"Get up now! I'm serious!"

I called through my brother's door before yanking it open. My nose was not appreciative of the invading pungent odor that had become a permanent feature, ever since Roman had turned twelve and decided regular showers were not high on his priority list.

I was met with the familiar sight of him buried under tangled sheets, last night's washing that I had asked to be put away and a sizable pile of overdue library books. How he found that comfortable enough to sleep in, I didn't know.

"Get up, or I'm burning your Harry Potter books, and I mean it this time."

I threatened. I wasn't serious, of course, but it did the job as he started to slowly stir. I wasn't always this of a nag, but when Gran passed away a few years back and Roman got approved to live with me, I had to make sure at the very least he finished secondary school with enough GCSEs. It had been an interesting time trying to raise a moody teenager in the beginning of my twenties, but I wouldn't want him with anyone else.

"I'm up, I'm up" He groaned into his pillow, flashing me a sour look as I pulled off his bedding.

"You wouldn't burn my Harry Potter books for real, would you?" He asked, with a small worried pout.

I concealed a small smile at his genuine worry. I had gotten Roman into Harry Potter when he was eight, and I was around sixteen. We had to do it in secret, as our Gran was an avid Catholic and wouldn't be very welcoming to the idea of me reading it to him every night before bed. In hindsight, maybe we both should've followed Gran suit.

I reluctantly had to make a quick stop at our local Tescos before school. No matter how many school runs I've done, I seem to never have enough time to throw together a lunch for him or even breakfast, so this was second to best.

I pretended I didn't notice how disheveled Roman looked with his untucked button down and unraveled school tie. His locks were long overdue to be redone, but getting him to sit still long enough to tidy them up was a battle I didn't have the energy to fight any more.

"Woah, look at this! This wasn't here on Friday," my brother called out, running ahead of me.

I glanced over to see what he was yelling about and saw a small quirky looking shop front that was definitely not there the other day. The name of the shop read Mrs Claire Voyant Bits and Bob's. It didn't look like it belonged here at all, especially next to such a modern-looking shop like Tescos. I didn't have time to voice my observations as Roman had yanked my hand and pulled me into the foyer of the closed shop.

"Lend me a pound, Jay?" my brother pleaded. He had dragged me in front of a sort of vintage Genie wishing machine. I only recognized it vaguely from all the old films my Gran used to watch from time to time.

"One wish, Roman, then we really have to get a move on." I relented, handing over the pound that had been sitting at the bottom of my purse for an age.

I felt my body jolt as, to my surprise, the robotic Genie creaked to life behind its dusty glass screen. Just mere seconds after Roman had inserted the coin.

"Greetings! Young seeker, speak your wish, and it shall come true," the overly enthusiastic Genie said. The animated facial expressions gave me the creeps the longer I stared at it.

"Um… er… I wish we could live in the Harry Potter universe and go to Hogwarts with Harry and his friends," Roman replied with his eyes shut tightly and his fingers turning white at how tightly he had them crossed.

I watched him for a second, bemused by the childish wish he picked. A wish that I'm sure I would've made at his age, too. I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder then, of course, nothing happened, and the Genie simply gave out one last loud robotic creek as it retreated behind a pair of velvet curtains.

I could feel my brother's shoulders slump a tad and finally, he allowed me to lead him away. I hadn't even taken a couple of steps before what I could only describe as a wall of darkness swallowed us whole.