My heart skipped a beat as the photo came to life. There we were, Jacob and I, jumping up and down and grinning at Mom. She must have thought it was because we were excited. Mischievous, giggling, and making silly faces at each other. Little did she...
Half the time when brothers wrestle, it's just an excuse to hug each other.
— James Patterson, an American author
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
The Hogwarts Express often felt like a living, breathing entity. It puffed out plumes of steam and groaned as its wheels turned. Laughter would sometimes erupt from within the train, and I couldn't help but recall the door that Rowan and I had accidentally broken last year. My only solace was knowing that I'd become quite adept at Reparo; if we had to break anything again, at least I could fix it this time.
The door, as if sensing the tension, slid open smoothly. Penny slipped into the compartment, a wrinkle between her brows showing enormous concern.
"I couldn't find him, can you believe it?" She lowered herself gently into the seat next to Rowan. "I searched the entire train, checked the bathroom, even poked around in the luggage — but he's nowhere to be seen."
I gave a nervous smile. Hiding among the suitcases? It did sound like something Ben might do.
We had combed through Diagon Alley looking for him, not missing a single shop. We had even dropped by Fortescue's cafe and Rosa Lee Teabag's. Penny had thoroughly inspected Sugarplum's pastry shop, not forgetting to pick up some Droobles and chocolate frogs, of course.
At the train station, as we boarded the Hogwarts Express, Rowan had let out a little squeal, convinced she'd spotted someone who looked like Ben — a slightly stooped figure with a wild mop of hair. But when we turned to look, the figure had vanished.
The glass reflected Rowan, Penny, and — surprisingly — Talbott. The bird-boy spent the entire journey engrossed in his textbook, carefully flipping pages, scribbling notes in the margins, and occasionally chuckling to himself. Rowan was on the brink of madness when she noticed his scribbles. I had to admit, there was a touch of Madam Pince in her.
Predictably, Penny was the first to break the silence. "So, shall we talk about our summer holidays? How were they for you?"
Rowan perked up, her glasses gleaming as she emerged from her bookish cocoon like a Firecrab from its shell. Penny continued, "We traveled around Britain. I even managed to persuade my parents to bring along a camping cauldron! I'd make soup in the mornings and brew potions in the evenings. Beatrice, my younger sister, absolutely loved it!"
"Really? Weren't people surprised that you were toting lacewings, doxy eggs, and dragon blood around?"
Penny blushed, waving her hand dismissively, as if to say, "Oh, come on, any Muggle would have doxy eggs to spare."
"Ahem, speaking of our trip, we visited Derby and Salford, and even popped into Liverpool! Matthew Street reminded me so much of Diagon Alley, it was uncanny. But I wasn't a fan of Chester..."
