Chapter Forty-Eight

Lucy was sat on her bed with one of her school textbooks open on this summer afternoon. Her muggle brother Eric was reading a magazine about football on his own bed on the opposite side. Her car Mr Filch was laying by her side when he suddenly looked up with his beady eyes. As if he could sense something. The siblings presumed it was a bird or something as they carried on reading casually. Even the sound of the door knocking did nothing to stir them as they heard their mother answering it. Eric turned over a page in his magazine when they overheard their mother shouting...

"Lucy. Visitors!"

The teenage girl looked confused as she closed her textbook. Hiding it underneath her bed with the rest of her things from school. Maybe Polly and Jane are here she thought as she got up, pacing down the stairs as she shouted..."I'm coming, I'm coming!" as she did so.

"The boy from your letters is here" Mrs Norris told her as she approached.

Lucy clicked on quickly as her eyes lit up. Her mother moved over to allow Lucy to stand besides her. Argus and Archibald looked quite smug as they stood there as bold as brass.

"Your muggle trains feel slower than the Hogwarts Express" Archibald expressed.

Having just been from King's Cross to St Albans. Lucy was just speechless as she could barely get the words out. Archibald must have read her address and roped Argus into going while the lads were hanging about London. Mrs Norris briefly looked them over before inviting them inside, knowing Lucy knew them from Hogwarts as soon as he said that.

"Brothers?" Mrs Norris asked them both.

"Well mother and father say we are but I don't see the resemblance" Archibald teased with a smile. Argus giving him a small hit on the arm.

"This is a lovely surprise" Lucy chimed in with a smile.

"A surprise is right. Well make yourselves at home. Eric is upstairs, you should introduce them all" Mrs Norris spoke in a sing-song voice.

Urging the three of them upstairs, mainly as an excuse to finish her household chores. Thus with a few more glances. Lucy gathered she must do that as she gestured upstairs. Eric was already on the landing as he had been listening in to see it was. Lucy nervously giving him a smile as she introduced Argus and Archibald. Eric being just a year younger than Archibald gravitated him towards him first.

"Is he in on the secret?" Argus whispered in Lucy's ear.

"Yes. He knows...He met Professor Kettleburn on his home visit to here" Lucy assured him.

Argus thus nodded as he put his hand out. Greeting the very amused muggle boy as he looked at the brothers. He noticed the slightly different clothing as both boys were dressed maybe sixty years behind them. The Filch brothers wearing a type of miller hat each. Archibald went straight for the bedroom after this informal greeting for a nosy. He took one look at the football magazine and rolled his eyes. On the wall was a few postcards, mostly of women. Eric's side of the room was very different to Lucy's side of the room.

"Don't go looking through my things" Eric quickly scolded as he noticed Archibald about to open one of his chest of drawers.

"Sorry. I never been in a muggle house before. Hey up! So you two share a bedroom, eh? That would be torture for me...Argus has ghost books scattered all around" Archibald quickly replied.

Moving over to Lucy's side of the bedroom quickly. Eric checking on all his things before sitting on his bed. Lucy's face went slightly red as he briefly scanned her set of postcards stuck to the wall. A lot of them consisted of the muggle actor Fred Astaire.

"He does dancing!" Lucy blurted out as if she was having to defend herself.

"Oh. Better get dancing yourself, Argus" Archibald said with another smug grin.

The squib did not look impressed. He felt Lucy locking arms with him as she shook her head at Archibald.

"So, You two are wizards? Actual Merlins?"" Eric suddenly asked the brothers.

"Merlins? Is that what you muggles call us? How about Rowenas? Typical, the only wizard muggles knows is a Slytherin. For shame" Archibald replied, sitting on Lucy's bed.

"Slytherin?"

"Shh. Don't say it out loud. One might pop out and pop you out of existence" Archibald said with his finger pointing at him.

Eric looked slightly worried but this just made Archibald burst out laughing. Muggle-baiting was very fun for him. Argus quickly gave him a hit around the head for that. He knew Archibald would do something like this. Once when they were small children, he shouted 'bludger coming!' at every muggle he could see. Confusing them. His young age made it impossible for anyone to punish him properly. Lucy taking Argus over to her brother's bed as they sat down on it. All three of them now staring at Archibald.

"Ignore my brother. He's a fool" Argus informed Eric (who now realized the slightly older lad was pulling his leg).

"Not a big a fool as you. He's not a wizard, Eric. He's got no more power than you" Archibald explained.

"I don't understand" Eric admitted.

"He's what we call a squib. He was born to a witch and wizard but has no magic. A bit like Lucy in reverse" Archibald expanded.

"Then what happens if a squib has a baby?"

"Good question. I don't know really, it depends" Archibald answered with a shrug.

Argus suddenly felt like a freak as he was being discussed like an animal. He knows his brother didn't mean it like that but it still hurt. Lucy giving him a gentle pat on his shoulder. Eric felt slightly better knowing he wasn't outnumbered by people who could perform magic.

"They won't ever know hard graft, Argus" Eric spoke up to him.

"No. That's right. With their dainty wands picking up whatever falls from their dainty hands" Argus replied with a small smile.

He felt Archibald chucking a pillow at him in response. The conversation was quite light after that. The Filch brothers were there for a while. They were took around the house before being led outside. Lucy locking arms with Argus as they began walking the streets. Archibald looking at the muggle boys riding past on bicycles or playing football. Argus looked at the bicycles with envy, he wanted one of those so he could ride to the nearest town instead of walking. Eric led them one of the fields, giving a wave to his friends from school.

"I bet you don't know football. You play that stupid game on your mother's broom, don't you?" Eric teased Archibald.

"Oi! That's very stereotypical, Eric. Besides, football is dull. Not creative at all" Archibald teased back.

"You're on" Eric replied before turning to his friends.

...

"Right. You lads want to be on the same team or what?" Eric asked them.

As the Filch brothers have been coaxed into a game of football. Argus shaking his head as he insisting on being on Eric's team. Lucy was giving the task of being the referee as she stood to the side. Not knowing if this was going to go well, the Filch brothers couldn't play football really. Thus with both teams decided among themselves. It began as Lucy gave a loud clap to start the game, Archibald was instantly in quidditch mode as he picked up the ball and began running towards the goalpost.

"No! No!" Eric shouted after him; laughter coming from the muggle boys as they watched the odd looking teenage pause.

"What do you mean? I'm playing!" Archibald yelled back.

"You're not suppose to pick up the ball. You're suppose to kick it!"

Archibald tutted before running back to the starting spot. Dropping the ball onto the floor with his arms crossed. Lucy looking at the lads again before giving another clap to start the game again. It began slightly more smoothly as the dozen or so lads began to kick and play it as normal. Lucy watched as Archibald and Argus both ran around, looking a bit like headless chickens.

"Pass it over!" Argus shouted to Eric; making him do that to give him a bit of a chance.

Thus Argus began running with the ball at his feet. He wasn't doing that bad until he felt a small rock hit his head. Lucy clapped however (due to not being able to whistle loudly). The game paused again as the muggle boys groaned, Archibald standing there in confusion with his foot inches away from the ball. What has he done now?

"Archibald. You can't throw things on the pitch" Lucy informed him.

"Why not?" Archibald asked back.

"It's not allowed. It's a foul. I know why you done it but it's not the same as you know what" Lucy called back.

The muggle boys slightly confused to what they were on about. Why was Archibald constantly making errors in a simple game like football? Eric barely understood himself. Thus with another clap, the game restarted. Archibald managed to tackle the ball from his brother and began dribbling it across the grass. Though he was clearly getting fed up already. Running wasn't nearly as fun as flying! Besides, how did one win football? What did one has to catch? He understood the goalkeeper was like a keeper but the beaters and seeker seemed non-existence in this game. He attempted to score but the muggle boy caught the weak attempt.

"Where is the other ball anyroad? Isn't there a small ball to catch? I mean, how do you win?" Archibald questioned in a huff.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked back in confusion.

"What game are you talking about?" one of the muggle boys questioned him as it sounded interesting.

"Quaddle" Archibald replied with a wink.

Questions came through as they wanted to understand this 'quaddle'. An idea formed in his head. One he didn't think through but an idea nonetheless as he suddenly announced...

"Football's over. Time for quaddle!"

...

Most of them felt very daft, Lucy included. As Archibald asked them to get broomsticks, three balls and three hoops of some kind. Being muggles, they didn't really have what he was after. They returned with broomsticks (and mops), a couple of buckets for the so-called hoops and three balls. A football, a rugby ball and a tennis ball. As well as a couple of bats and planks of woods (for those who didn't have bats). Archibald insisting that was good enough as he began to explain the rules.

"So! We need three dribblers. I'll be one of those. Two hitters. One goalie and two finders" Archibald announced.

The muggle boys muttering to themselves. Eric opting to be the finder which made his sister Lucy almost burst out laughing. Archibald nodding once they all figured out their roles. This game caused quite a reaction as the girls and younger children made their way onto the field. Laughing slightly as the boys stood there with their mother's broomsticks and mops. Polly and Jane standing behind Lucy as they asked her what's going on...

"It's a silly game they made up" Lucy insisted with a shrug.

"Okay. The little ball is called the white find. If you get it, lads. The game stops and your team wins. The goalie knows what he's doing, just make sure the big ball doesn't get in the bucket. The dribblers just try and score. Meanwhile the hitters try and just hit the dribblers and finders. Understood?" Archibald asked as if it was that simple.

"I mean. I understand some of it but what do you mean about finding the tennis ball? Who hides it?" Eric questioned.

"What do you mean? It...Oh" Archibald paused as he saw the problem..."Erm...Well, that's a good question. Lucy, help me out"

Lucy stood there confused herself. This was stupid she thought. Muggles can't play quidditch! Nonetheless, she suggested that the tennis ball gets thrown onto the pitch last minute. Archibald didn't like it but they had no other option so he agreed. Turning back towards the confused muggles. He thus got on a broomstick lent to him by the Norris siblings. He kicked the ground out of habit but obviously it didn't lift up in the air.

"Are you ready?" Archibald asked them with excitement.

An unenthusiastic yes came back. Thus the game of 'quaddle' began. It was a tragedy. The muggle lads found it difficult to run with the broomsticks between their legs as some of them almost fell over. One of the 'dribblers' got angry at one of the 'hitters' as he felt the football hit his head. Eric and the other 'finder' meanwhile complained about having no input until the stupid tennis ball gets thrown in. Argus was one of the dribblers meanwhile. He seemed to be the only one having fun as he ran around the field on the broomstick.

"No kicking on the pitch!" Archibald scolded them; getting tuts in return.

"I thought you said Argus' brother was good at sports, Lucy" Polly spoke from behind her.

"He is. It's just that he enjoys unique games" Lucy answered.

Polly and Jane just looked at each other. This was probably the daftest game ever played.

...

The Filch brothers stayed longer than expected. They stayed for dinner as despite the rations, Mrs Norris insisted. The portions were small but that was expected as they sat around the table. Argus felt very welcomed for once as she spoke to him with interest, something his own mother didn't do. He could see where Lucy got her kind and forgiving nature from now as her mother and brother were just the same really. Eric was talking to Archibald meanwhile about what he could and couldn't do with regards to his magic.

"It sounds a bit like an apprenticeship. A bit too much like child labour for my liking though. Like something from Charles Dickens" Mrs Norris remarked as Argus explained about what he did at Hogwarts.

"Who?" Argus asked in confusion.

"Charles Dickens. He wrote a lot of books about children in awful conditions. Why didn't your parents send you to a muggle school?"

"I wanted to be with my brother. I wanted to be at Hogwarts"

"I understand that. At least you're aware of both worlds, lovey. You have more knowledge than any of us most likely" Mrs Norris spoke gently, trying to make him feel better.

Archibald briefly glancing over on hearing this. Due to the dinner (which consisted of sausage and peas) being so small, they were all finished before they knew it. Which much disappointed Argus as he didn't want to leave. He could stay quite happily with Lucy and her family for another day at least. Though his brother was keen to go once dinner was over.

"Well thank you Mrs Norris for your food. Me and Argus must dash back home. Our parents only think we gone into London" Archibald exclaimed.

"Alright. Well do come again, boys" Mrs Norris replied with a small smile.

Passing each boy a toffee sweet as she walked them to the door. She even offered to walk with them back to the train station but Archibald insisted it was fine. Lucy giving Argus a tight hug, telling him to write as soon as he could to let her know he got home safe. What with the air raids and that going on recently. With one last wave and one last teasing from Eric, the Filch brothers departed down the road. They watched until the brothers were out of sight.

"What a day" Eric exclaimed before walking back into the living room.

"Do you like them then?" Lucy asked her family.

"Yes. Archibald's a bit of a mad man though but Argus is fine. I can see why you're friends with him over his nutter of a brother" Eric answered.

"You're only saying that because he's not mad on football" Mrs Norris spoke to her son.

Making him roll his eyes but there was a certain truth to that.

...

TBC

End of Year 2