Momento.
The sun was setting. The heavens blazed their summer colours.
"It does not always rain at funerals," thought Darren. A smile split his face and he returned to his parent's garden, or rather his mother's garden now.
Darren was staying the night, having come up from London. His mother smiled as everyone said goodbye.
"Well, we'll clean up in the morning," she smiled. Darren's father had been ill for some time, and so his mother had been quite prepared and practical about the whole affair. "Goodnight Darren," she sighed. Darren thought he heard his mother muttering as he got into the bedroom before closing his door.
The room was full of ring-binders and boxes. Paper stacks and maps grew from the fetid boxes in the corners of the room. Dad had always been a bit of a historian, but in the last few years he had begun going out into the countryside and studying the ruins and burial mounds, making maps and charts. Of course, he had become part of most historical societies, local tours and even had a few Ufology books. Mum reckoned when he retired from town planning, it sort of found its way into other hobbies. That and Darren's dad loved X-Files and a good mystery.
"Son, there's summink out there," was one of the last things he'd said to Darren, before his illness had made his speech indecipherable.
Darren smiled and leafed through a few piles of paper. A map of the local area slipped out. He picked up the battered old thing and examined it. His father had written gibberish marks and lines all over it, but Darren did notice that many of the lines converged on a single point. Above this inky node was written very carefully the word "Hogwarts."
Maybe Darren had inherited his father's curiosity, or maybe he just like having something of his father's to hold onto right now; either way he pocketed this map, unaware of the future it would unlock for him…
To be continued…
Disclaimer:
The characters and setting are all thanks to J. K. Rowling. I claim no ownership of these characters, just the scenario. Big hugs.