The door flew open as soon as the trio arrived home. Down the steps dashed Daniel, his arms wide. Harriet leaped out of the chaise just in time for him to scoop her up and spin her around. "There is my little sister! I am so proud of you!"
When he put her down, she swayed for a moment, trying to regain her balance. She laughed. "Hello, dear brother! I am glad that you are proud of me. But I am even happier to see you again. Let us go inside. You can sit in the sitting and talk through my bedroom door while I wash up before supper."
The two of them raced to her room, almost knocking over a poor servant girl in the process. "Sorry!" Daniel yelled back to her.
Harriet won, like she always did. She suspected that her brother allowed her to win. That was just one more reason why her brother was her best friend.
"So, my dear, little sister, what are your plans now? Did our uncle ask you if you would stay in his school for the rest of your life?"
"Basically. I told him that if I still have not found what I am looking for by my twentieth birthday, then I would go back and teach."
"Tsk. Not smart, I hate to tell you. Uncle will get in your way, I can promise you that. He will be home himself in about a week."
She sighed. "I know. What do you mean by 'he will get in my way'?"
"He'll use magic."
She paused. She hadn't considered that. "I should never have said anything."
"I agree… Unless…"
"Unless what?" Her voice was impatient
"Unless you are better with your wand than he is with his. That is the only way I know of that you can stand a chance in this war you have gotten yourself into. He loves you too much to let you go easily. I can guarantee that he will be on you as soon as he can."
She grunted, despite the fact that it was unladylike. "If he really loved me, he would let me be. I want to have a chance to be me, not him. I will not feel free until he has no say in my life anymore. When will that be?"
"I do not know, sweet sister. I wish I could help you. Being a Muggle, though…" He gave her a slightly envious smile. "I wish I could have been you, you know. I would have loved to learn all that I could. Mother and Father were somewhat frightened when you opened that letter. I do not know if you noticed, but the looks on their faces when they found out that you are a witch…"
She nodded. She remembered well. Her mother had grown pale. Her father had been ecstatic. That was the moment when he announced that he was a squib, which meant that he had magical parents but had no magic himself. Her mother had gone into a state of shock. She would not let Harriet, nor her father, touch her for a week while she settled into the news. Then she had given her husband a severe scolding.
She came out in the next moment, having finally finished sprucing up for the evening. Daniel looked at her and smiled. "Cheer up. Uncle is not yet home, and our parents are now proud, particularly our father, to have a witch for a daughter to continue on the magical line."
That reminded Harriet of her conversation with her mother. She smiled. "Speaking of continuing on the line, tell me, who is this young lady I have heard about, hmm? I was hoping to come home from school to a sister-in-law."
His countenance reddened. "Mother has been gossiping again, I see. Very well. You already know her, somewhat. Miss Sophia Harvey." His whole face smiled when he said her name. "She is a very beautiful creature, Harriet. I have never seen her equal. She is soft spoken, witty, clever… I am happy to just be near her. I do not always know what to do with myself, though. Would you mind helping me?"
She smiled sweetly and patted his cheek. "How can I refuse such a sad face?"