In southwest England, Devon County can be found. In Devon County, the small town of Ottery St. Catchpole can be found. South of the main village, hidden behind hills and trees, the Burrow can be found. Behind this magical dwelling, an orchard can be found. Now if you were unfamiliar with the family that resides there, you may have found the scene before you rather odd. Roughly fourteen people, ranging in age from six to forty-six, were riding broomsticks over a hundred feet in the air. If you were familiar with them, however, you would probably pull up a chair and become a spectator of the exciting game taking place.

Three young children were standing on the Weasley’s homemade Quidditch pitch, their necks craned in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the action above. One girl was standing quietly with her hands folded out in front of her. There wasn’t a single impurity in her long, straight black hair, even with the slight breeze. Her plain, yellow dress was absent of any dirt or wrinkles, as was her face of any expression.

The other girl was a different story. Her countenance reflected her cheerful demeanor, and her outfit consisted of simple play clothes. The pigtails in her hair may have once been attractive, but tufts had fallen out and flew every which way.

The final child was a small boy dressed in jeans and a nice shirt, which he had untucked. He wore a look of pure concentration, and his whole head moved back and forth as he scanned the airborne field. He was looking for something, but was interrupted before having the satisfaction of finding it.

“Terry!� the brown-haired girl exclaimed, “Are you even listening to me?� Her hands were on her hips, and her six-year-old voice was mimicking that of someone much older.

"Sorry, Em,� Terry said, giving himself a little shake to reenter reality, “what was it you said again?�

"Well, since you asked,� she said politely, “me and Luce were just saying that Roxanne is really good for being so little!�

Terry snorted. First off, Lucy never talked. She was only a year younger than him and Emma, but she spoke to no one other than her immediate family. He was fairly certain that if her father, Percy, didn’t insist upon her being with kids her age, she would be inside playing with her dolls in some lonely corner. The other reason for his rude reaction was jealousy. His cousin Roxanne was also six, making her the youngest person that had been allowed to play Quidditch. He was in love with Quidditch, but had never been permitted to so much as sit on a broom by himself. His father deemed it too dangerous; however, Terry would bet that his siblings were allowed to fly by this point in their lives.

Emma looked a bit put off, but she again tried to grab the attention of her silent companions. “Hey, guys! I know what we can do; we can announce the match like Aunt Ginny!� Lucy absentmindedly shuffled her feet until Emma elbowed her, but then she gave a slight nod.

“Alright then,� Emma said with a smile, “let’s see. Albus has the ball. Wait, Terry, what is it called again?�

“Quaffle.�

“Right, Quaffle. So Albus has the Quaffle, and he’s speeding for the goal. He’s going to shoot it…. No! He passes it to Lily, who drops it! It’s picked up by Auntie Angelina on the other team and now she’s speeding for the goal! Daddy‘s getting ready to block it. Go Daddy, go! Oh goodness, she‘s real close now! Almost there… but wait! James‘s ball is coming right for her! I can‘t look!�

Emma squealed and covered her face with her hands, while Terry let out a chortle of laughter. Even though their family included Beaters in their friendly exhibitions, they never actually aimed at anyone. Besides, the Bludger in question was nowhere near Angelina! In the commentator’s brief lapse, she scored easily on her brother-in-law, Ron, and the Quaffle was back in Albus’s hands.

Another strong wave of envy passed through Terry, causing him to ball his hands into fists. He tried to calm himself, but couldn’t shake off the hateful feelings towards his brother. Luckily, Emma had spent enough time with him to notice when he was upset. “It’s chilly out here, why don’t we go inside? Maybe Teddy’s arrived!�

Terry nodded and took one last glance skyward, just in time to see Uncle Bill perform an agile move to keep Albus from scoring. A smirk appeared on his face as they walked towards the old house, leaving Lucy to ponder whether or not to follow.

“Looks like we’ll be eating out here,� Emma said aloud as they passed through the garden. Terry wasn’t surprised, there was to be twenty-five plus people staying for dinner. They were about to enter the kitchen from the backdoor when an older girl blocked their way.

“Are they done fooling around yet?� she asked in a superior tone. Emma shook her head, causing the girl to groan, “I’m practically starving! I don’t understand their obsession with that game. It’s incredibly dull and boring, not to mention long!�

“They have to play until the Seeker catches the Snitch,� Terry said.

The girl squinted her eyes and bent down so she was eyelevel with her cousin. She was so close, her red curls almost touched his lips. “You think I didn’t know that?� she said slowly, exaggerating every syllable. “Tomorrow, I’m going to Hogwarts, and you two will be stuck at home with your parents. Ha!�

She turned away with her nose in the air and ran straight into something. At first she was going to get angry at the person who stood in front of her, that is until she realized who it was. “Uh…sorry, Mum.� Her cheeks turned bright red, and she tried to scuttle by her.

“Not so fast,� her mother said, grabbing her arm.

“Mommy!� Emma cried, confidence regained now that her opponent was retained, “Rose was being nasty!�

“She’s lying! She always tries to get me into trouble,� Rose said, breaking free from Hermione’s grasp.

Hermione turned to Terry, “Was she bothering you?� He nodded. “Rosie, how many times do we have to get after you about little things like this?� Her voice was soft, but it contained a hint of annoyance.

“He’s on her side!� She said, pointing as she addressed each of them.

“That may be, but Dean would never lie to me.� Hermione said. Terry could have sworn he saw her wink His birth name is Terrence Dean, in respect to two men his parents went to school with. He didn’t know what happened to them, but he did know his family disproved of his preferred name, and went about calling him by his middle instead.

Emma grabbed Terry’s hand and started dragging him inside, sticking her tongue out at her sister, who was about to receive a talking to, on the way in. The second they stepped into the kitchen, the smell of the meat roasting wafted into their nostrils. Emma let out a yelp of excitement as she released Terry’s hand and hurried over to check the contents of the pots. When she approached the counter, however, she realized there was no way for someone of her stature to accomplish her task. She beckoned Terry over, “I need a boost!�

He obliged, and when he was next to her, cupped his hands out. “On three. One, two….�

She stepped onto his makeshift platform, causing him to sway to and fro. His brow wrinkled as he mustered all the strength his tiny body could. With his help, she was able to outstretch her hands on the counter’s surface and wiggle her way up. “Nice work!�

“Thanks!� he said proudly.

“You’re welcome, now let’s see what we’ve got!� On her hands and knees, she reached over and removed a pot’s lid. Steam attacked her face, causing her to whimper in pain and look away.

“You alright, Em?� Terry asked loudly, as if she was at a height much greater than she actually was. His voice was notably concerned.

“Yeah.� She blinked a few times while the steam cleared before attempting to peek again. “Yum, carrots!�

“Emma Weasley!� two women exclaimed at once. She guiltily set the lid down. Hermione was closer, so it was she who reached out and grabbed her.

“What is going on with my daughters today?� Hermione asked with a frown.

“Sorry,� Emma said while staring down at her filthy tennis shoes.

“Oh, but she was just curious, weren’t you dear?� the other woman said with a smile. Her plump figure and graying hair gave off a very welcoming impression. “Dean! Where have you been all day? Come, give your grandmother a hug!� He reluctantly stepped into her outstretched arms for an embrace. She smelled faintly of horseradishes. “Happy birthday,� she whispered in his ear as she gave him another tight squeeze.

“But Mrs. Weasley,� Terry said stepping back, “my birthday‘s not for another day.�

“First off,� she replied, “you are not a stranger, so don’t call me Mrs. Weasley! Second off, we’re celebrating today because tomorrow you will be in London, remember?�

Terry nodded, how could he forget? September first was the day he had been looking forward to all year. His parents had finally agreed to let him accompany them and his siblings to Kings Cross Station, where the Hogwarts Express departed at 11 o’clock sharp for the school of his dreams. Last year he had been tricked into being left behind with Emma’s family.

“Good,� Mrs. Weasley said, patting him on the shoulder, “now you two, find someway to occupy yourselves while Hermione and I make the final dinner preparations. We’ll eat as soon as the big kids are done with their game.�

“And stay out of trouble!� Hermione chimed in. Mrs. Weasley chuckled at the notion of her grandkids behaving.

Emma nodded and raced into the living room, giving Terry no choice but to follow. Scattered amongst the sofa and armchairs was the rest of Lucy’s family. Her father Percy was reading the Daily Prophet, his horn-rimmed glasses resting awkwardly on his nose.

“That Rita Skeeter,� he said aloud to his wife and oldest daughter, “you would think that after all these years, she would finally turn it in. Word around the Ministry is she‘s training an apprentice. Just what we need, forty more years of her gossip!�

His wife Audrey laughed, but Terry and Emma both knew she had no idea who he was talking about. Audrey was a Muggle, and despite living in the magical realm for over a decade still knew little to nothing about their world.

“Daddy, why is it that you dislike that woman so?� his daughter asked.

“Don’t worry about her, Molly, as long as you follow the rules she won’t cause you any grief. It’s those two over there who may find themselves becoming targets of hers in the near future.� He pointed at Emma and Terry, who were startled as they didn’t think he was aware of their presence.

“What’s that supposed to mean?� Terry asked indignantly.

“Never mind, boy,� Percy snapped back.

“No, tell me!�

Percy sighed and put down his paper, “I haven’t got the time to sit here and explain it to you, but if you must know I‘ll sum it up. The history of your families isn’t exactly ordinary, that alone will create buzz everywhere you go. Plus, if you are anything like your legendary parents, stories won’t be hard to come by.� He scowled and returned to his reading, “You may find that life in the spotlight is far from ideal, young Mr. Potter. Not everyone can get a handle on it.�

Terry gave Emma a quizzical look, and she shrugged back. “Let’s go check out who’s upstairs.�

When they reached the landing to the second floor, Terry stopped and whispered, “What was that all about?�

“You know Uncle Percy, always using fancy words and what not. He probably just wanted to scare or confuse us.�

“But that bit about our parents…� Terry continued.

“Forget about it!� Emma said, placing her hand on her cousin’s shoulder. He was not ready to stop discussing the matter, but knew a lost cause when he saw one. Besides, the conversation couldn’t go on with the yelling taking place above. The children looked at each other before bustling up another flight of stairs. When they reached the half-open door to their uncle Bill’s room, Emma put her finger to her lips and motioned for Terry to lean up against the wall where he couldn’t be spotted.

“Dominique,� Emma mouthed, causing Terry to nod in understanding.

“This is so unfair, that’s my dress! You can practically see her panties.� Dominique insisted, being careful to stress the bit about the panties.

“Victoire,� her mother said in a French accent, “can you not be so difficult? You had plenty of beautiful dresses to choose from, and you took your sister’s. You vould never let her vear any of your clothing.�

“Mother,� Victoire said sternly, “she needs to grow up and get over herself! Besides, this is pink. People with red hair should never wear pink, it clashes terribly.�

Dominique gasped, “This is ridiculous, of course you are going to take her side! You always do!�

“Oi vey!� Fleur exclaimed, “Who taught you to talk to your mother in such a vay?�

Terry and Emma rolled their eyes at each other. Meaningless drama seemed to follow their extremely shallow family members wherever they went.

“Enjoying yourselves are you?� came a whisper from behind them. Both jumped, but breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered who the voice came from.

“Granddad, don’t scare us like that!� Emma said.

He scooped her up, “I would normally discourage spying but I cannot deny, I was upstairs listening to their tantrum myself.�

“I don’t understand why they worry so much about how they look, it’s a load of codswallap!� Terry said without meeting Mr. Weasley’s eye.

“Don’t let your mother hear you talking like that. Now if I’m correct,� Arthur said, looking still at Terry, “about now your father has caught the Golden Snitch. You know what that means?�

Terry nodded, but it was Emma who replied, “He won the game!�

“Nope! Well, yes they did win, but it means that it’s time to stuff our faces! Who’s with me?�

Emma raised her hand and Terry flashed a weak smile. The trio headed downstairs and into the garden. Just as Mr. Weasley had said, the Quidditch match had recently ended. The exhausted players were taking their seats along the elongated table.

Emma wiggled free and ran up to her father, “Daddy! Did you win, did you win?�

“Of course, sweetheart,� Ron said, cupping her face with his hand.

“You guys should have seen it!� a miniature version of Ron said, looking around for anyone who would listen. He then began to excitedly recount different moments of the match. However, Terry and his parents weren’t paying any attention to Hugo. Their eyes were drawn to several packages lining the table.

“Mum,� his mother said, “What is all this?�

Mrs. Weasley was standing at the end of the table, pointing her wand into the kitchen and waving it back and forth to draw the different dishes out to where they would be served at. “Just a few presents for the birthday boy!�

Ginny and Harry glanced nervously at each other, while Terry’s eyes lit up. “For me,� he asked, “all for me?� There were only four gifts, but that was enough to seriously grab his attention, especially when he hadn’t been expecting anything.

“If you don’t want them,� his uncle George said, “I can gladly take mine back.�

Terry shook his head, causing laughter to break out. He felt his cheeks get hot, and mumbled a barely-audible “thanks.�

“Enough chit-chat!� a curly-haired boy said, “Can’t we dig in already?�

“James!� Ginny scolded.

“Sorry,� he replied, “I’m hungry!�

She sighed, “You are so much like your uncles!�

“James is right!� Mrs. Weasley stated, “I haven’t been slaving over a hot wand for nothing! If everyone would just get seated.…�

“Where are my girls?� the oldest of the Weasley sons questioned. On queue, Fleur, Victoire, and Dominique came strutting out from inside. Dominique was still visibly upset, but her father decided not to go there.

“Is everyone here finally?“ Mr. Weasley said while he scanned the area, “Good.� He plopped down into his spot at the head of the table and clapped his hands twice. The food became exposed, and light cheering broke out amongst the crowd. The members of the Weasley clan had no problem helping themselves to roast beef, lamb, assorted glazed vegetables, homemade bread, various puddings, gravy, and of course pumpkin juice.

While his mother was dishing his plate up, Terry decided to study the dynamics of the event. He has always had an analytical mind, and found people watching to have substantial educational value. He started with his grandfather, who had just finished tucking a napkin into his collar. To his left was Mrs. Weasley, who would never think to begin eating until she made sure everyone else was accounted for. Next to her was Percy’s family. As always, Audrey and the girls were sitting stone-faced. Percy was trying to chat it up with his brother Charlie, who seemed more than a little disinterested. When he caught his nephew looking his way, he signaled “blah, blah, blah� with his hand. Terry smiled; after Ron, Charlie was definitely his favorite uncle.

Fred and Roxanne were having an intense conversation regarding the gender of Chocolate Frogs. Fred looked very much like his father, except for his dark hair that he inherited from his mother. Roxanne was opposite. Her flaming red hair was currently held back in a tight braid that reached just beyond her dark-skinned neck. Their voices were dire contrasts as well. Roxanne’s was much deeper than her brother’s, and he often got teased. Fred was very good-humored though, much like his namesake.

Across from George and Angelina and on Terry’s side of the table sat Bill’s family. Bill’s shaggy, red hair and deep facial scars gave him a rough-and-tumble look, but his personality was warm and friendly. Victoire looked anxious and, based on the empty seat next to her, Terry reasoned that it was because of Teddy. Theodore Lupin was an unofficial member of their family, and nearly always late. Moving on, Fleur was having a fit about Louis, her youngest son who was already shoveling down his food. Terry liked Louis, he was five percent French and ninety-five percent Weasley.

The only people left to observe were those whom he was most familiar with. Hermione was similarly dishing up Emma’s plate; his sister Lily was waiting patiently for Ginny to come back by her so they could talk about whatever it was mothers and daughters talk about; Albus, James, and Hugo were still sputtering on about the Quidditch game; and Harry and Ron were creating a plan for the following day’s activities.

"There you are,� Ginny said, setting down a plateful of food in front of her youngest son. Terry, who had not been listening, looked up at her blankly.

“You better save room,� Hermione said, “Emma’s made you a surprise!� Emma nodded and beamed ear to ear. Terry saw a cake in his future.

The remainder of dinner was uneventful. The adults questioned the older children about their expectations for the school year, and the younger kids listened with supreme yearning. People also muttered about the whereabouts of Teddy. Terry spent most of the time rearranging his food rather than consuming it. He felt embarrassed about eating in front of such a large group.

As the supper din began to quiet down, Mrs. Weasley stood up and declared it was time for Dean to open his presents. All eyes were directed towards him, causing his ears to start ringing with alarm. He wasn’t used to attention, especially from his entire extended family.

Roxanne presented him with his first gift, which was covered in magenta wrappings. Terry slid his still-full plate over and placed the box in front of him for all to see. He gingerly began tearing off the paper. On the outside of the newly-revealed package was a large, gold-stamped W. Terry looked at Roxanne skeptically, “What is it?�

“What is it!� George and James both said at once. It was James who explained, “That’s from Uncle George’s joke shop you dunce! Based on the size of that box, I‘d say it‘s about a 10 galleons worth of merchandise!�

“Fifteen actually,� George corrected, “but I don’t want to brag.�

“I’m sure Harry and Ginny appreciate your generosity,� Hermione said sarcastically. A six-year old with Skiving Snackboxes isn’t a situation most parents want to find themselves in.

“It was no trouble,� Angelina said. “We were actually planning on giving it to Fred, but changed our minds when he repeatedly turned his sister into a large canary last week.�

Fred shrugged, “It’s not my fault she kept eating the creams!�

The next package was from Emma’s family. It was covered in modest brown paper, but with an intricately-tied pink bow, probably Rose’s doing. Inside was a number six Chudley Cannons jersey. It was a violent orange, except for the black logo.

“No more of this Holyhead Harpies business!� Ron teased.

“Easy!� Ginny responded.

“Sorry sis, have to reach them young!�

“And how exactly did your team do this year?�

“It’s a rebuilding year!� Ron tried.

“You mean century?� Ginny said.

“Admit it,� Charlie interrupted, “they are both pretty bad. Terry, why don’t you open mine next?� He pointed to a gift bag.

“Dean,� Harry said.

Charlie looked at him, obviously confused.

“Don’t call him Terry please, it’s not his name.�

“Blimey, Harry, I’m sorry! It’s been so long you know….�

Without giving the name issue another thought, Terry reached inside the bag. “Gloves?�

“Yup, child-sized!� Charlie seemed pleased with himself, “Next time I need help de-gnoming the garden, you can’t use your small hands as an excuse!�

Terry was thinking of a retort when Mr. Weasley placed a long box in front of him. “This is from Molly and I.� The tape job was poorly done, and they hadn’t even taken the time to wrap it. Terry was shaking in anticipation, however. His gut was telling him that he would enjoy the contents of this box very much. Emma could sense it too, as she stood up on her chair to get a better view. He carefully removed the tape, took a deep breath, and peered inside. His jaw dropped.

Arthur put his arm around his wife and the old couple smiled. “We thought you’d like it.�

Terry reached in a picked up the object as if it were sacred. In his hands was a broomstick, not just any old broomstick, his own broomstick. His mouth was still hanging open when he hopped off his chair and mounted it. He rubbed the low-quality handle, which read “Shooting Star.�

Before he could thoroughly admire it, his father was at his side, “You‘re still a bit too young to be on a broomstick.�

Terry was furious, here he had finally received the gift he had been fantasizing about for years and his dad was going to rip it away from him. “But it’s mine!�

“Terrence Dean, do as your father says,� Ginny commanded.

Terry hung his head in defeat, but luckily his family jumped to his defense. “I’m not questioning your parenting skills,� Mr. Weasley said, “but I recall a girl his age who would sneak into the broom shed and take each of her brothers’ brooms out for a ride.�

“That’s different,� Ginny said, “and I could have gotten seriously hurt!�

“But you didn’t.�

“Mommy and Daddy let me fly!� Roxanne added.

“Not helping Roxy,� Angelina whispered to her daughter.

“We don’t want to spoil him,� Harry said.

“You must let kids be kids though,� Hermione said. “I know you mean well, Harry, but having his own broom isn’t going to harm him any.�

“Would you let Emma?� Ginny asked.

“In a heartbeat,� Ron replied.

Harry looked at Ginny, and with a sigh replied, “Alright then. If everyone else thinks it’s a good idea then what do we know? Dean, after dessert I‘ll take you out on your first ride.�

His little boy’s eyes lit up, and the corners of his lips were struggling not to smile, “Promise?�

“Yes.�

Terry wanted to jump and hoot and holler, but he managed to keep his composure.

“Perfect!� Mrs. Weasley said, “Now why don’t you younger lot run along and play while the rest of us clean up?�

Louis got up to leave, but his mother stopped him, “You can help clean up like everyone else!�

He looked up at his father hopefully, “That’s right.� Louis stomped his foot and would have thrown a fit had his sister not pinched him.

“Can’t you just use magic?� Albus pleaded.

“No, starting tomorrow you won’t have to do a single chore for nine months,� Percy said, “this is our last attempt to distil in you a shred of responsibility.� Terry wanted to point out that Albus never lifted a finger at home, but refrained.

Plates were being collected, and water was running for dishes. Roxanne dragged Lucy over to Emma and Terry, everyone else was busy tidying up. “What shall we do?� Roxanne asked. Terry was still thinking about his father’s promise and Emma shrugged. “How about hide and seek?� Roxanne suggested. Emma liked the idea, and Terry nodded although he had no clue what had been proposed. “We can be on teams! Me and Lucy against you two.�

“We’ll hide first,� Emma announced.

Terry became with it enough to come up with a master plan. He whispered in his teammate’s ear, “My dad’s cloak!�

She nodded excitedly, “but how?�

“Kreacher,� Terry again whispered.

“Brilliant!� Emma exclaimed, spinning around as she did so.

Roxanne pretended to devise her own strategy with Lucy, but not surprisingly didn’t get anywhere. “What should we count to?�

“A hundred,� Terry said.

“Uh, okay,� Roxanne said, giving Terry the impression that she couldn’t quite count that high.

When they closed their eyes, Terry and Emma took off towards the house. They swiftly dodged many people en route to Ginny’s room on the first floor. Once they reached their destination, Emma slammed the door shut behind them. Both children took a few seconds to recover from their sprint. Terry noticed that a couple of his gifts had been placed on the bed. “We need to find my dad’s piece of glass,� he said. “You know, the one that goes with that crummy mirror we have? Anyway, I know it’s in here somewhere!�

Emma nodded and the pair began searching. They looked under pillows and in the sheets, behind curtains and even in the closet. Eventually there was no place left unturned except for the dresser. Terry managed to pull out one of the higher drawers and blindly felt around inside of it. His hand recoiled in agony when he came across the glass’s sharp surface, but he did not cry. Instead he jammed the side of his palm into his mouth before Emma could see it, he knew blood would upset her.

“Got it,� he let her know when the wound ceased to ooze. He then gazed into his prize, which displayed a sliver of his home living room. The tan sofa was visible, as was a brown cushion that was out of place. “Kreacher,� Terry called. A few seconds later, the top of his obedient house-elf’s head came into view. Terry and Emma watched anxiously as Kreacher disappeared, then with a pop materialized right in front of them.

“Master Terry,� he said with a bow.

“Hi, Kreacher!� Emma said while waving.

“Kreacher has not seen Emma in such a time, he scarcely remembers her. She resembles her mother more by the day. Kreacher is troubled by this, but says hello all the same.� the old elf replied. She giggled.

“Kreacher, can you do us a favor please?� Terry asked. “We want my dad’s cloak, for a game. We were wondering if you could get it for us?�

Kreacher nodded, “And would you like Kreacher to bring these gifts back as well?�

Terry shrugged, “I suppose you could put my box from Uncle George under my bed. That way James and Albus don’t get into it.� With that and a pop, Kreacher was gone. Emma and Terry didn’t have to wait long, however, before he was back to deliver their mechanism of invisibility.

“Thank you very much!� Emma said. Terry nodded in agreement, and Kreacher again Disapparated. “What does he do all day when you’re not there?� Emma wondered out loud.

“He goes to Hogwarts,� Terry answered coolly.

“Really?� Emma said, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, I think he’s got a mate there,� Terry replied, “he talks about Dizzy a lot.�

“You're lying!�

“No, I swear.�

Just then, someone was at the door. Not wanting to be caught with the cloak, they threw it over their shoulders. Immediately after they vanished from sight, Victoire walked in with a boy. He had light skin and striking teal-colored hair. He possessed the muscular body of a man, but his face proved he wasn’t much older than his sixteen-year-old girlfriend.

“Why so late?� Victoire questioned.

“Farm chores,� he answered while rubbing the back of his neck guiltily.

“You mean it had nothing to do with my letter?�

He took a deep breath, “Okay, I’ll admit. I wasn’t positive I was coming….�

“You’re going to leave,� Victoire said in despair. She sat down on the edge of the bed, very close to where her young cousins were huddled. Tears collected in her eyes, “I understand, of course. You’re done with school, you’re free! If you stay with me traveling would be out of the question, I know you are really looking forward to that. You’ll be applying for work soon, you don’t need a big distraction like this. We‘ll be okay without you, no one even has to know! I could lie, tell my parents it was someone in my year….� The boy sat beside her and cradled her in his arms. The room fell silent, Terry had to cover Emma’s mouth so her breathing couldn’t be heard. “Oh Teddy, what are we going to do?� Victoire finally said.

Teddy looked straight ahead, his usually jovial expression deadly somber. “Tomorrow, you’ll go to Hogwarts as if nothing’s changed. We should be okay for a couple months at least, by then I’ll have come up with a plan.�

“We can’t keep this a secret, by Easter I’ll….� She burst into a steady stream of tears.

Emma and Terry couldn’t take it anymore. Their confusion outweighed their interest and they decided to make a break for the door. They crept across the room on tip-toe. When they reached it, Emma knocked, causing Teddy and Victoire to panic. Whatever issue they were facing, they didn’t care for anyone else to know quite yet. Teddy collected himself and went to address whomever wanted in. When he opened the door, Emma and Terry slipped through. Teddy then scowled when he thought he opened it for no one and closed it once more.

“That was great!� Terry exclaimed.

Emma blushed, “Thanks, now what do you think they were going off about?�

Terry shrugged, “No idea, it sounded pretty serious though.�

They were still under the invisibility cloak, but weren’t thinking to keep quiet. Their cousin Fred walked by and received quite a fright upon hearing the ownerless voices. That reminded the duo of their game. “We should head back outside,� Emma said.

Terry nodded, “I’ve got the perfect place we can rest, follow me!� Once again they paraded through the maze of busy people. Not much progress had been made, as the cleaning duties were still being carried out. Luckily they only bumped into Fred, who was even more disturbed by the unexplained phenomena he had experienced.

Outside the cozy house, the weather had changed. The breeze had picked up, and even under the cloak Emma shivered. Terry spotted his jersey, it was long-sleeved, and would provide her with plenty of warmth. He made sure no one was around before slipping out of his disguise and running over to retrieve it from the table. He brought it back and held it out for Emma to take, “Here.�

“Are you sure, Terry? I don’t want to get it dirty.�

“It’s fine. If you do, Kreacher can wash it!�

She thanked and waited for him to lead the way to wherever they were going to plant themselves. There had been no sign of Roxanne and Lucy since the game began. Terry headed towards the pond, but they moved slowly due to the cloak dragging on the ground. As they neared the water’s edge, a symphony of frogs could be heard. At one of the last dry spots, Terry stopped and crouched down. Emma followed suit, and they began their wait.

It didn’t seem to occur to them that it would be impossible for them to be found, or that they were defeating the purpose of hide and seek. Neither cared, however, as they found great enjoyment in their cleverness. When it became obvious they were safe, Emma asked a question. “Terry, why is it you act differently around me than you do everyone else?�

Terry shrugged, “What do you mean?�

“Well, you smile and laugh and have fun when it’s only me and you, but if say Roxanne was here you’d get all quiet.�

“Oh,� Terry said looking at some weeds, “I don’t know. You’re my friend, you understand me.�

“But what about your parents? Don’t they understand you?� Terry didn’t respond. “I’m sorry, I was just curious.�

“No, it’s okay.� He sighed, “My parents don’t really notice me I guess. I mean they know I’m here but, it’s like they don’t care as much. They love James ‘cause he’s funny, and Albus because he’s just like my dad. Lily’s so cute, but what am I?� He began staring at a blade of grass in front of him.

“My best friend,� Emma replied, but Terry was still preoccupied with the grass. She watched him focus on the meaningless object for what seemed like an hour, then with a huff she lifted the cloak and left Terry alone. He remained completely still, that is until a spark appeared out of thin air and burned the little green stalk.

Terry bolted upright, “Emma, Emma!�

“What is it?� She said from a few feet away.

Terry clumsily crawled out from his perfect hiding place, wide-eyed. “Emma, Emma! Look at this, just…just watch!� He searched for something else to set ablaze, and settled on a rogue dandelion. He took a deep breath, and directed all his emotions on that single weed.

Emma waited, and waited. Like before, he failed to produce anything right away. Since she hadn’t witnessed the spark under the cloak, she was impatient. “Terry, I don’t know what you’re getting at but you’re wasting my time!�

He shushed her and concentrated on what he was doing. “Come on, come on!�

Emma rolled her eyes, “Sometimes I don’t get you, boy.� She turned her back and strolled over to the water’s edge, where she removed her shoes and socks and let her toes dance across the water.

Terry was becoming frustrated, but gave it one last go anyways. He succeeded, and a tiny flame burned the poor dandelion. He was in disbelief. Not only was he igniting things with his mind, but Emma had missed it. “Emma, turn around! Now!�

Emma obeyed and upon seeing what Terry was so proud of, screamed.

Terry tried to make quick work of calming her. “Emma, no, shhh….�

“Terry, what’s going on? There‘s a fire!� Her speech was frantic.

“No, it’s just little, don’t be scared!� he insisted. “I thought about it and it happened!� He realized he wasn’t making much sense, but was too excited to reiterate.

“Terry, where did…� she was unable to finish in astonishment as he started another fire. “Terry make it go away, make it go away this instant!� She jumped backwards, her feet were beginning to get hot.

“Em, what’s the matter?�

“It’s, it’s not right!� she stuttered. “Kids can’t do this stuff!�

Terry felt insulted, “What’s wrong with you? I thought you’d love this. I thought you’d be amazed by me! This is magic this is, I‘m, I’m doing magic!�

Emma backed away further, “Terry, just stop please you’re frightening me!�

Now Terry was really upset, “Frightening you? What happened to my fearless friend, the one who was always up for fun? You are acting just like they would!�

“Terry…� Emma pleaded. The little fires had now combined into one that was a healthy size.

“What?� he yelled, “You’ll tell my parents. Then I’ll never get to fly, they already think I’m a freak!� He kicked the ground before beginning to pace, his meltdown escalating much more than it needed to. Emma began to cry, then scream. “Alright! If you’re going to be a baby about it….�

When he turned around, the scene in front of him was his worst nightmare. The fire that had been so calm a moment ago was now raging. It towered between him and Emma and was beginning to scorch her pant leg, causing her to stumble backwards. The hungry flames engulfed her body.

Emma’s screams rang out as Terry’s magic burned her skin. She scuttled up wildly and dashed towards the pond. Terry was completely petrified at what he had caused. She leaped into the water, extinguishing the fire but doing little to ease the pain.

Terry made the split-second decision to leave her and dashed across the yard. His arms were flailing but he was unable to produce any sound. Hermione was exiting the house with a large cake in her hand. She was smiling when Terry reached her, but that changed when he spoke. “Emma… fire… burns… pond!� Terry coughed out before Emma’s wails became so blood-curdling that they could be heard from such a distance. Hermione dropped the cake at their feet and hurried toward her daughter.

Terry fell to his knees as everyone else gathered around him. Harry and Ginny knelt down next to him. “Terrence,� Harry said as calmly as he could, “what happened?�

He looked around at all the concerned faces and tried to answer, but he was still traumatized and couldn’t form coherent words. He coughed violently from the smoke he had inhaled. He couldn't hear his victim anymore, which disturbed him further. The thought that he hurt his best friend so seriously was too much to bear, and he collapsed into his father’s arms and sobbed. Terry couldn’t remember the last time he cried, and the shameful tears stung his face.

“Easy, easy,� Harry said as he rocked his son, “it’ll be okay.�

Ginny left but was soon back. She crouched next to them, “Here, Dean, you need to drink this.� He shook his head, eyes still clamped shut. “Dear, please.�

Terry opened his mouth a crack and consumed the liquid. It smelled heavily of lavender, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on the taste as his senses quickly dimmed. There was nothing he could do except give into the potion and rest.