August 31st was a day of high tensions in the Dumbledore household. Pamalt, the master of the house was finishing up the summer harvest, Oglio, his wife, was bustling about sealing up the cracks in the walls and renewing the water proofing charms on the thatched roof. Their three children were similarly busy getting ready for school. Aberforth, Albus, and Alerat were also in a state of blind panic.

Aberforth was entering Hogwarts as a third year, he had been needed on the farm previously and had received tutoring from a witch in the village, he was madly trying to find his History of Magic book as it seemed to have disappeared into thin air just a quarter of an hour before the carpet was to leave from the Dumbledore''s back garden.

Alerat was rushing to finish one of her summer essays, she had put off a seemingly easy assignment from last years vindictive glamouring teacher only to find that the elegant scrolls and flourishes of Professor Raleigh''s delicate hand revealed themselves to be new questions as she progressed with her writing.

Albus was perhaps the most anxious of all, even though he wasn''t dashing about with the maniacal fervor of his family, his eyes were darting back and forth and he jumped at small noises.

""Aw cheer up Albus,"" said Alerat, as she finally finished her essay ""First year away from home is a bit rough, but you''ll like Hogwarts well enough""

""I don''t want to go!"" Whined Albus in a childish tenor ""Why cant I stay with Mum and Dad?""

""They''re going to Normandy though, aren''t they Alerat?"" Wheezed Aberforth, holding his book like a trophy, even though a gnome had dragged it through the mucky lane.

""That''s right Albus, they won''t be here for you""

Alerat''s words were meant to soothe but instead they sent Albus into a fit of tears. Aberforth looked worried and went to fetch the rest of his things while Alerat whipped out her wand and performed a quick cheering charm to stem the flow of tears down Albus'' pointed cheeks.

""There there Albie, you''ll see them for Christmas, and you can write them every day"" Whispered Alerat, whose head snapped up at a sharp hissing in the back garden ""Carpet''s here"" She comforted further ""better get your things""

Albus stumbled to his room and pulled his trunk (which Oglio had made feather-light) to the back garden. Pamalt had apparated from the lower field to meet the carpet and was deep in conversation with an old wizard in gray woolen robes and aviator's goggles. Oglio cam out of the barn where she''d been putting warming spells on the goat stalls to greet the carpet''s pilot.

""Ah Oglio! How pleasant to see you"" said the wizard

""Tiernan? Tiernan Bowan is that you?"" stammered Oglio in disbelief

""In the flesh Ogli darling"" beamed Tiernan

They lapsed into reminisces of their school days while Pamalt joined his children in a state of benign amusement. Finally when Tiernan had refused dandelion tea for the fifth time, he turned to the children

""Well"" he said, ""Who''ll be first?""