Ignatius moved a little further down the platform, trying to remove himself from the vicinity of this couple's impending flirtation. This was exactly the reason he hadn't been out in public much for so long--people. He pulled out his gold pocket-watch again and looked at the time impatiently. He hoped the train would be on time, and that his niece would be on it.

And sure enough, here it came, and the stately old wizard was afflicted by a new burden as the crowd of noisy, careless returning students pushed around him in what seemed to be an endless flood. He looked anxiously at them, trying to find his niece--he had told her to return with him after the battle and not remain in that place! And then, suddenly, there she was, looking much too thin and haggard. And also...older, somehow. She was no longer the little girl Ignatius had first sent to Hogwarts four years ago.

Violet hadn't talked much to anyone on the train, nor had they talked to her. No one was really in the mood for noisy chats or snacking from the trolley, and the air of gloom that had lingered on at the castle seemed to follow them on the train back to King's Cross. She had gathered her things together, picked up her trunk as she left the train and muscled it onto a trolley, and was struggling down the platform, looking around anxiously for whoever was picking her up (she wished it would still be Miss Howard, but knew that was impossible now).

She was so preoccupied looking for one of her uncles that she nearly ran right into her tall, imposing grandfather, and then gawked awkwardly up at him for a few moments. Had he really come to meet her himself?!? Violet had never expected this in a million years. The old man must have been really worried about her; Violet hadn't realized he cared that much, but the look of relief on his face when he found her was unmistakable. Maybe it would be possible to talk with him about things this summer after all.

Ignatius was so relieved he niece was actually there and still in one piece that he forgot to be annoyed at being run into. "Well, Violet, I see you're home at last," he finally said, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. "Come along now," he continued, as he astonishingly took charge of her trolley himself and began to push it the rest of the way to the exit, looking over his shoulder every now and then to check that Violet was following. She finally caught up to him on her shorter legs and silently, side-by-side, they exited the platform together.