As the sun began to set, we finally headed back inside.
The moment we entered the Burrow, the smell of dinner greeted us. Mrs. Weasley was already moving around the kitchen while several pots floated through the air on their own.
The front door opened shortly afterward.
"Arthur, you're back!" Mrs. Weasley called. "Alastair is here."
Mr. Weasley stepped inside. He looked tired from work, but his face brightened immediately when he noticed me.
I separated from the twins and walked forward to greet him.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet you again. I've read quite a bit about you in my mother's 'diaries'."
His smile softened.
For a moment he simply looked at me.
Then he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
"You really do look like both of them."
I blinked in surprise.
"When I saw your picture in the newspaper after the incident with the hourglass, I caught a glimpse of Caelum."
His eyes became slightly distant.
"But seeing you in person... I can see Evelyn too."
For a moment, an awkward silence settled between us.
Not uncomfortable.
Just nostalgic.
Mr. Weasley had known my parents personally, something I still occasionally forgot.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Mrs. Weasley shooed him upstairs to wash up before dinner.
The moment he disappeared from sight, the front door opened once again.
This time two older boys stepped inside.
Bill and Charlie.
Seeing them in person felt slightly strange.
The versions I remembered from the books belonged to the future.
The Charlie in front of me was already broad-shouldered and athletic, but he lacked the scars, burns, and rugged appearance that would come from years of working with dragons.
Likewise, Bill had only recently graduated from Hogwarts. His hair was still relatively short, and there was no dragon fang earring or curse-breaker aura about him yet.
At the moment, they simply looked like two older brothers returning home.
Charlie spotted me first.
His face immediately brightened.
"Alastair!"
He dropped a package onto a nearby chair.
"Sorry about this idiot dragging me over for his work."
Bill looked offended.
"My work was finished hours ago."
Charlie opened his mouth.
Bill continued mercilessly.
"It was you who spent half the afternoon talking to my dragon handler friend."
Charlie's expression instantly became guilty.
"I was gathering information."
"You were asking dragon questions."
"They were important dragon questions."
Bill folded his arms.
"Maybe I shouldn't bring you next time."
The effect was immediate.
"No, no, no."
Charlie stepped forward quickly.
"Let's not do anything rash."
"I thought so."
I watched the exchange with amusement.
For a family that constantly mocked each other, the Weasleys were surprisingly close.
Or perhaps because they were close, they could mock each other so freely.
Eventually Bill turned toward me.
"Anyway, properly introducing myself would probably be a good idea."
He extended a hand.
"I'm Bill."
"Alastair."
We shook hands.
"I've heard a lot about you."
I smiled.
"Same here. Your brothers never stop talking about their cool curse-breaker brother."
Before Bill could respond, Fred and George immediately inserted themselves into the conversation.
"See?"
"We told you."
"He works at Gringotts."
The twins sounded far more impressed by that fact than by anything else.
Charlie smirked.
"Speaking of Gringotts..."
A knowing look appeared on his face.
"There is some new—"
Bill immediately cut him off.
"No."
Charlie looked disappointed.
"But—"
"No."
"But it's interesting."
Bill sighed.
Then glanced toward the kitchen where the rest of the family was gathering.
"Wait until dinner."
His expression became slightly amused.
"When everyone's there."
That statement immediately caught everyone's attention.
Including mine.
Whatever news Bill was hiding, it was apparently important enough that he wanted the entire family present before sharing it.
I had a fairly good idea what Bill's news was about, but I kept it to myself.
There was no point spoiling the moment.
Soon everyone had gathered around the dining table. The Burrow somehow managed to fit the entire Weasley family despite looking far too small from the outside. Plates floated through the air carrying food while conversation flowed from every corner of the table.
Before Bill could reveal his announcement, Mr. Weasley found a different target.
Me.
"Alastair, I heard you grew up in the Muggle world."
"I did."
His eyes immediately lit up.
I had seen that look before.
It was the same look researchers got when presented with a new mystery.
"Then perhaps you can answer something for me."
Mrs. Weasley sighed.
Several of the children groaned.
Apparently they knew what was coming.
"Do you know how a Magic 8 Ball works?"
The table fell silent.
Mr. Weasley leaned forward eagerly.
"Is there actual magic involved? If so, should the Ministry investigate the factories producing them?"
I nearly choked on my drink.
Suppressing a laugh, I answered as seriously as possible.
"No need to raid any factories, Mr. Weasley."
His face fell slightly.
"Oh."
"It contains liquid and a twenty-sided die."
"A what?"
"A twenty-sided die."
Mr. Weasley looked fascinated.
I continued.
"There are ten positive answers, five neutral answers, and five negative answers. Every time someone shakes it, the die floats to the top and displays a random response."
His eyes widened.
"So it doesn't predict the future?"
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
"It simply gives random answers?"
"Exactly."
Mr. Weasley sat back in his chair looking deeply thoughtful.
"There should be one in things Fred & George bought today."
His eyes snapped toward Fred and George.
"Really? Where is it?"
The twins froze.
Mrs. Weasley immediately pointed a warning fork at her husband.
"Arthur."
Mr. Weasley had already started rising from his chair.
"But Molly—"
"Sit."
He sat.
Immediately.
"After dinner," he said mournfully.
"We'll examine it after dinner."
Suppressed laughter spread around the table.
Even Percy looked amused.
Mr. Weasley, however, remained completely serious.
To him, this was an important scientific or magical investigation.
The conversation eventually shifted elsewhere as dinner continued.
Eventually the meal came to an end.
Bill glanced around the table.
The relaxed expression he had worn throughout dinner disappeared.
"Mum. Dad."
The seriousness in his voice immediately caught everyone's attention.
The room gradually fell silent.
"I have something I need to tell you."
Mrs. Weasley put down her fork.
Mr. Weasley nodded for him to continue.
Bill took a breath.
"I received an offer from Gringotts."
I noticed Charlie grin slightly.
Bill continued.
"They want me to join the Egypt branch as a curse-breaker."
Several reactions occurred simultaneously.
Percy's eyes widened.
Fred and George exchanged excited looks.
Charlie looked proud.
Mrs. Weasley looked horrified.
"The pay is significantly higher," Bill continued. "And I'll be working on actual tomb excavations and curse-breaking projects. It's exactly the sort of work I've been training for."
Silence followed.
Everyone understood what he was really saying.
He wasn't simply changing jobs.
He was leaving home.
Mrs. Weasley's eyes immediately became watery.
She opened her mouth to speak.
Mr. Weasley gently placed a hand over hers.
Simply reminding her of something.
Slowly he turned toward Bill.
"Is this what you truly want?"
Bill didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
His answer was immediate.
Confident.
"This is a great opportunity for me."
Mr. Weasley studied him for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
A father's smile.
Proud despite the sadness behind it.
"Then you should go."
Bill visibly relaxed.
"Thanks, Dad."
Before anyone else could say anything, a chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Ginny jumped down and ran around the table.
A moment later she wrapped her arms around Bill.
"Are you leaving us?"
Her voice cracked near the end.
Bill immediately bent down and hugged her back.
"Of course not."
"But you're going away."
"Only for work."
Ginny didn't seem convinced.
Bill chuckled softly and ruffled her hair.
"I'll come back during holidays."
She continued glaring at him.
"You can visit me too."
Still unconvinced.
"And I'll send gifts."
That got her attention.
"Lots of gifts."
Finally, a small crack appeared in her resistance.
Bill seized the opportunity.
"I'm talking Egyptian gifts."
Now even Ron looked interested.
"What kind of gifts?" he asked immediately.
The tension around the table broke almost instantly.
Bill laughed.
The entire table erupted into conversation once more, and as I watched the Weasleys tease, argue, and celebrate together, I couldn't help but think that Bill was lucky.
Not because he had received the opportunity.
But because no matter how far away he went, he would always have a home waiting for him here.