The Summer Of 1899

Chapter 1. Tea

Albus woke up quite early the next day. He had had some trouble falling asleep last night. He had dreamt of his mother, that she was alive and calling him from behind a bush in the graveyard. As Albus reached her, she vanished, and her place was taken by the golden haired boy. For some strange reason, he couldn't get the boy out of his mind. He woke up feeling murky and tired.

Albus yawned and stretched his hands and legs. He went over to the lone window in his room and pulled open the shades. The warm glow of the bright summer sun filled his room. The room was decorated in sparse but elegant furniture. On one corner was his four poster bed, near which was an exquisite dressing table. One wall had an plain mahagony cupboard and near the window was his desk which was stacked with piles of books and various handwritten notes. Everything on his desk lay untouched, just as he had left it before leaving for his trip. He stood by the window for a while, enjoying the warm morning sun.

Just then, he spotted three owls in the sky. They were getting nearer and nearer until they swooped right into his room through the window. They were fighting for a spot on his already cluttered desk. Finally the biggest one, a brown barn owl landed on the desk and the other two found place on the windowsill. Albus reached for the one on the desk. It had a copy of The Daily Prophet, the wizard newspaper tucked in its beak. Albus took it and threw it unceremoniously over a pile of books. He placed little bronze Knut into the pouch tied at its feet and the owl flew away, feeling important.

The other two owls had letters from his classmates at Hogwarts. One was from his friend Elphias Doge. He flipped it open and read. He had written about how sad he was that Albus couldn't accompany him to the trip and had went on to describe about his adventures so far. Albus read halfway through it and then it went along with the discarded newspaper.

The third letter was from a girl called Margarette Winfred. She had been in Albus's year at Hogwarts and Elphias has more than often suggested that Margarette used to fancy him and that they should get together. But he had always been least interested. Love, he believed was for the deadbeats and idlers. He, on the other hand, had different plans for his life, and had no time to spare for such foolish indulgences. Oh the many pranks he had played on Margarette to avoid her! She had written to Albus expressing her condolences on his mother's death. Albus made a mental note of replying to her and that letter too was discarded. Disappointed, he fed the two owls some water and a few scruples and they flew back out of the window, into the blue morning sky.

Albus now made his way to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. It showed a tall thin boy with wavy auburn hair and deep set blue eyes. He remembered how people used to tell him that his eyes were so beautiful and always shining. Now, it seemed like the sparkle had gone. He washed quickly and got ready for breakfast.

Downstairs, he went into Ariana's bedroom first. She was still asleep and beside her was Aberforth who had apparently abandoned his own room and slept here. Albus sometimes felt jealous of them. Aberforth and Ariana had been very close since childhood. They shared a very special bond. Albus on the other hand, used to keep to himself, locked up in his room with all his books. Though he was his mother's favourite, she, being a stern woman, didn't display her affections often.

Albus gently walked into the room and pulled open the window curtains.
"Good morning, little birds. Time to wake up."

"Good morning Albus", Ariana said in the middle of a yawn while Aberforth still lay fast asleep.

"Look at Aberforth! He wouldn't know if there was a Hippogriff stomping in the room right now! Wake him up for me, will you", said Albus. "I'll go conjure something up for breakfast. I've bought pumpkin pasties for you!"

"Ohh thanks", said Ariana with a sad smile. Ariana was frail and rather skinny for a thirteen year old girl. She had long straight blonde hair which were now tangled.