Chapter One: The European Quidditch Cup
"Three…Two…One!" Harry yelled. Suddenly everyone holding onto the bent crowbar felt a sharp jerk behind their navel and was yanked through the air. Rose felt her feet slam onto a grassy slope and nearly fell into her cousin, Al. James roared with laughter when he saw Hugo and Lily fall in a tangled mess of limbs and bash into Teddy. Meanwhile, a wizard dressed in a windbreaker and striped harem pants checked them off a long list that fell to the ground.
"Group 675 from Godric's Hollow," he said in his wheezy voice. "Potters, your campsite is number 43 and so is yours, Weasleys."
"Could you tell us where the Malfoys are staying?" Al inquired.
"They aren't on my list. Budge along, now, we have an even bigger group coming in soon," he answered angrily. Al slumped while his father clapped him on the back as they walked away trailing the enormous bunch of Weasleys.
"Don't worry, son. I'm sure we'll find them soon," he promised. Rose was hopping around with excitement, annoying her father with constant questions.
"Who'd you think will win, Dad? Who has the better brooms? Why doesn't Aunt Ginny play professionally anymore? Do you think I could?" she yammered. Hermione laughed at her husband's expression.
Finally, they got to their campsite. A chubby little muggle was standing in front of a little shack, smoking his pipe. Hermione and Harry approached him since they knew the most about muggles. But Rose struggled against her father who was holding her back since she was quite eager for a look and a chat with this muggle.
"Here ya are," he grumbled as he handed Harry the change and a map of the campsite. Walking down the road between the tents you couldn't help but become awestruck. Some tents looked like palaces made out of silk. Attachable ponds and bird fountains shot water into the air. Banners flew over campsites, declaring nationality. Young children soared on toy broomsticks and ran around shooting sparks with their parents' wands. Finally, they reached their campsite.
"Wow, we're really close," Bill wondered. "Wonder why?"
"Well, when you have two very famous parents, it isn't hard to get the best site," James bragged as he grinned to his father who glared back.
"Or maybe was because you're father booked the tickets very far in advance so that we could be guaranteed good seats," Ginny shot back as she petted her son harder than necessary.
"Can we set up the tents now? I'm starving!" Louis complained as he flopped dramatically on the ground.
"Calm down, son. You're starting to sound like your Mother," Bill chuckled and received a smack from Fleur. The men reached into their bags and each pulled out a miniature tent, which they placed on the ground. Then they each smashed it with their foot and jumped back quickly. Five comfortable tents sprang up from the ground and sizzled with magic. Each was a different color. Red, green, blue, gray, and purple. The children whooped with glee. Bill opened the flap of the blue tent to allow Louis and Dominique inside. Victorie stumbled in after them, assisted by her boyfriend, Teddy, who would be staying in Harry's tent. She had been struggling with nightmares and insomnia since the end of the school year, when she was freed from Albany's dream corruption.
Fred and Angelina ran into their red tent followed by their kids, Freddy and Roxanne. Percy and Audrey would be staying in the gray tent with their daughters, Molly and Lucy, while Ron and Hermione would share the green tent with their children, Hugo and Rose. The Potters were left with the purple tent, which made James quite upset but made Lily twirl with glee.
"I love purple!" she cried as she dashed into the tent. Each tent came with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a small sitting area. Windows allowed sunlight to filter in and liven up the cloth house. Al quickly looked around before returning outside to join Rose.
"Can we go look for Hope and SS now?" Rose asked her Father impatiently as he lit a fire secretly with his wand. Ron sighed before he nodded. "Thank you Daddy!"
"But be careful! And stay away from strangers!" Hermione yelled after them. Al nodded at his aunt while Rose strutted ahead. He struggled to keep up with her long legs inherited by her Father. They pranced down rows of magical tents, some sprouting working chimneys, while others shot off fireworks in the shape of their favorite Quidditch players.
Soon they began to run into some of their classmates from Hogwarts. Al paused multiple times to say hello to a number of Hufflepuffs. Rose met Emmet near the water pump and they enjoyed a lengthy conversation about their Potions essay before Al cried that he could see SS. Rose said a hasty good bye and ran full tilt at her friend.
SS was sitting on foldable chairs outside a snow-white tent, sipping pumpkin juice, when suddenly he was tackled by a hug from Al. SS yelled and fell forward off his chair, spilling his drink all over the tent. SS sat up, spitting and cursing.
"What in Merlin's good name was that for?" he demanded. Rose and Al laughed uncontrollably while SS groaned as he sat up, nursing limbs that had hit the ground. Suddenly a wealthy looking witch with brown hair came storming outside the tent followed closely by a pale man.
"What are you children doing?" the woman asked, her expression slightly amused.
"Relax, dear. Am I correct to assume that it was you who tackled her from behind?" Draco asked Al who nodded and giggled a little.
"Oh you children," Astoria sighed. Her eyes fell to the orange stain on the white tent. "And you've stained the tent!"
"I'll fix, it dear," Draco said as he lit an elegant pipe with his wand.
"That won't be necessary," Astoria laughed as she drew her own wand and aimed it at the orange stain. Suddenly a ministry witch in a bath robe and dress pants walked by. She jumped when she saw Astoria's wand.
"No magic! Muggle security!" she squawked as she handed her a fine for 30 sickles. Astoria turned bright red and walked angrily back into her tent, forgetting all about the stain.
"Children, go fetch us some water. And don't dawdle!" Draco instructed as he followed his humiliated wife. Al and Rose looked curiously at SS who shrugged and lifted the pot. Together, they walked forward, Rose directing them with the map.
"Where's Hope?" Al asked SS as they passed a tent full of French witches who winked at the boys as they passed.
"I thought you said your parents were okay with her staying with you," Rose added, glaring at the witches.
"Hope told me that her mother said she couldn't come. Quite unfortunate, really. Our tent is quite spacious and these Spanish woods are very nice," SS explained as they got in line for the well.
"I was really hoping she would come. I wanted someone to talk to during the game tonight," Rose complained.
"What about us?" Al asked, offended.
"About things other than Quidditch," she sighed. SS and Al traded looks and trudged ahead to fill the water pot.
As they were walking back, Rose saw two girls from her Herbology class. They waved happily at her and she waved back at the extremely pale and brown haired Rachel Irey who was sitting next to the dark and calm Twyla Eder. They both sat in front of their blue and gold tent happily painting each other's faces pink and white in support of the Quiberon Quafflepunchers who were playing for France.
"Hey Rose," Rachel called and waved. "Who are you guys supporting?"
"The Heidelberg Harriers who are playing for Germany," Rose replied calmly. Al stared at his cousin as if seeing her in a new light.
"Seriously!" he demanded. Rose shrugged, trying to hide her smirk. Twyla laughed.
"I'm supporting the referees," SS sighed, bored. Twyla laughed harder. Al looked like he was struggling to find something kind to say despite his rage.
"I think you better stop. You're going to kill Al if you say much more," Rachel sighed as she charmed her paint to change color and shape.
"No magic outside of school," Rose said automatically. Rachel gave a dry chuckle.
"The Trace is masked by all the adults and there are no ministry wizards around. This is why we're not complete dunderheads when school starts again," Twyla explained simply as she charmed her paint as well.
"We should get the water back to your parents, SS," Al wheezed out, deciding to leave the subject of Quidditch for now. SS shrugged and Rose said good-bye to Rachel and Twyla.
The match was an amazing display of the best fliers of the 21st century. France's chaser seemed to be able to read each other's minds and Germany's keeper was a wall. Al nearly fell out of his seat, his was leaning so close. Rose spent most of the time reading the program and looking up when Al poked her. SS further annoyed the young Potter when he glanced at the field and spotted something interesting.
"The snitch is by Germany's goal posts," SS said in a bored tone as he glanced up from the figurine of the French beater he had bought.
"What!" Al yelled and began searching for the little golden ball.
"Too late. It flew away," SS sighed and returned to the angry three-inch man who was clubbing his thumb.
But the game was all over in an hour when Germany's seeker caught the snitch and they won the European Cup, 160 – 30.
After the game Rose, Al, and SS were all sitting in SS's room inside his family's tent. A large bed covered in soft blankets dominated the room. SS' clothes were sprawled all over the floor, as his family had already been at their site for a few days. SS was sitting on his bed, next to Al, while Rose sat on the floor, flipping through her textbooks for the year.
"Must you memorize our text books before school has even started?" SS groaned as he munched chocolate frogs.
"I'm not memorizing, I'm overviewing. There's a difference," she snapped and looked up at the boys. "Have you guys wrote to Professor Venus or Professor Higglebottom this summer?" The mood became somber at once.
"No. Nothing happened," SS replied quickly.
"You're lying," Al responded. SS bit his lip and looked away.
"I told them we were coming here. Professor Higglebottom seems to thinks it's wise if we stay together," Rose continued as if she hadn't heard them.
"Why are you lying?" Al demanded.
"Fine. Something did happen but I didn't write to them," SS groaned and picked at an empty candy box.
"Why wouldn't you write to them? Or at least to us?" Al wondered.
"Because it wasn't that big of a deal!" SS protested.
"What happened?" Rose demanded as she crawled onto the bed.
"I had this one dream the day before you guys came. All I remember is seeing purple. And I was holding my wand when I woke up," SS explained, looking down. "But I haven't had them since!"
"You were holding your wand. Did you do anything?" Rose asked.
"No."
"Okay. We need to be careful. Dream corruption is a specialty of Albany's," Rose said, looking out a fake window on the fabric wall. It held the view of SS's window back in England.
"We know," Al sighed and leaned back against the puffy pillows. "I hope Hope is okay. I wonder if she's had a good summer."
Suddenly shouts filled the space outside of SS's room. All three children sat up and approached the fabric door. It suddenly flew open as a ruffled eagle owl soared through. Draco and Astoria where running after it. The owl landed on SS's bed and dropped a letter.
"SS, do you know who sent that owl?" Draco demanded.
"No," he replied and grabbed the envelope, "but let's find out." He opened the letter and began to read very slowly. After a minute, Rose groaned and snatched it out of his hand.
"Oh, just let me read it!" she cried out and began to read, her eyes moving so fast they looked like golden blurs. As her eyes got further down the page her face grew paler.
"What? What's wrong?" Al demanded. Rose looked up, eyes wide with concern.
"Hope. She's not coming back to Hogwarts," Rose told them urgently.