"Nightmare again?" Dreogan turned to Charles' voice.
Dreogan nodded, picking up an item from a stall, in Truro's magical street. The clay mug transformed into a dancing clay pigeon before his eyes.
"Same dream or different?" Charles pressed.
"Same dream again and again. Every. Fucking. Night for a week now", Dreogan placed the item back on the stall, moving on to another one.
"That sounds strange, even for the wizarding dream, no? I mean the exact same dream?"
"I don't think it is just a dream. I think my brother is somehow involved."
"How? I mean you must be tens if not hundreds of miles apart!"
"Not all spells and magic require close proximity to work. I remember a spell he once tested at me. He used it to transfer emotions from me to him and vice versa. Sometimes we were in his room and sometimes he was in Hogwarts and I was in the Manor."
"Why would he even care for your emotions?" Charles asked, perplexed.
"Because what better for a psychopath than to be able not only to see the suffering he's causing in his victim's eyes but to also enjoy that suffering by feeling it?"
"That's…that's just…" His voice trailed, failing to find the word he was searching for.
"Sick?" Emerick piped in.
"Depraved and void of a moral compass?" Claudia asked next.
"Moral compass is not something Azrail or my family is known for."
"Is it the same building every time, or different one?"
"Same one", Dreogan nodded.
"Which building is it, do you know?" Claudia enquired.
"My mum would probably ask you about your subconscious and what you think it's expressing through that dream, but it doesn't sound like a typical dream…" Charles' voice trailed again.
"I have no doubt my subconscious is messed up in more ways than one, but I don't think this is a dream. No, I think this is my brother messing with me, taunting me or trying to manipulate me."
"But why? It's not Hogwarts, is it?"
"It's not. It's surrounded by other more modern buildings and some older ones."
"I thought you could only see the one building?" Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Most times it is the one building, other times it's in the middle of a city, but everything else is foggy and without colour and texture, black, bleak and stale."
"Does he want you to find out which building it is? Does he somehow expect you should know which one it is?" Claudia asked, picking up an item he left down. "Perhaps you can prevent its destruction if you understand which building it is."
"Can I? All I know is this is annoying me quite a lot."
"You could notify the Ministry's authorities, no?" Emerick stated, hesitantly.
"The same Ministerial authorities that have thus far been completely incapable of apprehending him and my father?" Dreogan shrugged. "Besides, somehow I don't think "I saw it in a dream" will convince a lot of people."
"What else can we do?" Charles' voice cracked.
"I don't know. I mean if I knew which building it even is, I could try mailing the Ministry."
"I think I'll buy this vanishing cloud generator!" Alfred said, shaking the object which produced copious amounts of wispy blue and white clouds.
"Wait until you get to Hogwarts, second or third year you learn a spell which can help you make the clouds, actually, rain!" Dreogan winked at the boy who grinned widely.
Couple of hours later they left their purchases at home before heading to the beach.
"It's so hot! And there's no wind…", William whined.
"Pity we have the trace on our wands, otherwise I could conjure up some good waves for us", Claudia dipped her feet in the lukewarm water.
"Trace?" Charles asked.
"Yeah, spell by the Ministry, placed on the wands of underage witches and wizards which track the use of magic, especially in front of muggles, outside of Hogwarts. Do so without a life-threatening reason and you're expelled."
"Well, that sucks", Charles stated, falling back in the sea.
Dreogan lunged head-first in the crystal blue waters, swimming out to where his feet couldn't touch the bottom.
Taking a deep breath in he dived under the surface, reaching the bottom he grabbed hold of a large rock's edge, keeping him under, floating there, feeling weightless, serene, and peaceful. The light-play on the surface refracting on his skin.
A magical water creature swam near him, top part that of a sea horse, with hues of green ivory and black eyes, bottom part with an elongated, diaphanous, dolphin-like tail, sizing at about the palm of his hand.
After making a few loops around him, it settled on his open, free hand, nuzzling him with its snout.
He laughed, sending bubbles to the surface.
Running out of air, he brought his hand near his eyes, for a last inspection of the creature, before pushing with his feet up against the sea-floor and giving himself a push up to the surface.
The creature swam with him a way before turning around and vanishing into the distant blue.
Coming ashore Claudia splashed water at him. He reciprocated, laughing and run at her.
She gave a squeal trying to evade him, in her teal and blue bikini, with water and foam ejecting around her slender legs and behind her as she tried to spray Dreogan, discourage him from reaching her.
Dreogan pushed ahead, only to see Emerick tackle her into the water, Claudia going "You are not going to caaaaa…." And ending in a distinctive splash and welp.
"We should name us the raptor gang", Charles laughed, one hunts, leading the prey animal into the path of the second raptor, and the third swooping in to enjoy the kill of the other two", He said and with a giggle fit he dived at his friends tickling vulnerable ribs and sides.
Dreogan let go of Claudia's feet and reached around aiming for Charles, passing one hand around his torso, under his armpits pulling him underwater, while his left hand tickled his waist.
There were two screams, like warrior battle cries and not two seconds the bodies of William and Alfred, very much in rows of laughter descended on them. "Surrender, mere mortals! Wolfric and Alfric are upon you!"
Claudia having recovered, with Emerick having turned his attention to trying to dunk Dreogan, directed her body to the two boys, grabbing one with each hand, her nibble fingers attacking their armpits and ribcage.
Their play continued for hours until it was time to depart for home and dinner, picnic lunch having disappeared long ago into ravenous mouths (and tummies).
After the roast lamb and baby potatoes had vanished, Helen and Peter lay on the living room sofa talking as the bots cleaned the table and washed the dishes, William and Alfred had gone upstairs to prepare for bedtime and the three boys and Claudia sat on the floor playing cards.
"I think I'll turn in early, today. Haven't exactly been sleeping well lately. Night everyone", After making the rounds hugging, and kissing cheeks he headed for the stairs.
"I'll turn in as well, I thi…" His sentence cut short when he bumped onto Dreogan, who had stopped still like a pillar of salt in the middle of living room.
"Oh, sorry. What's up?" He said steadying himself.
"This is it. This is the building!" He exclaimed, pointing at the folded Daily Prophet in the newspapers' basket by the end of the sofa.
Bending down he picked it up, unfolding it.
"That's the flipping Ministry of Magic! How on Earth does he intent to destroy the most heavily fortified building in Britain…other than Hogwarts!?" Charles cried.
"He managed to steal something from the department of Mysteries, last year", Dreogan reminded him with a shrug.
"True but still…where are you going now?"
"Write a letter", Dreogan walked fast up the stairs.
"Gggoragmm whaaat?" He woke up, grudgingly to Claudia's prods and whispering .
"Hummp…what time is it?"
"Stupid o'clock, come on there's Aurors from the Ministry here asking to see you", She replied, sounding worried.
"That didn't take them long!" Dreogan shot up from the bed, his eyes now fully opened, his mind awake.
"I'll wait for you outside", She said, seeing his naked torso, and cotton bottoms.
"Go down, I'll be right there", He waited for her to get out, put on a pair of brown jeans and cyan tee and run downstairs.
In the living room, sitting around the large rectangular table Dreogan saw, Claudia, Charles, Emerick, Charles' parents and two more men. The Aurors he guessed.
"Dreogan Gaunt?" A tall black man asked him, his head shaved with a trimmed beard. His body looking slim under the purple and black robes.
"Yes?"
"You wrote a letter to the Minister himself", A second man, white with short black hair and narrow face with bulky belly and arms.
"Yes", Dreogan was feeling increasingly nervous over where this line of questioning was going and the Aurors' tone of voice.
"Are you planning an attack on the Ministry, or the Minister himself?"
"You don't have to answer their questions", Peter said, sitting to his left and across from the Aurors.
"Who are you?" The first Auror to speak, asked.
"Peter Blake, lawyer", Peter replied.
"Muggle laws don't…" The bulky belly one tried to say.
"I've studied all your wizarding laws, or do you think I'd send my child to a place I did not know its rules and laws?" Peter cut him off, his voice stern.
Dreogan's jaw slacked as Charles snorted trying to hide a smirk.
"So, he does not have to answer your questions", Peter said, kneading his fingers together, his elbows on the green glass table, looking relaxed.
"I don't have any such plan, no", Dreogan shook his head.
"Have you had any correspondence with your father or siblings?"
"So, does this mean the Ministry, finally, admits they are alive?" Dreogan threw in his question. "No, none whatsoever."
"Do you know where they are?" The Aurors took turns speaking and asking questions.
"I'd have told you if I did."
"In your letter you wrote of an imminent attack on the Ministry."
"Yes."
"How do you know this?"
"My…my brother sort of told me."
"Sort of? You just said you haven't had any correspondence with either your father or your siblings", The black-skinned Auror pressed him.
"I haven't spoken to him. He…I…"
"Yes? Out with it, boy!" Dreogan crouched back on his chair.
"He showed me the Ministry blowing up in a dream."
"In a dream? You are joking. You wasted our time, because of a dream?" The Aurors displayed their anger.
"I didn't waste shit! I wrote everything in the fucking letter. It's not my fault if you and your superiors lack the ability to read", It was Dreogan's turn to lose his temper and Claudia's turn to snort.
If Peter thought anything of the conversation, or its conclusion he showed none of it on his face while Helen moved her hand in front of her face, as if to scratch off her nose.
"We are done here, good day", The bulky guy said standing up.
The two Aurors left.
"They won't do nothing more, will they?" It was not much of a question.
"Not much to go on, only a letter from a close relative of two criminals and no credible evidence.
"I'm not lying!"
"I wasn't suggesting you were, but authorities require more than a child's letter to investigate matters as severe as what you're talking about."
"You mean a child's dream…but it's not a dream, I know it's not", Dreogan hang his head, rubbing the sleepiness off his eyes.
"Can't be easily doable", Charles entertained the idea. "How would he even do it? Blow up the building housing Britain's Magical government?"
"Not easy? Try nigh impossible. Background checks, layers of security and spell wards", Claudia chipped in. "After the attacks begun and last year's heist, it is difficult even for the employees to get in every morning and leave every night. Or so my dad has told me."
"Ethel's mum was saying the ministry is surveilling everyone, nowadays. Rumours probably", Emerick said.
"That would be bad…" Dreogan's voice trailed, his stomach waking up.
"And exactly what someone like your…family could use to gather support", Peter commented.
"My family's supporters aren't constrained in the UK."
"Now, that is bad…" Charles said.
"You have no idea…"
"How about we leave this dreary talk for another time, and you all come and eat breakfast? I was thinking since we're all more or less up so early, we can go to Charmouth for some fossils hunting", Helen stood up from the table.
"As in actual, real fossils?" Dreogan asked, obviously with interest peaked.
"Yep!" Charles grinned. "Oh, you'll love this!" He jumped up.
Claudia stood up, also excited by this, although she didn't voice her excitement as the others did.
Four hours later, as Dreogan was half swimming with Claudia, Emerick and the younger Blake boys and half hunting for fossils already having found some rather intact ammonites, he saw Charles pick up a bouquet of snow-white lilies growing on the sand banks. Walking over to his mum, sitting on a towel he gave them to her.
She gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek.
Smiling he headed back to his friends.
"I found another ammonite!" Dreogan yelled.
"Oooh! A wee one but it's intact!" Alfred commented.
"I want one!" William whined having been unable to find any so far.
"Let's go find some, then", Dreogan told the young boy who gave him a hearty, toothy smile.
Their search and play carried for another couple of hours.
"Boys gather your things. We need to get going!" Helen called out for them.
"And girl", Claudia said.
"And girl, sorry dear."
"I'm hungry!" Alfred announced.
"Whenever are you not!" Charles teased him.
"Dork!"
"Half-pint!" Charles chuckled.
"Look who's talking!" Dreogan teased his friend.
"Jerk! Says the guy who eats a whole pie on his own!"
"Boys…" Claudia and Helen quipped at the same time, making them all laugh.
"Not my fault! Tell the Hogwarts kitchen staff not to make them steak and kidney pies so damn good!"
"You lot intend to get in the car or shall I drive to Jeremy's on my own?" Helen entered the driver's seat.
"Jeremy's!" William and Alfred chimed simultaneously.
"It's like having two younger, more energetic copies of Charles…however that is even possible!" Dreogan laughed.
"Yeah, but not quite."
Having been, well, fed they returned home.
William and Alfred slumped on the sofa, holding their tummies, purring like satisfied kittens.
Emerick headed for the loo.
Dreogan liked exploring the Blakes' house, rooms and garden. This is how a proper family home was like. For one thing it had frames of pictures, still unmovable pictures! Photographs full of warmth and joy, depicting the parents and the boys in various stages of their lives, together or alone.
Exploring the corridor leading from the main entrance to the various rooms of the lower floor and the stairs going up to the first floor, he saw a picture of Helen with another woman, both at a younger age.
He picked up the picture frame, looking at the smiling women, holding it with both hands.
"She's mum's sister", He heard Charles' voice behind him.
"Something bad happened, didn't it?" Dreogan asked, in barely above a whisper.
"We don't know…she and mum were out having fun one night, then mum woke up next morning unable to remember anything and Hope was missing. Authorities were unable to find anything until the case turned cold."
"She's beautiful", Dreogan said, looking at the Woman with the long black hair, ruby lips and narrow face with cyan eyes. "It was her birthday today, wasn't it?"
"What gave it away?" Charles nodded.
"Lilies on the beach."
"Mum once said they were her favourite."
"Did you meet her, ever?"
"She disappeared a few months before…you know, before I was conceived", Charles could not help but blush a faint crimson hue.
"I'm sorry", Dreogan said, looking a while more at the framed picture. "We have something more in common, then. I have never met my mum and you've never met your aunt."
"I guess…" Charles was thinking something else.
"I hope she's found one day, your aunt", He replaced the photograph frame back on the small, wooden table.
"Wait a minute!" Charles exclaimed, suddenly. "How can I not know when your birthday is? You know mine's in May!"
"In seven days, it's in seven days", Dreogan told him, without any kind of joy.
"What!" Charles nearly jumped. "When were you going to tell me!" He wasn't angry.
"I have never celebrated them before", Dreogan explained.
"You're kidding! Leave it to me!" Charles grinned.
"Uh…okay?" Dreogan wanted to smile at Charles' cheerful demeanor but his brain returned its attention to Hope. "She hasn't stopped looking, has she?"
"And I never will", Helen's voice came from behind them, gentle if strained. They turned to see her. "She was so full of life and joy. The reason we were out that night was we were celebrating her engagement, two days prior. She wanted lots of kids, to play with their cousins. Just before we had left the dance club, we were discussing names. She wanted Diana if it was a girl, her firstborn. And Felix if it was a boy. "For he will be my joy", I, still, remember her say."
"She was pregnant?" Dreogan asked.
"No, not yet. She was looking for a job as a neurologist, she wanted to become a neurosurgeon and her fiancé was working as a curator in a local gallery.
"Then she just vanished?"
Helen nodded, her eyes watering. "There's a point on in that night after we left the club, I just don't remember anything. We weren't even drunk. The police had said we might have been drugged", Wiping her eyes, she changed the subject. "Ready for supper?"
"Oh, mum! next week's Dreogan's birthday!" Charles told her.
"Is that so? Then, we must do something special", She smiled.
"There's no need, really!" Dreogan tried to stop the inevitable, shaking his hands out half-stressed in semi-circular motions.
"Go wash your hands for supper, dear. And don't be silly, of course we'll do something for your birthday."
"Thank you", Dreogan replied, timidly, unsure what to even, really, reply.
"So nice, not to be taken for granted", Helen teased her son.
Charles rolled his eyes. "Mum, it's not that we take you for granted. No no no! It's that you live and exist to serve us", He threw a wicked, sly smile. "It's simple, really", He said before turning his head to Dreogan. "I can sense incoming flying shoes coming our way, run!"
"Yeah, you better run, buster!" Helen laughed, her attention switching to the picture Dreogan had held. "How I miss you, sis. I still remember your face, your cyan eyes. I hope you're okay, somehow", She left for the kitchen.
10