“Thousands?” Wow. That was a LOT of friends to make. Rusty didn’t know what she’d been worrying about, she’d feel right at home with all those people!
“I hope there’s lots, how many people do you think we share rooms with? I share with my little sister and one of my cousins at home and sometimes some of the other kids sleep in with us too if we’re allowed to stay up late.” Which was always fun. Samhain was the best, cause they got to stay up
all night if they wanted to and sometimes they
all slept downstairs so it was like one HUGE sleepover.
“And you have FAMILY there? That’s so cool! I wish I could have brought my family too, my Robin would love it...” “Yup. That’s me. Rusty Rowan.” She made a moustache out of the end of her hair and held it in place by scrunching up her top lip. Like she did with Robin sometimes... and they’d used her hair too, cause their hair was too short. Oh no! Rusty had forgotten to give Robin their present before she’d left! And now it was too late! ... She’d just have to wait. So, Zac and Herbology, Marsha and animals. Good!
“I think I’m gonna be good at divination. I read the whole of my book when I bought it - and my charms book - but the divination one is so cool. It has all these cool things and tips that are different from the muggle ways and I’m so EXCITED for it!” And she was going to have to remember every little thing in it to tell her family back home. They’d LOVE it.
“I want to use mine too. The shopkeeper was quite grumpy when I bought it, but I think that’s cause he was a taurus and it was a bad day for tauruses when I bought it.” She took the wand from the holster that Mr Wand Person had sold to her and looked at it again. She hadn’t been without it since she’d bought it, and she knew every little line and dent in the wood by heart already. Gosh she loved it.
“Well we do magic but not like this kind of magic. We do the kind with magic circles and spirits and candles and singing and sometimes dancing and it’s wonderful. And my Grammy already taught me some of the stuff about telling the future, but I didn’t know there was a school for it. I don’t think my mum or anyone can do the Hogwarts kind of magic though.” Though, of course, she had no idea if her dad could, but she didn’t mind, she didn’t need to know him.
“Your mum died? That’s sad. But it’s good you’ve got a new one.” Rowan took a deep breath, and started to explain her own... situation.
“I have my mum and I have four siblings, Laurel, Robin, Willow and Brook, and I have an aunt and uncle and three cousins and our Grammy Helen.” Pause, breathe, count on fingers...
“And then there’s... eleven... twelve... thirteen other adults. And four other kids. And we all live together in these houses that are all attached so they’re kinda all like my family and it’s great and we all eat and play together and stuff.”
...Eagles?
“No..! We don’t use animals to do work for us! We just send post with the postman. Or at the post office. Where people’s jobs are to sort the letters and stuff and send them to the right places in cars and things. I think. I’ve never sent a letter, I don’t really know anyone to send a letter to.”