October 1986

Charlie sat at a round wooden table at the back of the Three Broomsticks Inn, leaning over The Monster Book of Monsters. His battered copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was on the empty chair next to him. Charlie had secured the worn pages with an adhesive over the summer, and a binding charm once he arrived at Hogwarts, but pages kept tearing and falling out anyway. He used a piece of twine, wrapped twice around the book, to keep it intact when he wasn't reading it

The parchment on the table in front of him was blank. He hadn't even taken his quill or ink pot out of his satchel. He should have started his essay about the use of the oculus potion for Snape, but he got distracted when he found a recipe for dragon tonic and now he was reading about the Antipodean Opaleye. At least Kettleburn would be happy.

Tonks picked up Fantastic Beasts, set it on the table, and sat down next to Charlie. Charlie looked up. Her hair was purple.

"Have you seen the others? They were supposed to meet me here to critique a presentation I have to give for Muggle Studies on Monday."

"No," Charlie said. He had avoided the others on purpose all day. He hadn't spoken to any of his classmates in over a week. He looked back at The Monster Book of Monsters.

"Have you heard from Jonathan? He won't write me back," she said.

Charlie's eyes didn't leave his book. "He's fine. He's not coming back to Hogwarts."

"I'm sure his mum will come around once she realizes how safe we are with all the Aurors."

"No," Charlie said, "she won't."

"Well then, I'll keep writing him so he doesn't feel like he's missing-"

"His mum confiscates all of his mail," Charlie said. "Stop writing him."

Tonks looked hurt. "Alright, Charlie. Will you tell him I said hello?"

"I don't talk to him either."

"You don't talk to anyone anymore, Charlie," Tonks said.

Eni and Maddison walked through the front door of the inn, laughing and leaning on each other. Tonks waved them over. Eni and Maddison grabbed two empty chairs and dragged them up to the table.

"Charlie! We didn't know you'd be here, too," Maddison said. "You'll be good at critiquing whatever Tonks has to say."

"Why would I be good at it?"

Maddison shot a look at Tonks. What the hell did I walk into?

"Because of what your dad does."

"I don't pay attention when he talks about work."

"You must've picked up a few things. Doesn't your family have a telephone? I know your dad has a car."

"He doesn't drive it much. And I've never used the telephone."

"Shite, Charlie," Maddison said. "You run with us enough that you should have picked up some of it."

"You lot don't exactly advertise your muggle roots."

Eni stood back up. "Right then, I'm getting tea. Anyone want anything?"

"I'll take tea," Tonks said.

"Me too," Maddison said. "Put them all on my tab."

Tonks took out her notes. "Can we start with microwave ovens? My dad has never owned one, so he wasn't much help. They seem like the closest thing to magic muggles have devised."

Charlie slammed his book shut. It didn't like the rough treatment and snapped at him.

Maddison threw up her hands. "Fuck, Charlie, what?"

Charlie pulled his hand away from the book that was still trying to bite him. "I'm not in the mood."

"For what? For us? Your friends?"

"Any of it."

He opened his satchel and shoved the book inside. The book growled.

"You weren't the only one on that train, you know," Maddison said. "We were all there, too. I was right there with you, trying to dig Peter out. There wasn't anything more we could have done."

Charlie shoved his blank parchment into his satchel, tearing it.

"Do you listen to anything anyone says anymore?" Maddison asked.

"Yeah, I listen," Charlie said. "I listen to you talk about how they'll find out who attacked the train and we should be glad we survived. I listen to you talk about how bad it must have been for Peter, to die like that, buried and choking. I'll start responding when there's anything more to say. Like how the Aurors haven't been able to solve the killings at the Wizengamot, so how the hell are they going to find out who attacked the train and killed Peter? It's obvious they can't do a bloody thing about any of it. Jonathan's mum was right to keep him away from this place."

Eni came back to the table with Aaron, who had joined her at the bar. He held two mugs. He passed one of them to Maddison and handed the other one to Tonks.

"Jonathan's mum is afraid. And so are you," Maddison said.

"I'm not afraid," Charlie said.

"You're afraid to deal with what happened in any kind of healthy way."

"You can't tell me how to deal with this, Maddison," Charlie said.

Charlie stood up and grabbed his satchel. "Peter is dead, alright? And it's my fault."

"You're full of it if you think his death was your fault. If it was your fault, then it's my fault. It's Eni's, Jonathan's, and Tonks' fault, too."

"It's not any of your faults," Aaron said.

Charlie picked up Fantastic Beasts and pointed it at Aaron. "Stay out of this. You weren't even on the train."

"No, but I lost Peter, too," Aaron said, "and I was really fucking worried about the rest of you."

"Really fucking worried, huh?"

"Charlie, stop," Maddison said.

"Yeah, fucking worried," Aaron said. "Do you know how I found out about the attack? I was in Hogsmede when Hagrid and the others brought the bodies back here. I saw Peter's body when Hagrid carried him past me, and no one could tell me if you or anyone else was alive."

"We're fine, can't you tell?"

"Yeah, you're really fine, Charlie," Maddison said, "shutting yourself off from the rest of us."

Charlie pushed through Tonks and Maddison. His satchel brushed the table and knocked Tonks' notes on the floor. He stepped on them as he walked up to Aaron.

"Do you think you could have done any better? Do you think you could have saved Peter?"

"No," Aaron said.

"Do you think I could have done more?"

"None of you could have done more," Aaron said. "Even with magic, Eni almost killed herself trying to keep you all alive."

"You don't know anything about using magic, Aaron," Charlie said, "so don't pretend like you do."

Aaron clenched his fist. "Leave. Now."

Charlie shoved past Aaron.

He walked outside and slammed the front door of the inn behind him.