–You’re going to have to say all that one more time for me. At least. And slowly, please,†Edie said when they got home that night and he showed her the letter. Zacharias had briefly considered not showing it to her at all, but he knew what could happen when Hogwarts letters were ignored. Jezzie probably wasn’t another Harry Potter, but however intent on having her the school might’ve been, it was generally better to just open the first letter.
To her great credit, Jezzie had taken the whole thing very much in stride, at least as much as she knew. Zacharias hadn’t told her about his own past at the school, that her grandparents were probably still alive on an estate on the outskirts of the city where the brooms pushed themselves about, or that her father had left the school in disgrace. That would come later. For now, all she knew was that she was being invited to learn magic, which seemed to surprise her very little, all things considered.
–It’s a school,†Zacharias said, slowly, as though he were talking to someone from another country. –She’s been invited to go and learn magic there.â€
–Like how to saw a lady in half?†Edie asked.
–No,†Zacharias said. If she thought he was joking, he hoped the look on his face was enough to disabuse her of that notion. He thought it was, from what he could see in the mirror behind her. His face, bearded and now bespectacled but still showing some of the well-formed angles of his youth, was a grim mask, his mouth a hard line.
–Real magic, mum,†Jezzie said helpfully. –I can go.†It wasn’t a question. –Cause dad did. Right? Tell her.â€
–That’s right,†Zacharias said. He knew he was going to have to prove it, he just hoped that he could make the time between now and then last as long as possible. He had no wand, and although he’d learned some minor wandless magic at Hogwarts, even that was very advanced stuff compared to the ease of using a wand. He didn’t know if he had the fingers for it any longer.
–I thought you went to…,†Edie trailed off as she realized that they had never, in all their years together, actually discussed where Zacharias had gone to school, at least not in any significant detail. –Hang on…this doesn’t make any sense.â€
–No,†Zacharias agreed as he screwed up the fingers of his right hand into a series of contortions that were familiar in aching pain that they caused to blossom in his joints, –it doesn’t.†With a final snap of his fingers that echoed off of the plaster walls of the flat, a small purple flame burst to life and hovered about an inch above the palm of Zacharias’ outstretched hand. Edie pressed herself back into the large orange chair that she liked to read in, as far away as she could get from the flame while still being in the chair. Jezzie was fascinated.
–How did you do that?†Edie asked.
–Magic.†He snapped again and the flame disappeared. Zacharias thought absurdly that he would never be able to adequately explain to his wife how difficult that small spell had been to do without a wand.
–Have you always been able to do that?â€
–Not always. My mum and dad…they have magic too,†Zacharias explained. –I got my invitation to Hogwarts on my eleventh birthday and went there to learn. Before that I only could do a few things at random. I got really angry once and managed to kick a pumpkin from our garden a mile off. That sort of thing.â€
Edie was suddenly on high alert, –Have magic? They’re alive?â€
Zacharias had known this was coming too. –I think so.â€
–You think so?â€
–Look, Edie,†he said, –I’ve never lied to you. About any of it. When I left all of this behind, I left for good, my parents included, and they never tried to find me either. One of the things that drew me to you was the fact that you could let me be myself without the magic, without my past. I didn’t have to lie.â€
–But why did you do it?†she asked. –What could make a person leave, well, I don’t rightly know what it is, but what could make someone leave real bloody magic behind?â€
–Is-is it alright if we save that for another time? I’m not sure I’m quite ready to talk about that yet. If you can believe it, this has all come as a shock to me too,†he said.
She never hesitated for a moment. –You can tell me when you’re ready. We’ve gotten along this far. If you say that you’re the same man with or without magic, I believe you.†Zacharias felt a stinging behind his glasses and blinked it away.
Jezzie was watching this all with rapt attention and finally broke in, –So can I go?â€
–Is it a good school?†Edie asked.
–The best,†was all Zacharias could say by way of response. Something in her eyes seemed to bore right through him, to understand what was going unsaid: if it was the best, he hadn’t appreciated it that way. Edie’s eyes passed between Zacharias and Jezzie. Jezzie’s stared straight back into her mother’s, willing her to give the answer she so wanted.
–And you, you’re alright with her doing this even with…whatever happened to you?†Edie asked.
–Sometimes, when magic is involved, choices are limited,†Zacharias answered. –If she has talent, and they think she does, then she needs training.â€
Edie nodded. She read the letter that she had been clutching in her white-knuckled hands throughout the entire conversation over once more. It might’ve been the twentieth time. Her grip on its thick, creamy paper loosened slightly, and she handed it without a word to Jezzie.
–Really?†Jezzie said. –Really?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!†She got up like a shot and pelted down the short hallway toward her room, whooping the entire way.
–We’re going to have a long, long talk,†Edie said when she was out of earshot. –You know that, right?â€
–I do,†Zacharias said.
–But before that,†she said with a tired smile, –do I get to meet your parents?â€
Suddenly a cracking sound could be heard from outside the window, just outside the apartment where the iron fire escape was bolted to the building. Edie nearly jumped out of her skin, thinking that someone had decided to celebrate bonfire night early, but Zacharias remained stone still. He knew that sound. Someone had Apparated onto their fire escape. When he’d sent the owl to his parents’ manor, he had hoped that the effort of spotting and flagging down a magic owl would be worth it. It seemed it was.
–I think you may be about to,†Zacharias send. The window slid open with a CHUNK, and after ducking his head to squeeze his lanky body through, Zacharias’ father was standing before him. As a boy, Zacharias had often heard people say that he looked like his father. He hadn’t really believed it until just that moment. Ezekiel Smith was even taller than his son, but had the same wheat-colored hair and gold-flecked brown eyes. Even his nose, slightly upturned, was exactly the same as Zacharias’ own. He was sixty now by Zacharias’ estimation, but there wasn’t a grey hair to be found anywhere on his head. He looked older, that much was true, but wizards’ long lifespans meant that he looked, at most, ten years older than the last time his son had seen him.
–Son,†was all he said.
–Dad,†was all Zacharias said.
–I…I got your message,†Ezekiel said, taking a tentative step toward his son. He seemed not to have noticed Edie, or Jezzie, who had heard the commotion and was peeking around a corner at everything. Before Zacharias knew what was happening his father had clasped him in a tight embrace, the first he could remember in his whole life.
When it broke apart he stared into his father’s eyes for a long moment. –You never tried to find me.â€
–No,†his father insisted. –We always knew where you were. Always. But we knew you didn’t want us around. The way you left, everything that happened. We thought one day you would come back to us. And you did.â€
–Hello,†came a small voice from somewhere near the floor. Jezzie was standing there, her hand extended toward her grandfather. –You’re my granddad.†It wasn’t a question.
–I am,†Ezekiel said, bending his knobby knees limberly to get down to her level as he took her hand and shook it. –Jezebel, yes? I heard you’ve been invited to Hogwarts.†He stood again and beamed at Zacharias, –Another Smith for Hufflepuff, eh? Loyalty, fairness, kindness.â€
–Maybe.†Zacharias found that he had suddenly lost the good feeling that had threatened to bubble up from somewhere deep inside him. Edie broke him from his reverie by standing from her chair and introducing herself. Zacharias was gratified to find that his father had nothing to say about his son marrying a Muggle, though he was sure it was on the tip of his tongue. Loyal, fair, and kind the Smiths of Hufflepuff might’ve been, but they were also pureblooded as far back as anyone could remember which, among wizards, was quite a long ways. It was such a long ways, in fact, that no one really knew where the line began.
–Hufflepuff?†Jezzie asked. –That’s a stupid-sounding word. What's it mean?"
–Tell you later,†Zacharias said, then turning to Ezekiel, –Did you bring it?â€
–I did.†He reached into an inner pocket of his long blue coat and withdrew Zacharias’ wand. It looked just the same, an eight inch length of cream-colored maple, the handled carved with whorling, non-sensical patterns. Just looking at it he could feel the dragon heartstring thrumming, singing to him. Singing for him. Mr. Ollivander had said that it had come from one of the largest Welsh Greens ever on record. Who knew if that was true. Probably Mr. Ollivander did.
He took it hungrily from his father’s hand, suddenly seized by the knowledge of just how much he had missed it after so long. The world seemed to go slightly dim around him, nothing lit properly except for himself and his wand as he felt the power rush back into and through him. When he felt it begin to settle he gave it a small flick. He felt the sparks before he saw them, golden and beautiful, cascading from the end of the wand and fading from sight just before they fell to the floor.
–Whoa,†Jezzie breathed from his right.
–Still got the feel for it, I see,†Ezekiel said with a wry grin. Zacharias was acutely aware of the fact that he couldn’t remember having seen his father smile before.
Edie said nothing, merely clasped her hand to her mouth. She still hadn’t quite believed what was happening until that moment it seemed.
–Can I try it?†Jezzie asked.
She reached for the wand and Zacharias pulled away. –No. Not this one. Every witch or wizard has their own wand. And besides, if you did any spells at your age we’d have the Ministry on us faster than you can…â€
–Ministry?†Edie asked. She seemed to be taking all of this entirely too well, to the point that Zacharias was sure he was in for some sort of breakdown when they went to bed that night, assuming any of them could actually sleep.
–Our government,†Zacharias explained, surprised at how easily the word –our†had come out of his mouth in relationship to something magical. –Mostly they just try to make sure nobody spills the beans. Anyway, you’ll get your own wand, Jez. The best we can afford.â€
–You don’t have to worry about that,†Ezekiel said.
–I’m not going to let you pay for this, Dad,†Zacharias said firmly.
–I’m not,†his father replied. –She is.†He leveled his index finger at Jezzie.
–Me?†For the first time all day Jezzie sounded incredulous. –I don’t have any money.â€
Ezekiel reached his long-fingered hand back into the pocket from which he’d taken Zacharias’ wand and he drew a delicate golden key. He handed it to Jezzie. –I think you’ll find that you do. When your grandmother and I found out that you had been born, we started a small investment fund for you with Gringotts. It’s entirely yours and rather sizeable just now.†He turned to Edie, –Did your husband tell you that he came from considerable wealth? I expect he didn’t.†Zacharias’ face burned.
Edie was suddenly at his side. –No, he didn’t. And it wouldn’t have mattered.†Ezekiel looked to be lost for words at that, and Zacharias only hoped that what he ended up finding didn’t include anything unintentionally offensive toward Muggles, not that Edie would have known the difference.
He finally gave a small cough to give himself more time to think and said, –Well, in any case, you’ll need to get her shopping done sooner rather than later I should think. Term is coming up quickly. If…if you don’t want to take her your mother and I could…â€
–No,†Zacharias said. –I’ll take her. I need to do it.â€
–Take me where?†Jezzie asked.
–To Diagon Alley.â€
---
As much as she wanted to come along, Edie agreed without much argument that she would mind the store while Zacharias took Jezzie shopping the next day. He didn’t know quite how he would feel about the whole experience and didn’t want to worry her if he was unable to handle it. Jezzie had no choice but to be introduced to all this. Edie didn’t have to be. They took a bus down streets that ached with memory for Zacharias. He’d come down them before with his mother and father to do his own school shopping, and in later years gone with friends, entirely free of parents.
They disembarked in front of a building so thoroughly black and soot-stained that it looked as though it had recently been burned. But, as they always had, the colors changed as you approached, the creaky, swinging wooden sign faded from black to gold and displayed the words –Leaky Cauldron†in ornate carved lettering. Zacharias wondered if Jezzie could see what he did or if that only came later, once you’d really learned how to see what went on behind the world’s many obscuring layers of curtains.
–What’s this place? Is this the magic stuff shop?†Jezzie asked as she stared at it. She’d dressed in the most punk fashion she could muster, but even that was relatively mild, considering that she was eleven years old. Edgy haircuts were one thing, but the edgiest her clothing got was a red and black checked flannel and jeans that were ripped at both knees. He was fairly certain she’d done the ripping herself, and that he hadn’t bought them that way.
–No,†Zacharias said. –It’s a pub, of sorts.â€
–I get to go into a pub?!†Zacharias was only a little disturbed at how eager his daughter seemed about that prospect.
–We’re just passing through,†Zacharias said. They entered to the sight of a motley collection of people, scattered all about the place. A man wearing an orange top hat was bent over a pint across the table from a goblin, and they were playing some sort of chess-like game where all of the pieces were different kinds of reptiles, undulating and glistening in the dim light as they made their moves. Three witches wearing matching purple shifts were muttering to one another in low tones in another corner and shooting dirty looks at anyone who came within ten feet of them, which was most people, given the size of the place. The room smelled of smoke, both tobacco and from cooking, with light tones of a bonfire thrown in for good measure.
–Hello, welcome,†came a distracted-sounding woman’s voice. The innkeeper was bustling about with armfuls of empty glasses and soiled washrags.
–’Lo,†Zacharias said as he passed, intending to leave it at that and pass through to the wall where one could enter Diagon Alley. Before he could, he heard a deafening crash and the distinctive sound of glass breaking. He turned instinctively toward the sound and saw it was the woman. She was staring at him, eyes wide and white. And suddenly he knew her. She had gained some weight since the last time he’d seen her, but she’d been only a girl then, and a wisp of a girl at that, all pink cheeks and hair that she wore in pigtails until she was eighteen. She was unmistakable. She was Hannah Abbott.