I got home in good timing, and immediately started tidying the house again. Robert was being a hindrance, rather than a help, and I guiltily wished she could have gone to work today.

Any day I kept thinking, any day, and it's the day it would've been easier for him not to be in the house

Mabel was playing quietly upstairs, and I didn't want to disturb her. After I had done a thorough tidy of the whole blooming house, I decided I better start to check I had dusted off properly, so I ended up cleaning it again.

By 3 O'clock, Oak Tree End was the cleanest it had ever been, well, excluding the day we purchased the place 6 years ago. The table tops shone, and not a speck of dust was anywhere to be seen.

I sighed in approval, and straightened a picture of a round, smiling baby Mabel on the wall. I glanced at my watch, and when I saw the time, yelled for Mabel to get her shoes on.

"Al coming?" she asked, skipping down the stairs, and putting her shoes on her feet.

"Al's coming at 7 O'clock" I said, nodding, and ushering her out the door.

"Bye Daddy!" Mabel called through the house, and a loud 'Bye Darling!' was heard in reply. I grinned, and shut the front door, brushing off a seasonal late ladybird in the process.

"I'm gonna show Al all my twirlywoo's" Mabel announced, kicking her feet against the back of my seat.

"I'm sure he'll like them" I agreed, edging out the driveway.

"Do you think Al watches Twirlywoo's?" Mabel asked nervously.

"I'm sure he does" I said, humming a tune that was stuck in my head.

"What you singing Mummy?" I heard Mabel ask, and I looked in the wing mirror to see her tilting her head slightly, and staring into the back of my seat.

"I, uh, I'm not too sure. It was on BBC Radio 2 this morning" I told her.

"Oh" Mabel said, looking down, "Can we sing Hickory Dickory?" she continued hopefully.

"Of course" I said, putting in the right CD. It launched into the playlist, and Mabel sang along, though painfully out of tune.

"Now Jelly on a Plate" she shrieked in excitement. I complied, and soon the whole car was shaking as we did the 'wibble wobble' as told in the song.

When we arrived at the school, things seemed a bit quieter than usual, so I was instantly alert. I parked up, and neatly stepped out. Mabel hopped out beside me, and we went lightly, and calmly, towards the silent school gates. I felt eerily on edge, but I tried to stay stable for my daughter, who was perfectly oblivious to her surroundings. I walked on, and saw a couple of Mums whispering together, in quiet voices, as if trying not to let any small ears hear their conversation.

As I got into the actual the school, the amount of talking was pushed to a minimum. I really needed to find out what was happening, so I walked over to where Winnie and Penelope were standing. They smiled when they saw me, so I assumed it safe for me to join in their talks.

"Um, hi" I said, a bit stupidly.

"Hi, by the look on your face, I assume you haven't heard" Winnie said grimly, glancing at Penelope.

"Why? What happened?" I said urgently.

"There, was, um, a few minutes ago, I just got a buzz on my mobile, informing me of another murder" Winnie said, fingering her shiny new iPhone.

"But, it happened before, is this one bigger or something?" I egged her on.

"23 detectives were killed" Penelope said in an undertone. I felt my heart drop. For Ginny, for James, for Albus and for Lily. Could Harry have been killed?

"Have any names been released of who got murdered?" I whispered, scared up to my wits for the Potters. When Penelope shook her head, my head rushed with horrible thoughts, not unlike the one that had been haunting me when Ginny mentioned that Harry could get, well, killed. He didn't deserve to die. Not when James, Albus and Lily were so little.

"How?" I squeaked.

"Shooting" Winnie said, able to decipher my short, shaky words.

"Oh" Was my reply, "Is Ginny here?" I said, as I looked around, searching for her bright red hair amongst the crowds.

"I don't think so" Winnie said, copying me, and looking for Ginny. I suddenly remembered what she had said earlier, whilst she was telling James about coming to our house. "Look out for nana you little rascal" kept replaying in my mind, and I realised that James would probably be collected by Molly Weasley today, instead of his Mum or Dad.

"Hang on" I told Penelope and Winnie, "I think she said something about James Gran collecting him today"

"Oh, I don't know her" Penelope said, looking at me, "Do you?"

"We've spoken briefly," I replied, "But only twice. She's Ginny's Mum"

"So she might know who got killed?" Winnie stated hopefully. I shrugged.

"Maybe, I don't know"

Just then, something red caught my eye, and I turned around to see Molly Weasley, firmly holding the hand of a boy with lightly tanned skin, dark red hair that looked almost black, and dark eyes. I wondered who he was; he certainly looked old enough to be at school.

"Sorry, she's here. I'm looking after James and Albus tonight, and I need to check if that arrangement is still up" I said quickly to Penelope and Winnie.

"You're looking after the Potter children?" Winnie asked, eye brow raised.

"The boys, yes" I said, saying a short farewell, and walking up to Molly, who looked extremely stressed. It didn't make me feel any better.

"Hi, Molly. Is everything ok?" I asked, hoping for the best.

"Hullo, Its Katie isn't it?" She said, looking a bit flustered.

"Yes" I said, "Who's this?" I added, indicating the curious boy beside her. She followed my gaze, and found the boy.

"My grandson, Fred. He's my second youngest son, George's child." She said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.

"How old is he?" I asked.

"He'll be 5 in August" Molly said.

"Shouldn't he be at school?" I told her. However, Molly shook her head.

"He's home-schooled. I, however, have to look after him as his Father is so unable too" she grumbled.

"What about his Mother?"

"She's just as busy" Molly said, sighing.

"Where's James?" Fred asked, looking around.

"He'll be coming out soon, Freddie" Molly told him.

"Is Louis comin' too?" Fred asked

"No, Louis' in France" Molly said exasperatedly.

"Why?" Fred protested.

"His Mother is French. You know that" Molly said.

"Oh" Fred said, looking down. He looked up slightly, and saw Mabel on the floor next to me.

"Hi, what's your name?" Fred asked cheerfully.

"Mabel" Mabel said, smiling at the older boy.

"Cool" Fred said, nodding. Just on cue, the school doors flew open and I saw James and Liam running at top speed towards me.

"JAMES!" Fred yelled, running forwards to embrace his cousin.

"FRED!" James yelled back, just as loud. I turned, bemused, to Molly.

"Are they close?"

"Fred and James? Oh yes, incredibly dangerous when put together, but if you add in Louis…" she grimaced at that, "The three of them could, and would, most certainly do anything"

I noticed Liam looking curiously at James and Fred, and he looked questioningly up at me.

"They're cousins" I told him. I saw his mouth open in realisation, and nod slightly.

"Fred! Look! This is my friend Liam! I'm going to his house!" James cried, pulling my son over.

"Hiya Liam!" Fred said, grinning maniacally.

"Hi" Liam said shyly.

"Can I come too your house too?" Fred asked hopefully.

"No, you're going back home. I don't think Katie would appreciate you and James in her house" Molly chuckled.

"Oh" Fred said, frowning, "Is Al going too?"

"Yes" Molly said.

"I'll swap with Al!" Fred cried, pumping a fist into the air.

"That's not the point, Fred. Jamie and Al cant stay in their house tonight, so they're going to Liam's" Molly explained.

"I can't stay in my house" Fred retorted, crossing his arms across his chest, "Roxy cries"

"Lily cries more than Roxy!" James said, looking at Fred.

"No she doesn't" Fred protested.

"She does!" James cried.

"Lily sleeps" Fred announced, certain he had won this argument.

"Not all the time. She cries." James snapped back.

"Enough, you two. Roxy's one, she can control when she cries. Lily can't. Anyway, don't go arguing how much your sisters cry, if anything, it should be the opposite. I feel sorry for your parents" Molly said, holding up a hand to stop the shouting.

"Fine, but Lily still cries more" James muttered under his breath. Fred scowled, but didn't pursue the topic.

"Nana, is Daddy home?" James said, looking at Molly. Molly's eyes instantly drooped, and her smile faded.

"No, not yet" she said quietly.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, out of pure nerves. Molly looked at me, with a pained expression.

"They've put the whole of Harry's department on lockdown. No one knows who got killed at the moment" she said in an undertone, so as not to let James hear.

"Surely not" I whispered. Molly nodded grimly.

"Ginny went straight to their head quarters when she found out. She's still there, but the officials aren't budging" Molly said, a small tear springing in her eye.

"Who's got Al and Lily?" I asked, in a voice that was barely audible.

"They're round at my house, with my son and my husband" she said.

"Oh, am I still needed tonight?"

"Yes, Ginny is so grateful, you know" she smiled a little at me.

"Its good too know I'm a help. This situation must be hard, for you all" I murmured.

"When's Daddy home?" James asked, looking terrified at Molly's feet. She bent down, and hugged her grandson.

"Did you hear everything we said?" Molly whispered.

"Yes. Is Daddy ok?" James said into Molly's shoulder.

"He'll be fine, Jamie" Molly soothed.

"What happened to Uncle Harry?" Fred asked, bewildered.

"He's gone!" wailed James, erupting in tears.

"Shh, he's not gone!" Molly interrupted, pulling in Fred too.

"He is!" James cried. Liam reached up for my hand, and I accepted it.

"He is not James, now stop thinking like that" Molly said firmly.

"Where's Mummy?" James whimpered.

"She's at Daddy's work, waiting for him"

"I go" James announced, wriggling free from Molly's grasp, and closing his eyes, scrunching up his face as if he was in deep concentration. He then suddenly spun on the balls of his feet, doing a 360° turn.

"James, that won't work" Molly sighed, straightening up, and brushing herself off.

"Where's Al an' Lily?" James said, ignoring his Nan.

"At the Burrow" Molly said.

"I stay here then" James said stubbornly, "I stay here and wait for Mummy"

"I'm taking you to the Burrow, and then dropping you off and Liam's house at 7 O'clock" Molly said, clasping James and Fred's hands.

"When's Daddy home?" James repeated.

"Enough James! He'll come back, I promise" Molly said sternly. James let out a big 'huff' and gave a grumpy farewell to Liam and me.

"See you later Liam" James muttered, waving shortly.

"Bye, hope you're Daddy comes home" Liam said back, looking a bit bewildered. And with that, Molly led both boys away, leaving me and my 2 children standing looking a bit stupid, staring at their retreating figures. The Potter family was surrounded in misery, and mystery, but something was telling me that things would turn out ok, I hope.