Squib 25 End of Fourth Year, Spring 1975

June 24, 1975 AA Flight 66 crashes in NYC in a storm.

Minerva came to breakfast dressed in black. Tucked close against her was little Mini, also dressed in black and very quiet. "Albus, I will be leaving right after breakfast today. I don't know when I'll be back. The Letters are sent, but Filius may have to deal with the replies. The Enrollment packets are on my desk and they include the starter supply lists. Book Lists are made up except for adding this year's Defense books. The Fall class schedules are almost the same as last year except for a few switches I had to make to get the Electives assigned. For Third and Sixth-year I filled out according to what Electives they asked for in their meetings, but all of those will need to be checked against Final Grades and OWLs. I'll adjust the schedules as needed when I get back." She and Minnie quickly ate, and left the castle with a couple of trunks floating behind. As soon as she cleared the doorways elves popped them away.

They went to Aberdeen, and took a Goblin Gate for New York. She hated doing that to Minnie, since her parents had just died in a plane crash, but it was the fastest way to get there even if it did disorient. Minnie pulled her favorite stuffed cat out of her shoulder bag and sobbed into it the whole trip. They emerged in the Gringotts Lounge at JFK Airport, and took a few minutes to settle themselves while the Goblin attendants sorted their paperwork. A porter loaded their bags on an electric cart and drove them, first to a window where they could see the remains of the crash site, then to the taxi area, where they took a taxi to the Hyatt Hotel. Some of the rest of the family would be assembling in the next day or two, and the hotel would provide a small Chapel for a memorial service. Minerva did not know when the bodies would be released, but she arranged for them to be shipped home and interred quietly. She was their Executor as well as Minnie's designated Guardian, so she arranged for a Lawyer in to file the proper papers, set up a Trust for Minnie, and deal with packing their belongings. The Goblins would collect the boxes and ship them to Corsica for sorting. There was a maid there to accept the cases. She provided the London Bank as an address, explaining that she lived in one country but worked in another most of the year. The Bank had branches in both, and would know where she was.

A week later, she was in Brownsville, Texas, collecting family. This year they were going through Mexico and South America by a combination of bus and trains. They would travel at night, visiting sites in the daytime with tour guides. Some of the parents were coming along this time, making the logistics easier on Minerva. Planned site visits included an Aztec game court, the Valley of the Sun and Moon, Tenochtitlan, the Maya of Cancun with both a temple and a Cenote, the Olmec, Manchu Pichu, and the Inca Golden Valley. They would climb at least one pyramid of each culture, including some the magicals knew but the muggles did not. That was explained by Minerva being a teacher and having extensive private contacts, getting them into sites that had not been published yet. They would visit volcanoes, and enjoy a picnic at 13,000 feet up – higher than many small planes flew! They would go even higher on one, to enjoy a snowball fight in July! Minerva was not the only Witch on this trip, but she was kept busy casting vermin-repelling spells and notice-me-nots to keep bandits, drug dealers, and Militia (different types of vermin) away from her group. Two buses full of touristas were a tempting target. You even had to be careful on trains.

The food for the group was another logistical problem. Central American food is very spicy, and not everyone is accustomed to it. Minerva had made sure cases of American peanut butter were included, which many children spread on whatever bread was offered or ate with a spoon. There were baskets of fresh fruit offered each morning, (which Minerva's elf had brought from Texas.) Each bus had chilled coolers full of juice and huge jugs of bottled water, and everyone was encouraged to drink plenty because it was so hot! The children learned that Sugar Cane was really good, as were fresh coconut milk and the chunks of coconut meat (copra), and bananas came in many sizes and colors. They weren't allowed to eat any local fruit that didn't have a thick peel, due to the risk of food poisoning. Goat stew was really good, iguana tasted like chicken, and fish was a regular item. One day they were given 'hamburgers' that everyone swore were horsemeat! Hot Cocoa was awful – bitter and unsweetened, more like a mocha coffee without milk. Black beans and rice were served at every meal, but were heavily spiced! Silverware was rarely given – food was either served on a taco or tamale, or you scooped it up with a piece of flatbread, and your 'plate' was often a large leaf.

Handwashing in bottled water was essential! You also brushed your teeth in bottled water, or juice. You took your own towel and soap with you, and carried your own packet of toilet paper in your back pack. Toilets were usually just a slit in the ground behind some bushes. Modern facilities were few and far between. While the trains had toilets, and the first few charter buses in Mexico had them, most of the buses South of Mexico City were simply chartered local vehicles and didn't have them. No A/C, either! At Panama they spent the night in an American hotel so they could shower, before riding through the Locks and heading South. They crossed the Equator in Ecuador, before heading on to Peru to visit the Inca.

Little Minnie was cuddled and loved by everyone. She was helped up and down the pyramids, carried when she tired, and fed bits of everything good. Her bag was stuffed with local toys, gathered from everywhere they visited. Several parents made sure she she was going home with Minerva rather than an orphanage – they would have adopted her on the spot if needed.

Exhausted, the family broke up at Lima and flew home. Each set of parents took a few extra children with them so they had none traveling alone. Minerva took Minnie, and three others who were to be met in Toronto. She spent a day with the Lawyer going over the paperwork. He had done a good job. The apartment was clean and already sub-let, the Wills had been filed and the banks notified. Insurance had been filed, but would not be paid until after the investigation finished, though there was no question of foul play. There would also be a 'settlement' from the airline insurance, eventually, but that would take time. He would keep them informed. Minerva did have to appear before a Judge to sign for full custody of Minnie, but the paperwork was clear that this was what her parents wanted. Minnie would be transferred to a Day school in Aberdeen, and Minerva would arrange a tutor to get her over any discrepancy in scheduling. Minerva arranged another Gate trip from the Bank, straight to the Corsica branch. Minnie was asleep by the time the taxi delivered them to the house. She didn't even wake up as the elf washed her and tucked her into bed.

Gretna Green

There had been dozens of couples at Gretna Green. Several Smiths had their anvils lined up under the Oak trees, baskets of golden nails beside them. Most of the couples were straight out of school, but a few were older. Many had family with them, all dressed for parties, showing their joy. Some hung back, even blurred their appearance or used notice-me-not charms.

Ted's family had collected him at graduation, and left for a party. The Blacks had turned out in great numbers, but all left immediately after, leaving Andi standing with Sirius by the Loch. Grandfather Pollux and Melania were the last to leave, and had words only for Sirius, "We'll be expecting you soon. Be sure you bring her safely!" Sirius nodded, responsible, but winked at Andi.

Siri and Andi arrived at their meeting point with Ted's family quite safely. The family closed around them and escorted them quickly to one side of the crowd, where they lined up to see the Smith. He nodded at Ted's parents (it was pre-arranged), pulled a pair of nails out of the basket without looking, and performed the traditional wedding. He finished by tapping the nails into rings for them to slide on each other's hands. They were lovely, delicately carved, and a perfect match!

As Andi was exclaiming over them, the Smith looked at Mr. Tonks and said, "Papers?" Mr. Tonks pulled a roll out of his pocket and handed them over. The Smith unrolled them on the anvil, checking for signatures. Then he picked up his embossed stamp and hammered it down on the paper.

Andi and Ted looked surprised as Mr. Tonks turned over a heavy ring on his own hand. Only the heavy gold band had been showing, but now it was clearly an official Head-Of-House ring. He leaned over and stamped it down next to the Smith Mark, indicating this was an approved Family marriage. Ted spoke up, surprised, "Dad, I didn't know you had one of those! What are those papers?" Then Mr. Tonks stepped aside and Pollux appeared from the blurred crowd, and quickly stamped his own Ring next to the first!

"Andi, honey, we have approved of this relationship from the very first, but we knew you wanted to make your own choices. Your plans, as you have made them, will go forward. You will go to school, study what you please, and we hope you will be very happy! Ted, those are real Betrothal papers, which your father and I signed last year. You are both Pure Bloods, and quite rich. Those papers set out the financial details between the two families. Your father can explain it all to you when he gives you your Heir Ring later. Right now, we have a huge Party waiting!" All of the Family, both Families, appeared around them, hugging everyone.

When Andi got her hands on a smirking Siri later, she said "I ought to prank you from now until King Arthur returns! You arranged all this? How did you wind up in Gryffindor?"

"It's the daring, not the cunning. Dare to be free! Dare much!"

Hogwarts

At Hogwarts, poor Flitwick was buried in paperwork. The book lists were late going out because the new teacher, a retired clerk from the DMLE, took a vacation before filling out his paperwork. When he did arrive at Hogwarts he brought several trunks full of papers. Apparently he was going to write a book. He disappeared into his flat and wouldn't be seen until the Welcome Feast.

Albus was helping Filius, but it was clear Minerva's conclusions from last year were valid this year as well! Pure blood families returned the normal acceptance letters. Some they desired would need flattering visits to 'convince' them not to send their children to other schools, but most were in line. NO muggle, and amazingly, NO half blood families sent acceptance letters this year. Many Letters had never left the bird's perches. Some had gone but been returned 'unfound', and the ones that had been delivered were apparently considered pranks and trashed.

Albus was trying to trace the families who seemed to have moved out of Britain. Filius was sorting all of the remaining names into lists for the four of them to try to visit – if they could find them! It would help if Minerva would come back, but they knew she was busy sorting out little Minnie. Slughorn was jolly but didn't care about muggles at all, so he'd do the pure bloods. Pomona was sweet and good with muggle children, but too straightforward to trust with muggle parents who might need compulsions, and really not good with pure bloods. Even though she was a pure blood, they looked down on her for getting her hands dirty with Herbology. She could do the half bloods and minor pure bloods.

That really meant Filius or Albus himself had to deal with the muggles/Squibs. Minerva would just have to deal with the MG contracts when she got back, because just getting enough Squib lines enrolled was going to be difficult! Compulsion charms would have to be used. They might even have to fill some of those slots with lesser pure blood children and try again next year. This was going to play havoc with his schedules! Albus told Filius, "Dig out all letters of inquiry. There are always families who asked. This year we are going to accept ALL we can get. It might make a big year, but we've had big years before. We can manage it."