Chimaera Of Judgement

17: Not Quite An Uncle

The first sensation that came to Albus after exiting the fireplace was that he was home; the aromas of flowers and cooking, the warmth of the cozy stone kitchen, everything about it. He hadn't expected to feel this strongly about it after a single term away at school, but on some basic level, he had indeed missed his house.

The next sensation that came to Albus was pain.

"Welcome home, Seeker!" his mother sighed into his hair as she hooked her free arm around his neck, inadvertently knocking his head into James's, which was in her other elbow. "You've had an exciting term, haven't you? Oh, it's so good to have my babies home again!"

"And our welcome home present is a goose-egg?" said James as he straightened, rubbing the spot where the brothers had collided.

"Oh, hush. So..." They headed over to the table where Lily and their father were already sitting, Kreacher pushing a mug of cocoa into Lily's hands. "Let's hear what it's like playing on the same team with your sibling - not that I don't know from personal experience, of course."

A pleasant lunch drifted by with the family exchanging news of the past several months, both good and bad. Albus frowned when he received what was quickly becoming an all-too-familiar reaction.

"A Muggle-born Slytherin?" his father breathed. "Blimey..."

"That's what Rose and I said - what everybody says."

"What's she like?" Ginny asked keenly. "There has to be something that's put her in Slytherin House."

Albus was surprised to hear Lily speak up. "Well, she's... you might say she's a bit, er..."

"Spinny," James finished for her.

Albus cast narrowed eyes at his brother. "Oi!"

"She is," he shot back. "Dismal, wispy ickle thing, never talks to anybody. All anyone else knows about her is that they don't see her outside class or the library, and that apparently she doesn't wash often enough. Mental with a capital 'M', you ask me."

"I don't recall anybody asking you," said Albus frostily. "Dad, the girl's not happy there - she hasn't got any friends, the students are always having a go at her, and now she's convinced she'll be asked to leave school. They wouldn't do that, would they?"

Their mother tutted. "Of course not, don't be thick."

"I suspect Draco's boy will be the one asked to leave," their father said. "But then again, if there's anything the Malfoys excel at, it's worming their way out of trouble. Slimy gits." James, Lily and Albus all grinned at each other. "But nevermind that just now - tell me more about what the ghosts have been doing, we're only getting sketchy details down at the office."

Both parents listened in silence as their children divulged all they'd seen and heard about the spirits at Hogwarts' misbehaviour. Their mother gasped when they got to Elizabeth's disheartening night in the second-floor lavatory.

"Not little Elizabeth!"

"Who?" their father asked, taking a drink of his butterbeer.

"Parvati's eldest - that's awful, I'll have to send an owl on..."

"That's very unlike Myrtle," said Harry thoughtfully. "I ran into her many times in my years at Hogwarts, you know, and I can't recall her ever saying anything that cruel. Depressing, without a doubt, but not-"

"She was rather sweet on your father." His wife shot him a would-be reproachful look, except she failed to disguise the smirk lurking underneath. For his part, he coughed into his fist.

"Don't be silly, Ginny, dear."

"Always drifting along after you, peeking at you while you were bathing, the tart-"