Introductions, please

"Well, thank you," Khaat smiled when Amelia said she thought Khaat was brave. "Your mom met the wiser and braver wizards though. Men like Albus Dumbledore just arent' around today, and we sure could use them. Your mom sounds like she is as wise now as she was then. She's right about the paper, you know. Some of it is true, but the largest part of it is complete and utter crap. When she and I were kids, the Ministry controlled the paper and it spread a bunch of nonsense. The Prophet is independent now, and it still spreads crap. Its just different types of it.

"Too bad she doesn't apply for the Editor's post there. I hear they're looking for a new one. It would be nice to have someone who isn't afraid to speak her mind and who knows the difference between the truth and a lie," Khaat said.

"Its too bad you never got the chance to meet my Uncle Remus. He'd have liked you. He treasured wisdom above just about anything. Anytime he met someone who struck him as being clever, he liked taking them underwing and doing his best to teach them how to stand for the greater good. It wouldn't have taken him more than a few seconds to see your potential."

Amelia knew her parents had grown up in a time of some brilliant witches and wizards, sometimes she wishes she could meet some of them. She often wonders why there aren’t more people like them around anymore. She knew it was possible that some of her friends could be that person in a few years, she often wondered about the future. “I think that’s what scares my father the most. He gets so worried that her well, feisty nature will get her in trouble one day. I don’t know what she’s doing these days anymore, she keeps disappearing a lot. I suppose it’s because us kids aren’t really little kids anymore. My little brother is 13 and he’s the youngest,” she said.

“I didn’t know Remus was your uncle. My mum and dad often say he was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers Hogwarts has ever seen. My mum was rather impressed by him when she was younger. I know he wasn’t overly fond of my father but my dad wasn’t the most likeable person back then according to my mum,” she said hoping to get rid of her dad eavesdropping.

"Your father is well within his rights to worry," Khaat said. "These are dangerous times we live in. I used to think that would get easier when I became an adult, but that really isn't how it goes. A parent is a parent for life. My father still worries for me. He says its a bit different for sons but not all that much. Still, I enjoy teasing him and telling him he's overprotective. You may find its just as easy to not try to fight that one. Or at least, that's what I decided.

"My father was a year older than Remus," she said. "Remus lived with my parents most of the time because, back then, being a werewolf was such a powerfully negative thing. Remus found it almost impossible to keep a job once someone found out what he was cursed with. The only time I don't remember him being around is during those awfull days when he was part of the fight against Voldemort. My parents worked a good deal, so I was largely raised by Remus. I still miss him. Your parents were right. He was a great professor. I know he never regretted the choices he made--not even the ones that he died for. However, I never heard him ever say anything negative about any of his students. And--your dad was a good fighter in the war against Voldemort. He was willing to stand for what he believed in. And Remus always supported that. I'm sure he was quite proud of the man your dad became.

"You know, though, I've found Remus's shoes are completely impossible to fill," she smiled. "I'd just like us not to fall entirely off the path he helped put us on."

Amelia knew things weren’t at ease in the wizarding world. She knew her parents were worried. She knew that the decisions she made know would affect her in the future. She understands why her parents worry so much about her but didn’t understand why it wasn’t as much for her siblings, maybe that was all in her head she didn’t know.

“I’ve never doubted that. I just think my mum just says it to get him to leave her alone. She hates being stuck on the farm all the time. She says it would be different if she had little children running around but were all growing up and she certainly is not going to have any more kids,” said Amelia.

“I know what you mean. I know so does my mum,” she said. She always felt like she was trying to fill the shoes of her great aunt, one of the greatest witches of her time. She also knew that her mum had felt the same way with all the dead family members she had to try to life up to. Being a Bones had a heavy price tag.

"Its not easy, is it?" Khaat smiled, understanding all too well. "Living in the shadow of a legend. Having other people measure you by the fame someone else in your family has attained. Its hard. You know,..." she had a thought. "If you really want to excel in potions, I could introduce you to my father. I don't know if you knew, but he likes potions. Its one of the reasons he's on staff at St. Mungos. There are lots of potions makers--and I guess when I think of those, I think of people who can follow the formulas others have concocted to reproduce them. Potions makers are very necessary in order for us to have the mediciines and things that we need. But when I think of a potions master, I think of the men and women who can manage to research and design potions of their own that benefit the rest of us. Severus Snape was someone I considered to be one of the best potions masters of all time. My father is a potions master. He has been known to give a few potions tutoring lessons from time to time. that isn't something youd' want to learn from me, but he could show you, if you like.

"My husband Brian trains aurors, and he is a physical fitness trainer. He helps them hone their physical skills and their wand skills and teaches bodyguarding techniques. Its one of the jobs he does for the Ministry. I..well, I'm not sure what I do," she laughed.

"You know," Angus said. "You're a healer. You're a leader. And you're a seer. You've done a fair amount of tutoring in healing skills and in dueling skills." He looked at Amelia. "Why don't you come visit us over at the Ministry and take a tour? Khaat sometimes has some time between appointments and hearings, and we could show you around and introduce you to some of the staff there. You could get to know them and perhaps pick their brains about what they like about what they do."

"That is a great idea," Khaat grinned. "I don't know why I didn't think of it. I would really enjoy that, Amelia. That is, if its alright with your parents."

“That would be great. My dad is good at Potions but he doesn’t have much time with the farm and all. Try as I might, Potions and I don’t get along. I think my mum would be grateful if she didn’t have to buy three cauldrons for me this year like last year,” said Amelia. She hated being bad at Potions when the rest of her siblings were good at it and teased her about being bad at Potions. She knew she shouldn’t care since she did great at everything else but when you have four siblings it always gets personal.

“I’d have to ask my mum thought. My dad doesn’t get much say about what goes on with me unless my mum is being ridiculous over something which happens once in a blue moon,” she said. Her father stayed out of the way when it came to something like that, her mum seemed to want to know what she does more so than even her little brother.

"We know what its like to be busy with a farm. I've lived on a farm all my life in one place or another. We keep up with a lot of the crops and such with charms that do that for us. We prefer to take care of the animals ourselves because they need the personal attention. Especially the magical creatures. Some of them can get testy if they don't have human contact to keep them feeling wanted. And there are some who get just downright insulted and angry without daily respectful human contact.

"My mother spent a lot of years at home on the farm like your mom has done. The thing that kept my mother happy is her art studio. She spends a lot of time there and then sells a great deal of her work. But If your mom would feel better if she heard it directly from me, I'll be happy to let her know that I did indeed invite you. And I have the staff to be sure that you would be safely picked up and delivered home." Khaat had no shortage of bodyguards. "Some of my staff are even normal looking," she said to Amelia, deliberately teasing Angus for the dark phantom style clothing.

"I'll make sure I don't wear mission wear during the day," Angus laughed.

"Just a bit less Death Eater, please," Khaat teased. "You scare people like that."

"And on that note, I'll go pay for your book order," Angus said. "You look safe enough for the moment."

"Go," she said, waving him away, laughing. "Amelia and I can handle it." He turned and walked towards the front of the store.

“It’s always been my mum’s job to heal the animals when they get injured or sick. Demiguise get very testy, my mum hates them because their always fracturing my dad’s knees and other body parts. I don’t know how she stands being at that house all the time. I’m personally going to Australia for a while; I don’t remember how long my friend told me we’d be gone for. I know we leave later this month,” she said “she might feel better about it if you tell her.”

She tried not to laugh. She was sure that was what had her father going there for a second. She was glad he was alert enough no notice but it annoyed her he didn’t think she could take care of herself. So what if she was underage, she knew she could use magic under certain situations of life and death.

“It must be hard having bodyguards around you all the time. I think it would drive me mad to have someone fallowing me everywhere,” she said with all honestly.

"Australia?" Khaat smiled, remembering it fondly. "I was there once for a holiday. We had a great time. The beaches are awesome. You'll like it, I'm sure." She listened to her talk about trouble with the demiguise. "We only had one demiguise for awhile, and then it was only for a short time, while he recovered from a foot injury. But I do remember him being very peaceable so long as he got his own way. Then he got very stubborn about it. I lived with my parents for awhile after I graduated. And I was happy not leaving the farm--for awhile. But that wore off eventually. So I know a bit of what your mom probably feels."

"Your dad is a bit protective, I see," Khaat observed. "He seems to want to make sure I'm not one of 'those' people that most people think work at the Ministry. Unfortunately, I never have entirely figured out what 'those' people are like. People are just people. Period. But I'll be happy to talk to your mom and get her permission. That's nnot a problem."

Khaat laughed when Amelia said it was probably difficult to live with bodyguards around all the time. "You are so right," she agreed. "That's why Angus got his shorts in a bunch. I was supposed to wait at home for him to go with me this morning, and I decided to come by myself. My husband is used to it. He doesn't like it, but he's used to it. But we're also used to having to deal with troublemakers too, so it does seem to all work out in the end. I suppose I should give them a bit more of an easy time keeping up with me. But whats the fun in that?"

"My mum says my dad doesn't respect our Demiguise so they don't respect him. If she has enough she takes off to her parents' house," Amelia said. She hadn't been that far from her parents' farm, only to Hogwarts. She also remembered how much her mum loved them as babies before they start ramming things.

She gulped, remembering the one time her dad made the mistake of accusing her great aunt of being one of 'those' people. She had never seen her mum so angry before or since. She was eleven years old, so she didn’t remember the details. She remembers going to her grandfather’s house for nearly a month with her mum, Drew and Edgar.

“It’s like having a person making your decisions for you. My mum said she’d be ready hex them after the first hour,” she laughed softly.