Amelia Bones – Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, d. 1996

She was the first to go to school, before Edgar, before Robert. It was a moment of pride when she stepped through the gateway of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, knowing that now she was finally alone. Edgar was only a baby then, and Robert hadn't even been born yet. But at least for a little while she did not have to act like an older sister should, did not have to sit primly on an armchair while friends and family came to croon over Eddie, did not have to answer the endless questions about what it felt like to finally have a little brother. No. Her time at Hogwarts had come, and she was going to do it alone.

"Write us often," said Mother as Amelia leaned out one of the windows of the train. Mother was making Eddie wave a chubby little hand in her direction, but all he did was try to grab at a passing woman's hair.

"Let us know what house you're in," said Father. "If you're in Slytherin, well, we'll try to be happy for you." (Which meant, in Dad-speak, that she had better be in Gryffindor.)

"Don't worry, Dad. I know where I'm going to be. And it will be wonderful," she called as the train pulled out of the station in a billow of steam.

And it was.


Later, when she was asked by Robert's little girl what her favorite parts of Hogwarts were she only had one answer. It was always the Quidditch pitch and would never be anything else. It was the sense of wonder that came from soaring high above everyone else, knowing that it was you and you alone who could win, who would win.

She was Gryffindor's seeker her last four years of school. And, as her best friends would often say, she was bloody brilliant. She was not afraid to push her flying as hard as she could, and Gryffindor House was glad – they won the Quidditch Cup every year that she played. Though she had no desire to play professionally after school, Hamish MacFarlan practically begged her to join his Montrose Magpies. Amelia politely refused.

"He was full of himself. And I had better things to do with my time," she would explain.

Of course when she first arrived at Hogwarts she had no thought of playing Quidditch at all. There was the excitement of being sorted into Gryffindor, making new friends, getting to know her favorite teacher, the young Transfiguration teacher Professor McGonagall. There were pranks to pull with Gideon and Fabian Prewett, always trying to stay out of the way of Pringle the caretaker. Exploring Hogsmeade and venturing into the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. She was always getting into trouble back then. Never serious trouble, but trouble none-the-less. Maybe it was that trouble-making spirit that led her into Magical Law Enforcement, to make sure that trouble never got out of hand. But she was never one to resist a good jelly-legs jinx carefully aimed at a Slytherin bully.

And then she was introduced to Quidditch. It was a mistake, really. Besides the silly compulsory lessons on broom riding that every first year took she didn't have very much interest in riding. She had been on broomsticks ever since she could first sit up and flying had lost its excitement. Going to games her first few years at school didn't spark anything either – the players were all too high and she could never see what was going on. Except for the Snitch. She never understood why none of her friends could see it, the little golden orb zooming around the pitch. It always glinted in the light, and time after time Amelia felt that it was just in reach of the Seeker if they would only stretch a little farther, fly a little faster.

It was after a Gryffindor-Hufflepuff game at the end of her third year when Fabian asked her what she thought of the game. She began a tirade about the current Gryffindor Seeker, how the Snitch had been three inches from his face eight times in just the first five minutes of play, how he was nearly knocked off of his broom three dozen times because he wasn't watching where he was going, and how on earth could he be expected to catch the Snitch if he couldn't even stay on his broom. Fabian and Gideon looked at each other and started laughing. Amelia was indignant.

"We could have won if it wasn't for his… stupidity!" she spat.

"You know," said Gideon with a glint in his eye.

"He's a seventh year," continued Fabian.

"And the post will be open next fall."

"You should try out. You really should."

"You'd be bloody brilliant. You really would."

(The twins had an awful habit of finishing each other's sentences. It was rather eerie. Especially when they started rhyming.)

Amelia thought about it for a moment. A moment is all it takes to make a choice. A moment was all she needed.

So she did.


And she was bloody brilliant. Mum and Dad never really realized the talent that their eldest daughter had, the sharp eyes and perfect balance that made her into the Gryffindor Seeker students would talk about for years. Though they loved all of their children, their letters were filled with news of Edgar's latest exploits and the appearance of baby Robert. The Bones' just had a general idea of the fact that their daughter was good at Quidditch. But she was better than good. For four years she flew with the wind in her hair, her head in the clouds, and her hand outstretched. She flew alone, practicing every day, rain, sleet, snow. Some students swore that they could see gold flecks in her eyes. And when the Snitch was in sight, she hardly ever missed.

Of course, she did well in her studies too. By the time she finished her seventh year she knew that she wanted to work at the Ministry. She realized after a near-fatal collision of two Beaters during her sixth year that she wasn't going to play Quidditch forever, even though it was expected by nearly the entire school that she would go pro. Her father's sister worked at the Ministry, and Amelia had always been intrigued by the intricate workings of the wizarding world's government. A position in Magical Law Enforcement seemed like the right step, even when the news of her refusal to play for the Magpies got out.

"We can't believe you said no!" Fabian had yelled. Amelia always thought that he was just angry about not being able to bribe her for free tickets.

"To Hamish MacFarlan no less," Gideon questioned in a more subdued tone.

"I just didn't see it. It wasn't the right choice," she had explained.

Besides, Hamish MacFarlan was just too full of himself. He had stormed around the Hogwarts pitch for a while before flying off. And after a nice, cleansing ride up into the clouds and back down to earth again, Amelia Bones knew that what she had told him was true. Quidditch, in her soul, would always and only be at Hogwarts. She wasn't really meant to play on a team. She did it alone. It was the right choice.


In these halls, she found the one moment she needed.