LONDON CALLING

Ruby smiled at Angus as he said he might be a bit louder " I like when she moves, lets me know everything is okay" she said then nodded at his compliment to Simone she watched as he set everything down then they all went to eat. She finished and sipped her tea she could not help but chuckle as Angus started to relax and have fun " oh " she said and laughed as she watched the parade of rolls walk out the door " it's cute but funny at the same time " she said and laughed as they reached the door.

Ruby turned away and began clearing the table ready for the night and resetting the crockery for the next meal. She set the washer in motion while watching the rolls file into the main house , she smiled and chuckled to herself then looked over at Angus " I love this side of you" she said " its fun" she chuckled and smiled at him.

"Well, it was Edward's spell," Angus said, still finding it funny. "He doesn't play a prank very often, but I do like his style when he does."

"Angus," Emil asked. "When does the carnival start?"

"Noon, I think," Angus said. "I have to go meet Kate at the barn before we get dressed to go, though. Would you like to see our magical creatures? Kate has several."

"Yes!" Irina said. "We like animals!"

"Well, okay, then."

"What sort of creatures do you have here?" Sorin asked.

"Come and see," Angus said.

"I'll finish clearing that," Simone told Ruby. "Edward, you'd better wake up that dog and let him outside."

"Probably right," Edward agreed, heading over to his side and up to the bedroom. Andrew followed Angus outside and helped him to his outdoor chair, and Sergio stepped in to push Angus over to the barn, with Ana, Sorin, Mara, and the children following. Kate was already at the barn, and she had Fudge in her pocket.

"It's...a...a stick!" Emil said.

"It's a bowtruckle," Sorin told him.

"His name is Fudge. He lives in the main house," Angus said.

"And a fine looking bowtruckle he is," Mara said. They greeted Fudge, and Angus introduced them all to Kate. Irina asked to see the animals, and Kate was quick to motion them inside. She showed them the unicorns and the hippogriffs and then took them to the small animal side and showed them the pygmy puffs, the niffler, and all the rest. The children each wanted one of Kate's rainbow colored puffs, and Sergio and Ana agreed. They each picked out their puff and tucked them in their pockets for now.

As they were leaving the barn, Archangel flew over to Angus and landed on his shoulder. He introduced everyone to the eagle and Kate gave him a few commands so that they could see that he was very well trained. Irina told them that she could talk to certain kinds of birds and she wanted to be an animal healer when she grew up, and that started a bit of a conversation between them. Kate invited Irina back any time she wanted to work on honing her skills.

Kate explained that one of Angus's son's Halloween costume was for a magical zoologist, and Kate was going to take a couple live animals for him to have with him. She going to take Fudge, and Irina suggested she also take a pygmy puff and perhaps Archangel. Kate let Irina choose a pygmy puff for Victor, and with the animals gathered, Kate suggested everyone go get into their costumes.

Ruby looked at Simone and smiled " thank you and Angus it truly is a good trick" she said and laughed seeing the last roll enter the house. she then followed every one out to the barn Ruby stood and watched as everyone enjoyed seeing the animals including Archangel. " Have you shown them the unicorn and its baby" she said "he's very cute" Ruby saw Jack move to one of the stalls and enter it quietly.

Turning back she saw the others finding their pygmy puff and smiled as they found one for Victor " he'll love that one" she said seeing a rainbow one sitting on its own. Kneeling down she moved over to it and picked it up. It snuggled into her chest as she held it seeming happy for the moment. Seeing them leave she placed it down with the others and moved with every one out the barn.

"Jack," Kate stopped him, "before we all go to the carnival, would you mind either having a word with Finn or finding someone on the outdoor crew to keep him while we're all out at the carnival this afternoon and this evening? Sergio's children have picked out pgymy puffs for themselves, and I really would like Finn to not think they're chew toys. Could you either tell him that they are completely off limits or find someone that he can hang out with, please?"

"Angus," Michael shouted out the back door of the main house, "thirty cinnamon rolls? Seriously? And in their own parade? Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe," Angus said, deciding not to reveal Edward's role in it just yet.

"We're going to be eating cinnamon rolls for a week!"

"Well," Angus said, "since cinnamon comes from a tree, I'd say that makes them a fruit, and since we're all supposed to be eating 5 fruits a day, I'd say you'd better eat up." Michael rolled his eyes at Angus and went back inside. Angus looked at the kids. "You three up for a wager?"

"Depends. What's the wager?" Nicu asked.

"I think your mom and dad can get into their costumes before you three can. If you into yours first, I have to buy you a some Halloween candy floss. If they win, you have to buy some for me."

"Oh, you're on," Nicu said, having the same competitive spirit as his father did. Sergio laughed, and all three kids dashed off for the duplex, with Ana and Sergio dashing right with them.

"That family lives for competition," Angus told Ruby. As he spoke he saw something flying in.

"Oh, look, Angus. That's your griffin," Kate said. A pair of griffins flew in and landed with a sleek, smooth grace that could only come from the griffin's blend of an eagle head and front legs and the body and back legs of a lion. He was absolutely magnificent. Angus understood. One griffin would stay, and the other griffin and rider were there to take the rider of the rented griffin back.

"He's incredible," Angus said, awestruck by seeing a live griffin, the mascot for Gryffindor. He had gotten used to hippogriffs, which were the blend of an eagle and a horse, but there was something incredible all its own with the blend of an eagle and a lion.

Jack looked up from what he was doing and nodded " of course" he said " I think alan is free he could take care of him" Jack stood and brushed down his hands " I'll ask him " he added and listened to the otehrs. Ruby listened and then laughed as Michael called from the main house and at Angus's response to him. She smiled hearing him wager the two boys and then paused as she saw the two gryphons arrive " wow there beautiful" she said walking over to one and letting it touch her gently.

Returning to the duplex Ruby headed up to get dressed in her costume. Last thing to go on was the diadem once donw she smiled and walked down to the main room to wait for the others as she sat.

Andrew helped Angus back to the duplex and helped him up to the bedroom. He helped him into the plain gray leggings and the red and gold brocade medieval tunic that was trademark to Godric Gryffindor, along with the full, majestic looking red velvet cape, and the waistbelt with the scabbard and jeweled replica sword. Andrew added a waistbag for some money and anything else Angus might want to carry. He used a very simple charm to change Angus's hair to the red hair, beard and mustache that Gryffindor had, and then, as a final touch, he added the detailed leather gloves and the replica of the sorting hat. Angus looked at himself in the mirror. Andrew had done a wonderful transformation.

"They're never going to recognize that its you," Andrew said. "Oh, and I have a blue brocade waistbag and a wand holster for Ruby if she wants it. They gowith this silver girdle belt that has these replica sapphire sets. It rather matches the headpiece if she likes it."

"She might. It's hard to say. Sometimes I know what she likes, and sometimes I have just no clue at all," Angus laughed.

"We win, we win!" Sergio's children were shouting from downstairs.

"I guess you're buying candy floss," Andrew laughed.

"It'll be my pleasure," Angus smiled. "I rather think their parents let them win. What are you wearing, Andrew?"

"I have a medieval friar's robe," he said. He slipped it on, and fastened the rope belt around his waist. "There. That's all it gets."

"Actually, I like it," Angus said. Andrew helped him downstairs, and Angus saw that Sergio's kids had costumes like the three muskateers. They looked great.

"Those are great costumes," Angus told them.

"And you owe us candy," Emil told him.

"I guess I do, Angus said. He looked at Ruby in her costume. "I like that a lot. You look great. Andrew has a couple additional pieces for you if you want them. He has a jeweled girdle belt--it hangs loosely actually below the waist, and it has replica sapphires in it. It has a waist bag for anything you might want to put in it, and a holster for your wand. Looks like the belt will match the headpiece."

Ruby smiled seeing teh boys come down stairs in their costumes and smiled seeing Angus . " thank you Andrew, they will be perfect" she said smiling "and Angus you look so dashing" she said smiling at him as she stood up and walked over to Andrew to get the things he had sugested to add to her costume. Adding them she looked at Andrew and Angus " so what do you think?" she asked turning on the spot to show them.

Standing she brushed down the blue dress she wore and let her hair fall normaly over her shouder as she looked at Angus and Andrew with a smile.

"It looks great," Angus said.

"Absolutely," Andrew replied. "I wouldn't change a thing." Sergio and Ana came downstairs in their costumes. Ana was dressed in a healer's uniform, and Sergio was dressed as an herbologist.

"You look great. Are Soros and Mara coming?" Angus asked.

"Yes," Ana said. "Edward and Simone invited them, so they're going."

"Shall I see if they're ready?" Andrew asked.

"Please?" Angus asked. Andrew went over to Edward's, and in a moment, he came back with them. Edward was dressed as a 1920's gangster, and Simone was dressed in a 1920's flapper dress. Soros was dressed as Robin Hood, and Mara was dressed as Marian.

"I think we should see if the others are ready," Andrew said. Edward looked out the door and saw some of the others gathering on the lawn. Brian was dressed as a cowboy, and Khaat was looking stunning as a very hot looking saloon girl. Abbey had her bright blue cornish pixie costume, Robert was dressed as a pirate captain, and Kate was dressed as a fortune teller. Michael was dressed as a priest.

"Michael's a priest?" Andrew laughed out loud.

"Let's go meet up with them," Angus said. He looked back at Ruby. "Are you ready?"

Ruby liked every one's costume and saw the rest gathering on the grounds in front of the duplex she smiled and nodded to Angus "Yep and I think we should join the others." she said moving to Angus's side as they headed out side " Khaat that costume is wonderful" Ruby said walking over as she held up the blue satin and velvet dress she wore.

" and Abby is a cute pixie." she smiled at her then she looekd to Michael " a priest?" she asked " why did you chose that one?" she asked just as Jess and Jack joined them, Jack wore tattered pants and a very fake werewolf head, Jess wore a white and black speckled dress that flowed behind her on her head she wore feathers swept back. "a werewolf, very original Jack and an owl Jess?" Ruby asked and saw Jess smile and chuckle.

"So is yours, Ruby," Khaat said. "It looks lovely. Very nice. Abbey has been so excited about her costume."

"It took Kate several days to figure out how to make the wings look iridescent, like a dragonfly wing. And then, as she got it, Marcus added a bit more color to them with some sort of a glamour spell, but Kate says that after Halloween, she can remove the wings and Abbey can wear the costume as a one piece pajama outfit," Brian said. When Ruby asked why Michael had chosen a priest outfit, Michael gave her a bit of a mischievous grin.

"Do you have any idea how many pockets I can get in under this thing?" he said.

"I love the costumes, Jack and Jess. Very original," Angus said. "Is Rowan coming with us?"

"Michael actually has a bit of an assignment from the ministry. They entirely expect some pickpockets there, and Michael's job is to pick the pockets of the pickpockets. Or any other stealing he happens to see," Robert explained Michael's costume. "So we figured some extra pockets might come in handy."