The Cupboard Series 4: The Fourth School

Chapter 4

"Ma, there's an owl here for you!" Colin called as he raced into the cottage, the door slamming shut behind him.

Ava Creevey looked up in confusion from the kitchen bench where she was in the beginning stages of making that night's dinner – in this case, a shepherd's pie. The notion of an owl delivering mail had seemed ludicrous two years ago when Professor McGonagall first introduced the idea to the family when she was giving Colin his very first introduction to the world of witches and wizards.

Even now, after receiving an owl a week for two years with Colin's weekly letter to them from school, she still hadn't completely become used to the concept.

"For me?" she asked.

Now if it'd been for Colin from one of his many friends, it'd make sense. But for her to receive one when Colin was home ... ?

"That's what it says on the envelope," Colin replied. "And the owl won't let me take the letter since she knows that it's for you."

Indeed, now that she looked properly, Ava noted the owl perched on her eldest son's shoulder.

Dusting her hands off on her apron, Ava approached the boy and bird before reaching out and untying the letter from the owl's outstretched leg. As soon as it was in her hand, the owl flapped off, before perching on top on the curtain rail.

"I guess she's been told to wait a reply," Colin remarked.

Deftly, Ava extracted the letter.

Dear Ava,

We met the other day at Harry's place, Potter Haven, when Harry invited our children for the day.

I (Emma) recently had an interesting discussion with my daughter, Hermione, in relation to some facts about the standard of magical education that is on offer to our children at Hogwarts that she found out about at Potter Haven.

After relating this conversation with Beth, we decided that it could be quite beneficial to hold a larger discussion with a number of other parents about this topic. Therefore, we would like to invite you to my house this coming Saturday at two p.m.

We've instructed the owl to await your reply.

Kindest regards,

Emma Granger and Beth Pemberton.

After noting the address in Crawley at the top of the letter, Ava looked across at the calendar on the wall. Yes. Yes, she could make that work. She may not understand what Colin, and soon Dennis, were learning at Hogwarts, but as their mother, she was determined to make sure that she showed as much of an interest as she could. Especially if it related to the standard of education that they were receiving.

-oOoOo-

As could only be expected, Augusta found her grandson in one of the greenhouses of Longbottom Manor. They'd been his favourite haunt for years, his retreat, she knew.

As the years had progressed, she'd had to grudgingly admit that he had some talent in the area of Herbology. In that, he was much like his mother, Alice. And as much as it pained her to admit, Neville was much more his mother's son than his father's.

She'd been trying for years to mould him more into the direction that his father, Frank, had grown. She'd tried being disapproving of his need to hide out in the greenhouses while at the same time encouraging his duelling skills by enforcing a mandatory hour each day in the manor's duelling room.

When Neville had started at Hogwarts, she'd ceremoniously passed on Frank's old wand for the boy to use. Unfortunately, as good of a wand that it was, he hadn't produced the results and marks that she'd expected. Meeting Harry Potter on the very first day had also encouraged Augusta's hopes.