Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Epilogue
Nineteen Years Later

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

Notes by Michele L. Worley
Page editor Belinda Hobbs

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 753 - 759
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 603 - 607
Timeframe: Friday, 1 September, 2017

In which Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Draco are all putting their older children on the Hogwarts Express.

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

The morning of the first of September

This and the name of the section give us the day's date.

Two large cages...the owls inside them hooted indignantly

So James and Albus each have their own owls instead of having to share.

'Two years,' sniffed Lily. 'I want to go now!'

So Lily Potter is nine years old.

'I won't be in Slytherin!'

So Albus is to be Sorted today, and is therefore eleven years old.

James, grinning at his younger brother

So James is older than Albus.

'We wrote to James three times a week last year,' said Ginny.

In fact, James is at least in his second year (and probably not much older than that, I would say).

Harry thought he heard Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello...

Since Percy isn't seeking out Harry or Ron, he isn't there just to see their children off. Consequently, it seems likely that he is there to see off his own child or children, but we don't know for sure since none of the rest of the family actually see him during this scene.

Rose, who was already wearing her brand new Hogwarts robes

And since this is Rose's first trip to Hogwarts (see below), she is roughly the same age as her cousin Albus.

'Parked all right, then?'

So Harry drives a car instead of always travelling magically.

pass a Muggle driving test

Evidently Ron has only just acquired a license to drive.

before they've even started school!

That is, Rose and Scorpius are both eleven years old and will be Sorted this evening.

Teddy Lupin!

Since nineteen years have elapsed since the Battle of Hogwarts, Teddy is now just past nineteen. Since his birthday is sometime in April or thereabout, he would have begun at Hogwarts at the age of eleven and left at eighteen, so he's been out of school for over a year.

he said he'd come to see her off!

So Victoire is still young enough to be in school, but old enough to be involved with Teddy without shocking anyone but James. :) She would be at most seventeen, or she'd already be out of school.

Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday.

Just as he invited Harry to Friday tea at the end of his first week (PS8).

Don't duel with anyone 'til you've learned how.

Harry could have done with this advice during his first year (PS9).

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• Malfoy (unnamed) (Draco's wife)

• Malfoy, Scorpius (Draco's son)

• Potter, Albus Severus (as Al) (Harry and Ginny's younger son)

• Potter, James (Harry and Ginny's elder son)

• Potter, Lily (Harry and Ginny's daughter)

• Weasley, Hugo

• Weasley, Rose

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Granger, Hermione

• Malfoy, Draco

• Potter, Harry

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Percy

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Longbottom, Neville

• Lupin, Teddy

• Peeves

• Prewett, Fabian

• Snape, Severus

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Victoire

• (unnamed) Muggle driving test examiner

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• platform nine and three-quarters, King's Cross station

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Exceptional character moments:

• Albus Severus Potter, worried sick he might be Sorted into Slytherin.

• James Potter, yanking Albus' chain at every opportunity, and who is too cool to give his mother's love to Professor Longbottom.

Spells:

• Confundus Charm

• Supersensory Charm

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary

  • owls

  • thestrals

• blood status

• Hogwarts teachers

• items and devices

  • boats

  • carriages, Hogwarts

  • Hogwarts Express

  • Sorting Hat

  • watch

• Ministry regulations

Memorable lines:

• 'Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner.'
  ...
  'As a matter of fact, I did Confund him.'

• 'If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you,' said Ron, 'but no pressure.'

• 'So that's little Scorpius. Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains.'

• 'I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!'

• 'It's me. I'm extremely famous.'

Strictly British:

• snog

• wind [someone] up

• wing mirror

Timelines/Calendar:

The name of the section - nineteen years later - tells us that this is 2017, the day is named in the first paragraph (BH) and September 1, 2017 is a Friday.