Cloak. However, he pushed away such thoughts as Dolohov looked at him expectantly.

"So what if I am?" Harry said, all he could think to say.

"Well, that brings us to the entire point of this encounter," Dolohov said. "I'd like to offer up an ultimatum of sorts…to give you one last chance to relinquish the Wand as well as the other Hallows from wherever you've been hiding them."

If the situation had not been so serious, Harry would have laughed at the audacity of such a proposition. Instead, a sickening kind of fear flooded his mind, making it hard to breathe.

"I refused to give you the Wand before…" he said. "What makes you think I'd give up the rest of the Hallows?"

Dolohov raised a single eyebrow as contemplated Harry. "I think you'll find that I can be quite…persuasive…if you refuse. Let me be perfectly clear, Harry Potter. I am done playing games and my patience ran dry long ago. There will be no second chances from here, and the consequences will be worse than you could imagine."

This was said bluntly, with no adornment, no patronizing smirk. The undisguised neutrality lacing through Dolohov's tone and lined face left no room for dispute or snarky responses, and Harry was left once more with little ability to say anything due to the tormenting visions his imagination was already formulating in his mind.

"So?" Dolohov said, still unsmiling. "Will you hand over the Hallows?"

Harry wished there was any other possible response to this question.

"No," he said quietly.

A small sigh of disappointment escaped Dolohov's lips.

"I had expected nothing less," he said, "although I'd be lying if I said I hadn't hoped things would turn out differently. It would certainly be easier for both of us."

As Dolohov took a step backward, he ran one long-fingered hand down his face, tapering down to his scraggly chin.

"This really is all very regrettable."

Harry took a step forward to maintain their distance, and he heard Ron and Mitch do the same.

"Well, Potter, I guess there isn't really much more for the two of us to say. It seems we have reached an impasse, and I hope you aren't overly repentant for your decision when its ramifications are brought to light…"

Dolohov raised his wand upward and stared at Harry with shadowed eyes.

"…which may be sooner than you think."

Before Harry could react, a piercing light flashed through the platform, blinding him. He rubbed furiously at his eyes, his knuckles knocking against the rims of his glasses, and a snarl escaped him as he heard the sound of retreating footsteps. Oblivious to the pain in his eyes, he stumbled forward, intent on reaching the barrier.

With a lunge, he staggered through the portal, almost colliding with a group of Muggles who eyed him irritably.

Harry ignored them, squinting about King's Cross for any sign of Dolohov.

But he was gone.

******************

By the time Harry, Ron, and Mitch had finished searching the train station for traces of Dolohov's escape, a slight quiver had set in to Harry's hand.

By the time they had reached the Ministry and Harry had given orders to the department to focus all available resources on capturing Dolohov, the quiver had worsened so that he could hardly grip his quill.

By the time Ron mentioned he had to leave to pick up Hugo, he felt a tightness in his stomach that made the thought of eating repugnant.

And by the time that Luna had Flooed to his office, asking when Lily was going to be picked up or if she should just stay over due to the late hour, the tightness became excruciating, gripping his rib cage, crushing his lungs and heart, clenching his skull until it seemed as though his vision had gone blurry.

After an incoherent response to Luna and the clatter of his chair to the ground, he was in his backyard, grass springy under his feet, a few old brooms almost hidden among the green blades.

A panicked whine reverberating through his mind, Harry sprinted to the door, bursting into the darkened kitchen with Ginny's name on his lips, hardly a thought registering for his own safety.

He shouted her name once more into the darkness, and heard it echoed back to him in the stillness. He stepped forward and heard the frail crunching of glass beneath his feet.

Then he saw the small, pale, delicate hand lying still within the doorway of the next room, saw the flyaway strands of fiery red hair spilled across the floor, and Harry's worst nightmare had come true.

In his dazed frenzy to reach his wife, Harry was oblivious to the rest of the porcelain shards strewn across the tile, as well as a single scrap of parchment that had seemingly fluttered to the floor from the opened package sitting on the counter.

No second chances.

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