Second Chance

Lisa thumped on the window to get her dad's attention. "It's the right place, but we're going to have to run for it. It's raining pretty hard."

Will looked anxious. "Lis..."

"Don't worry, Will. I'll give you a lift," Lisa assured him with a smile.

"Why? Something wrong with his legs?" Gwendolyn said scathingly from the backseat.

"Gwen!" Lisa scolded gently. Reverting her attention to her father, she added, "Dad, you and Gwen and Cassie take your things up to the house. I'll bring Will and our things."

"I want to stay with you," Cassie begged from the backseat, fumbling with her restraint.

"Oh, God," Gwendolyn said, rolling her eyes and unbuckling her seatbelt. "Pop the boot...Dad."

Their father had already opened the back of the little car and begun hauling trunks out of it. Gwendolyn grabbed her crisp black trunk and began hauling it across the street. "Aaaaaaaargh!" she roared as the wind picked up and threw torrents at her. Her father grabbed Lisa's faded red trunk, Will's dark green suitcase, and his own blue one, and ran after her, overtaking her despite his load.

Lisa handed the rolling backpack to Cassie and lifted Will to her back. "Ready?" she yelled to them over the rain. "Let's go!"

~~~

Remus watched in astonishment as the man and a younger girl forded the street. The man, astonishingly enough, overtook the girl despite the fact that he was hauling two suitcases and a battered-looking trunk, while the younger girl had only a single trunk.

The man stopped on the front porch and shook his head slightly. "Wow, it's really wet out there," he observed with an easygoing grin. He stuck out a hand. "Hello. You must be Remus Lupin...my daughter's told me quite a bit about you. I'm Samuel Turpin, but call me Sam. This is my middle daughter Gwendolyn. Shorten it to Gwen if you like, but she prefers Gwendolyn."

"Hi," the girl said in a sulky sort of voice.

"Nice to meet you, Sam, Gwendolyn," Remus said politely, shaking Samuel's hand.

Suddenly, however, Remus's attention was averted by an amazing spectacle. Lisa, the one who had knocked first, was charging across across the flooded streets. On her back was a small boy, and running next to her was a smaller girl with a large backpack. Despite the rain, the darkness, and the loud peals of thunder Remus could now hear that were accompanied by flashes of lightning, all three were laughing and seemed to be having a fine time.

Samuel followed his look, then grinned. "Looks like they're having fun."

"They're crazy," Gwendolyn put in.

The three of them finally reached the porch, still laughing. Gwendolyn rolled her eyes.

Samuel smiled at the three of them. "Remus, these scalawags are my other children. The little one down here is Cassandra--Cassie for short--my youngest daughter. Of course, you already know my oldest, Lisa...I believe she was in one of your third year classes."

"Ravenclaw," Lisa added. Remus remembered her all of a sudden--the bright-eyed, eager student who had known so much about the history of all the creatures they had discussed.

Samuel gave his oldest a fond smile, then tousled the hair of the boy on her back. "And this lad here is my son Will."

"Hi," the little boy said with a warm, sunny smile. He was missing his two front teeth, which gave him a sweet if impish look.

"Hello to you all," Remus said kindly. "Come on in...no need for you to keep on standing out there getting wetter."

"I feel like a fish," Cassie giggled, shrugging her backpack a little higher up.

"You look more like a drowned cat," Gwendolyn said unkindly.

"Gwen!" scolded Lisa and Samuel in the same breath.

"Sorry," Gwendolyn muttered, sounding anything but.

Lisa didn't put her brother down as they stepped in. "What now?" she asked Remus, remembering to keep her voice down--obviously they'd been briefed.

Remus beckoned to Harry and Hermione, and of course Ron, Ginny, and the twins followed them. Quietly, he explained what was going on.

"If you could take them upstairs, find room for them somewhere, and help them get settled in, I'd be grateful," he finished.

"Sure thing," Harry said instantly. "Come on, you lot."

Lisa and her siblings followed the other six upstairs, Gwendolyn rather sullenly but dragging her trunk. Cassie carried her backpack as well, though it was nearly as big as she was and she almost fell over twice. About two steps up, Fred gallantly took her backpack, and George gave her a lift. Ron had Will's suitcase and Ginny brought Lisa's, since Lisa was still carrying the little boy. Remus frowned slightly, wondering why she didn't just let him walk, but when she adjusted him on her back his pant leg slid a little and he understood. Will's legs were encased in braces.