"Hmm... Yeah, it's her," Mom said thoughtfully as she raid over the letter for the third time. Her long black hair was done up in a loose ponytail that trailed over her left shoulder. It matched her black blouse almost perfectly. Her brown eyes shown with a great intelligence as she eyed myself and the paper, glancing back and forth between us.

"Do you think it would be wise?" Dad asked her as she sipped at his Budweiser. The dark brown glass glinted in the light of the dinning room. The room was right off the hallway to the bedrooms, adjacent to to the Family room in such a way that you had to walk through the Dinning room to get to the Family room. The room had only two other entrances. Those were the doors to the outside and Kitchen respectively.

I sat at the head of the table, right between my Dad and Mom. I simply looked from Mom to Dad as they passed the proverbial buck back and forth between themselves as to how we, as a family, were going to answer the Letter.

"If we want him to have a better Magical Experience I would say go for it... We wouldn't see him for most the year though..." Mom hedged.

"True, but we wouldn't have to worry about racial prejudices there as much, would we?" Dad asked her.

"No, but if I remember correctly hun, they are Blood Purists, so it may not be much better," She sighed as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"I think he might be even better off there, if that's the case!" Dad laughed, he shot Mom a cheeky grin and winked at me. "You know how extensive our lines are, Bray and George go back a few thousand years at best! And God knows how many magicals we have in our family!" Dad pointed out to her.

I remembered all the different tales about our Family. How one of my Ancestors slayed a Dragon, as a Muggle, and was hailed as a hero and later a saint by a great part of the world. I even knew about how much of our family, warriors that they were, had served in most of the major wars across the globe. Most notable for my immediate family was my Grandfather, a Harrison Clive George, who served in the Vietnam War.

He wasn't a Magical, by any sense of the word, but he had a presence about him that made every person within ear-shot listen and listen good. I loved hearing stories from him-about his times in the war- and how the world used to be just a score or two ago. He was a treasure trove of information for my family and I. He knew battle tactics, he knew how to build airplanes, he even knew how to stage trench Warfare!

"That is a good point Sam, but-," Dad cut Mom off with a look and pointed innocuously at me. Looked at me, looked at Dad, looked back to me, and then glared at Dad.

"Ethan, would you like to go to this school?" Mom asked me.

"I don't know Mom... I think it'd be fun to go," I smiled encouragingly. Her brown eyes shown with pride and love at my words, Dad also seemed to radiate some form of parental mischief as well when I heard him chuckle. I rolled my eyes at Dad's childishness, though it was funny to watch the reactions he would get out of Mom sometimes when he'd do it in her presence.

"So... As it's June now... We have a couple months to get your standard schooling schooled away and your relatives informed about what you'll be doing. You know your Grandparents will be wanting to see you off as well. And your Great-Grandma Bray will be more than determined to show up. Crazy old bint that she is...," Dad grumbled. Mom shot Dad a warning look and huffed at his words about her Grandma.

"What, you know she's crazy Dawn," Dad exclaimed with a pout. Mom snorted and shook her head.

"Yes, she's old, and a bit insane... But you'd be insane too if you had to deal with five kids and their assorted grandchildren for the last eighty years... Woman has enough on her plate with having to put up with her sister, let alone the rest of us," Mom smirked a bit. I knew what she was reminiscing about; a few years ago, around my fifth birthday if Mom's tales are correct, Grandma Bray just about hexed her sister and her children out of the country after one of the little blighters had made a scathing remark about one of my uncles daughters.

"True, but we're getting off topic, hun," Dad hedged, he tried to sound indifferent, but he knew that-should things hit the fan-he should hit the deck if or, better yet, when Mom got angry.

"Yes," Mom nodded. She sighed and walked into the kitchen. I idly read over the letter again as Mom went about fetching a few glasses of water for us. Being the middle of Summer in the Valley, it was almost unbearably hot. In the shade, it was a balmy 102' degrees Fahrenheit... In the sun... It was a scalding 113 Degrees Fahrenheit. You could fry an egg on the sidewalk, straight out of the fridge if you wanted to! No pan or butter required, though you'd make a damn fine mess.

"Here you go Honey," Mom said as she set the cup of water down in front of me. Dad deftly picked it up and took a small swig. I pouted at him and he grinned petulantly in return. Mom huffed and set Dad's glass down in front of me instead of giving it to him.

"Hey!" Dad exclaimed mock petulantly.

"That's what you get for being impatient!" Mom shot back just as easily. I laughed at their banter.

"So...," I hedged, getting my parents' attention. "DO you mind if I go? Or would you rather I stay here?" I asked.

"I think it would be a welcome change Ethan. It's been many centuries since a George has been to Hogwarts... It's time they get a taste of America's oldest Wizarding Family," Dad smirked. Mom snorted and shook her head.

"I agree Ethan, it would also give you a chance to meet some new kids your age, and possibly a girl or two!" Mom said with a wag of her brows. I scowled at Mom. It wasn't that I was adverse to meeting, and making, some new friends, but Girls... They just didn't appeal to me at that time. At least, I wouldn't allude to that in front of my parents, My personal thoughts on girls were my own, and I wished them to stay that way.

"Sure, I'd like that!" I smiled. I pawed at my glass awkwardly. It filled me with an express feeling of accomplishment to be treated as an equal by my parents. It wasn't often that they let me in on their conversations, as usually when they did it had to do with a punishment or finding out information on something my brothers may have done. In short, I was happy.

"Well then, We'll send a positive reply!" Dad declared smiling. Mom nodded and smiled along with him as she patted me on the head. She kissed my cheek and walked out of the room, apparently going to grab some parchment to write our return letter.