August 1987
The aromas of popcorn, candy floss, and fried foods mixed with the smells of brake dust and grease from the ride tracks. Music from the carousel, shouts, and laughter drifted through the warm air.
Eni reached up and handed the woman inside the food stall a five pound note. The woman took the money and gave her two candied apples, a box of popcorn, and change. Maddison took one of the candied apples, grabbed Eni's hand, and pulled her down the midway. Light bulbs hung from wires over their heads.
They walked down the midway and dodged crowds of people standing in line to play ring toss or throw balls at milk bottles. Young kids ran past them.
Maddison took a bite of her apple. "Look at all of them."
"Yeah," Eni said, "it's crowded."
"That's not what I mean, though," Maddison said. "They have no idea that there's another world out there. All these signs and posters for the sideshow magicians; they're just muggles trying to make a fast pound."
"We didn't know magic was real, either," Eni said.
Maddison shrugged. "Well, it is, and we do. If I could use magic now I would, just to see the looks on people's faces."
"It doesn't matter how old you are, if you use magic in front of muggles like that-"
"I'd erase their memories and they would never know," Maddison said.
They walked past a petting zoo. Eni watched a toddler feed candy floss to a goat before his dad stopped him.
A poster advertised for a fire show, whatever that was. What caught Eni's eye was the beautiful woman surrounded by flames. She looked like a Vila.
She followed Maddison to the Ferris wheel. They stood in front of the sign stating the height requirement. Eni and Maddison had been the same height last summer, but Maddison had grown six inches since they left Hogwarts. Eni hadn't gotten any taller. Her mother had been short. So had her father.
Eni smelled sugar and dough.
What did he do after he kicked me out? Did he ever try to find me?
She wouldn't have wanted him to.
Maddison reached down and took a handful of popcorn. Some of it fell on the ground between them, mixing with trampled grass, cigarette ends, and chewing gum wrappers.
"Blow me down!" Maddison said and left the line. She ran up to a boy on the midway, threw her arms around him, and laughed. A few minutes later, she remembered Eni and waved her over.
"Eni, this is David! His dad works with my dad!"
Eni left the Ferris wheel line and walked over to where they stood. Another boy joined them.
"We used to be neighbors, too, before Maddison's family moved."
"Great," Eni said. She didn't like the way David looked at Maddison.
"Were you ladies in line for the Ferris wheel?"
"We were, yeah," Maddison said.
"James and I were going to have a go at some of the games, but the Ferris wheel could be fun," David said.
"Come with us! We can all share a car."
Maddison linked arms with David and walked back to the Ferris wheel line. Eni followed. She ate another handful of popcorn and avoided looking at James, who moved to stand closer to her. Maddison giggled and smiled at David. She leaned on his shoulder and touched his arm. David's hand drifted to Maddison's waist, then lower.
James tried to put his arm around Eni. She shoved him away. "Don't touch me."
"Eni, what the hell?"
"I don't know him," Eni said. "I don't want him touching me."
"It's alright," James said. "I just thought you looked cold is all."
"It's twenty-six degrees out," Eni said.
"Eni, calm down," Maddison said.
"No," Eni said. "Tonight was supposed to be fun. It wasn't supposed to be about getting felt up by some arseholes."
David stepped in. "We're not arseholes, alright? We just want to have some fun, too."
"Come on, Eni," Maddison said, "relax."
Eni shoved the rest of the popcorn at Maddison and left the line.
"Eni! Come back!"
Eni walked down the midway, dodging the crowds and stepping over the large black cables that laid on the ground between the rides. She ignored the hawkers and the gypsy boys selling flowers.
Maddison will realize those boys are arseholes and come find me.
She saw movement next to her and turned around. It was an owl. She looked away and kept walking, but it followed her. And something was tied to its leg.
Eni ducked behind a game booth and the owl landed on the ground. She untied the letter and the owl flew away.
She unwrapped the letter and saw Aaron's handwriting.
I should have wrote you back sooner, but I left Hogwarts . . . suddenly, and I forgot. You did leave your Clash cassette tape and your apron in the kitchen. I've got them both in the trunk in my room. If you need them, I can get Hagrid to send them to you in Manchester.
Don't worry when I tell you this, but I'm at St. Mungo's. I'm sick, or at least that's what they keep telling me. I went out with Hagrid one night and had a lot to drink. When I woke up, my body shook. And I could . . . see places. I thought I was losing my mind. Maybe I am. They say my mum had some kind of mental problems so maybe I just inherited them. I don't know. But it finally happened. I used magic. I apparaited. Multiple times. I couldn't STOP appariting. I ended up at Charlie's house and his mum knocked me out to make it stop before I killed myself. I've been in the hospital for almost a month. I don't know when they'll let me go. An Auror even came because I apparaited to all these muggle places and, of course, I'm underage. They had to alter memories. It's a mess. They don't want me killing myself or scaring muggles, so I'm stuck here for a while until they figure it out or I learn how to make it stop. I'm alright, just tired of sitting in a fucking hospital, taking potions that don't do anything to help, and having healers stand around me.
I hope your summer is going better than mine. I'll see you when school starts, if they let me out of here.
I'll be fine. Don't worry.
Aaron
Eni read the letter again. He said not to worry, but she did. And she was tired of waiting for Maddison.
Eni had gotten turned around on the midway. She realized she had to walk past the Ferris wheel to leave the fair. She saw Maddison, David, and James getting off the ride. They stepped behind the fun house. When Eni turned the corner, David was lighting a cigarette for Maddison. Maddison inhaled, coughed, and laughed.
Eni walked up to her. "I'm going home."
"I figured," Maddison said. "Do you need more money or something?"
"No," Eni said. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright."
"I'm fine," Maddison said. She eyed the letter in Eni's hand. "Did an owl find you here? Who wrote you?"
"Aaron," Eni said, "he's sick."
"Aaron's sick?"
"He's in the hospital," Eni said.
"Is he dying?"
"No, but-"
"Then I don't care."
"You don't care? How can you say that?"
"I want to have one night where I don't have to worry about anything related to fucking Hogwarts."
James laughed. "What the fuck is Hogwarts?"
Maddison glared at him. "It doesn't matter."
"Fine, enjoy your normal fucking night," Eni said.
"If you stay, David has a car. He can give us both a ride home."
James looked at Eni again. He stood too close to her. "I've got a car, too."
Eni grabbed Maddison's arm and pulled her away from the boys. "Come with me, alright? I'm trying to keep you safe."
"Safe from what? David? Our parents know each other, alright? And I can handle myself."
Eni looked away.
"Are you jealous?"
"What? No."
"That's what it is," Maddison said. "You're jealous that I like David."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are," Maddison said.
Eni took the cigarette out of Maddison's mouth, held it to her lips, and inhaled. "The hat was right about you. You are a fucking Slytherin, just watching out for yourself."
She coughed on the smoke and left Maddison alone with the boys.
It took her two hours to walk back to Maddison's house.
