Harry Potter: Another Chance

Chapter 447: Epilogue: Time Passes

Chapter 447: Epilogue: Time Passes

Disclaimer: 

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I make.

“Dialogue”

‘Thoughts’

-Author notes-

Chapter 447: Epilogue: Time Passes

9 Years Later, Loch Eilt, Scotland

“Hello, old friend,” James knelt down and placed a pair of socks on top of the stone plate.

“We should have brought flowers,” Lily frowned. “This seems disrespectful.”

James shrugged. “He liked socks. What can I do?”

Their eyes went back to the tomb in front of them.

The plaque bore the name Albus Dumbledore alongside the date of his death, just two years prior. The former Headmaster of Hogwarts had retired a few months after Harry's departure, leaving McGonagall in charge of the school.

“You think he at least enjoyed his last years?” James asked.

“I mean… it’s hard to say since we didn’t see him much. He was always traveling around. But we did speak to him in his last year, and he seemed… happy,” Lily said.

“I suppose. I hope he didn’t have any regrets.” James sounded somewhat bitter. He couldn’t think of death without thinking of his son, Harry, and how he had died so young.

Unlike Dumbledore, Harry probably still had so much he wanted to do.

“James…” Lily placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder, already knowing what he was thinking because she felt the same way. “Tonight, Holly comes back home.” She tried to change the subject to something that would lift his spirits.

“Right! I almost forgot. Wait… tonight? Shouldn’t the train be back in the afternoon?”

“Yes, but Lyra and their friends wanted to celebrate. I think they had reservations at some fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley,” Lily said.

“Ah… I can’t believe our little daughter has already graduated. Time sure flies,” James sighed.

“It does,” Lily agreed. “But hey, we still have another one t—”

“Mom! Dad!” A young red-headed boy with amber eyes came rushing toward them.

“Hey, what did I tell you about running in the cemetery?” James said.

“Oh… sorry.” The boy looked down.

“I thought you were going exploring?” Lily asked.

The boy shrugged. “I did, but… I was getting bored. There’s nothing interesting to see here.”

“It’s a small island. We can visit London after this if you want,” James suggested.

“You were talking about Hogwarts, right? Holly was coming back today,” the boy said.

“That’s right, but you probably won’t see your sister until tomorrow,” Lily told him.

“And when am I going to Hogwarts?” he asked.

James glanced at his wife. “Why is everyone so impatient to go to school? When I was a kid, I only wanted to play with my friends.”

Lily knelt down next to her son. “You’ll go in less than three years. Trust me, time will pass faster if you don’t think about it. And before you know it… you’ll be on the train, on your way to Hogwarts.”

“Will I be in Gryffindor?” he asked.

“There are no guarantees on that,” James said.

“But… I want to be in the same house as all my siblings. Harry was there too, right?” He had heard so many stories about his oldest brother that he almost felt like he’d met him already.

At this point, there were more books about Harry Potter than The Boy Who Lived.

“It doesn’t matter what house you get in. We will always be proud of you,” Lily assured him.

“Yes, and to be fair, I still think that Holly should have been put in Ravenclaw,” James commented.

Lily flinched. The reason Holly was put in Gryffindor was that she had threatened the Sorting Hat. It had been one of her few acts of rebellion. But she had been very adamant about being in the same house as Harry.

“And she was made Head Girl…” Lily muttered.

“Huh?…” The boy looked confused.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about the sorting, Hadrian. I’m sure that no matter what house you end up in, you’ll have a great time at Hogwarts,” Lily said.

“Yes!” Hadrian F. Potter said with excitement.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

King’s Cross Station

The train from Hogwarts arrived just in time. The doors opened, and students began rushing out into the station, eager to meet their families.

A red-headed girl in her mid-twenties was seated on one of the benches, continuing to look toward the train doors as she fiddled with her wand. She wore the latest model of reinforced combat robes, and a golden Auror badge hung from her neck.

“Come on… don’t tell me you’re going to be last,” the girl huffed with annoyance.

The students walking around the station glanced at her and murmured loudly amongst themselves, but none dared approach her or speak directly to her.

“It’s her…”

“I know, it’s…”

“Potter…”

The girl’s green eyes sharpened as she turned to the nearby students who were obviously talking about her.

“What? Do you have something to say?”

The students started and quickly scurried away.

“Tsk…” The girl went back to staring at the train.

The rush of students had diminished considerably now, indicating the train was almost empty.

Finally, the last two students exited through the doors, which closed behind them. A boy and a girl, both senior students, had red badges on their robes with the words Head Boy and Head Girl respectively.

They exchanged a few words before the boy walked away, leaving the girl alone. She began scanning the crowd but didn’t have to look long to find the person she was searching for, sitting alone on a bench and staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

“Oops…” The girl hurried over to the bench. “Sorry, Lyra. Did I make you wait?”

“Yeah, you made me wait! Why did you have to come out last?” Lyra huffed.

The girl’s amber eyes shifted away from her sister. “Well, you know, it was my duty to make sure everyone got safely off the train before I did.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Holly, you just finished school. You need to stop taking everything so seriously.”

Holly’s eyes snapped back to her, and she crossed her arms. “I will not do that. And even if I’ve finished my education at Hogwarts, I still have a long way to go. Next year, I’m beginning my Master’s in Golemancy under Professor Wagner in Germany.”

Lyra sighed, knowing there was no point in telling her sister to relax more. Holly had been dedicated to her studies since her first year.

“Take it easy for today, at least. We’re all going to Diagon Alley to celebrate. Victoria reserved a table for us at that fancy restaurant near the bank.”

“Speaking of taking it easy…” Holly glanced at her sister up and down. “Why are you in full combat garb? You’re not on duty, right?”

Lyra raised her wand. “Constant vigilance!.” She stood from the bench and offered her arm to Holly. “Come on.”

“Wait, can’t I at least stop at home to change? And I need to store my luggage,” Holly said.

“Just call your elf to take care of the luggage. And I’m sure you can change the look of your robes yourself,” Lyra replied.

Holly furrowed her brow. She wanted to shower first but didn’t want to keep her friends waiting. “Dobby!”

The elf appeared with a loud pop. “Holly Mistress Potter! What can Dobby do for you?”

“You could get her name right, for once…” Lyra muttered.

“Hi!” Holly greeted the house-elf warmly.

After being freed by Harry, Dobby didn’t waste time returning to the Potter Manor, where he requested to bond with Holly. Other than Harry, she had been the one Dobby grew closest to during their time together at the house.

“Can you take care of this?” Holly handed over her large luggage case. “And tell Mom and Dad I’ll be home tonight.”

“But not too early,” Lyra added. “After dinner, we’re going drinking and dancing.”

Holly grimaced at the thought. She wasn’t as fond of partying as her sister.

Once Dobby disappeared, she looked down at her school robes. With a wave of her wand, the robes transformed into elegant attire: a long black skirt and a silk jacket.

“Geez, you’re only seventeen and already dressing like a thirty-year-old,” Lyra teased.

“Careful, Lyra. You’re almost thirty yourself,” Holly shot back.

“I’m only twenty-four!” Lyra exclaimed.

Holly glanced around the station. Most students and parents had already left, so she didn’t worry about her ‘proper girl’ image being tarnished by arguing with her sister. “Okay, let’s go.” She stepped closer to Lyra and grabbed her arm.

The two sisters disappeared from the station.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

“Huh? The bar?” Holly was surprised to find herself at the apparition point for the Leaky Cauldron rather than the one inside Diagon Alley, which was closer to the restaurant Lyra mentioned.

“Yes, I need to pick up my husband first,” Lyra said, venturing inside the building.

The bar was lively despite nighttime being hours away. Patrons played games, drank butterbeer, and chatted at the tables.

Lyra headed straight for the counter, with Holly trailing behind.

“Oh! Agent Potter,” the bartender greeted her warmly.

“Hello, Tom. Everything quiet today?” Lyra asked, her eyes scanning the room.

“Everything’s fine. I still haven’t properly thanked you for the other day. You and your partner, the weird blonde one... really saved my bar.”

Lyra shrugged. “ Luna, and it was nothing, just a couple of drunk fools who shouldn’t have access to wands.”

“I still owe you one. Can I get you something? It’s on the house, unless you’re on duty,” Tom added, noting her combat robes and badge.

“Not on duty, but no thanks. I’m just looking for my husband. He said he’d be here.”

Tom pointed to the far corner. “He’s over there with his friend.”

Lyra thanked him and walked away. Soon, they spotted Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley deep in conversation.

“Ron, I don’t think that’s true,” Neville said.

“I’m telling you! She was totally checking me out during dinner,” Ron insisted.

“But Fleur is married to Bill!” Neville argued, sounding exasperated.

“I swear, I—oh, the party pooper’s here,” Ron muttered when he noticed Lyra approaching.

“Is that what I am now?” Lyra crossed her arms.

“Hey, come on, don’t call her that,” Neville said apologetically before turning to his wife. “Sorry.”

Lyra shrugged and kissed Neville on the cheek. “It’s fine.” She glanced at the counter, noting the numerous empty beer mugs. Most of them were undoubtedly Ron’s, as Neville wasn’t much of a drinker. 'Great…' She thought.

“Anyway, we should get going. The girls are probably waiting for us,” Lyra said.

“Right, we sh—”

“Is that little Holly?” Ron’s eyes fixated on the younger Potter sister. “Whoa… you’ve grown a lot since I last saw you.”

“It’s been a while, Ron,” Holly said politely, though her tone carried a hint of reluctance. Ron was easily her least favorite Weasley.

Ron smirked and raised his half-empty mug. “Why don’t you join us and have a drink? You’re an adult now, right?”

Lyra snapped, stepping between Holly and Ron. “She’s seventeen.” She jabbed a finger at Ron. “And you'd better stop ogling her like a piece of meat before I—”

“Okay, okay!” Neville interjected, hurrying to calm his wife. “We need to go anyway. We can catch up this weekend,” he told Ron.

Ron shrugged. “Pfft. Whatever.” He turned his attention back to his drink.

As they exited the bar, Lyra turned to Tom. “Hey, Tom. Don’t serve that redhead guy in the corner anything else today. He’s had enough.”

“You got it!” Tom gave her a thumbs-up.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

They passed through the brick gates and ventured into Diagon Alley proper. The shopping district had become much busier over the last few years since the threat of the Death Eaters had disappeared, and everyone felt safer venturing out.

There was also a new addition at the center of the alley, right before Gringotts.

A metallic statue of one particular wizard had been erected in the middle of the busiest intersection so everyone could admire it.

“Urgh… It’s so tacky,” Lyra cringed at the statue.

“I don’t know why you don’t like it. They did a good job capturing his expression.” Neville glanced at the statue.

It had only been placed there two years prior by order of the Minister of Magic, but most people seemed to like it.

Holly smiled at the statue and approached it.

At the base of the statue was a large tray where people often left offerings and gifts. Above it, a plaque depicted the name of the wizard, as well as his many accomplishments.

“Hey, Harry,” Holly said as she looked up at the face of the statue. She pulled her wand out and conjured a small golem, similar to the first one her brother had created for her, and placed it on the tray. “It should last for a week at least. I’ll visit you again soon.”

“Holly… come on…” Lyra noticed they were attracting a lot of stares. This always happened when people recognized them as the Potter sisters.

Holly nodded and hurried to her sister’s side.

“That’s not his tomb, you know? It’s kinda weird when you do that,” Lyra whispered.

Harry didn’t have a tomb at all. This was because, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, he wasn’t dead but had gone on a long journey across the world for research. At least, that’s what the Minister came up with.

Only a few knew the truth.

“I know, but… I feel a bit closer to him when I do. I wish I could tell him so many things.” Holly lamented that Harry had left when she was so young and couldn’t witness her accomplishments.

“Holly…” Neville looked at her with pity. He had a lot of experience when it came to losing family members.

“Oi, over here!”

They looked ahead and spotted Luna and Astoria. Luna was enthusiastically waving at them, while Astoria realized her friend’s shouting had attracted a lot of attention.

“Lyra! Over here!” Luna waved excitedly from a nearby café.

“Psst! Luna, stop it! They’ve already seen us,” Astoria said, looking embarrassed.

“Hey,” Holly greeted the two girls. She hadn’t seen them since the Christmas party at the Ministry.

“Hello, Holly. You’re all grown up already,” Luna chuckled.

“It hasn’t been that long since we—”

“Congratulations! You graduated first in your class, right?” Astoria interrupted.

Holly looked a bit nervous. “Um… yes, I—”

“Why are you two sitting here?” Lyra cut in. “I thought we were going to that restaurant.” She pointed at the fancy location just a little ahead.

“Apparently, there was some problem with our reservation or something like that. Ginny already went to take care of it. Don’t worry,” Luna said nonchalantly.

“Ginny is already here? What about Victoria?” Lyra asked.

“Isn’t that Victoria?” Holly said, looking back toward the bank.

A black-haired beauty had just come out, closely followed by a young girl carrying a large stack of papers.

“Yep, that’s Lady Black, all right,” Lyra said.

“Is that a new assistant? I’ve never seen her before,” Holly asked.

“I guess. She gets a new one every month or so,” Lyra pointed out.

Victoria recognized them quickly and walked toward them while her assistant struggled to keep up.

“Vicky!” Holly was the first to greet her. She ran up to her and gave her a warm hug. “I missed you so much!”

Victoria smiled. “I missed you too, my dear.”

To Holly, Victoria had always been more like an aunt than a sister, and the two of them were very close.

“And I have something to congratulate you for your amazing performance at Hogwarts.” Victoria turned to her assistant. “Give me the thing.”

“The thing?” The assistant looked lost.

“The present for Holly. Come on, it’s in bag number three.”

“Oh… number three…” The assistant tried balancing the papers in one hand while fumbling with her ring. “Number three should be this…”

The ring transformed into a large bag, which the assistant barely caught before handing it over.

Victoria didn’t look very impressed.

“I bet she gets another assistant by next week,” Luna whispered to Astoria.

“That’s rude!” Astoria whispered back.

“Let’s see… oh, here it is!” Victoria said with excitement, pulling out a leather case with an intricate design. “Here, my dear. I’m sure these will come in handy in your near future.”

Holly opened the case and was surprised by the contents. “Vick… this is…”

Inside was a complete set of rune-carving tools. Even an amateur could tell they were nothing ordinary.

“They’re made with a mixture of Magicite and Goblin Steel. The tips were crafted with the claws of the last ancient red dragon and designed by a renowned expert from France,” Victoria explained.

“Isn’t this too much?” Holly hesitated, not wanting to imagine how much they had cost.

“Nothing is too much for you,” Victoria said with a smile she rarely showed in public.

In the Wizengamot Court, she was known for her cold and calculating persona instead.

“Here, take this back.” Victoria handed the bag to her assistant. “Leave everything in my office, and you can retire for the day. I have private matters to attend to now.”

“Y-Yes, Lady Black! Immediately.” The assistant grabbed all her belongings and hurried away.

“It’s difficult to find competent personnel…” Victoria sighed.

“Maybe you’re too exigent,” Lyra suggested.

“Nonsense. There is nothing wrong with expecting the best for what I pay them.” Victoria glanced Lyra up and down. “Please, tell me you are not planning to have dinner in full combat garb… This is a fancy restaurant.”

“You think they won’t let me in?” Lyra asked.

“I didn’t say that, but…”

They all heard hurried steps approaching and turned just in time to see Ginny arriving. She did not look very happy.

“What’s wrong?” Holly asked.

“Yes, what’s wrong, Gin? Did someone offend you? I will have them punished,” Victoria promised.

“What’s wrong… is that you bought the whole restaurant!” Ginny exclaimed, pointing at Victoria.

“Of course, you asked me to,” Victoria responded with an innocent expression.

“I asked you to make reservations!” Ginny wanted to shout more but refrained, aware of the attention they were already attracting in the crowded street.

“I was going to do that, but then I discovered that the Rosiers also had a reservation for tonight on the top floor. And I refuse to share the air with those people after what they said to you during the Christmas Party,” Victoria huffed.

“Isn’t buying the restaurant a bit of an overreaction?” Neville asked.

“Not at all. It is a flourishing business, and it will be even better in my hands. I’ll consider it an investment,” Victoria assured him.

“Okay…” Ginny felt a bit less angry now that she understood the reasoning. “But can you consult me next time? Please?”

“Sure.” Victoria moved closer and held her hand.

“Can we go now? I’m starving…” Lyra complained.

“Excuse me, Miss Weasley?” Two young boys approached them.

“Yes?” Ginny turned to them.

One of the boys held out a small piece of parchment. “Can you sign this, please?”

“Ah… of course.” Ginny was more than used to this. She pulled her wand from the holster and used it to mark the paper.

“The Holyhead Harpies are our favorite Quidditch team!” one of the boys said.

“Yeah! And you’re the best Seeker in the world!” the other added.

“I appreciate your support.” Ginny handed the autograph back to the boys, who thanked her profusely.

Once they were out of earshot, Ginny then whispered to herself, “I can think of at least one better Seeker than me, though.”

“All right, let’s go,” Victoria said.

Holly and Lyra followed closely behind.

“They’re an odd couple. Do you think those two will get married one day?” Luna asked Astoria.

“Should you be talking about marriage like that? It’s only been six months since you got divorced,” Astoria pointed out.

Luna didn’t seem bothered. “Didn’t work out. My Crumple-Horned Snorkack didn’t get along with his… ehm… what did he call them? I forgot.”

“Maybe next time, you should date someone who doesn’t see imaginary creatures,” Astoria suggested.

Luna chuckled. “Now, where’s the fun in that?”

“Come on, don’t fall behind,” Holly called to them.

“Yeah, tonight is going to be a fun night! Let’s go!” Lyra exclaimed with excitement.