There was no doubt in Edie's mind that her little sister knew she hadn't been in London that night in June when she went to Hogwarts. Edie hadn't been particularly discrete after all, asking all those questions about things that Sharon figured were nightmares or hallucinations. And Sharon was a youngest child, Edie noted, which meant that, while undoubtedly adorable, she could manipulate anyone in the family to within an inch of their sanity– Edie had no doubt that her sister had covered for her because she wanted something out of it… the question was, what?
"Can I come in, Edie?" Sharon asked after dinner one night, knocking on Edie's bedroom door. "I have to ask you something."
Edie sighed and opened up. "Sure," and then, "What is it?" though she was pretty sure she knew exactly what it was.
"I want to know where you were three months ago," she said quickly, as if nervous Edie wouldn't respond if she took too long on such a sensitive topic. "I mean, the night you snuck out. It couldn't have been really far… you didn't even take your car. And I've been thinking about it for ever, and I want to know, because it has something to do with what I saw, doesn't it? And if it does, then it means I'm not crazy!" Sharon finished her speech nearly out of breath. Edie's eyes widened.
"You thought you were crazy?" she asked. How could she have thought her sister was going to try and blackmail her? She was only nine, after all (Sharon would say nine and a half). Of course she'd be scared, having witnessed some magic and not knowing what it was. Sharon was not nearly so inquisitive of her sister (she was going to be a orthodontist, for goodness' sake). It made sense that she would be worried– in fact, Edie found it likely that Sharon had only covered for her to protect herself, keep their parents from thinking she was involved in anything out of the ordinary.
"You're not crazy," Edie offered kindly before Sharon had a chance to answer. "Trust me, you're not… unless I'm crazy… but I'm crazy for a different reason." Edie sighed and looked at the pile of junk mail on her desk. All that, and not one letter from– no. They were mourning. They needed time. She'd only intrude, only make things worse. But you'd think… even if he didn't know she'd been at Hogwarts, he'd know that the danger was over, wouldn't he? She shook her head.
"I'm not?" Sharon asked in a small voice. "You're positive?"
"One hundred percent," Edie said seriously.
"Then what am I?" she asked miserably. "I'm still having that dream, and I know it's crazy, but the magazine! I knew I saw it, and I knew that the things in it were moving, and I knew Dad talked about a Lovegood house around here… so I went." Edie though Sharon looked like she was confessing some grave sin.
Sharon pressed on: "I didn't go in!" she said hastily. "But I saw the house, and it looked like it had exploded." She looked up at Edie, terrified. "No house just explodes because it isn't up to code."
Edie nodded. "So…" she prodded. "What do you think happened?" She could tell her sister was teetering on the edge of something that made her very uncomfortable…
"Oh Edie!" Sharon cried. "Do you think they're involved with terrorists?"
"Sharon!" Edie said, standing up. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Sharon was clearly looking for any excuse to avoid the answer that was staring her straight in the face.
"The moving pictures, the strange sudden memory loss, me running off for a night without a car, come on. Think!" Sharon only shook her head violently.
"They're magic, Sharon!" Edie cried, relieved just to let someone else know what she'd been hiding for so long. "There are wizards, and witches, and I've seen it– I've been all sorts of places. I was at Hogwarts last June– it's their school!"
Sharon stood up too, looking horrified. "You think that's less ridiculous than my idea?" she asked scathingly.
"Yes!" Edie pleaded, "Because it's true!"
Sharon shook her head, and Edie had the sudden image of her shaking it so hard it would pop off and fly across the room. Sharon had clearly already lost her head. "You're the crazy one Edie!" she shouted.
"No!" Edie cried, begging. "It's true– you know it's true!" But Sharon just kept shaking her head, and Edie could hear the muffled voices of her parents downstairs. She hadn't fought with her sister for so long– they'd be wondering what was so serious, and soon, they'd come up and knock on the door. Sharon would run out shouting about Edie being convinced there was magic and– Edie could see her parent's incredulous expressions as if they were already in the room with her.
"Is this true, Edie?" her mother would ask, as thought pleading for her daughter to say no. But Edie wouldn't say no– she knew that now. It was such a weight off her chest to know that she wasn't hiding it anymore… even if her whole family would think her crazy.
"Mum!" Sharon cried, close to tears. "Mum, I need you!" Edie ran her fingers through her curly hair nervously, and watched as a ringlet bounced right back into place when she let go. Uncoil, spring back. Uncoil, spring back. Edie mused that she might be able to make it into some sort of metaphor about the resilience of the human spirit, or something, but she wasn't quite in the mood.
"You know I'm not lying," she said quietly to Sharon. Sharon's face might have flickered to shame for a moment, but it was back to anger in a flash. She yelled for their mother again.
Suddenly, Edie heard a sharp tap on the glass pane of her window. A large brown owl sat on the ledge, a rolled up piece of paper strapped to its leg. On an impulse, Edie opened the window and let the bird in. Sharon recoiled and hovered by the door, but Edie wasted no time in removing the paper, the parchment, now that she could se clearly.
Edie Filbert413 Philpine Way, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon
URGENT!
"It's a letter," Edie said aloud, to no one in particular. "Go on, then," she said to the owl, which only clucked and refused to budge. "What– do I need to pay you?" The owl lifted its left leg to reveal a small pouch. "But I don't have any wizard money," Edie said. "I had a few galleons once, but they'd be too big to fit in that pouch. Sorry." The owl hooted its displeasure and took off.
Just as Edie shut the window and began to unroll the parchment, Mrs. Filbert appeared in the doorway. "What is it?" she asked, clearly in a temper. The girls yelling at each other, at her, Edie's strange injuries– what an evening.
Sharon, looking exceedingly nervous, finally choked out a sentence: "Nothing, Mum! Sorry… Edie and I got into an argument, but it's all right now. Edie nodded quickly. It looked like Sharon might be coming around after all, or at least curious about the letter anyhow.
Mrs. Filbert pursed her lips and sighed. "Fine, then," she said tiredly. "Just next time you need me, make sure it's a real fight." Sharon continued to hover by the door uncomfortably even after their mother left.
"Go on then," she finally said, quiet. "Read it."
Edie smiled slightly and broke the wax seal of the letter. She began to read aloud:
"Dear Miss Filbert,
I hope that the receipt of this letter does not cause alarm. ("Right, because great old owls delivering messages aren't alarming!" Sharon said squeakily. "The Ministry!" Edie exclaimed, amazed.). Your name has been mentioned in recent legislative discussions about a proposed Muggle Protection Act, and your testimony is required to verify certain facts about how you managed to regain memories about the magical world– your name was found in a St. Mungo's file describing a Muggle girl whose memory was wiped. ("Well, whoever this is is certainly thorough," Edie muttered, disappointed that this letter was clearly not from whom she'd hope to get a letter from.) It has also been brought to the attention of the Ministry that a girl by the name of Edie Filbert was at the Battle of Hogwarts in June. How you penetrated into the wizarding world is of utmost concern to legislators and particularly relevant in the discussion of the Muggle Protection Act. Please be assured, of course, that you will retain complete anonymity in formal records and the press. The Ministry of Magic has also declared that it has no intention of taking any sort of action to alter your memories at this time. ("At this time?" Edie asked.) Please make arrangements to be picked up at eight o'clock Sunday the 8th at Stoatshead Hill. Sincerely, Hermione Granger, Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Edie was silent for a minute, trying to comprehend what she had just read. Her name had come up? In legislative talks? And… she was needed to testify! That in itself was weird enough, but… how would they know that she had her memories back? The St. Mungo's records would make it clear that her memory had been wiped, but they could only know she'd gotten it back if someone had identified her at Hogwarts…
"Sunday's tomorrow," Edie mused.
Sharon looked at her incredulously, and stepped forward slowly to look at the letter for herself. She swallowed hard, and looked up at her older sister.
"It's real, isn't it?" she asked.
Edie nodded. "Yeah, I think it is."
Sharon bit her lip and looked at the letter again. "I don't think you can get away with sneaking off to 'London' again," she said quietly, looking away. "But we haven't seen Grandma in a long time…"