Silver was given the familiar nauseating spinning that he felt last time he use the Flame Sheild. He closed his eyes and held out his hands. Finally he landed and managed to grab the sides of the fireplace to stop himself falling over. Mighty helped him out, he looked very proud of himself "Did he eat it?" "Yeah. What was it?" "Ton-Tongue Toffee. Ray and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer". Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Silver looked around, Razor and Ray were now sitting at a table with two other boys. Silver had never met them but knew who they were immediately. A tall purple Walrus wearing yellow goggles that rested above his forehead, matching fingerless gloves and a green bandolier. This was of course Rotor who immediately got up and shook his hand "Good to finally meet you, Silver". Silver noticed Rotor had a few bruises and blisters on parts of his body, most likely from his job handling dragons. The other boy was a mongoose, Ash who was the next to shake Silver's hand. From what little he knew of Ash, that being he worked for a bank and was Head Boy in Soleanna, Silver always imagined that he was just an older version of Hamlin. But instead Ash was (Well, there was no better way to say it) cool. He had black hair, a pair of sunglasses, a black shirt with a white jacket over it and he had a few ear piercings. Before Silver had the chance to properly meet the two of them there was a *Pop* and Rob appeared next to Mighty. He looked angrier than Silver had ever seen him "That wasn't funny, Mighty! What did you give that boy!?" "I didn't give him it. I dropped it, it's not my fault he ate it!" "You dropped it on purpose. You knew he was on a diet-". Ray sniggered "How big did his tongue get?" "It was four feet long before his parents finally let me shrink it". Everyone laughed which made Rob angrier "It isn't funny! That sort of behaviour seriously undermines wizard–Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own son-".
Mighty now looked offended "We didn't do it because he was a Muggle. We gave it to him because he's a great bullying git. Isn't he, Silver?". Silver slowly nodded "He is, Mr O'Hedge" "That's not the point. Just you wait until I tell your mother-" "Tell me what, Robert?". Mari-An had entered the room, she had a kind face but her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. She however smiled "Silver, how wonderful to see you, dear". Her eyes then shot back to Rob "Tell me what, Robert?". Rob hesitated, it was clear that however angry he was with Mighty and Ray he didn't actually intend to tell Mari-An what happened. As the two stared at one another two more people entered the room behind Mari-An. The first was Coral who was happy to see everyone was here. The other was Blaze who smiled at Silver. He smiled back which made Blaze go scarlet. Mari-An now had a dangerous look "Tell me, Robert" "It's nothing, Mari. Just some trouble but I've spoken to them". Mari-An eyed the twins "What have you done this time? If it has something to do with Mean Bean Machine." "Razor, why don't we show Silver where your room is?" Coral said. Razor didn't get it "He's slept in my room before" "Make sure he remembers" "Oh… Right". Ray raised his hand "We'll come too" "You stay there!" Mari-An said pointing at him. Silver, Razor, Coral and Blaze quickly edged out of the kitchen and headed upstairs "What's a Mean Bean Machine?" Silver asked. Razor and Blaze laughed before the former explained "Mum found a pile of order forms when she cleaned Mighty and Ray's room. Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake Talismans and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that". Blaze nodded "We've been hearing explosions coming from their room but we didn't think they were actually making things. Thought they just liked the noise". Razor awkwardly shifted his fingers "Well, a lot of it was kind of dangerous and they were planning to sell it at Soleanna for some extra cash. Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms. She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many G. as she expected". Blaze let out a long breathe as she recalled it "And then there was this big row because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop".
As they passed a door on the third landing it opened revealing Hamlin "Oh, hello, Silver. I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know. I've got a report to finish for the office and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs". Razor rolled his eyes "Thundering? Really? Did we mess up your top secret Ministry Business?". Silver's interest rose "What Ministry Business?". Hamlin looked really smug now "A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation. We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin. Leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year". Razor sarcastically nodded "That'll change the world, that report will. Front page of the Daily Prophet, I expect, cauldron leaks" "You might sneer, Razor, but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products that seriously endanger" "Yeah, we get it". Razor led the others away, Hamlin slammed his door shut behind them. As they went up another set of stairs they heard yelling, Rob had apparently told Mari-An about the toffee. They reached Razor's room which was unchanged since Silver last saw it, still covered in Sky Chase products. Crusher was whizzing around the room excitedly "Shut up, Crusher!" Razor yelled. He put two sleeping bags down on the floor "Mighty and Ray are sleeping here because Ash and Rotor have their room. Hamlin gets to keep his room because he 'Has to work'". Silver was still watching the excitable Chao "Why'd you call him crusher?". Blaze crossed her arms "Because he's being stupid. His name is Crustacean" "Yeah and that isn't a stupid name at all" Razor replied. He looked at Silver "She named him the moment I brought him home. It's all he answers to now. But he's not very smart, I've made him think Crusher is the short version. I have to keep him here because he annoys Piopio and Chails. He annoys me too but that doesn't matter as much apparently".
Silver knew not to make him seriously, he listened to Razor complain for two years about Wacky but he was still very upset when he thought he wax eaten by Aquarius. Speaking of "Where is Aquarius?" "Outside chasing the Dark Bat's. She hasn't seen them before". Silver sat down on the bed "Hamlin seems happy" "Enjoying it? "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's obsessed. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. 'According to Mr Puff… As I was saying to Mr Puff... Mr Puff is of the opinion… Mr. Puff was telling me'. They'll be announcing their engagement any day now". Coral, who seemed to be the only one who could stand Hamlin, tried to change the subject "Did you get our parcels, Silver" "Oh, yeah. Thanks. They saved my life". Razor leaned forward "And have you heard from…" he stopped himself and glanced at Blaze who was eying him suspiciously. Coral clapped her hands together "Let's go back downstairs. I think they've stopped arguing". They went down to find Mari-An alone looking ill tempered "We're eating outside. There's just not room for eleven people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls? Ash and Rotor are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two" she then said to Silver and Razor. Mari-An picked up her staff and fired a spell at a pile of pots but instead of them moving to their intended place they started dancing "Oh for heaven's sake!". She threw the fake staff aside which turned into a white cube "I told them not to leave those fake Talismans lying around". She then picked up her real staff and actually sorted everything out this time "Those two! I don't know what's going to happen to them, I really don't. It's not as though they haven't got brains but they're wasting them, and unless they pull themselves together soon, they'll be in real trouble. I've had more Flickys from Soleanna about them than the rest put together. If they carry on the way they're going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office". She fired a spell at a drawer and Silver had to back out of the way of a group of flying knives that zoomed across the kitchen and began cutting potatoes "Don't know where we went wrong with them". Razor took a handful of cutlery and gestured Silver to leave. They rushed outside and spotted Aquarius trying to get pry into a shoe that a Dark Bat was hiding in. Nearby Ash and Rotor were making two tables float in the air trying to knock the other one out. Mighty, Ray and Blaze were cheering them on while Coral seemed to be on the fence between amusement and anxiety. Finally Ash managed to knock Rotor's table to the ground. As everyone cheered Hamlin poked his head out of his room window "Will you keep it down". Ash looked very proud of himself "Sorry, Ham, How're the cauldron bottoms coming on" "Very badly!" Hamlin yelled before slamming his window shut. Rotor waved his gloved hands and the tables repaired any damage and were placed ready for the food.
At nine o'clock the food was brought up and they enjoyed a delicious dinner under the dark blue sky. To Silver who had been living off of stale cake for the last few weeks this was paradise. Hamlin was at the end of the table talking to Rob about his report "I've told Mr Puff that I'll have it ready by Tuesday. That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, it's extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. T.W Barker's helping us". Rob smiled "Ah, I like Barker. He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favour. His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble, a lawnmower with unnatural powers. I smoothed the whole thing over". Hamlin waved his hand dismissively "Oh, he's likable, of course. But how he ever got to be Head of Department. When I compare him to Mr Puff! I can't see Mr Puff losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Agnes Hopkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Poloy Forest and never came back?". Rob frowned "Yes, I did ask Barker about that. He said Agnes has gotten lost plenty of times. Although I must say if someone in my department got lost-" "Oh, Agnes is worthless. I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth but all the same, Barker ought to be trying to find her. Mr Puff has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr Puff was quite fond of her. But Barker just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended in the wrong country. However we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup". He looked down the table at his younger brothers and then said in a raised voice "You know the one I'm talking about, Father. The top-secret one". Razor rolled his eyes "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons". Meanwhile Mari-An was arguing with Ash about his hair which didn't seem to be a new topic of discussion "Your hair is getting silly, dear. I wish you'd let me trim it. What do the people at the bank say" "Mum, Goblins don't have hair. They don't give a damn how I look as long as I bring back plenty of treasure" "I like it" Blaze said. Mari-An gave her a glare for not backing her up but Blaze rolled her eyes "You're so old fashioned, Mum".
Mighty, Ray and Rotor meanwhile were arguing over their predictions on the World Cup "Gotta be Starfall. They bashed right through the Semi Finals" "Sunset Hill's got Reynard" "Reynard's one great player. Starfall's got seven. I wish Mercia got in. That last match was embarrassing". Silver listened eagerly, he had never been able to follow the Sky Chase Cup. Rob conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Silver was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several Dark Bats sprinting through the rosebushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Aquarius. Razor looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Silver "So, have you heard from Elias?". Coral was now leaning closer to listen as Silver answered "Yeah, twice. He sounds okay. I wrote to him yesterday so he might get back to me while I'm here". Silver was suddenly reminded about why he wrote to Elias, the dream and his head hurting. He was close to telling Razor and Coral but changed his mind for now, he was feeling too happy and peaceful to ruin it with stories of Finitevus. Mari-An then checked the clock "Look at the time. You lot better get to bed. You'll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Avalon. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time". Silver grinned "Really? Hope it does this time". Hamlin sanctimoniously scoffed "Well I certainly hope it doesn't. I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days". Mighty laughed "Oh, yeah, Ham, someone might send you some Dragon crap again" "That was a sample of fertilizer. It wasn't personal" "It was. We sent it" Mighty whispered to Silver.