Ron and Dennis rode easily on the unicorn's back despite the speed at which it raced through the trees. After an hour the unicorn slowed, then stopped, letting the riders dismount. It flicked its horn toward a small path, and ran off into the forest. The two boys, having no choice, followed the path and in no more than five minutes they were out in the open, looking at a highway twenty feet away.
"Where are we?" Dennis asked.
"The A-10 about two miles outside of Cambridge," Ron told him.
Looking at him, Dennis noticed the sign just behind Ron, and said, "Oh, right."
The boys watched the traffic pass by for a few minutes, then decided to take their chances by walking back into the woods. It didn't make them feel any better that the trees ended after only a two minute walk, and they found themselves looking over a fence at someone's house.
"What do we do?" Dennis asked, "call the Knight Bus?"
"And go where?" Ron asked in return. "Less than two hours ago we fled from the Minister of Magic, himself, and drew half the Aurors in the government into a battle with the Centaurs. Or didn't you notice. Those Centaurs had Bows. And those staves could easily be their versions of wands. Remember all that noise we heard? That wasn't a game of quidditch."
Dennis looked at Ron, his lip quivering. "What, What's going on?" he asked in honest fear.
Ron looked down at his teammate. He realized what had happened to Dennis. The boy had walked out of class angry at the teacher. Now he was stranded near a muggle highway, and didn't even know why. Ron led him back to the highway, and sat down with him on a grassy knoll.
"Dennis, you've stepped into the biggest can of worms you can imagine," Ron said, "but for right now we are safe, just remember that." He looked over to see that his words did nothing to help, until he thought of what to say. "That was quite a prophecy Trelawny made. It would have come true no matter what you did."
It worked. Dennis stopped shaking and said, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Trelawny's prediction, when she spoke in that funny voice saying that you would fail Harry. Because of you, I got detoured, and now neither of us will be able to help him. I know I'd feel that lose if I were him."
"So I should have stayed where all that fighting going on," Dennis said in anger, adding sarcastically, "Thanks, Ron."
"No," said Ron with equal heat, "you shouldn't have come along at all." He paused for effect then added softly, "but then Hermione would have died, and I know Harry would have felt that loss. Quite a prophecy."
Dennis looked up, biting his lip, saying nothing. Ron decided to bring his point home. "Remember, Dennis, we have to live with the choices we make, good or bad. And you have to live with the fact that Hermione is alive because of a choice you made."
Dennis looked away, and Ron couldn't help but notice the tears on his cheek. He said nothing for a while, letting Dennis recover from the shock. Suddenly Dennis spoke up, as though asking about lunch, "So, What is all of this about, anyway."
"Dennis, remember that strange kid that appeared on the quidditch pitch Tuesday, that's what it was all about. That stuff about him discovering he had magic by suddenly apparating was just a lie."
"That was the kid in the common room. I was wondering what was going on, but I was still too mad at Trelawny to ask."
"That's right, except he's not a kid. He's about fifty years old and he's a hobbit named Frodo Baggins."
"What's a hobbit?"
"They're a short people, smaller than dwarves, but what's important is that he has a magic ring with him, and if anybody decides to wear it, they'll destroy the world."
"And I'm supposed to believe this? Ron, this is something out of a fairy tale."
Ron laughed, saying, "You don't know how right you are, but think about this. Draco Malfoy, the biggest coward in the school, tried to kill him last night. Then the Minister of Magic brings dementors to the school and begins attacking us because Frodo is with us. Dennis, Fudge is supposed to be one of the good guys. What do you think the bad guys are going to try to do?"
"And what do we do?" Dennis asked with a frown.
"One thing we don't do is use magic," Ron told him, "Don't even think about it. They're watching for us, any of us, just in case. I'm willing to bet that someone is checking for us all the time. They don't know where we are now, but if we cast even one spell, they can find us and we're goners. On the other hand, we stand out like sore thumbs with these robes on. We have to find a place to hide," Ron said. " Even if we don't do any magic, somebody will notice us."
"But what about our parents?" Dennis asked, "we have to tell them something."
"If we can find an owl, maybe. Otherwise, we can't risk it," Ron said, watching his friend's spirits drop. "The Ministry will be watching them. Hopefully, Dumbledore will do something," he added, without much enthusiasm
A police car pulled over while the boys were thinking. The officer stepped out of the car, and called to them, "Do you boys need any help?"
*
"What do you think?" the police officer asked.
The case worker sighed. "I can tell you right now, the redhead is lying about his age. He's probably seventeen, or close to it, but he knows enough about the law to present himself as a minor. It's probably to stay with the other boy, so I'm not going to challenge him on it. They're not brothers, either. I can tell by looking at them, but from what they said, they may not even know it"
"They don't know a lot of things," the policeman said, "but they aren't stupid either. The younger one asked what my phone was. The other one told him, saying he had used one once."
The case worker shook her head. "It's like they been living in another world. The younger one worries me though. He's scared of almost everything, and he's doing a poor job of hiding it. I've arranged a placement for the two, out of hours, to get him in a stable environment as soon as possible. I know what that boy is like. If we gain his trust, he'll tell us everything he can."
"And his brother."
"His brother wants a safe place. He'll tell any lie to get it. I wouldn't trust him, except I think he's doing it for Dennis. They should be fine, though. I asked their interests, and they said books and volcanoes." After the officer stopped laughing, she said, "It works out perfectly. I have a couple; She is a child psychologist, and he maintains the equipment for the VRSG (Volcano Remote Sensing Group) at the college."
*
William Oakley escorted the two boys to his car, feeling lucky and nervous at the same time. Dennis, as he asked to be called, seemed afraid of his own shadow. But Ron, distant at first, couldn't ask enough questions when he found out what Will did for a living. He drove them home, showed them their bedrooms, introduced them to his wife, Mary, when she came home, and tried to help them relax.
The four took a trip to buy clothes for the boys, an easy, and difficult job at the same time. Ron was staring at everything, and had to be led around like a child, while Dennis did nothing, but cling to him. They ended up guessing his size and buying clothes off the rack in hopes they would fit.
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Ron asked, when they returned to the car.
"He's had quite a shock," Mary said, "Taking him to the mall was a bad idea, it seems, but he should be fine with a good meal and some rest. It would help him, Ron, if you could tell us what happened. Your case worker said you were deliberately vague with your answers to her questions."
Mary sighed when Ron only shrugged his shoulders, and kept quiet. Ron slumped into his seat, upset that he could not say anything. The couple seemed nice but there was no way they would believe the truth. He looked down and shook his head. Dennis was fine but as the day wore on, he became more and more withdrawn. He had no experience with muggles, and
the knowledge that he could not contact his family hurt him. He was truly alone for the first time in his life.
Mary took some time off to stay with Dennis, and watched him recover. He became inquisitive, and asked a lot of questions, but would begin to withdraw when she asked about his past. It was frustrating for her. The two boys were keeping a secret, and there was nothing she could do to gain their trust enough to tell her. Otherwise, they were wonderful.
Ron talked with Will every chance he got, and read voraciously anything her husband suggested. It was almost an obsession, but Ron and then Dennis took to anything Will suggested.
When he learned that the boys knew almost nothing of football, Will was adamant. They were taken outside for their first lesson. After a bout of objections, Will's enthusiasm won them over. "It's simple. You don't use your arms, only your feet or your head. Try it."
"Go ahead, Ron," Dennis said, "You'll finally have a use for that noggin of yours."
Will laughed heartily at that. In the week he had been here, that was the first time Dennis had made a joke. He was heartened when Ron tried a few practice kicks, and the boy began to listen intently as Will gave him some advice. Ron seemed to be the type who wanted to excel, and was upset with himself that the game was not as easy as he thought. Dennis tried a couple of practice kicks at the makeshift goal, missing it impressively. Will tried to help him, but then Ron said something strange.
"Dennis, think of it as a bludger, but you have to use your feet."
Dennis looked up, then gave a little dance as though feeling his legs. He kicked the ball, which went straight to the goal but high. He proved to be a natural, and began kicking the ball with amazing accuracy. Will showed him how to run with the ball, and Dennis was soon, not an expert, but more than a novice.
When Will later asked him what a bludger was, Dennis told him it was a ball that you would hit, then it would curve around to come back at you. Will thought of a tetherball, but it made little sense. But then, neither did many of the chance remarks either boy made.
The boys were put in school with an interesting result. They fit in. They knew almost nothing of History, and Will and Mary tried to tutor them, but that seemed to be the biggest problem.
Then it happened. Dennis had been talked into joining the local football club and, to celebrate, Will had gotten tickets for his favorite club, Manchester, for November 21. They drove off early in the morning, to make a day of it. They watched the game, Dennis and Will in their matching Red sweatshirts. When Will handed the boy a soft drink, Dennis, not thinking, said, "Thanks, Dad." Will looked down in surprise, as the boy began to cringe. He patted Dennis on the shoulder, and it all seemed to pass.
When they arrived home, Mary watched as all three walked in. Ron was angry, clearly at Dennis, who looked resentful. Will looked dazed. "We had a wonderful time," he said.
*
"He called you 'Dad,'" Mary said, "That's wonderful. If he made a slip like that, it means he trusts you."
"Maybe," said Will, "You're the expert at this, but that look on his face after he realized what he said. He was terrified. He looked the same as he did that first day, when we tried to take him shopping. I spent most of the second half telling him that it was all right."
Mary hugged her husband. "You did the right thing, Will, but it scares me what this might mean. I know Ron won't talk. He doesn't want to go back to the way things were for him. Dennis always seemed lost, though. He may not have had a good life, but it was familiar. We are still strangers to him."
"He'll come around," Will said, "I can see it. He has a good heart, and he tries so hard to fit in. If I try to tell him anything, he gives me his full attention. And if I dare complement him, he smiles as though I told him it was Christmas." Will paused, and said to his wife, "If we ask him, I think he'll say yes."
*
"How could you call him that?" Ron hissed. "Now they're going to be after us more than ever."
"It just slipped out," Dennis snapped back, "He was acting the same way my father does, I didn't mean to call him 'Dad.'"
"And what do you think we should do. I've still got a lot of work to do. I'm no closer to finding Mount Doom than when I started. I've got a couple of leads but they don't look promising."
Dennis just glared at Ron. "I didn't want to be here. I don't want to be here. You keep saying we can't trust anyone, but if we don"t, we'll be stuck here."
"Don't you dare tell them?" Ron threatened.
"Or what," Dennis asked, "You said yourself that you were out of ideas. Will knows people who already know the stuff you're reading. He can help."
Ron sat down, defeated, "They won't believe us. They'll tell the case worker, who will tell her boss. Her boss will pass it on until someone spots it. By next week we could be in Azkaban, if we're lucky."
*
The next morning was sunny and cool, a perfect Sunday for Autumn. Dennis came out of the house wearing his uniform, ready for his second experience ever at bench warming. Will followed after a failed effort to get Ron to join him.
"Ron seems upset," Will said as he started up the old Anglia.
Dennis gave the man a warm smile, "He's upset that I like it here. He says we shouldn't get too comfortable."
"Dennis," Will said, returning the grin, "You have my permission to get as comfortable as you want."
Will was having a great day. Dennis was opening up to him, and now the boy was getting a chance to play. It was because of some good and bad luck. The opposing team were having a bad day, and were already down by five goals by the 40 minute mark. Then, the bad luck hit, as one of the forwards tripped, and came up limping.
The coach used the time to give some of the new boys a chance on the field. Dennis was racing across the field, holding his own against the more experienced players. He even managed an assist, which Will would brag about for the next week.
After the game, and some pizza, Will drove them home. Dennis looked over and asked Will a strange question.
"Why didn't they heal Roger when he got hurt?"
"What do you mean?" asked Will. "They took him to the hospital to be checked out. He should be fine."
"But there was a doctor on the field," Dennis persisted. "Why didn't HE heal Roger's ankle so Roger could keep playing?"
Will answered, "The team doctor can't just wave a magic wand and make Roger better..."
"Then, what good is he?" Dennis asked in frustration. Then he gasped, "Muggles don't know how to do that, do they?"
Carefully, Will asked, "What's a muggle?"
"You are," Dennis answered softly, adding sarcastically, "And for what it's worth, I might as well be one, too."
*
It was Wednesday night, and Ron was working feverishly at the computer. It had become a routine for him. Searching the internet had been fun at first, but it was hard to find exactly what he was looking for. His two best possibilities were both underwater. One volcano was off the American west coast, and the other was near Samoa, almost half a world away. He also found the Swedish Bikini Team, but that was a different story.
Dennis knocked and came in. "Ron, we're having a family meeting downstairs, and Will would like you to join us."
"I'll be down in a minute," Ron said, glancing at Dennis. He then looked back. "You have blond hair," He said in surprise, "When did that happen."
"Last night. Jennifer wanted to dye her hair, and asked me if I wanted to as well. It makes for a good disguise."
"And Jennifer likes it too," Ron finished. "I've warned you, Dennis. Don't get too involved. Its nice you have a girlfriend, but what if something happens. Keep your distance from people." As he shut down the computer, Ron asked, "How did they react to your hair?"
"It wasn't a problem," Dennis said, "I asked Mom about it first, and she said I could."
"Mom?" Ron asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Dennis said, "She and Dad took me to court yesterday. They're now my permanent foster parents, and because we never gave them a last name, the court ruled that I should use their last name as well."
"You're Dennis Oakley, now? Your folks are going to love that when they find out."
*
"Ron, Dennis has told us everything," Mary said, "let me say a few words to give you an idea. Hogwarts. Gryffindor. Frodo Baggins. Unicorns. Quidditch. Harry Potter. And his scar."
Ron looked at them, and shook his head. "Thank You, Dennis Creevey. I hope you haven't ruined everything."
"Dennis Oakley," the boy reminded him. "Since I may have to stay a muggle, my foster parents will make it permanent."
Will added, "This was not a rushed decision. Mary and I had worked on this in hopes that Dennis would agree. Remember, he told us why the two of you are hiding. Think about it, he now has regular parents, on paper at least, and he goes to a regular school. He even belongs to the local football club. The people who are after you are looking for two fledgling wizards, not a 'muggle' school boy."
"And not a blond one, either," Ron added.
Mary answered with a smile, "As for you, you are sixteen, old enough to be considered an adult. No one will be keeping track of you. As long as you don't go shouting about, no one should find you. It's not a perfect solution, but it's the best one under the circumstances. You haven't made it easy for us to help you."
"I'm sorry," Ron said, sincerely. "I couldn't risk letting you get too close, in case something happened." Then the thought hit him. "How is it that you believed Dennis when he told you all of this?"
Mary looked at Will. Will nodded and said, "It was such a stupid story he told us. He said that the two of you went to a magic school to learn to become wizards. Then government agents attacked you with the help of monsters. You escaped on flying brooms, were rescued by centaurs, and were then whisked away to Cambridge on the back of a unicorn."
"That's right," Ron said.
"I love the way you can say that with a straight face," Will said. "Anyway, as absurd as the story seemed, there weren't any flaws we could find. On top of that, Dennis was able to explain a few odd comments that you had made.
Ron understood. "This is the best thing that has happened since we got here. Thank you. I see, now, why you are going to move to adopt Dennis. That's great."
Dennis shook his head, "No, Ron. That's why I told them everything. They really care about me and I may have to hide for a long time. They had to know about my parents, because something could happen, and we could go home." He looked at Mary then looked back at Ron. "I need them, and they want me. So I'll be staying with my new Mom and Dad."
*
"Can we talk privately?" Ron asked.
Will nodded, and led the boy to his study. "What do you want to tell me?" he asked, as he closed the door.
"You didn't believe any of that, did you?"
"No, we didn't," Will answered, "And I don't think you are surprised at that. Now let me ask a question. Why did you encourage him in that fantasy? Was it to make him feel better? Because if it was, you've got it wrong, young man. Dennis has to learn to face reality, and you've only made it harder."
Ron smirked at Will's remark, irritating the man. "Dennis is doing a great job at facing reality. Do you know why?"
"Ron, stop this nonsense," Will said, but he was interrupted.
"That means you don't. Did Dennis tell you how wizards communicate, since we don't have telephones?"
"No," Will answered carefully.
"We use owls. Intelligent owls who can find anyone, wherever they are even if the person sending the message has no idea. Even if they are moving at the time. I've seen wizards receive mail while on a train. On top of that, if they are hiding, it's not a problem, because owls can't be followed."
"That's very convenient," Will said in an even voice.
"Isn't it?" Ron asked sarcastically. "Then answer this question. Dennis has two parents, and a brother, and they are very close. I have two parents, five brothers and one sister. Add to that, friends, classmates, and teachers, and you have a fairly large list of people. Can you explain to Dennis why, in all the time he has been here, no one has sent either of us an owl?"
*
Will discussed the matter with Mary that night. Neither of them slept very well. They had been so sure of themselves, especially when Ron asked to talk to Will in private. There was no proof that it wasn't a shared fantasy, but now they had serious doubts.