Andrew, Amanda, and Heather guided Amy down the hallway to the door of the Children's Common Playroom.
When they reached the door, Andrew told Amy, "The kids are expecting you, but I'm going to crack the door open first so you can get a look at the children of Nurture's Orphanage before they all come to greet you."
"We've told the kids here this plan, so they know not to react when the door cracks open, " explained Amanda, "It's your choice when you want to enter."
"Thank you, mom and dad," said Amy gratefully as she really appreciated the opportunity to watch the kids the fundraiser had helped play with their new toys and games and take it in for a bit before meeting them."
"After Andrew cracks the door," Heather informed Amy, "He and Amanda are going to follow me back to the room you met them in and I'm going to have a bit of a chat with them. When you are done meeting the children, you find that a fourth person has joined us in the room when you return to it."
"Okay," nodded Amy as Andrew cracked the door and then walked back down the hallway with Amanda and Heather.
Amy peered into the Children's Common Playroom and got goosebumps as she saw the children of Nurture's Orphanage playing with their new toys and games.
Amy was delighted to see three of the children she grew up with playing with the toy car set that her fellow Potions Club member Ernie MacMillan had donated.
One was an averaged sized average heighted boy with golden brown hair and green eyes who was in the same academic year as Amy named Wesley Wheel, a tall black haired boy with blue eyes boy a year above her named Patrick Park, and a small and short redheaded girl with purple eyes a year below her named Denise Drive.
Amy remembered these three spending a lot of time together because of their common love of cars. She occasionally joined them as they raced toy cars against each other or just pushed toy cars towards each other for fun.
At this nanosecond, Amy felt a connection in her heart between her two lives. Amy knew perfectly well how devastated Wesley, Patrick, and Denise would have been when the fire had gutted their entire toy car collection. She thought about how it was her fellow Potions Club member, Ernie MacMillan, who had donated the new toy cars Wesley, Patrick, and Denise were all playing with.
"This is why we did this fundraiser," thought Amy emotionally as she could feel the joy that Wesley, Patrick, and Denise were getting from their new toy car collection radiating towards her.
Meanwhile, Amy also caught a glimpse of an older black girl, a girl five years above her named Patty Page who Amy had never interacted with much but knew to be an avid reader reading a copy of The Silver Chair that Susan's fellow Sand Club member Luna Lovegood had donated.
Patty was engrossed in her book and seemed quite content.
A little further into the room, Amy observed an averaged sized averaged boy with Black hair and blue eyes in the same year as Amy named Samuel Saver leafing through some of the Garfield comics that Harry's fellow Broom Club member Cedric Diggory had donated. Amy had sometimes joined Samuel and read comics with him. Samuel was also a hardcore Arizona sports fan and Amy, who grew up an avid sports fan herself, sometimes joined Samuel in his own room while they watched an Arizona Cardinals game, Phoenix Suns game, Super Bowl, or NBA Finals game on Samuel's TV. Samuel also loved to play goalie in Soccer and Amy sometimes played one on one against him.
Toward the far back Amy made out that a tall but thin boy with coffee colored hair and gray eyes named Shawn Springs three years below Amy and a midget girl with golden brown hair, green eyes and deeply tanned skin named Becky Bounce were taking turns playing with a hot pink slinky that had been donated by Parvati Patil. There had been days Amy had joined Shawn and Becky and played with slinkys with them.
Amy also took in that most of the clothes she saw the kids wearing had been those donated by Hannah's fellow Water Club member Justin Finch Fletchley.
She didn't have time to observe everyone, but what she did see brought her immense internal satisfaction.
Deciding to open the door and enter the Children's Common Playroom, Amy was greeted by everyone stopping what he or she was doing to give Amy a standing ovation with thunderous applause as they also clapped as loud as they could.
This lasted a few minutes and a few nanoseconds and was eventually replaced by everyone chanting 'AMY! AMY! AMY!" at the top of his or her lungs.
Amy felt tears of emotion forming in her eyes but didn't have much time to reflect on why as all the children of Nurture's Orphanage approached her and hugged her.
"So," said Amy cheerfully, "It brings joy and warmth to my heart to see you all playing with all the toys and games the fundraiser provided for Nurture's Orphanage. I was pleased to be told by Heather how much your spirits were all lifted when you all received your new toys and clothes and such. However, there is one young boy who wasn't here when I lived here who I'd like to meet. Heather told me that there is a five year old boy here whose spirit was never broken and that she came here to find him singing cheerful songs at that top of his lungs despite the hardships at hand."
At this, everyone pointed toward a five year old boy who looked five years old with flaming red hair and vivid blue eyes.
"My name is Johnathan Joy," the boy introduced himself as he walked up to Amy.
"I want to shake your hand," Amy told Johnathan.
Johnathan and Amy exchanged handshakes with their right hands.
"I respect the hell out of people who can keep the brightest outlook in the darkest of times," cooed Amy admiringly.
"Well," put forth a tall brunette girl with hazel eyes two years about Amy named Sandra Squirt who was holding a small orange water gun, "We here at Nurture's Orphanage admire the hell out of you for still caring about us even though you've moved on to a better life. You were always a good sport if I pranked you by squirting you from behind."
"No one would want to grow up in an orphanage, " acknowledged Amy, "But I was pretty well cared for here and with regard to you lot, I was always treated well by all the other kids here when I lived here. One thing that I always appreciated here is how there is no gender segregation here. Boy-Girl friendships are extremely common at Nurture's Orphanage and that's A Very Good Thing. I know the previous matrons here encouraged the boys and girls to play with each other and mom and dad are doing things the same way."
Everyone nodded at this.
"Gender should play zero role in friendship formation or dynamics and if it is playing more than zero role, something is Very Seriously Wrong," said Samuel firmly.
"Is there any advice you'd give us, Amy?" wondered Johnathan.
"Never smoke or use tobacco," said Amy clearly, "Remember: Tobacco: Tumor causing, teeth staining, smelly, puking habit."
Everyone nodded.
"I expect to drop in again in the future," said Amy confidently, "I will play with some of you in short stints on future visits. For now, I need to go back to mom and dad because there is apparently something they want to discuss with me. If it doesn't take too long maybe, they'll let me stay awhile and let me actually play with some of you. If not, well, it's nice seeing you all and I can't stress enough how much joy it brings me to see you all so happy and playful after everyone you've been though. This is why we did that fundraiser at my school. Mom and dad will be checking on you lot it a bit and I may be with them depending, for now, I need to go back to mom and dad to talk about whatever they need to talk to me about."
Everyone nodded in understanding and Amy walked through the door and back down the hallway where Harry had joined Andrew, Amanda, and Heather.
"Harry?" wondered Amy curiously, "What are you doing here?"
A shout out to the following members who have added Harry Potter and the Yellow Quartet to their favorites and/or follows lists since the last update.
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Much love from Arizona for all the support. Love you all-Michael :)