Chapter 1

I sat in the back of the large, black jeep, squashed uncomfortably between my mother and the door. I craned my neck and pressed my face against the cool glass of the window, to watch as the house I had grown up in faded into the distance, growing smaller and smaller until the car turned a corner and it disappeared from sight. I swivelled round in my seat and, with a sigh, stretched my legs out, making the most of the vast amount of leg room.

It was unfortunate that the shoulder space was not as generous. My mother's pointed elbow jabbed into my arm, and I had to hug my broad shoulder into my body to avoid decapitating her. Her oversized handbag sat on her right, hogging valuable space. Beside it, was a small man named Dedalus, who was wearing a peculiar beetroot coloured hat. I eyed the wand resting on his lap, and understood why the handbag resided on the seat.

Both of my parents feared the magic that ran in my cousin's blood, but I had always been jealous of it. I was always the bigger, the stronger, the better of the two of us but it was him that got to run around, making potions, flying broomsticks and getting everything he wanted with a flick of what essentially was a stick. After being attacked by some creature from the wizarding world, I realised what Harry had to deal with all the time. I was better off as a normal person than having to fight off soul-sucking ghosts and fight wars against immortal beings, but now, I was caught up in the magical world I had once longed for whether I liked it or not.

"So," I broke the awkward silence that hung over the back seat of the car. In the front, Hestia, another wizard, was giving my father directions in hushed, clipped tones.

"Where are we going?"

Dedalus seemed to bounce in his seat, causing Mum to move even further away from him.

"A safe house. I can't say much more but I'm sure you'll like it and... Oh look at that!"

He pointed out the window and I followed his gesture to an empty field. I was about to inquire where the so-called 'safe house' was when, Dedalus threw the door open and hopped out. Mum and I exchanged a look, and she pursed her lips. Before she could say anything, I opened my own door and followed Dedalus to the middle of the field, where he was staring at something in the sky. I looked up, and faltered in my step, my mouth hanging wide open.

A monster was soaring towards the field. It had a long, scaled, reptilian body with a sharp beak and talon feet that clenched in and out as it flew, as if the beast was getting ready to carry someone off. Its wings were black and feathery, spanning at least twice the length of the body. The creature had small, blood red eyes buried deep into its skull. I couldn't help but scream, as it raced towards Dedalus, who was holding his wand aloft, chanting something I couldn't hear over the blood pounding in my ears.

A white flame erupted from the end of Dedalus's wand, engulfing the creature's entire body. A moment later, it was gone. I stared at the empty space above Dedalus's head.

"Dudders!" a voice trilled, as Mum tottered through the grass in her high heeled shoes, "Why were you screaming, Pumpkin?"

I gaped at her.

"Didn't you see it?"

"See what, Mushroom?"

"The monster that almost ate us all!"

"I think you must be a bit confused, with going into hiding and all that," Dad, who had plodded through the field after Mum, huffed through his moustache.

"No... what- Dedalus, tell them!"

Dedalus waded through the grass, that was ankle high to everyone else, but came up to his waist. He looked pale and there was a concerned look in his eye.

"Dudley," he said, utterly calmly, "I have no idea what you are talking about."