Lumos

There was always something odd about that little cottage at the end of Rowan Street. Its inhabitants, a woman and her two children, were quiet and respectable and seemed perfectly normal in every way. And yet, they were regarded as strange and troublesome, particularly the children.

It was mostly to do with the abandoned manor up on Hangman Hill, which overlooked the town. The manor had once belonged to an important diplomat, who had mysteriously hung himself and earned the hill its title. The building was said to be haunted and the everyone was terrified to go anywhere near it.

Everyone except for the James family.

Esther James was a short, curvy woman with caramel-colored hair and gray eyes. She worked at the local pub every week morning and every weekend evening. Felicity James, Esther’s ten-year-old daughter, was of average height and weight, and had long brown hair that curled naturally around her shoulders. Her eyes were a unique shade of hazel, green around the pupil fading out into an amber-brown. Felix James also had brown hair, but his eyes, like his mother’s, were gray and he was particularly small for his age, which was five.

It was Felix that caused the unrest among the neighbors. He liked to play outside, detesting every second his mother kept him at the kitchen table, learning his vocabulary and numbers. It was his greatest joy to climb the hill to the crumbling manor and vanish through the crack in the east corner of the building. Rumors flew of what he was up to in there at all hours but, as no one was brave enough to follow him, no one knew for sure. Time and again, Esther forbad Felix from visiting the house on the hill. However, not having the heart to keep him inside, she couldn’t really stop him from eventually returning.

Felicity, like everyone else, was terrified of the house on Hangman Hill. She never would have dreamed of approaching the house anyway, as Felicity was as well-behaved as could be and never did anything against her mother’s wishes. That is, until the day of her eleventh birthday.

The day of Felicity’s birthday began like any other - Esther woke her children, made them breakfast, then sat them down to do their lessons before going to work at nine. Felicity and Felix finished their work, Felicity more or less forcing Felix not to run off early, before going outside to play until Esther returned at two. She had stopped at the bakery to pick up a small cake and was carrying a small package wrapped in plain brown paper.

By three o’clock, Esther was preparing tea to go with the cake. Felicity was curled up in the window seat that overlooked the front garden, engrossed in her birthday present - a leatherbound copy of The Secret Garden. Felix, unhappy at having to be indoors, was in the room he and Felicity shared, sulking.

With the tea finished, Esther called Felix from his room and lit the candles on Felicity’s cake. “Make a wish, sweetheart,” she said fondly, laying her hand across her daughter’s shoulders. Felicity thought hard for a moment, not sure what to wish for. She enjoyed her life here in Eagle Glen. Peaceful, if a little boring at times. Feeling she was taking too long, Felicity took a breath without a wish in mind. Before she could blow out the candles, however, there was a knock on the door.

Relieved for more time to consider her wish, Felicity exclaimed, “I’ll get it!” and bounded to the front door before her mother could stop her. She pulled the heavy door open and beheld two of the oddest-looking people she’d ever seen. The first was a boy about her own age, wearing green, pinstriped corduroy pants and a black blazer with padded shoulders. The other was an older man, dressed in a casual white suit over a blue shirt.

“Can I help you?” Felicity asked warily - she knew well not to trust strangers.

“Hey, kiddo!” the man said cheerfully. “Happy birthday! I’ve brought a cake.”

The man then pushed his way into the house, wobbling under the weight of his many parcels. The boy followed him obediently, giving Felicity a strange look as he passed.

Esther froze at the sight of the man entering their home, her expression quickly passing from surprise to barely contained anger. “Markus,” she said darkly. “How did you find us?”

“I never lost you,” said Markus simply, dumping his parcels on the couch and digging through them until he produced a large bakery box. He set it on the table and removed the lid with a flourish, revealing a lavish cake with real rosebuds and ribbons decorating it. “Couldn’t miss my niece’s birthday, could I?”

Esther crossed her arms tightly. “You missed the first ten.”

“I’m here for the most important one,” he replied, waving a dismissive hand. He then turned his attention to Felicity. She examined him with equal interest - he had dark, nearly black hair shot through with streaks of white. His features were all sharp, but none more so than his keen eyes. They were gray, nearly identical to Esther’s.

Finally, apparently satisfied with what he saw, Markus drew Felicity into a rather awkward hug and declared, “What a lovely young lady! Sure to be a credit to our family.”

“We have more family?” asked Felicity curiously. Her mother had never mentioned any living family, and got irritated when Felix or Felicity began asking questions about it. Now she had an uncle and possibly more!

“Certainly,” said Markus jovially. He had a very loud voice that seemed to bounce around the small room. “Your grandmother, Sybilla, and your ‘cousin,’ Sebastian.” He gestured to the boy, who was standing rather awkwardly in the middle of the living room, examining the family’s small, rarely-used television.

“Cousin?”

“Not really, but it rolls off the tongue more smoothly than ‘uncle’s ward.’” Markus chuckled at his own cleverness, now beginning to sort through the packages on the couch. “What first, dear? Presents or cake?”

“Markus,” said Esther firmly. “I don’t know why you’re here, but-”

“Felicity’s birthday,” Markus interrupted. “I’ve told you already.”

“Right.” Esther sounded unconvinced. “Anyhow, we don’t have the room for you or your...ward. And, at any rate, I don’t want you to…” She trailed off as Felix made his appearance, curiosity apparently overcoming his sullenness. Her tone softened and she said to Felicity, “Why don’t you take your brother and your, er, cousin out to see the back garden? I think the bluebells are blooming.”

Felicity longed to know what she was about to miss, but obeyed, taking Felix’s hand and leading the way down the hall, through their mother’s bedroom, and out the back door, Sebastian trailing behind them.

The instant they were gone, Markus rounded on Esther. “You haven’t told her anything, have you?”

“There’s nothing to tell her,” Esther snapped, slamming a hand on the table, “and I won’t have you filling her head with dreams she’ll never fulfill!”

“You were always so bloody proud, weren’t you? Can’t stand that your own kids might have more talent than you,” Markus sneered.

“I don’t want them disappointed. If you’re only here to stir up trouble, you can just leave now. We don’t want anything to do with you and you certainly have no interest in being part of our family.”

“You speak so certainly,” said Markus, shaking his head. His loud voice had softened and crossed his arms as he continued, “Why wouldn’t I want my niece and nephew, whom I only just learned I have, to be a part of the family?

“Because you don’t even know if they’re like you!” exclaimed Esther, throwing up her hands in frustration.

“You assume they’ll inherit your lesser blood, Astoria, but-”

“It’s Esther now.”

Markus hissed distastefully. “It doesn’t matter. As I was saying, you assume they’ll take after you.”

“You can’t know-”

“But I do, dear sister,” he said smugly, pulling a heavy envelope from his pocket. “Didn’t you wonder how I knew about your children in the first place? Dumbledore contacted me himself, asked if I wanted to give you the good news myself.”

Esther eyed the envelope in Markus’ hand as though it were a bomb, able to explode at any moment. Her heart leapt as she saw Felicity James on the front of it in familiar handwriting. Could it be? “She got in.”

“Of course, she did,” said Markus . “Now, you’ve got to act quickly if we’re to get her prepared. She’ll be as bad off as a Mudblood at this point. Damage control.”

“Don’t use that word.”

“Don’t be such a ninny. Now, let’s talk about her learning. So much she needs to know…”

As the adults settled into somewhat civil conversation, Felicity was having problems out in the garden. The James’ back garden was small, ringed by a low, stone wall surrounded by small shrubs. The back wall of the house was covered in ivy and the bluebells were, indeed, blooming.

The moment they’d stepped outside, Sebastian had said, “You don’t know anything, do you?”

“What?” asked Felicity, confused.

“About our world. Markus said you might not, and he was right.”

“I know things,” Felicity protested. Was he calling her stupid?

“Not important things,” said Sebastian, scowling at her. “Bet you haven’t even heard of Hogwarts, have you?”

Of course, Felicity never had heard of Hogwarts, whatever it was, but she didn’t want him to think she was a nitwit. So, crossing her arms, she said, “I might have.”

“You have,” Sebastian smirked, “or you haven’t. And I think you haven’t.”

“What is it, then?”

“It’s a school. A school of magic.”

Felicity blinked. “A...what?”

“Cool!” Felix exclaimed.

“Very cool,” said Sebastian, grinning at Felix. “Best school there is, Hogwarts. Not sure how you got in, though. You don’t even know any magic, do you?”

“This is rubbish,” Felicity snapped. “There’s no such thing as Hogwarts. There’s no such thing as magic.”

Felix frowned. “Aw.”

“If magic’s not real, explain this,” said Sebastian, pulling a thin piece of wood from his inner coat pocket.

Felicity stared blankly at it. “It’s a stick.”

“It’s a wand.”

“So do some magic, then.”

Sebastian frowned. “Can’t. Not allowed to use magic outside of school.”

“Convenient.”

Frown turning to an angry scowl, Sebastian said, “It’s true! Markus will show you when he’s done arguing with your mum. It’s her fault you’re like this, anyway.”

“Leave my mum alone,” Felicity snapped.

“Why? She’s a liar. She lied to you.”

“About what?”

“About what you are.”

“And what’s that?”

“A witch.”

Felicity stared incredulously at Sebastian, not sure what to say. This was all ridiculous, of course, but there was something sincere in his expression, in his caramel-colored eyes. Now that she looked more carefully, he seemed older than her - maybe thirteen or fourteen. Sebastian ran a hand through his dark curls and started to say something else, but was cut off by Felix tugging on his sleeve.

“Hey,” said Felix, “I think magic is real.”

“Good on you, but-”

“Because I read it,” he continued, pointing toward Hangman Hill. “There’s lot of diaries and weird stuff up there. I think witches lived there, maybe.”

Sebastian looked up at the manor with renewed interest. “Really? Let’s see it, then.”

“No!” exclaimed Felicity. “We’re not allowed. You’re not supposed to be going in there anymore.”

“Come on, James,” said Sebastian, finally smiling. The effect made him look much more likeable - if he hadn’t spent the last several minutes insulting her, Felicity might’ve even wanted to be his friend. As it was, she was eyeing him distrustfully. He crossed his arms at her expression and said, “Afraid of ghosts?”

Felicity stuck her chin out. “No.”

“Prove it.”

Felicity glanced at the house. How long would the adults talk before they came looking for them? Throwing caution to the wind, she said, “Fine, we’ll go. But quick, before we’re missed.”

“Come on!” said Felix excitedly, hopping the wall and leading the way up the hill. Felicity followed uncertainly, trying to avoid looking at Sebastian, who was sticking uncomfortably close to her side. It took a few minutes to reach the top of the hill and Felicity looked back anxiously - no one had emerged from her house.

Felix led them around to the corner, where a large tree had fallen on the house and left a gaping hole. Felicity and Sebastian watched as Felix climbed onto the tree and leapt easily through the hole. They were silent for a moment before Sebastian cleared his throat and said, “Ladies first.”

Shrugging, ignoring her heart pounding in her chest, Felicity scrambled up the tree and through the opening into the house. Inside was cool and dim. Dust motes floated in beams of sunlight streaming in through cracked window panes. A layer of grunge lay over everything - the floors, the light fixtures, the pieces of furniture that no one had bothered to put tarps over. It seemed to be a cross between a sitting room and a study.

Beneath the dust, Felicity could see that the place had once been beautiful - the furnishings were elegant and high-end, the light fixtures ornate and fancy, and the walls hung with posed portraits of serious-looking people.

“Over here,” said Felix, waving Felicity over to a bookshelf. She picked her way around the bits of ceiling that had collapsed over time, careful not to trip, and examined the shelves. They were lined with thick volumes, bound with heavy covers. The bottommost shelf had smaller books, leatherbound - journals.

Sebastian plucked a diary from the shelf, flipped it open, and read aloud, “‘Time passes and I’m beginning to forget her face. My self-imposed exile seems pointless without her and, yet, I can’t bring myself to return to my old world. I gave up everything I am for her and now I am lost. Sometimes I can feel her presence, though I know she has long moved on.’ Bloody hell, what a depressing bloke.”

Felicity looked at Sebastian, about to speak, but hesitated as a flicker of movement over his shoulder caught her attention. She squinted past him, but saw only another portrait. It was of a woman with pale blonde hair and a stern expression.

“Sissie?” asked Felix, eyes widening as Felicity drifted toward the portrait. “You okay, Sissie?”

“Yeah,” she said vaguely, eyes fixed on the picture. She’d been so sure she’d seen...but it wasn’t possible, was it? No, certainly not…

Then, right as she was about to turn back to the boys, the eyes in the portrait moved. Felicity shrieked, stumbling backward. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and she jerked around, screaming.

Bang!

With a flash, Sebastian was thrown across the room and into a wall. Felix shouted and stumbled backward into the bookshelf, knocking down several of the thick volumes. Felicity stood shaking, staring at the cloud of dust rising from the place where Sebastian had vanished through the wall.

Seconds later, he emerged, swearing and holding his shoulder. “Bloody hell, Felicity,” he said, “you threw me through a wall!”

“I- I didn’t mean- that wasn’t-”

Sebastian stopped in front of her and frowned, looking mildly concerned. “Hey, it’s okay. It was an accident.”

“But I… I don’t understand.”

“Me, either,” whined Felix.

“Accidental magic. It happens sometimes. It’s no big deal...but that did hurt, you know.” Sebastian scowled and rubbed his shoulder again, cringing. “Now, why did you-”

A deep rumbling interrupted Sebastian’s question and the three of them blinked as dust began to drift down from the ceiling. The walls began to groan and Felicity could feel the floor trembling beneath her feet.

“Is- is this ghosts?” Felix whimpered.

“No, the ceiling’s coming down!” Sebastian exclaimed, throwing a quick glance at the damaged wall. The ceiling was beginning the sag where the wall had been holding its weight - it was going to collapse!

“Oh, my God,” Felicity breathed.

“Move,” said Sebastian, grabbing Felix’s wrist and pulling him to his feet. When Felicity didn’t move to follow them, he caught her arm, too, and shouted, “Move, stupid! Move!”

He managed to drag them both to the gap where they’d come in, giving Felicity a leg up and roughly shoving Felix out after her before scrambling out himself. They hit the ground hard, all three stumbling and rolling, tumbling out-of-control down the hill. Felicity and Felix his the bottom of the hill at the same time, several feet away from each other. Sebastian landed a moment later, crashing into Felicity and knocking the air from her lungs.

Stunned, the children lay in the grass at the base of Hangman Hill, too scared to move. Too scared to even speak.

Hearing the commotion from the hill, Esther and Markus rushed outside to behold the east wing of the manor crumbling before their eyes, expelling a cloud of dust that, even from so far away, made their eyes sting. Markus was the first to spot the kids at the foot of the hill and hurried toward them.

“Mom,” Felicity whimpered as the adults reached them.

Shaking with fear and fury, Esther helped Felicity and Felix up. They clung to her sides, tangling their hands into her dress and refusing to let go. Markus grabbed Sebastian roughly by the collar and pulled him to his feet. “What happened?” he demanded.

“It was an accident,” said Sebastian shamefully. “I wanted to see the house and...it was my fault.”

“Bloody right, it was your fault. You’re lucky you weren’t killed!”

“I’m taking my children inside,” Esther snapped at both of them. “You’d do well to go somewhere far away from me, before I do something we both might regret.”

“But Felicity’s lessons-”

“We’ll discuss it later. I’m so angry - I can’t look at you right now.”

Markus looked like he wanted to argue, but neighbors were beginning to gather to see what all the ruckus was about. Narrowing his eyes, Markus grabbed Sebastian’s arm, turned on the spot, and vanished.

Esther shook her head and, with arms around each of her children, hurried back into their cottage, firmly latching the door behind them and closing all the curtains, too. But the damage was done - what little good reputation they’d had with the townspeople was gone. The James family would forever be the ones who tried to destroy the historic house on Hangman Hill.