The Hogwarts Express whistled one last time before screeching to a halt at Platform 9 ¾. The air filled with steam, laughter, and hurried footsteps. As the train began to slow, dozens of students rushed to get off, some even before it had come to a full stop—earning instant scoldings from nearby adults.
In contrast, Harry and his small group stepped off calmly, smiling among themselves as they took in the familiar blend of the Muggle world and the magical.
"There they are!" Susan's cheerful voice called out. The children turned to see their parents waiting with warm smiles and open arms.
"You had too much fun without us watching over you, didn't you?" Susan teased as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug.
"Yeah, quite a bit. We managed to have the Headmaster publicly insulted by Mrs. Flamel in front of all the students," Daphne replied with a triumphant grin, while Astoria clung to her leg, refusing to let go.
"Is that all?" Wanda asked with a soft smile, though the raised eyebrow made it clear she wasn't buying the act. Her eyes turned directly to her son.
Harry looked away toward his friends. They were all giving him the exact same look: Don't. Say. A. Word. About. The. Troll.
They didn't want their families to worry, and besides, they wanted to handle things themselves. Though, knowing Harry, he'd likely already done something about it.
"Just some noisy things... Oh, and Red came with us," he added with an innocent smile.
Wanda squinted slightly and turned her head toward the small red dragon trying to hide behind Harry. As soon as Red caught Wanda's gaze, he crept out with a coy wiggle of his tail and rubbed his head against her leg affectionately.
"Yeah, I noticed. Especially when he disappeared after destroying my entire wardrobe," Wanda said in a flat tone, glaring at Red—who kept wagging his tail and pretending not to understand.
Wanda simply shook her head and let out a resigned sigh.
Draco, Hermione, and Daphne sighed quietly as well. They all knew that classic Harry tactic—changing the subject before his lies could catch up to him.
Then Harry turned around and saw him: Sirius, standing nearby with his arms crossed and a broad, excited smile on his face.
"So, godfather, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in his usual tone.
"It honestly hurts when you make jokes like that," Sirius replied with a theatrical grimace.
"Alright, fine... Only because Christmas is coming. It's good to see you, godfather," Harry said with a light smile.
"And it's good to see that Hogwarts is treating you well," Sirius said, pulling Harry into a hug. Harry rolled his eyes slightly at the gesture but didn't pull away. It was worth it.
"By the way," Sirius whispered near his ear, "I helped cover up the whole troll thing from your mother and the others. Not easy, especially since Edward keeps tabs on everything that happens at Hogwarts. I don't know why you want to hide it, but it must be something interesting. Just don't get yourself hurt—or they'll all come after me."
In that moment, Harry understood why no one's family had learned about the troll. Even if Hogwarts had tried to keep it quiet, letters from students would've eventually exposed it. Apparently, Sirius had stepped in to divert the news.
He'd probably get a few smacks from the mothers later... but for now, he could enjoy being the hero godfather.
"Hi, everyone!" Tonks shouted suddenly as she ran up from around a corner—just in time to trip and fall flat on her face.
Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Daphne all looked at the floor in silence for a second.
Tonks stood up like nothing had happened, her clothes covered in dust. "So? What did you think of Hogwarts? Amazing, right?!" she said enthusiastically.
"Hi, Tonks. It's good to see you," Harry said, barely holding back a laugh.
The other three quickly looked away, pretending not to be struggling to keep it in.
"You know what? I mastered controlling my golem, so I'm ready to challenge you all to a duel," Tonks declared proudly, ignoring their amused expressions.
"Weren't you training with Moody to be an Auror?" Hermione asked, genuinely confused.
"I was. Still am. But I can always take a break to practice," Tonks replied, waving her hand like it was no big deal.
"He kicked her out for Christmas. Didn't want to see her, so she's hiding at my house to avoid getting scolded by her parents," Sirius added with a teasing tone. "She's the only one who's not afraid to annoy that crazy old man."
"Hey! I'm his best student!" Tonks protested. "I just… tripped. And broke a few of his things," she muttered the last part under her breath.
"What did you break?" Sirius asked with an arched brow.
"All of his Sneakoscopes…" Tonks whispered, barely audible.
"Sorry, what?" Hermione asked.
"All of his Sneakoscopes!" Tonks shouted, a little embarrassed.
"All of them?" repeated Draco.
"Yes! Why would he leave them on his desk if he was going to clean them? He should've put them… I don't know… somewhere else!" she said, trying to defend herself, though it clearly wasn't helping much.
"Alright, it's best if we head back," Susan said with a warm smile. "Pandora will be here any moment with little Luna, and I'm sure she missed you all terribly."
Everyone nodded in agreement, relaxing as they walked away together, chatting and laughing—carrying with them the memories of a term that had been anything but ordinary.
…
"It's so good to see you again," said Pandora with a hint of emotion in her voice, her eyes fixed on the children stepping down from the train. Beside her, Luna couldn't hide her joy. Even though she enjoyed her usual days with Astoria, many of their friends had been missing, and both girls had missed them dearly.
Luna walked up to them with a wide smile. As soon as she was close enough, Harry and the others reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately.
She didn't mind—on the contrary, she smiled even more, happy with their spontaneous display of affection.
"Did you find any interesting magical creatures at Hogwarts?" Luna asked suddenly, wearing that dreamy look that was so uniquely hers.
"You wouldn't believe it," Harry replied with a half-smile, mysterious as ever.
Luna looked intrigued, but her attention quickly shifted when she spotted a red figure trying to sneak past unnoticed—Red. At the same moment, Astoria also noticed the little dragon and turned to Luna. Both girls' eyes lit up as they turned toward him.
"Red, you're back!" they said in unison.
The dragon, who had been trying to sneak away quietly, froze the moment he heard their voices. He had no escape. The two girls rushed toward him and wrapped him in a double hug, tearing down whatever emotional defenses the mighty Red might have built up.
Everyone present saw his face and smiled. The fearsome chaotic dragon didn't stand a chance against the duo. In a blink, the girls were already dressing him in something ridiculous—probably bows, hats, and maybe even a sparkly Christmas ribbon.
After a while of laughter and hugs, Draco and his mother said goodbye and left calmly. Shortly after, the Greengrasses departed as well, accompanied by Pandora, since Luna had insisted on going to Astoria's house to play.
Hermione was the last to leave, following her parents with a promise to reunite for Christmas.
A few seconds later, Tonks received a howler from her mother. The red envelope vibrated with fury in her hands. The moment she opened it, she dove into the fireplace using the Floo network—vanishing just before the scream could begin. Everyone in the house fell silent... just in case.
Meanwhile, Sirius was practically thrown out by Harry, who had asked him to show him something in the front yard. As soon as Sirius stepped outside, Harry shut the door behind him with a loud BAM!
"Hey!" could be heard from the other side, but Harry ignored it.
He flopped onto the sofa with a happy sigh, enjoying the warmth of home. But as he looked up, he spotted a very familiar and dangerous presence.
Wanda was standing in the doorway to the living room, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and a smile that clearly meant, "I'm waiting for answers."
"So… what happened?" she asked in a calm voice.
Harry sighed. He knew there was no hiding anything from her.
"Ugh..." he groaned softly. He could already feel the punishment approaching.
He decided to talk only about the troll… and the small prank they were planning for Dumbledore. He still didn't know exactly what Quirrell was up to, and he wanted to handle it himself before worrying his mother.
"A troll entered the castle on Halloween… almost hurt Hermione and Daphne. But they didn't want their parents to know, afraid they'd be pulled out of school," Harry explained calmly… while throwing his friends straight under the bus. "Red stopped it before anything bad happened, and I… used magic to get rid of it."
He paused for a moment, nervous. He wasn't sure how Wanda would react to him ending a creature's life, even if it was a monstrous one.
"And are you alright?" she asked, her voice carrying a trace of genuine concern.
Harry smiled softly and scratched the back of his head.
"I'm fine. I was just worried that maybe I went too far."
"You did it to protect your friends. No one can fault you for that. You're just a child, Harry. And if I have to choose between a destroyed troll or seeing you or your friends hurt… you know my answer," Wanda said with quiet certainty.
Harry let out a breath of relief. He was glad he had told her the truth.
"And… nothing else happened?" Wanda pressed, squinting slightly.
"...Nothing," Harry replied, clearly unconvincing.
Wanda stared at him in silence.
"Well, we do have a rather strange professor. Red attacked him because he smells like garlic. And I met a half-giant named Hagrid. Apparently, he was the one who carried me out of the house when Sirius took me—he brought me to Dumbledore before I was sent to the Dursleys," Harry said, smoothly changing the subject.
"You do know I'm not that easy to fool, Mr. Harry James Maximoff Potter," Wanda replied, narrowing her eyes at him.
Harry shut his mouth immediately and gave a forced smile, glancing around for a possible escape route.
"Haaah…" Wanda sighed, her expression softening into a mix of affection and resignation. "I won't push. You probably have some sort of plan. Just promise me you won't get hurt. And if things go wrong, you can always call me."
"I know," Harry said, smiling for real this time.
"Come on, help me put up the Christmas decorations. I haven't done it yet because I know you love helping me with them," Wanda said, reaching out her hand.
"Of course!" Harry replied, jumping to his feet.
Together, they began decorating the house—no magic, just laughter, hands full of ribbons and shiny ornaments… and a watchful eye on Red, who tried more than once to eat the glittery golden baubles thinking they were candy.
Finally, Harry was home.
And he was happy.