Jamie stood at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, looking around her and relieved to be breathing the fresh air of London again. Nostalgia hit her like a wave. She had not thought of home so strongly since she left for Hogwarts a year ago. It had seemed ludicrous then, to want to return to a school which she had been holed up in. Alicia, most of all, had laughed the loudest and now she had the last laugh. Alicia! Married! Jamie tried to conjure up a thought of her younger sister all decked out in bridal material and walking down the aisle and shook her head laughing. She had never thought Alicia would be first before her.

Jamie strolled, recognizing the familiar stale musky air of London and unknowingly humming a childhood tune. She had rid herself of the horribly dreary professor's cloak on the train and slipped into a beige wool plaid tweed trenchcoat, a gift from Alicia before she had set off for Hogwarts. At the Tube, she squeezed herself into an available seat and fished out a travel-worn piece of paper from her front pocket. It was the hundredth time she had read the letter, yet everytime she read it, she felt the same rush of joy.

Dear Jamie,

I do hope you can find time away from your busy teaching schedule to come home! I am getting married! I know I have never mentioned him to you before but I always thought that he would want to wait a few more years before he popped the question. Well, it was certainly a pleasant surprise! I have his photo enclosed with this letter. He is Jarrod Dugbra, one of the most charming, handsome men I've ever met. He is a Londoner, by any measure, born and bred in this bloody rainy city. You have got to meet him. I think you'll like him. He's the perfect husband, gentle, kind and forgiving. He stays in the Southern part of London, in a huge house! His family owns a huge steel company back in India (which explains his wealth). Mom is delighted. Dad is well, reserved. You know him, he's never been one to really display affection. I really want you to be here! Jarrod's family is insisting on an elaborate Indian wedding, following tradition, and I'm really excited by all this preparation! I am happier than I've ever been before, Jamie. I feel that I can want nothing more in life after marriage. Mom and Dad are all looking forward to your return! And most of all, me.

Alicia

Jamie smiled to herself, folded up the letter and slipped it back. Since young, Alicia had always been the smarter one, beating Jamie at every turn, getting a job at the Hospital as a Healer. It was Alicia who followed Dad's footsteps in pursuing Healing. It was Alicia, the role model, who achieved everything Jamie failed to fulfill. In a sense, Alicia Atkinham was the model daughter that the Atkinhams had initially thought Jamie would be. Jamie sighed. And now Alicia Atkinham would be their favourite daughter who nabbed the perfect son-in-law.

Hector Hanover sat in his father's great swiveling chair, pushing himself across the room and back again playfully.

"Hector!" Tricia Hanover chided. Hector smiled and walked up to the elderly lady, switching on his charm and planting a well-timed kiss on her cheek. Tricia blushed in spite of herself, and slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "You can't get out of everything with a kiss, you know. You're much older now."

Hector smiled widely again, then put an arm around his mother's shoulder. "Mom, I'll never be too old to kiss you."

Tricia observed her son with a tinge of pride. He had grown up to be a handsome twenty-six year old man even in his casual attire of jeans and a striped collared shirt. His hair was like his father's, a dark earthly brown. He reminded her of the elderly Michael Hanover too much, in the suave manner of walking, the sweet and honeyed tongue and the sparkling michief in his eye. She sighed and reached out a hand to smooth her son's hair. At least Michael Hanover was once like that.

The sound of an opening door brought a change of scene. Hector escaped the room almost immediately, as if his father's return home had been a strong enough repellent to send him shooting up into his vast and lonely room. Tricia bent down to smooth the creases in the swivel chair and adjusting the metal engraved Slytherin crest at the corner of the office desk. She, like her son, feared to anger Michael. As if on cue, Michael stepped into the room. It was not hard to see the resemblance to Hector yet the playfulness was gone and what remained was a slightly handsome, tall, hulking emotionless specimen of a man. He set down his briefcase and slipped into his swivel chair with a deep sigh that resonated across the room.

"I would like some…tea." He said abruptly. Even Tricia was caught by surprise. Michael was always too tired to talk, too tired to remain awake long enough for a brief glance at his family. Tricia almost leapt up with delight at the possibility of a communication. She nodded furiously and left the room.

Michael turned his chair to face the wide window and the far-stretching plains; the great Hanover estate. When younger, these fields had been his playground, then they had been Hector's playground…When was the last time he had seen Hector? It seemed his son and wife were more like phantoms that slid in and out of his life. He tried to recall, build up an image of his son. How old would he be now? Twenty-four, twenty-five? His thoughts were broken by Tricia's entrance with two cups of tea, one presumedly for herself. With a strange mix of anticipation and trepidation, she set the tea-cup before her husband and sat down opposite in one of the red spacious chairs that Michael had always disapproved of because of the large amount of space they took up.

The silence was oppressive, broken only by sips of tea from both sides. Years of minimal conversation had robbed them of the intimate speech that had coloured their days of courtship. Then Michael cleared his throat. He was a man not fond of wasting too much time. There was business to be done.

"How is Hector?"

Tricia stared up in surprise and murmured something that sounded like a weak attempt at summarising the astronomical growth that a boy can experience between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five.

"What does he do nowadays?"

"He…stays at home." Tricia replied, suddenly realizing how useless that made her son sound. She hadn't been aware of his ultimate inactivity. Michael grunted, expecting that exact answer. He removed an envelope from his briefcase and slid it across the table towards Tricia.

Tricia made no attempt to pick it up as yet. "What is that?"

"Something I got for him to do." Michael said absently. "It is most unhealthy for a young man of his age to be whiling his time away. As the only heir of the Hanover family, I'd expect him to be a little more…proactive."

Tricia eyed the little Hogwarts crest that nestled in the top corner of the envelope. "Hector just graduated…"

"I know." Michael interrupted impatiently. "Read it."

Tricia winced at his slightly raised voice and tore the envelope, spilling out a mess of several papers and documents folded precisely at thirds. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the contents of the letter. "You can't mean for Hector to be a…"

"…Professor?" Michael finished. "Why not? You have told me before that he is amazingly adept at the use of his wand. I thought Charms would be perfect."

"Yes, it would be but…how did you get this?"

"I have my…sources." Michael replied vaguely. He had in fact, been very closely connected in Gringotts dealings with the Borovics, whose daughter was a well-liked Professor of Magical Creatures in the school. But Tricia did not need to know the details. "All you need to know is that he does not need to go through the four-year training course for Professors and will immediately leap to Professorship. Apparently, they are experiencing a dearth of Professors of Charms and are currently in desperate need of them as a Professor has taken a month's leave on short notice."

Tricia forced out a smile. Truth be told she was more than delighted that Michael had for once, bothered about Hector but she feared Hector would not like the appointment. "But Michael, Hector might not want to…"

"Hector does not have his say in this matter." Michael added firmly, already preparing his reply should Hector object. "His scores in Charms has been consistently good throughout Hogwarts and he will be more than prepared to take on Professorship tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Tricia exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

"It is best he gets out of his lazy habits and get down to work fast."

"But Michael…"

Michael drummed his fingers impatiently along the side of his desk, fixing Tricia a stare. "There are no 'buts' in my family."