Chapter 5: Kippy and Sally's Visit

Still November 30, 1981

The witches shook themselves out of their shock. "Well I'm glad you're happy, but we don't know what house elves are so you'll need to explain it to us. But first the boys need breakfast. So you wait here while I get it," Jet said, starting for the kitchen.

"Oh, Kippy will be getting Missy Witchys' and young Masters' breakfast. Kippy is knowing what young Masters is liking. Kippy has made them breakfast before. But what is the Witchies wanting? Kippy will make good breakfast," the excitable house elf exclaimed as she jumped from her chair and ran to the kitchen ready to prepare breakfast.

"Kippy, stop," ordered Jet firmly. Kippy stopped in her tracks and Jet continued in a gentler voice, "We can make our own breakfast. We've been doing it ourselves for years. I need you to wait at the table and let me get this done so we can talk about you and why you are here."

The little house elf started sobbing and pulling her ears in agitation. "No, no, no Missy Witchy Jet, Kippy is must to be making breakfast. Kippy was ordered to take care of Master Nevilles and everyone in his house. Kippy must obey orders," the poor house elf said as she continued on and on until she was ordered to stop. All her bawling made the boys cry.

Well, this is not going well, Jet thought, looking at the other adults to see if they knew what to do. The women shook their heads. They had no idea how to make this… house elf happy. "Okay Kippy, stop, you're scaring the boys," she ordered firmly, pointing at the still crying children, "and stop hurting yourself. Look, how about you make the boys something to eat and the rest of us will wait until after you tell us why you're here, and we'll see if we can't reach a compromise," she said as she sat back down place her folded hands in front of her on the table.

The eager Kippy ran to the kitchen and zipped around, opening up cupboard after cupboard, until she found the children's cereal. She put some in plastic bowls, without milk, got the milk sippy cups from the refrigerator and brought everything to the table.

The witches looked on in awe at how fast the elf performed her so-called duty. "Kippy is needing Missy Witchys to be putting the young Masters in their highchairs, so Kippy can gives them their foods," the little elf said, her face still showing how much she wanted to be doing the work.

Gilly and Frances put the boys in the chairs and stood back. As soon as the boys saw their food they quieted down and start grabbing the cereal, spilling most of it of course, which is why the milk was in the sippy cups.

"Okay, Kippy, sit back down and tell us what a house elf is," Jet said after making sure the boys were happy. Gilly and Frances settled at the table again.

Kippy sat back in the chair she was in before and took a deep breath and started her story. "House elves has been waiting on wizards a long time. We is bound to wizard families and we has to do whatever a wizard be telling us to do. If we do not do this we is being punished or is being made to punish ourselves."

"Wait. Are you telling us that you're slaves? How can wizards get away with this?" Gilly said absolutely appalled, it was unthinkable to her. The Aunts also had complete looks of horror on their faces.

"Yes and No Missy Witchy Gilly, yous sees a long ago when there were no house elves and wizards were just starting to settle together. They is getting lazy, making magic that can dos most anything with just a wave of a wand. So one day a witch, names Louise Houghton, is wanting to be stopping doing all the housework so she can dos her research without stopping. She studies for many months to come up with a way she would not be having doing her own housework. She is making a golem and making it want to clean, but it does not think for itself. It only does what it is told. But this witch is not being very powerful. So what instead of a human shape golem she is making one that is looking like Kippy, but this golem is cleaning and she is not changing it," Kippy said as she looked at the Owens women to see if they were following along. When she saw their studious faces on hers, she continued.

"When other wizards is seeing this golem, they is being thinking this is being a great idea. So they is copying it, after a while there is being many of the golems, but they is not reproducing as they is not really real. So one wizard, his name is being Jonathan Shorter, is thinking that he is being changing that, but he is not wanting to makes them free. So after many years of searching and creating he is making a spell to make us sentient, but bound to wizards for all times. House elves must being obeying any commands given to us by our Masters. Sometime we is wanting be to disobeying orders, but a Master's orders are 'the house-elf's highest law,' we cannot, and we is being forced to punish ourselves if we try…" she said firmly, glancing at the young Masters to make sure they didn't need anything.

The Owens women cringed.

Kippy turned back to them and continued, "When a house elf is being treated badly, we will being only doing enough work just to be obeying our Master's order. Sometime we is being sneaky, sneaky, and if even the itsy-bitsiest loophole can be found in a master's orders, and we is being unhappy with our Master, will we will be sneaky, sneaky and be using it," she said mischievously and made little movements with her hands, like one would make if they were sneaking about a house.

This caused the three women to giggle and the mood lightened a bit.

"If our Master is wanting to make sure we is loyalty and wants us to be following all orders and not wanting us to be sneaky, sneaky all they needs to be doing simply treat us properly," Kippy said with a small smile, then the smile turned into a slight frown. "Even if we is having a bad Masters, most of us is enjoying being bound. There is being some Masters that is genuinely loving and caring for us," she explained to show that not all wizards are mean, "and they is treating us like pretty pets or dolls, giving us good words and rooms for doing our duties. It is making us happy.

"Wes can only be freed by our Master if they is presenting us clothes, which is why wes wear tea-towels and pillowcases. But wes is not wanting clothes, wes is liking to work. Wes is not human, wes is happy to be as wes are. Wes is not understanding any other way to be," Kippy finished tugging on her tea-towel as she waited for the women to understand. "Yous also needs to be knowing house elf magic is very powerful and yous should not underestimate us. Wes can only be doing the magic our Masters is telling us to be doing, but wes can do very big magic," she said as an afterthought.

"So, just to get this straight, you like to be a slave, and you don't want to be free because that's the way you were… designed, made, whatever?" Gilly asked, thinking this was going to take some getting used to.

"Yes, Missy Witchy Gilly," Kippy nodded.

"Why do you call us Missy Witchy when you serve witches and wizards?" Jet asked. "Can't you just call us by our names? Come to think about it, how did you even know our names?"

"It is a house elf's duty to know everyone in the house they serve. Wes is being very protective of our charges. So wes is needing to know who belongs into the house we is serving. Missy Longbottoms is ordering Kippy to serve this house so Kippy is just knowing who is who, and who belongs here," Kippy explained raising her hands in an empty gesture to show she couldn't explain it better than that. "Kippy cannot be calling yous by your names. Kippy must call you with proper titles and yous is called Missy Witchy because yous is not like other witches Kippy knows, so yous is being called something else so Kippy is showing she knows yous is different."

"Okay, so from your explanation, you are sentient, but you are just higher than a very smart dog?" Frances asked as she checked on the boys. They seemed happy enough and were almost done with their breakfast.

"Kippy is much smarter than doggies, but, yes, that is mostly right. Kippy can think for herself, Kippy can read and write and talk and has her own magic, but must be obeying orders and protecting, like doggies."

"So if we order you to not do all the housework, you will have to obey that, but you won't be happy?" Frances asked. She really didn't want the boys to grow up lazy and having someone doing all the chores wouldn't help with that. "Plus, we can't just send you back to Mrs. Longbottom? In addition, you can't tell her where the boys are?"

Kippy thought about this and looked for the loopholes and after a minute said, "If yous is giving Kippy a good reason why she is not to be doing all the housework or tending the Masters, Kippy will be somewhat happy. It will be easier if yous is being finding somethings to keep Kippy busy. Kippy can gather plants and be doing the shopping and delivers mail, if yous is not wanting Kippy to be cleaning. So if yous gives Kippy somethings to makes her feel useful, Kippy will always be happy to serve. Kippy has orders to be serving Master Nevilles and his new family, even if you is freeing Kippy she can nots be going back to old family or be telling anyone's where he is being. Kippy has been promising to Missy Longbottom, she would not."

Frances looked at Jet who looked at Gilly and they had a silent conversation with nods and shaking of their heads. This might just be what they needed, so they didn't have to go to the Alley — since it was so far away — or take the boys out into the cold. If they could get Kippy to pop over there and get catalogs, then they could send her to get more books and maybe potion ingredients. Goldsworthy said merchandise was cheaper in the Alley and they had wondered if food and herbs were cheaper as well. They had just talked about this a week ago and were making tentative plans to go back. But, they really hadn't wanted to take the boys on that long, cold, train ride.

Jet wanted some books on potions and herbs so see the difference between the two worlds. Frances wanted to see what furniture they would need for the growing boys. Gilly wanted to find more toys and books for the boys.

"Here's what we were thinking," Frances said, when everyone seemed to come to the same conclusion, "we need some stuff from SunSpot Alley and if what you say is true then you can just pop over there and get it for us?" Kippy nodded her head. "That's good. So since we still have some money from last time we were there. How about after breakfast, you go to all the stores and get their catalogs? Then we can see what is actually for sale in each store. We'll make a list of what we need and you can go and get it for us."

This caused the elf's large grey eyes to brighten with happy tears, she was afraid they would have made her do nothing.

"We'll let you do some of the housework and keep things looking neat," Jet took up the dialog. "However, we want the boys to keep their own rooms clean when they are older. They need them to know responsibility and that is the best way to teach them. We'll also keep our own room clean. But we will let you do the laundry. Plus we might need you to take letters to Goldsworthy at Gringotts in Salem. Is everyone in agreement with that?" She asked, looking around the room to see if everyone agreed.

"Let me add that we also want to take care of the boys. You know, give them baths, dress them and keep teaching them our magic —since Kippy's magic isn't the same. It'll get and keep them used to us and let them know we will always be around," Gilly said, making Kippy turn her way. "You can change their diapers, and make sure they have clean clothes. You can even make the food. But we," pointing to herself and her Aunts, "don't want to start getting lazy so we'll do the dishes and tend the garden. You can gather herbs and make sure the spell pantry is stocked and organized, though we'll clean up after ourselves when we do spells."

"That sounds about right," Jet said as she nodded in agreement. "Since you can't return home we should free you. We can free you right? Since you were told to serve us you can be freed by us, correct?"

Kippy gave a fearful nod of her head, sad tears welling up in her eyes. After all, it is the greatest threat to a house elf. "Yes, Missy Witchy Jet, ma'am, yous can free Kippy," she cried, putting her large head in her hands.

"Okay. No, don't cry honey, we don't want to free you to send you away. We'll pay you twenty-five dollars, or five Galleons, a week and of course room and board," Jet said and held up her hand to stop the protest. She was going to offer more, but she didn't think Kippy would accept it. "You don't have to spend it. You can put it aside and use if for birthday and Christmas gifts, so you can join the family in celebrating. We want you to stay on, but, we want to hire you. It would make us feel a lot better. When Neville becomes an adult you can talk to him or we can find you a new home, that is, if you still want a bond, or maybe Mrs. Longbottom will take you back."

Kippy thought long and hard about this and tried to overcome her fears. These witches weren't what she was used to. Nobody that she knew would want to set free and then hire a house elf. It took around thirty minutes for her to calm down enough to answer.

While she pondered, the women put the cereal, which was spilled on the toddlers' trays, back in the bowls and picked the empty sippy cups off the floor, where the boys had thrown them. They then settled back at the table, sipping coffee and just watched the little elf think, hoping she would take them up on their offer.

Finally Kippy looked up from her contemplating and said, "Kippy is agreeing, Kippy will clean the house, do the laundries, do the shopping, takes the mails to the goblins. But will let the Missy Witchys do the dishes, tends the garden, teach the Masters. Kippy will accept being free, but will still follow Missy Longbottoms orders to be serving Master Nevilles. Kippy will be very happy to be part of Witchys family. Kippy will accept pay for this reason," she finished off with a firm nod of her head, thinking this might just work out. Kippy had never been part of a family before, but being the adventurous elf she was, it would be just fine.

"Good, then we are all in agreement," Gilly said and she took off her robe she handed it to Kippy. "Kippy you are now free."

Kippy took the robe and cried for a few minutes, it was hard on an elf to be free. It went against everything they believed in.

"Now, Kippy, we would like to hire you on until such time as you want to go back to Mrs. Longbottom or Neville wants to bond with you. Do you agree?" Frances said, doing her best to console the poor little thing.

Kippy nodded her head, still crying, "Kippy is accepting yours good offer, and Kippy will be keeping yours secrets just as if she is being bonded. Yous is kind to Kippy, giving hers work and paying hers."

"Kippy, how will we keep the neighbors from seeing you? They think we are strange enough as it is, we don't want to give them anything else to talk about," Frances asked, grasping the first thing she could think of to distract the elf from her crying. After all, they only just got most of the women in town to not be afraid of them. If an outlandish creature was seen popping around their house, that might get everyone up in arms again.

"House elves is very good about not being seen," Kippy said, drying her tears on the robe, and then showed them by becoming invisible then visible again.

"That'll do it. Okay, Kippy, you can go and make us breakfast now. Just make whatever you usually make. Let me know if you need any help understanding how anything works. I'm pretty sure this kitchen is not what you're used to," Frances said as she took the boys out of their highchairs and put them in the playpen. It was the same one that Death had created and they just moved it around the house as needed, to them it was kind of special.

Gilly grabbed the broom and started cleaning the cereal mess on the floor.

"Kippy will start right way, Missy Witchys. Kippy will not be needing any help. Kippy is a smart house elf. Kippy will figure it out. Missy Witchy Frances is a good witch thinking of Kippy," Kippy squeaked excitedly and then popped to the kitchen and started making breakfast for the adults, after giving the juice sippy cups to the boys.

"We're going to have to ask her where she'll be sleeping and what she needs and stuff," Gilly said thoughtfully as she sat back at the table. "I want to see if there are any books that will explain more about house elves."

"We'll do that after breakfast. Why don't you get some toys for the boys to play with while we wait?" Frances said as she watched the excitable house elf use her magic to make them breakfast. It was pretty neat seeing things fly out of the cupboards and around the room. She did notice that none of the electronics stopped working, so maybe her theory about insulation was correct. She would have to keep researching and testing.

Soon the witches were all settled eating the best breakfast they had ever had, though it was a bit heavier than they were used to. It was a full English breakfast, with bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms, fried tomatoes, hashed browns, eggs and toast. They didn't even know they had all of this in the kitchen. As they ate, they thought that they would have to give Kippy some American cookbooks so she would know what the witches ate regularly.

Things seemed to progress well for the next week. Kippy had popped to the Alley that day and retrieved the catalogs they had asked for. It seemed not all the stores had catalogs, like the second-hand stores, but what they had would work for now.

Jet paid attention to how Kippy's magic worked. While it seemed to be fine in the kitchen and dining room; it showed that whenever she did big magic, like trying to rid all the dust out of the living room —the lights flickered. Or when she tried to do the laundry with magic the washer caught fire. So her theory seemed to be correct in both cases. If Kippy tried to flood the room with magic, or concentrated on one thing, like the washer, then the electronics would stop working. But if she only did passive magic, like take the dishes out of the cupboard, nothing happened.

"Kippy, can you explain to me what happened different with the washer than with the stove?" Jet said to her after the washer was considered irreparable by the repairman they called.

Kippy stood in front of Jet and try to explain, "Kippy is so sorry, this is not being like the washers Kippy is used to. The washers that Kippy is used to is not being hooked to elekristity. The washer Kippy is being used to is just a big tub with rollers on top. Alls Kippy has to do is put magic in the tub and the tub fills with waters and cleans the clothes and then Kippy be putting the clothes in the rollers and then she snaps her fingers and is drying them. When Kippy trys to be doing that with this washer it is making loud noises and then smokes be coming from it. With Missy Witchys stove it is being mostly, mostly like Kippy is being used to. All Kippy has to do is be turning the knobbies and the stove be turning on, easy, easy. Kippy is so sorry, Kippy will has to be punishing herself," she wept and started to bang her head on the floor.

"Kippy, stop," Jet said, grabbing the elf gently by the shoulders. "Remember you are a free elf, if you want we can let you give us five dollars a week for a year to help pay for a new washer. That's what any other servant would do," she compromised. She knew that was nowhere near the cost of a washer, but figured it would make the little house elf feel better.

She reaffirmed her grip on Kippy's shoulders, almost loosening the robe that she wore. Ever since they freed her she took to wearing the robes in the house. Even though they were Gilly's short robes they were very large on the diminutive house elf, so it looked rather silly, but she insisted. The Owens women have always let people live and let live, however they were slightly concerned that Kippy would hurt herself on the too large robes. They were still trying to convince her to buy her own robes or even shrink the ones she was wearing, but Kippy was being stubborn about it. So they decided to try and give her some for Yule.

So after replacing the washer and showing Kippy how to use it as well as a dust rag and vacuum, things seemed to go smoother.

July 28, 1982

Everyone was excited; the air was practically crackling with nervous and happy energy. In a few days it would be the boys' second birthday. Sally and the girls were coming to meet them, stay for a week and celebrate. They hadn't been able to come for Yule, because they had celebrated with the family of Sally's second husband, Gary.

The house was cleaned from top to bottom. The banisters were polished, the guest rooms were made with fresh linens and the bathrooms got a complete sterilizing. The women knew Sally wouldn't care; however, Kippy seemed to believe that it must be done for all guests. She even made the aunts and Gilly clean their rooms.

It was a hot evening; you could hear the bugs chirping and the evening birds singing. The trees and garden were green with life. The roses around the greenhouse were in full bloom. The outside of the house was as clean and neat as the inside. There was a gentle breeze that really did nothing to cool the temperature on this July night.

The people in the Owens house were dressed for the summer. A long thin skirt and light sleeveless shirt for Gilly. The aunts were dressed in their normal attire, which was thinner than what they wore in the winter, but nevertheless covered most of their bodies. The boys were wearing thin T-shirts and shorts. Fans were going full force and with the help of cooling charms, the rooms were moderate temperatures, compared to the outside.

They were waiting for Sally and the girls to show up. Sally said they'd be here sometime this evening. Harry and Neville were in their playpen making their toys float around their heads giggling. Occasionally the ball that was floating would change color. It was the two bits of magic they had gotten really good at.

Gilly was pacing, her bare feet were making a slapping noise on the wooden floor. The aunts were calmly watching the boys, between moves of their backgammon game. Kippy was in the kitchen making a light dinner.

Sally and her family knew all about Kippy. The aunts had sent them books to explain who and what she was, so that no one would be surprised when they came. Sally had been just as appalled as the aunts and Gilly were, but also happy that they freed Kippy and offered to hire her on. Though, she hoped that Kippy wouldn't want to rebind with anyone when Neville got of age. They could only hope that they raised him to know better than to enslave anyone.

It was about 7 p.m. when everyone heard the tires crunching up the gravel drive.

"They're here!" Gilly yelled, startling the boys and the toys they had been playing with dropped. She ran out of the house, long skirts flying, while the aunts picked up a youngster each and followed more sedately.

"You're here!" Gilly yelled gleefully as she launched herself at her sister, who hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. The redhead grabbed her sister, pulled her out of the car and engulfed her in a big hug. She was laughing and dancing around, causing Sally to twirl with her, not that she minded. They had always been very close. They were closer now after what happened with Jimmy. When they were teens, they had made a blood vow that they'd die together. This was not that day. It was that vow that broke the Owens' curse.

The back door of the car opened and two girls got out and they started jumping around trying to hug both the adult sisters at the same time.

"Hey, Gilly," Sally laughed as she hugged her sister. Her voice carried a hint of worry. "Are you doing okay? I know it's been a year since the whole Jimmy thing, but I want to hear it from you that you are okay," she said as she pulled back, placed her hands on both sides of Gilly's face and looked at her sister with concern filled brown eyes as they roamed the red-blonde's face looking for any sign of distress.

"Yeah, I'm good Sally," Gilly reassured her, placing her hand over Sally's. Her blue eyes looked back showing that she was indeed fine. "Taking care of the boys helped a lot. You know, they took my mind off things and they lost their parents in a bad way. So we're kinda being there for each other and healing together. They don't even really have nightmares anymore, neither do I, now that I think about it. So we're good, better, really."

"Aunt Gilly, Aunt Gilly, I'm so glad to see you," said Kaylie, who was seven, as she jumped up and down to get her favorite aunt's attention. Her long auburn hair bouncing with her and her blue eyes laughed with pleasure. "I want to meet our new cousins. Did you know Mom does magic at home all the time now? And she is teaching us new things too. We can even light candles by ourselves. Gary thinks the whole thing is just weird, but he is cool with it. He is a really neat guy. I'm glad Mom got together with him."

Gilly dropped her hands and bent down and gave her nieces a big group hug. "I'm really glad everything worked out for you guys. Oh, you are getting so big. You look so happy, and so does your Mom. You've been taking really good care of her. Thanks for that," she said, tweaking their noses.

"Yeah, I want to meet our new cousins too," said Antonia, who was a year younger than her sister. She had brown hair and eyes, just like her mom. She turned to see her great aunts standing in the doorway holding two toddlers. She broke away from the hug and ran to greet them. "Aunt Jet, Aunt Frances, are these our new cousins? Why don't they look alike? I thought it was their birthday, if they have the same birthday shouldn't they look alike? I have twins in my class at school and they look alike," she questioned rapidly, just like any other child her age.

"Whoa slow down, pumpkin, we'll tell everyone the story when we get inside," Jet said as she turned to the three remaining people in the drive. "Come on everyone, let's go into the living room and you can meet the whole family." She pivoted to the house, with Neville on her hip, and started to the living room.

Gilly grabbed Sally's and Kaylie's hands and started dragging them to the house. "You have no idea how confusing these last few months have been. Everything we thought we knew about magic is so different from everything we've read so far. Aunt Jet is trying to figure out how to combine the two so we can teach the boys without making them freaks when they rejoin their world," she rambled on as they approached the door.

"Gilly…" was a far as Sally got, while being dragged along.

"It's too bad that Gary couldn't come and visit, but I understand that he couldn't get time off work. We really didn't give you guys much notice, but we only found out when the boys' birthdays were after we read some papers we got from the bank," she continued, still dragging her captives towards the house. "We put off reading them, because we got so caught up in reading about this new weird world, that we completely forgot about them until Goldsworthy, that's the banker, sent us a letter asking if we could send our bank information to get the monthly checks for the boys. He was going to send them in the mail, but he decided that it would be safer to deposit them directly in the bank. He said it was a new way of safely sending money to people in the non-magical world, which one of the non-magical born people told the bank about. But we had so much money left over from the first time we went to the bank that we didn't even think about why we hadn't received a check. It is so good to see you, Sally, you have no idea," she concluded as they reached the porch.

"Gilly, Gilly, wait," Sally said, tugging her hand as she tried to go back to the car, "we need to get our bags."

"Don't worry about them. Kippy will get them, she insists. She said that it is part of her job to make sure that guests are taken care of. We tried to tell her that you guys could do it yourselves, but she can be stubborn about some things. Like the time we tried to let the boys have cake for breakfast. She told us in no uncertain terms that we were never to do that again. She said that 'growing wizards must be getting proper meals and young Masters is being growing wizards', her words not ours," Gilly said, trying to copy Kippy high-pitched voice, one hand waging a finger, the other hand on her hip as she stomped her foot making Kaylie and Sally giggle. "She said, as long as we're paying her, she doesn't have to do as we say all the time because, 'yous Missy Witchys is not being like other Masters. Yous is hiring Kippy so Kippy will be doing what proper house elves be doing.'"

"Yous shouldn't be making fun of Kippy," Kippy said, coming from the kitchen. "Kippy is not talking like that," she said in her squeaky voice standing in her tiny robe that Gilly had given her for Yule. You could see a flora tea-towel peeking from under the fold.

"Sorry, Kippy, I was only joking," Gilly said. She bent down and gave the tiny house elf a hug.

"So you're a house elf. You're pretty much like the books described. Nice robe, Kippy. I'm Sally, Gilly's sister," Sally said holding out her hand. "This is Kaylie, my oldest daughter. The brown-haired rug-rat that's running around is my youngest, Antonia."

"Kippy is very happy to be meeting, Missy Witchy Sally and little Missy Kaylie. Kippy wills be done with dinner very soon. Everyone is being waiting for yous in the living room," Kippy stated as she took the hand and gave it a vigorous shaking. "Kippy wills be getting your bags and be taking them to yours rooms now," And she disappeared with a pop.

"That's really neat. Will the boys be able to disappear like that?" Kaylie said, looking at the spot where Kippy had been. "Can we learn it?" she asked as her eager eyes turned to Gilly.

"Let go into the living room and Aunt Jet can try and tell you what we've figured out, okay kiddo?" Gilly said, ruffling Kaylie's hair.

They went into the living room where the aunts were seated on one couch watching the children play. Harry and Neville were back in their playpen, with Antonia jumping up and down, trying to grab the toys the boys were floating. Occasionally, you would see her stop and her face would scrunch up as she tried to make the toys float too.

Sally gave her aunts a hug and sat next to Kaylie on the other couch, while Gilly joined the aunts, and said, "Okay, I've read all the books you sent me and figured some things out for myself. But why don't you tell me what you've figured out and how I can help."

Jet looked at her niece and noticed that she looked very healthy and happy. She had an aura about her that they hadn't seen since Michael died. "Yes dear, you're looking well, marriage has done you wonders. We're fine, thanks for asking. Antonia," she called to the youngest girl, "come over here, darling, and we'll answer some of your questions."

"Sorry, Aunt Jet. How are you? Glad to hear it. I just want to help you with all that's going on here," Sally said with a flush on her cheeks, embarrassed to be chastised, albeit mildly.

Antonia came and sat with her mom and sister on the couch and waited for the aunts to speak. The boys played quietly with their toys. Kippy popped in and handed out tall glasses of iced juice to everyone and popped away.

"Okay, so, first of all let me answer some of Antonia's questions, they're the easiest. The boys aren't twins, they're not even brothers. They were actually born a day apart. We're just celebrating it on the same day. We'll switch off each year. Harry was born on July 31st and Neville was born on the 30th. This year we'll celebrate on the 30th. However, even if they aren't brothers, we'll raise them as if they were. Jim, Death to you guys, said that we can't adopt them into the family in case the curse passes on to them. But they'll be known as Owens in school and around town," Frances said, looking fondly at her great niece.

"Okay, I can see that. Was that all you girls wanted to know?" Sally said, looking at her girls, who were watching the playpen instead of paying attention to the adults.

"Yeah, can we go and play with the boys now?" Kaylie asked distractedly, eyes on the boys.

"Yes, but, don't take them out of the playpen in here, it really isn't baby proof in here," Sally said and gave them a gentle nudge.

"Okay, Mom," they said as they went back to where the tots were giggling away.

"So, from what Gilly said, you now have a free house elf and she is a bossy one. This is good, from what you tell me about what Death said Harry and Neville will have to have some kind of proper manners and you guys… not big on the manners thing," Sally said, glancing between the other three women. "She also told me they're going to be some kind of Lords or something. I know, from the way you guys raised us, manners or not, they're going to raise hell when they go back to England. Did Death even tell you why they have to go back? I mean if you guys are hiding them, why return?" she asked confusion creeping in to her voice.

Gilly took a deep breath and answered, "Jim said he didn't know why, only that it was a 'pivotal point in fate' and had to be done. We're," pointing between her and the aunts, "thinking of keeping the boys out of public school and hiring tutors. I mean, why send them to elementary school if they're only going to be there for three years. The magic school in this area starts at eight. And the money they send us monthly is way too much. By the time the boys are four we should have enough to hire at least three tutors for about three hours a day. We want to hire one for etiquette, one for charms and one for non-magical studies. We figured since they won't need as many school supplies, we can save some of the school money to hire more tutors later. And maybe get a computer," she finished, sounding more mature than she ever had before.

Sally couldn't help but think that being a mom was helping her sister grow up. She just hoped it didn't crush her free spirit, and that she would pass that free spirit on to the boys, if in a lesser extent. "That actually sound like a good idea, I'm surprised you guys came up with it," Sally said, smiling to let them know she was joking.

"Bitch," Jet said, reaching over and swatted her niece on the arm.

Sally just laughed, "No, really, it does sound like a good idea. Even if you only a hire tutor just for etiquette then you guys won't have to try and change your ways so you can teach them. This is good. Just make sure that you take many trips into town so they're not isolated here. Even if you keep up your catty comments about the town folk while you're at it." She remembered full well her Aunt Frances' vicious tongue that caused her no end of embarrassment when she was growing up. When she got older she realized this was a shield for her aunt and accepted it.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we were planning on. We don't know the first thing about etiquette and books will only take you so far. I don't think I've read so many books in my life as I have since we got these little guys. Though, I mostly read on how to raise wizards and how to work the toys and stuff. The aunts take the hard studies and let me know anything I need to know to teach the boys. But it seems to work out better that way," Gilly said with a shrug.

Just then Kippy popped in and announced dinner. They grabbed the kids and went to wash up before going to the dining room. The table was laid out with a light chicken, vegetable and rice dish. Kippy had learned to make lighter meals from the cookbooks the aunts had given her for Yule.

"This looks great," Kaylie said as she sat down next to the highchairs so she could be near her new cousins.

"Yeah, it took about a month to get her to stop making the heavy stuff they eat in England. But, we got her some cookbooks and health food guides and it's been pretty smooth sailing from there. I gotta tell ya, you won't find a better cook than Kippy. Too bad she won't let us eat chocolate for dinner, before and after yeah, but not for," Gilly said after putting Neville in his high chair and giving him some of the cut up chicken, diced vegetables and a bread slice that Kippy has set aside for the boys, since they didn't want to chance rice just yet. They let the boys eat with their hands for now.

"Well it does smell wonderful. So let's eat and after dinner we can continue with our talk. Maybe put the kids to the play room so they don't have to play around the playpen. Can Kippy watch them?" Sally said, serving herself some of the delicious smelling meal.

"Yeah, Kippy will watch them and make sure the boys don't leave the room. Unless they say they have to go potty, they're in training, you know?" Frances said, taking her seat after placing Harry and making sure he had his food.

"Alright, let's eat," Sally said and picked up her fork to do just that.

After dinner the women sent the children in the play room that the aunts had set up on the first floor. The room was child proof and set up in such a manner that the boys could get the toys they wanted and not have to climb on anything. The aunts and Gilly felt comfortable enough to let Kippy stay there to make sure no one got hurt and to tend to the children if they needed to leave the room.

The room was also warded so that the children could only leave if Kippy, or one of the adults, was with them. It was one of the first things Gilly had learned, so they didn't have to baby proof the entire house. This way the boys had a room that was all theirs —the house was big enough for that. The long winding stairs, which circled the middle of the house, was warded the same way. When the children got older they were going to convert the attic, but until then, this would do.

Kaylie and Tonia were fascinated with the magical toys the boys had and immediately set about making up games so they could teach their cousins.

The Owens women settled back in the living room.

"Okay," Sally said, leaning back on the couch, tummy comfortably full from the best chicken dinner she had ever had, "so from what you've told me the magic is pretty much the same. However, we don't use it as much as the witches and wizards of this hidden world. According to you, and what I've read, they use magic for pretty much everything. While we use it for…I don't know…passive things, I guess. I mean, I know we have the Book and that we can make major changes in people's lives, but, we only do that when we are paid and not every day. Also these wizards require wands, while we do things just by thinking about it or casting rituals. So what have you come up with to teach the boys both forms?"

"Well as you know Kippy won't let us let the boys run free, like we did with you," Jet said, leaning back on the couch happy her family was here. "She has worked in a magical household all her life. She suggested, from what she has seen us do, that we play games so the boys won't be afraid of the magic they have. We've been doing that. From what she says, the wizards are happy when the child does accidental magic, then they make the child stop for fear of the government. They don't teach the children they just wait for it to happen," she stated.

"That sounds a bit oppressive, how do you keep them from finding the boys?" Sally asked.

"We keep the training inside the house, which Death said is warded, so that their government won't know magic is being used. We play the music at night and talk to them about mind magic in soft voices until they go to sleep. That way they can start meditation at an early age. I don't think they really understand us, but the soothing voice goes a long way to help with the nightmares," Jet answered with a mischievous smile.

"We've also learned that they have many things in this hidden world that we don't have here. Like how we use herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers in our tonics and spells, they use plants that we've never heard of in theirs and they use real cauldrons," Frances took up the narrative, as she floated an Herbology book off the shelf on the wall to show what she was talking about. Then she nudged it in Sally's direction until her niece caught it.

The older sister took up the book and opened it to the first page.

"They also have magical animals that we'll never find in this world. Did you know unicorns were real, dragons too? We've had Kippy go to the Alley and get some of this stuff and experimented. The potions they have could rival the products you make. This is why I sent those books to you to read, they might help your shop grow. Though, if you get caught then they might throw you in jail. So if you do I'd keep it hidden if I were you," the older aunt said with a quick wink.

"That and most of those potions are disgusting, not like yours," Gilly said, wrinkling her nose and making gagging noises. "Yours smell wonderful," she said with a blissful sigh, she missed Sally's lotions.

"Okay, so we know the potions are different and we can try and mesh them together to see if we can't make a better product," Sally said as she looked through the book. "Maybe, when Harry and Neville get older, we can get them to sell whatever we discover for us in this hidden world. What I want to know is, what about the magic?" Sally asked her curiosity peaked.

She then closed the book and put it in her lap, already going over what she could do with the plants listed. She was the better potion maker in the family. Her shop proved that. She had had to close the shop here when she got married and moved. But then again, she opened one up in the town she was living in now. It made some pretty good money. If wizard ingredients were better than she could make more money.

"Well, like I said, they use more of it than we do. This is why they can't have electricity in their houses. However, we can use our minds and hands to do almost everything they can do with wands. According to the books I've read, what we do is supposed to be impossible. We send out waves of magic, they send out beams," Jet said after pondering what she had learned from her experiments.

"Like sound waves?"

"Yes, much like that. Since ours is sent out in waves it is less focused, will theirs is like a bombardment of power, which is why they have spells that can kill. There are no such rituals in the Book. So we'll teach the boys how to channel their magic like we do. We are going to take them to the Solstice and Equinox gatherings so they can feel all the magic that collects there. I've noticed that when channeling with the incantations through my finger the spell worked better, more focused maybe, but I don't need a wand or anything. Though it still gets sent out in waves, but narrower waves, I guess."

"We've also decided that any ICW ruled wizards are stupid, lazy and have no common sense. They think the same about us. I think that the word they use for people without magic —Muggle— is insulting and I don't want the boys or Kippy using it. We'll just call them non-magical," Gilly said, after all she had been teased most of her life so she knew how it felt to be called names and while it really didn't bother her anymore, but she knew it bothered Sally. She didn't want the boys calling anyone anything that might be taken as an insult.

"Yeah, I don't like that word either," Sally said as she wrinkled her nose while nodding her head in agreement. "And from what I've read you're right, they really don't think much of anyone not in their, oh so, secret society. It is a good thing that America is under the MUN, I like them. So we're going to have to teach the boys both worlds and maybe they can teach their friends. Since they'll grow up in this world knowing the other, they can put it into perspective."

The ladies chatted back and forth for hours on theory and training. They decided that British, and some American, wizards were just plain lazy and they'd teach the boys not to use magic for everything. The game they taught the tots now was more exercise then it was being lazy. The women figured if the Owens women could grow strong and still live mostly normal lives, then the boys can to.

Sally and her girls stayed for the week and celebrated the birthdays with the boys, the aunts, Gilly and Kippy. The almost brothers were given many toys, some books and a few clothes. Everything they received was magical and non. Pictures were taken to send to Madam Longbottom, they did hold a few back for Sirius. They made sure that only a plain blue wall was seen in the background.

The girls loved that they had cousins and tried to teach them everything they knew. Soon all the children had toys flying around the playroom and changing colors. Sally decided she wouldn't let the girls use magic to clean their rooms. She figured that she might try and find a way to ward their rooms so that magic wouldn't work there. She decreed that magic was to only be used outside bedrooms.

After spending a fulfilling week with the family, Sally and her girls went home happy and wiser.