Chapter 25 Good Things Come in Small Packages
"It isn't true, is it?" Harry asked the moment the last guest had left.
Meagan, startled, looked at him with anxious eyes. "What isn't true?" she
asked, flopping onto the couch and dragging him with her. "That you love
me because I'm like my father?" he asked timidly, staring out the window
and into the night sky. Meagan stroked his hair gently, kissed him
tenderly on the lips, and smiled. Her eyes were a rainbow of color. Harry
knew what that emotion was: love.
"Harry, if you were anything like your father, we would have been divorced
two days into our marriage." Meagan said, her eyes seemingly giving off
their own glow. Harry shot her a perplexed glance. "I thought you said I
was like him." He said, startled.
Meagan sighed and rubbed her temples. "Well, you are." She said, her
forehead wrinkling as she tried to explain. That only made the situation
worse, for Harry looked even more bewildered. "You see, you look like
him. You don't necessarily act like him only that much." She stopped to
touch the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. "When you need courage,
when you act brave, when you confront dangers is where you are most like
him. You have inherited more than your father's looks: you have inherited
his bravery."
Running her fingers through his hair, Meagan fought to find words. "The
love we share, Harry, is between lovers. Sure, I had a crush on Prongs
when I was young and foolish, but I was young. Well, I'll always be young
at heart, but." She stopped, sighing. She touched the scar on her cheek.
"I just don't love James that way. I love him like a brother, like Mark
almost." She paused for a moment, thinking, "Almost like a father-in-law."
She smiled.
Meagan gave a big sigh and said, "I had bad taste back then! I dated a
Muggle boy (though he was quite cute) and the former Minister of Magic,
Cornelius Fudge, to name a few!" Harry looked shocked and then started to
snort with suppressed laughter. "I don't think I should have told you
that, but hey, I did what I did. The past is the past and it's behind
us." Meagan gently cupped her husband's chin. "I love you Harry. What
would I have done if we hadn't married? More importantly, what would you
have done?" She kissed him softly and gently, though it was full of
meaning and was much more complex than any of the kisses that had been
passed throughout history.
Harry pondered her question. "I don't know what I would have done." He
admitted sheepishly. Meagan, knowing without a doubt that her eyes
reflected that of love, pointed to her eyes. "Harry, my eyes never lie.
Have they ever turned the color of the rainbow when I was around James,
and, for that matter, any of the Marauders?" Still cupping his face in her
hands, she put her face close to his. "No," Harry said, his chest rising.
"Look into my eyes Harry. Forget everything, think nothing, and look past my face, deep into my heart. What do you see?" Meagan made it so that her and Harry's noses were touching. "Look deep inside of me, past the shut doors. I open those doors to you know. What do you feel? What do you think? What do you see?" Tears started to form in her eyes. They trickled meaningfully down her face. Harry tried to look away, but couldn't. He saw the clockwork that made Meagan tick, he heard the buzz of thoughts whirring around her mind and heart, he felt what she was feeling, and he could only think of her and her face. "I." he started, finally ripping his eyes from hers. "I." he said again, but the words died in his throat. Meagan released his chin and touched this throat and heart. "I feel love," he uttered finally. Meagan nodded and kissed him again. Harry felt a rush of emotions with this kiss. He felt her sadness, he felt her love, and he felt her gladness. Of all the kisses that have ever been made, this one was the most meaningful, passionate, and love-filled that had ever come to be. "Never leave me." She whispered. "I'll never leave you." Harry replied, falling into another kiss. "Will we always be together?" Meagan asked. "Always," said he, and he truly meant it. ~*~ Mark stood at the door. He heard everything they said. He saw every kiss they shared. He saw them glow with the magic pulsing through their veins. He felt the love that radiated off them. He tasted the damp air and sweat that trickled down his face. He smelled the strong magic of love bouncing off the walls. He felt the envy creeping into his subconscious. He bit his lip to keep from screaming. He wished he and his wife were like that. He felt happy and sad at the same time. He felt envious and generous at the same time. His emotions spun around his head like water going down a drain. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw a woman dressed in royal blue robes. There was a raven in a crest along with the word "Ravenclaw." Her glasses hid steely blue eyes. Her strawberry-blonde hair was up in a bun in the back of her head. A blue witch's hat was perched atop her neat hair. She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to Meagan and Harry. She shook her head. Mark vaguely remembered her. He strained his memory but found no identity to this woman who was smiling down upon him. 'Hello, Markus.' The woman said inside his head, making gooseflesh rise on his arms and legs. 'Don't you remember me?' the woman asked, her lips curling further. He shook his head. 'Why, 'tis I, Marykate Casper. But I am no longer a Casper, but a Weasley.' Marykate said to Mark, grinning wider. Mark felt guilty. He remembered her, but it had just been so long. 'Don't feel jealousy toward Meagan.' She said, looking at Meagan and smiling. 'She has had many losses in her life. So have I, now that I think about it.' Marykate mouthed a sigh. 'When Lily and James died, everything fell apart. Peter betrayed the friends that had been so kind to him and faked his own death to join ranks with Lord Voldemort. Sirius, blamed for the death of the Potters, was sent to the wizarding prison of Azkaban. He was torn away from Lizzie, who was pregnant with Cate at the time. Remus almost committed suicide, but I prevented him from it. By gosh, Meagan almost committed suicide from the losses. Then we went to Hogwarts again and now here we are.' She told him all of this and then looked at Meagan again, smiling with only her eyes. 'She's got love now. She's got a wonderful career, a loving husband, and eight fantastic children who are all as she was. She has waited a long time for this. Don't be jealous.' She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'I myself have found happiness with my children and my husband.' She looked at Harry and Meagan one last time. 'We haven't seen each other for a long time, Meagan and I. We promised to each other, all three created heirs, that we would reunite one day. But, sadly, today is not that day. I must go now, young Delmore. Tell no one of our meeting.' She hugged Mark. She disappeared from the spot and left Mark with nightmares for the rest of his life. ~*~ Kristina Delmore, Mark's wife, paced her bedroom. It was one of the many bedrooms in Potter Manor. She was staying for a few days. She was worried about her husband. She was worried sick. She sat on the bed and put her head in her hands, lost in her thoughts. A giggle wrenched her from her thoughts. "Hello?" Kristina said through her fingers. Another giggle answered her. She lifted her head and looked around her current bedroom. "Hello?" she said again, scanning the shadowed areas. A pair of brilliant green eyes hovered in the shadow of the dresser. Kristina got up and walked over. "Hi." She said, squatting to see who it was. "Hi." Said a little girl's voice. "Will you come out of there?" Kristina asked. The Green Eyes nodded. Indeed, it was a little girl. She had lush, red hair that flowed down to her waist. Her eyes were emerald green, and Kristina swore she recognized them from somewhere. She was covering her mouth with one hand, hiding a smile and holding back a giggle. She was skinny and had a pale skin complexion. She looked Irish. "Where did you come from?" Kristina asked. The girl giggled. "I live here." She said. "I don't recall you." Kristina said, "What is your name?" The little girl paused, as if deciding whether or not to tell. "Lily Evans." Lily whispered into Kristina's ear, giggling again. "Lily? That's a pretty name. I'm Kristina Delmore." Kristina smiled at Lily. "How old are you, dear?" Lily paused at this, too. Her eyes were full of laughter and they danced in the candlelight. "I'm eight." She said proudly. "What is so funny? What is it that you're giggling about?" Kristina asked, not forcefully but firmly. Lily giggled again, looked around, and whispered, "I'm spying on James. He mustn't know, though." Kristina looked shocked. "Lily, is James your friend?" Kristina asked, squaring her jaw. "Yes, Mrs. Delmore. We knew each other ever since we were born. He's eight, the same as me!" Lily said, then, "I'm a day older, though." She giggled again. Kristina, perplexed, asked, "When is your birthday?" Lily, looking excited, said, "Tomorrow. I was born on December 31st, 1969." Kristina opened her mouth to say that it was ridiculous, when she heard the floorboards creaking outside the door. Lily gave a delighted squeal. "I think he knows! I'd better go! It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Delmore. I hope we see each other again!" she said, and ran. She moved a portrait (whose name read Patrick the Prankster) on its hinges. Patrick gave a miffed noise as Lily ran into an opening behind it. Kristina stood shocked for a moment. "Lily! Wait!" she cried, running to the painting. She opened the painting with a great amount of effort. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and dust covered the floor. She had to bend over and scuttle through the passageway. "Don't be waking me up again, you!" said the angry portrait as it swung back into place. "Lily!" called Kristina, getting a mouthful of dust. She coughed. "If you're following me, then hurry up!" said Lily's voice from around a bend. Kristina hurried up and saw Lily run into a room. She followed. "Come, come, Mrs. Delmore. James mustn't know we're in this passageway! He shan't be happy if he finds out!" Lily cried in excitement as Kristina entered the room. Kristina's jaw dropped open. ~*~ James, awoken by a high-pitched giggle, grumpily got out of his attic bedroom and walked down the stairs. He itched his side wearily and sniffed. He walked down the corridor and heard voices coming from Kristina's room. She heard Kristina's voice and a voice that sounded familiar. James tried to remember, but he couldn't quite place the familiar voice. He heard a third person shout in indignation and rapped on the door. "Kristina!" he called through the door. No one answered. He waited for a minute and then rapped on it again. "Kristina!" he yelled, a little louder this time. No answer came from the room. Biting the inside of his cheeks, James pulled his wand from his pocket. "Alohomara!" he muttered. The door eased open by itself. James, quietly, swung the door open. No one was inside. He scratched his head and yawned. He searched the room and found nothing. There were two portraits in the room. One was that of Patrick the Prankster and the other one was Fredrick the Funny. He smiled at the two sleeping portraits and decided that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Patrick woke up and looked at James. James winked at the portrait and the portrait winked back. Quietly, James shut the door behind him. ~*~ A man in a dark yellow cloak wondered through the quiet street that housed Muggles and wizards alike. A hood covered his face, so it would hide his identity. The only thing you could see were two electric blue eyes that shone brightly from beneath the hood. Though you couldn't tell, he was smiling widely. The man took long strides and came to a stop in front of a large manor. He knew the lady of the household very well. He looked the house up and down and a one small tear formed in his eye. He quickly wiped it away. He quietly took a letter out of his cloak and placed it on the doorstep. "The time comes near, my friends, very near." He whispered in a deep voice that seemed to calm you from just listening. Suddenly, the man felt someone's presence. "The time comes near." The man said again, his eyes misting over. The man took his cloak and swished it. He slowly faded away into the night air. The last things to remain were two electric blue eyes, staring up at the house of his companion. Soon, they too were gone. ~*~ Crystal stirred in her bed. She could feel something was wrong. She felt like something dead was lurking around the house. Her eyebrows knitted, she slowly got out of bed and crept down the stairs. The house was dark and she had a sense that something was running amok. She saw her parents in the living room, staring quietly out at the night and talking in hushed voice to each other. Thinking she didn't want to get into it, she crept silently past her mother and father and to the door. She looked at the door and used her special power to look through things to see through the door. She saw a pair of electric blue eyes. She gasped and her concentration was lost. Crystal shook herself mentally. She concentrated again and looked through the door, seeing nothing. It was probably nothing, she thought. She shuddered though. She could have sworn someone was out there. A chill swept down her spine. Rubbing her arms from the chill, she snuck to her bed again. She looked at her wall. It was a giant picture of her mother and father playing Quidditch. With another shudder, Crystal pulled the blankets over her head and fell into a fitful sleep. ~*~ Mark watched James go back to bed. When the wizard was out of sight, he went into his bedroom. He looked around the room and didn't see his wife. Brow furrowed, he looked from the deserted bed to the shadows. He saw nothing and decided that Kristina had gone to the bathroom. He stripped of his day clothes and put his PJs on. He slipped into bed and waited. He waited for about five minutes when he thought something must be wrong. He got out of bed and ran to Meagan. "Meagan! Kristina's gone!" Mark said, his eyes wide. Meagan tore herself away from Harry. "Where did you last see her?" Harry asked. "At the party. She said she was going to bed and now she's gone! What if she's hurt?" Mark asked, white and shaking. Meagan hugged her little brother. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She let comfort slip from her fingers and into Mark's quivering form. He slowly stopped shaking. "We'll find her. She probably isn't hurt, because I would have heard it. We'll find her." Meagan said, running her fingers through her hair. Mark's eyes welled with tears. He felt guilty, for he had envied Meagan for the love she had and that he didn't realize that he had. He had been foolish. He knew one thing, though; they were going to get Kristina back. And that was final. ~*~ Kristina lost her voice completely as she looked around the room. Her eyes darted from the pictures, to the dusty trinkets. The room looked as if it had been untouched for years on end. "Oh Lily," she said, awed. She looked around for the little girl of age eight, but she had mysteriously disappeared. "Lily?" Kristina asked, a little louder. "LILY!" she shrieked, but all attempts were futile. Lily had just simply disappeared from existence. Kristina, shaking all over, walked up to one of the pictures and blew the dust off it. "The Marauders" said the fancy gold lettering at the bottom of the frame. There were five kids in the picture. Their names and nicknames labeled them and they were all grinning, bouncing, and waving energetically. The first kid's name was labeled, "James Potter, a.k.a. Prongs." Her eyes traveled across, "Sirius Black, a.k.a. Padfoot" and "Remus Lupin, a.k.a. Moony" and then she saw something that startled her. It was a girl who was, perhaps, twelve with thick brown hair. Her eyes were purple and she was grinning widely. She was bouncing and waving. The inscription read, "Meagan Delmore, a.k.a. Blue Eyes." Kristina's eyes widened. "But, that's Mark's sister. Impossible," she muttered. She put the picture back. She wandered over to a carousel with shimmering golden horses that said, "To Lily with love, from your one and only Prongs." She went over to another picture that said, "My Best Buds." Meagan was in that picture too. So was that friend Meagan always talked about: Marykate. Lizzie was there too, only she wasn't a Black yet. Pictures covered the dusty walls. Some said, "The Marauders and Company" and others said, "Gryffindor Quidditch Team." Most were of Lily and the Marauders. Some were of just Lily and James. Some were just her best friends (which included Meagan, of course). Kristina picked up a card that lies on the table. "Congratulations, Lily!" read the cover. It had a picture of a baby boy wrapped in blue blankets. She opened it and read: Dear Lily, I know you might not remember me as well, but this is from someone you don't see anymore. We were the best of friends in school and I was the fifth and only girl Marauder. Have you guess at my identity yet? If you have, you're probably right. I wish I could see you, but I must hide my face from the world for now. I want to congratulate you on having your first child. He is adorable. He looks just like James, but he has your beautiful eyes. Your eyes were almost as fantastic of my blue-green ones. well, when they stay blue- green. My eyes were usually purple around you guys. I want you to know that you are never alone. I'm always there. You may not see me, but I'm there. No, I'm not wearing an invisibility cloak. I'm not even using spell. I'm using my powers. You should know who this is now, even though I can't sign my name. Remember, Lily, I'm always there. Think of me as your invisible guardian angel. When you're dead and gone, Harry will be in my protection and care. You have no need to worry about his safety. I know you'll be a great mother. Love, Your invisible guardian angel Kristina knew who the "invisible guardian angel" was. She knew it was Meagan. The question was now who Lily is and where she was. Most importantly, why hadn't she returned here? Kristina saw a ring on the dresser next to the card. It was emerald green, a green that matched Harry's eyes. It had an inscription on it: "May we always be together, here and in the after life." She guessed it was Lily's wedding ring. She found a necklace too. She opened it and it played a tune. It was "All of my Favorite Things." There were two pictures in it. One was of a much younger James Potter and one of a much older Lily Evans. She closed the locket and ran through the passageway. She was covered in dust and cobwebs. In a mater of seconds, she ran into the portrait and heaved it open. She had to find Mark and Meagan! ~*~ "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa, la, la, la! La, la, la, la, la!" Meagan sang to lift people's spirits. Mark looked over at her and grumbled something about having a monstrosity for a sister. Meagan gave a sigh once she realized she had failed. Her spirits brightened almost immediately. "Malfoy got run over by a reindeer, flying home from Hogwarts Christmas Eve! You can say there's no such thing as Santa, but as for me and Harry we believe!" Mark gave a weak smile. Harry couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. He remembered Malfoy's face when he got run over. He supposed Meagan did too, or else she wouldn't have been singing. "Mark!" came a shriek. Mark, recognizing the voice sprinted down the corridor. Meagan was faster. She sprinted down the corridor. "I don't know how she does it." Harry muttered as he caught up with Mark. "What? Am I supposed to know? I only saw her at night." Mark said. Harry glanced at him. "Oh, I know. She's Gryffindor's created heir. He created her with special powers to fight all evil," he said, paused for a moment, then said, "And she does kick evil's butt fairly well." They came to the room where Kristina stood. She was filthy. Cobwebs decorated her hair and she was gray from dust. She pointed an accusing finger at Meagan. "You-You're as old as James Potter. You're older than your husband by 18 years!" she yelled. Meagan, panic-stricken, put a finger to her lips. "Shhh! The kids don't know! I don't want them to find out!" she whispered, "But, how on earth did you find out?" "Lily Evans, a little girl who was eight, led me down a passageway." Kristina said. Meagan's jaw dropped and her eyes turned deep blue. Kristina shuddered at the change. "Lily? But, how? Lily's been dead for." Meagan's chest rose as she drew a deep breath, "Thirty-two years. It's been thirty-two years since I failed to save them." "I found a room. A room in this manor that was hers." Kristina said. "This used to be the Evans' manor. That means. the room Lily told us about, the place she kept all her special things, it really exists!" Meagan said, and then she ran down the passageway. Harry ran after her. "What about a secret room that was my mum's?" he asked trying to catch up. Harry ran into Meagan when they got to the room. She didn't seem capable of breathing. Mark ran into Harry and then Kristina ran into Mark. Meagan, amazingly, was still standing. Her eyes were so blue that they were almost black, she walked into the room, letting Harry and the others fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. "It actually exists." Meagan breathed. "When we moved here, I searched the hole place for this room." She touched the pictures that covered the wall. "Look at how many pictures of me and the gang there are," she muttered. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Blue Eyes." She said, "My best friends. They changed my life, they did." Meagan moved along the room, muttering to herself. Harry had a knot in hid throat. "This, this is all. my mum's." he said, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. He sat down quickly on a dusty chair. "I-I can't believe it." He said hoarsely. "This place, in honor of Lily Evans Potter, will not be touched unless for special emergencies." Meagan said, then, with her hand on Harry's shoulder, said, "Only Harry, James, and I can come here." She dismissed them all with hand gestures. Meagan, a single tear falling down her cheek, turned and left the room. ~*~ Meagan made pancakes that morning. Her kids looked at her, amazed. They usually just had cereal. They ate their breakfast in silence until Crystal asked a question that had been bothering her since the party. "Mum?" she asked. Meagan jerked and turned sharply. "Yes?" she asked. "What Cate said last night. was it true?" Meagan waited in silence, pondering on how to answer. "No." she said, levitating a pancake and putting it on Crystal's plate. Crystal pushed it away, not hungry. "Then why did she say it?" she asked. Meagan took a deep breath. "She was drunk," she lied, "Bellum told me. She drank too much wine before she came to the party. I guess the wine made her delirious and made her think those things." Meagan could barely mask her horror. She closed her eyes and barked a laugh. No more questions were asked after that. ~*~ After breakfast, Meagan seemed to return to her regular cheery self. Actually, she more cheerful than usual, for some reason. Harry, on the contrary, looked extremely tired. "Mum, can I go play with Bridgett, Max, and Dominic?" Nita asked, heading for the door. "No." Meagan said, who was busy cleaning the windows. Nita, taken aback, tripped on the carpet. She fell and landed on her nose. "Why not?" she asked, rubbing her nose. "I set up a play date with you and Harry Creevey." Meagan said, indifferent. Nita grimaced. She had met Harry Creevey at the party. He had pestered her and taken her picture. in fact, he had taken pictures of everything he could while he wasn't bouncing around the room. She didn't want to go over his house at all. Gulping, Nita asked, "When am I going over?" Meagan stopped to look at her watch. "In five minutes." She said. Nita sat down and groaned. "Why am I going over? You said you didn't even like him in school!" she asked in a high-pitched squeal. Meagan's nostrils flared and her eyes were spotted with red. "I was being polite. Besides, who says Harry Creevey is like his father?" Meagan took Nita's wrist. "We should get going now." She said. Nita nodded, her nose wrinkled. 'Don't worry,' Meagan mind-waved when they appeared at the Creeveys', purple flashing in her eyes, 'If you don't like it here, pretend to be sick with. the chicken pox. All you have to do is put spots on your skin. It's worked for me in the past.' Nita grinned at her mother, her own eyes flashing purple. Meagan knocked on the door. Ginny answered it. "Meagan! Come in, come in!" she squealed. Meagan bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Harry is in the living room," Ginny told Nita. Nita gave a dejected sigh and walked out into the living room. "Hello!" chirped Harry, bouncing. "Can I take your picture?" Nita sighed and her eyes flashed bronze in annoyance. "Fine." She said, sitting down on the couch and forcing her eyes to be blue-green. She smiled with the straight white teeth she inherited from her mother and fixed her black hair. Harry snapped the pictures eagerly. A little girl with reddish-brown hair that reached down to her waist sidled into the room. She had a band of freckles on her nose. Her eyes were hazel like Colin's. The girl looked about two years younger than Harry. "Meagan! Go away!" Harry said, elbowing the girl in the stomach. The girl tugged on Harry's sleeve. He rolled his eyes. "This is little my little sister Meagan Marykate Creevey." He said, and then returned to the picture taking. When Harry finished taking pictures, he said, "Wanna see my room! I bet you'll like it! C'mon! This is so much fun!" Usually Nita liked hyper kids, but this kid (in her opinion) was whacked. She allowed herself to be dragged up to Harry's room but stopped dead in the doorway. Pictures covered every square inch of the wall and ceiling, and they were all of famous people, the Creeveys', her, and her friends. A cauldron stood on a table. It was for making pictures move, no doubt. "Will you sign this?" asked Harry, pushing a picture of herself under her nose. Nita moved her mouth but no sound came out. He ran and got her a pen. She signed it in messy handwriting and didn't pay attention to what Harry was saying. She was staring at one of the pictures. It was of her father, Harry Potter, perhaps taken in his second year. He was laughing and he had his arms around a boy who was tall, had red hair, freckles, and brown eyes. On the other side was a girl with buckteeth and bushy brown hair. Her brown eyes were laughing along with her mouth. She was in her pajamas. Harry (Potter) was in Gryffindor robes. He was covered in slime and blood. There was a large scar in his right arm, as if something large had bitten him. Ron Weasley, for surely that red hair was Weasley hair, had robes covered in slime and grit. It wasn't the slime and blood that startled her though. Transparent in the back round was a girl with a- little-more-than-shoulder-length hair. She was bobbing up and down, for she was hovering above the floor. Her feature was that of a ghost's, but Nita knew it was no ghost. That girl could only be one person and one person only: Meagan Cassandra Potter. Nita stared at it. "Nita?" asked Harry (Creevey), looking apprehensive. She looked at him, her eyes yellow with shock. Harry gave a strangled cry and jumped back. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked, his voice strangely high-pitched. Nita tensed her shoulders. "They change color with what I'm feeling." She said, biting her lip. "What are you feeling?" Harry asked. She looked over the rim of her glasses at him. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." She said. An hour later, Meagan called her down and said it was time to go. Nita looked at the picture-covered room and had a feeling that she was going to see that room again. ~*~ "Mum," Crystal said in a voice the was dripping in disgusting fake innocence, "Did anyone tell you that you were looking good this morning?" Meagan glanced at her over the Daily Prophet. "What do you want?" she asked, having used that voice when she asked adults for things before. Crystal dropped the oily voice and said, "Can my Muggle friends from America come over?" Meagan thought it over. She looked over at Harry who was watching them. Harry was mouthing something but Meagan didn't understand it. "Well, it could be educational. for ALL of us." She said, looking at her children. "But for how long? How much money to get them here by plane?" Crystal pushed her lower lip out and whined like a puppy. "I'll talk it over with your father." Meagan said. "Go play with your cousins." She turned to Harry and they started to discus it. Crystal turned and ran to find someone to play with. She ran into the next room and found Mary. She was watching the television and was transfixed. Crystal looked over and saw Quidditch. "Quidditch!" she squealed and sat down. ".Quidditch legends Harry and Meagan Potter!" the commentator said. "Mum! Dad! You're on TV again!" Crystal shouted. Mark ambled into the room and sat down, looking exhausted. His eyes widened at the sight on the TV. Crystal bounced as she watched her mother get elbowed in the stomach. "Foul! Cobbing! Extensive use of elbows!" she screamed. The referee blew the whistle. She watched Meagan take the foul and shoot it the hoop. "Harry and Meagan Potter are Quidditch players like we've never seen before! They've suffered only one defeat since they began playing Professionally. The have just celebrated the birth of their triplets: Angelina, Abigail, and Ashleigh. They have eight children and their passion is Quidditch. We haven't seen such spectacular moves since the days of James Potter! The son and daughter-in-law are better than the father, people say! They currently play for Chudley Cannons. They changed the team's motto from 'Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best' back to 'We shall conquer.' They've played for sixteen years, when they graduated in the year 2003." Crystal smiled as she saw more pictures of her parents whizzing by the camera. "We got some words from one of Meagan's old foes." the commentator said and the picture changed to none other than Cate Pugnare. "She's nothing compared to me. She thinks she's so great. She has really slipped up before and doesn't say word about it in front of the camera. Dear Lord, she's full of herself!" Cate said. "Know what I think of her?" she asked. She spit on the ground and rubbed into the ground. This must've been before Bellum had died, because he came over, took her by the arm, and dragged her by the arm. "I'm full of myself?" snorted Meagan, coming into the room. "I'm full of myself? At least I don't mope around sobbing and sulking about how terrible my life is. I look on the bright side. She got her parents back! She got her husband back (even though he's a ghost)! I never got my parents back, and they had more than one kid." She smiled at Mark. She pointed at the TV and it shut off. "Yes, Crys, we've decided your friends can come over." She said, smiling. "Yes!" Crystal said and disappeared from sight to tell Brian. Meagan grinned at the spot Crystal had disappeared. "It's good the kids have my powers. They really enjoy them." She said, sitting down on the couch. ~*~ "In a two months," Jo started, "We get our powers!" finished Jess. They were telling this to Nita, who didn't look happy about it at all. They had her by the arms and they were about to lock her in the hall closet again. Nita struggled against their strong grips and tried to break loose. "Lemme go!" she squealed. She stopped for a moment, right before they locked her in, then wrenched loose. The twins, taken by surprise, gasped and ran after her. Nita was faster than the twins. for now. When they got their powers, they would be able to run faster than the fastest sprinter. This was definitely not good for Nita. Nita savored her advantage while it lasted. She ran for the living room, where she heard voices. She jumped and slid. Her hands touched something. She looked up and saw her mother. The twins stopped in the doorway, panting. Nita smiled but it faltered. "Were the twins chasing you again?" Meagan asked, sighing and shaking her head. Nita nodded sheepishly. "Jo, Jess, you know the drill." Meagan said, watching their shoulders sag as they turned around and went to their room. "Nita," she said, turning to her daughter, "you've gotta start fighting back." Nita's nose wrinkled. "It's two against one and they're stronger than me!" she said. "Point taken." ~*~ So it was arranged that Aaron and Alex, the American Muggles, were going to come over. Meagan called (she didn't dare let Crystal, for Crystal had never used a telephone in her life) them and arranged it with their mother. The next day they went to the airport to pick them up. "Do you see them, Mum?" Crystal asked, standing on tiptoe. "No. Patience is a virtue, Crystal, and it seems as though you don't have it." Meagan said. Crystal rolled her eyes. "I see them!" Meagan said, her eyes shifting colors rapidly. "Alex! Aaron! Over here!" Crystal said, standing on a chair. Meagan gave a sigh, took her by the back of the robes, and pulled her down. Alex and Aaron came over, wheeling their luggage. They looked a little frightened. "C'mon! To my house!" Crystal said, about to disappear, when Meagan put a hand on her shoulder. "The CAR is just over there." Meagan said, and led them all to the car. Meagan drove. Enough said. By the time they got to the Potter household, Alex and Aaron were on the car floor. "Does your mom always drive like this?" Aaron asked Crystal. Crystal grinned and nodded. "Wild, isn't it?" she asked. Alex whimpered and got out of the car. Crystal lifted her trunk easily with one hand. Alex and Aaron stared. Loud banging noises were coming from within the house. "Dear Lord, Prongs isn't even giving the kids a thought!" Meagan said with a sigh as walked up the many steps leading up to the door. When she got to the top step, she heard something crunch beneath her foot. She moved her foot and looked down. A crumpled letter was where she had stepped. She bent down and picked it up. Meagan shook the letter open. Dear Meagan, and Marykate if you're there, I know you think I am gone. I know you think the day would never come when we were united once more. I am back, and I am back to stay. I hope this does not catch you by surprise. I think you foresaw this back in school. I remember it quite well. Please do not reject this letter as a fake, for I assure you it is real. Meet me at Hogwarts under the light of the full moon. This will be in a week. Consider and do not reject Meagan, for this may be the beginning of the end for our nemesis Lord Voldemort.
Yours quite sincerely, M. E. S. Meagan stared at it. The signature had a Hufflepuff crest next to it. Meagan rubbed her temples. "It couldn't be." she murmured. She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm coming." She said softly to the frosty morning air. "I'm coming."
"Look into my eyes Harry. Forget everything, think nothing, and look past my face, deep into my heart. What do you see?" Meagan made it so that her and Harry's noses were touching. "Look deep inside of me, past the shut doors. I open those doors to you know. What do you feel? What do you think? What do you see?" Tears started to form in her eyes. They trickled meaningfully down her face. Harry tried to look away, but couldn't. He saw the clockwork that made Meagan tick, he heard the buzz of thoughts whirring around her mind and heart, he felt what she was feeling, and he could only think of her and her face. "I." he started, finally ripping his eyes from hers. "I." he said again, but the words died in his throat. Meagan released his chin and touched this throat and heart. "I feel love," he uttered finally. Meagan nodded and kissed him again. Harry felt a rush of emotions with this kiss. He felt her sadness, he felt her love, and he felt her gladness. Of all the kisses that have ever been made, this one was the most meaningful, passionate, and love-filled that had ever come to be. "Never leave me." She whispered. "I'll never leave you." Harry replied, falling into another kiss. "Will we always be together?" Meagan asked. "Always," said he, and he truly meant it. ~*~ Mark stood at the door. He heard everything they said. He saw every kiss they shared. He saw them glow with the magic pulsing through their veins. He felt the love that radiated off them. He tasted the damp air and sweat that trickled down his face. He smelled the strong magic of love bouncing off the walls. He felt the envy creeping into his subconscious. He bit his lip to keep from screaming. He wished he and his wife were like that. He felt happy and sad at the same time. He felt envious and generous at the same time. His emotions spun around his head like water going down a drain. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw a woman dressed in royal blue robes. There was a raven in a crest along with the word "Ravenclaw." Her glasses hid steely blue eyes. Her strawberry-blonde hair was up in a bun in the back of her head. A blue witch's hat was perched atop her neat hair. She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to Meagan and Harry. She shook her head. Mark vaguely remembered her. He strained his memory but found no identity to this woman who was smiling down upon him. 'Hello, Markus.' The woman said inside his head, making gooseflesh rise on his arms and legs. 'Don't you remember me?' the woman asked, her lips curling further. He shook his head. 'Why, 'tis I, Marykate Casper. But I am no longer a Casper, but a Weasley.' Marykate said to Mark, grinning wider. Mark felt guilty. He remembered her, but it had just been so long. 'Don't feel jealousy toward Meagan.' She said, looking at Meagan and smiling. 'She has had many losses in her life. So have I, now that I think about it.' Marykate mouthed a sigh. 'When Lily and James died, everything fell apart. Peter betrayed the friends that had been so kind to him and faked his own death to join ranks with Lord Voldemort. Sirius, blamed for the death of the Potters, was sent to the wizarding prison of Azkaban. He was torn away from Lizzie, who was pregnant with Cate at the time. Remus almost committed suicide, but I prevented him from it. By gosh, Meagan almost committed suicide from the losses. Then we went to Hogwarts again and now here we are.' She told him all of this and then looked at Meagan again, smiling with only her eyes. 'She's got love now. She's got a wonderful career, a loving husband, and eight fantastic children who are all as she was. She has waited a long time for this. Don't be jealous.' She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'I myself have found happiness with my children and my husband.' She looked at Harry and Meagan one last time. 'We haven't seen each other for a long time, Meagan and I. We promised to each other, all three created heirs, that we would reunite one day. But, sadly, today is not that day. I must go now, young Delmore. Tell no one of our meeting.' She hugged Mark. She disappeared from the spot and left Mark with nightmares for the rest of his life. ~*~ Kristina Delmore, Mark's wife, paced her bedroom. It was one of the many bedrooms in Potter Manor. She was staying for a few days. She was worried about her husband. She was worried sick. She sat on the bed and put her head in her hands, lost in her thoughts. A giggle wrenched her from her thoughts. "Hello?" Kristina said through her fingers. Another giggle answered her. She lifted her head and looked around her current bedroom. "Hello?" she said again, scanning the shadowed areas. A pair of brilliant green eyes hovered in the shadow of the dresser. Kristina got up and walked over. "Hi." She said, squatting to see who it was. "Hi." Said a little girl's voice. "Will you come out of there?" Kristina asked. The Green Eyes nodded. Indeed, it was a little girl. She had lush, red hair that flowed down to her waist. Her eyes were emerald green, and Kristina swore she recognized them from somewhere. She was covering her mouth with one hand, hiding a smile and holding back a giggle. She was skinny and had a pale skin complexion. She looked Irish. "Where did you come from?" Kristina asked. The girl giggled. "I live here." She said. "I don't recall you." Kristina said, "What is your name?" The little girl paused, as if deciding whether or not to tell. "Lily Evans." Lily whispered into Kristina's ear, giggling again. "Lily? That's a pretty name. I'm Kristina Delmore." Kristina smiled at Lily. "How old are you, dear?" Lily paused at this, too. Her eyes were full of laughter and they danced in the candlelight. "I'm eight." She said proudly. "What is so funny? What is it that you're giggling about?" Kristina asked, not forcefully but firmly. Lily giggled again, looked around, and whispered, "I'm spying on James. He mustn't know, though." Kristina looked shocked. "Lily, is James your friend?" Kristina asked, squaring her jaw. "Yes, Mrs. Delmore. We knew each other ever since we were born. He's eight, the same as me!" Lily said, then, "I'm a day older, though." She giggled again. Kristina, perplexed, asked, "When is your birthday?" Lily, looking excited, said, "Tomorrow. I was born on December 31st, 1969." Kristina opened her mouth to say that it was ridiculous, when she heard the floorboards creaking outside the door. Lily gave a delighted squeal. "I think he knows! I'd better go! It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Delmore. I hope we see each other again!" she said, and ran. She moved a portrait (whose name read Patrick the Prankster) on its hinges. Patrick gave a miffed noise as Lily ran into an opening behind it. Kristina stood shocked for a moment. "Lily! Wait!" she cried, running to the painting. She opened the painting with a great amount of effort. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and dust covered the floor. She had to bend over and scuttle through the passageway. "Don't be waking me up again, you!" said the angry portrait as it swung back into place. "Lily!" called Kristina, getting a mouthful of dust. She coughed. "If you're following me, then hurry up!" said Lily's voice from around a bend. Kristina hurried up and saw Lily run into a room. She followed. "Come, come, Mrs. Delmore. James mustn't know we're in this passageway! He shan't be happy if he finds out!" Lily cried in excitement as Kristina entered the room. Kristina's jaw dropped open. ~*~ James, awoken by a high-pitched giggle, grumpily got out of his attic bedroom and walked down the stairs. He itched his side wearily and sniffed. He walked down the corridor and heard voices coming from Kristina's room. She heard Kristina's voice and a voice that sounded familiar. James tried to remember, but he couldn't quite place the familiar voice. He heard a third person shout in indignation and rapped on the door. "Kristina!" he called through the door. No one answered. He waited for a minute and then rapped on it again. "Kristina!" he yelled, a little louder this time. No answer came from the room. Biting the inside of his cheeks, James pulled his wand from his pocket. "Alohomara!" he muttered. The door eased open by itself. James, quietly, swung the door open. No one was inside. He scratched his head and yawned. He searched the room and found nothing. There were two portraits in the room. One was that of Patrick the Prankster and the other one was Fredrick the Funny. He smiled at the two sleeping portraits and decided that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Patrick woke up and looked at James. James winked at the portrait and the portrait winked back. Quietly, James shut the door behind him. ~*~ A man in a dark yellow cloak wondered through the quiet street that housed Muggles and wizards alike. A hood covered his face, so it would hide his identity. The only thing you could see were two electric blue eyes that shone brightly from beneath the hood. Though you couldn't tell, he was smiling widely. The man took long strides and came to a stop in front of a large manor. He knew the lady of the household very well. He looked the house up and down and a one small tear formed in his eye. He quickly wiped it away. He quietly took a letter out of his cloak and placed it on the doorstep. "The time comes near, my friends, very near." He whispered in a deep voice that seemed to calm you from just listening. Suddenly, the man felt someone's presence. "The time comes near." The man said again, his eyes misting over. The man took his cloak and swished it. He slowly faded away into the night air. The last things to remain were two electric blue eyes, staring up at the house of his companion. Soon, they too were gone. ~*~ Crystal stirred in her bed. She could feel something was wrong. She felt like something dead was lurking around the house. Her eyebrows knitted, she slowly got out of bed and crept down the stairs. The house was dark and she had a sense that something was running amok. She saw her parents in the living room, staring quietly out at the night and talking in hushed voice to each other. Thinking she didn't want to get into it, she crept silently past her mother and father and to the door. She looked at the door and used her special power to look through things to see through the door. She saw a pair of electric blue eyes. She gasped and her concentration was lost. Crystal shook herself mentally. She concentrated again and looked through the door, seeing nothing. It was probably nothing, she thought. She shuddered though. She could have sworn someone was out there. A chill swept down her spine. Rubbing her arms from the chill, she snuck to her bed again. She looked at her wall. It was a giant picture of her mother and father playing Quidditch. With another shudder, Crystal pulled the blankets over her head and fell into a fitful sleep. ~*~ Mark watched James go back to bed. When the wizard was out of sight, he went into his bedroom. He looked around the room and didn't see his wife. Brow furrowed, he looked from the deserted bed to the shadows. He saw nothing and decided that Kristina had gone to the bathroom. He stripped of his day clothes and put his PJs on. He slipped into bed and waited. He waited for about five minutes when he thought something must be wrong. He got out of bed and ran to Meagan. "Meagan! Kristina's gone!" Mark said, his eyes wide. Meagan tore herself away from Harry. "Where did you last see her?" Harry asked. "At the party. She said she was going to bed and now she's gone! What if she's hurt?" Mark asked, white and shaking. Meagan hugged her little brother. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She let comfort slip from her fingers and into Mark's quivering form. He slowly stopped shaking. "We'll find her. She probably isn't hurt, because I would have heard it. We'll find her." Meagan said, running her fingers through her hair. Mark's eyes welled with tears. He felt guilty, for he had envied Meagan for the love she had and that he didn't realize that he had. He had been foolish. He knew one thing, though; they were going to get Kristina back. And that was final. ~*~ Kristina lost her voice completely as she looked around the room. Her eyes darted from the pictures, to the dusty trinkets. The room looked as if it had been untouched for years on end. "Oh Lily," she said, awed. She looked around for the little girl of age eight, but she had mysteriously disappeared. "Lily?" Kristina asked, a little louder. "LILY!" she shrieked, but all attempts were futile. Lily had just simply disappeared from existence. Kristina, shaking all over, walked up to one of the pictures and blew the dust off it. "The Marauders" said the fancy gold lettering at the bottom of the frame. There were five kids in the picture. Their names and nicknames labeled them and they were all grinning, bouncing, and waving energetically. The first kid's name was labeled, "James Potter, a.k.a. Prongs." Her eyes traveled across, "Sirius Black, a.k.a. Padfoot" and "Remus Lupin, a.k.a. Moony" and then she saw something that startled her. It was a girl who was, perhaps, twelve with thick brown hair. Her eyes were purple and she was grinning widely. She was bouncing and waving. The inscription read, "Meagan Delmore, a.k.a. Blue Eyes." Kristina's eyes widened. "But, that's Mark's sister. Impossible," she muttered. She put the picture back. She wandered over to a carousel with shimmering golden horses that said, "To Lily with love, from your one and only Prongs." She went over to another picture that said, "My Best Buds." Meagan was in that picture too. So was that friend Meagan always talked about: Marykate. Lizzie was there too, only she wasn't a Black yet. Pictures covered the dusty walls. Some said, "The Marauders and Company" and others said, "Gryffindor Quidditch Team." Most were of Lily and the Marauders. Some were of just Lily and James. Some were just her best friends (which included Meagan, of course). Kristina picked up a card that lies on the table. "Congratulations, Lily!" read the cover. It had a picture of a baby boy wrapped in blue blankets. She opened it and read: Dear Lily, I know you might not remember me as well, but this is from someone you don't see anymore. We were the best of friends in school and I was the fifth and only girl Marauder. Have you guess at my identity yet? If you have, you're probably right. I wish I could see you, but I must hide my face from the world for now. I want to congratulate you on having your first child. He is adorable. He looks just like James, but he has your beautiful eyes. Your eyes were almost as fantastic of my blue-green ones. well, when they stay blue- green. My eyes were usually purple around you guys. I want you to know that you are never alone. I'm always there. You may not see me, but I'm there. No, I'm not wearing an invisibility cloak. I'm not even using spell. I'm using my powers. You should know who this is now, even though I can't sign my name. Remember, Lily, I'm always there. Think of me as your invisible guardian angel. When you're dead and gone, Harry will be in my protection and care. You have no need to worry about his safety. I know you'll be a great mother. Love, Your invisible guardian angel Kristina knew who the "invisible guardian angel" was. She knew it was Meagan. The question was now who Lily is and where she was. Most importantly, why hadn't she returned here? Kristina saw a ring on the dresser next to the card. It was emerald green, a green that matched Harry's eyes. It had an inscription on it: "May we always be together, here and in the after life." She guessed it was Lily's wedding ring. She found a necklace too. She opened it and it played a tune. It was "All of my Favorite Things." There were two pictures in it. One was of a much younger James Potter and one of a much older Lily Evans. She closed the locket and ran through the passageway. She was covered in dust and cobwebs. In a mater of seconds, she ran into the portrait and heaved it open. She had to find Mark and Meagan! ~*~ "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa, la, la, la! La, la, la, la, la!" Meagan sang to lift people's spirits. Mark looked over at her and grumbled something about having a monstrosity for a sister. Meagan gave a sigh once she realized she had failed. Her spirits brightened almost immediately. "Malfoy got run over by a reindeer, flying home from Hogwarts Christmas Eve! You can say there's no such thing as Santa, but as for me and Harry we believe!" Mark gave a weak smile. Harry couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. He remembered Malfoy's face when he got run over. He supposed Meagan did too, or else she wouldn't have been singing. "Mark!" came a shriek. Mark, recognizing the voice sprinted down the corridor. Meagan was faster. She sprinted down the corridor. "I don't know how she does it." Harry muttered as he caught up with Mark. "What? Am I supposed to know? I only saw her at night." Mark said. Harry glanced at him. "Oh, I know. She's Gryffindor's created heir. He created her with special powers to fight all evil," he said, paused for a moment, then said, "And she does kick evil's butt fairly well." They came to the room where Kristina stood. She was filthy. Cobwebs decorated her hair and she was gray from dust. She pointed an accusing finger at Meagan. "You-You're as old as James Potter. You're older than your husband by 18 years!" she yelled. Meagan, panic-stricken, put a finger to her lips. "Shhh! The kids don't know! I don't want them to find out!" she whispered, "But, how on earth did you find out?" "Lily Evans, a little girl who was eight, led me down a passageway." Kristina said. Meagan's jaw dropped and her eyes turned deep blue. Kristina shuddered at the change. "Lily? But, how? Lily's been dead for." Meagan's chest rose as she drew a deep breath, "Thirty-two years. It's been thirty-two years since I failed to save them." "I found a room. A room in this manor that was hers." Kristina said. "This used to be the Evans' manor. That means. the room Lily told us about, the place she kept all her special things, it really exists!" Meagan said, and then she ran down the passageway. Harry ran after her. "What about a secret room that was my mum's?" he asked trying to catch up. Harry ran into Meagan when they got to the room. She didn't seem capable of breathing. Mark ran into Harry and then Kristina ran into Mark. Meagan, amazingly, was still standing. Her eyes were so blue that they were almost black, she walked into the room, letting Harry and the others fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. "It actually exists." Meagan breathed. "When we moved here, I searched the hole place for this room." She touched the pictures that covered the wall. "Look at how many pictures of me and the gang there are," she muttered. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Blue Eyes." She said, "My best friends. They changed my life, they did." Meagan moved along the room, muttering to herself. Harry had a knot in hid throat. "This, this is all. my mum's." he said, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. He sat down quickly on a dusty chair. "I-I can't believe it." He said hoarsely. "This place, in honor of Lily Evans Potter, will not be touched unless for special emergencies." Meagan said, then, with her hand on Harry's shoulder, said, "Only Harry, James, and I can come here." She dismissed them all with hand gestures. Meagan, a single tear falling down her cheek, turned and left the room. ~*~ Meagan made pancakes that morning. Her kids looked at her, amazed. They usually just had cereal. They ate their breakfast in silence until Crystal asked a question that had been bothering her since the party. "Mum?" she asked. Meagan jerked and turned sharply. "Yes?" she asked. "What Cate said last night. was it true?" Meagan waited in silence, pondering on how to answer. "No." she said, levitating a pancake and putting it on Crystal's plate. Crystal pushed it away, not hungry. "Then why did she say it?" she asked. Meagan took a deep breath. "She was drunk," she lied, "Bellum told me. She drank too much wine before she came to the party. I guess the wine made her delirious and made her think those things." Meagan could barely mask her horror. She closed her eyes and barked a laugh. No more questions were asked after that. ~*~ After breakfast, Meagan seemed to return to her regular cheery self. Actually, she more cheerful than usual, for some reason. Harry, on the contrary, looked extremely tired. "Mum, can I go play with Bridgett, Max, and Dominic?" Nita asked, heading for the door. "No." Meagan said, who was busy cleaning the windows. Nita, taken aback, tripped on the carpet. She fell and landed on her nose. "Why not?" she asked, rubbing her nose. "I set up a play date with you and Harry Creevey." Meagan said, indifferent. Nita grimaced. She had met Harry Creevey at the party. He had pestered her and taken her picture. in fact, he had taken pictures of everything he could while he wasn't bouncing around the room. She didn't want to go over his house at all. Gulping, Nita asked, "When am I going over?" Meagan stopped to look at her watch. "In five minutes." She said. Nita sat down and groaned. "Why am I going over? You said you didn't even like him in school!" she asked in a high-pitched squeal. Meagan's nostrils flared and her eyes were spotted with red. "I was being polite. Besides, who says Harry Creevey is like his father?" Meagan took Nita's wrist. "We should get going now." She said. Nita nodded, her nose wrinkled. 'Don't worry,' Meagan mind-waved when they appeared at the Creeveys', purple flashing in her eyes, 'If you don't like it here, pretend to be sick with. the chicken pox. All you have to do is put spots on your skin. It's worked for me in the past.' Nita grinned at her mother, her own eyes flashing purple. Meagan knocked on the door. Ginny answered it. "Meagan! Come in, come in!" she squealed. Meagan bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Harry is in the living room," Ginny told Nita. Nita gave a dejected sigh and walked out into the living room. "Hello!" chirped Harry, bouncing. "Can I take your picture?" Nita sighed and her eyes flashed bronze in annoyance. "Fine." She said, sitting down on the couch and forcing her eyes to be blue-green. She smiled with the straight white teeth she inherited from her mother and fixed her black hair. Harry snapped the pictures eagerly. A little girl with reddish-brown hair that reached down to her waist sidled into the room. She had a band of freckles on her nose. Her eyes were hazel like Colin's. The girl looked about two years younger than Harry. "Meagan! Go away!" Harry said, elbowing the girl in the stomach. The girl tugged on Harry's sleeve. He rolled his eyes. "This is little my little sister Meagan Marykate Creevey." He said, and then returned to the picture taking. When Harry finished taking pictures, he said, "Wanna see my room! I bet you'll like it! C'mon! This is so much fun!" Usually Nita liked hyper kids, but this kid (in her opinion) was whacked. She allowed herself to be dragged up to Harry's room but stopped dead in the doorway. Pictures covered every square inch of the wall and ceiling, and they were all of famous people, the Creeveys', her, and her friends. A cauldron stood on a table. It was for making pictures move, no doubt. "Will you sign this?" asked Harry, pushing a picture of herself under her nose. Nita moved her mouth but no sound came out. He ran and got her a pen. She signed it in messy handwriting and didn't pay attention to what Harry was saying. She was staring at one of the pictures. It was of her father, Harry Potter, perhaps taken in his second year. He was laughing and he had his arms around a boy who was tall, had red hair, freckles, and brown eyes. On the other side was a girl with buckteeth and bushy brown hair. Her brown eyes were laughing along with her mouth. She was in her pajamas. Harry (Potter) was in Gryffindor robes. He was covered in slime and blood. There was a large scar in his right arm, as if something large had bitten him. Ron Weasley, for surely that red hair was Weasley hair, had robes covered in slime and grit. It wasn't the slime and blood that startled her though. Transparent in the back round was a girl with a- little-more-than-shoulder-length hair. She was bobbing up and down, for she was hovering above the floor. Her feature was that of a ghost's, but Nita knew it was no ghost. That girl could only be one person and one person only: Meagan Cassandra Potter. Nita stared at it. "Nita?" asked Harry (Creevey), looking apprehensive. She looked at him, her eyes yellow with shock. Harry gave a strangled cry and jumped back. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked, his voice strangely high-pitched. Nita tensed her shoulders. "They change color with what I'm feeling." She said, biting her lip. "What are you feeling?" Harry asked. She looked over the rim of her glasses at him. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." She said. An hour later, Meagan called her down and said it was time to go. Nita looked at the picture-covered room and had a feeling that she was going to see that room again. ~*~ "Mum," Crystal said in a voice the was dripping in disgusting fake innocence, "Did anyone tell you that you were looking good this morning?" Meagan glanced at her over the Daily Prophet. "What do you want?" she asked, having used that voice when she asked adults for things before. Crystal dropped the oily voice and said, "Can my Muggle friends from America come over?" Meagan thought it over. She looked over at Harry who was watching them. Harry was mouthing something but Meagan didn't understand it. "Well, it could be educational. for ALL of us." She said, looking at her children. "But for how long? How much money to get them here by plane?" Crystal pushed her lower lip out and whined like a puppy. "I'll talk it over with your father." Meagan said. "Go play with your cousins." She turned to Harry and they started to discus it. Crystal turned and ran to find someone to play with. She ran into the next room and found Mary. She was watching the television and was transfixed. Crystal looked over and saw Quidditch. "Quidditch!" she squealed and sat down. ".Quidditch legends Harry and Meagan Potter!" the commentator said. "Mum! Dad! You're on TV again!" Crystal shouted. Mark ambled into the room and sat down, looking exhausted. His eyes widened at the sight on the TV. Crystal bounced as she watched her mother get elbowed in the stomach. "Foul! Cobbing! Extensive use of elbows!" she screamed. The referee blew the whistle. She watched Meagan take the foul and shoot it the hoop. "Harry and Meagan Potter are Quidditch players like we've never seen before! They've suffered only one defeat since they began playing Professionally. The have just celebrated the birth of their triplets: Angelina, Abigail, and Ashleigh. They have eight children and their passion is Quidditch. We haven't seen such spectacular moves since the days of James Potter! The son and daughter-in-law are better than the father, people say! They currently play for Chudley Cannons. They changed the team's motto from 'Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best' back to 'We shall conquer.' They've played for sixteen years, when they graduated in the year 2003." Crystal smiled as she saw more pictures of her parents whizzing by the camera. "We got some words from one of Meagan's old foes." the commentator said and the picture changed to none other than Cate Pugnare. "She's nothing compared to me. She thinks she's so great. She has really slipped up before and doesn't say word about it in front of the camera. Dear Lord, she's full of herself!" Cate said. "Know what I think of her?" she asked. She spit on the ground and rubbed into the ground. This must've been before Bellum had died, because he came over, took her by the arm, and dragged her by the arm. "I'm full of myself?" snorted Meagan, coming into the room. "I'm full of myself? At least I don't mope around sobbing and sulking about how terrible my life is. I look on the bright side. She got her parents back! She got her husband back (even though he's a ghost)! I never got my parents back, and they had more than one kid." She smiled at Mark. She pointed at the TV and it shut off. "Yes, Crys, we've decided your friends can come over." She said, smiling. "Yes!" Crystal said and disappeared from sight to tell Brian. Meagan grinned at the spot Crystal had disappeared. "It's good the kids have my powers. They really enjoy them." She said, sitting down on the couch. ~*~ "In a two months," Jo started, "We get our powers!" finished Jess. They were telling this to Nita, who didn't look happy about it at all. They had her by the arms and they were about to lock her in the hall closet again. Nita struggled against their strong grips and tried to break loose. "Lemme go!" she squealed. She stopped for a moment, right before they locked her in, then wrenched loose. The twins, taken by surprise, gasped and ran after her. Nita was faster than the twins. for now. When they got their powers, they would be able to run faster than the fastest sprinter. This was definitely not good for Nita. Nita savored her advantage while it lasted. She ran for the living room, where she heard voices. She jumped and slid. Her hands touched something. She looked up and saw her mother. The twins stopped in the doorway, panting. Nita smiled but it faltered. "Were the twins chasing you again?" Meagan asked, sighing and shaking her head. Nita nodded sheepishly. "Jo, Jess, you know the drill." Meagan said, watching their shoulders sag as they turned around and went to their room. "Nita," she said, turning to her daughter, "you've gotta start fighting back." Nita's nose wrinkled. "It's two against one and they're stronger than me!" she said. "Point taken." ~*~ So it was arranged that Aaron and Alex, the American Muggles, were going to come over. Meagan called (she didn't dare let Crystal, for Crystal had never used a telephone in her life) them and arranged it with their mother. The next day they went to the airport to pick them up. "Do you see them, Mum?" Crystal asked, standing on tiptoe. "No. Patience is a virtue, Crystal, and it seems as though you don't have it." Meagan said. Crystal rolled her eyes. "I see them!" Meagan said, her eyes shifting colors rapidly. "Alex! Aaron! Over here!" Crystal said, standing on a chair. Meagan gave a sigh, took her by the back of the robes, and pulled her down. Alex and Aaron came over, wheeling their luggage. They looked a little frightened. "C'mon! To my house!" Crystal said, about to disappear, when Meagan put a hand on her shoulder. "The CAR is just over there." Meagan said, and led them all to the car. Meagan drove. Enough said. By the time they got to the Potter household, Alex and Aaron were on the car floor. "Does your mom always drive like this?" Aaron asked Crystal. Crystal grinned and nodded. "Wild, isn't it?" she asked. Alex whimpered and got out of the car. Crystal lifted her trunk easily with one hand. Alex and Aaron stared. Loud banging noises were coming from within the house. "Dear Lord, Prongs isn't even giving the kids a thought!" Meagan said with a sigh as walked up the many steps leading up to the door. When she got to the top step, she heard something crunch beneath her foot. She moved her foot and looked down. A crumpled letter was where she had stepped. She bent down and picked it up. Meagan shook the letter open. Dear Meagan, and Marykate if you're there, I know you think I am gone. I know you think the day would never come when we were united once more. I am back, and I am back to stay. I hope this does not catch you by surprise. I think you foresaw this back in school. I remember it quite well. Please do not reject this letter as a fake, for I assure you it is real. Meet me at Hogwarts under the light of the full moon. This will be in a week. Consider and do not reject Meagan, for this may be the beginning of the end for our nemesis Lord Voldemort.
Yours quite sincerely, M. E. S. Meagan stared at it. The signature had a Hufflepuff crest next to it. Meagan rubbed her temples. "It couldn't be." she murmured. She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm coming." She said softly to the frosty morning air. "I'm coming."