Harry Potter belongs to J K Rowling, the wonderful lady who has inspired so many people to try their hand at writing too. Warhammer 40k belongs to Games Workshop who have a very scary legal team. Please don't sue me, I'm not very well off and could only pay you in pictures. I only mean to pay homage to the wonderful, funny, baroque, gruesomeness that is WH40k.

I should also say a big thank-you to my very patient Beta Jacobus-minoris who has read and reread my writing, pointed out my grammatical mistakes, questioned the suitability of some of my wilder ideas as well as putting up with my long winded rants about plot ideas.

Author's Note

I was going to leave Atum alone but then I had a little idea. I'm not sorry about it…

Epilogue

19 years later…

Ron sighed heavily as he watched Rose trail alongside her mother, pushing the trolley laden with all her school things, including a cat basket that was currently home to the little black kitten they had got her as a special treat. The blasted creature (named Mittens) had already trashed a set of curtains, part of the sofa, widdled on the carpet (twice) and got into a fight with a cat from down the road. Frankly, he'd be glad to see the back of it for a while.

In the distance, across the ridiculously crowded platform, he could hear a familiar screeching as Ginny laid into whichever one of her brood had transgressed this time. It was disturbing just how like Mum Ginny was getting; she'd got the shouting down pat and everything. Mind you, if he had kids like the Quins, he'd probably be morphing into Mum too…or turning to the bottle.

A small boy passed by, eyes wide as saucers as he pushed a trolley laden with trunks, an owl in a large cage perched on top. Muggle-born, Ron thought, a first year too; if he stared any harder, his eyes would pop out.

It seemed just like yesterday when he was getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express for the very first time himself, so nervous he'd nearly been sick, thanks to bloody Fred and George, and their stupid rubbish…and now here he was seeing his little girl of for the very first time. A small hand tugged at his sleeve, and he looked down to find Hugo gazing up at him. Poor lad had inherited Hermione's teeth and frizzy hair. At least he'd got the Weasley colouring…and the freckles.

"Are you gathering wool again, Dad? Mum said that…"

Ron chuckled nervously, checking Hermione hadn't been watching, "I'm just fine, just…thinking deep thoughts about work and that sort of thing…" and getting old. He could swear he'd seen a grey hair this morning…and his hair was beginning to retreat alarmingly around his temples. Oh, to have a full head of hair, and that was before he even got onto the misery that was his waist line. Where the hell had that gone?

"You're doing it again Dad. Muuuum!" Hugo ran to catch up with his mum and sister. The little snitch, Ron grumbled to himself.

"Weasley."

Ron looked around to find Draco Malfoy standing behind him, with what looked like his entire family in tow, his extremely French wife whose name Ron could never remember, and their three children, as well as Lucius and Narcissa themselves, both starting to show their age a little. Lucius was holding the smallest child in his arms, a tiny girl wearing a frothy pink dress who kept shooting him deeply suspicious glares.

"Malfoy," Ron said as he shook Draco's hand, "how are you? Haven't seen you since the upgrade to the security systems…"

"Indeed," Draco smiled, "must keep our Aurors safe. How are they holding?"

"Excellent, excellent," Ron bounced on his heels, "they even caught some idiot with a couple of turnips in his pocket he'd charmed to explode. So…Hogwarts too?" He nodded towards the train.

"Yes, yes….my son Scorpius," Draco indicated a slight and serious looking boy, "he's just starting his third year."

Ron gave Scorpius an encouraging grin, causing the lad to duck his head suddenly shy.

"So it is Violetta's turn this year."

"My daughter's starting too," Ron nodded, "she's so smart, just like her mother. I think we might have a Ravenclaw on our hands." He craned his neck again, looking round. "I'm surprised the Potter-Lovegoods aren't here yet."

"What? He spawned?" Draco hissed, looking pale.

"Didn't you know? I'm pretty certain their daughter starts this year," Ron said, "it took them ages to conceive, and…do you remember all that kerfuffle about that potion, "Elixir of Abundance", or something?"

Draco nodded slowly. "There was that huge scandal at St Mungo's."

"That was him and Lovegood trying to start a family," Ron said, "except someone stole the recipe and tried marketing it. The first we knew about it was when St Mungo's raised a red flag over the sheer number of multiple births they were having to deal with…all the associated complications, the increase in maternal and infant death rates…sorry," Ron grimaced under Draco's horrified scrutiny, "it was a really stressful case."

"So what you're saying," Draco said slowly, "is that Potter and Lovegood are somehow responsible for tripling the class sizes at Hogwarts…and I thought their single handed-ly managing to get the DoM a new building was…extraordinary enough. Father said that the speed with which the Wizengamot pushed the proposal through was absolutely stunning, and it had been stagnating for the last eighty years…but I supposed they didn't want another incident with ghouls drifting through the walls and trying to eat people. Apparently, it puts a crimp on the paperwork."

"Why am I not surprised…" Ron sighed, "that's not all either." Ron's eyes darted to where he could just see Ginny surrounded by her brood. "My sister took it, hence the Quins. She got impatient waiting for a baby after she got married, so…" he shrugged, wincing as Ginny yelled at one of her off-spring for some perceived misdemeanour, "powerful stuff too. Doesn't wear off after the first use either."

"Hence your sister doing an excellent impression of her mother," Draco pointed out. Ron winced as he took in Ginny's brood of nine again; he couldn't deny it, could he?

A commotion by the muggle entrance caught their attention, and they turned to watch in horrified fascination as the gigantic bulk of Harry Potter-Lovegood, or Atum as so many people called him now, strode along the platform, his blood-red robes billowing around him, giving the impression of a stately galleon at sea.

The crowds of parents and students parted before him like a wave, people staring in silent shock as he passed. Ron swallowed nervously, finding his throat suddenly dry. It was so easy to forget just how large and intimidating Harry had become. He was more a titan from some sort of legend rather than a human being, some sort of heroic state come to life, striding among them.

"Weasley, Malfoy," the colossal man boomed as he bore down on them, a smile across his face.

Chuckling nervously, Ron gave Harry (or Atum maybe) a nervous smile. "Hi Harry…oh hi, Luna," he said trying not to inch away as Harry/Atum stood far too close, revealing Luna "Looney" Potter-Lovegood. She actually looked quite normal; Ron blinked in surprise at Luna's practical grey robes. He looked down to find she was searing bright-red shoes with rainbow coloured laces. Okay, maybe not.

Beside her stood the Potter-Lovegood spawn, a girl-child, small for eleven, who obviously took after her father what with her tangle of black curls and coppery skin. She'd even inherited Harry's dreadful eyesight, shyly peering around her through lime green framed glasses. But she'd definitely got the pure Lovegood wackiness in spades. The very shiny silver puffy trainers were bad enough, but then she'd decided to complement her dungarees with a t-shirt that looked as if a gang of gnomes had attacked it with muggle felt-tips. Obviously, she was a chip off the old block.

"It was not that long ago that we were stood on this platform ourselves," Atum rumbled, "boarding this train for the very first time." He smiled down at Ron. "The simplicity of those days holds a certain charm, does it not?"

"Sure, sure," Ron fidgeted as he watched Luna float her daughter's luggage onto the train, "weren't we all runty little things."

Atum gave him an amused look and a strange rumble that might have been laughter as he knelt next to his daughter.

"Mereret Selene," he growled softly as his little girl flung her arms as far round his neck as she could.

"Going to miss you Daddy," Mereret Selene sounded rather muffled from within her father's enormous hug.

"I, you too."

Ron sighed; honestly, this was getting embarrassing to watch. And he thought Hermione was going to be a nightmare waving off her little girl to Hogwarts for the first time.

"…remember, when you are sorted, think of all the things that make you you, that you enjoy the most. Do not worry about the perceptions or expectations of others…"

"My goodness," Hermione whispered as she sidled up to him, Hugo and Rose in tow, "I didn't realise she was that old already."

"Me either," Ron said from the side of his mouth, "how long before Hogwarts turns into a smoking crater?"

Hermione glared at him. "Honestly, Ron. She's eleven."

"And look who she's got for parents!" Ron muttered back, ignoring the fact that Rose was watching them intently. "There's no way she's going to be average, or even remotely normal. Something will get blown up."

"…and remember, my little Mereret, knowledge is power, guard it well…and have fun…"

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks as little Mereret dutifully promised to follow her father's advice. This did not bode well.

"Looks like you're in for an interesting first year, pumpkin," Ron muttered to his daughter.

oOo

Dear Mum and Dad,

Got here safely, the train was brilliant and then when we got to Hogwarts it was amazing! Anyway I got into Gryffindor, which is great being in your old house. I've even managed to dodge the Quin's "welcome to the house" gift so far. Any suggestions for useful hexes would be appreciated.

That little girl on the platform, the one with the strange name and even stranger parents? Well she got sorted into Ravenclaw, quickest sorting this year I think. Anyway, seems you were right about her being trouble. Yesterday the Dungeons flooded with toxic fumes.

It was bright green and drifted along the ground and flooded down the stairs into the Dungeons until they sort of filled up. It was really weird. You could hear Headmaster Snape screaming POTTER from the other side of the Castle. Strange how he knew straight away who'd done it. I think Mereret (is that how you spell it?) is going to be the Quins' new best friend.

The Slytherins can't use their common room or dormitories at the moment so we're all having to double up which is turning out to be surprisingly fun. I've even made some new friends.

Anyway not much else had happened yet, except I've found out that I really don't like Herbology much. Too scary for me.

Hope you're both well,

Love Rose.

PS – Please send muggle sweets. I need to prove a point to the Slytherins.