In the evening of the same day, Colin was sitting at another table in a small cottage on the outskirts of the village closest to the pitch of Puddlemere United. His brother was still on the chair right next to him, and on the opposite side were Oliver and Serena. But their parents werenʼt there, and maybe... maybe they would never see them again. They had both agreed to the application of Memory charms; they had now only a foggy remembrance of having sons, just enough to lie to the neighbours.
Colin would hardly have been able to fight back tears at these ideas had he not been so nervous that all he could do was listening to the soup bubbling in a cauldron over the fire. Any moment, his fake mother had to arrive. The longer he thought about it, the less he had confidence in their plan.
Secretively he looked around the cottage, having never been in a wizarding house before. They were in one large room with a low ceiling, in one corner the kitchen with a fireplace for cooking, before it the kitchen table where they were sitting, and on the other side some armchairs and a smaller table plus another fireplace with a more elaborate mantlepiece. The tapestry, the tablecloth, the textile on the chairs, everything was marine blue with golden bulrushes, moving gently as if the wind would brush through them. A clock with one hand indicated not the time but singular activities like ʻTime to make teaʼ or ʻYouʼre late for trainingʼ. A model of a Quidditch pitch occupied the whole living room table.
As he stared over to the fireplace, trying to make out the photographs on the mantleshelf, the flames turned green. Colin stiffened, and Oliver and Serena turned around.
ʻHere she comes,ʼ chanted his new aunt, dancing over to stand next to the fireplace in which something was turning very fast. A second later, a woman climbed out onto the carpet, brushing away the ashes.
ʻMy Letty! How wonderful to see you again,ʼ Serena exclaimed and embraced her sister. Meanwhile Colin had got to his feet with the other two and slowly advanced towards the newcomer. She looked a lot like her sister, though she was slightly taller, had her curly hair in a long plait, and as she turned to him, Colin thought that her expression was calmer and more mature. He was relieved to see that she had absolutely no tattoos.
ʻYouʼve got guests?ʼ the woman asked, as she offered Oliver her hand.
ʻNo, a problem,ʼ said Serena.
ʻA problem?ʼ
ʻWhy donʼt you sit down?ʼ cut in Oliver, ushering Colin and Dennis back to the table and letting the soup float from the fire to the table together with a bread basket.
ʻWhatʼs the problem?ʼ said the woman again when they had all sat down.
ʻYou-Know-Who,ʼ said Oliver.
ʻYou- NO!ʼ
ʻYouʼre going to do us a favour, Letty,ʼ said Serena with a broad smile.
Colin glanced at the woman full of shock, the realisation hitting him that she was not at all aware of what role she was supposed to play. His stomach dropped to lower regions than he knew existed. If she didnʼt like them, if she didnʼt want to take the risk, he and Dennis were in deep, very deep trouble. The spoon fell from his hand into the soup, clattering and splashing a bit of the liquid, as he stared over to Serenaʼs sister, horrified.
ʻWe are going to ask you a huge favour, Letitia,ʼ said Oliver. ʻYou have asked whether we had guests. Well, weʼd like to make them family. May I introduce you to Colin and Dennis Creevey?ʼ
ʻDelighted,ʼ said Letitia with a nervous smile. ʻWhat do you mean? Are they not a bit old to adopt? And why do you want to adopt at all?ʼ She cocked her head to the left. ʻWhat am I missing?ʼ
ʻYou will be their mother,ʼ said Serena matter-of-factly, calmly shovelling the soup into her mouth while the others didnʼt even touch their spoon.
ʻI beg your pardon?ʼ
ʻLook,ʼ said Oliver, his tone pleading. ʻTheyʼre Muggle-born. They are in deadly danger. If you only pretend that they are yours, you can safe their lives without any risk.ʼ
ʻWithout any risk?ʼ exclaimed Letitia, her voice rising. ʻI am to lie to You-Know-Who, and you speak of no risk? Well, I do have children, why should I endanger their lives for complete strangers?ʼ
Colin clenched his hands under the table, trying to suppress the panic. They had made a mistake coming here, they should have left the country. How could they have been so irresponsible? If Dennis got hurt... His breathing sped up, he couldnʼt help it.
ʻThereʼs no danger,ʼ said Serena, dipping a piece of bread into the soup and then sucking it with an indecently loud sound.
ʻNo danger?ʼ repeated her sister, half sarcastic, half hysterical.
ʻʼCourse not. Youʼre the wife of an Italian Ministry official. Dʼyou think they want now already trouble with another country? Naw, weʼre going to serve them a nice, little story, the boys are safe, you return home. No harm done.ʼ
Letitia looked as if she wanted to voice quite a different opinion but then swallowed down whatever she had wanted to say, looking around the table. Her eyes met Colinʼs, and after a secondʼs hesitation, her expression softened a little. ʻWell,ʼ she said slowly, ʻprobably you should explain a bit more.ʼ
After a short glance at Serena, Oliver told her everything, about the political situation in England, about the Creevey brothers, and about the role Letitia was supposed to play.
When he had finished, Letitia looked down at the table, then slowly took her spoon up, and started to eat without making any sound. Colin stared at her, still unable to swallow anything. Oliver and Dennis both started eating too, then and now glancing at Letitia, while Serena didnʼt appear to notice the frosty atmosphere.
When she had finished her soup, Letitia smiled tentatively at Colin and Dennis. ʻMay I speak with you two, Colin...ʼ She gestured towards him and he nodded. ʻ...and Dennis?ʼ
ʻExcellent, weʼll clean up in the mean time,ʼ chirped Serena, jumping from her chair and waving the dishes to the kitchen, Oliver following her.
Letitia and the brothers got up too and slowly walked over to the armchairs. Dropping down in one, she turned her face towards the brothers, a deep crease on her forehead.
ʻHi, em, so, you are Colin and Dennis Creevey? Youʼre at Hogwarts? Which year will you be?ʼ
Sitting on stools at her feet, Colin and Dennis muttered, ʻSixthʼ and, ʻFourthʼ respectively.
ʻAlready,ʼ said Letitia, smiling nervously. ʻWhich is your house?ʼ
ʻGryffindor,ʼ the brothers mumbled in unison.
ʻGryffindor? The lionʼs house? I was in Ravenclaw you know.ʼ
Colin and Dennis nodded, glancing nervously at each other, and Colin was sure that his brother was thinking the same. They had to try to win the womanʼs sympathy, but they didnʼt know how.
ʻSo, if I were to pretend to be your mother-ʼ She gave a slightly manic laugh. ʻ-Iʼd better know who your father is?ʼ
Colin exchanged a glance with Dennis. ʻHeʼs a milkman,ʼ he muttered.
ʻA... and what does he do?ʼ
ʻHe delivers milk.ʼ
ʻOh. Sounds fascinating.ʼ She actually looked a bit disappointed.
ʻYouʼre to pretend anyway you were ashamed of him, donʼt you,ʼ said Dennis hopefully. ʻSo it doesnʼt really matter.ʼ
ʻThatʼs true,ʼ said Letitia, managing to laugh almost naturally. ʻWell, if we want to be convincing, we should start with it now. We should almost be able to fool ourselves.ʼ
ʻSo you... youʼre going to... really, youʼre ready...ʼ stammered Colin.
Letitia hesitated a moment. ʻYes,ʼ she said slowly. ʻIʼll be your mother. So... youʼre my firstborn.ʼ
Colin was sure that he was turning red as she looked intently at him, the crease remaining on her forehead. He had absolutely no idea what he could say.
ʻWe should get to know each other. What do you like? Do you play Quidditch?ʼ
ʻNo,ʼ said Colin slowly, Dennis shaking his head in synchronisation. ʻI mean,ʼ Colin hastily continued when the crease on her forehead deepened, ʻwe of course love to watch it, but I never was that secure on a broomstick. Dennis has ambition though.ʼ
ʻYou do?ʼ asked Letitia, turning to Dennis.
ʻI...ʼ muttered Dennis, going very red. ʻI thought about trying to get on the team, but...ʼ
ʻWhich position?ʼ
ʻI thought about Chaser,ʼ whispered Dennis. ʻIʼd prefer Seeker, but thatʼs Harry Potter and-ʼ
ʻOh Dennis,ʼ interrupted Colin. ʻHarry wonʼt be in Hogwarts this term. Heʼs got a ten thousand Galleon price on his head, heʼs out there somewhere, working against You-Know-Who, certainly not at Hogwarts playing Seeker.ʼ
ʻYou know Harry Potter?ʼ asked Letitia, leaning forwards with interest.
ʻOls knows him too,ʼ said Serena, plunging in another armchair. Oliver squeezed in beside her, immediately occupying himself with the Quidditch pitch model.
ʻThere have been so many rumours about him,ʼ said Letitia. ʻHow old is he now? Do you know what heʼs doing?ʼ
ʻHeʼs a year older than I am,ʼ said Colin slowly. ʻSo he should be around seventeen. But heʼs really nice. And brave. I mean, he already fought You-Know-Who about five times or something. And heʼs a really good teacher, he taught a lot of spells to a little group in my fourth year. I am sure that he is planning something against You-Know-Who.ʼ
ʻJust for the public, Colin,ʼ said Serena, hiding a yawn (into which the skulls on her shoulders joined) with one hand, kneading Oliverʼs back with the other, ʻyou think Harry Potterʼs a villain, and he murdered Dumbledore, and you really want him caught.ʼ
Colin stared at her, both because he just realised that the skulls on her fingers were yawning too, and because he had to suppress the urge to contradict her, trying to convince himself that this was the version he had to memorise.
ʻWhatʼs Cobbing me?ʼ exclaimed Serena suddenly, springing out of the armchair. ʻYou have to fill out your questionnaire. When do you need to send it?ʼ
ʻOnly next Monday,ʼ said Colin in surprise, as she hastened over to his trunk.
ʻThe sooner the more convincing,ʼ she panted as she hastened back to them with the parchments in her hand.
Colin changed over to the big table as Oliver didnʼt show any inclination to move his model pitch. Quill and ink floated down next to him as he sat down, imitated by Dennis. The sisters placed themselves behind them.
ʻWe write the truth about Dad?ʼ asked Dennis, his quill hovering over the parchment.
ʻYep,ʼ said Serena.
Colin quickly wrote down what was asked about his father, and then he looked up to his fake mother. ʻIʼm sorry, but whatʼs your name exactly?ʼ
ʻLetitia Cor-ʼ she stopped herself and looked at Serena. ʻShould we write down my maiden name, Creevey, or my present name?ʼ
Serena made a grimace as if she were a frog about to catch a fly. ʻWrite Creevey, née Dennyston. Lettyʼll explain when they ask.ʼ
ʻL-E-T-I-T-I-A,ʼ spelled Letitia with a sigh.
ʻAnd whatʼs your profession?ʼ
ʻIʼm a Member of - I suppose itʼs something like International Magical Collaboration in English?ʼ
ʻOls!ʼ
Oliver didnʼt show any reaction at Serenaʼs appeal, completely immersed in his Quidditch tactics. Serenaʼs eyes narrowed, and she took out her wand.
ʻTurbino!ʼ
Oliverʼs armchair swirled around, forcing him to face them.
ʻWhat the-ʼ
ʻHow does that gang in the Ministry call itself that makes deals with foreigners?ʼ
ʻSorry?ʼ
ʻSerena means,ʼ said Letitia, smiling nervously, ʻwhat should we put as my profession as that is a post at the Italian Ministry of Magic that concerns itself with working together with other wizarding communities?ʼ
ʻEm...ʼ Oliver scratched his head. ʻIsnʼt it something like... Department of Magical Co-operation or... just put in the Italian name, let them figure it out themselves.ʼ
He glared at them and turned his armchair around decidedly.
Colin glanced up at Letitia. She was leaning over his paper, reading what he had written.
ʻWhatʼs it now, Letty?ʼ asked Serena.
ʻOkay,ʼ said Letitia. ʻWrite "Member of the Ufficio degli Èsteri, Ministero per la Magìa".ʼ
She had to spell it again and closely supervised the boysʼ writing.
ʻThey also want your date of birth,ʼ said Dennis shyly.
Letitia sighed again. ʻ22nd of August 1962.ʼ
ʻA very young mum,ʼ said Serena grinning.
ʻWhat... wonʼt they be able to check what you did in 1981 to 1983 when we were born?ʼ
ʻWhen I left school in 1980 I immediately departed and travelled around the world with my grandfather.ʼ
She saw Colinʼs and Dennisʼs surprised expression at this combination and smiled bitterly. ʻDonʼt forget, in 1980 it already looked as if You-Know-Whoʼd take over any moment. And my grandfather was Muggle-born, so... He came back in late 1981, but I had met with some very interesting native Australian wizards and stayed with them four years longer.ʼ
ʻSo the Ministry never could take notice of her in all this time,ʼ sang Serena happily. ʻItʼll be easy to claim to have lived a Muggle life then. Donʼt you two worry, I have thought everything through.ʼ
She made a pirouette, and Letitia contemplated her with an expression of deep concern.
ʻBut,ʼ said Colin thoughtfully, ʻwhatʼs going to happen now to your grandfather?ʼ
ʻFirst,ʼ said Serena, grinning broadly so that all her pointed teeth appeared in her frog face, ʻour grandparents live in Italy with Letty. Warmer you know. Second, theyʼre both legendary English Quidditch players, so they still got their fans in Britain. And Grandma is pureblood.ʼ
They had to fill in numerous more details about their background, appearance, and wands. When they had finally finished, and Serena bound both letters to her owlʼs leg, Colin felt absolutely exhausted. While Serena went to the window to let the owl out, they stumbled over to Oliver and sank down into their seats in silence.
ʻAnyone fancy a game of chess?ʼ asked Letitia when nobody said anything.
Oliver ignored her, not taking his eyes from the pitch, Serena leant over his armchairʼs back and yawned heartily, accompanied by her tattoos; Dennis seemed also to have trouble stifling a yawn.
ʻAll right,ʼ said Colin, not wanting to disappoint her, though he would have preferred Gobstones. He was rewarded by a grateful smile, and a moment later, she had summoned a chess board towards them.
After three games his new mother all won, they put away the board.
ʻItʼs been a stressful day,ʼ Letitia said. ʻIʼd like to go to bed.ʼ
ʻIʼll show you,ʼ sang Serena, leaping lightly over to draw her sister to her feet. Dancing ahead, she walked over to the only door apart from the main one. Colin could discern a staircase as the sisters walked through the door. He got to his feet too and stretched. He looked over to his and his brotherʼs trunk, standing in a corner nearby. To do something, he walked closer to the fireplace and stared up at the photographs.
He could easily identify the persons in the first picture. It was a Quidditch team, all wearing scarlet, with Oliver Wood as Captain, holding the House Cup. Sitting in the middle of the front row was Harry Potter. He also well remembered Ginnyʼs twin brothers, the joke shop owners. And the Chasers had been part of the DA too.
Colin looked over to the second picture and involuntarily gasped. It also showed a Quidditch team, but all were wearing green - a Slytherin Quidditch team. Colinʼs breath sped up, dread rising in him as he wondered what the picture was doing on Oliverʼs mantleshelf. He looked again at the pictures, at the persons waving. He looked at the girl, holding the House Cup. She was small with long, curly hair and a broad, frog-like grin.
ʻBut she said she was in Ravenclaw,ʼ whispered Colin, desperation sweeping through him.
ʻWhat?ʼ said Oliver, looking up for the first time from his model.
ʻLetitia. She said she was in Ravenclaw.ʼ
ʻWhatʼs wrong with that?ʼ
ʻBut... but this picture!ʼ
ʻSerena put it there, not I of course.ʼ He mumbled something that didnʼt sound all too polite.
Colin continued staring at him even when he had long already returned to the model. Just then Serena capered into the room again.
ʻYou looking at my last Hogwarts team?ʼ she carolled. ʻAh, it was wonderful, that last match. Two hundred and seventy against Fifty. Wonderful, quite wonderful. I made eleven goals myself, to watch Ols expression...ʼ She fell down over Oliver, giggling.
ʻIʼm going to bed,ʼ he snapped, shoving Serena away. ʻSee you tomorrow,ʼ he called to Colin and Dennis, leaving quickly, while Serena still hiccoughed with laughter.
ʻYou were in Slytherin?ʼ said Colin, incredulous as Serena slowly quieted down.
ʻIʼm dead ambitious you know,ʼ she said with a broad grin, ʻif I lose a game, I have a horrid temper. Lucky Olsʼs in the same team.ʼ
She suddenly jumped up again, her eyes wide. ʻI completely forgot,ʼ she exclaimed before she darted out of the room. Colin and Dennis were left alone around the armchairs, looking at each other perplexed.
TA second later, she was back, blankets and sheets hovering over her.
ʻYouʼll have to sleep down here,ʼ she trilled. ʻYou can move up in our guest room when Letty goes home. I hope youʼre comfortable with this?ʼ
She didnʼt wait for an answer, but pointed her wand at two armchairs that immediately expanded to sofa beds. With another wave of her wand, the bed clothes spread over the sofas, building comfortable beds.
ʻThe bathroom is through the door just to your right, sleep well my little nephews.ʼ
She danced over to them and kissed both on the forehead before she disappeared through the door she had just indicated and up the stairs.
Colin smiled weakly at his brother.
ʻWhat a day!ʼ