"The sorting ceremony involves a twelve-foot dragon!" Halley told Nysa and Nova over a year later when they returned to Platform 9 3/4.
Halley was about to go into her fifth year at the school, but Nysa and Nova were just starting in their first. Each of them had a very different reaction to the idea. Nysa (much like Halley had been), was overly excited to start school, whereas Nova was anxious beyond belief.
"Halley stop winding them up," Neville told her, with a slight roll of his eyes.
"Your sister likes a joke, don't listen to a word she says," Venus told a very scared looking Nova.
"You guys are late again. I can't believe you almost missed the train again Halley!" Sirius greeted his daughter with a hug and passed each of his grandchildren some galleons.
"You miss the train once and no one will let you forget it!" Halley complained, pocketing the galleon that Sirius passed her.
"No, and they never will," Harry patted her shoulder, a small smile on his face.
"Halley!" She was tackled around the waste by James Potter, almost knocking her to the ground.
"Hi, James."
"Oh, I missed you so much!" He let go of her and grinned.
"You saw each other yesterday," Harry pointed out.
"That's beside the point dad!" James said like this was obvious.
"You two are in looooove!" Said Nysa.
"Are not," Halley stuck her tong out at him, "Anyway, you looooooove Lily, you want to kissssss Lily, what will you do when Lily is out in Gryffindor and you're put in the dungeons or something, you won't be able to fawn over her and-"
"Mum!" Nysa said loudly, cutting off Halley's teasing, "can you tell Halley to shut up!"
"Halley shut up," Venus turned away from the conversation she had been having with her father, "why does she need to shut up?"
"She's being irritating," Nysa glared at her.
"Well, aren't I a proud grandfather, at least one of my descendants has inherited the incessant annoyingness that I pride myself upon," said Sirius, moving over so that he could pat Halley on the shoulder.
"I do try my best to uphold the values of 'messes Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs,'" said Halley.
"Where did you hear that?" Sirius demanded, but James and Halley ducked under his arms and hurried onto the train, wishing their parents goodbyes as they did.
"This map is going to be excellent," James pulled the old piece of parchment that he had stolen from his father earlier that summer, "it's going to make it so much easier to choose targets for pranking."
"I can't wait!" Halley grinned, pulling open the door to a compartment, in which Hope and Alfie were kissing.
"Break it up!" James said as they walked in, "the prefects are here."
"You're joking," Hope stared at them, "no one in their right mind would make you two prefects."
"I think you just accidentally called Professor McGonagall insane because we're prefects!" Halley grinned.
"That's just-" Alfie swore loudly.
"Now, now, Uncle Alfie, I think that might be worth a detention," Halley and James had to scramble out of the compartment when Alfie aimed a kick at them.