As Scorpius boarded the train, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. For a while I thought he was never going to make it here, but he had, and I was glad of the day. I grabbed Astoria around the waist, drawing her close to me. She had been dreading this day since our son was born, but she was happy for him to finally go; Hogwarts was all he had talked about for nearly a year now.
I glanced around the crowd of other parents. Some, like us, were sending their children off for the first time. Others had become professionals at this, and the second their child was on the train they left. I had a sneaking feeling Astoria would never let me do that, leave before the train was gone. For the next seven years I would stand right here until the train was around the bend.
I checked for faces I knew in the crowd, finding a few instantly. It was Potter, Granger, Weasley, and his sister. I instantly could tell that Granger and Weasley had finally gotten married, and that Potter and Ginny had also married. Both couples were waving as children that were very clearly theirs boarded the train, while both had a child that remained by their side.
I caught Potter’s eye, and gave him a small nod. We had never been friends, but I had come to respect him. He had saved my life on many occasions in the past, and I owed it to him to be kinder toward him. And returning my respect, he nodded back. We may not have become friends, but we were at peace. The past was behind us, and our lives could continue. Who knows, maybe my Scorpius could become friends with one of his children. Things worked oddly like that, but whatever happened, we could carry on.
As the clock struck 11 o’clock, the Hogwarts Express sped away. When it was no longer in sight, I turned to Astoria. “Let’s go home, dear.”
Was it this time of year already? Bloody hell, time flies these days. Platform 9 ¾ was just as crowded as ever, and we had to use our trolley to part the crowd. The boys were leaving for Hogwarts, James again, and Albus for the first time. He was worried, but I knew he’d be OK in the long run.
We found Ron and Hermione, and the kids instantly intermingled. We made small talk for a little while, just trying to make it through the day. I scanned the crowd, eager to see which of our friends were also sending kids off this year. I spied Draco Malfoy instantly with his son. His child was his spitting image, and I wasn’t surprised in the least. He gave a small nod my way, and I returned it almost instantly.
I could tell this meant we were on better terms now. Everything that had gone wrong between us in the past was forgotten, and we could continue our lives on decent terms with each other. I didn’t think we would ever be friends; far too much had happened between us for that to ever work. But we could be civil toward each other, and make each of our lives simpler because of it.
The kids carried their things onto the train, and then the boys came back to say goodbye. And hugging the boys, I was certain everything was going to be just fine.
As the clock struck 11 o’clock, the Hogwarts Express sped away. When it was no longer in sight, I turned to Ginny. “Let’s go home, dear.”
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