He summer came to a warm, glowing end—one that lingered like the soft golden sunrays spilling through the curtains of Grimmauld Place. But with each passing hour, that warmth slowly gave way to the cool breeze of September, and the unmistakable call of Hogwarts beckoned again.
All the trunks were packed. Books, robes, wands, and snacks were stuffed into compartments, and every kid was bouncing with excitement. In the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, adults chatted in low murmurs while the kids made final checks. Nova clung to her little enchanted sketchbook, having drawn nearly everyone in the house at least once over the summer.
In the main hallway, Fred, Alicia, Angelina, George, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Luna all gathered to escort the children to King's Cross. Teddy stood beside them, looking official in his dark Auror robes, his blue hair just slightly mussed from sleep. James stood next to him, wearing the exact same robes for the first time.
James looked up at the train platform with a strange sensation crawling up his spine. For the first time in years, he wouldn't be boarding the Hogwarts Express. No more compartment hijinks, no more chocolate frog races, no more squeezing into the Great Hall under the floating candles. He tried not to show how much it bothered him.
James stood tall, smiling, hiding the twist in his chest. He wasn't getting on the train this year. Instead, he stood alongside Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred, Alicia, Luna, and George, waving off the kids. Even Nova, having been allowed to leave the Shard Vault for school, was here—her red hair bouncing with excitement as she clung to Alicia's hand.
As the train let out its final whistle and chugged forward, James's smile remained fixed. He stood between Teddy and Harry, waving until the train was out of sight. Only then did his smile falter.
"You alright?" Teddy asked quietly.
James cleared his throat. "Yeah. Just feels weird, y'know? First time not getting on."
Teddy clapped him on the back. "First day as an Auror, though. And don't worry, I'm the boss. You've got minimal chance of getting fired."
That earned a half-laugh from James as they headed into the Ministry of Magic together.
Back at Hogwarts, the atmosphere buzzed with the joy of reunion and nerves of the new year.
The Great Hall shimmered with candlelight as first-years nervously stood in line. The Sorting Hat had just finished its annual cryptic song—this year's version mentioned something odd about "seconds lost in time" and "echoes of forgotten names." But most of the students didn't catch its deeper meaning. After many students got sorted into their houses, it was finally Nova's turn.
"Weasley, Nova!"
The room hushed slightly at the name. Not because it was unfamiliar, but because everyone knew this Weasley before.
Nova stepped forward with wide blue eyes, her red hair tucked behind one ear. Her hands were slightly clenched at her sides, and she looked up at the enchanted ceiling before turning to the front of the hall.
Professor Longbottom gave her an encouraging nod as he picked up the Sorting Hat from its stool. "Ready?"
Nova gave a nervous nod.
Neville gently placed the hat on her head. The second it touched her hair, the voice boomed in her mind.
"Well now… what have we here?" the Sorting Hat whispered. "A determined little firecracker, aren't you? Clever, brave, and oh, you carry something far older than you should. Secrets? Wounds? Ah, but also kindness. Loyalty."
Nova thought softly, I just want to do the right thing. Even if I'm scared.
The Sorting Hat went quiet for a beat.
"And that… makes it perfectly clear."
It shouted: "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers. A few second-years made space for her, and she slid in beside them, grinning widely. It was the first time in weeks that she looked like a kid again—not the girl with a burden, but a student with a future.
At the staff table, Neville gave the faintest smile, then glanced quickly at McGonagall, who nodded approvingly.
The Sorting continued, but for Nova, the moment lingered.
Her story wasn't over yet, but for tonight… she was just another first-year in yellow and black, beaming under enchanted starlight. After the feast began, she looked around to find her cousins, Rose, Hugo, Lily, and Roxxane, waved at her from the Gryffindor table while Albus and Scorpious waved from the Slytherin one.
After the feast, they all parted ways.
Rose, after helping a confused first-year, climbed up to Gryffindor Tower and collapsed onto her bed. She didn't even change before sleep took her.
That night, she dreamed again.
Minerva and Daisy stood before her, not as ghostly visions, but clear—real, glowing slightly.
"Calm down," Minerva said gently, kneeling beside Rose. "You don't have to be strong all the time."
"We know you're pretending everything's okay," Daisy added, her voice almost a whisper. "But we also know you're scared."
"We've patched the gap in time," Minerva said, brushing Rose's hair back from her face. "But only for now. It's still dangerous."
Rose tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.
"Just be careful," Daisy said. "And don't lose hope."
Across London, in the heart of the Ministry, James bolted upright in his tiny new Auror office, his heart pounding. The same dream.
He had dozed off during his lunch hour, but the dream had felt too real. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. He was supposed to visit Hermione's office about a small Auror recruitment project, but he couldn't shake the voices in his head.
He left his office, heading briskly down the Ministry corridor.
As he turned the corner, a short, bespectacled man holding a tower of files nearly crashed into him. "Oh! Sorry—sorry!" the man stammered.
Several files fell to the floor. The man, in a hurry, didn't stop to gather them. James sighed, crouched, and began stacking them up.
One folder stood out. It had the words:
UNSOLVED TIME INTERFERENCE — MINERVA POTTER / DAISY FINNIGAN
James froze.
He immediately turned back and went into his office. He sent a memo to Hermione saying he would come a bit later as he had to go somewhere. He quickly observed the file,
His fingers trembled as he flipped it open. Pages fell open—scanned records, observations, magical imprints. His heart raced as he scanned through it. There were last-known-location coordinates. Names of Unspeakables. Mention of a disturbance… Godric's Hollow.
They had known.
They all knew.
Why hadn't they told him?
The last recorded sighting of both girls was in Godric's Hollow, he thought.
He didn't wait. He marched into Teddy's office and said he needed to go meet Zara, as she said it was urgent. Teddy noticed James's face and knew he was lying, still, he let him go.
Godric's Hollow had always held a haunting familiarity for James. He walked past the broken memorials, his heart racing. Deep within the old cemetery, hidden beneath enchanted brambles, he found it: a hollow tree, half-decayed, protected by powerful Concealment Charms. He broke through with an Auror Reveal spell.
He followed the coordinates in the folder to a small, abandoned house near the edge of the village. Inside, dust clung to every surface, but the air felt charged. James stepped in and immediately spotted something glowing faintly under a shattered cabinet.
Letters.
Two of them, folded neatly but stained by time.
"To whoever finds this, we tried everything…" one read. It was in Minerva's handwriting.
"They're coming. Don't trust the ticking woman…" Daisy's handwriting, scrawled hastily on the back of a potion label.
James sat on the floor, the letters trembling in his hands. He felt rage, sorrow, confusion, and fear all wash over him.
They had been here. And then they were gone.
He had so many questions, but no one to ask.
Two letters in his hands. One from Minerva, another from Daisy.
They told of being hunted. Of a gap in time that pulled at their memories. Of a place they had to reach before they were lost forever.
Tears blurred James's vision.
"They tried," he whispered. "They all tried."
He pocketed the letters and stood in silence, mourning the bravery of two girls forgotten by time. He quietly whispered into the silence, "I'll find you. I promise."
Back at Hogwarts, the halls were alive with the return of students.
Al and Scorpius strolled toward the Slytherin common room, Al still yawning from last night's train ride. "Bet you ten Galleons McGonagall starts giving surprise quizzes this term," Scorpius muttered.
"Mate, I'd rather face a Hungarian Horntail," Al groaned.
Meanwhile, Rose sat in the library, books already open. She couldn't focus, not after the dream. She wrote down the time Minerva mentioned: the gap was covered—for now.
But what about tomorrow?
At the Ministry, James stood outside Hermione's office.
"You're early, you said you'd come in the evening?" she said, raising an eyebrow as he entered.
"I have... something," James said. He placed the two letters and the stolen file on her desk.
Hermione's expression turned grim.
"We've been trying to protect you from this," she said. "To keep you focused. But I suppose you deserve to know."
"You're telling me you knew they were taken in Godric's Hollow and never told me?"
"We didn't want you running into danger. You're still young."
"I'm old enough to be an Auror."
Hermione sighed, tapping the parchment with her wand. "Then use that title wisely. There's more to come."
James nodded, clutching the file tightly. "Then I'm going to find them. Whatever it takes."
hat night, James lay in bed back at Grimmauld Place. His eyes were on the ceiling, but his mind was back in that abandoned house.
There was something he hadn't noticed before.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out Minerva's letter again. He turned it around. In the faintest ink, a line had been written upside down:
"Through the Hollow Veil."
He didn't know what it meant.
But somehow, he knew the answers weren't just hidden.
They were waiting.