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...
It doesn't take a declaration, or an invasion, to start a war, all it takes is an 'us' and a 'them.' And a spark.
— Ada Palmer, "Seven Surrenders"
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I tightened the knot, giving Bill a nod to kick off a lengthy chain reaction. Some of us hid between the shelves, while others scrambled up high onto the bookcases. Tonks' plan still hadn't fully clicked with us, but her enthusiasm was so infectious that it didn't matter — we knew this was going to be something grand.
I involuntarily let out a yelp as Tulip, perched on one of the shelves, wobbled precariously. In her grasp, she held a dozen delicate threads that shimmered in the shadows, stretched between different sections of the library. The threads intertwined, forming a large intricate spiderweb.
Madam Pince looked around suspiciously, and we quickly ducked into our hiding spots. Barnaby muffled a snicker — he loved hide-and-seek, he loved hiding. Perhaps that was the only thing he had in common with Jacob.
"Merula, too, knows that it's here in the Library," he whispered, never taking his eyes off Madam Pince. "Think she'll show up?"
I shrugged. Merula, of all people, worried me the least. My focus remained on Tonks as she leaped between shelves, nimbly landing and using the large airborne books as launch pads. Leap! Another leap! Bill's presence was a blessing; he was equipped with Silencio to muffle her grunts and Arresto Momentum in case of a potentially painful descent.
At last, Tonks raised her hand triumphantly, securing the last thread onto the bookshelf. Barnaby and I gasped in unison — high above us, a massive ornament stretched, glistening and gleaming brilliantly. Was that a prank she bought from Zonko's? Or something she designed herself?
"But what is it?" Barnaby asked, scratching his head in confusion.
I didn't know either. And then the threads shimmered brighter, and I felt a persistent hum under my feet. An instant later, a resounding crunch! We promptly looked around, only to witness genuine trees bursting through the library floor.
Madam Pince exclaimed in surprise as a spruce tree suddenly sprouted beside her. Its broad, needled branches reached almost to her face.
"What?!"
It was probably the first time I'd heard her voice reach such high pitches. We all watched in awe as the Library transformed — filling with grass, forest blooms, and even beasts. Barnaby almost jumped in excitement when a unicorn's head peeked out from behind the trees.
"Goodness! What's just—"
My gaze shifted upward to the bookshelf where Tonks stood, looking self-satisfied, her nose held high. She was perched up high on the shelf, just like Tulip, Penny, and Ben — although Ben probably couldn't appreciate the view since he sat there with his eyes tightly shut. Oh, we had all completely forgotten about his fear of heights.
