Jane Dawson led an ordinary life for twenty six years.

Don't misunderstand, Jane wasn't looking for adventure. She was perfectly happy with her extraordinary life, thank you very much. But sometimes adventure finds those that seek it least. That's what happened the winter of 1982.

That year she met Alexander Prewett. At first he seemed as ordinary as she was. He was an accountant, well-educated, quiet and handsome. They fell in love in a perfectly ordinary way. He asked her to coffee and she accepted. "Hi." He said, swallowing hard, "Hi." She answered smiling sweetly.

But then, after a few months of being perfectly, ordinarily in love, Alexander told her the impossible. Magic was real, and his entire family was wizards. Every single one of them, except for him. She didn't believe him at first, but then he brought her to meet his parents and she saw it was true. "Do you hate me now?" "No…no."

It scared her a little. She didn't like magic, it confused her. But she was young and in love and after all, Alexander was perfectly ordinary, just like her. So she stayed with him, and after a few months, they married in a quiet, ordinary way.

His family was invited of course, but most of them didn't come. Alexander told her that his family was embarrassed of him, because he couldn't do magic. Because he was ordinary. She told him that what they thought was rubbish. There was nothing wrong with being ordinary. She loved him in their own little way and they had no need of magic. That's what she believed. "I love you Alex." She whispered, "And that makes you pretty great, don't you think?"

And so Jane Dawson became Jane Prewett. And only a few short months later their daughter was born. Alexander insisted they name her Mafalda, after an aunt that had been particularly kind to him. Jane wanted something less strange, like Anne, but she conceded. It was important to her husband, and besides Mafalda Anne Prewett wasn't that outlandish. And her daughter was beautiful no matter what her name was.

For a few years, life was quiet. Mafalda grew into an adorable little girl. Alexander became one of the best accountants in his region and they added two more children to their family, Andrew and Eleanor. But then, sometime around Mafalda's fifth birthday, strange things began happening. Treats would disappear from high shelves. Jane would forget to enforce Mafalda's bedtime; toys that were broken would suddenly be fixed as if they had never been destroyed in the first place.

Looking back, she should have seen it coming, knowing what Alexander was. But it just seemed so improbable. So extraordinary. "I think she might be a witch, Jane." "Don't be stupid, Alexander, of course she's not, she's just eccentric."

Then, on Mafalda's eleventh birthday, a letter arrived explaining that, against all odds, Mafalda was a witch and she was invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alexander was ecstatic, Mafalda was over the moon. Jane was…happy. She was happy her daughter was happy. But when she looked back at the letter she felt a twinge of…something. Something bad.

The next months were a blur. Relatives that had never sent Christmas cards were suddenly bursting out of the fireplace. They had to convert some of their assets to Wizard money and open an account at a bank run by goblins of all things. And then, in a blink, Mafalda was gone, whisked away to some magical school learning magical things that Jane could never even hope to understand. She wrote often, Mafalda was a dutiful daughter. There was some scandal on Alexander's side when she was sorted into Slytherin House-"No Prewett has ever been sorted into Slytherin." Alexander's mother sniffed-but that soon died down.

When Mafalda came back that summer, she burst into the kitchen, excited in a way only a twelve year old can be, and told them all about a Dark wizard that had risen from the dead before Alexander hushed her. Her husband and daughter had locked themselves in the study for a few hours after that and when they emerged; there was no more talk of "Dark Lords" or "Harry Potter".

Alexander told Jane there was nothing to worry about, that they were safe. Jane was not stupid woman. She knew that something bad had happened at Hogwarts and she would be damned if Mafalda went back. Do you think I'm blind Alexander! I am not putting my child in harm's way! When she started fighting Mafalda's return to the school, the relatives descended. Letters were sent, dishes were thrown, doors slammed. And on September 1st Mafalda returned to her magical school.

Mafalda's letters that year were shorter. Some government official was running the school apparently. Alexander answered most of her letters. Jane had more pressing concerns. Andrew began levitating. At first she thought it was just a joke her son was playing on her, Andrew had never exhibited her eldest child's strangeness before. But then she watched him jump from their second story balcony and float –really float-to the ground. Jane knew she would have to watch him board the train to that school the next year-Why are you crying mummy?.

The girl who came back to her that summer was not the same one she put on the train in the fall. Mafalda was strange…withdrawn. Alexander told her that the Dark Lord, a man who had caused a lot of people to die many years ago, was on the move again. Mafalda was in his house and many of her peers liked his ideas. Mafalda did not.

They put Mafalda and Andrew on the train the next year. Mafalda was quiet. Andrew was practically vibrating on the spot. They received word that their son had been sorted into Hufflepuff, which caused quite a scandal on Alexander's side of the family-"No Prewett has ever been sorted into Hufflepuff before." Alexander's father glared-but everyone agreed that Andrew's sorting had gone much better than Mafalda's.

Then, suddenly, all hell broke loose. The headmaster of Hogwarts was murdered on school grounds. Alexander brought Mafalda home right away. Alexander's family visited often that summer. Apparently they were in danger now. One of Alexander's cousins, Mary or Molly, brought food over while her husband talked to Alexander about security. Mafalda hardly ever spoke to Jane. Andrew had lost the bounce in his step. A family wedding was attacked by the Dark Lord's Men while they were there. The best man apperated them home before disappearing into thin air. War had broken out. "Run! Run!" 'Where's Eleanor?" "Mummy! Mummy!"

Mafalda and Andrew were required to attend school. They were protected by the Prewett name. Neither wrote much, but maybe that was for the best. Jane and Alexander never left their home that year. Eleanor had to leave the muggle grade school she attended. They were not allowed to talk to their friends, for the sake of their safety. Jane felt less capable then she had ever felt in her adult life. She could do nothing to protect her children. There was no stopping magic.

Jane can't remember May 2nd 1998. It was an ordinary day. A forgettable day.

She remembers May 3rd.

"Good morning Mrs. Prewett, my name is Minerva McGonagall, is your husband home?" "There was a battle last night on the castle grounds." "Your son was evacuated." "She must have doubled back." "She took on wizards with twice her age and experience." "When we found her there was nothing we could do…." "We won." "She died like a Prewett."

There is a memorial somewhere. Alexander's family offers to arrange a visit for her. She declines. Andrew refuses to return to Hogwarts, he is sent to a magic school in France. Eleanor goes with him. She received her letter two weeks after her sister's death.

For twenty six years, Jane Prewett's life was ordinary. Then, for fifteen years it was extraordinary because she was Mafalda's mother. Magic destroyed that. In a few short minutes. After that, it's a blur.

"Depression, that's what it is." "I'm not going back to Hogwarts." "Eleanor's a witch." "France, there's a school in France." "I'm leaving you" "No Prewett has ever gotten divorced before." "I am not a Prewett."