There is something memorable about the first time you meet someone.



I’ll always remember the first time I met Ron. He asked to sit with me in the carriage on the Hogwarts Express.

I’ll always remember Hermione barging in searching for Trevor and criticizing Ron’s spell work.

I’ll always remember Mrs. Weasley… err… I mean Mum bawling Fred, George, and Ron out for using the flying car to rescue me.

I’ll always remember the few words Dumbledore used during the first welcoming feast.

I’ll always remember Sirius asking me to come live with him.

I’ll always remember Ginny chasing the Hogwarts Express my first year.

All of these memories are special… but I don’t think any can compare to the first time I held Carisa Elena Potter on April 6th, 2004. My daughter…

Except maybe when Ginny and I brought Tina Renee Potter… our first daughter, home from the Phoenix House.

Of course Tina would claim that the day we brought Isabella Nichole Potter home from the Phoenix House would be tops… when she finally got a 24 hour a day playmate.

Certainly today, October 28th, 2006 will be among the most memorable. Today I’m holding my son Bryan Xavier Potter on the first day of his life.

Actually, I wasn’t sure I would be here today. I arrived through the front door only minutes before Ginny’s water broke.

You might wonder why I wasn’t already home. What would be so important that I nearly missed the birth of my one and only son?

You might think I was out battling some Dark Wizard or meeting with someone important from the Ministry.

You might think I was arranging a special Order Mission or training new recruits.

You’d be wrong. My days of battling the forces of Darkness on a daily basis and being someone important ended the day Lucius Malfoy died.

The day I decided that my family would come first.

Ginny was thrilled that I would no longer be charging headlong into danger. Although she was less thrilled about my plans to spend all my time home with her, Tina, and when she finally came, Carissa.

I think her exact words were, “I love you more than anything, Harry, but you need a job so I don’t end up hexing you.”

Thus began The Search.

For months I tried profession after profession. I did some substitute teaching at Hogwarts, but found it too repetitious.

I did a stint working with Fred and George at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, but quickly grew tired of the job hazards. Being an unwitting test subject gets old very quickly.

I even spent a month tending bar at The Three Broomsticks for Rosmerta.

In the end it was Tina who finally chose my new career. Oliver snagged me Puddlemere United vs. Chudley Cannons tickets for the entire extended family and both Ginny and I were thrilled to be taking Tina to her first Quidditch Match.

Tina had a blast. She ate candy and snacks and drank too much butterbeer. She ended up with a Chudley Cannons scarf from her Uncle Ron, Oliver made sure that the game quaffle ended up with her after he got the entire starting side for United to sign it.

The rest of the evening she zoomed around the cottage on the toy broomstick Ginny and I bought her for her first Christmas with us. Finally, Ginny coaxed her to sit down by regaling her with stories about me at Hogwarts, most especially when I played Quidditch for the Gryffindor House team.

Tina sat entranced as her mother told story after story until she could barely keep her eyes open. I gently scooped her up to put her to bed. As I tucked her in her eyes fluttered open briefly and she murmured, “Daddy fly next time?”

It was so obvious!

Play Quidditch professionally!

Other than spending time with my family, nothing had ever made me as happy as when I played Quidditch. Why couldn’t I do something I loved for a living?

The next morning I began training. Oliver managed to get hold of a couple of regulation snitches for me and I spent hours every day chasing them. By the time summer rolled around I was ready.

I tried out, in disguise, to keep the press away and to ensure I got on through merit and not just because I was Harry “Bloody” Potter – The-Chosen-One-Who-Lived-and-Killed-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Called-By-His-Stupid-Anagram-Name!

I never flew better.

One week later Fred and George, acting as my agents, brought me the Montrose Magpies’s offer. After a bit of negotiation, mainly concerning the guarantee that Ginny and the girls could travel with me whenever I was going to be away from home overnight, the deal was struck.

That fall I debuted as the reserve seeker for the Montrose Magpies. By mid-season I stepped into the starting role when the starter was injured. I managed to catch the snitch in every match that year (granted I didn’t have to fly against Oliver and Puddlemere since we’d already lost to them.) We finished a respectable 4th in the league and I secured my place as the starter.

Since then Oliver and I have battled to a draw. I’ve caught the snitch both times but the first time it took me so long that we were already behind by 300 points. Today I was on a mission to get the match over quickly and made the catch when we were only down by 50 points. We both look forward to our next match.

Ron still laments that I don’t play for the Cannons. I’ll give him his due… he’s loyal… he roots against me every time we play.

Hermione was sceptical at first, but by the end of the first season she was fully supportive. She said I was happier than she could ever remember me being and that I needed to just do what made me and my family happy. She admitted that doing something you loved was more important than saving the world or House-Elf rights.

And my family? Well they couldn’t be happier. Practice gets me out of the house several days a week so Ginny doesn’t end up hexing me. Tina and Isabella think their Dad is the coolest in the world with the coolest job (it’s nice being admired for something I’m good at instead of being lucky, or unlucky when you consider it, that Voldemort chose me). The occasional trips to play on the continent or around the world have allowed us to see things and do things we’d never have considered.

My family… it’s still a little hard to believe that I have a family. As I hold little Bryan in my arms and gaze around my sitting room I couldn’t be more happy with the family I have. Gathered for the birth of the newest Potter/Weasley is the entire Weasley clan.

Mum is fussing in the kitchen with Dobby, trying to ensure there is enough food for everyone. Dad is trying to figure out the new muggle tool set I bought to use when I work on Sirius’ motorcycle.

Bill and Fleur, once again pregnant, are cuddled up on one of our fluffy sofas watching their twins chase their cousins and little brother around the house.

Fred and George, still the consummate bachelors are egging the children on and if I’m not mistaken making wagers on which one will knock something off an end table and break it.

Ron and Hermione are quietly arguing over who should say something to their son Christian for his accidentally turning Isabella’s hair blue. Quietly arguing… hmmm… who would have thought they’d have come so far.

Remus gives me a nod of approval as he curls his arm around Tonk’s shoulder. Ella and her little sister Violet are busy teasing Nevaeh, Polly and Castor with yarn their mum charmed to change colours.

Carissa is sitting on the lap of her “Uncle Hagrid”. For some reason, from the time she was born she’s taken a special shine to Hagrid. Unfortunately, that seems to extend to his fascination with anything with fangs and claws. Currently, she is listening intently as Hagrid tells her, for the hundredth time, about my first flight on the back of Buckbeak.

This is my family… I couldn’t ask for anything more!

“Carissa! Isabella! Tina!”

In less than five seconds there is a rumble of tiny feet and my three daughters are standing front and centre. “Girls, I want to introduce you to your baby brother, Bryan Xavier Potter.”

Carissa sticks her fist in her mouth and her eyes light up.

Tina jumps up and down, “Can I hold him?”

Isabella chimes in, “Can we take him back and get another girl?”

I smile at her and shake my head slowly, “I’m sorry munchkin, but he’s non-returnable.”

She frowns momentarily and begins toeing the rug, “Okay, I suppose we can keep him as long as I don’t have to share my room with him.”

That statement brings a round of laughter and I’m sure Fred and George exchange some coins.

“C’mon girls, your mum is upstairs in the bedroom and she wants to see all of us.” I lead the way and mention over my shoulder, “Tina help your sister up the stairs.” Tina leans down and scoops up Carissa and carries her up after me with Isabella trailing behind.

We approach the bedroom to meet Penny on her way out.

“How is she?”

Penny smiles brightly at me, “She’s doing lovely. Just make sure she takes it easy for a few days.”

The ache in my hand is a gentle reminder of just how tough a day my wife has had. Even though she went into labour in the early hours of the morning she insisted that I still play today. She just menacingly warned me to be back in time for our child to be born.

She didn’t know that after Carissa’s birth I already made arrangements to switch her wand with one of Fred and George’s trick wands.

Of course not having her wand didn’t keep her from nearly crushing my hand in a death grip.

I wouldn’t trade today for anything.

She’s sitting propped up in our bed. Her hair is still clinging to her face from the perspiration. She looks exhausted.

She’s never looked more beautiful.

She smiles softly at me. I gently hand her Bryan and she shifts him so that he can nurse. Tina helps Carissa up onto the bed and then she and Isabella scramble up after. I sit down next to my wife and Tina curls onto my lap.

This is what my entire life has been leading to.