Ceirdwyn and Alex find Arthur's car and open the 'bonnet' to expose the engine. "What do you think?" Ceirdwyn asks.

"Straight four, carb… Pretty straight forward. Not high performance… I'd love to shove a Cleveland 351 into it, but there isn't enough room and the whole drivetrain would need to be replaced…and the suspension… Maybe a smaller Mopar…"

"How about just a basic tune up for now?"

Alex nods and takes the top of the air cleaner off. "Well nobody has had this off for a while." She says with disgust as she removes and hits the air filter on the heel of her hand causing a lot of dust to fall out,

"I'll get my tools." Ceirdwyn says before trudging to her Land Rover.

Having no replacement parts, the women will have to make do. Ceirdwyn removes the distributer cap and the wires. She cleans up all of the contact points. Alex removes the sparkplugs and cleans and re-gaps them. The two work like a well-oiled machine.

When they have done what they can, Ceirdwyn says "See if the keys are in it."

Alex checks the ignition and the top of the sunscreen. "No keys, but there is an unmarked button that doesn't look factory." Alex presses the button.

Ceirdwyn mutters "Oh crap." The car and Alex have disappeared.

"What is the matter?"

"Where are you?"

"Right here."

"Well…you and the car are invisible." Ceirdwyn says as she feels around until she finds the car. "Can you still see the button?"

"Of course."

"Hit it again."

The car reappears. Ceirdwyn is relieved. "Don't touch anything else. He may not have maintained the engine, but… It is enchanted."

Alex gets out. "It is supposed to fly too. Do you think he'd let us borrow it?"

Inside the Burrow, Michelle has come to grips with the unusual things she is seeing. But Ginny is studying her with fascination. Michelle isn't that much older than she is, but, as Amanda has explained, she has had to leave her home and allow her parents to believe she is dead and her body lost. Ginny feels like an old hand around Old Ones, and she has spent more time around more of them than virtually all others of the wizarding world which isn't saying much, but Michelle is not really one of them yet.

"Would you like to come up to my room and play?"

Michelle shakes her head while making a bit of an 'as if…' face.

"So…what does your husband do?" Amanda asks Molly while looking about the kitchen.

"He works for the Ministry."

Amanda nods. "Sounds like it pays well." Molly shrugs. Looking about, Amanda concludes Molly is goodhearted and the Weasleys are not wealthy. Amanda does have certain limits; she will not steal from Molly. "Is it anywhere near Gringotts Bank?"

"How do you know about the bank?"

"In a side alley nearby there is a shop which sells swords. I'm taking Michelle there tomorrow."

"When was your…'first death' dear?"

"850"

Molly puts a roast in the oven with a wave of her wand. "You said you're not French…"

"I'm Norse"

"And Michelle?"

"American… from Seacouver…" Michelle answers.

Molly notices that Michelle is standing near the fireplace as she returns from the kitchen. "You should stay away from the fireplace dear."

"Why?"

"I'm hoping my husband comes home soon."

"He comes down the chimney? Like Santa?" It occurs to Michelle that Molly could be Mrs. Claus if she had white hair.

"No dear. Just out of the fireplace."

Michelle is mystified and curious. How would he come out of the fireplace but not come down the chimney? Is there a secret door at the back? Michelle, not one for respecting parental advice, crouches down to get a better look. She puts her head into the fireplace to look up the flue.

Molly hesitates, she doesn't want to scold a guest, especially an Old One, even if she isn't actually old yet. Ginny gets fidgety and says "Ahhhhh?"

But it is too late. There is a blast of emerald flames. Amanda jumps involuntarily. Michelle screams and rolls back and launches herself backwards covering her face. The flames go over her. Arthur stumbles over Michelle's flailing feet and falls forward on top of her.

Arthur finds himself eye to eye with and on top of a teenage girl he's never met. Michelle screams again. "Get off me! How is my hair? Is it burnt? Do I still have my eyebrows?" She feels for them and is relieved to find them still there.

Arthur rolls off of Michelle and clambers to his feet as shocked as she is. He draws his wand on Michelle. "It's all right Arthur. This is Michelle Webster. She doesn't listen very well. She's the youngest Old One." Molly explains and scolds. "There are two more taking that car of yours apart."

Arthur starts for the door in panic only to run into Alex Raven who is arguing with Ceirdwyn. "How was I supposed to know it would disappear?"

"You knew it could fly!"

"Oh hello. Do you have the keys?"

Arthur is shocked. Three Old Ones have shown up at the Burrow with no warning. "These ladies are Alex Raven, who has come to talk to you about your car." Alex nods. "This is Ceirdwyn… I don't know quite why she's here, but she's Alex' teacher."

Arthur extends his hand and the women each shake it in turn. Arthur is shocked by the strength of their grips.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Michelle being given a hand up. "That is Amanda. I think she's taking Michelle to that shop where the Old Ones go on Knockturn Alley." Arthur shakes Amanda's hand and is impressed with her grip. The only one with a typical grip is Michelle. "Amanda is taking her to get her first sword. From what Ron said, it is like one of us getting our wand."

"Congratulations young lady." Arthur says to Michelle. "Pleased to meet you Amanda." Amanda crinkles her nose at him. Arthur doesn't know, and will never know, that his ten-year-old son has been having vague dreams about Amanda after seeing a drawing of her in the book in Dumbledore's office. Molly would never know that a fantasy bad boy in Arthur had been touched. But then, we all have secrets we never tell or act upon.

"Keys." Alex says extending her hand. Arthur reaches into his pocket, takes out the keys, but rather than hand them over, follows Ceirdwyn and Alex out toward the car. As they walk, something scurries away. Alex's sword flashes. "What was…THAT?"

"Just a garden gnome." Arthur responds.

"I thought those were painted concrete!"

"Ours are quite real. Nasty little pests. They trample flowers and eat the vegetables."

As they walk Alex remains on alert even after they arrive at the car. Ceirdwyn says "Fire it up. You probably will need to let it crank a bit; we cleaned the fuel filter."

"I don't want to burn up my car."

Ceirdwyn is amused. "Just start it." Arthur hits the ignition and, after a couple of seconds, the engine starts. Ceirdwyn smiles at the smoothly running mill.

Arthur turns it off. Ceirdwyn says "She's not for you, you know." Arthur is startled. "Not only is she not Molly, she's nothing like Molly."

Alex, still watching the garden says "Not all that is gold doth glitter, not all that glitters is gold. You are a lucky man…and I suspect, wise enough to know it."

Arthur quietly says "I am."

The two women smile.

Alex says "Not all who wander are lost."

Ceirdwyn grins and with a wink to Arthur responds "The old which is strong doth not wither"

To both women's shock and delight, Arthur says "Deep roots are not touched by the frost." Arthur grins. "Some of us read Tolkien as well."

Alex says seriously "I meant what I said."

Arthur pats her on the shoulder "I know" he says as he walks off toward the house.

After he's gone half way, Ceirdwyn says "You know if she gets in trouble with a witch or wizard, she'll still run back here for him to deal with it."

"Molly would never let anyone put her children at risk." Alex say and Ceirdwyn nods in agreement.

"Do you think she'd allow Ginny to come with us?" Ceirdwyn asks.

"No. Wistman's Wood… Not a chance."

"She'd be safe with us."

"We know that, Molly doesn't."

"Maybe Molly would go with…?"

Professor Snape approaches Professor McGonagall and says "When… were… you planning to leave."

"If you must know, this afternoon. Why?"

"With all due respect to Mr. Longbottom's…considerable…talents, perhaps I should verify the ingredients before you return."

"You are offering to help? Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"Very well. But neither you, nor I, will enter the forest."

"Understood."

"Agreed to?" Minerva challenges.

"Agreed" Snape reluctantly concedes.