A Memorable Tale

14 | A Second Family

Unlike the year before, I actually went home for Christmas.

Normally, my father let me stay, but with the rumours of children being petrified and the possibility of a murderous creature on the loose, he didn't want to take that chance this time.

So, we spent Christmas with the Diggory's at our house.

"Your house is huge," Cedric marvelled, eying the light fixtures and the paintings on the walls.

Dark blue carpets with gold speckles and remnants of animals being inside covered the entrance hall. I tried to gather the feather before they came in, but it was fruitless, so I decided that it was part of the charm.

"My goodness," Amos said as he stared up at the walls. "Is that a griffin's feather?"

"Why, yes," my father replied proudly.

Cedric and I glanced at each other and I took his arm. "Dad, we're going to fly Hercules!"

"Yes, yes, go on then."

I strode towards the glass door and opened it, revealing the far more notable backyard we had, with three hippogriffs playing around and three owls soaring through the sky.

"Wow," Cedric drew out in a whisper. "Which one's Hercules?"

"None of them. Hercules is in the stables."

I led him to a small building of birch wood and entered inside. Two pegasi stood obediently in their stalls and I made a clicking sound with my tongue to gain Hercules' attention.

"This," I began with a pause for dramatic affect, "is Hercules."

I stroked his snow white mane and he whinnied, pushing his nose into my neck.

"Hercules, this is Cedric." He snorted. "Yes, he has a very interesting face, doesn't he? It has corners!"

Cedric rubbed his face, as if searching for something sharp on it. "It has corners?"

"Yes, your jawline can grate cheese, Ced."

I pulled Hercules' reins and guided him outside.

"Okay, I'll go on first, then you," I instructed Cedric. "And you have to hold on tight."

I mounted Hercules' back and Cedric followed, his grip around my torso resembling how he holds his broom.

When we were up high enough, I shivered, my jacket not enough to combat the cold of the winter.

"Here," Cedric wrapped his scarf around me. "Your dad won't get mad?"

"'Course not. I asked, remember?"

I shook Hercules' reins and he flew faster, his eyes set on the sun setting over the trees.

A few of my owls began flying with us, but the hippogriffs remained on their high horse... on the ground.

"So, you've got a lot of animals," Cedric observed as an owl landed on his outstretched arm.

"Yep. And this isn't all." I grinned. "My mum gathered a ton of them throughout the years. Right now, she's off taking care of dragons."

"Dragons? Wicked."

"I know."

I landed Hercules and two owls landed on my shoulders, while the other remained perched on Cedric's arm.

My father stood on the porch with Amos, watching us walk towards the house.

"I made dinner," my father said. "No allergies, Cedric?"