Chapter 6 – Extraordinary Circumstances
February, 1995
Edward's POV
"While we may be in a different country, our hunting rules remain the same," I reminded my daughter and Jacob as they ran ahead of us into the forest.
Don't worry, Edward, Jacob replied, excitement filling his mind as he prepared to phase.
"We'll make sure we can always smell you and Mama!" Renesmee called behind her shoulder, and then climbed onto her husband's back.
Bella and I shared a smile as we heard our daughter's "Woo Hoo!" in the distance. We slowed our walk to give them some time and space to hunt their meal.
"Can you hear the others?" Bella whispered as she rested her temple against my chest. I stopped our slow walk and wrapped my arms around her. Closing my eyes I listened for the minds of my siblings and parents.
I chuckled. "Seems Jasper was able to beat Emmett to a feed; we're going to hear about that later tonight." I then opened my eyes and saw Bella looking up at me, her lips twitching with a suppressed smile.
"Care to add another story to the collection?" My wife tempted me, her eyes bright with joy. "I bet-"
My chuckle interrupted her words; I knew exactly what she was going to say despite the ineffectiveness of my gift on her mind.
"You wish, my Love."
I watched, amused, as Bella's eyebrow raised half an inch.
"Watch me!" she cried poising to sprint, and then ran into the forest before I could respond verbally or otherwise.
I sighed, feeling content and amused at the same time; this wasn't even a competition. Yet, I was not so confident as to allow her such a substantial head-start. Instinctively, I allowed my legs to sprint after her. Within seconds I could see Bella ahead of me, her long dark hair waving as she ran.
I shifted my mindset to that of a predator rather than a 'human' which allowed me to completely focus on any source of sustenance. I smelt the air. In it, I detected my wife, and my daughter and son-in-law not far in front of her. There were countless sounds detected by my ears- hundreds of creatures lurking in the trees and the shrubbery. But I wanted to pursue something larger; although I was not desperately thirsty, I needed something more substantial than a rabbit or hare.
Suddenly Bella took a sharp left turn and began to run through deeper terrain, dodging through the trees like an agile cat. I sniffed the air as I followed her, unable to pick up what she had apparently sensed. She then took a sharp right, and suddenly I could smell a deer up ahead. I had never seen Bella run so fast, but I continued to pursue her whilst desperately ignoring the feeling that my wife would likely beat me to prey for the first time in ten years.
Within seconds, I realised Bella had fulfilled her bet. I slowed down my pace, my eyes alight with reluctant joy as I saw Bella beaming up at me; she was clearly proud of herself. I laughed with my glorious wife as I knelt beside her. I noted that her prey had been swiftly killed but was otherwise untouched.
"Would you like to share with me, Mr. Cullen?" she asked teasingly, her white teeth glistening in the sunset.
"Most certainly," I replied with dramatic grace. "Well done, Love," I congratulated her, kissing her on the lips.
"Thank you, Edward."
"Who knew I would regret giving you a head start?" I chuckled, brushing a stray lock away from her eyes.
"Head start or not, I still beat you," she beamed.
"After you," I smiled, offering her to take the first drink.
Without another word, Bella leant forward and bit into the neck of the deer. While she took her fill, I searched for the minds of my family. I was relieved to hear Ness and Jacob approximately 300 feet to our left. Carlisle and Esme were in the opposite direction with Alice and Jasper drinking from a couple of deer they hunted down. I had yet to extend my gift further to find Emmett and Rosalie when Bella kissed my cheek to announce it was my turn to drink. The scent of blood on her lips, and the trickle falling out of the deer's neck enticed the thirsty animal within me to re-focus my mind on replenishing my energy. My eyelids fell shut as I drank deeper from the neck of my prey, savouring every drop. I was thirstier than I realised. Forcing my mouth from the bite my wife had made, I glanced at her to offer her more to drink before I unintentionally devoured the entire thing.
"You drink," she offered, as beautiful smile on her lips, her eyes glowing. "I can find another doe-" I grabbed Bella by the wrist before she could leave my side. She may be ecstatic by her recent win over me, but I wouldn't allow her to kill both doe required for our meal this evening.
"No," I insisted through my blood tinged lips, dragging Bella closer to our meal. "I will find our-"
"Daddy!"
Bella and I bolted upright, turning to look behind us faster than any human could see.
"Renesmee?!" Bella cried out, the two of us rushing towards our daughter's voice.
"Mama, I think I heard Aunt Rosalie or- or maybe Aunt Alice calling... You didn't hear anything?" Ness informed us urgently from Jacob's back. When she saw our bewildered expressions, she immediately felt guilty for worrying us. She then bit her lip wondering whether she heard anything at all.
"No, we didn't, but thank you for telling us," Bella replied reaching up to help Ness off Jacob's back and giving her a hug.
Frantically, I searched my mind for the thoughts of my family. I knew I should have made sure Rosalie and Emmett were safe before I began to drink. Within seconds I found them- my insides froze with their panic.
Alice was blind- she could not See Emmett.
Rosalie was chasing him.
They were half a mile away...
I brought my mind back to the present to discover I was already walking north towards the rest of my family- Bella, Ness, and Jacob were right behind me.
"Emmett has run off- Alice cannot See him."
"Oh no! What do we do?" Ness asked as we began to run.
Why can't she See Emmett? What does that mean? I looked over my shoulder at Jacob.
"I do not know, but I must find him."
"You go ahead, Edward. We will keep track of Carlisle's scent and stay with him until you return," Bella promised me.
I slowed down long enough to hug my wife, kiss Ness on the forehead, and nod at Jacob before forcing every ounce of energy into my legs to utilise my extra-ordinary speed to find my brother before something or someone else did.
"Stay safe!" I called to my little family as I left them in my wake.
We will, Bella promised.
"Carlisle- Bella, Ness, and Jacob are to meet you shortly. Keep an eye out for them," I requested of my father, as I ran within a hundred metres of him to pursue my brother's scent.
Okay Edward, be careful, Carlisle replied calmly. I could hear that he was worried for Emmett but was doing his best to stay calm for Jasper's sake.
I re-focused on the task at hand and pushed my legs and arms to their limit. I was thankful that the cool night air was also pushing me forward. After a few hundred feet, I saw my sister pacing, apparently unsure what to do next. She recognised my scent and immediately ran towards me.
"Edward!" Rose called with relief. I noticed how the intensity of her gaze and the tension in her jaw portrayed her fear and helplessness.
"Run with me," I requested as she turned to stand beside me. "What happened?" I asked, forcing myself to slow down slightly so Rosalie could keep up.
"We were hunting- I was drinking from a deer, and then he suddenly ran off in pursuit of God-knows-what. I called after him, but he didn't stop. I thought he had sensed another deer and was pursuing it. I chased after him once I was done, but he went so far away. And then I heard Alice call out and she couldn't- she couldn't See him anymore..." Rosalie momentarily allowed herself to consider a life without her husband, but then thankfully blocked those painful thoughts from her mind. "Edward, what do you think-"
"Let's not think about that now," I replied firmly, determined not to allow myself to speculate lest I get distracted. "Go back to Carlisle and wait for me there. I will continue to chase after him. Once he kills, he will have to stop," I attempted to reassure her.
"Whatever it is... it's fast," Rose whispered, fear and doubt trembling her voice as she imagined what kind of mess Emmett may have gotten in to.
"I will find him- go back to Carlisle," I assured her, my voice stronger now; her thoughts were beginning to distract me.
You better, Rose replied, and I had every intention of keeping my promise. I knew I would bring him back 'alive', though how he would fare against his wife's fury, I could only guess. With Rosalie heading back to our family, I was able to focus on extending my gift further in search of my brother.
Building up speed again, I leapt my way through some dense forest. Suddenly, I could hear Emmett's thoughts but they were distant and broken, which was not a good sign. My brother was in predator mode- true vampire form. Whatever he was chasing would not stand a chance if it were caught- or at least that was what I assumed.
By briefly focusing on Alice's mind, I saw that she still could not See Emmett.
I tensed tightly to push myself forward: harder- faster. Only now did I allow myself to consider what every one of us were wondering: why couldn't Alice See Emmett?
I must find him... before... I didn't allow myself to continue the thought and urged myself forward.
My stupid brother was undoubtedly pursuing something that was not human nor animal. Something else... something more... something magical. If Emmett had pursued it for his own curiosity- to prove me wrong... Rosalie wouldn't be the only one with a desire to kill him.
I knew I was gaining on him; his thoughts were becoming louder and clearer.
Faster, faster, faster! I knew I was not far now- I was metres from hearing the mind of his prey. I tried to ignore Emmett's thirst and thrill of the chase- his mind was more familiar to me and therefore easier to hear. I strained my gift to reach further, my subconscious effortlessly guiding my legs over the terrain and around the dense trees.
Finally, I managed to access the scattered, panicked thoughts of Emmett's prey:
What is it?
What could this be?
I don't want to die!
I must reach Magorian- Bane- any of them.
It's gaining on us!
I don't want to die!
I must keep running- almost there!
Two minds. Both human-like, but distinctly not of the human race. What Emmett was chasing I could not tell, but my brief entry into their minds indicated four-legged, hoofed creatures of high intelligence. The situation was now dire; if Emmett was seen, captured, or attacked, the secret of our kind would not only be in jeopardy, but we would be dealing with a species we know nothing about. I did not know whether a group of these creatures would have a chance against Emmett, but I was not going to find out.
The soles of my feet could feel the vibration of their gallops and the pound of Emmett's strides. It is times like these that I am grateful for my extensive speed.
"Emmett!" I called out at a level that would be barely audible to a human.
Stop, Emmett, I prayed, but his thoughts didn't stray- he hadn't heard me.
"Emmett, stop!" I tried again. I was so close I could hear the leaves and twigs being crunched under his feet.
My brother should have heard me. He was in my sights now. Clearly his senses were so attuned to the hunt that he was unable to comprehend speech without a visual prompt. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only.
Within seconds I could see with my own eyes what was happening. My brother was careering towards a horse with arms and a torso like a human. My mind could not comprehend what exactly I was seeing; I had one chance to bring Emmett to the ground and if I failed, we could both be discovered. I needed to time it perfectly.
I tried to call his name again, but Emmett didn't respond. The creatures were getting too close to their herd. It was now or never.
I grunted as I leaped, my arms outstretched poised to grab my brother and drag him to the ground.
The sound of our bodies colliding rang out through the forest, but I didn't care; I had him.
Emmett shouted in protest and shock, and almost succeeded in throwing me off his back. But I was not letting him go. My arms were wrapped like a vice around his shoulders. I interlocked my fingers so it would be harder to for him to break free.
"Emmett, stop," I muttered into his ear. I couldn't determine whether the creatures had continued running or how much they had heard of my tackling Emmett to the ground. I wanted to remain on the ground- as still and as quiet as possible- until I was certain we remained undetected.
But Emmett had other ideas.
Growling like a bear, he attempted to stand despite my weight.
"No!" I hissed into his ear, intensifying my grip and kicking at his legs.
"Get-off!"
"Em, it's me. Calm down. It's me," I stated firmly whilst he attempted to thrash me off his back once again.
"I almost had it!" Emmett shouted through his teeth. "It would have been one of the largest meals we would have ever had!"
I sensed that my brother's conscience had returned. I slowly eased my grip on him, assessing his mood along the way given he was certainly frustrated and angry with me.
I replied as quietly as I could.
"It wasn't an animal."
Emmett raised his eyebrow at me as if I were crazy. "It sure sounded like one- perhaps you're just jealous," he accused, his playful self was thankfully resurfacing.
Realising that we were still standing and far too vulnerable in this position, I firmly grabbed Emmett's arm and dragged him deeper into the forest.
"Hey!"
"Shhh! I do not know how far they are from us."
"Edward, I could hear its hooves. It was an animal- no human could be that huge or gallop when they run," my brother insisted.
I pushed my brother up against the trunk of an oak tree so that we were hidden from where I believed the creatures were heading.
"Emmett, trust me; it wasn't an animal... or a human."
My brother opened his mouth, clearly about to protest, but no sound came out. He was gaping at me, his mind working quickly to solve the conundrum I had presented to him. After a few seconds, he connected the dots; his mind lit up with hope and his mouth formed a tremendous grin.
"What was it?" he asked, his eyes bright with excitement.
"I need to think about it. Are you ready to find Rosalie and the others?"
Oh yeah, he realised. My brother was momentarily crestfallen; dreading his wife's reaction. But then his excitement quickly took over. "Sure am. Wait til they hear about this!"
We ran back to our family. I requested Emmett lead so I could focus my attention on recalling the information I had gathered: Four hoofed legs, long-haired tail, a torso, arms... their view was higher than Emmett's which means they were very tall. Thoughts were human-like… their comrades- the faces I saw in their minds appeared human...
I had only heard of such creatures in fantasy books... if they have truly lived in our world all these years, I would need more time to fully process it.
"I believe they were Centaurs," I announced tentatively to Emmett.
"What!? Are you serious? Man they are fast." And just like that, my brother can develop the utmost respect for a species.
"And they would have known instantly that you are not human," I pointed out. I knew I should be berating him, but my mind and heart wasn't in it after discovering something so incredible. So instead, I focused my mental energy on what I knew about Centaurs. Were these Centaurs from a world of Magic? And if so, was this world the same one that boy was from? Were these Centaurs the reason so many humans had mysteriously disappeared in this forest?
"I know I should apologise, but I'm not sorry," Emmett grinned over his shoulder at me, thinking that perhaps my silence meant I was upset with him. "That was such a rush and we have found it, haven't we? That magical world?" he asked, his tone pitching with excitement.
But I didn't have the opportunity to let him know that we were on the same page and that I was pondering that very thing, because the loud and panicked thoughts of our family had suddenly flooded into my mind.
"Emmett!" Rosalie thundered, running towards us, her hands already balled into fits, her face tight with fury.
"Rose! You're never going to believe-"
"How-dare-you-do-that-to-me!" she screamed so shrill that a flock of birds fled the oaks that surrounded us.
"I'm sorry Rose, but wait until-"
"Alice couldn't See you! You-are-such-an-idiot!" she continued without taking a breath and ignoring Emmett's attempts to placate her. Like an angry child, Rosalie beat her fists against Emmett's chest with every word she uttered.
Emmett managed to grab his wife by the shoulders to hold her at arm's length. Gazing into her eyes, he noticed the hurt and fear hidden behind her rage and pulled Rose into an embrace.
"I'm sorry for upsetting you, Babe," Emmett whispered into her ear as she pressed her face into his chest. "I'm fine; Edward stopped me before anything happened."
"What in the world was he pursuing?" Alice demanded impatiently; she was not used to being blind when we hunt.
I gazed at Emmett, wondering whether he wanted to inform our family given how enthusiastic he had been seconds ago about the whole near encounter.
"You'll never guess," Emmett teased gazing at Alice over Rose's head which was still buried in his shirt.
"Well I am not in the mood to guess, Emmett! I couldn't See you for what felt like a lifetime!" Alice screamed. "What was it?" she demanded of me, her arms on her hips.
"Edward thinks they were Centaurs," Em revealed before I could answer her.
Silence.
"Centaurs?" Carlisle echoed, his voice barely audible.
"Wow," Alice managed to breathe.
"Are you sure?" Jasper asked, his eyes wide, as he imagined the creature we have only ever seen depicted in books come to life.
"Relatively certain," I answered.
"Did they see Uncle Emmett?" Renesmee asked.
"I don't believe so." They were too preoccupied with surviving, I reassured myself.
"Well that is a relief," Esme smiled gently. "Do you need more to drink?" she asked, glancing between myself and Em.
"Yeah, probably one more," Emmett answered sheepishly as Rose pulled away from him.
"Well this time, hunt something from our world, will you?" Alice snapped after Emmett as he and his wife ran towards home, intending to find something along the way.
Are you going to join us? Alice asked me, her eyes relaxed and bright now that Emmett and I were safe.
I shook my head at her, a concerned smile forming on my lips.
"Edward?" Bella ventured, walking to my side and placing her hand in mine. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing yet," I answered her honestly, "but I feel we should start heading back. If those Centaurs make an attempt to find us- not that I think they would- but if they did, they may succeed if we stay here."
"Let's follow Emmett and Rose, and we can leave as soon as they are done," Carlisle suggested. Would that give us enough time? My father queried.
I nodded at my family and then gestured to Jacob and Renesmee to lead the way.
"Are you okay?" Bella whispered as we ran, her hand clutched in mine.
"Yes," I replied, and then used my gift to scan our surrounds with utmost vigilance. If the Centaurs had decided to find Emmett, I needed as much warning as my gift could allow.
Bella squeezed my hand. "It will be okay; we will leave the forest very soon- it won't take long for Emmett to find something to feed on. Are you sure you aren't thirsty?" she asked, trying to catch my gaze.
To be honest, I did not know how thirsty I truly was. Logically speaking, I could feed on another deer given I had barely finished the deer Bella and I shared. But I was too preoccupied to focus on my thirst. I had had enough to sustain me and that was all that mattered for now.
"Positive," I assured my wife, squeezing her hand in return.
We were the last to arrive at Emmett's most recent prey, which was being quickly drained by my brother. I scanned our surroundings again, gradually pushing my gift further and further away from my family. I could not detect any sign of intelligent life.
"Edward?" Emmett offered, gesturing to the doe lying in front of him. "Do you want the last few drops?" Smelling the blood oozing from the fresh wound my brother had made, I nodded my appreciation, let go of Bella's hand, and knelt next to the creature that would provide me sustenance.
I drank deeply and closed my eyes momentarily to enjoy the calmness that came with drinking and satiating my thirst. When the doe became devoid of blood, I wiped my mouth and rose to my feet.
"Finished," I announced to my family and thanked them for waiting.
"This way," Carlisle indicated towards home.
What could it have been?
"Wait!" I hissed at my father, crouching low to the ground, poised for attack.
It has escaped far beyond my reach, I daresay.
My family had mimicked my stance, but were confused by my behaviour.
"Someone is attempting to find Emmett," I whispered through my clenched jaw. "Give me a moment," I requested, and then closed my eyes in an attempt to find their mind.
Approximately 700 metres to the east was a man walking in our direction. It was not the boy I had met 14 years prior; this man was holding a wand and possessed a long white beard. To my horror, he stopped to cast a spell that would apparently inform him of any mammals within a kilometre of him.
Ah, perhaps I have found you, the man pondered hopefully, resuming his walk more quickly in our direction. In that instant, I was aware of two things: One, we had indeed stumbled across the magical world, and two, my daughter and her husband were being tracked by a wizard.
Judging by the speed the man was walking and his distance from us, we had 10 minutes to decide our course of action. The mere fact that I had not ordered my family to run home was an evident sign of both my morbid curiosity and heart-felt hope.
"Daddy?" I heard Renesmee speaking to my left which forced me out of the man's mind and back into my own body. I grabbed onto my daughter's hand and in that instant contemplated running as far west as I could.
"What is it, Edward?" Carlisle asked, approaching me so that he was standing right before my eyes.
"Someone is trying to find, Emmett," I explained. "He will reach us in 10 minutes."
My family began talking at once. I felt it easier and more efficient to ignore all of them and continue talking.
"He is a wizard, he possesses a wand. I do not know who he is, but he is capable of detecting mammals by means of a spell-" I informed them.
"We gotta stay!" Emmett interrupted me as I knew he would.
"But what about Renesmee and Jacob?" Esme reminded Emmett who was clearly too preoccupied with meeting a wizard to remember that those 'mammals' are members of our family.
"Oh, right. Well they can stay with us- it will bring the wizard right to us. And we will be able to protect them-"
"We don't know that," Jasper intervened; his body rigid and tense with the conflicting emotional environment that was our family. "Do you See anything, Alice?"
My sister paused for a moment, her eyes glazed over whilst she gazed into our future should we choose to stay and be found.
"I do not See any danger with staying, but that doesn't mean there won't be- you know my visions can change unexpectedly!" Alice loudly reminded Emmett who seemed determined to stay irrespective of what Alice Saw.
"Okay, then Edward can stand a few feet in front of us- he will be able to tell what the wizard will do before any of us can-"
"A few feet?!" Alice replied in shock.
"Fine, a few hundred feet- whatever! Come on, guys- what are the chances someone would try to find me? This happened for a reason- I know it! Let's just see who it is. Edward doesn't have to interact with them- just catch a glimpse and then we can run home- they won't be able to catch us- no human could." It was evident that Emmett wasn't going to avoid such an incredible opportunity. His determination to stay was obvious, with or without my gift. The question was no longer whether we stay or leave, but how to keep ourselves safe during this unexpected, hoped-for encounter.
I sighed. Closing my eyes, I rubbed by forehead trying to devise a plan. I could tell, by means of my gift that my family were as curious as I was. All I needed to do was devise a plan in the next five minutes.
"Jacob, it would probably be best if you phased back into your human form just in case we are seen." Jacob nodded his agreement and then ran to a nearby tree to phase behind its trunk. "And then stand here next to Renesmee; has already detected your location and believes you are standing still. He may speed up if he notices you walking away from him."
Renesmee passed Jacob his shorts, and then the two of them stood side by side, hand in hand.
"Everyone else needs to hide behind trees, bushes, anywhere out of sight, but in front of where Jacob and Renesmee are standing. I do not believe he can detect our presence using his magic." My family immediately moved into action whilst I watched them closely to make sure the most vulnerable in our family would be well-protected should the plan turn disastrous.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Edward?" Esme asked, her hand reaching out to me as the rest of our family scattered to find appropriate places to conceal themselves.
"No," I replied honestly, "but I cannot conceive us walking away either." Esme smiled at me, her hand resting on my cheek.
Stay safe, Sweetheart.
"I will," I reassured her, and then watched with trepidation as she found Carlisle and hid behind a neighbouring tree. I glanced around the forest and noted that I could not physically see any sign of my family.
"Well done," I said at a volume too quiet for humans to hear.
Focusing my mind once again on the wizard, I noted that he was two hundred metres away. Carefully I walked towards him- every step was deliberate and considered. My body tensed as I smelt him coming closer... and closer. After thirty seconds, I stopped and stood behind a bush that would have only covered below my naval. I did not breathe as I waited for the man to walk into the clearing metres in front of me. This would allow me to see him before he could see me. I saw a glow of light, moving gradually towards me. I did not breathe as the figure finally stepped into view.
This cannot be.
While half of my mind tried to convince me that I was seeing things, the other half knew my eyes had not deceived me.
Albus Dumbledore.
I wanted to tell my family, but I knew Emmett would respond audibly which I could not risk being heard. While I was unashamedly excited to be so close to such a wizard, I also knew the boy considered him to be incredibly powerful. I needed to be cautious; if anyone had the potential to detect a vampire or defeat one, it would be this man. Dumbledore was accurate in believing he was 200 metres from Jacob and Ness, so seeing me would certainly surprise him. I did not know whether it would be wise of me to 'catch' such a man by surprise or to keep my distance. I resolved to stand my ground and counted every beat of the eighty seconds that passed before Albus Dumbledore saw me.
I heard his heart rate elevate when he laid eyes on me; there was no doubt he knew I was real and not a figment of his imagination.
This creature should not be here, he pondered, intrigued by my presence, and yet modest enough to consider whether his spell was inaccurate. He held his lit wand out in front of him. I noticed the rays of light travel through the pitch dark of the forest and landing on my chest. He could not see my face, but didn't dare raise his wand higher lest he leave his torso vulnerable to attack. He stood still, staring at me, wondering what I was and whether I would move. Then, suddenly remembering he was in a rush, his mind filled with a single, foreign word: Incarcerous which gave me two seconds to move out of the way before two ropes appeared out of nowhere and landed three metres past the location I was standing in.
Where did it go? Dumbledore wondered, knowing his spell hadn't caught me; all he could hear was silence. I walked a few metres away from the wizard to give myself time to process what all of this meant- to me, to my family, to my world and Dumbledore's. Stationing myself a good distance away, I studied the wizard's behaviour and wondered what he would make of my escaping his magic attempt to capture me. Dumbledore levitated a small branch off the ground until it landed in his hand. I barely had time to contemplate why he would do this when the branch caught fire.
I gasped without meaning to; suddenly this was a far more serious situation than I had anticipated. I did not know wizards could conjure fire from nothing. I had seconds to react before the added light Albus Dumbledore had created for himself would rest on me.
Sensing my family's understandable distress and their desire to defend themselves against this perceived attack, I spoke urgently under my breath:
"Do not say anything- do not make a sound when I tell you who it is," I warned my family as clearly but as quietly as I could. I eyed Dumbledore's gradual progress towards me- I needed to speak quickly. "The man is Albus Dumbledore and he can conjure fire. I am safe- we are safe- do not panic," I reassured my family whilst my attention remained completely absorbed with the lit branch growing closer and closer to me. I stopped talking when I felt the fiery light and its warmth on my skin. Albus Dumbledore had found me- seen me- and I could barely move in fear and anticipation of what he would do next.
Good evening, Edward.
I stared at him in an attempt to convince myself that he had moved his mouth when he spoke. But I was certain he hadn't, which meant he knew about my gift. This would have been mysterious enough, but for him to also know my name was surely impossible. I remained tense and frozen as I tried to understand any of this, but no matter what explanation I could come up with, it only led to further questions. He was smiling at me, and miraculously not afraid of my physical demeanour or my gift. I glared between him and the lit branch, completely unsure how to respond or what to do about the scene in front of me.
Albus Dumbledore noticed I was crouched low and poised to attack.
Please do not be alarmed; I wish to place an impenetrable barrier around us so we cannot be seen or heard. Please stay still, he requested. I had no idea what he needed to do to create such a barrier. How far would the barrier go? Did he believe I was there on my own? Was he still monitoring Jacob and Renesmee's whereabouts?
I realised these questions would be answered in time, and needed to prioritise shielding this encounter from any intelligent life who may complicate the situation, such as a Centaur. So instead, I focused on warning my family what was about to happen in case they were not enclosed within his magical barrier.
"I am safe. Dumbledore is going to cast a spell- let me know if you can no longer hear Dumbledore's heart beat," I told my family quickly under my breath. Dumbledore asked me to repeat myself, but I didn't answer him. Instead I waited until each member of my family acknowledged hearing my message.
I nodded at Dumbledore to show that we were ready. I attempted to monitor each of the ten intelligent minds in my presence whilst watching the wizard's every move. He was casting multiple spells inaudibly, and with each one I listened to the thoughts of my family. Thankfully his magic did not prevent me from using my gift.
"I cannot hear Renesmee and Jake!" Bella screamed, to then clap her hand over her mouth.
"Neither can I!" Alice shouted, panicked, and also momentarily forgetting we had company. Dumbledore registered their voices but could not make out what they had said.
"Is there something wr-" the wizard asked kindly, but I raised my hand quickly to indicate my desire for quiet; I was trying to focus on what to do next. I stared in the wizard's direction, the fire never leaving my sight, but my attention was focused on the heart beats of my daughter and Jacob, or rather, the lack thereof; Bella and Alice were right. It appeared the barrier Dumbledore cast had a radius of 100 metres with us at its centre. Jacob and Ness were standing fifty metres outside the 'protection' Dumbledore had placed on us.
"Could you remove the barrier, please?" I requested, my jaw clenched in anticipation, my body rigid with fear; I could not relax until I could hear my daughter's heartbeat.
"Of course," Dumbledore replied readily knowing it would not be wise to question why. Within seconds, I could hear my daughter- she and her husband apparently were not aware of what had happened. Once Bella was satisfied that the barrier had been removed, she quickly and quietly left her hiding place, found our daughter and Jake, and brought them closer so they would be within Dumbledore's barrier. When I knew every member of my family were standing within 100 metres of me, I muttered a "thank you" to Dumbledore, my eyes and all my attention now resting on his face, "you may replace the barrier now."
The wizard did as I requested despite his confusion, and as I was now at liberty to observe him more closely, I noted six separate spells being cast in order to create the barrier he spoke of. Although I felt notably calmer, I could not convince my body to relax, even slightly. I suspected my instincts forbade me from letting down my guard in the presence of fire.
"Is there something bothering you, Edward?" Dumbledore asked calmly, and then took a step towards me, apparently concerned. Instinctively, I glanced at the hot, flamed branch in his hand, and then looked back at him. Although the fire was unpleasant to me, I sensed that the wizard was using it for additional lighting; he was not aware that fire was part of the method that destroys us. I glanced at his face and was certain the warmth and good nature I felt from him was genuine. I allowed myself to be assured of our safety with the wizard, and instead returned to pondering a more interesting topic: I knew his name because of my gift, but how was he able to know the same of me?
"You recognise me," I observed, though I was completely puzzled as to how this could be possible.
The wizard chuckled. I forced myself to stay calm; I could tell by his body language and the nature of his mind that his laughter was not in ill-humour.
"My knowledge of you would be understandably confusing. Please accept my sincerest apologies for not explaining myself, Edward," he replied, and then bowed briefly towards him. "I am fortunate to possess an incredibly rare relic from my world known as a 'Pensieve'. A Pensieve is a vessel that allows someone to observe a memory that has been willingly and magically extracted from a witch or wizard. In this situation," he explained, with a smile that reflected the joy Jasper could feel emanating from him, "Severus organised a meeting with me after your conversation, during which he showed me his memory of you. Through this process, I was able to see what you look like, and due to my standing close to the pub's door, I heard a female call out your name during your conversation with him."
I allowed Dumbledore's words to wash over me and heard my family similarly process what he had said. I could not help but trust him as I had no grounds upon which to refute his explanation. I felt pleasantly stunned; I could not believe that the boy I met 14 years ago would tell Albus Dumbledore of our meeting. He chose to live.
I forced my body to relax so I could stand upright, an action that signified to my family and Dumbledore that I no longer felt threatened and could resume my 'human' persona. I allowed myself to smile at this extraordinary set of circumstances whilst listening to all the thoughts around me, which I had previously ignored in favour of ensuring our safety with Albus Dumbledore. All I could hear however was Emmett's incessant and repeated question:
Can we come out now? Can we talk yet? Can we move? I allowed myself to laugh, but didn't want to worry Dumbledore excessively by my sudden change in demeanour. I decided I better speak, for the wizard's sake as well as the rest of my family, so they knew it was safe to be themselves now.
"Yes, Emmett," I sighed, my eyes rolling at him in playful humour.
"Yes!" Emmett shouted from my left and leapt out from behind the bush he was crouched behind. Suddenly, my brother was standing next to me, and Dumbledore immediately registered that we were of the same species despite stark differences in our appearance. Dumbledore had just observed our identical iris colour when my brother stepped forward, his hand outstretched for the elderly wizard to take.
"The name's Emmett Cullen," he grinned. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Albus Dumbledore."
I started, but tried not to utter a sound. I focused my energy on the wizard's mind to see how he would cope with Emmett's knowledge of him when mere minutes ago, Dumbledore was under the belief that I was meeting him for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised to detect an air of amusement from the wizard; he knew Emmett was being friendly- he didn't take his knowledge to be a threat, just a confusing matter he wanted to understand better.
"I am sorry, I-" Dumbledore responded, a small smile on his lips as he glanced at Emmett's hand and his own.
"Ah crap, talk about stupid," Emmett muttered unashamedly, and then without hesitation gently reached out to prise the burning branch out of Dumbledore's left hand, and then held out his hand once again for Dumbledore to shake.
"Thank you," the wizard chuckled, and then willingly placed his hand in Emmett's. He noted that Emmett had cold skin and a very firm, enthusiastic handshake.
"Be careful, Emmett," I warned my brother, taking steps towards the pair to show Dumbledore that I had heard his discomfort.
"Oh- right- sorry!" Emmett then loosened his grip and gradually lowered his hand to his side, the burning branch being held effortlessly in his left. "I'll hold this for you," he insisted, and then jumping- almost skipping away from us towards the rest of our family, he stated:
"See guys? I was right! I knew we had a chance of finding him again, and it's all thanks to me!"
Not humble at all, is he? Dumbledore observed in good humour, and then glanced at me to see how I was responding to this unexpected meeting. I must have looked impassive because the wizard couldn't determine how I was feeling. In truth, I was preoccupied by the rest of my family who were gradually leaving their hiding locations to introduce themselves to Dumbledore. I was glad that Emmett was still holding the fiery branch just in case the wizard felt threatened being surrounded unexpectedly by ten non-human creatures.
I watched as Dumbledore's eyes widened as he watched my family approach him from out of the woodwork. He concluded that his presence was well received by most members of my family which confirmed his instinct that he was safe with us despite our other-worldly appearance and large number.
Dumbledore's mind was filled with various thoughts and observations of us. I stood there, appreciating the cognitive climate around me as I listened. Suddenly, the wizard caught my attention, undoubtedly without meaning to: I was hoping for a miracle, but this has far exceeded my hopes. I did not have an opportunity to process this before Esme began the series of introductions.
As I suspected, my family took it in turns introducing themselves to this incredibly powerful and intelligent wizard with all the honour and respect he was due. I was delighted to hear that his respect for us, which seemed to grow from love rather than fear, was equal to our own.
Jasper approached Albus Dumbledore evidently tense. He was not anxious as he appeared, but attempting to maintain his composure despite the multitude of (primarily) positive emotions he felt from all of us. Unfortunately, as is often the case, Jasper's stiff demeanour appears rather different to how he feels, and this moment was no exception.
"The respect and admiration travels both ways," my brother told Dumbledore, his voice steady and matter-of-fact to reflect the seriousness of his words. "My name is Jasper," he stated, holding out his hand for Dumbledore to shake.
"Please forgive me if I am being intrusive, but do you feel well?" the wizard replied, evidently concerned in the narrowing his brow and the way he examined Jasper over his half-moon spectacles.
Jasper released Dumbledore's hand before replying with a brief smile. "I am very well, thank you," he responded with polite restraint. Dumbledore was not entirely convinced and wanted to ask further questions, but was distracted by Alice's incessant bouncing; she was next in line to meet him.
"Hi! My name is Alice, and I am so relieved I can See whilst in your presence; I was growing concerned," she informed Dumbledore brightly without any apparent concern that her words wouldn't make much sense to him.
"I am happy for you," he replied, hiding his confusion well and shaking her hand.
"Me too! I am so excited," Alice compulsively responded, too thrilled to notice that she was being 'a bit much'. I chuckled; I suppose I wouldn't expect anything less from my sister.
Emmett then introduced Rosalie to our new acquaintance which could have gone better to say the least. After unintentionally making Dumbledore feel uncomfortable by not accepting the handshake he offered, Rosalie recovered quite well and surprisingly managed to smooth things over without my intervention.
Finally, it was my turn to introduce Bella, Renesmee, and Jacob to Albus Dumbledore, who greeted them with ease and pleasure.
"I envy you, my dear," Dumbledore informed my daughter, appreciating how warm her hand felt within his, "to be so warm on a night like this." And yet, his cognitive analysis of the situation did not miss a thing; he knew Ness and Jacob were not the same species as myself and the rest of my family. He also realised that Renesmee and Jacob were likely the 'mammals' he had been tracking through the forest. I couldn't help but silently praise him for being able to hold in mind all that has occurred on this one evening, and there was still more to come.
In the seconds it took for Albus Dumbledore to glance at his watch and calculate how long he could spare to speak with us (only 20 minutes, he concluded reluctantly), my family agreed that Carlisle would resume his role as the head of our family despite my doing most of the talking up to this point. This would also give me the opportunity to listen more closely to the workings of Dumbledore's mind; in case we never met again, I wanted to use my time to learn as much as I could about him and his world.
"I hope you do not mind my suggesting the topics we discuss at this point in time. I can only afford to speak with you for another twenty minutes before I must return to my school, and there are at least a couple of things I must mention to you before I leave," Dumbledore began, speaking rather formally now.
My father readily provided his assent; the respect and warmth he felt towards the gentleman was ever-present in his mind.
Having been provided with the opportunity to start wherever he desired, I saw Dumbledore sift through various topics to decide where to begin. After a few seconds, he began:
"As Edward may have ascertained when he first met Severus, our world is bound by a Statute of Secrecy. It is, perhaps, the sole reason why witches and wizards have been able to successfully live amongst non-magical people since the beginning of time... we are not permitted to speak of, or demonstrate our magical ability to those who do not belong to our world except in exceptional circumstances. I am hoping you will all readily agree to keep the existence of our world a secret, as I will for you."
"Most certainly; we have kept our knowledge of your world a secret these past 14 years and we have no intention of changing our ways," Carlisle replied on behalf of our family.
I watched with trepidation as Dumbledore briefly recalled seeing animal carcasses lying haphazard in the underbrush when he was walking through the forest in search of Emmett. Such scenes had my family written all over it.
"I noticed that you do not eat meat," he observed casually as if this fact did not bother him, though I could tell in his heart that he did not want to be neither offensive nor intrusive in his observation. What are these magnificent beings? Dumbledore wondered, and hoped our diet would give him a clue.
I felt my entire family shift uncomfortably, myself included; it isn't often that we discuss the matter of our diet with someone outside of the Vampire/Quiluete world. Despite this collective reaction, Dumbledore was only focused on my father; presumably due to his expecting the head of the family to answer such a query. In due course, Carlisle met Dumbledore's gaze, his mind uncertain how to respond to such an observation.
"No, we do not eat meat, with the exception of Renesmee and Jacob," he eventually managed to say. I could tell my father was not yet willing to volunteer information.
"I see..." he replied politely. Perhaps my curiosity will not be satisfied tonight, Dumbledore considered, resigned to remaining ignorant for a while longer. Feeling his genuine curiosity and the respect he felt towards us, I felt compelled to interject.
"You are welcome to ask us," I offered, unable to resist satisfying the intellectual curiosities of the wizard.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, and interpreted correctly that such an offer would only arise out of mutual trust and respect. I suppressed a smile as Dumbledore gently berated himself for momentarily forgetting that I could hear his thoughts. It was not lost on me that the wizard noted that this gift of mine would be a topic of more serious discussion next time we meet- a thought that both excited and concerned me.
"Excellent," Dumbledore replied, smiling gratefully at me. "Well, I do not mean to be rude, but I am incredibly interested to better understand what you are," he said, returning his gaze back to Carlisle.
Have you been able to hear his intent, Edward? How much should I reveal?
My father was not the only one concerned by Dumbledore's direct question; every member of my family was concerned (for different reasons) about the impact the truth could have on us, our safety, and the relationship that had barely formed between our coven, Dumbledore, and dare we say- Severus.
I walked to Carlisle's side, and answered my family's collective question in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear: "I believe he will be accepting of us."
Most of my family were willing to take the risk, in the hope that we, in turn, would learn more about the magical world we had literally stumbled upon. I briefly glanced into Alice's mind and noted that she didn't See any negative consequences arising from us telling Dumbledore the truth.
And if you're wrong? Rosalie hissed at me.
"If I am mistaken, then we can go our separate ways and keep one another's secrets," I added firmly.
"I certainly hope it will not come to that," Dumbledore helpfully contributed. "Please give me some information about what you are- your world and your lives- I would appreciate a different topic upon which to ponder tonight," he encouraged us, hoping correctly, that this would ease some of my family's anxiety.
Carlisle was softened by Dumbledore's humbleness and sense of humour. Now that he could readily identify with the wizard, this allowed him to reply without hesitation:
"A very brief description, then," my father offered. "I am the oldest individual here- I am certainly older than you, Albus," Carlisle smiled which Dumbledore returned wondering how old Carlisle could be given his apparent physical age. "My family," Carlisle continued, gesturing towards us, "have lived co-operatively together for a number of years. It is difficult for our species to do this given we are... predators," he explained delicately. "However, we are different from the majority of our species because we have a slightly different diet; instead of human blood, we drink animal blood... we are... vampires," Carlisle finished.
I get the sense that they feel this is semblance of a sin. I was astonished to realise the depth of Dumbledore's observation; we certainly see our hunting behaviour as sinful, even when we need to kill animals for our own sustenance.
"We are vegetarian vampires," Emmett muttered, embarrassment and fear clouding his thoughts. He did not want Dumbledore to be frightened or to despise us. I said nothing, hoping that the man himself would reassure my family of his ongoing respect and willingness to know us better.
But Dumbledore gazed around our family circle, scrutinising our faces, and discovered with shock that none of us appeared comfortable being a vampire. Instead, he sensed significant shame, which he was not expecting at all. And unbeknownst to him, there was fear too- that this perfect opportunity to learn more about Severus and the magical world would be taken away from us all too quickly. And Emmett wasn't the only one who felt this way- in fact, everyone but Rosalie were waiting with stilled fear for Dumbledore's reaction.
It felt like several minutes before the man responded to Carlisle and Emmett with a broad smile and a brief chuckle.
"Please relax; you seem incredibly uncomfortable and for reasons I do not quite understand," he warmly observed. "As you well know, my first impression of your species was founded on the way one of you went to great lengths to gently and sensitively save one of my own," he paused briefly to tilt his head towards me. I felt his genuine, heart-felt gratitude for my intervention fourteen years previously. "I also feel it wise to inform you that my world also possesses a number of magical creatures that pose a threat to us- to humans, that is. Our differences are what make us unique, after all," he professed in an attempt to convey his warm acceptance of us.
I heard and felt a ripple of hopeful smiles spread throughout my family; Alice and Emmett's excitement was barely containable. I felt my chest lift with hope; so far our decision to stay had been worthwhile.
"Thank you for your kind words," Carlisle bowed towards the wizard, his joy evident in the thoughts that swirled through his mind. "We very rarely find the need to inform others of what we are... I am relieved that this moment has been a positive one so far."
"I am certain it will continue to be so," Dumbledore replied without a doubt evident in his mind. He then vocalised his previous observation that Jacob and Renesmee do not possess the honey coloured irises of the rest of my family. Having already prepared my response I answered on behalf of my father: "We may have to save Jacob's ancestry for another time, but Renesmee is half-human, half-vampire; Bella gave birth to her before- before she transitioned." Although it has been many years since the traumatic process that was Renesmee's birth and Bella's transition to a vampire, I still found it difficult to discuss the topic, and this time was no different. I averted my gaze from Dumbledore, feeling as powerfully as I did that day, the shame in turning my beautiful wife into a monstrous creature.
"I look forward to finding out more about all of you," Dumbledore continued, wisely deciding not to address my evident discomfort. Quite unexpectedly, the elderly wizard clapped his hands louder than I would have expected and then exclaimed in a manner that reflected a much younger man: "What a privilege this is!"
My family and I laughed with appreciation; we couldn't agree more. But then our hearts collectively sank when he glanced down at his watch. I saw in his mind that he had ten minutes to spare. Dumbledore then offered us an opportunity that we all, in our own ways, were desperate to accept:
"I imagine you may wish to ask a question, or perhaps several," he stated, curious what we were thinking; our restraint and silence intrigued him and it was clear he was as interested in us as we were in him and his world.
"Oh, let me!" Emmett volunteered himself, unable to resist the urge. "Severus is still alive, right?"
Dumbledore chuckled and I briefly saw Severus appear in his mind's eye- the 'boy' I recall meeting was now a man and he appeared highly displeased. Apparently our new acquaintance did not believe Severus would appreciate how much my family hoped to meet him.
"Yes, he certainly is," Dumbledore confirmed which excited us to new levels. "In fact, he is a member of my teaching staff now, and you could find him if you walked two kilometres east of here," Dumbledore enticed us. "However," he added quickly, "I feel it would be best we wait for a more appropriate time."
"Do you think we will have the chance to meet him one day?" my daughter asked, her eyes wide with hope.
"I certainly hope so," Dumbledore replied sincerely, however I could sense his doubt that such a meeting would be agreed to by the man in question. The wizard, ever aware of my gift, realised that I would have heard his doubts, and briefly asked me not to share this with my family; he did not want them to feel disappointed before he had even mentioned our meeting to Severus. I readily agreed with a nod of my head, but Dumbledore did not see me as he continued: "But I am afraid I must return to our present situation to inform you, before I forget, that I must discourage you from returning to this forest-"
"Oh dear, we didn't cause you too much trouble, I hope?" my mother interjected, concerned that our family had inconvenienced Dumbledore significantly but was too polite to discuss it with us.
"No, not at all," he insisted, sincere in his response. "However, I have given the Centaur herd that inhabits this forest permission to discipline, capture, attack, or kill you should they ever find you. Of course, I did not know exactly what I was agreeing to at that time, and in retrospect I feel their lives will be at greater risk than yours, should they attempt any of those things. Nonetheless, Centaurs are a rare and endangered species in our world, so I hope you will endeavour to avoid you're meeting with them in future; I cannot see it ending well. I trust you all understand my concerns." Despite the serious nature of his request, the wizard gazed at us warmly; already certain of our agreement before we could even reply.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Emmett said looking appropriately abashed. "I thought they were a pair of stags. I would have caught them too if it weren't for Edward tackling me to the ground," he explained, as he momentarily grieved over losing such a tremendous catch.
Ah, so that's what happened, Dumbledore thought to himself; the hypothesis formed by Frederick and Isaac was close to the truth after all.
I could only assume Frederick and Isaac were the Centaurs Emmett was chasing. Knowing that they had human-sounding names reminded me how important it was to remind my brother of the intelligent life he was pursuing.
"I would similarly prefer we did not repeat tonight's hunting 'adventure', Emmett. That was far too close for comfort," I scolded him now given I was too preoccupied with my thoughts at the time to properly reprimand him for losing his senses.
"The Centaurs were okay, right?" Alice asked.
"They were understandably terrified and exhausted, but very glad to be alive. I happened to be in the forest when they located the rest of their herd and told them of a very fast, mysterious predator lurking nearby. Merlin, if only they knew," the wizard laughed as he imagined how the Centaurs would react to seeing us and us, them. I sensed from Dumbledore that Centaurs would not be inclined to keep our secret, which prompted me to promise the man that it wouldn't happen again.
"We will hunt elsewhere," Carlisle reassured the wizard. We heard Dumbledore breathe a sigh of relief; he did not have time to convince us of the dangers we may encounter if we ventured into the forest again.
"Could- could I ask you something quickly?" asked Renesmee quietly. Dumbledore started, his eyes shifting between us to discover who spoke. Renesmee then identified herself and the man readily welcomed her question.
"Has the- has the Dark Wizard returned?"
Dumbledore's surprise was clear- his eyes were wide and his heart-rate increased. Severus believed the Dark Lord to be dead when we met, which meant our current belief that the Dark Wizard could return did not come from Severus' mind. Dumbledore couldn't begin to account for how we could know of this possibility when Severus' mind was none the wiser.
"How do you know-"
"We happened to take a small detour through a place known as Godric's Hollow prior to meeting Severus," I interrupted, knowing exactly what he would ask. "A woman named Bathilda had received a message from you- you had informed her of your concerns."
"My goodness, you have had quite an exposure to our world," the wizard laughed, smiling in admiration of 'the powers that be' that brought me to Severus at a time of need, and was now bringing me and my family back to his world. Dumbledore felt our meeting tonight was nothing short of a miracle, and I couldn't agree more.
"Not that we are complaining!" Emmett assured the gentleman, his eyes alight in the glow of the flaming branch still being held in his hand.
"So, were your concerns founded?" Rosalie asked, bringing us back on topic.
Dumbledore sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. He has returned, though is thankfully remaining 'underground' so to speak." He shook his head. "It is quite a mess, actually. It will take a good few minutes to update you, but in short, I feel a war will soon be upon my world."
"Oh dear," Esme whispered.
"We will manage it somehow," the wizard reassured her. "And on that note, I need to leave shortly," he informed us and then briefly glanced down at his watch once again. "How long do you plan to stay in Scotland?"
"A number of years, we hope," answered Carlisle.
"Excellent. Now, please forgive my rudeness, but could I be so bold as to invite myself to your home? Assuming- assuming you have one, of course?" Dumbledore hesitated, unsure of how we lived day-to-day.
"You would be very welcome, Albus," Carlisle smiled, knowing he spoke on behalf of all of us who were desperate to learn more about him and his world.
Jasper quickly retrieved a small notepad and pen from his jacket, wrote down our home address, and passed it to Dumbledore. It was clear the wizard was keen for us to meet again by expressing his hope he could visit us at 10am the following morning.
"So soon?" Alice asked to confirm she had heard correctly.
"Certainly; you cannot expect me to survive too long without knowing more about you, can you?" Dumbledore winked at her, and she laughed.
"Nor us about you," Jasper answered, and then shook the wizard's hand.
"And Severus," Alice added, shaking his hand too.
"There is much to discuss, I'm sure," Dumbledore allowed, and then proceeded to shake hands with the rest of my family. He informed us that he would "send an owl" later tonight to confirm his intentions and explained how we could retrieve the letter from the creature and send a note back if we desired. My family were dumbstruck that owls were capable of finding any creature, no matter their species or location- that they could understand English- that there were whole civilisations who continued to use the equivalent of a homing pigeon despite the existence of mobile phones. Dumbledore was waiting for confirmation that we understood his instructions, so I forced myself out of the minds of my family to reply:
"Yes, your instructions make perfect sense. Thank you."
"Excellent, and now I must regrettably leave you and pretend that this conversation never happened."
We shared an appreciative laugh, and then Jasper insisted we would similarly keep the wizarding world a secret. Once Emmett passed the lit branch back to Dumbledore, the wizard walked back the way he came and the shield he placed around us presumably vanished.
I don't believe my family have ever felt so elated and fulfilled upon returning from a hunting trip. We were speaking hurriedly and quietly the entire way home, and those who were not actively conversing were silently pondering various facts about Albus Dumbledore ranging from the length of his visit tomorrow, to imagining him engaging in a magical duel. We were desperate to return home to the privacy of our house where we could more openly discuss what we had learnt.
After having a lively discussion that lasted for hours, we collaborated in making a list of questions we wanted to ask the wizard in order of priority, so no time would be wasted thinking, arguing, or fussing over wording. Bella, Esme, and I shopped for basic food supplies (the fridge and pantry were empty) whilst Renesmee and Jacob prepared for bed. Jacob had already provided his list of hoped-for snacks, to which we also added a couple of items we hoped Dumbledore may enjoy. When we returned home, Carlisle was holding a letter whilst the remainder of our family crowded around him. Before I could walk through the front door, I had seen several times what was written; Dumbledore was confirming his visit tomorrow which created an excitement in my family I had not felt or heard in many years.
"I can't believe he's actually coming!" Renesmee squealed in greeting the instant we walked through the door.
"It's times like these that I wish I was a bloodsucker just so I could stay up all night to think of more questions- I'm not going to be able to sleep!" Jacob informed us as if he had already decided against resting.
"But you both need sleep and tonight is no exception; we've had a huge couple of days with packing and moving and flying, so it's time to go to bed," Bella told them firmly. "We promise to keep the noise down-"
"You don't get it, Bells- I want to be making the noise with you guys! Who knows how much you will discuss during the eight hours we are asleep!" Jacob groaned, longing to be a part of the 'action'.
"If we make any incredible discoveries, I'll wake you up- don't worry!" Emmett shouted from across the living room.
"You will not!" Bella called back, and then gave Renesmee a goodnight hug. "Think of it like Christmas; the sooner you fall asleep the sooner tomorrow will come."
"Aw, Bells, seriously? This is a thousand times better than anything Christmas could bring!"
"He's right, Bella; this is a trillion times better than any Christmas I have ever Seen!" Alice chimed back.
"And filled with far more joy-" Jasper joined in, teasingly.
"You are all poor excuses for Aunts and Uncles!" Bella shouted, partly serious but mostly amused. "Seriously, you don't want to be tired when Dumbledore arrives. At least try to fall asleep, please?"
"We will, Momma," Renesmee promised and then kissed us both goodnight. "Come on, Jake, let's see how soft the bed is."
Jacob, who had been staring avidly at the piece of paper Jasper was now contributing too, snapped his attention back to his wife. He had a thought (of which I could easily guess), but then hid it from me. Silently he held onto Renesmee's hand, his black eyes briefly gazing into mine, before wishing our family goodnight and together making their way upstairs.
Within an hour, Jacob and Renesmee were peacefully sleeping, while we did our best to speak out of their earshot. Our list had grown rather long, so we spent most of our time re-writing our questions in order of priority. Jacob was right; the process was incredibly exciting and challenging too. We didn't come up with any profound questions, so we agreed it was best to spare Renesmee and Jacob the grief of knowing how much fun they missed out on. While some members of my family continued to discuss all the possibilities that tomorrow may entail, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle began to unpack boxes so our home looked somewhat presentable for our esteemed visitor. I, on the other hand, began to unpack my books in search of my Latin dictionary. Based on the few spells I heard in Dumbledore's mind, I thought revising my Latin wouldn't go astray; I wanted to learn more about what he was saying and what each spell did. Bella sat with me as I searched for the relevant Latin words I remembered hearing and then shared with her the name of the spells Dumbledore casted and their likely function.
We were so engrossed in discussing spells with each other and later with our family that morning arrived sooner than we had expected. Whilst Jacob and Renesmee read over the list of questions we had created, the rest of us were focused on tidying up our home in preparation for a much anticipated visit from Albus Dumbledore.