In a matter of seconds, her eldest brother's beautiful wedding had gone from a joyous occasion; a respite in all the death, to a moment of chaos and fear. She had been having a good time; despite the fact that she was disappointed that Harry had promised to stay away from her to protect her. The day would have been better if it was he who she was dancing with. The twins' friend Lee Jordan was a nice, funny guy and everything, but he was no Harry. One moment she was dancing; all she could hear was the laughter of people and the band playing on the other side of the marquee. The next, she heard screams; the sound of running and fighting now drowning out all else. Guests were disapparating; the protective enchantments broken. She was searching, not for her family, but for him. Harry. Her heart pounded as she pushed through the crowd looking for him; she just needed to know that he was safe. She finally spotted the youngest of her brothers, and then there he was. He did not look like himself, but she knew it was him. She was just about to reach him when she saw Hermione take his and Ron's hands and disappear.

The rest of the day was a blur; the interrogations from the death eater, her family repairing the damage. All she thought about was in that single moment, her whole world left her. He was gone. And now she did not know anything; where he was, what he was doing and whether he was safe or not.

It has now been four months since then. Four months since she has heard any word from him. The fear just gets worse and worse. She needed something; anything, to bring herself and her despairing family a little hope. To show them possibilities of a future.

Ginny looked around the living room. It was decorated for Christmas; the twins had tried to bring a little happiness to the Burrow. It did not work. The Christmas tree in the corner, the festive décor. None of it meant anything to her. The gaping holes where three members of the family should be sitting right now seemed bigger in the quiet. Her mother sat quietly in her chair, looking older with her worried lines surrounding her eyes. She knitted. Ginny could tell it was only an attempt to distract herself from worrying. Her father sat on his own chair, staring into the fire. He too could think of nothing else. The twins were unnaturally silent; like their father, they were staring into the fire. They knew their attempts at festivity did not work.

Suddenly, Ginny stood. Everyone's heads snapped in her direction.

"This has to stop." She said, "We have to keep some hope alive. What we are doing is giving up. They don't want us to. They want us to keep fighting just like they are."

"But they have been gone for months." Her mother whispered, "I need to know that they are alright."

"So do I!" Ginny yelled, suddenly angry. "I just wish we had some way to know that they are okay, and then we could fight harder."

No sooner had she finished speaking then there was a flash of light on the center table. Alert for the first time in days, her family all jumped to attention. All wands were trained where the light was slowly disappearing. As it dissolved, Ginny noticed a slip of paper and a notebook.

"Ginny, don't." began her father, but she was already picking up the note.

"Dear Arthur, Molly, Fred, George, and Ginny, I know you are all probably overwhelmed with worry right now about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, so I decided you needed a bit of a moral boost. This notebook is filled with a passage from my memory. It is written from my point of view and takes place about nineteen and a half years from now. I know this will help. The only thing you need to know before reading is this. WE WON! Love always, Harry James Potter, from the future." Ginny read aloud.

Her family all looked at her with shock frozen on their faces. Then Fred and George started yelling.

"WE WON! WooooHoooo! Yes, he did it! Harry actually did it! He beats Moldyshorts!" they were laughing and jumping and hugging each other and everyone.

That is when the fire place lit up green, and Bill and Fleur stepped out. They stood for a moment with slightly comical gaping mouths before asking what was going on. In answer, Ginny handed her brother the note before resuming her celebrating.

"Is this real?" He asked with excitement in his voice. "Wow, he actually does it!"

"Zen we should read zis notebook." Fleur yelled over the still shouting twins with excitement in her eyes.

It took a few minutes for the room to finally calm and sit down. Bill picked up the notebook.

"This is Harry's hand writing alright." He said, "Should I begin?"

They all nodded and he started.

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September

"First of September." Said Ginny curiously, "It's the first day of school."

was crisp as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station,

"Must be Platform-"

"-Nine and Three-"

"-quarters." Finished the twins together.

the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed fearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.

Redheaded girl? Ginny thought, trying not to get her hopes up.

"She sounds just like Ginny did every year up until she could go." Laughed George.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.

"Wow, ickle Harrykins is a daddy. Never thought I'd see the day that happened." Fred joked.

"Yeah," agreed George, "Who would want to marry a scrawny git like him, anyway?"

"Boys!" yelled Molly before Bill continued reading.

"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"

"That's so sweet," said Mrs. Weasley tearfully. "He named his little girl after his mum."

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Albus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car.

"Albus?" said Bill. "He named his son Albus?"

"Well, he did have quite a different relationship with Dumbledore than the rest of us." Said Arthur, "They were close. Albus Dumbledore was like a grandfather to Harry."

The rest of the family nodded in agreement.

"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"

"James,

"And after his father as well." Cried Molly, "That boy is too sweet."

give it a rest!" said Ginny.

"WHAT?" shouted everyone at Ginny.

Inside, Ginny felt as if her heart would burst. She married Harry. That must mean he really does love me too! She was overwhelmed with excitement.

She then noticed her family's shocked faces.

"Since when is anything going on between you two?" asked Bill, who was still in shock.

Ginny sighed.

"Since the last quidditch match of last year. Well, there is nothing anymore, or at least right now. He broke it off with me at Dumbledore's funeral because he's a noble git. He said that it was too dangerous to be with me and he had a job to do."

"That boy will do anything to make sure everyone else it safe; especially the people he cares about most." Cried Molly, before getting up and hugging her daughter tightly. "Oh my baby is a mother. You're married to Harry. Oh, I always knew you two would be great together, dear! I'm a grandmother. Oh, Arthur, we're grandparents!"

Arthur smiled widely, trying to ignore the twins' laughter at their mother's antics, before joining in the hug.

Fleur had tears in her eyes as well as Bill continued reading.

"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth-"

"Sounds like a trouble maker to me," said Molly, finally able to get a control on her emotions. Fred and George high-fived.

"Well, think about it," said Ginny. "He is the nephew of the Weasley twins and the grandson of a Marauder. He is also named after at least one Marauder, too. Because I think if his first name is James, his middle name has to be Sirius."

The twins started to high-five once more, but then froze.

"Did you say Marauder?" they asked together.

"Oh didn't you know." Said Ginny smirking mischievously, "Harry's dad was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, and Remus is Moony. And Pettigrew was Wormtail."

They gasped dramatically. "We were taught by a Marauder. We met two of them. This is an epic day!"

The family laughed.

"And I also have a feeling that those two corrupted James, too." Said Bill, as Ginny groaned. But Arthur was thoughtful.

"James Sirius Potter." He said, "You know, it has a nice ring to it."

"You're right, dad, it does." Ginny smiled. Bill continued to read.

But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent.

"Wow, Gin, it looks like you turned into mum." Laughed George

"And just what do you mean by that, George Fabian Weasley."

The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother,

"Yes, he definitely sounds like a James Potter." Chuckled Arthur.

James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Good thinking," said Arthur as Ginny quietly said, "Of course we will."

Molly smiled.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

"Not every day," said Albus quickly, "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"Listen to him, Mum," said George, chuckling.

Ginny glared at him.

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

"Who doesn't?" grinned the twins together.

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.

"I wonder who he'z looking for." Said Fleur.

"Who else would he be looking for?" said Fred

"Yeah, Ron and Hermione of course." Said George

"If Ronnie is on the platform, that means more grandchildren!" squealed Molly, much to the amusement to the others.

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly.

But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud, Harry thought he head Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello.

"Why would anyone want to say hello to that git, anyway?" said Fred. No one had an answer but Molly frowned sadly.

"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly.

A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.

Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.

"Already wearing her robes?" said Fred.

"One guess who that is." Said George.

Ginny laughed at the thought of another Hermione.

"Wait!" yelled Molly smiling widely, "It said a group of four people, as in a family. That would mean…" she trailed off.

Everyone smiled and motioned for Bill to continue.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione

"That just confirms they are married!" exclaimed Molly with more tears in her eyes. Everyone laughed happily.

didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound the examiner."

"So do we." Said the twins

"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry,

"Ronald!" corrected Molly instinctively. Everyone laughed.

as together they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

"I guess that makes sense." Said Arthur.

Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother,

"Hugo?" asked the twins incredulously, "Who would name their kid Hugo?"

No one had an answer except Ginny, who laughed. When everyone looked at her, she said, "Hermione likes this muggle author named Victor Hugo…"

George cut in, "And we know why they couldn't go with Victor…"

Fred, Ginny and Bill, who had heard the story before, laughed.

having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."

"Ronald!" yelled Molly again, while the Weasley siblings laughed.

"Ron!"

"Well, Hermione doesn't change much." Laughed Ginny.

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.

"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny, but Ron was no longer paying attention.

"Of course not." Said Fleur sarcastically as Molly and Ginny shook their heads.

Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

Draco Malfoy

"Git." Said the twins.

was standing there with his wife and son,

"Eww!" exclaimed the twins, "The ferret actually procreated."

a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry.

Ginny smiled at the thought of her son looking exactly like Harry.

Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.

"Wow, did you actually-"

"-act civilly to-"

"-Malfoy." The twins finished together.

Ginny was too shocked to answer.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath.

"Scorpius?" said Ginny incredulously.

"That poor kid." Said Bill, "I feel sorry for him." The rest of the family nodded in agreement.

"Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

Ginny, Fred and George laughed at their brother's antics.

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"Those two sure don't change, do they?" laughed Ginny.

"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

Everyone laughed at Arthur nodding in agreement.

"It would be nice to have a muggle in the family."

"Oh, Arthur."

"Hey!"

James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly,

"Teddy?" asked Ginny. Her parents and twin brothers looked confused but Bill and Fleur smiled.

"Zat is what Tonks and Remus are Zinking of naming zeire leetle baby if eet ees a boy." She answered the unspoken question.

pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

"I guess he is seeing someone off." Laughed Arthur.

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin!

"Cousin?" asked Molly excitedly, "Another grandchild!"

"I wonder whose she is?" asked Bill, but Fleur smiled at him.

"Bill, Victoire is a French name for Victory." Fleur explained.

Everyone laughed as Bill paled considerably.

And I asked Teddy what he was doing -"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are so like Ron -"

"So true." Mumbled Ginny.

"- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, I think he succeeded with that." Molly laughed.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry "Why don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with it?"

"Why would he visit so often?" Ginny asked worried for her friends.

"Don't worry, Gin." Said Bill, "Remus also said they have decided to make Harry his godfather."

The family all smiled at that.

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al-Teddy could have my room!"

"Wow, he must really like Teddy then." Said Arthur, amused at his future grandson's antics.

"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

"Way to put it, Harry dear." Molly chuckled.

He checked the battered old watch that had once been Fabian Prewett's.

Molly smiled at the fact that the boy she thought of as a son still kept an old gift from her for that long.

"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him.

"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"

"Neville's a professor?" smiled Ginny, "That's good for him. It's probably Herbology; he's really good at that."

"But you know Neville-"

James rolled his eyes.

"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . ."

Everyone laughed at that.

Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.

Ginny groaned slightly at how her future son acted. Stifling a laugh, Molly put her arm around her daughter.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"

Ginny shook her head at her future sons. The twins smiled mischievously at their future nephew; they liked how troublesome he seemed.

But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him,

"Permitted?" asked Ginny raising an eyebrow.

gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny kissed Albus good-bye.

"See you at Christmas."

"Bye, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you're learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"Good advice." Said Arthur.

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.

Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes.

Ginny and Molly shared a smile at that.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly,

"Bloody Hell!" exclaimed the twins jumping up and going on a rant about Snape.

"Why would you let him name your son after that git?" asked Bill incredulously.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Ginny who was shocked and slightly angry at the thought.

After a few minutes of chaos and ranting about how horrible Snape was, everyone settled down enough, though they were still fuming, to let Bill resume the story.

so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"What?" exclaimed everyone.

"More like the biggest git!" yelled the twins

"Quiet!" yelled Ginny as she sensed more screaming about to start, "I don't know why my son is named after that git, but I want to find out more. And I am sure that Harry had a very good reason for this. So please, just ignore it like I am trying to do, and keep reading."

"But just say-"

"-then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matter to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Does it matter to you, Gin?" asked Bill curiously.

Ginny thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Harry.

"Really?" asked Arthur.

Ginny nodded, being the only one who he has ever told that to.

He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the door were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Albus jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Harry.

"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Did you no tell him?" asked Bill laughing, "That kid is going to be in for a lot of attention. Especially since Harry defeated You-Know-Who."

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed.

As did everyone in the room.

The train began to more, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him. . .

"It never goes away." Molly smiled sadly, sharing a look with her husband.

The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.

"He'll be alright," murmured Ginny.

As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.

"I know he will."

The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.

"Wow."

That one word from Fred was enough to sum up what everyone was feeling. They couldn't believe that this was going to happen. They were going to win and go on with their lives. No doubt they would lose some friends, but it would be worth it to win. And looking around at her family, Ginny realized that it worked. They found something to give them hope; something to fight for. They were fighting for this future. This sure possibility of a future.