"Don't worry." Anne reached out and ruffled Aria's soft black hair, scooping her up. "Today is your big day, after all! Adrian, get your sister's trunk and owl cage off the car!"
"All right!" The brown-haired boy skillfully opened the car trunk and began unloading the trunks one by one. Just after moving two, a slightly taller black-haired girl got out of the car, opened the door, and helped with the trunks.
The last to step down was a beautiful blonde girl. Looking closely, you'd notice she looked very similar to Adrian, his twin sister, Helena.
"Helena, you take the owl cage. Adrian and I'll handle the trunks," said the black-haired girl, Jill.
"Okay!" Helena said sweetly.
"Mummy, I want to help too! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Aria let go of Anne's neck.
"All right!" Anne smiled and set her down.
Hermione had already unfolded two luggage carts. Anne helped organize the trunks neatly and began pushing them toward the station.
"This is great, Aria's going to school too!" Helena tugged at Anne's coat as they walked.
The family threaded through the crowd, heading to the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten. Curious bystanders occasionally glanced at the owls in their cages.
Through the barrier, the scarlet Hogwarts Express steamed in thickly, blurring the platform slightly.
From a distance, someone waved at Jill. She looked back at Anne and Hermione. "Mom, Mommy, I'm going to greet some friends."
Hermione nodded, and Anne smiled. "Go ahead."
"Mommy, which house do you think I'll be in?" Aria asked, clinging nervously to Hermione's arm.
"Better be Ravenclaw!" Anne interjected. "Then our family will have all four houses represented!"
Hermione looked at Anne and smiled. "Ravenclaw is a great house, Aria, but each of the other three has its strengths. I'm sure your mommy explained it all to you at home."
Anne touched her nose, remembering how she had indeed given Aria a crash course on the Hogwarts houses.
"I actually think Ravenclaw would be nice!" Aria said. "But what if the Sorting Hat doesn't want me there?"
"That won't happen," Helena said cheerfully. "Mommy says the Sorting Hat respects the choices of young witches and wizards, it will let them go to the house they want."
Aria visibly relaxed.
"Adrian, put the coins away," Anne said. Adrian nodded and tucked the spinning silver Sickles he had been flipping into his pocket.
"All right, the last carriage is here," Anne said. "You three go on ahead; I'll get the trunks on board."
Anne used her wand to lift the trunks onto the carriage corridor when a familiar voice called out from afar.
"Anne! How come you're here so early?"
Fanny was holding a small pink jade-carved girl, with a blonde boy beside her pushing a luggage cart.
"And your other half isn't here today?" Anne asked, pausing.
"She's on her third day of a business trip and can't make it," Fanny said. She let the boy load the luggage and smiled at Aria, greeting Anne's children. "Aria's old enough for school this year, no wonder you came so early."
While chatting with Fanny, Anne finished organizing the trunks and stepped out of the carriage. Jill returned from greeting her friends. Hermione and Anne hugged and kissed each of the children.
As Anne crouched to hug Aria, the little girl whispered in her ear, "Mommy, I'll tell you a secret."
"Hmm? Go ahead. I'll keep it."
"Jill and Adrian made a bet last night. I overheard them, they wanted to see who could spin three coins on their right hand the longest."
"Wow! Got it, thanks!" Anne ruffled Aria's hair. "Be a good student at school, Aria. And if anyone bothers you, tell your older siblings, they'll have your back! You can also write to me. But quietly, don't let your mommy know!" Anne said the last part softly, glancing at Hermione who was talking with Adrian.
Aria nodded vigorously, her amber eyes sparkling with mischief.
The scarlet train gave a short, bright whistle. Anne kissed Aria on the forehead, let go, and stood up. Aria grabbed Jill's hand, and the two climbed aboard.
The train began to move. Anne wrapped an arm around Hermione, waving at the children leaning out of the windows.
Anne held Hermione's hand, Fanny held the little girl's hand, and the four of them chatted as they walked out of the station. Halfway, they bumped into Harry and Ginny's family, and Ron's.
"Ah, Anne, you still like the last carriage, huh?" Ron laughed.
Anne looked at the blonde girl holding Ron's arm, one year below him in Hufflepuff, whom they had met at the Ministry. Life was peaceful and happy.
"Haha, not many people," Anne said, tightening her grip on Hermione's hand. "Harry, Ginny didn't come?"
"She's home looking after crying Lily and Albus."
Anne raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Good thing our kids are all off to school. The house is quiet now—"
Her comment made everyone laugh.