"Promise you'll write, and stay out of trouble, and listen to Percy, and all the teachers, and get your homework done, and don't go into the Forbidden Forest, stay away from the Whomping Willow, and-" Lily was cut off by James.
"Really, Lily, don't you want your son to have fun?" he asked.
"Well, of course, but I want him to be safe." Lily replied. "Oh, and no dueling the other students!"
"I promise, Mum." Harry grinned.
Brittany sniffed, but tried to turn it into a sneeze.
"Britt." Harry said. "Soon you'll be going too. Just one year!"
"I want to go now." she whispered.
"Don't cry, Britt." Harry hugged her. "I'll write for your birthday, and I'll be home for Christmas and Easter.
"What about Halloween?" Brittany asked.
"I can't come home then. There's school." Harry hugged her again. "It'll be Christmas before you know it."
"Okay." Brittany sighed. "Write every day."
"Maybe not every day." Harry said.
"Yes every day!" Brittany exclaimed. "I want to know everything that happens every day!"
"Okay, fine, Britt." Harry finally agreed. "Every day."
"Bye, Harry." Lily said, hugging him.
"Make good use of the cloak and map. And that new ability of yours." James said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I didn't give 'em to you for nothing."
"I will, Dad." Harry said, hugging him too.
The train whistled, and conductors started closing the doors.
"Go on, Harry." Lily hugged him one last time. "Have fun."
"Bye!" Harry called over his shoulder, and boarded the train, finally on his way to Hogwarts.
--------------------------------------------------
"So how was your summer?" Ron asked.
"It was good. Nothing much happened. Everything was normal. Don't look at me like that!" Harry turned defensive.
"Okay, okay." Ron gave him a strange look, then turned to Natalie. "How about you?"
"It was good. Nothing much happened." Natalie said. "Everything was normal. Just like any other summer." she shrugged. "My house is a boring place to be."
"Your house isn't boring!" Harry exclaimed. "Your house is really fun! You're the only person I know who owns a wizarding amusement park."
"Well, you live with James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Brittany." Natalie countered. "I bet your house is a lot funner than mine."
Harry snorted. "Doubtful."
Ron sighed. "Let's stop this, 'your house is funner than my house' and just enjoy the ride, m'kay?"
Harry and Natalie laughed.
"By the way, Harry, I saw your sister say goodbye to you." Natalie added. "She's not so bad. It was pretty adorable."
"Well, now I have to write her every night, telling her everything that happened." Harry sighed. "She means well."
"Also, Harry," Ron started. "I heard your dad say something about 'that new ability of yours'? What was he talking about?"
"Um, nothing." Harry said, a bit too quickly.
Ron raised his eyebrows.
"He was just joking, Ron." Harry said, in a more convincing tone.
"Really?" Ron asked, looking surprised. "I thought he would've actually done something..."
"Well, he didn't!" Harry replied, trying to sound cheery. "Wanna play Exploding Snap?"
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