Ravindar stroked the crumbs from his beard. He was breakfasting at the Leaky Cauldron. He had taken a room the previous night. Newly arrived back from his summer in the Punjab at the street school he had set up years before. He hated to leave but he was to return for a second year at Hogwarts. Hogwarts paid well and he used his money for good. Not just lovely robes. The crumbs fell onto his newspaper. It was open at a half page advert. An advert for werewolves to escape. Come to a camp in America for a week. A month. Longer. Ravindar had never seen it in the newspaper before. But he had been away in India all of the school summer holiday. Run by ELF. Who were ELF?

He was distracted by someone taking the table next to him. He recognized the young witch first. Then her mother.

"Miss Shacklebolt." Greeted Professor Singh. "Nadine!" He got to his feet to embrace her. The last of the breakfast crumbs tumbling from his robes. They had last seen each other at Balfour and Johann's wedding. Ravindar Nadine and Balfour had all been in the same year at Hogwarts. But Ravindar had been in Gryffindor of course. Now Nadine's daughter was his student.

"You look well." He said. He always said it. It was polite. "How is your summer? Is it time for school shopping?" He asked Aoide.

Aoide had been impatient to leave the house and head to Diagon Alley. Her father had kissed her and her mother goodbye before heading to the Ministry for work, and Aoide had already been ready by the fireplace with her shoes on. Eventually her mother had been ready, and they had taken the floo to the Leaky Cauldron for breakfast. Aoide’s mum was an auror, and she had the day off which was why they were coming into town before the weekend. It would be slightly quieter, avoiding the last minute Hogwarts rush.

The about-to-be-second year noticed Professor Singh as her mother approached the table. He wasn’t the only wizard in the world to wear a turban, but he was one of the few Aoide knew who did. His beard looked longer than she remembered, and his skin a little darker. He was just as gracious and warm though, greeting her as Miss Shacklebolt, which made her feel very grown up.

“Professor Singh!” Aoide greeted brightly, and bowed. Her teacher swept her mother into a hug, just like he had at the Spectre wedding back in the Spring. It was strange to think that her teacher had been in the same year at Hogwarts as her mum. He hadn’t really brought it up at school until they all met. It had felt strangely awkward, while also really cool to have a connection. After all, Feliks had his grandmother teaching at school.

“You look well. How is your summer? Is it time for school shopping?” Aoide nodded brightly, perching on a chair at the neighbouring table, facing her teacher.
“I got my letter with the list for second year,” she explained, unfolding it from her pocket.

She was wearing lilac robes with short sleeves and her hair was beautifully knotless box braided[1] by Nadine at the start of the summer, with matching extensions. It had taken hours as it had been done by hand rather than magic, and she had been incredibly patient, knowing the results would be good (and that her mum would tell her off if she kept fidgeting!) It had taken charms to stop them from frizzing up after a fortnight. She was sad that she was probably going to have to take them down before school to be able to look after them, as she wasn’t confident about charming it herself.

1.	If you’re curious  Jasmine Brown - The Tea on Box Braids was super helpful re hair care and The Natural Hair Addict - Knotless Box Braids or Regular box Braids pros and cons for the difference.

“Ravindar! How blessed,” Nadine exclaimed, recognising her old school friend, who now taught her youngest. Gosh he was always so impeccably turned out, even for breakfast at The Leaky Cauldron. She had robe envy.

“You look well. How is your summer? Is it time for school shopping?”
“I got my letter with the list for second year.”

Aoide was keenly unfolding her letter, as if a Hogwarts professor wouldn’t know what was on it. Ravindar was so good with her. He’d been gracious at the Spectre wedding back at Easter too. They’d fallen so out of touch through all the years, but had spent time regaling stories of adventures abroad.

“Thank you, you look wonderful. I must have the details of your tailor.” Nadine clasped his forearm in both hands. “I’ve the day off so we are on school shopping before the crowds. Are you doing similar, before the term begins?”

Second year! It was only yesterday that Aoide was casting her first spell in his transfiguration classroom. One day she would take her NEWTs and he would feel exactly the same.

"Thank you for your kind words. These are from one in Delhi so a longer trip from London." He put his hand on hers. "Finding my bearings. I have been away. Back to Punjab in June. Then a little of everywhere." Nadine and Aoide were not here to receive a lecture on his travels. "Have you been on your travels too?" Ravindar asked Aoide this question. To make her feel included. And took her letter to study. "Transformation Through the Ages. Plenty of those in second hand. Who would be without Standard Book Grade 2? Jigger already for Professor Storm?"

Aoide had uncreased her letter in her hand, and sat awkwardly watching her mum gush over her teacher’s outfit. Professor Singh, as ever, was impeccably calm and gracious about it. Aoide had no idea if the wizard was capable of embarrassment or anger, he was always so composed. Her mum growing up with him made him more human and possible, in that respect.

“Have you been on your travels too?” He asked, looking to Aoide for the answer, and reached out for her letter. “Transformation Through the Ages. Plenty of those in second hand. Who would be without Standard Book Grade 2? Jigger already for Professor Storm?”

“Not far,” Aoide admitted, feeling inferior suddenly against the well-travelled Professor. “We managed to go to the Olympics though!” She brightened. “It was absolutely fascinating. All running, jumping, throwing. Muggles don’t need apparition if they can run that far, but it does look very tiring. But the spring races are really exciting.” Aoide was quickly getting ahead of herself, having explained it to friends over the summer. “Do you know what the Olympics are, Professor Singh?”

"The Olympics?" Said Ravindar. "Perhaps. But you tell me." That was the best way with young people. Pretend not to know so much. They had the pleasure of telling you what they knew. "What did you see?"

Ravindar was a saint. He had presented Aoide with an open-ended question, and she would be happy to tell him all about it. Nadine interjected with her daughter briefly to arrange breakfast, but otherwise enjoyed a moment to observe her growing child interact with her educator.

“Bolt’s the fastest muggle in the world. We saw him run the 200m and it was like, whoosh, he made it look easy.” The Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, had been the highlight to Aoide’s visit. She’d spent the rest of the summer regularly musing over what sort of wizard he would have been if he’d had magic, and then trying to convince Nadine and Rex that… “I keep saying to mum and dad that Bolt has to be a wizard, or at least a squib, to run that fast. It was simply magic.”

“It was, honey.” Nadine agreed, “but he’s no wizard. But you have to agree Jamaica’s got some muggle magic with three of their sprinters in that final. I got quite caught up with it all, Ravindar. Never read so much of the Muggle papers. What ‘bout you?”

"Muggles were glued to it. I visited some places. But it was on in the night." Said Ravindar. "I must have missed a lot. You have had quite the summer Aoide." Their breakfast was arriving.

"Nadine." Asked Ravindar quietly. "What do you know about these?" He showed his school friend the advert for ELF. The camp in America for a week. He tried to keep up with werewolf things because of the Gryffindor werewolves.

“What do you know about these?” Ravindar asked, turning the Daily Prophet to her as Aoide tucked into her breakfast opposite. Nadine reached out to take the paper for closer inspection. It was an advert for summer camps for young werewolves.

“Yeah, I noticed these appearing in the newspaper. Think it must be an American thing. Summer camps aren’t really something British.” She looked up and down it again and handed it back to her schoolfriend. “There was some article about ELF not long ago though. I think they’re just a charity trying to help. Not come up as anything sinister on my job sheet, if that’s what you’re worried about?” Ravindar had always been caring, but she supposed he was extra caring with his role as a Professor and Head of Gryffindor at school.

“You heard of them before?” She asked him.

"No." Said Ravindar. "I take an interest. For my Gryffindors." He nodded. "There is much anger around this issue. I do not feel at ease about it." He lifted the newspaper. Folded it to the advert. "Things move quick when a wizard is away." Ravindar smiled at Aoide. "And summers must flee fast for new second years too." He did not want to speak too much. Not before her. She was a student. "You are right. Summer camps are something I associate with Red Rocks. It is a school in the United States." He said to Aoide. "In a state called Arizona. It is like Hogwarts in many ways. I once taught Transfiguration there too."

It was still very queer to hear her Professor call her mother by her first name. Aoide tried not to stare too much at it when it happened. Busied herself with eating breakfast while still very much listening to the conversation. Her teacher was gesturing to the newspaper, and her mother mentioned something about camping. It wasn’t something Aoide’s family did for a holiday, but Aoide had camped in the Abbott’s back garden over the summer and it had been good fun. Sharing a tent was much like sharing a dormitory, only a bit breezier. However, wix-kind had enchanted tents which were delightful.

“Wow, sounds cool. I wish we could get to visit other schools.” Aoide beamed at Professor Singh. She would be curious to meet people her age across the sea. “Do you think we could get penpals or something?”

"One day you could visit." Said Professor Singh. "But if you are keen for a pen-pal I have many back home who would write you." He was speaking of the Punjab. It was a greater culture difference than Arizona. "If that is your wish?" Ravindar glanced to Nadine. For her consent.

“But if you are keen for a penpal, I have many back home who would write you.” Aoide sat bolt upright, all thought of the summer camp discussion between the adults instantly forgotten. “If that is your wish?”

“Yes!” Aoide gasped without hesitation. Then noticed her Professor was looking to her mother. She pleaded with her eyes. Nadine relented, giving a little nod and a shrug. “Thank you!” She clasped her hands together, realising she was spontaneously about to hug her professor, and that would be more than a little awkward right here in the Leaky Cauldron.

“Thank you Rav,” her mother spoke kindly, issuing one of those rarer smiles of appreciation. “Finish up your breakfast please, Aoide, we have much to do.” The Hufflepuff witch obliged with a grin on her face. Wait until Ivy heard about this!

End