Everybody quiets down when they see Draco curled up with Dad in the big chair. He's asleep and Mum drops a kiss on his forehead.

"Bad trip?"

"Yeah, I don't know which is worse. When they're 'aware' or when they're not. And we had a fool young healer who was telling Draco he shouldn't be allowed to come visit his parents, it bothered them."

"They're wandering the wards and their son visiting is bothering them?" Alice snorts.

"Yeah, one of the older healers heard the little prick and really let him have it. He'll get his attitude knocked out of him soon enough."

In his room Harry lets Crookshanks out of his carrier, the kitten walking across the bed as he brings out the supplies and sets up the litter box in the corner of the room. He turns around to see Crooky and Hedwig eyeing each other. He looks towards the door and sees him Mum nodding in approval.

"Good, after lunch you can start getting your trunk ready for Hogwarts. Don't forget, you can't . . ."

"Call them aunt and uncle anymore, it's Professor or Madam." Harry grins. He'd grown up calling the professors aunt and uncle, they'd all swarmed over Hogwarts during the summer when Mum had gone for meetings to go over the next year's classes. Neville had fallen instantly in love with the greenhouses at the school and Aunt Pomona had instantly taken him under her wing, he's already got plans for the commercial business when he graduates. Aunts Minny and Rolanda were arguing over Harry, one wanting him to get a transfiguration Masters and the other wanting him to play quidditch professionally. Mum had just laughed and said he could do both if he was anything like Lily. Even James had finally figured out that he had to knuckle down and concentrate on his schoolwork.

After lunch Harry, Draco, and Neville start working on their trunks, putting their schoolbooks, uniforms, casual clothes for when they're not in class, and supplies away. Draco and Harry smirk as they put their quidditch and quadpot supplies in their trunk along with their brooms. They might not be able to play on their house teams until they're second years but there's still pick up games as long as the weather is good.

A few days later Dad takes all three boys to Gringott's, but this time things are different. Draco and Harry put their heir rings on and attend a meeting about how the Potter and Malfoy estates are being handled for them. After the meeting they eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry being hugged by his godfather Sirius Black.

"I thought you were busy at the ICW meeting?"

"It's a free weekend, I gotta head back in a couple days for the rest of the whining. But I wasn't about to miss seeing my Godson off to Hogwarts for the first time. Be sure to cause as much hell as we did in school kids, somebody's got to keep them on their toes."

Frank shakes his head but laughs. "The Weasley twins have that well in hand from the stories I've heard."

"I've heard the same stories, that's why they're going to be working for me and Remus at the business next year during the summer with their Mum's permission. She's glad they're turning their 'inventedness' to something beyond causing trouble at the school. They've already got plans for the money, part of it's being put aside for their future business after they finish their schooling, part of it going for their schooling, and a small percentage being used for fun stuff. I'd have liked them to put more money away for that but they're being responsible." He says the last word with a shudder.

"So speaks the man who started his own business with his friends in school that's become international over the last fifteen years." Frank chuckles. "Not to mention buying out Zonko's."

"And I suppose you didn't take over a failing supplier and turn it around. Even with being one of the top Aurors in the country. . .let alone becoming the head Auror." Sirius chuckles.

The next morning the Longbottoms, Sirius, and Remus see the kids off at station 9 3/4, the boys grabbing a large compartment as they wait for Ron and his brothers to arrive.

"And it's another close call for the Weasley clan." Neville says like he's announcing a football score. "Do you do it deliberately?" The Weasleys getting on the train at the last second is almost a legend.

"Mum got busy making lunch and sobbing on all of us, we're 'getting sooooo big'." Ron rolls his eyes as the boys help him put his trunk up. "Dad says to let her fuss, it makes her feel better about us going away. Ginny gave me this look like I was a traitor because I got to escape and she's still at home another year. But then she's the baby and only girl so it's going to be even worse next year. So you ready for Hogwart? The twins have been giving me horror stories about what we need to do to be sorted into houses."

"Can't be any worse than the stories the girls have been telling us." Neville snorts. The pet containers are opened and they start meowing, ribbiting, or hooting at each other. There's a tap on the door and two boys and a few girls their age peer around the door. "Can we join you, we heard that you're first years too?"

"Yeah, come on in. I'm Neville Longbottom, these are my brothers Harry and Draco and our friend Ron. He's got three older brothers on the train and we've got three older sisters."

"Damn, that's large families." one of the boys says. "I'm Dean Thomas and this is Seamus Finnegan."

"Not for us." One of the Indian girls says. "We have five sisters and three brothers. I'm Padma Patil and this is my sister Pavarti. This is Lavender Brown."

"There's seven in Ron's family, the two oldest are through school and working, with a sister at home starting school next year. We have six younger sisters at home and a younger brother with Mum pregnant again."

"Longbottom? Related to the headmistress?"

"Our Mum, our Da's the head of the Magical Law Enforcement." Harry says. "She's not at the school this year since the baby's due in a few weeks." A tap at the door brings some old friends.

"Everybody, this is Susan Bones, the niece of the Minister of Magic and Hannah Abbott."

"Hello everybody. Harry, are the class sessions still happening with your Mum not here?"

"Sessions?"

"A bunch of us who went to non-magical schools have gotten together to go over our classes. Yes, Professor McGonagall says she, Professor Flitwick, and Madam Sprout will take turns as monitors if we need any help. This way we keep current with our mundane classes as well as the magical ones."

"Can I beg a spot? My parents would be over the moon to find out I can keep up with school. That's one of the concerns about Hogwarts." Dean asks. "Mum went to Hogwarts but we live in the non-magical world."

Draco nods. "Some of the older families home-school their children, the Weasleys among them. This allows those students to keep up. Professor McGonagall's the Deputy Headmistress. Talk to her and she'll contact your school to get the class assigments."

"Do they transfer?"

"If your school accepts them, yes."

The others head off to eat their own lunches as the train trip passes and everybody scrambles to put on their uniforms before the train arrives at the station.

"First Y'ars over here."

"Hello Hagrid." Harry says, throwing his arms around one of the man's legs, Neville and Draco following suit. He pets their hair and gets everybody settled in the boats for the trip to Hogwarts.

"You've been here before?" Padma asks when Harry and his brothers don't ooh and ahhh over their first sight of their school.

"Yeah, Mom brought us up during the summers when she had to attend meetings. We ran all over the school getting into things we probably shouldn't have. The teachers have been waiting for a couple of years so they officially teach us."

Dean and Seamus talk to Professor McGonagall a few minutes before she leaves to check on the returning students then bring in the new first years when everybody's settled. They're soon sorted into their new houses and take their seats at tables before Professor McGonagall starts to talk.