Door 10

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Montague murmured to himself while he was sitting together with his friends. He knew what Angelina had been doing the evening before. Why she had been gone and left the children alone with him – something she wouldn't have done hadn't they already been in bed. He knew that she had been seeing some of her friends in order to find new parents for the children.

And Merlin knew what ghost possessed him to try it, too. He was actually going to ask his friends to adopt children! That was the moment Alexander Tybalt Montague knew he must have a very severe illness, that would slowly kill him. Either that, or he was turning into a Gryffindork, but he still hoped it was the first.

"Something up with you? You act a bit… odd today."

Montague turned towards Marcus Flint, who had asked the question and shook his head.

"No, nothing's wrong…" 'Nothing besides me living with a former Gryffindor and two children for whom we have to search new parents and me thinking about asking one of you to do this job.' "…I'm fine. Now, deal the cards, that's what we're here for!"

So, for almost an hour they played without any interruptions before, for some reason, they started to talk about children…

"I will never understand what women see in them. Cute? My ass, what is cute with diapers and screaming and having to feed it in the middle of the night…?" Warrington said and put a card on the table.

"You do know that they grow up, right? And that you have been a baby once, too?"

"Yes, of course. But I also remember how I was when I grew older and that is not something I want to experience as a parent of some little monster."

"I agree. The only reason to get a child is to ensure the family line is going to survive. Can't have all those mudbloods everywhere."

"Right. And besides, the screaming gets only worse when they grow up! Have you ever heard a four or five-year-old screaming? My sister was visiting with her two brats yesterday. I swear I will have trouble with my ears for the next few days." This received a laugh from the rest of the men while Montague was glad he hadn't yet talked about the children. And he promised himself to never ever let his friends know about his current 'guests' – he would never hear the end of it.

Father Christmas was sitting in his armchair in his home and watched Montague apparating home that evening. He shook his head silently.

"The hot chocolate." Birger said from beside the armchair and held the cup towards Father Christmas to take it.

"Thank you Birger." Father Christmas turned back towards the Monitor and sighed.

"They try so hard and don't see the solution that is lying right in front of them."

Birger snorted at this.

"Of course they don't. They are humans. If you would tell them what the solution is they still wouldn't believe it.

Father Christmas looked after the elf and smiled.

"I think you're underestimating them, Birger. I'm sure they will find the solution."