HP the last
GarnetCrow
秋天似乎突然就降临了。九月的第一个清晨清脆如苹果，汽车尾气与行人的呼吸交织在清凉的空气中，像蛛丝似的闪着光。这一家几口穿过发出隆隆声的街道向车
站走去。家长们推着手推车，上面顶着两个大大的笼子，里面的猫头鹰在愤怒地嚎叫着，一个红头发的女孩抓着她爸爸的手臂，跟在两兄弟后面。
"不会太久的，你很快也会过去。"哈利告诉她说。
"要两年呢，"莉莉有点不满的说，"我现在就想要去！"
那家人慢悠悠第走向9号与10号月台之间的检票口时，路人们正好奇地盯着猫头鹰看。阿不思的声音再次透过周围的喧嚣，传到哈利的耳中，儿子们又开始了继
续那场未完的争吵。
"不会的，我才不会去斯莱特林呢！"
"詹姆，让他休息一会儿吧！"金妮说道。
"我只是说他也许会去，"詹姆咧开嘴对他弟弟笑着说，"这又没说错。他可能会在斯莱特林。"
小詹姆会意到妈妈的眼神，渐渐地静了下来。哈利一家五口走到了检票口，詹姆朝弟弟得意地一笑，越过他的肩膀从母亲手里接过手推车开始奔跑起来，一会儿就
消失不见了。
"你们会写信给我的，对不对？"阿不思趁他哥哥不在，急切的向母亲问道。
"如果你这样希望的话，我们会写信给你哦，每天。"金妮说。
"不用每天，"阿不思开心的应承着，"詹姆说大多数人都是差不多一个月只能收到一封家里的来信。"
"去年呐，我们一周给詹姆写三封信哦。"金妮说。
"可不要全相信哦，詹姆告诉你有关霍格沃茨的所有事情，"哈利插进来，"你哥他就喜欢搞笑"
他们并肩推着第二个手推车，加快了速度。当他们到达检票口时，阿不思往后退了一下，还好没有撞上。不久，他们一家子出现在被猩红色的霍格沃茨特快喷出的
蒸汽所笼罩的九又四分之三月台上。影影绰绰的人群在薄雾中拥挤着、推搡着，而詹姆，他早已消失在薄雾中了。
"他们在哪？"阿不思焦切地说，沿着月台摸索去路，周围一片模糊，需要努力睁大眼睛才能看清一切。
"我们俩会找到他们的。"金妮安慰着他。
但雾更浓了，人们的面孔模糊不清，说话的声音忽大忽小。哈利听到珀西在大声讲着关于飞天扫帚的趣事，他想这还真是一个很好的理由，可以免去一场意外的寒
暄......
"阿不思，我想我找出他们了，"金妮突然说。
薄雾中出现了四个影子，他们站在最后一节车厢旁边。当哈利，金妮，阿不思和莉莉追上他们时，他们的脸才变得清晰起来。
"嗨！"阿不思打着招呼，听起来身心愉快，仿佛刚从什么束缚中解脱。
穿着崭新的霍格沃茨校服的罗斯满脸笑容地看着他。
"车停好了么？"罗恩问哈利，"我做到了！赫敏怎么也不相信我通过了麻瓜的驾驶测试，真的！她还以为我要向考试官施混淆咒呢。"
"不，我没有，"赫敏说着，"我完全相信你。"
"其实啊，我的确对他施了混淆咒。"罗恩悄悄跟哈利说道，他们一起把阿不思的行李和猫头鹰抬到火车上。"我只是忘记看倒后镜，让他给看到了。为此我会用
超级记忆咒的。"
在月台后面，他们找到了正热情地讨论着将来到霍格沃茨后，会分到什么学院的莉莉、还有罗斯的弟弟雨果。
"要是你们不在格兰芬多的话，我们就会剥夺你们的继承权，"罗恩说，"这可不是强迫。"
"罗恩！"
莉莉和雨果笑了起来，而阿不思和罗斯看上去却很严肃。
"他不是那个意思，"赫敏和金妮解释道，但罗恩已经被其他东西吸引了。顺着哈利的目光，他一边点头一边转向约莫150英尺以外的地方。有那么一会儿，蒸
汽变薄了，在那边，三个人站在变幻的薄雾中。
"看那是谁。"
德拉科·马尔福与他的妻儿站在那里，黑色的外衣紧扣着遮住了他喉咙，他的头发有些秃，这就突出了他的下巴。其中有个新来的男孩长得像德拉科，就像阿不思
长得像哈利一样。德拉科瞥见哈利，罗恩，赫敏和金妮正盯着他，颌首示意，转身离开了。
"那就是说，那是小斯克皮尔思了。"罗恩小声说。"保证你每次考试都比他考得好，罗斯，真是谢天谢地啊--你遗传了你妈妈聪明的头脑。"
"罗恩，看在老天的份上，收敛点"赫敏似笑非笑的说，"别让他们还没上学就成为死对头。"
"你说的对，抱歉，"罗恩说，但又忍不住再加一句，"尽管如此，也不要对他太友好，罗斯，要是你嫁给了一个纯血统的人，你的韦斯莱爷爷可不会原谅
你。"
"嗨！"
詹姆又出现了，把行李，猫头鹰及手推车都卸下，看他的样子显然刚被传言轰炸完。
"泰迪已经回来了，"他上气不接下气地说，指着肩膀后面滚滚的蒸汽，"刚刚我看见他了。你们猜猜他在干什么来着？他和维克托瓦尔在接吻！"
他凝视着大人们，他们却没啥反应，这让他有些失望。
"我们的泰迪！泰迪·卢平！与我们的维克托瓦尔接吻！我们的表姐！然后我就问泰迪他在干什么--"
"你打扰他们了？"金妮问着，"你还真像罗恩--"
"--然后他就说他是来送她的！还他叫我走开。他在和她接吻耶！"詹姆又补充了一句，他生怕他说得不够清楚。
"噢，要是他们结婚了，那就太有趣了！"莉莉心醉神迷地说道，"那么泰迪就真变成我们家的分子了。"
"他已经每个星期来家里吃四次饭了，"哈利说，"我们为什么不把他留下来和我们一起住呢？"
"喔耶！"詹姆热切地说，"我不介意与阿--泰迪会分走我的房间的！"
"不，"哈利坚定地说，"如果我想毁了我的房子，才会让你和阿不思睡在一起。"
他看了看曾经属于费边·普利维特的破碎老表。
"差不多１１点了，你最好快点上车。"
"别忘了把我们的爱带给纳威。"金妮拥抱着詹姆，悄悄耳语。
"妈！我不能把'爱'给一个教授！"
"可你认识纳威啊--"
詹姆翻了翻眼睛。
"在外面可以的，但在霍格沃茨，他还是隆巴顿教授啊。我可不能随随便便把'爱'给他吧？"
他摇摇头，觉得妈妈真是愚蠢，又踢了阿不思一脚，发泄下自己的情绪。
"回头见了，阿不思。要小心夜骐哦。"
"我还以为它们是隐形的呢？你明明说了它们是隐形的呀！"
不过詹姆只是笑了笑，让妈妈吻了他一下，又给父亲一个短暂的拥抱，然后纵身一跃，跳进了满载的火车里。他们看他挥了挥手，就飞快地跑进车厢去找他的朋友
了。
"夜骐也没什么好怕的。"哈利跟阿不思说，"它们只是普通的东西，没什么好怕的。不管怎样，你都不用坐马车去学校，你们要坐船去。"
金妮吻着阿不思道别。
"圣诞节见了。"
"再见了，阿不思，"阿不思抱着哈利，哈利说，"别忘了下星期五海格邀请了你去喝茶。不要和皮皮鬼纠缠。还没学会什么就不要与别人决斗。也不要因为詹姆
而感到紧张。"
"要是我被分到斯莱特林怎么办呢？"
阿不思跟父亲耳语，哈利明白，只有在这离别的瞬间才能使阿不思意识到那种迫近的恐惧。
哈利蹲下来，正对着阿不思的脸。在哈利的三个孩子里，只有阿不思遗传了莉莉的眼睛。
"阿不思·西弗勒斯，"哈利静静地说，这样除了金妮外就没人听得见了，她很聪明，就假装跟车上的罗斯挥手告别。
"你是以霍格沃茨的两位校长起名的。他们其中一个就是斯莱特林的，他可能是我认识的最勇敢的男人了。"
"但你刚才说--"
"--然后斯莱特林学院会招收一个很棒的学生，不是吗？我们不介意的，阿不思。但如果你真的很介意，你可以选择去格兰芬多而不去斯莱特林。分院长会把你
的选择计算考虑进去的。"
"真的吗？"
"他对我那样做了。"哈利说道。
他从未向他任何一个孩子提起这件事, 而当他说起的时候他也看到了阿不思脸上露出的惊奇表情。不过，现在猩红色的火车门敲起了警钟，父母们蜂涌向前，作
最后一吻。红色的轮廓渐渐模糊，最后一分钟的警铃响起了，阿不思跳进车厢，金妮关上了他身后的门。
学生们吊在最靠近他们的窗户上。那一大群人的脸，里面的和外面的，似乎都转向了哈利。
"为什么他们都盯着我们看？"阿不思问罗斯，他们转过头来看其他学生。
"别让这个困扰你了，"罗恩说，"他们看的是我！看我多么出名啊！"
阿不思，罗斯，雨果还有莉莉都笑了。火车开动了，哈利跟着火车跑动，看着他儿子瘦瘦的、闪耀着兴奋的脸。
他笑着挥手，仿佛生离死别，一个父亲正送走他最心爱的儿子......
当秋天的最后一丝暑气也消散在天空中的时候，火车终于转过拐角。哈利的手僵在那--临别的那一刻，一动不动
"他会平安的"金妮喃喃说道。
哈利看着她，茫然地垂下手来，摸了摸前额闪电形的伤疤。"是的，我知道他会的。"
十九年来，那伤再也没有困扰过他。一切，都很好。
________________________________________________
原文，这个我就不排版了><!!!
Epilogue
Nineteen Years Later
Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first
of September was crisp as an apple, and as the little family bobbed
across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of
car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in
the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the
parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the
redheaded girl trailed fearfully behind here brothers, clutching her
father's arm.
"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.
"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"
The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way
toward the
barrier between platforms nine and ten, Albus's voice drifted back to
Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons had resumed the argument
they had started in the car.
"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"
"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny.
"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger
brother. "There's
nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slytherin"
But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters
approached the
barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger
brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run.
A moment later, he had vanished.
"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately,
capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.
"Not every day," said Albus quickly, "James says most people only get
letters
from home about once a month."
"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny.
"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about
Hogwarts," Harry
put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."
Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed.
As they
reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the
family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was
obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet
Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist,
into which James had already disappeared.
"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms
they passed
as they made their way down the platform.
"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly.
But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's
faces.
Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud, Harry
thought he head Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations,
and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello. . . .
"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly.
A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the
very last
carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily,
and Albus had drawn right up to them.
"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.
Roses, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at
him.
"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't
believe I could
pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound
the examiner."
"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."
"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered to Harry, as
together
they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to
look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory
Charm for that."
Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger
brother, having
an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into
when they finally went to Hogwarts.
"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no
pressure."
"Ron!"
Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.
"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny, but Ron was no longer
paying
attention. Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some
fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people
stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.
"Look who it is."
Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat
buttoned up
to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the
pointed chin. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled
Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring
at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.
"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you
beat him in
every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."
"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused.
"Don't try to
turn them against each other before they've even started school!"
"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added,
"Don't get
too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never
forgive you if you married a pureblood."
"Hey!"
James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and
trolley, and
"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his
shoulder into
the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's
doing? Snogging
Victoire!"
He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of
reaction.
"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I
asked teddy
what he was doing --"
"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are so like Ron --"
"-- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go
away. He's
snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself
clear.
"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily
ecstatically. "Teddy
would really be part of the family then!"
"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said
Harry "Why
don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with it?"
"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al--
Teddy could
have my room!"
"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I
want the
house demolished."
He checked the battered old watch that had once been Fabian
Prewett's.
"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."
"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she
hugged him.
"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"
"But you know Neville--"
James rolled his eyes.
"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I
can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . ."
Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings
by aiming a
kick at Albus.
"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."
"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"
but James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him, gave his
father a
fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him
wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.
"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're
gentle things,
there's nothing scare about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to
school in the
carriages, you'll be going in the boats."
Ginny kissed Albus good-bye.
"See you at Christmas."
"Bye, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's
invited you to
tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you're
learned how. And don't let James wind you up."
"What if I'm in Slytherin?"
The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the
moment of
departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that
fear was.
Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own.
Alone of
Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes.
"Ablus Severus," Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could
hear, and she
was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to rose, who was now on the
train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them
was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."
"But just say--"
"--then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't
it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matter to you, you'll be
able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin.
The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."
"Really?"
"It did for me," said Harry.
He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the
wonder in
Albus's face when he said it. But how the doorsr were slamming all
along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming
forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Albus jumped into the
carriage and ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging
from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the
train and off, seemed to be turned toward Harry.
"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus as he and rose craned
around to look
at the other students.
"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."
Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to more, and
Harry walked
alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with
excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a
little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him. . . .
The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train
rounded a corner.
Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.
"He'll be alright," murmured Ginny.
As Harry looked dat her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and
touched the
lightning scar on his forehead.
"I know he will."
The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.