"What would you like for breakfast this morning

The Collection

Chapter VI

"What would you like for breakfast this morning?" asked Linnea politely.

"Ham, bacon, sausage… uh, eggs…" replied Charles as Lucy and Maud both screeched "Panquakes!" Alice just gave her a nasty smile, and said quietly, "I'd like angel food cake and ice cream."

The other Snydley-Pinkenweiler children stared at her for a moment, then, the brilliance of her request dawning on them, began chanting, "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!"

"But your mother doesn't want you to have sweets this early in the morning," answered Linnea, rather primly. "Wouldn't you rather have – "

"I want ice cream and cake," said Alice, in a voice that was surprisingly dangerous for a girl of eight and a third.

"Just give it to her, " murmured Anna. "There's leftovers from Monday's dinner party in the freezer."

"What about Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler?" asked Linnea, with a note of desperation in her voice.

"I'll tell her it was my idea if Alice tattles – which I'm sure she will."

A ghost of a smile crossed Linnea's face.

"Alright," she said to Alice, clapping her hands together. "You will have cake!"

Anna helped Linnea by getting out bowls and spoons, while Linnea cut up the old cake, and found the vanilla ice cream in the freezer. She served out six dishes.

"I didn't say you could have any," pouted Alice, but she shut up when she was given her own bowl. As soon as the children were finished, Alice's nasty smile returned.

"I'm going to tell mother what you served us for breakfast."

Anna just smiled back. The little girl turned on her heel, and swooped out of the room. Anna laughed at the look on Linnea's face. "Cheers," she added lifting a spoon of melting ice cream and soggy cake in the air. "May as well enjoy it." Linnea couldn't help but laugh.

It had been a full year now since Anna had come to the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's. She and Linnea got up early every morning, and fixed breakfast together. They would do their chores, talking to each other all the while when Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler was away at bridge club, or garden club, or any of the other organizations she was a part of. At night, after eating leftovers from the family dinner in the library, they would put the Snydley-Pinkenweiler children to bed, and return to the attic room, now papered with pictures Linnea had drawn and stories that Anna had written. Luckily, Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler hardly ever came up there. When she did, they could hear her heavy footsteps on the stairs, and they would tear the papers down, and stuffed them under their mattresses The two girls would then stay up late, talking, and making plans of what they would do when they were old enough to leave the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's. Linnea loved to draw, and whenever the girls went out, they hoarded any paper they could find, saving it for the evenings when they could draw and write to their heart's content. Anna even managed to fish an old colored pencil set out of a trash can at the park, and she had presented it, wrapped in old newspaper, to Linnea for Christmas.

Surprisingly, the year had flown by. In a month, it would be Anna's birthday. Today was a Sunday, and Linnea and Anna were preparing the twins for their walk in the park. They helped them change into their matching dresses of frothy white lace, Maud's with a yellow sash, and Lucy's with a blue. On went the white stockings, the white patent-leather mary janes, the white gloves and bonnets. Clutching their matching white purses in their hands, the twins looked positively angelic. You would never know by looking at them what holy terrors they really were, mused Anna.

Out in the nursery, Alice and Charles waited. Alice tugged impatiently at the hem of her white dress, and Charles played with his clip-on bowtie. "Hurry up!" Alice wailed. The twins, Linnea and Anna filed out. Anna stepped to the door. "I'll take them downstairs," she said. "Can you get baby Rupert?" Baby Rupert could speak now. His vocabulary consisted of 'no', 'won't', 'bad', and 'can't'. Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler thought he was absolutely brilliant.

"He's out with the Ma'am," replied Linnea. "But I'll get the dogs."

Once all four Snydley-Pinkenweiler children, and the two Snydley-Pinkenweiler pugs were assembled out front, they began their walk down Primrose Avenue to the park. It was a sunny day, and Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler had left the girls some change to buy the children ice cream from the vendor who hung about the fountain. Anna's thoughts on the pleasant day were interrupted by Alice.

"I don't want to walk this stupid dog anymore. She makes my arms hurt."

Luckily, just as Anna opened her mouth, Charles spoke. "Give the leash to me then. I like walking the dogs." Anna almost thanked him, but he continued, "Of course, you girls are too puny and weak to even hold a leash properly." This led to a loud argument that was finished by Alice grabbing the leash back, and snapping at her brother.

When they arrived at the park, a lady wearing long pink robes was selling balloons at the entrance. The children begged for their ice cream money then and there, and Linnea grudgingly gave it to them.

"It's okay," muttered Anna. "This way, we won't have to scrub chocolate out of their dresses again."

They stopped to rest at the fountain. Anna, Linnea, Charles and Alice sat down on one of the park benches, and watched the small twins play on the grass in the center of the walk. Anna and Linnea were deep in conversation by the time Alice's cry caught their attention.

"Maud! Get down from there!"

The twin with the yellow sash was balancing precariously on the edge of the fountain, giggling. Her twin, noting the sudden attention, shoved her in.

"Lucy, no!" Anna cried, but it was too late. Maud, clad in spotless white, fell into the murky green fountain.

Luckily, it was quite shallow, with only a foot or so of water, but the dress was ruined. Lucy didn't seem to mind though, as she clambered over the edge to join her twin.

"Lucy!" she shrieked, "Maud! Come back here at once!" But the twins were having far too much fun to heed Anna's call. One was splashing the other, so the other shoved the first one down. Anna tore across the path, and stepped in the fountain after them. She grabbed an arm of each twin. "Come on!" The twins laughed, and pulled Anna down into the water. Linnea hovered nervously about the edge, not sure whether or not she should or could help, and Charles and Alice just sat there laughing themselves silly.

Anna was wrestling with the twins under the spray of water sent off from the large stone swan that topped the fountain, all three girls soaking wet, when Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler just happened to round the corner. She had been at a meeting of the Civil Society, and invited several of the head women to come home with her for tea. All of the ladies gazed at the scene in the fountain, appalled. But their expressions of disapproval was nothing to that of Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler's. She was a furious red color, and when Alice went racing up to her, and shouted, "Mummy, Anna pushed the twins in the fountain!" she went completely violet. "Bad!" cried baby Rupert, from Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler's arms.

Anna closed her eyes, wishing harder than she had ever wished before that she could turn back time. A cool breeze swept up in her face. Anna didn't dare open her eyes, and face Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler. She would've rather died. The breeze grew stronger, whipping her hair around, and splashing water in her face. Anna felt the water of the fountain blow up, around her. She opened her eyes in amazement. A great funnel of water was consuming her, blocking Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler from view. She tried to cry out, but found that she couldn't. The water spun faster, faster, until finally…

Anna was deposited on the gravel path. "Oof!"

"Anna, are you okay?" Linnea ran over to join her.

"Don't worry about me – go catch Maud!" The twin was perched on the edge of the fountain. Anna leapt to her feet, running after the other twin. Her knee felt like she had skinned it, but Anna didn't notice the pain, for just as she grabbed Lucy, Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler turned the corner of the path with the ladies from the Civil Society. Anna released her grasp on Lucy, but kept a tight hold of her hand.

Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler looked surprised. "Oh, hello children." Linnea came over as well, holding Maud's hand tightly. Alice and Charles smiled primly.

"Hullo mother."

Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler introduced the children, including Linnea and Anna, whom she said were 'friends of Alice's'. At this comment, Alice looked mutinous, and Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler remarked that 'perhaps they'd better hurry along'. The ladies set off, with comments of 'what pleasant children', and 'how sweet' trailing behind them.

Anna nursed her bloody knee with a bit of water from the fountain, sitting down at it's edge. Lucy came dangerously close to teetering in. Anna gave her an evil look. "Don't you dare even think about it." For once, the twin listened.

Linnea came over. "What's wrong Anna? One second you were sitting next to us, and the next, you were on the ground."

"You didn't see us in the fountain? Or see that giant wind…" her voice trailed off as she looked at her friend's perplexed face. "Oh, never mind."

They walked on, back toward Primrose Drive. "Are you certain you're okay, Anna?" asked Linnea once more. "You're acting a bit odd."

"Odd? No, not me. Just a bit bewildered," she added quietly, mopping at her knee, which had started to bleed again.

That night, after even Linnea had gone to sleep, Anna lay in bed awake, thinking. What on earth had happened today? Anna knew she had a vivid imagination, but certainly it wasn't that vivid! No, the strange water-cyclone had certainly happened. But why hadn't the rest of the group remembered it? Why had Anna been taken back? Because she wished it? She'd never wished for something so hard ever before. But wishes alone didn't make things happen. No, something in the back of Anna's mind was nagging at her, a persistent whisper, telling her that something like this had happened to her before. But when? Anna screwed up her eyes, and tried to remember back, but anything before the day she came to live at the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's seemed a blur. She fell into an uneasy sleep.

She was falling, down, down farther still. But she didn't reach the bottom. Like Alice in the rabbit hole. Voices surrounded her, singing, eerily distorted by the spout of water swirling around her. Anna tried to decipher the words, but it was impossible, like trying to hear underwater. Around she whirled, around and around and around, until…

Anna sat up. She had been having the same dream she had had every night the past month. She assumed it had to do with what had happened in the park, but she was no closer to finding an answer than she had been the day it had happened. In the next bed, Linnea stirred. Anna stretched, placing her bare feet on the cool wooden floor, and walked over to the wardrobe. Despite the coolness of the floor, the rest of the room was stifling hot, as only an attic can be in mid-July. She stuck her face out the window, and looked over the peaceful garden below. The sun wasn't up yet, but the birds were singing. Anna sighed. Today she was 11. And she was the only one who knew at the moment, aside from Linnea - who didn't count, as she was still asleep.

It was a fairly normal day, a Thursday, the day that one of the girls was to go to the Grocery store. Linnea let Anna do this, even though it was her turn to stay at the house and watch the children. She also gave her all the lose change she had found around the house, that she kept in a small jar under her bed. Anna resolved she'd buy something for Linnea too. At the store, Bert the grocer greeted her with a "Good Morning!"

"Hey Bert, guess what?"

"I have no idea."

"Today's my birthday!"

"Really? Here then, this cakes on me."

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Anna flustered.

"Take it," grinned Bert. After much coaxing, she did. She also bought an assortment of candy bars with Linnea's money, for the two of them to share at their secret party tonight.

Anna returned home with the groceries, and parked the blue bike by the garage. Lisa came out to help her with the bags, and Anna showed her the cake.

"It's perfect," Linnea whispered, squeezing her hand, and hiding the bag before Charles came out to investigate.

After dinner, the girls sat out on the porch, planning. They decided that once the children were all in bed, Anna would sit at the top of the stairs, and wait until the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's retired to bed. When she saw them coming, she would creep back up the stairs, and wake Linnea. Then, when everything was quiet below, the two girls would head downstairs, and out to the garden, where they would eat their cake, and have their silent party.

Everything went according to plan. The children were put to bed, and Linnea headed up the stairs to the attic with a wink. Anna crouched at the top of the stairs, watching and waiting.

She had been there quite some time, when the grandfather clock in the hall began to chime the hour. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…11…

There was a sharp knock on the door. Anna jumped, startled. Who could it be at such a late hour? From her perch at the top of the stairs, Anna could see into the Parlor where Mr. Snydley-Pinkenweiler and Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler were sitting. Mr. Snydley-Pinkenweiler didn't glance up from his newspaper. The knock came again. Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler threw down her romance novel and the box of chocolates she had been curled up with on the couch, and screeched "VLAD!"

"Honestly, where is that man?" Vlad appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and glided to the door. He opened it into the darkness. There was a flash of lightening, illuminating his thin, pale face. From the darkness, a voice spoke.

"I've come to collect Miss Anna Moon."

Anna's heart stopped working for a moment. When it started again, it was beating faster than it ever had before. Anna listening, hoping, waiting.

"This vay, Madame." Vlad held the door open further. A tall lady wearing a long cloak stepped in to the hall. Her hands reached up and drew down her hood.

She was elderly, but not at all feeble. Her persona seemed to command an instant respect, perhaps because of the way she carried herself, perhaps for her stern look. She had grey hair, pulled back tightly in a bun, an angular face, and a long thin nose with silver rimmed spectacles perched on it's bridge. She swept past Vlad into the parlor. Anna strained her ear to hear what was going to be said, but found she didn't have to. The lady had a soft voice, but it was clear and firm, and each word carried straight to Anna as if by magic.

"Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gwendolyne Wittikins, and I have come on behalf of Jonathan and Madeline Moon."

Anna couldn't believe her ears. Moon! These people must be her relatives. Perhaps they would take her in!

Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler snorted and Mr. Snydley-Pinkenweiler hardly looked up from the Times.

"Excuse me," said Gwendolyne Wittikins, raising an eyebrow. She pulled a thin piece of wood from out of her cloak, and flicked it lightly. Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler's book and Mr. Snydley-Pinkenweiler Times flew out of their hands. Anna gasped. The Snydley-Pinkenweiler's sat, mouths gaping, staring at Gwendolyne Wittikins in horror.

"What do you want here, by god," Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler finally managed to croak. "Tell us and leave."

"Oh, not so quickly," replied Ms. Wittikins, with a gleam in her eye. "First, you must understand a few things." She sat down in an arm chair. Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler looked as if she was about to faint, and mousy Mr. Snydley-Pinkenweiler was still paralyzed in fear. Ms. Wittikins shifted slightly and smiled.

"Before Jonathan and Madeline died, they put their daughter, Anna in my custody. After their deaths, I thought perhaps my home was not the safest place for Anna to grow up, and I put her in the care of a Miss Lillian Marple, my niece. In a bad hand of luck, she was moved to another orphanage, and then to you. Though you were, until today, her legal guardians, I have brought you several documents that will tell you that as of today, July 15th, she has been removed from your custody, and returned to mine. If you wish to dispute this claim, we shall do it in court." Anna noticed her fingering her wand (for she knew that that was the only thing it could be) as she spoke, and saw the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's eyes grow wide. "But I really don't think that will be necessary."

"Take her," Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler gasped, like a fish out of water. "Take her and go."

Ms. Wittikins eyes moved to the stairs, right at Anna. "Anna, collect your things."

Anna jumped up, and ran upstairs. She flung open the attic door and ran to the wardrobe. She flung her clothes onto the bed, and ducked under it to grab her dusty old bag. As she was stuffing her shoes into it, Linnea sat up.

Linnea. How could she have forgotten her dearest friend? Guilt and agony hit Anna like a brick. "What are you doing Anna?" Linnea asked, wide eyed.

Anna stood upright. "I'm leaving, Linnea." At first, a terrible sadness and hurt flickered across Linnea's pale face. But then, she smiled brightly. "Oh, Anna," she cried, leaping up to hug her. "That's wonderful."

Anna returned Linnea's hug, and took a deep breath. "I'm asking if you can come with me."

Linnea looked at her wide eyed. "Oh, Anna, don't, they might regret coming if you do. Don't throw this chance away for me." Anna started to speak, but Linnea cut her off, a determination in her voice Anna had never heard there before. "Anna, you've taught me to stand up to them, to not let them get to me. I can do it on my own now. Thank you so much, for teaching me. And for being my friend," She added quietly. "Happy birthday Anna."

Anna blinked back tears. She grasped Linnea's hand with one of her own, suitcase in the other. "I'll be back," she whispered. "I promise." She shoved the cake and candy from out under her bed, over to Linnea's. With that, she ran down the stairs, not daring to look back.

Ms. Wittikins raised an eyebrow. "Are you ready, Anna?" Anna nodded miserably. Ms. Wittikins walked out the front door, and Anna followed her. Vlad closed it sharply behind her, an ugly leer on his pale face.

They had walked out to the curb before Anna realized that Ms. Wittikins had no car. This didn't seem to phase her however. Anna was bursting with a million questions, yet she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. Ms. Wittikins turned to Anna, and looked at her seriously.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Anna, but you did a wise thing. This was not the time. Perhaps someday." She turned away, and stuck out her wand.

"I presume that you heard my name is Gwendolyne Wittikins," she said calmly. Right then a large purple bus came thundering out of no where. Anna jumped back from the curb, eyes wide. The door opened, and a rather bore looking conductor yawned out some a garbled phrase.

"Nigh'bus, whar kinwetakeyooo…" he suddenly snapped to attention. "Good eve'nin Miss Wittikins. I hope yer well tunite."

Ms. Wittikins pressed some odd looking coins into the conductor's hand and swept into the bus. Anna, quite dazed, followed her. The bus was very large, even for a triple-decker, much larger than it looked from the outside. Ms. Wittikins took an armchair by a window. Anna sat in the one next to her. With a loud bang, the bus took off. Anna was plastered to the seat. But a moment later, Miss Wittikins started to speak, and Anna was far too interested in her words to notice the erratic behavior of this bus that seemed to travel hundreds of miles in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sure you have no idea what is going on, Anna. I'm sorry this was all so abrupt, but I wasn't allowed to pick you up until the day of your 11th birthday, as I believe you heard me tell your guardians. Furthermore, let me apologize for the unfortunate events which have happened to you since you left Miss Marple's."

"Who is Miss Marple?" Anna asked, confused.

For a second, Miss Wittikins frowned. Then, her face contorted into a grimace. She shook her head slightly, bringing a hand to her forehead. "Anna, I'm afraid you're going to have to try very hard to remember. The effects of a memory charm are reversible, but only if the recipient of the charm is willing to cooperate. Anna," Miss Wittikins looked her directly in the eye. "Before you lived at the Snydley-Pinkenweiler's, where did you live?"

"At Miss Morpheus's Home for Children," replied Anna, totally bewildered.

"And how long did you live there?"

"Oh… ages. I can't remember exactly."

"You can't remember any of it? You can't remember life before Miss Morpheus's? Before the work?"

"We didn't work…"

"Quite recent, I see," murmured Miss Wittikins, to herself. "Anna, do you remember any of your earlier childhood? No faces? No other home?"

Anna shook her head.

"Do you remember where you learned to read?"

Anna thought for a moment. Why, of course she could, that was a silly question! Her brow furrowed, and she closed her eyes as she tried to recall that exact moment when it had all clicked.

"I was sitting by the fire. It was a little story, about cats. I was four and a half. And someone was there – a lady – and she was helping me. But it wasn't Ms. Morpheus…" Her eyes opened. "It wasn't Miss Morpheus. Then who was it?" she asked Miss Wittikins.

"You have to answer that yourself Anna," she replied quietly.

Anna closed her eyes again. "She was younger than you. Younger than Ms. Morpheus. Thinner, younger and kinder than Mrs. Snydley-Pinkenweiler. She was warm – and gentle. And she was very patient… Wait! I can see her face. She had brown hair… brown eyes… a nice smile. But she seemed sad somehow. And her name was… was…" Anna scrunched up her brow in concentration. "It was Miss Marple!" She opened her eyes, with a shocked look. "How could I have forgotten Miss Marple? You just mentioned her back at the house, and I knew the name sounded familiar…" her voice trailed off, and the expression on her face rapidly changed as she remembered all the things that had been wiped from her memory. "Mr. Sniktaw!" she burst out. "What did she do to him?" Anna asked, her face very pale beneath her freckles.

"That," answered Miss Wittikins, "was a very unfortunate affair. We arrived a day too late. Henry had tipped us off, after all these years, but then the Ministry refused to let us take action immediately." She shook her head. "Such a shame. Anna, I'm very sorry, but Ms. Morpheus murdered Mr. Sniktaw."

Anna's bottom lip trembled. "But how could she? He was so kind… and all she had to do was point her wand…" she lapsed into silence. After quite some time, Miss Wittikins spoke again.

Anna, it will be hard for you, and I wish you could have known about our world years ago. Heavens, I wanted it! But it was too dangerous for you. No, it was better no one knew you were still alive. Anna, I have to tell you many things. Some of it won't be the easiest to hear, but you must listen to understand."

Anna nodded silently, and she continued.

"I will start at the beginning, before you were even born. You must know by now about the existence of wizards and witches. I was informed that you loved reading, and you were quite often given books with magical characters in them. This was not at all a coincidence, in fact, I was the one who requested these books be given to you. I have watched you Anna, ever since you were born." She sighed, sounding quite old and sad. "I knew some day I would have to explain all this to you, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. In any case – there is a world full of us, Anna. I am, your parents were… and you are, a wizard."

Anna stared at her, wide eyed and speechless.

"I'm sure you've seen signs of it by now, Anna. When you fell off the ladder at Miss Marple's Home, it was no accident that you were not hurt." Taking in the look on Anna's face, she smiled. "I am not psychic, Anna. It will all be explained." She went on.

"I spoke of your parents a minute ago. I knew them both, since they were very young as well. In fact, I taught them both at Hogwarts School. Their names, as you heard me say earlier, were Jonathan and Madeline. They were both wonderful people, and quite talented. And they loved you, very much. But at this time, there was a Dark Wizard gaining power. People were dying daily. Your parents were brave enough to try and help in the fight against him. And because of that, they lost their lives."

Anna was quiet, not knowing what to say. She couldn't remember her parents. She felt as though she should be sad, but she had known them to be dead all her life. She had spent plenty of nights, making up stories about their tragic demise; ranging from the normal, to the beautiful, with Romeo and Juliet style plots, in which princes and princesses and castles were involved. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined anything this spectacular. No, she certainly wasn't sad. In fact, she felt a strange sense of pride welling up in her. Her parents were wizards, who gave their lives in a fight against evil! "Go on," she said, quite eagerly.

Miss Wittikins looked taken aback, but continued. "Before their deaths, they made up papers, saying that if anything was to happen to the both of them, you were to come live with me. But by that point, the Dark Lord had discovered, through a spy, the names of those who were fighting against him. I knew that I was in danger, so I took you to my niece. Her name will be familiar to you – Miss Lillian Marple. The spy's name will also be familiar. It was Agatha Morpheus. For a long time, she had acted as a friend to our movement, and to your family. We didn't even learn that she had betrayed your parents until after the Dark Lord's downfall. She went into hiding, and has been avoiding the ministry ever since, under the pretense that she was a muggle, a Mrs. Agatha Quimbly. She was never married to that man, in fact she killed him, and modified the memories of all of his friends. Henry Sniktaw was able to avoid this, as he was also a wizard, and knew her true identity. Unfortunately, he informed us of her whereabouts too late. He may have been under an Imperius curse, for all we know." This last sentence was sighed, as if to herself. She lifted the glass the conductor had brought, and took a long drink.

"When we arrived at the Quimbly estate, you were gone. I was able to track your location, and watched these past few years, making plans to pick you up today, so that you could start your training as a true witch."

Anna pinched herself under her thin coat. She must be dreaming. It was all a wonderful dream. But no, that hurt. This was too wonderful to be real. She told Miss Wittikins this last thought, and the elderly lady chucked.

"I assure you dear, it's all quite real. On September 1st, you will be getting on a train at King's Cross Station, that will take you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will study there for the next seven years, and during the summers, you will stay with me," she stated briskly.

Anna furrowed her brow once more. "What happened to Miss Marple?"

Miss Wittikins stared out the window, into the rain. "I'm sorry Anna, but I cannot answer that question now. Some day, I will tell you. But not tonight."

"Diagon Alley, next stop!" called the conductor.

"This is where we get off," Miss Wittikins informed Anna.

They got off the bus on a side street. Anna gazed up at the imposing buildings around her. "Where are we?" she asked.

"London," replied Miss Wittikins. "And we'll be staying here." She pointed a long, bony finger at a building that Anna had not noticed before, a tiny pub stuck between two large, modern stores. The sign over the door read 'The Leaky Cauldron."

They entered the pub. Anna stared around, fascinated. She had never been in a pub before. It was fairly late, and only a few customers were around. A few men were sitting at the bar, drinking amber colored liquid from large glass mugs. They were dressed in long robes, the same as Miss Wittikins. The one man was laughing loudly.

"…An' then Archie, d'you know what she did? She turned 'im into a blooming rooster! She says, well then, if I'm such a silly hen then you must be a stupid…" he was stopped mid-sentence, as the other wizard noted the arrival of Anna and Miss Wittikins. The wizard who had been speaking doffed his hat. "My apologies, Miss Wittikins. Didn' see you standing there." They both shuffled off to the corner, while the bartender turned to greet them.

He was an old man, older probably than Miss Wittikins, judging by the fact that he was bald and toothless. "Hello, Miss Wittikins. How may I help you t'night?"

She smiled warmly. "Well, for starters Tom, could you get me a small gillywater, with a dash of scotch? And a butterbeer, for Anna here. Anna, this is Tom, Tom, Anna."

Tom grinned, toothlessly, and Anna couldn't help but smile back. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Anna."

"The same for me, I'm sure." Then, to Miss Wittikins, she whispered, "What's a butterbeer?"

"You'll love it," she whispered back.

Tom brought the drinks, and Miss Wittikins sighed. "Thanks, Tom, I needed this. We'll also be needing two rooms for the night." She opened a purse at her side, and took out a handful of silver. He slid the keys across the counter.

"If you need anything, let me know."

Anna, meanwhile, was enjoying the butterbeer immensely. It was almost like a butterscotch candy she'd had once at Christmastide. But it was warmer, smoother, and with a strange tinge to it. Anna felt warmed from the inside out, a lovely feeling on a wet and rainy night.

Anna was tired, and very happy to be given the key to her room. She managed to unpack her things, and change into her pajamas before falling into bed.

"It has been quite a day," she yawned.

"It most certainly has," replied the mirror hanging on the wall.

Anna had quite a sleepless night.