3 Sending them of

31st August 1971

19:00

"Second year texts for Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Charms and Defence?" Kingsley called out from the notebook in his hand.

He didn't care how cool the Wizarding World was with it's Potions and creatures, quills were very much not cool. Whoever thought that writing with feathers with slanty tips was a good thing needed their heads checked. Roller ball pens all the way.

"Transfiguration, Charms and Defence, check!" Hayden responded happily from the floor, running his fingers, awestruck, along the spines of the books.

"What about the others?" Kingsley asked with a frown, looking up from his organised list.

Hayden shrugged and looked around somewhat helplessly the neat stacks of school supplies spread around the floor. He didn't want to mess up his brother's organisation. He got sulky when you did.

"I'm sure they're about somewhere," Hayden reassured his older brother. "You don't let them leave your room."

That was true, to Kingsley the books were too precious to be unleashed into the chaos that was the Shacklebolt home. Why, just yesterday dad's shoes where found on top of the fridge. How and why they got there? No one knew, or was admitting to it. Kingsley shuddered; his precious textbooks were not going to be undefended. The soon to be second-year Ravenclaw's brow furrowed in thought. He had just been flicking through the Potions one a few days ago (some of the ones they were to do this year looked really cool!) so it couldn't be far…

"Here it is!" Hayden exclaimed excitedly, diving across the floor and upsetting a stack of parchment. "Oops. It was next to your ingredients!" he added, proudly brandishing it over his head.

"Put it with the other books," Kingsley instructed, crossing 'Textbooks' off his list with a flourish.

He was determined to be more organised this year and that meant nothing was going to be thrown willy-nilly into his trunk. That, and he didn't want to be told off for damaged book spines again. On that note, he had to actually remember to pack bookmarks. His main problem was keeping them spread open, spine up, to keep track of what page he was on.

"Dragon hide gloves?" he read the next item off his list.

'Splat' went the gloves against his face.

"Check!" Hayden chirped cheekily at him.

Kingsley tossed his list to one side and jumped on top of his brother. Packing could wait. There were more important things to take care of. Like rubbing your brother's nose across the carpet.

22:00

"Mum! Where's all my ink?"

Vanessa smiled knowingly at her husband who responded with an eyeroll.

"In your trunk, dear!" she responded, pausing in her reading.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

"Are you sure? I don't see it!"

"It was next to all your parchment!"

The two adults heard the rapid thumping of their son running across the hallway. Impressive, considering his room was on the third floor and they were on the ground.

"Would it kill our boy to be a bit less scatter brained?" Fleamont grumbled into his evening newspaper.

"Old man," Vanessa teased her husband. "Leave him be. He's excited about tomorrow."

"I was not this excited," Fleamont claimed.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. Her whole expression screamed 'Liar'.

"I seem to remember your mother saying to me that you didn't sleep at all the night you were going to Hogwarts you were that excited."

Fleamont just gave her a sheepish look.

"And that you packed and repacked your trunk five times."

A series of thumps came from above and then a 'CRASH'

"I'm okay!" their son bellowed. A tinkling noise followed. "Might need a new botte of blue ink though!"

Fleamont and Vanessa chuckled at each other.

"It's going to be quiet when he's gone," Vanessa said fondly.

Fleamont sighed heavily and put his newspaper down.

"I'm going to miss him," he admitted, rubbing a hand across his face.

He suddenly looked a lot older. Vanessa got up and hugged him. Fleamont clutched at her as she buried her head into his neck.

"Of course, you are," she soothed, brushing her hands through his ironically untameable hair. "He's our only child. It's only natural that we're going to miss him."

She didn't know who she was trying to sooth more, herself or her husband.

"Is it natural that I'm already missing him?" Fleamont queried ruefully.

"I hope so, because I feel like that too," she admitted. "We're not going to see him until Christmas, Monty."

"Unless he gets suspended or expelled," her husband pointed out unhelpfully.

Vanessa shoved him lightly and shook her head.

"Don't tempt fate like that," she scolded with a soft smile.

"He is a Potter. Trouble is in his blood."

"That is true. None have been suspended or expelled though."

"And none are going to."

"At least we're on the same page."

"Always."

They leaned in for a kiss.

THUMP! THUMP! CRASH!

The two sprung apart and jumped to their feet with practised ease of raising their son.

"Mum! Dad! Can you repair a trunk around folded clothes?"

23:19

Alice woke up for the fourth time that night since she had been bundled sternly into bed at eight. Eight! Apparently, even going to Hogwarts wasn't enough of a reason to get all excited so she had been sent to bed early so no one had to deal with her. Much to her disgust, didn't her parents understand that his was Hogwarts she was talking about? And all they cared about was her decorum of all things. No one was sharing her excitement whatsoever.

It just wasn't fair, didn't any of them remember going to Hogwarts? Alice was convinced that her parents just appeared as adults, they were so boring and stuffy they just couldn't have been children. She rubbed at her eyes and looked eagerly at her alarm clock. She frowned at the numbers. Drat it. It was still August. There were far too many days in this month.

She yawned widely, something popping in her mouth. Snuggling back under her bundled up covers, she smiled to herself.

This time tomorrow she'd be in a Hogwarts Dorm. Oh, she wiggled her toes. Alice couldn't wait!

1st September 1971

06:00

"Are you sure you've packed everything, Lily?" Severus asked his best friend anxiously. "Don't forget that extra stack of parchment."

Lily rolled her eyes at a pacing Severus and impatiently replied, "Yes, as soon as I got it, remember? You were there."

"Are you sure?"

"Sev!"

Petunia turned her nose up at the two of them and sniffed. Parchment? Really? What sort of people used parchment of all thing? Completely barbaric. And quills for ink? Didn't they know what a fountain pen was? Ridiculous. You wouldn't get that sort of nonsense at St. Clara's. Thankfully, she was going back tonight. She'd be with her friends, nice normal people with no freakishness in sight. She wouldn't have to listen to stupid stories about a stupid castle and all the stupid things they did like making stupid potions and casting stupid spells to make things fly. Stupid.

Gavin gave his eldest daughter a pointed look. They had already had to have several discussions about how to treat your sister and to be proud and encouraging of her. This was a completely new experience, after all. None of those talks had been very pleasant. Why should she be proud of having a freak for a sister? None of what she could do was normal. It was nothing to celebrate. Still, Petunia schooled her features. She didn't want to have to leave the room. This was her house too.

"Right, everyone in the car!" Rosemary announced, bustling around for last minute items. "We'll see you there, Severus dear."

"Yes, Mrs Evans," Severus said politely, giving the Evans' car a suspicious look.

Petunia couldn't help it, she smirked. The boy was still terrified of it since she'd honked the horn that one time. Sure, it had shocked her as well and she'd somehow managed to tumbled out of the car and get a knock on the head but having the Snape kid nearly wet himself and run off like a startled rabbit made it worth it.

"I'll see you there, Lily," he said to her middle sister, giving her an awkward smile.

"In a few hours," Lily agreed and the boy ran off before she could hug him.

It was a good thing that their car didn't have enough space for him as well. Petunia couldn't bear having the two of them yapping away. It was nearly a five-hour trip. It was going to be impossible without him, never mind with him.

"Petunia, can you get in the car?" Rosemary asked breathlessly from behind half of Lily's trunk.

Gavin had the other end, neither of them looked to have a very good grip on it.

"I don't see why I can't stay put," she whined at her parents, but moving out of their way.

Her mother frowned at her as they wrestled the trunk into the boot. It just about fit.

"Don't be ridiculous, Petunia," Rosemary scolded. "We've been over this, we're seeing Lily off for her first time at boarding school and we want to be with her as much of possible, don't we?"

Petunia just shrugged; she could do with seeing less of her.

"And anyway," Rosemary continued. "You're too young to spend practically the whole day by yourself. Maybe even more. We might stay at a Bed and Breakfast to give your father a break from driving so far."

"I'm practically thirteen, mother. And very mature," Petunia pointed out imperiously. "You can trust me."

"It's not about trust, Pet," Gavin said tiredly, repeating what he had said several times before. "It's about being together as a family for as long as possible. Like when you started St Clara's."

"Fine," she snapped out and flounced into a back seat.

Just because she had to go didn't mean she had to help after all. Not that she wanted to touch anything. Most of it was disgusting anyway.

"And don't you want to see a magic train, Tuney?" Chryssie chirped, ducking in beside her.

"It's just a silly old steam train. Nothing special," Petunia snapped, she'd heard them discussing it.

"But it's magic," Chryssie said, amazed that someone didn't want to see something to do with magic.

"And I can't wait!" Lily said happily, running up with another armful of stuff.

Petunia just sniffed and looked away.

06:34

Severus watched the Evans pull away from his hiding spot at the end of their street. Lily was already beginning her journey to Hogwarts. Without him. He kicked at a stone and watched it bounce, one, twice and then into a gutter. It wasn't fair! He wouldn't have to go for several hours. Mum was apparating them there and they had to wait until dad left for work. They couldn't go before because mum had to make him breakfast. Severus screwed up his face and gently touched a bruise that had blossomed across his ribs. The lout didn't deserve mum making him breakfast.

The world was just waking up around him. Bedroom lights being turned on and fires started. They added to the general sooty smell of the area. Severus looked up and down the streets, there were only a few people up and about. People returning from night shifts mostly. Most people in the Evans' neighbourhood started work at nine and made their way to their offices at eight. Unlike Severus' were the morning shift had started at six at the mill so there was already a load of people about.

He didn't want to go back just yet; he might get a cuff around the ear by a neighbour for 'looking like he was up to no good' and he definitely didn't want to go back home. The front door slammed and he didn't want to risk waking dad up. There was nothing for him to do anything. He'd been pack for the past two weeks and gone over his list three times to make sure he had left nothing out. His mum's precious books were buried deep in his robes to keep them safe. She had gifted them to him, saying that he had far more of a use for them than her. He couldn't wait to show people how many hexes he already knew, they'd be amazed.

Hogwarts was going to be amazing. Like-minded people and all that knowledge just waiting to be used. And Lily was going to be there right alongside him.

He crashed into the milkman.

"Oi! Watch where you're going!" the man bellowed, despite Severus being the one who ended up in the disgusting drains.

Severus glared at the tall man who just huffed at him and walked off, crate jangling as the four milks for Mrs Roberts' wrestled for space and muttering about, "Stupid kids".

Hogwarts was definitely going to be better than here.

07:00

"Remus, you need to eat," Lyall gently prodded his son who was gazing deep into his cereal.

The young boy didn't hear him.

"Remus!"

Remus looked up sharply and sent his spoon flying across the table.

"What?"

"I don't think you're going to find any answers in your milk," Lyall teased.

"Huh? Oh," Remus muttered, flushing slightly, highlighting his newest scar just under his skin.

The last full moon had been particularly rough. It was like the wolf could sense his increasing stress levels and acted out accordingly

Suddenly they heard some extremely violent sounding Italian from upstairs. Remus looked up at the ceiling worriedly while Lyall just smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want any help, dear?" he called up.

"No! I do not need any help!" Naomi replied slightly shrilly.

"Are you sure? You sound like you are in a spot of bother," he replied loudly, sending his son a wink.

That was followed by some loud swearing. Even that didn't get the boy smiling.

"This trunk is in a bother! It will do as it is told!"

"If you say so, dear," Lyall said and turned back to his own cereal with a grin.

There was no point in even suggesting that he use magic to help. Or her for that matter. The woman was determined to do her bit in sending their son off and apparently that included trying to shove some "small things" in an already overfull trunk. She actually threatened to shove both their wands somewhere extremely unpleasant if he did anything.

Women.

Remus sighed softly as he reached for his spoon again. Lyall frowned worriedly at him. This wasn't worry about leaving or even nerves. Remus looked frightened.

"You okay, son?" he asked quietly.

He got a jerky shrug of the shoulders in reply and no eye contact.

"You know it's okay to be worried?" he tried again, hoping to get something from his son.

Nothing.

Feeling helpless, Lyall took a long sip of his tea to give himself some thinking time. He couldn't let Remus start the day off like this but his son was hard to draw out of his silences. He was almost moping,

"What if it's all a mistake," Remus finally broke the silence.

Lyall almost blew tea from his nose as he choked his mouthful down. It was scalding.

"What?" he gasped out, waving at his tongue.

"What if me going to Hogwarts is all a big misunderstanding and I'm not meant to go," Remus said in a rush, looking up with a heartbroken expression on his face.

"It's not," Lyall assured him, dabbing at the front of his tea splatter shirt with a conjured napkin.

"But what if it is," Remus insisted, still looking unconvinced.

His poor son, had he been thinking of this this whole time? All summer? No wonder the boy had become increasingly more anxious. Lyall and Naomi had put it down to leaving home but maybe they should have sat Remus down and talked to him more. Or listened more. Lyall sighed heavily. This parenting malarkey never got an easier and mistake got bigger the older your child got. Maybe it wasn't too late to fix this one.

"Remus, Albus Dumbledore himself requested that you come. You are definitely meant to go."

Remus just bit his lip but Lyall spotted the small smile threatening to poke the corners of his mouth up.

07:30

"You will do the Black Family proud," Orion instructed, managing to come across vaguely threatening as usual even in the midst of his standard 'We-are-the-Black-Family' talk.

"Yes sir," Sirius said quietly, heart thrumming underneath his new school shirt (of the finest quality, of course) as he tried not to shuffle his feet.

It was all going to be so different. He didn't know what to expect and he wasn't sure if he liked that feeling. Life up until now had followed a comfortable, set pattern and breaking that made Sirius feel really anxious.

"Not like that disgrace of a girl," Walburga felt the need to add.

"Walburga," Orion said sharply, his voice not raising above normal speaking volume but the tone was dangerous.

Surprisingly, Walburga quietened. At least she wasn't going to go off on a rant. Sirius tried not to let his emotions play out across his face as his parents glared at each other. Now was a good time to exercise his Occlumency training, he didn't want anyone to even suspect what he was thinking.

He knew exactly who they were talking about, even if his brother didn't, if Regulus' confused looks were anything to go by. It looked like Andromeda hadn't tried to contact him like she did Sirius. Or maybe she did and Regulus didn't let anyone know, which would be unusual for the little tattletale. Sirius didn't think so; Reggie would have told him. Wouldn't he? He told Sirius everything, even down to what socks he was planning on wearing the next day (who even planned that anyway?). His younger brother had gotten increasingly difficult to read over the past few months. Between Regulus' official start to the Family Magics and Sirius' whirlwind of preparation for Hogwarts, they hadn't had much time to talk things over like they usually did.

Sirius frowned, maybe he should have tried harder to make the time. Now he was off and he wouldn't be back for three whole months! What was Reggie going to do without him?

"What are you going to do without Reggie?" a sly voice in his had asked him.

Sirius violently squashed that voice down; he'd been doing that a lot over the past few weeks. He didn't want to even think about not being able to see Reggie every day. It was only going to be for this year, he told himself. Regulus would be going to Hogwarts just next year and they be together again. Just one year.

Orion coughed above him. Sirius snapped out of his thinking and quickly straightened up (when had he started to slouch?), hoping his father hadn't noticed.

"Am I boring you, Sirius?" he asked silkily, fingering his wand.

Oh, he noticed. Sirius knew what that meant.

Sirius gulped and tugged at his sleeves. Looked like he wasn't going to be too comfortable on the train.

10:10

"Are you sure you have everything?" Augusta fussed around her son, straightening the front of his robes.

Frank resisted the urge to bat her hands away. They were at the station. It was embarrassing.

"Leave the boy be, Aggie," his father told his mother gruffly but with a fond smile.

He ran an approving eye over his son. Frank straightened up. He knew to take particular care of his appearance on the first day. Put your best foot forward and start as you mean to go on.

"Looking sharp," his father praised, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Frank flushed with pride and smiled up at his father. The man's word meant everything to him.

"Make sure you keep an eye on the Potter boy," the man instructed, tapping Frank's trunk so it hovered next to them.

Featherlight charm followed by a levitation charm, Frank thought automatically.

"James," corrected Augusta.

"Yes," Herschel said, waving his hand dismissively. "Make sure he settles in and knows what he's doing."

"Yes, father," Frank agreed with a nod.

He was going to do that anyway; James was a good friend and he wanted to get caught up with him. Frank scrunched up his nose slightly, and maybe make sure he wasn't planning too much chaos. He could pull off the most remarkable pranks without much accidental magic to help him out. Not that Potter accidental magic was all that accidental, what with their propensity to wandless magic and all. Frank didn't want to know what he was planning now that he had a wand.

Hopefully, Hogwarts would remain standing until Christmas.

"The Potters and Longbottom's have been Allies and Partners for ten generations," Herschel lectured. "You will maintain and hold onto this alliance."

"Yes, father," Frank said a bit more subdued.

He already knew all of this. Yes, it was important but he certainly didn't need another lesson right here next to the train!

10:30

Sirius anxiously looked up and down the platform. His family had seen him onto the train about fifteen minutes ago and were now making the usual necessary conversations with other "like-minded" families. They weren't paying any attention to him; they had done what was required and were only staying on the platform until eleven because of tradition.

Right, they were closer to the head of the train, she would be on the opposite side. She had told him that in her last letter. He gulped and wrapped his cloak closer to him, the heavy material rubbing painfully along his upper arms. Sirius took a dee breath to hold back the automatic wince. He'd had a lot more painful 'reminders' from his father before, todays was quite mild in fact. Maybe even Orion Black was capable of being whimsical about Hogwarts.

Whatever it was, Sirius was glad. At least he wasn't trembling this time from the after-effects. That would just be embarrassing. An eleven-year-old not being able to stand a little pain, honestly!

He did another quick glance at the clump of people that his parents were apart of. They both had their back to him, perfect. They wouldn't have seen him come back off the train. He moved swiftly in the opposite direction, keeping a sharp lookout for his cousins. Narcissa still went to Hogwarts after all. Thankfully, she was easy to spot even if he almost did mistake her for a Malfoy.

He walked past two more carriages, making sure not to look at anyone directly.

"Psst! Sirius!" he heard before someone took a hold of his cloak and yanked him to the side.

He almost yelped but managed to contain himself. He didn't keep control of a gasp, however.

For the first time, he was staring into the eyes of Andromeda Tonks, nee Black. They were brown, like Bella's, the same shade and everything. But there was something different about them, something softer?

Softer, that was it. Her face was different than the pictures in the photo albums that hadn't been purged. More relaxed, less anxious looking. Even her skin tone was softer than Bella's. Sure, she still had the Black pale skin but it had hints of pink in it, something Sirius hadn't thought was possible.

Soft pink lips curved into a smile.

"Recognise me?" Andromeda teased, warm brown eyes dancing.

"You look just like the pictures," Sirius said softly, suddenly feeling quite shy.

A look of something passed over his cousin's face. Sirius didn't recognise the emotion but it was gone before he could even register it.

"You're the spitting image of Uncle Orion," she said fondly.

That made Sirius puff up in pride. Father was the best person in the world after all. Most of the time. When he wasn't displeased anyways but the other person usually deserved it.

He nervously tugged at the cuff of his jumper; it was luxuriously soft. None of that scratchy nonsense from Madam Malkins, Twilfit and Tattings was the place to go. What did you say to a cousin that you had never met but felt like you already knew?

"Is he here yet, mum?" came an excited voice before he went tumbling to the ground.

"Nymphadora!" Andromeda scolded to the small person who had collided with him.

He was seeing an awful lot of colours. Sirius blinked and tried to push the person off him, she was right on top of him!

"Sorry," came the childish voice again and the pressure on his chest lifted as she stood up. "Need some help there?"

"Do you need any help," Andromeda corrected.

He heard a sulky huff as he brushed his hair out of his eyes. It was a mess now; Sirius hoped his mother didn't get a chance to see it. At least he could see again. He looked up to meet the grey eyes of a young girl about the same age as Reggie. She looked annoyed. She even had red hair pulled into pigtails to match. Not Weasley red hair, which was really ginger, but actual red. Like poppy red! It had traces of black at the tips. That were changing to different colours. There was yellow and blue and green and -

"Well?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

She turned to her mother and asked, "Did his head get messed up or something?"

Sirius picked himself up and glared at her.

"I'm fine," he said imperiously, dusting himself off and adjusting his clothes – there was no need to look like a ragamuffin even if he did go sprawling in the dirt.

That tone usually made people back away but she just giggled at him.

"You're even sillier in person," she said.

Andromeda coughed and they both looked at her. She appeared to be trying to hold back a grin.

"Are you two quite done?"

The two children looked each other up and down and Sirius got the sudden urge to laugh. Which he did. Uncontrollably. It made the girl break down into giggles as well.

Andromeda just sighed heavily and gestured towards her daughter.

"Sirius, meet your cousin; Nymphadora Tonks."

That sobered the gi-Nymphadora up. She stomped her foot and glared up at her mother.

"Dora, mum! It's Dora!"

"Nymphadora, we have been over this before. When introducing yourself you give your proper name and then you give your preferred way to be addressed."

"But- "

"Yes."

Sirius looked curiously on in shock. He would never have spoken to either of his parents that way. He just wouldn't. Shuddering at what would happen if he did, he focused back on his two cousins. He thought he was going to like them.

10:48

"If you aren't at the door in ten seconds, we're leaving without you!" bellowed Mary.

"Marlie isn't going to get to go to Hogwarts!" teased Teagan, her voice muffled due to the fact that she was under their bed looking for her shoes again.

Marlene gave her dear sister's bum a good kick and grinned in satisfaction at the "OW!" as Teagan bumped her head. Stupid sister. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, Marlene legged it down the stairs before Teagan managed to get out from under the bed.

Running down the hall, she narrowly avoided colliding with Kevin who just chuckled at their antics. She came to a skidding halt n front of her mother who was in the kitchen.

"Ready, Ma!" she chirped innocently, blue eyes wide.

Mary gave her a sceptical look from the counter where she was packing up the sandwiches her husband made for the children. She was no good at sandwiches apparently and it was to be their lunch on the train so he wanted them perfect.

"What did you do?" she demanded of her youngest daughter, neatly folding the brown paper and adding it to the ever-increasing pile.

"Nothing…."

"Uh huh, go help your father clean up," she instructed, landing a swat on her backside as she leapt across the room.

"What happened to the ten seconds?" Marlene asked cheekily from the safety of behind her dad,

Tierney McKinnon laughed and told her, "If we didn't give you lot a time limit nothing in this house would ever get done."

Marlene was about to give her parents an outraged look but thought about what they said and just shrugged.

"True," she admitted, gathering the dirty utensils – why did her dad have to use so many knives?

"MOTHER!" came the shrill call of Teagan.

"Please tell me someone knows where her shoes are," begged Patrick, sidling into the kitchen.

"Glad I'm not a part of this chaos anymore," said Kevin, following close behind. "I'm tempted to just stay behind and look after the animals."

That got him a cuff to the back of his head from his father.

"You'll do no such thing," he was scolded. "You know the whole family sees everyone off."

"Only teasing," Kevin assured him and a worried looking Marlene.

"Granda is going to be there, isn't he?" Marlene asked, biting her lip. She was incredibly close to him.

Tierney knelt down and tweaked her nose to reassure her, "Of course he is. He's going to meet us there."

"Good."

"MOTHER!"

Mary tutted up at the ceiling and brushed her hands off with a tea towel, "Honestly, that girl. I swear her shoes have been charmed to walk by themselves."

"Maybe that's why they keep running away from her," stage whispered Patrick. "They don't like the smell of her feet."

Ciaran suddenly came skidding in, uniform already rumpled and a worried look on his face.

"You know it's already ten to, right?" he asked.

They all looked at each other and laughed as they swept everything together and hurried towards the door.

Thank Merlin for Apparition and multiple licensed adults.

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