Twenty-Four Hours

Twenty-Four Hours

By Michelle Malfoy

Epilogue

"MICHELLE!" Harry Potter called to his wife. "GET DOWN HERE PLEASE!"

A slender blond woman rushed down the stairs to her husband and saw her two children fighting over a silvery, transparent cloak that Michelle knew quite well. "Jessica, Anthony!" she exclaimed in surprise. She pulled the nine-year-old girl away from the cloak while Harry forcibly carried the eleven-year-old boy away from it.

"But Mum..." Anthony whined, "Dad said I could get a present when my Hogwarts letter comes."

"But it hasn't come yet, has it?" Michelle pointed out reasonably.

"But it's almost my birthday," he whined. "And Jessica's too little for it anyway."

"Am not!" Jessica shouted.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

Harry then clamped his hand over his son's mouth and shouted, "SHUT UP!" Jessica and Anthony instantly stopped fighting. "Okay, Jessie," he said, kneeling so that he was on eye level with her. "Your brother's going off to Hogwarts in two weeks, and he needs something so that he doesn't get into too much trouble." He looked fondly at his son. "And plus, that cloak was your grandfather's, and then it was mine. So don't you think that Anthony should get it next?"

Jessica swept her long blond hair away from her eyes. "I guess..." she began. "But I still want it!"

Michelle grinned. "She reminds me of - "

"You, I know," Harry finished for her. "I've heard it too many times to forget."

"You were like... me?" Jessica asked, her green eyes fixed on her mother in admiration.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "But not so much like you; if she had been, I wouldn't have married her."

"What did you like best about her, Dad?" Anthony asked, eyeing his mother curiously.

Harry was ready for that one. "She was always a mystery," he said. "And she wasn't what she seemed to be."

* * *

"Harry, you're hyperventilating," Michelle screamed. "He's going to Hogwarts, big deal!"

"But it'll be so... quiet," Harry argued. "And without anyone to bicker with, Jessica'll go mad."

"True," Michelle laughed. "But I never went mad while Draco was at Hogwarts, did I?"

"No. But then again, you were probably so relieved that - ow!"

Shockingly, the world's two most famous and notable Aurors then launched into a full-fledged tickle fight.

* * *

"Anthony!" Nicholas Weasley raced over to his best friend. "Oi! ANTHONY!" His dark-haired best friend looked up and met Nick's gaze. "Okay, you're kinda out of it, aren't you?" Nick asked, amused.

"Sort of," Anthony admitted. "Come on, let's get on the train before someone takes all the good seats."

"Or before Pansy Parkinson comes in with her brat of a daughter, Rose."

Anthony shuddered, and, giving his mother, father, and sister a final group hug, followed Nicholas onto the train.

"Come on, get in, everywhere else is full," Nicholas muttered, indicating the back compartment of the train. "Oh, no..."

"Potter." Benjamin Malfoy had an odd way of greeting others, and nodded curtly in acknowledgement of Anthony. He took no notice of Nicholas's presence.

"Malfoy." The two had to fight to keep a straight face; the three of them were the best of friends as well as cousins.

"How was your summer, Ben?" Nick asked, relaxing against a leather seat.

"All right, I s'pose," Ben said, brushing his hand aside. "And yours?"

"Eh... fine. Mum kept buying me new textbooks; it was driving me mad." He lifted an extremely heavy book entitled A Revised History of Hogwarts, by Hermione Granger.

"Your mum wrote that?" Anthony asked in disbelief.

"Yup," Nick said with disgust. "Uncle Fred said that he hid some pieces of parchment in it, jokes and pranks, you know."

"So how was your summer, Anthony?" Ben asked, pulling hair gel out of his trunk and rubbing it onto his hands.

"Fine, I guess. Mum kept telling me that I should be grateful for my wonderful uncle's connections to the Ministry, or I would've had to go with her and Dad into their office every day. But, fortunately, your dad paid 'em off."

"Yup," Nick said with a grin. "That's ol' Draco."

"Uncle Draco to you," Ben pointed out. He had just finished smearing the hair gel into his hair and slicking it back fantastically.

"How many bottles of that stuff d'you have, Ben?" Anthony asked, indicating the now empty hair gel bottle.

"A fair few," Ben replied unconcernedly. "Roughly two hundred, I'd expect." At his cousins' horrified looks, he grinned. "Haven't you seen dad's pictures from when he was a kid? He looked great!"

"How much did you have to pay Creevey to give you those pictures?"

"Five galleons," Ben said with a smirk. "Not, of course, like I couldn't afford it." Nick stiffened, but Ben just rolled his eyes. "Just because your grandmum's broke and all your uncles - on your dad's side, that is - are super-poor doesn't mean that you can't enjoy being rich. Hell, your parents are two of the most famous Aurors in Britian. Right up there with my parents and Anthony's."

Just then, the compartment door slid open and thirteen-year-old Lizzie Marcovit walked in, Quick-Quotes Quill in hand.

"Get out," Ben ordered. He was very used to getting his way.

"I don't wanna," Lizzie argued, and sat herself down next to Anthony. Anthony quickly moved over to sit as far away from her as possible. Anthony James Potter, eleven - the Quill began to write, but Ben grabbed it and chucked it out the window.

"Oi!" Lizzie yelled, running over to the window only to see that her quill had been squashed flat.

A moment later, the Head Boy and Girl walked in. A new custom at Hogwarts was for them to patrol the corridors and introduce themselves. "Is there a problem?" the Head Girl asked.

"No," the three boys chorused. "But," Ben added, "She's been stalking me."

Lizzie walked away angrily, muttering about annoying prats and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

"Well, then," the Head Girl said, "Moving on! My name's Lauren Thomas, and I'm Head Girl. That's Andrew Smith."

"Andrew... Smith?" Anthony asked. "Your dad's... dead."

"Thanks for pointing that out, Potter," the Slytherin snarled. "No, that would be my uncle, Zacharias. My father, Evan, is in perfect health."

"Anyway," Lauren said, "Have a nice term, and you know where to find us if you need help. If for some reason you can't find us, your house prefects will always be available, as well as your Head of House and Headmaster Snape."

"Here are some Wizard Cards for you," she added on her way out, tossing a pile of cards at them. Anthony and Nicholas scrambled for them, while Ben watched in amusement.

"Hey, look!" Anthony yelled. "It's Merlin!"

"And the late Headmaster Dumbldore," Nicholas said, indicating another one. Hey, look, he had an alchemy partner named Nicholas! Wow!"

"And look," Ben said, joining his cousins. "It's a six-pack of cards. Auror cards." He tore open the box and looked inside.

Harry Potter

Considered by many to be the most powerful and gifted wizard of all time, Potter is famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort at the age of one 1981, again in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and ultimately in 1997 as well as his career as one of the most well-known Aurors this century. He enjoys playing the position of Seeker in Quidditch games and spending time with his wife, Michelle Elisabeth Potter (Malfoy) and children, Jessica Bellatrix and Anthony James.

"Anthony..." Ben said slowly, "I've heard the name Voldemort before."

"Have you?" asked Anthony absently.

"My father... said his dad was a die-hard supporter of that Voldemort guy... that he - Dad, I mean - had to kill grandfather in the end."

A slow silence took over the room. Finally Nicholas suggested, "Let's look at the other cards."

"Okay," Anthony agreed, and pulled out the second card.

Hermione Weasley (Granger)

Hermione Granger, a muggle-born Auror who is currently married to Mr. Ronald Weasley and mother of two children, is accredited for many different things. She is particularly famous for her rewriting of the barely-read Hogwarts: A History and her assistance in the ultimate defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort in 1997 by seeing through a trap that he had set. She is also the second muggle-born in history to have been a parcelnist. Her oldest son, Nicholas Weasley, is beginning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year (2012).

Ronald Weasley

Weasley is particularly known for several major accomplishments. Without the use of necromancy, any magical device, or the blood of a unicorn, Weasley died and then returned later on after the death of his murderer, Lucius Malfoy. He also helped in the ultimate defeat against Voldemort in 1997. He is currently married to a Mrs. Hermione Weasley and has three children.

Draco Malfoy

Draco Malfoy is, as wizards go, extremely well-known. He is particularly noted for his selfless donations to worthy causes, parcenistic abilities, assist in the defeat of Voldemort in 1997, and his transfer from Evil to Good, in the end murdering his own father to protect his sister and her boyfriend, to whom Michelle is currently married. Draco is married to Ginerva Molly [A/N: Because Eplison2Delta clarified that as being her middle name] Malfoy and has one son and heir, Benjamin, who is starting at Hogwarts this year (2012).

Michelle Potter (Malfoy)

Michelle Malfoy, sister of Draco Malfoy and daughter of the infamous Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, is to this day one of the six most famous Aurors (Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Malfoy (Weasley), Hermione Weasley (Granger) and of course Michelle herself). She is particularly known for her parcelny, marriage to the supposedly fickle Harry Potter (courtesy of sisters Lizzie and Rita Skeeter), and her help in the defeat of Voldemort in 1997. She is currently the mother of Jessica and Anthony Potter. Anthony is beginning at Hogwarts this year (2012).

Ginevra Malfoy (Weasley)

Ginevra Malfoy (also known as Ginny) is accredited for many things. She is particularly noted for her surviving of being possessed by Lord Voldemort (1992), eventual help in the defeat of Lord Voldemort (1997), and of course her marriage to the wonderful Draco Malfoy. She is the mother of Benjamin Thomas Malfoy, who is beginning at Hogwarts this year (2012).

"So they're all famous," Anthony finally said. "My parents, and both of your sets of parents. The top six most famous Aurors ever."

"I guess," Ben said.

"Hey," Anthony said, "if we're famous, I think we're entitled to a bit of fun, right?" Ben and Nick looked at him, recognizing the mischevious glint in their cousin's eyes.

"Yeah..." Nick said cautiously.

"Well," Anthony said, "For the past two generations, there've been troublemakers at Hogwarts. My grandfather was in one set of troublemakers, and uncles Fred and George were the last set."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nick asked, turning to Ben.

"Yeah," Ben said, whipping out an Invisibility Cloak from his trunk. "Who should we get first?"

They all looked at each other for a moment and then said, "Lizzie."

* * *

"Look," Harry said, pulling out the Marauder's map. "They're getting Sorted, look!"

"Okay..." Draco began, "jeez, they take forever!"

"Ohmigod!" Hermione shrieked. "Christopher Longbottom's in Hufflepuff!"

"Okay, calm, Hermione," Draco yelled. "My son's getting Sorted!"

"Deep breaths, Draco," Michelle reminded her brother. "AH! NO!"

"GRYFFINDOR?!?!?!?!?"

Harry smirked. "POTTER!" Draco wailed. "MY SON, a GRYFFINDOR?"

Ginny had the grace to attempt to console her husband. "It was probably all that hair gel," she soothed him. "The hat couldn't see through to his brain."

Harry and Ron sniggered. "SHUSH!" Michelle howled. "It's Anthony's turn!" Jessica ran into the room and jumped onto her mother's lap.

"GRYFFINDOR!?" Michelle exclaimed, and her parcelny activated just at that moment. Green and silver sparks flew out of her wand. She jumped up, shoving Jessica down to the floor in a heap of pink cloth (the nightgown).

"Mummy..." Jessica said, "calm. Please?" Michelle scowled and sat back down on Harry's lap.

Ten minutes later...

"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!" Hermione yelled. "NO! He can't be in Gryffindor! He's a Ravenclaw, I just know it!"

Michelle yelled in frustration. "'Mione," she pointed out, "you were in Gryffindor."

"It was probably the flaming red hair that did it," smirked Draco. "The hat couldn't see through to his brain."