Foreshadowing the Unexpected

Chapter one - Reacquaintances

There is no limit to how complicated things can get, on account of one thing always leading to another. --E. B. White

Connor Potter stepped out of the steamy workroom at the Dog Star broom factory and wiped the sweat from his brow with the hem of his tee shirt. Today was the last day he would be forced to set foot in that room for a long time, and he was glad of it. He had thought that working for his father for the summer wouldn't be so bad, but quickly found that it was actually hard work. He had spent the past week in the 'handle shaping room', learning how to get the curve on the handle of the newest model of Daytripper brooms just right. Unfortunately for him, shaping the wood of a broomstick handle required the wood to be infused with magical steam to make it pliable. Connor had been feeling damp and out of sorts all week. He scratched absently at his hands, thinking that it was a good thing his time in the room was over - he thought he might have a mild allergy to the steam. His hands were itching like crazy lately.

"Ready to go, Con?"

Connor turned to see his father poking his head out of his office, and went to join him. He was ready, all right! Tomorrow his friends would be arriving for their promised visit for the last week of August, just before the school term began. Connor and his friends would be entering their third year at Hogwarts - except for his cousin Rachel, who would be starting her second. He hadn't seen anyone but Rachel all summer and was anxious to get caught up with Ivy, Zack and Quentin. Owls were all fine and good, but it just wasn't the same as seeing them face-to-face.

He waved to his Uncle Ron, who was sitting with his feet up on his father's desk. There were scrolls of parchment everywhere and several different types of brooms up on racks all up and down the back wall of the office. Rachel wandered into the room a moment later, sucking on one of her fingers. Connor looked at her enquiringly.

"Bad splinter," she explained.

Rachel had also been put to work this summer as a sort of punishment for the trouble they had gotten into at school last term. As far as punishments went, it could have been much worse, and they were even given a pay slip at the end of each week, telling them how much money had been deposited into their Gringotts accounts. True, they wouldn't really have access to that money until they were of legal Wizarding age, but it was nice to know it was there, and that they had really earned it.

"You ready for tomorrow? We're going to pick up Zack at eleven, and then the others are Flooing over at noon," Connor asked her, wishing he had washed his hands as soon as he'd left the steaming room; they really itched!

"Yeah," she said with a grin. "I'm almost packed."

"I still don't get why you're sleeping at Harry and Ginny's when you could just Floo over there every day," her father said.

"Because I want to be with my friends!" Rachel said. "I've been cooped up with Gwen and Prue all summer!"

Ron merely shrugged at his daughter. "I suppose it makes as much sense as anything you girls do. I'm just glad I've got your mother around to handle the big problems."

"Well, you two have worked off your punishment," Harry told them with a smile. He had often told them how impressed he was that they hadn't complained about the hard work all summer. Connor knew it was because he, at least, hadn't wanted to risk getting into any more trouble, which would mean the possibility of not spending the last week of summer with their school friends. "And you did good work, so Ron and I decided that you deserve a little extra bonus." Harry handed them each a pay slip, and they grinned at the sight of their new bank balances.

"And we'll give you a little extra pocket money when we go to get your school things," Ron said, standing up. "Now, let's get out of here!"

They used the Floo near the entrance of the factory. Connor left with a feeling of relief: tomorrow he would be waking up to get ready to pick up his Muggle-born friend Zack Ellis, instead of going to work with his father. No more sorting through tons of twigs to find the ones good enough to be part of a Dog Star broom, no more magical steam, and no more handle wax!

His hours of buffing broom handles by hand were over, though the manual labour had done him good. His arms were much more muscular than they had been in June, and even his sister Lucy had noticed the change. The best part about it was that more muscled arms meant that he'd probably have a stronger throw for his position as Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It seemed like ages since he'd been up on his broom, and he was eager for his friends to arrive so that they could all spend some time in the air.

As soon as he stepped out of the Floo at home, his mother called for him to go wash up for dinner. Connor headed upstairs. Once in his room, he saw that his bed had been converted into a bunk bed, and that another bed had been squeezed in to accommodate his expected friends. The guest room would no doubt have been made up for Rachel and Ivy to share as well. Looking at the picture of them on his dresser, he saw himself and his friends waving cheekily at him as they shuffled in place. He smiled happily as he stripped off the loose robes he wore hanging open over his tee shirt and jeans. He noted that his jeans were becoming way too short to be worn again; his mother would drag him out for more. He hated shopping for new clothes.

He took a quick shower, and only roughly dried his hair. It didn't matter if he combed it, since he'd had his mother cut it very short when he'd begun working in the steam room at the factory. His mother often lamented the fact that he had inherited his father's hair along with everything else, but Connor didn't mind much, he just wanted it out of his face. Everyone was always saying how handsome his father was despite his messy hair, weren't they? Well, with any luck, Connor would continue to look just as his father had at thirteen.

At the dinner table, Lucy and Ian were arguing as usual, over some trivial play at the Quidditch game they had attended earlier in the week. Adam had his Puffskein, Snowball, on the table and was listening intently to its crooning. Connor eyed the strangely coloured Puffskein with something close to revulsion; whatever had happened to make this one white, instead of the usual custard, had also caused it to grow to three times the normal size. It was kind of creepy. Not only that, but the thing growled at Connor whenever he got too near to it. Puffskeins were not supposed to growl.

His mum was busily mashing potatoes when she spotted Connor approaching the table. "Okay, Adam, go put Snowball in his cage. It's time for dinner."

Dobby, the Potter family's house elf, was busily setting the table, and smiled at Connor in greeting. Adam huffed sulkily at having to put his pet away, but did as she asked, scooping up the Bludger-sized ball of fur and carrying him upstairs.

"I'm surprised the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures hasn't come 'round to confiscate that thing," Connor said once Adam was out of earshot. "It's just not normal."

"I've never been able to get George to tell me where or how he got it either," his mum answered. "But Adam loves it."

Connor gave a little shudder and changed the subject. "Are you sure that the Ellis' house will be on the Floo by the time we need to go and get him?" he asked, for the hundredth time that week.

"Yes, Connor," Ginny answered patiently. "They're probably already connected by now. Stop worrying about it. If it's not connected, your father or I can Apparate over and let them know about the delay."

"Can I call him and see if it works?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she said predictably. "What if they've got company? Besides, they're not used to it, and you might scare them half to death! Just wait until tomorrow, and you'll see him in person."

At that point, Harry came to the table with his hair damp, wearing fresh robes. Talk turned to everyday affairs. Connor tuned out and thought about all of the things he and his friends could do for the next week.

After dinner, Connor spent an hour with the Occlumency tutor his parents had hired for the summer. Most kids his age would never have need for such a tutor, or such a skill, but then most kids his age weren't clairvoyant, either.

During Connor's previous term at Hogwarts, he and some friends had become involved in solving a twenty-year-old mystery whose main clues had come to Connor in the form of unusual precognitive dreams. Once that mystery had been solved, Connor began to notice a marked increase in the frequency of clairvoyant images he experienced each day until it got to the point of being a nuisance, then a real problem. Connor had been having intermittent 'visions' since he was a small child, but nothing like what had happened to him last year. The Occlumency, he was told, would help him to block out a lot of the distracting extra images and thoughts from his mind so that he could concentrate on everyday matters. His father could have taught him the technique, of course, but Harry and Connor both felt that a third party would be the best course of action.

Connor met with his tutor in the little schoolhouse for pre-Hogwarts kids that Connor's mum ran from a large barn behind their home. The classroom was cheerfully decorated, and gave them a quiet, relaxed atmosphere to work in.

"Very good," Clive Sharpe said as they concluded their session. He had been sitting across from Connor at a small table in the schoolroom, following his exercise through a light form of Legilimency. "Any headaches this time?"

"No," Connor said, pleased with his progress. "None."

Clive had been working with Connor three times a week since Connor had returned home from Hogwarts. He had made great progress. They got along well, due partly to the fact that Clive wasn't as old as Connor had expected him to be. Clive was in his mid-twenties and had auburn hair and bright blue eyes, with a boyish face that made him look much younger. Connor had been very surprised to find out that, not only had Albus Dumbledore himself recommended Mr Sharpe for the position as Connor's tutor, but that Clive was actually Dumbledore's great-great-great grandson.

"You've made a lot of progress, Connor," Clive said, looking proud. "I think you'll do fine once you get back to school. You haven't had any precognitive dreams at all since - when, last April? - and you've been successfully keeping distracting images from your mind on your own for the last three weeks. It'll probably be harder once you're surrounded by everyone at Hogwarts, I think, but you should be able to handle it."

"I'm a little nervous about it," Connor admitted. "Going back, I mean, without any more lessons."

"Well I've spoken to Professor Lupin," Clive assured him. "He said that he would take over your lessons - but only once a week, once classes start, just to keep you oriented and on track."

"Okay," Connor said. It made him feel a little better to know that he wouldn't be completely on his own if he started having trouble.

"And of course, you can owl me anytime," Clive smiled.

"You'll still come on Monday, right?" Connor asked. He had become attached to Clive over the summer, and would be sorry to say good-bye.

"And on Wednesday," he confirmed. "You still going to go get Zack tomorrow?"

"Yes," said Connor. "I can hardly wait!" They talked for a little while longer, and then Clive Flooed home and Connor went to bed, eager for the coming day.

***************

"Connor!"

Connor woke to the sound of his mother's voice calling from the bottom of the stairs. With a groan, he pulled his pillow over his head and tried to block out his mother and the sunlight streaming into his room. He had stayed up late, reading a book that Clive had lent him, and had looked forward to having a lie-in since he didn't have to go into work with his father for once. But it sounded as though his mother had other plans.

"Connor!"

This time the voice was much closer, and it wasn't his mother's. Connor sat up in bed and stared blearily at the doorway to his room, where Rachel was standing, grinning broadly, with their friend Quentin right behind her. Quentin looked like he had grown a couple of inches over the summer, and didn't even have to stand on tiptoe to see over Rachel's head.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, grinning back. He stretched and went to stand up, only to smack the top of his head on the bunk. He'd forgotten that his parent had added it the day before to accommodate one of his friends. Holding back the curse that had risen to his lips, and rubbed his sore head, smiling to see Quentin for the first time in several weeks.

"I couldn't take it anymore, and left a bit early," Quentin grinned. "Vanessa sends her love."

"Yeah, right!" Connor said. Vanessa was Quentin's sister, and she and Connor had disliked for each other ever since he had gotten her into trouble the previous year.

"What are you still doing in bed?" Rachel asked, coming in to sit on the extra bed against the wall. Quentin dropped a rucksack on the floor and sat beside Rachel.

"Well I was hoping to have a lie-in," Connor said. "But now that you're here, I guess I'll get up."

"Connor," Rachel said with exasperation. "It's ten-thirty. You're supposed to be leaving to get Zack in a half and hour."

Connor jumped back to his feet, and just missed hitting his head again. "What!" he exclaimed. He picked up the clock that he must have knocked over at some point and stared at it in disbelief. "I've got to get dressed!"

He rummaged in his closet for something to wear, and remembered that Zack's parents were both wealthy and very...proper people. He decided against robes, and chose a pair of casual Muggle trousers and a collared Muggle shirt. He scurried off to the bathroom to wash his face and change. By the time he emerged, Dobby had brought up Quentin's trunk and slid it under the extra bed, and Rachel was sprawled on Connor's bed, talking animatedly about the work she had done over the summer. They both stopped talking and looked up when Connor returned.

"So can we all go to get Zack?" Rachel asked as Connor sat next to her to put on his shoes and socks. "Quentin and I want to see his house."

"I don't see why not," Connor said with a careless shrug. "If seeing two people come out of their fireplace in a burst of green flames doesn't freak them out, I don't suppose seeing four will hurt them any."

"Mum says that it might come as a shock to Mr and Mrs Ellis," Rachel said.

"Yeah, my mum said the same thing last night when I asked if I could Floo them to see if it was hooked up to their house yet," Connor said. "I guess seeing a person's head in the fire when you've never seen it before could be a bit strange."

"Connor!" Ginny's voice carried up the stairs again. "Are you up yet? You've got to pick up Zack in five minutes! You don't want to be late!"

"I'm coming!" he called down. His friends followed him down the stairs.

In the living room, Connor's father was waiting for him, wearing Muggle clothes similar to his own. Adam sat in a deep chair with Snowball in his lap, and his other two normal-sized (and normal-coloured) Puffskeins on the arm of the chair.

"What in the name of Godric Gryffindor is that thing?" Quentin asked with apprehension.

"It's a freak of nature," Connor said. The puffy white ball emitted a low growl.

"Are you all coming?" Harry asked, intervening before his children could start an argument.

"If it's okay," Connor said. "They aren't expecting all of us."

"Yes, it's fine," Harry said. "It's just about time. Connor will go through first. Once all of you are through, I'll Apparate and meet you there. The address is 'Ellis residence, Hampstead,'" he said, then offered a small china bowl full of powder.

Connor stepped into the cold grate, and threw down a pinch of the Floo powder. "Ellis residence, Hampstead!" he called out, and the living room spun out of sight.

Connor pulled his elbows in tight and closed his eyes He stayed as still as possible, because he the less he moved, the less mess the soot would make, and he wanted to look tidy for Zack's parents. When he felt himself slow to a stop, he opened his to see a blackened brick wall in front of him. Momentarily puzzled, he realized that the Ellis household must have a much smaller fireplace than Wizarding houses. He crouched down obligingly and saw Zack smiling back at him, offering his hand to help him out of the grate.

"Hey, Connor! Sorry, I forgot to warn you about the fireplace," Zack said cheerfully.

Connor grabbed Zack's hand with a grin and stepped out of the way just as there was another whoosh of flames. Quentin stood there for a moment with only his legs visible before realizing the problem and bending to escape the small fireplace.

"Quint!" Zack exclaimed.

A moment later, Rachel appeared and didn't seem to have any such confusion at finding herself in the enclosed area of the chimney. She bent immediately as if she had used this Floo a hundred times before, and stepped out gracefully.

Connor looked around to see Zack's parents a few feet away, smiling somewhat stiffly and looking slightly stunned.

"Hello, Mrs Ellis," Quentin said politely. "Mr Ellis. I would shake your hand, but as you can see, Floo travel isn't exactly the tidiest mode of transportation."

Connor wanted to roll his eyes at the formal greeting. Zack had told him last year that he thought Quentin had received a formal upbringing (much like Zack himself had received) and from this smooth little speech, Connor suspected that it was true.

"It's nice to see you all again," Mrs Ellis said, starting to come back to herself after the apparent shock of seeing three children emerge out of her fireplace in an eruption of green flames. "Zack has been looking forward to seeing his friends again."

"Is your trunk all packed?" Mr Ellis asked Zack. "Where's Godric?"

"I sent him to Connor's house a few minutes ago. I didn't think an owl would do will in the Floo." Zack grinned. He was obviously enjoying his parents' reaction to the Floo. It had actually been hooked up to the house once before, when he had come home for Christmas in his first year, but they had not been in the room at the time. He picked up Godric's empty cage, then started violently when there was a sharp crack behind him. His mother screamed.

"I'm so sorry!" Connor's dad had Apparated directly into the room, and scared Mrs Ellis out of her wits. "It was thoughtless of me not to warn you that I wasn't coming by Floo."

Mrs Ellis had a hand over her heart, but was waving away his apology at the same time. "No harm done," she said a bit breathlessly. She turned to her husband. "William, make sure that Zack has the money he needs for his school things."

"You have a lovely home, Mrs Ellis," Quentin said politely, looking around with interest, while Zack double-checked his trunk.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs Ellis smiled, obviously pleased with Quentin's manners.

Connor wanted to roll his eyes again, but upon closer inspection had to admit that Quentin was right. What he could see of the house was much more reserved than he was used to, yet it was also warm and welcoming. There was a distinct lack of the clutter that his family seemed to generate, and everything smelled more of lemon polish than of ginger cookies, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Somehow, Connor had expected the Ellis home to be more...cool and uninviting, but it wasn't like that at all.

"Zack," Rachel said, scrutinizing him, "what happened to your hair?"

"Oh." Zack grimaced as he ruffled it with his fingers. "Mum didn't like it long, and had it cut. Looks like I'm not the only one, though." He pointed at Connor.

Connor grinned, and in a quiet voice, while his parents were distracted by his dad, said, "I'm going to see about getting some more of that stuff you used on me last year, to grow it out again."

Rachel grinned, and Quentin just shook his head. Quentin quite liked his own short hair, and couldn't see why Zack would want to be bothered with having to tie his hair back all the time.

Once everything had been collected, and goodbyes were said, Harry magically expanded the fireplace to make it more accommodating. The children Flooed back to Potter Headquarters one at a time, finally leaving just Connor, Zack and the adults. Harry stepped forward to shake the Ellis' hands once more.

"Thanks for lending us your son for the rest of the summer. We'll take good care of him," Harry said. "The Floo will stay connected to your home until September first, so that Zack can come home or contact you at any time before school starts. We'll make sure he's got everything he needs for school."

Zack's parents were staring disconcertedly at their newly enlarged fireplace, but turned to smile politely at Harry. Harry told Zack to leave his trunk; Harry would bring it with him so that they needn't be crowded in the Floo. Zack hugged his parents once more, and Connor grinned when he noticed that Mr and Mrs Ellis each slipped Zack some extra money when the other wasn't looking. A few minutes later, the four Gryffindors were back in Connor's living room, waiting for Ivy to arrive. Harry stayed behind to return the Ellis's fireplace to normal, and then Apparated home with a crack.

"Harry!" Ginny called from the kitchen the moment her husband returned. "There's an owl here for you from Hogwarts, marked urgent. It won't give me the letter, you'll have to do it." Harry strode into the kitchen.

Connor and his friends looked at each other curiously, and moved as a unit to the doorway to the kitchen. Harry relieved the stubborn owl of its letter and tried to send it away with an owl treat, but it remained. Clearly the sender required an answer.

Harry broke the official Hogwarts seal and slipped the thick, creamy parchment from the envelope. He stood reading silently to himself, while his audience waited. Then they jumped when Harry suddenly exclaimed, "I don't believe it!"

Exactly what he didn't believe the children didn't find out just then, because the Floo behind them had just roared to life, and Ivy stepped out with hardly any soot at all on her robes. Connor turned to grin at her and made a mental note to ask how she managed to Floo so neatly. A loud pop beside the fireplace announced the arrival of Ivy's father and her trunk.

"Ivy!" Zack said.

"Hi guys!" She grinned back. "Everyone here, then?"

Ivy was a bit taller and thinner since the last time they had seen her, and her round face was a little leaner. Her skin was nicely browned from a summer spent outdoors, and her hair had pale highlights throughout. It made her look very sun kissed and pretty.

"You look great!" Rachel enthused, hugging her in greeting. "How did you get so tan?"

"Just the usual," Ivy shrugged. "I got to spend a lot of time on my broom, and I worked out in the gardens most days."

"A great help to us, is our Ivy," her father said proudly, setting her trunk down on the floor. "Are your parents here, Connor?"

"Sure, Mr Longbottom," Connor said. "They're in the kitchen." Connor thought it odd that his parent were so distracted by the letter his dad had received that they had completely missed (or ignored) someone arriving by Floo and Apparition. He turned to lead Ivy's dad in to see his parents and heard his father talking.

"What if they're treating him like they treated me? Dudley is just like his narrow minded, over-blown, nasty, intolerant father!" Harry was saying, pacing agitatedly around the room, and clenching the letter in his hand. "He even still lives in that same house! They could have him locked up under the stairs, or..."

"Harry," Ginny said, placing a calming hand on his arm.

"Mum, Dad," Connor interrupted in the silence that followed his father's invective. "The Longbottoms are here.

"Everything all right, Harry?" Ivy's father came into the room looking concerned.

"Hello, Neville," Harry said, shaking hands with the other man in spite of his vexation. "I'm sorry, I've just gotten some disturbing news. I have to leave almost immediately."

"To Hogwarts?" Connor asked.

"No," Harry answered, suddenly sounding weary. "I have to go and speak with my cousin."

Connor was stunned into speechlessness. He knew, of course, and that his father had a cousin, and even an aunt and an uncle somewhere, but they never spoke of them. Ever. It was understood that they didn't want contact with the Potters and the Potters didn't want contact with the Dursleys. Not so much as a Christmas card had been exchanged between them as far as Connor knew, since his father had come of age.

"Did you want me to come along?" Neville asked, the steel in his voice belying his pleasant expression. He knew, from long talks in the past, how his Muggle relatives had treated Harry. "For, er, moral support?"

"Thanks Neville, but no," Harry declined, tossing the crumpled letter onto the table. "I think I can handle the likes of Dudley Dursley on my own." He grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill from a nearby drawer, and scribbled a note onto it, then sent the waiting owl back to Hogwarts with his answer.

Mr Longbottom nodded and said, "No doubt." There was a tiny, wicked smile that appeared on his face for a moment, probably from imagining how Harry might 'handle' his cousin if the situation called for it.

"I need to go," Harry said, stepping forward to kiss his wife firmly on the mouth. "I'll try to be home by tonight."

Ginny nodded, and a moment later, Harry had Disapparated. Ginny heaved a sigh and sat down in a kitchen chair heavily.

"Will he be all right?" Mr Longbottom asked her.

"I hope so," she said.

"What does the letter say, Mum?" Connor asked.

"It seems that your father's cousin has a son that will be attending Hogwarts this year," Ginny said, massaging the bridge of her nose with one hand, where a headache was beginning to form. "He's gone to act as a Muggle/Wizard liaison and to explain things to them."

"If Dad grew up with his cousin, wouldn't he already know about wizards and magic?" Connor asked. All of his friends were looking at them curiously.

"Not really," Ginny said. "The Dursleys have always been afraid of magic, and have done their best to avoid it and anyone associated with it at all costs."

"I had one of those liaison people come to my house when I first go my letter," Zack said. "She explained everything to us and showed us how to get to Diagon Alley and Gringotts and all of that stuff."

"Yes, well, the Dursleys would certainly never have allowed anything like that," Ginny said dryly. "Then or now."

"And now they have a magical son," Neville concluded. "How's that for Karma?"

Ginny chuckled. "Well there's nothing we can do about this now," she said decisively. "Harry will do what he thinks is best, and we'll deal with anything else that comes from it when we get there. Who wants lunch?"

Mr Longbottom declined the offer of a meal and hugged his daughter goodbye. With one last admonishment to Ginny to call him if she needed any help, he Disapparated, leaving the children to their meal. Lucy and Ian, Connor's twin sister and brother, appeared from upstairs, and eagerly greeted Connor's friends.

After levitating the soup and sandwiches that Dobby had prepared to the table, Ginny retired to her 'quiet room' for some peace.

The moment she'd left, Rachel snatched up the letter that had been left behind and began to read aloud.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I am writing to you in my capacity as Headmistress of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry to ask a favour of you. Today I received an owl with an acceptance letter from a first year student that may interest you, and may require your attention. Mr. Rupert Dursley will be attending Hogwarts this year, and it has been requested, by way of personal missive from the boy's father, Mr. Dudley Dursley, that you pay him a visit at his place of residence. The letter that accompanied Rupert's acceptance letter asks that you, and I quote, "come here and put my boy right." Mr. Dursley remains in his boyhood residence at Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

I can only assume from his colourful and expressive letter that Mr. Dursley is less than pleased with his son's decision to attend Hogwarts. Mr. Dursley's objections notwithstanding, his plea for your personal attention to this matter was accompanied by an acceptance to our invitation for his son to attend. Rupert will be enrolled as a student for the coming term, and will need to be prepared.

I understand the difficult position this may put you in, and I apologize most sincerely. I know that you severed ties with your relatives many years ago, but I felt that under the circumstances, you would be the best person to help to see them through this. I have not forgotten my own personal encounters with your aunt and uncle from your youth, and feel that member of the magical community (aside from yourself) that may try to contact them might be met with undue aggression.

Please contact me with your answer as soon as possible, as there is only a week to go until term begins.

Respectfully,

Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Rachel dropped the letter back onto the table.

"Did Dad really go to see the Dursleys?" Ian asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

Connor nodded.

"Wow," Zack said. "It sounds like Professor McGonagall really hates this Dursley guy. Do you really think that he'll cause your dad problems?"

"What does he mean, 'put my boy right'?" Quentin asked indignantly.

"I don't know," Connor said. "But I'm sure my Dad can sort it out. If they're mistreating- what was his name again? Oh yeah, Rupert. If they're mistreating Rupert, my dad will take care of it; he won't let anyone keep a magical kid from attending Hogwarts if he wants to. His aunt and uncle tried to keep him from going when he got the letter, and that obviously didn't work."

Rachel nodded and said thoughtfully, "I suppose this Rupert must be miserable living with people who hate magic. It'll be good for him to get away from there and to a school with more people like him."

"What do you think he's like?" Ian asked. "I mean, he'll be, like, our cousin, won't he?"

"Dad's first cousin once removed. That would make him...I'm not sure what that makes him to us. Second cousins, maybe," Lucy answered with a shrug. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"So," Ivy said, changing the subject to something more cheerful. "What shall we do with the rest of our day?"

"Fly!" Zack said emphatically. "I haven't been on a broomstick all summer! My parents pretty much kept an eye on me all summer, so I couldn't get away. London's not exactly the ideal spot for flying about. Plus my mum almost fainted when she saw the pictures of us up in the air."

"I guess that would be quite a shock for her if she'd never seen it before," Rachel agreed with a grin. "I'd love to actually ride a broom instead of helping to make them."

"I can get behind that idea," Connor said.

"Me too," Quentin agreed.

Ginny appeared as the kids were getting their broomsticks out and gave permission for Lucy and Ian to join them. Adam, it seemed, had gone to Aunt Hermione's for the day to play with their daughter, Prue. Without him to worry about, they could play a makeshift game of Quidditch, even if they didn't have any Bludgers or a Snitch. They quickly improvised teams, and were in the air in no time, enjoying the first day of their week together. By the time they landed three hours later, wind-swept and happy, all of them had red noses from being out in the sun too long.

Everyone was surprised to find that Connor's dad was home when they got inside, and was casually eating biscuits and milk at the table with Adam and his overly large Puffskein. Connor approached the table to snag a biscuit, but Snowball's deep rumbling growl froze him in mid-grab. He hastily stumbled backward, glaring at Adam.

"Dad," Connor complained in something very close to a whine, "Could you please tell Adam to keep that thing off the table?"

"Er, what is that?" Zack asked with a cautious tone. Whatever it was had just been growling disturbingly.

"Hi Zack!" Adam said excitedly when he spotted the other boy. Zack had become acquainted with Adam the previous Christmas, when he had been a guest at the Potters' for the holidays. "Don't you remember Snowball? This is Snowball! I got him for Christmas when you were here last time! He's my favourite now, but he doesn't like Connor at all. He actually ate one of Connor's socks last month; it was great! So you're here for the rest of the summer? Maybe we can play some games while you're here!"

Connor knew that Zack would not have forgotten the constant chatter that Adam was capable of maintaining for several minutes without seeming to take a breath.

"Are Puffskeins supposed to get this large?" Zack asked, eying the white ball of fur as though looking for signs of teeth.

"Nope!" Adam said proudly. "I reckon I've got the biggest one in the whole world!"

"Why hasn't someone from the Department of...?"Quentin began.

"They did," Harry interrupted. "But Snowball ate them."

Rachel snorted as Zack backed away, and Quentin laughed at the look of horror on his face. Ivy looked mildly fascinated by the mutant fur ball, but didn't seem inclined to get any closer to it.

"That's just disturbing," Quentin announced, earning a chuckle from Connor's dad.

"You have no idea," Harry said, amused. "Adam, take Snowball off the table now."

Adam adopted a sulky pout, but obeyed, climbing the stairs to his room with his pet in his arms.

"Why don't you all sit down for a minute?" Harry said to the group. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

He waved his hand, and the chairs around the table slid out. The kids all sat, saying nothing about the display of wandless magic they were witnessing. He gestured again toward the cabinet, which flew open to emit several glasses, which landed on the table. He poured them all a glass of milk from the bottle on the table, and offered them all some biscuits before he got to the point.

"Tomorrow," he said when they were all settled, "I'm going to be collecting my cousin's son, Rupert, who will be attending Hogwarts this year as a first year."

"So your cousin is letting him go?" Rachel asked.

Harry looked at her strangely, and Connor admitted, "We kind of read your letter."

Harry merely sighed and nodded. "Rupert will be staying here for the remainder of the summer, and your mother and I will be seeing that he gets all of his school supplies and makes it onto the train. That's where all of you come in."

"All of us?" Connor asked quizzically.

"He wants us to be nice to him," Rachel said, as if it were obvious. "The poor kid is leaving home for a completely new place, with people he doesn't know. You want us to help him adjust, don't you, Uncle Harry?"

Harry nodded at his niece and muttered quietly, "I'd be happy if you didn't just kill him."

"Pardon?" Quentin asked, sure he had heard wrong.

"Listen," Harry said, appealing to the kids before him. He stood between Lucy and Ian's chairs and gathered his thoughts for a moment. "Rupert has lived a pretty privileged life up until now, and he's being a bit difficult. His father and mother are one hundred percent against Rupert attending Hogwarts, but reluctantly gave in when I said that I would take over as his legal guardian within the magical community. Rupert seems to be set upon learning magic, and who can blame him? But his father and his grandparents have a very strong aversion to anything magical and have done their best to discourage him. I just want you all to keep this in mind when he arrives tomorrow, and try to be tolerant of him if he seems a little bad-mannered or ill-tempered."

"Okay, Dad," Lucy agreed immediately, looking up at him.

"Thank you," Harry said, reaching down and smoothing down her unruly hair black affectionately. "I'm sure that things will be much more agreeable when Rupert settles in and finds out more about us. Just give him a chance, okay?"

Connor and his friends nodded in agreement, all of them thinking that Rupert would probably need a friend if his family were being so awful to him.

Conversation at dinner that night revolved around some of the things that they might share with Rupert about the magical world that would help to make him more comfortable. Harry and Ginny kept passing worried glances at each other as they ate, but the children seemed to be excited over the prospect of initiating a Muggle-born into the family and into their lives. Zack, being Muggle-born himself, regaled them with stories of his first experiences with magic until it was time to clear up.

The kids were excused to the living room to entertain themselves, and they settled around the low table in the centre of the room to catch up on each other's news.

"Our Uncle Charlie's daughter Maggie, and Uncle George's son Patrick will both be starting Hogwarts this year, too," Rachel told the others as she pulled out several decks Exploding Snap cards. "Maybe they'll get to be friends with Rupert."

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. Zack related the story of how he had used the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes Bearding Balm he'd gotten last year, and arrived at breakfast one morning with hair all over his face, including his lips and eyelids. His mother had screamed herself hoarse, and his father had roared with laughter once he found out that the sudden hair growth was easily washed away. Quentin shared how he had used his Belching Bubbles to great effect every time his parents left him alone with his disagreeable sister, Vanessa. Ivy confessed that she had 'accidentally' planted some Poultry Pellets in one of her parent's greenhouses, and when her mother had gone out to water, fully-grown live chickens had erupted from the earth and scattered in all directions.

"Oooh!" Rachel said appreciatively at Ivy's description of the chaos that ensued. "You've got to tell that one to Fred and George; they'll love it!"

"Speaking of Poultry Pellets," Connor said. "Professor Lupin's come around a few times this summer, and keeps trying to trick me in to admitting we were the ones who made everyone turn into animals and change colours last April Fool's."

"But McGonagall is still sure it was the Slytherins," Rachel added. "Just be careful, because Lupin's sneaky, and he'll slip a comment into the middle of a conversation in the hopes of slipping you up."

Mrs Potter came to chase the children to bed at eleven, and then, at midnight, had to threaten the boys in Connor's room with a Silencing Charm. Connor had a final laugh over Quentin's assertion that he had been unable to sleep his first week home from Hogwarts, because it was too quiet without Connor's snoring. They finally turned out the light, and Connor sleepily went over his mental checklist, and cleared his mind of all thought as Clive had taught him to do. He was asleep in minutes, with a smile on his face; it was good to be with his friends again.

All of the children slept late the next day, and Connor's dad had already left by the time they had woken up. His mum had set Dobby to work feeding everyone while she tackled the job of rearranging bedrooms to accommodate another child, and making sure that everyone had their personal belongings in the right place.

The kids all went out into the garden to stay out of the way. At one point they were interrupted when Ginny appeared in the doorway of the house and called out.

"Ian, I'm trying to arrange sleeping space. Would you be willing to share your room with Rupert when he gets here?"

Ian looked as though he wanted to object, but Connor nudged him hard with an elbow, reminding him that they had promised their father to be nice. "I suppose," he answered dutifully.

Not wanting to be underfoot inside, the kids stayed in the garden and played. They were all laughing by the time they were called inside for lunch, and paused when they saw that the Floo was roaring to life. A large figure was spinning into view, and they could hear a faint shouting that got closer as they watched. A loud pop rent the air, and Harry appeared beside the Floo, dropping a large trunk just in time to catch a soot-covered boy as he tumbled out of the fireplace.

"Bloody hell!" croaked the new arrival, which could only be Rupert. He coughed has he inhaled more ash. His tiny, close-set eyes were watering to relieve themselves of debris, and what they could see of his face through the grime was beet red. Connor supposed that his hair would be blonde once it was clean, but what had everyone staring at him with their mouths hanging open was the boy's size.

Connor was sure he'd never seen a boy as fat as the one standing before him, and thought it was no wonder he was covered in soot. He must have scraped his body across the inside of every Floo that he had spun past on his way here! Remembering his manners, and his parent's wishes, Connor stepped forward.

"Hello," he said in a friendly tone, while Quentin tried to stifle his snickering behind him.

Rupert really did look ridiculous covered in black soot from head to toe, but he obviously didn't see the humour of it. He was scowling deeply, and tried in vain to straighten his rumpled clothes and look dignified.

"I suppose this is someone's idea of a joke?" the boy demanded angrily. "What sort of rubbish way is that to travel? I was almost killed!"

"I'm sorry, Rupert," Harry said with a lopsided smile. "You'll get used to it eventually."

"I see you didn't have to travel in some disgustingly dirty fireplace," came the peevish reply. "Nor get a speck of dirt on you. Why couldn't I have travelled the way you did?"

No one was laughing now.

"Because," Harry explained patiently, "Apparating requires a license, just like driving a car, and you won't be allowed to do it until you're of age. That won't be until you're seventeen years old, so until then, you'll have to rely on more mundane forms of travel."

Rupert was not impressed to hear this. "So I'll have to spend the next six or seven years arriving everywhere I go a filthy mess?"

"No," Harry explained again, holding his expression in as pleasant countenance as he could. He withdrew his wand and used it to remove as much of the soot stuck to Rupert as he could without an outright scouring charm. "Floo travel can be messy, but once you get the hang of it, it won't be this bad. There are also other forms of travel, and places that cannot be accessed by Floo. You'll be taking the train to Hogwarts, just like I told you and your father earlier."

"Well, this is just positively stupid," Rupert announced petulantly. "And who are all of these people?"

"Rupert, I would like you to meet my son, Connor." Harry pointed to Connor, who politely said hello again. "And my daughter, Lucy." She stepped forward, brown eyes still shocked by this strange boys' behaviour. "Her twin brother, Ian, and the youngest, Adam." Ian ran a hand through his mop of red hair, and waved half-heartedly. Adam hid behind Zack and looked out at Rupert from behind his legs.

"And who are all the others?" Rupert demanded, not returning anyone's greetings by the slightest acknowledgement at all. "Do you run a hostel or something?"

"These are Connor's friends from school, who arrived yesterday. They will be our guests for the rest of the summer. This is Quentin Malfoy, Zack Ellis, Ivy Longbottom, and Rachel Weasley, my niece." Harry introduced the other kids politely, and each one of them said hello in turn.

"Oh," Rupert said, ignoring them all out of hand. "And where is my room going to be?"

"You'll be sharing a room with Ian," Ginny answered from the doorway. "Would you like it if we took your bags up for you so that you could have some lunch with the others, or would you like to wash up and have a rest?"

Connor could tell by the overly pleasant tone of voice his mother used that she was trying hard to rein in her temper. No doubt that she had heard Rupert's entrance and subsequent rudeness, but was determined to try to keep their first meeting as polite as possible.

"Who are you, then?" Rupert demanded. "And why do I have to share a room?"

Ginny's smile slipped a notch, but she remained silent. Connor thought that maybe she didn't answer him because she was afraid she would shout at him if she tried.

"She," Harry answered through gritted teeth, "is my wife, Ginny. You may call her Mrs Potter. You will share a room, because all of the others are occupied at the moment."

Rupert seemed to sense that Harry's good will was at the end of its tether, because he simply nodded. "I'd like to wash up and have some lunch, I think."

"All right," Ginny said. "Right this way."

She drew her wand, and levitated Rupert's trunk before her, and mounted the stairs, leaving the newest guest to follow behind her.