The toys belong to J.K. Rowling and Notwolf, and I am grateful to be able to play with them. I hope you will like what you read!

The Prophesy or Why Not to Tease Fate

Fidelia was in a hurry. She had already bought most of the ingredients for the stately dinner but few small pieces were missing. She wanted everything to be up to the taste of the remaining senior members of Nott family. Fidelia had invited them to introduce Udo as her new boyfriend. It was a risky but would eventually pay huge dividends. Any suspicion about the real identity of her husband would be swept under the carpet if his own relatives would vehemently deny who he was actually. It would allow them to spend more time in Britain with Theo and celebrate with him his upcoming marriage. It was worth a try. Fidelia checked her watch again and almost knocked down Sybille Trelawney.

The professor put in place her spectacles like enormous loupes and stared at Fidelia who apologized immediately. The teacher was still ringing with all her bracelets and amulets but was evidently unharmed. Yet she was clutching Fidelia's hand with a dead grip!

"My poor child! I see her coming to you! You must not tease the Fate! She will bring you otherwise a surprise you had never wanted to see again! Beware, oh, beware of her, she has a lot of them!" Fidelia froze. She was not quite sure whether the Divination professor was in one of her moods, she had no time for that and no nerves! Fidelia tried to shake her off her sleeve. The dead grip slackened a little bit and Sybil thanked the young woman for her kindness to save her from tripping over the sidewalk. She offered to read her future as a gift, but Fidelia thanked her and ran away forgetting the spices that were missing. She would improvise, she thought and apparetred.

The guests were elderly and did not have many teeth between them so the menu was adjusted accordingly. There were plenty of soups and gravies, mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, mashed peas, creams and jellies. Fidelia ran out of tureens and remembered the big ugly one which somehow had survived Theo's shooting spree. It was hideous but could be charmed in the last moment. The minestrone would not mind hopefully. Udo helped her to pour it and kissed her. Fidelia shivered and told him about Sybil's prophesy.

"Shall we call off the dinner?"

"Come on, it is too late already. They will be here any moment. You know how picky Aunt Gorgonzola can be, she will blame me for the cancellation and I will never be redeemed in her eyes!" Udo kissed his wife again. "But the advice not to tease Fate is so universal, we can apply it immediately. Time to put my charms before they come."

The dinner was progressing up to the plan, the elderly Notts were indulging in the rich menu and praising the choice of their relative by marriage. Of course, Udo had been precious, they told him, but he was dead and the children needed a father figure, so he would do. Of course, they expected that he had decent intentions and they have considered a small wedding suitable for a widow. Udo was sure that he would not be able to stop nodding in affirmative for an hour after they would be gone.

"But of course, we will be generous with out gifts for poor Fidelia, as we have been when she married the first time. I remember how much you liked this set that me and Radcliff gave you then. I see that you are using the tureen only!" Aunt Gorgonzola's ring encrusted hand was pointing the fork at the piece.

"Yes Auntie, it was very nice one, we have been using it almost all the time, it was Udo's and my favorite. Unfortunately during the years a lot of pieces were broken beyond repair, no matter how hard we tried. I am afraid the tureen is the only one that remained intact."

"I knew Udo had great taste and he would love it. And you?" The tiny blue eyes on the chalk-white face that had given the venerable aunt the name of the blue Italian cheese were trained at the man across from her. Udo swallowed nercously.

"Of course Mrs. Nott, it is spectacular china. I don't think that they make such elaborate pieces these days." At least he could say that without crossing fingers behind his back.

"I guess you are right! But I have a surprise for you. I will be giving you my own set – a full set for twenty-four people and many more serving pieces, they are intact and you will appreciate them. I don't throw that big parties anymore, it will be a pleasure to give it to someone who understands quality. This is decided. I will instruct my elves to pack it and deliver it to you before the wedding. Wouldn't it be nice to serve the dinner on them, it will remind us of our fantastic Udo, as if he would be with us on that day! I know he would have given you his blessing in this case, my dear and so do I. In fact, I can hardly wait for that. I think we may arrange the marriage in my castle in Scotland, like the first one, and then the castle will be yours Fidelia. Poor Udo was my grand-nephew's son, he deserved it, but I see you have as fine taste as he did, you have chosen well. Salmon, lamb with mint, haggis, am I missing something? Anyway, we will discuss it over the floo tomorrow. Is Sunday too soon for a wedding for you young man? It will be family affair anyway, I think I will take care of everything, you just have to show up at eleven at the kirk!" Aunt Gorgonzola disappeared with a loud pop not forgetting to take with her the already asleep Uncle Brutus and Uncle Romulus.

"Sybil is turning into a real Seer!" Udo Nott laughed later that night hugging Fidelia. "I was suspicious when we got only a set of twenty-four. Aunt Gorgonzola never gave a party for less than a hundred, so I assumed she was giving us the leftovers of an old set. So it is, another twenty-four. Will you survive with them?"

"If they come with a castle in Scotland, I will even like them a little. I will serve on them whenever Auntie comes. She is not a bad woman, but putting Gorgonzola on spaghetti, come on, this was unpardonable!'