On Saturday, August 28th, 2021, at 1 P.M. Hogwarts time, Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all met up on the sloping lawns at Hogwarts.
Arrangements had been made for the Circle of Eighteen to always meet up at Hogwarts on the last Saturday of every month. And they would all go back home after the August meeting with those attending Hogwarts arriving for the fall semester via the Hogwarts Express like everyone else.
Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all showed up at this meeting of the Circle of Eighteen wearing their Circle of Eighteen shirts.
They were all sitting on folding white lawn chairs that were spread six feet apart from each other.
"Hi, everyone, " said Lily with heartfelt warmth in her voice, "I am delighted to see the Circle of Eighteen again."
"Me too, " chroused Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, and Samantha.
"So, " inquired Lily, "What's up, everyone?"
"I have some wonderful news, " piped up Courtney eagerly, "When I received my Hogwarts letter, Professor Kirke included an extra note in it. You know how, under current Hogwarts policy, students are allowed to visit Hogsmeade on certain Saturdays starting in second year? Well, I will only be a first year this year. BUT, Professor Kirke has granted me special permission to partake in Hogsmeade visits this year under the condition that at least one member of the group I go into Hogsmeade with has attained at least sixteen years of age. "
"You've covered there, Courtney!" grinned James.
"Twice over, " added Rachel, "Remember that Ainsley and I are going to making special visits on Hogsmeade days. Since both James are both older than sixteen, you're covered twice over."
"Exactly, " said Courtney happily.
"Stephanie and I had to get new Hogwarts robes, " explained Samantha, "We've both always been big and tall for our ages but even so we've grown several inches over the summer. We went to Madam Malkin's to get them replaced yesterday."
"Come to think of it, most of you look like you've grown a bit, " observed Lily, "Raise your hand if you needed new robes for this year."
Next nanosecond, Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, and Samantha all raised their hands.
"Well, as most of us are teenagers now, I guess that's to be expected, " replied Lily matter of factly
"You on the other hand-" began Samantha with a smirk.
"Are just as much of a midget as ever!" finished Samantha, Stephanie, and Courtney together.
Lily grimaced. Lily had always been small and short for her age and as she hadn't grown much since she started Hogwarts, her smallness and shortness were starting to stand out more. Lily had always hated it when the Saver sisters called her midget. She still remained too decent of a person and too good of a friend to ask them to stop, but being regularly called midget by the Saver sisters was becoming more inwardly upsetting to Lily all the time.
"Grin and bear it, " thought Lily to herself.
To move the conversation along, Lily piped up, "I've spent most of my summer with my parents and brothers. We've gotten a few visits from dad's godson Teddy Lupin and his wife and twin three year old son and daughter, who are both Metamorphmaguses."
"COOL!" yelled out Ainsley, her imagination suddenly racing with the idea of what Metamorphmagus children might do.
"We also got a few visits from our family friend Luna Lovegood, " added Albus happily.
"Most days it was just us five Potters being a family, " said James matter of factly, "We didn't take a vacation this year due to pandemic related travel restrictions."
Devon groaned, "Neither did my family. Summer vacations are usually a big thing for the Dursleys but we didn't want to take any risks of international travel and risking either getting COVID-19 or getting stranded somewhere. "
"Our mom and dad weren't that disappointed about not taking a vacation, " admitted Lily, "They were content to have to have the kids home for the summer. They're glass is half full types."
"My mom and dad are glass is half empty types, " admitted Devon.
"What's going on in the muggle world, Todd, Gary, and Miles?" inquired Lily.
"Just yesterday, we met up with Devon and the four of went to the movie theater the Dursleys own and we took in special screenings of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and the Dark Knight Rises, " revealed Miles.
"That sounds fun!" said Gordon brightly.
"I always still enjoy those times where Miles, Todd, Gary, and I can meet up as our original group of four friends, just the four of us, " said Devon in a satisfied voice.
"Devon, Miles, Todd, and I are forever indebted to you, Lily, for you bringing Devon back into our lives, " said Gary gratefully, still remembering that fateful Thanksgiving.
"I was acting in Devon's behalf, " acknowledged Lily, "I can't overstate how sad he seemed to have been at missing you three. But, it was a win win for everyone. I'm delighted to now have you three be part of the Circle of Eighteen."
"My mom took me to the zoo last Saturday, " said Ainsley glowingly, "You know how much I love animals."
"Indeed, " remembered Lily, "You're the biggest animal lover in the Circle of Eighteen."
"Absolutely, " said Ainsley radiantly, "My favorite zoo animals are giraffes. Mom's favorite are elephants."
"Sounds like you and Amy had some nice mother-daughter time at the zoo, " said Lily happily.
"Yes, " said Ainsley happily, "A love of animals is something mom and I share."
"Mom took me the newly opened Wand Hall of Fame on Tuesday, " piped up Pamela, "It was fascinating to see the founders' wands on display and to get to learn about them."
"James and I went to the Wand Hall of Fame as a one on one brother-sister activity on Monday, " said Lily excitedly
"It was fucking awesome. !" declared James.
"Why wasn't Albus with you?' inquired Ainsley.
"He's not too interested in Wandlore and it's something James and I can bond over between the two of us, " explained Lily patiently, "I'm both glad and grateful that James and I are now much closer with Albus than we were a year ago. But, James and I still like to occasionally take time for just the two of us and a common interest in wands serves a way to keep a one on one bond between James and I going."
Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily all smiled.
Devon, James, Albus, Hugo, Gary, Todd, Miles, Fred, Gordon, Pamela, Rose, Roxanne, Rachel, Ainsley, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, and Lily spent the next few hours chatting away like this and catching up.
One thing was certain, the bond of the Circle of Eighteen was unshakeable.
