Disclaimer: I own everything in this fic that you don't recognise...nothing else(unfortunately!)
A/N: this fic does not include any of the canon characters...just read on and find out the rest...
A/N 2: thanks a bunch to Solika for betaing the fic and helping with the summery. also a big thanks to my sister for giving me 'mental support'!
I Believe
It was a sunny summer day in Bromley. Windmill Road was flooded with sunlight. But a particular room in number eight (that is the Worthington residence), looked unusually bright this morning. Right at the moment the little occupant of this room was beaming with joy. He was going to turn eleven today. The boy named-
“August! Time to get up!”
“Yes, mother. I’m up already.”
August washed his face very quickly and ran downstairs. There, on the living room table, was a small pile of wrapped up stuff. His younger sister Susan was hopping around the table excitedly. She let out a happy scream as soon as August got in.
“He’s here! He’s here! Come on, August! Open them! Quick!”
“Don’t you want to wish him, dear?” their mother walked in, closely followed by their father.
“Oh, sorry! I forgot. Happy birthday, August!”
August couldn’t but laugh.
“Happy birthday, my boy! Looks like you’re a young man now.”
“Thank you, dad.”
“Happy birthday, dear,” mom said. “Now don’t waste your time. Open the gifts quickly. A nice breakfast is waiting for you.”
The first gift he opened was a box of chocolates from Susan. Her pretty face lit up when she got to eat the first piece. The second was a DVD and a video game from mom. He was a bit disappointed to see the ’X-Men’ video game, but didn’t stop smiling. Although it was not exactly what he wanted, he liked it anyway.
Next were the last two books of the Narnia series from grandfather and grandma.
“Susan, look! That completes our set.”
She was almost jumping. Well, so was her brother…until he opened the last gift. His face fell.
“A watch?”
“Why, son?” asked dad. “Isn’t that what you asked for?”
“Dad, I didn’t want just a watch. I wanted the one with Dumbledore’s face on the dial.”
“August, you cannot have it. You know it’s not good for you.”
“How come all my friends can have it, but I can’t?” he said with his lips trembling.
“Because they don’t actually hope to meet some imaginary person like the one’s you talk about. Dumbledore, for example.”
“I don’t hope to meet Dumbledore anymore,” August protested. “He’s dead. But he isn’t imaginary, he never was!”
“Listen, dear,” mom started. August knew what was coming next. Mom always took dad’s side in this specific matter. “You’re a big boy now. You’ll have to understand that everything you read in a book is not true. The doctor told you-”
“I know what the doctor said! And I don’t care. Besides, I don’t believe everything I read in a book. I never said Narnia is true. I only believe in Hogwarts.”
“But why?” father looked a little angry this time.
“Because it’s true!” Susan burst out. She felt that there had to be someone to support her big brother. And more than that, she shared some of her brother’s secrets; some secrets, which could have only one explanation.
“Now see what you’ve done to your sister. She’s much younger than you. It can have a bad effect on her,” said mom.
“She is just brave enough to believe what is true,” August was fighting his tears by now.
“It looks like-” the doorbell rang and dad couldn’t finish.
“I’ll get that.” Mom left.
A moment later a jolly voice came from the doorway.
“Uncle Jo!” Susan ran to see him. August followed her gladly.
No one wondered why Susan sounded a bit too happy to hear Uncle Jo’s voice. Whenever he brought a gift for August, there was something for her, too. This time it was a ‘Harry Potter’ colouring book, which did not at all please Mr. and Mrs. Worthington.
Jonathan Darcy, however, didn’t seem to pay any attention to his sister and brother-in-law’s reactions. He had brought the thing he promised his little nephew, and now he gave it to him.
“Happy birthday, August.”
“Thank you, Uncle Jo.” August smiled. But the smile didn’t last much longer. It turned into a broad grin when he pulled off the wrapping paper and saw what was inside.
“You’re the best, Uncle Jo! Thank you very much.”
But August’s parents looked just as worried as he was happy. Mom could not help but say, “‘Quidditch Through the Ages’? ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’? Jo! You know how obsessed August is about these things. You’re buying him all this rubbish again?”
“Mom, these are not rubbish! They’re called books.”
“Exactly,” said Uncle Jo. “And always remember what Einstein said. ‘Imagination is more important that knowledge’.”
This time August was really hurt.
“Uncle Jo! How could you say that? I don’t imagine things! I’ve always said what I’ve felt about everything. I believe in magic and I’m not afraid to say that.”
“Yes of course you-” there was no need for Uncle Jo to finish. August did not wait and had already left for his room.
Complete silence filled the kitchen. After a while Uncle Jo opened his mouth, but before he could say anything they heard a sound outside. Everyone turned to see and to their utter surprise something flew in through the open window.
“An owl?” Mr. Worthington sounded as stunned as anyone else in that room…except Susan.
“It has got a letter!” she sounded extremely happy.
“A letter?” her father asked. “How do you know it’s a letter?”
“Why, that’s what owls deliver!” Susan was pretty sure about this one.
And indeed, a letter it was. Uncle Jo picked it up from the table. Some words were neatly scribbled on the envelope.
Mr. A. Worthington
The smallest room on the first landing
8 Windmill Road
Bromley, Kent
“It’s for August!” Mrs. Worthington’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Uncle Jo turned over the envelope, which did not bear any stamp. It was sealed. On the seal was a coat of arms with a big ‘H’ on it. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be a fake.
“Susan,” said Uncle Jo. “Could you please go and ask August to come downstairs? I think we all owe him an apology.”
~The End~