Melody Riddle and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 10: Back to School

The next day — the day before it was time to catch the train to school — I had letters written for Marcus and Lissy with the Firebolts attached before going to work at the wand shop.

In Lissy's I had to write that it could really fly, and bade her a happy belated birthday. I sent Marcus's out on mom's owl, Ebony – to her biggest disgruntlement because I had promised I'd already sent my last letter of the summer – but I brought Lissy's to Diagon Alley with me.

For my lunch break, I went to the Magical Menagerie and looked around a bit. A sleek black, male Barn Owl caught my eye. I went over and took its cage, "Hey there," I said softly, putting my finger in. He nipped it affectionately. A nice one is a must...

I bought the Barn Owl and when I got out of the store I said, "I have a job for you already." The owl hooted excitedly. "I've bought you for a friend of mine named Lissy Parker... she has brown, wavy hair and hazel eyes. She lives in Wool's Orphanage." I tied the letter to the owl's leg, writing in extra notes for Lissy's benefit that the owl is a male and he belonged to her. I also tied the cage to his leg, luckily those things were light as a feather. "You're going to love her," I said softly, "have a safe journey." He flew away, excited to see his new owner.

This year was going to be very different, in more ways than one. I could just feel it.

⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛ ⚯͛

"Whaddaya want?" I mumbled into my pillow as my mom shook me awake the following morning. My blinds were open so, when I didn't feel any sunlight beaming through my window, my automatic reaction being to fall back asleep.

"Get up, we're eating breakfast before we go. The train leaves in two hours..." she said, walking out of the room. "And you'll need your umbrella!"

It would be raining. Just great.

I slowly rolled out of bed, fumbling a bit as I got dressed. "So tired," I mumbled, "too early..." I grabbed my umbrella out of my trunk before closing it, then lifting it and the cat cage – in which Bodoujn had already meandered in and lay down to sleep. "Lucky you," I grumbled at him.

Bodoujn meowed sleepily as I made my way down the stairs.

Mom, Jim, Gerald, Nick, and Blake were awake at the kitchen table downstairs eating the bacon, eggs and hash browns mom cooked.

"Are you all coming?" I asked in surprise, sitting in the empty seat between mom and Jim. The car was going to feel very crowded.

The adults all nodded.

Mom explained. "Your grandparents are sleeping in today. Jim will be driving, Gerald will be in the passenger seat, I will be in the back seat with Blake on my lap next to you and Nick. It might be better for me to sit in the middle for Blake's safety... we all want to see you off."

"Wow, even you Gerald?" I asked with a smirk.

He scoffed but didn't answer.

I giggled, "Love you too, uncle."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Jim chuckled as I began eating, "I just want to see a little bit more of this magical world. Orele tells me that to get to the platform your train is on, you have to run through a wall!"

I looked up at him in amusement.

Despite mom erasing his memory for so long, he was being pretty good about all of the chaos. Though.. he won't tell me what he's intending on doing about his job back in Colorado. I tried to ask the previous night if they know where he is, and he avoided the question entirely: