NineteenYearsLater

Time passed and we were soon on our way to their house. Their mother and father were waiting for us at the station when we arrived back at Platform 9 ¾. They greeted me as though I was one of their own, and I returned the warmth, glad that mom hadn’t told me to come home for Christmas. My house was a miserable place, even on a good day.
Christmas, in particular, was an unhappy time of the year for our family. Mom was always trying to impress people that were sleaze balls, and dad was never home anyway, so he did nothing whatsoever.

When we reached the house, I was led up to the guest room.

“We hope we didn’t intrude on any of your plans for Christmas?” Mrs. Potter said, standing in the doorway and watching me unpack.

“If it were truly important, I wouldn’t have come,” I said, concentrating on unpacking. I turned and grinned at her, “Luckily, my parents feel it necessary to ignore me as if I didn’t exist, so I have no worries about interrupting anything when I’m staying here.”

My hands brushed something that was packaged, for it crinkled and rustled. I looked down in surprise. A green present sat there, with a tag saying it was from Dad. It said for me to open it when I reached my destination; since I had, I opened it.

“What’s that you got there?” James had found me.

“I don’t know,” I said, staring at the strange objects inside. First was a cloth that glimmered. Second was a crown that glittered from the opals that adorned it. And third was a wand made of rowan, and three kinds of metal; copper, silver and gold.

There was also a letter inside from him.

Daughter, (It said)

I am sorry I am unable to give this to you in person, but your mother has refused me the ability to leave the house. She is quite an unsavory character and the only good thing that has come out of our union is you and your older brother. (I breathed a sigh of relief at that, since I was worried that he knew about my twin brother, who was younger than me. My older brother is eighteen.) If not for you two, I would have left her long ago. I knew I had to raise you to the best of my abilities, which means that I kept her away from you as much as I possibly could, so that you would be able to grow up the way you should have.

These items were your great ancestor’s personal affects. His name was Merlin, so I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He used these items to save people from their own evil. Each generation it changes shape, but only if there is a person of the blood who is able to wield the items sufficiently. When you were born I knew. They didn’t change until your breathed your first breath, not your older brother’s first breath, and certainly not your twin’s. (I jolted when I read that. I hadn’t realized he knew about John.) Yes, I was holding them when she gave birth, and only you changed their shapes. They used to be a sword, a helmet and a pouch full of odd-colored stones.

These items that you see before you are meant only for you and can only be used by you, or by someone you have given your heart to. (Another jolt at that. So if I fell in love, the person I fell in love with could use the items as well? Interesting.) If you know that then also know that they didn’t change for me, in fact they hadn’t changed in six generations. Every person who had changed them before was a man, so you’re changing them indicates a change in the tradition, and I’m not sure that it is for the best.

Please take care of these items, and use them well.

I know I do not seem it, but I love you, my little gem.

Father.

I stared at the ending in shock. How was I the one that would use these for defeating something evil? James picked up the cloth and played with it, laughing.

“Hey, give that back!” I said, grinning at him and chasing him around the room, attempting to reacquire it. “That isn’t yours!”

I grabbed it and it somehow wrapped itself around both of us, tripping us so we fell down.

“Oof!” James said, as I landed on him.

“Well what do you expect? Goofball!” I said, grinning at him.

Mrs. Potter came into the room and we both went silent.

“James? Lillian?” She called, walking around the room, looking for us as we stared at her from the floor, “Where are you two? Dinner!”

“Um, mom? We’re down here.” James said.

Mrs. Potter looked down at where the voice came from and looked confused.

“I’m must be getting tired,” she said, rubbing her eyes, “since I could have sworn I heard my son’s voice.”

“I’m right here mom,” James said again, both of us exchanged confused glances.

Mrs. Potter looked at the spot again and looked frustrated.

“James, did you take your father’s invisibility cloak again?” She demanded, staring at just past his shoulder. My neck was getting a crick in it from craning my neck to look at her. I had landed on James facedown, and the bloody cloth wasn’t letting me turn around. “Because I can’t see you, and this is ticking me off.”

I pulled off the cloth that covered James’ head and Mrs. Potter jumped.

“There you are!” She scolded, shaking her finger at him, “Now where is Lillian? I know she’s around here somewhere.”

“I think she went to find the bathroom,” James said smoothly, sitting up as if I wasn’t laying on him. His mom couldn’t see anything of him except his head, so she couldn’t tell I was attached to him with cloth.

Mrs. Potter nodded and thanked him, reminding him to return the cloak to its resting place
when he was done with it. She left.

I shook my head at her and tried to untangle us.

I managed to get all of the cloth off of us except at our feet. The bloody thing refused to let go.

“Darn it, you stubborn piece of crap!” I exclaimed, grabbing it and ripping at it, “Merlin had a twisted sense of humor to use something with its own personality! Let Go!”

With a loud ripping sound, the cloth tore, part of it turning into a bracelet around James’ ankle. The rest of it came away in my hands. We looked at it, confused.

“Is that supposed to indicate something?” James asked me. I glared at the cloth.

“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it!” I yelled, tossing the cloth at my suitcase.

“At least take the wand with you,” James said, knowing I didn’t actually own a wand because Mom never bothered to check and see if I had one. I sighed and grabbed it, knowing I would regret it later, even though it did make me feel comforted for some reason. We went down to dinner, where I got berated with questions about where I was, since Mrs. Potter hadn’t been able to find me.