One time of year where Hugo was absolutely driven up the wall was the car ride back to the Burrow. For some odd reason, all the Weasleys thought it a good idea to have the annual reunion on the day they got back. If they had asked him, he would have said it was the worst. And what makes it even worse is that they all drive back together. In the same car.

The previous year hadn't been too much of an issue. Fred, Lucy, James, Rose, Molly, and Louis all crammed into the back seat of his mum's station wagon, which had been charmed to fit them all. In the trunk with reverse facing seats, with all the luggage on them, sat Al and Hugo. Lucy and Lily all sat in the front between Hugo's parents. No one had fought, although Hugo thought his legs would fall off due the shear mass of trunks on top of him.

This year, he knew he was too tall to get in the back. The first indication was that his jeans were too short. How that happened was beyond him, but he had to cajole Al into transfiguring them longer. The next indication he got that he was too tall was that when he stood next to Fred – who is by no means a short fellow -- he was taller than him. Al, too, had sprouted. Although his own jeans had fit him, he was taller than James by a good deal, much to James' clear displeasure. It was obvious to Hugo that Lily and Louis – the two smallest of them – would have to sit in the back.

"Hugo and Al, in the back," his dad shouted. "Fred, Louis, Jim, Rose, and Roxanne in the middle. Lily, Molly, and Lucy in the front. Hurry up, let's go. Grandma's cooking up a storm, or so I hear."

"Dad!" Hugo said. "I can't get in the back; I'll be crushed."

"Hugo," his dad said. "You want me to make Rose sit in the back?"

"Why don't Lily and Louis sit in the back? They're the shortest."

"I can't sit in the back! What happens if we go around a turn and all the trunks slide on top of me?" Lily said, crossing her arms definitely. She had changed into jeans, but still wore her Slytherin white shirt and tie. Grandma Weasley would not like the way her jeans were fitting her.

"You're stronger than the two of them, Hugo," his dad said. "I'm sure you'll manage. You're a Ravenclaw, you'll figure it out. Besides, everyone else is already in." Hugo looked over at Al, who was trying to fit the trunks in the back in a way so that he could actually sit down.

"Are you just going to take this, Al?" Hugo asked, helping him to move around the trunks.

"Do I have another choice? It's just an hour or so. We'll manage," Al said. Hugo hated how stoic he always was. Then again, growing up with James, he probably had to be.

"Merlin, Lily!" James shouted as they sped along the highway. "Why are you wearing that?"

"What?" Lily replied.

Hugo craned his neck, wrapped his arm around the back of the seat, nearly choking poor Fred, to see what Lily would do. She spun around fast, her black curly hair flipping around.

"Why are you wearing that?" he spat again. Hugo could sense his resentment at losing the house cup and the quidditch cup.

"Stop it, James," Al said casually, turning a page in his book.

"What? Stop it? Am I being unreasonable? Does the almighty Al have any wisdom to bestow us with?"

"Look, I don't like it that Slytherin won the quidditch cup any more than you do, but you have no reason to take it out on Lily, who is the cleanest player on their team. She played a fair game. Even the Hufflepuffs couldn't find fault with it, and that's saying something." Al turned a page in his book.

"If you're going to talk to me, look at me, not at your bloody book!" James shouted, tearing the book out of Al's hands.

Al sighed and twisted his neck to look at his brother's fiery red hair, his cheeks matching. He repeated what he had just said, but looking at James.

"I'm not an idiot!"

"James, chill out," Fred muttered.

Al reached into his knapsack and pulled out another book and started reading. Hugo faced the back of the car, the many trunks piled on his legs, and struggled to wiggle his toes.

3

Neither Hugo nor Al could walk for almost thirty minutes after they managed to extrapolate themselves from the confines of Hugo's mum's car. While the others were out establishing teams for quidditch, the pair of them sprawled on the grass in front of Uncle Harry's and Aunt Ginny's.

"Despite the particular agony I'm in this year," Al said as they stared at the clouds. "I'm glad to be home."

"Congratulations," Hugo muttered. "I get to stare at Rose's sorry face and hear my mother complain about how I'm not fulfilling my potential until I go stay with Charlie."

"Are you working a shop at all?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll probably just fill in for you when you're too lazy to show up."

"That never happens. I just get too absorbed in a book. There's a difference."

"Only a slight difference."

"I'll give you that."

"I suppose we should go see if Charlie and Teddy're here, right?"

"Mmm…"

Al hoisted himself off the ground with his usual ease and grace. Hugo followed his lead with a little less grace but equal ease. They entered the burrow and were not surprised to see Teddy sitting at the Flora – the little girl's hair purple today. His fiancée, Gwen, was a little ways away, talking with Vicky.

"Damn, Hugo," Teddy said, standing up. "You're taller than I am! Same for you, Al. What do they feed you in Ravenclaw? I need to get some."

He gave the two of them a gruff hug. Teddy was average height for a man, his hair – as always – blue. Of everyone who was associated with the Weasleys, Al and Teddy had never made Hugo feel awkward about being a Ravenclaw.

"Just the usual," Al said. "Are you going to play quidditch with us today?"

"I'll play only if I can be on Hugo's team and only if he plays keeper," Teddy said, raising an eyebrow at Hugo.

"Why don't you just get my father to play?" Hugo said gloomily.

Teddy laughed.

"You're father is a terrible keeper. Yeah, he played in school, but from what I hear, he was one of the worst. Besides, we need someone with experience to play against Lily. From what I hear, she's exceptional."

"Why not Vicky?"

"Look, Hugo, you know the rules of the game. You tell me if Vicky will want to play."

Hugo glanced at the woman. She certainly didn't seem like she came prepared. Her outfit was all wrong, too form fitting for keeper.

"Fine, I'll play."

"Awesome. Hey, Flora, I'm going to go play quidditch, you want to come and watch?"

"Can I play?" Her eyes lit up. She was intelligent for a four year old.

"No, you can't."

"Why not?" She crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Because you don't know how to ride a broom." Teddy poked her nose. The little girl clenched her jaw, her hair flaring red. Hugo grinned. Her veela temper was flaring again.

"Hey, Flora, why don't you come with me and we'll go pick some apples?" Vicky asked, offering her hand to her young daughter.

"Really?" Flora's eyes lit up and hopped off the chair. Vicky nodded and the pair of them left for the orchard. The boys left and got their brooms.