The Smile in the Ruins
Sally stood with her arms crossed, watching her two sons, who had been sent to the corner. Both wore sad little faces, the kind that tried to buy forgiveness through pure cuteness. However, they soon realized that this time, it wasn't going to work.
So they simply gave up.
Even so, Sally couldn't be too harsh with them. It was obvious she would give in sooner rather than later. She sighed and shook her head with weary resignation.
Meanwhile, Euphemia observed them with mild concern, though she also shook her head, as if the scene were both familiar and inevitable.
Mor, for her part, relaxed once she confirmed that the children were safe. In the portrait, the corpse of Fleamont slightly moved his head to glance at his grandchildren before pretending to be dead again—afraid that, if they noticed, he'd be blamed for encouraging the kids instead of stopping them.
"So… where did you go that Lia couldn't even find you?" Sally asked with a trace of worry, her gaze still fixed on them.
"Uh… we just used the Floo Network. We didn't go far," Percy replied quickly.
Of course, for an adult, using the Floo Network was going far. But for the children, it was nothing more than tossing some powder and appearing somewhere else, like a simple game.
Mor turned toward Lia. "You said they went as far as Hogsmeade, and from there used the little candles to transport themselves… and that's where you couldn't follow them anymore?" she asked seriously.
"Ah… yes, yes. Lia followed them and paid for their sweets. But when they wanted to move again—puff!—they disappeared. Lia couldn't follow the young masters by any means," the elf explained nervously, guilt clear in her voice for having lost sight of them.
"Hogsmeade…" Sally repeated uneasily. "That's near that magic school, isn't it?" she asked, before looking at her sons with a severe expression. "What did I tell you about going near that school? We don't know if the headmaster is good or bad. You are not allowed to go near it until it's time to study there."
Her voice sounded more worried than angry. After all, Sally still remembered the letter Dumbledore had left for the Dursleys. Although the content hadn't seemed malicious, she remained cautious. She feared that if the Hogwarts headmaster discovered Harry wasn't living with his relatives, he might try to take him away. Even after all these years, that fear still lingered. She knew that man wasn't simple—he was powerful, and there would be nothing she could do if he ever appeared and wiped her memory. That thought terrified her more than she wanted to admit.
"Oh, don't worry about that old man," said Mor calmly, her gaze firm and confident. "I told you already: even if Merlin himself were to show up, he wouldn't be able to take your children. I'll make sure of that."
Still, Sally was already slipping into her "full-study mode." She had decided to grow stronger before Harry entered Hogwarts—strong enough that no one would dare try to take him. Mor noticed it immediately when she saw the determination in her eyes and could only shake her head with a resigned little smile.
"So, after going to Hogsmeade, where did you go?" Mor asked, looking at the two confused little faces before her.
"Uh… well, we didn't know the names of the other towns," said Harry, "so we went to the one you mentioned before."
"Me?" Mor raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled. She didn't know much about the current villages. She only knew of Hogsmeade because she had once attended Hogwarts, disguised as a student. But other towns? She couldn't recall any.
"Yes, that one… Avalon," said Percy.
Morgana's eyes widened instantly—filled with surprise, confusion, and above all, a deep, startled emotion.
"What?" she exclaimed, staring seriously at her godsons.
"Yes, we said Avalon, and it took us to an island. There wasn't a town, only ruins. Lots of ruins. Oh, and also…" Harry began, but Mor interrupted him immediately.
"Wait, wait," she said, bringing a hand to her head. "What do you mean you went to Avalon? That's impossible."
The two boys looked at each other. "We said it correctly. We arrived at a broken fireplace. The place was empty, but the island was beautiful. Wasn't it an island?" Percy asked, genuinely confused.
"No… that's not the point," Mor replied with absolute seriousness. "Avalon doesn't exist anymore. The entire island disappeared centuries ago."
Sally looked at her carefully, noticing the change in her tone. The boys exchanged confused glances.
"Then where on earth did you go?" murmured Mor, staring at them incredulously.
"As we said," Percy repeated, "before traveling, we said Avalon, and we got to the island."
Mor approached the fireplace, threw in a pinch of powder, and spoke: "Avalon."
Nothing happened. The green flames didn't appear. The Floo Network didn't respond.
That could only mean one thing: the place wasn't connected.
The boys knew it. That fireplace had been specially modified by goblins for their safety. If they mispronounced a place name, or if the destination didn't exist, the connection simply wouldn't activate.
"Maybe it's because they used an external fireplace," said Sally quickly, trying to downplay it.
But Mor kept a serious, distant look, as if her thoughts had drifted far away.
"Well… it doesn't matter," she murmured at last. Yet her eyes reflected something else—sadness, bitterness, loss. Ancient pain.
Then she turned away and walked off, clearly unwilling to speak any further.
Sally noticed but decided not to press her. She turned back to the boys and spoke firmly:
"Well, you'll stay there for ten minutes. I hope you've learned your lesson."
The children nodded quickly—eager to comply before their punishment worsened.
…
Sally appeared at the doorway, holding a quill and several sheets of paper, marking the poorly written parts with precision.
"Mor, I need to revise this for delivery date. Could you watch the kids for a while?" she asked calmly.
"Yes, don't worry," Mor replied with a light smile.
"And make sure they don't escape this time," added Sally with a teasing grin before heading into her office.
Mor had no defense. After all, it was true—they had escaped. Though to be fair, she'd been completely exhausted after dealing with so many insects the night before.
Once Sally left, Mor let herself fall onto the sofa, not far from the corner where the children were still serving their punishment. Her expression, however, showed a trace of confusion, as if she were still trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Something about it simply didn't fit in her mind.
Then she looked up toward the ceiling. There, still floating in place, was the small enchanted camera she had placed to keep an eye on the children. With a simple gesture of her hand, she called it closer.
"Lia, connect this," she said calmly.
The house-elf appeared instantly, took the floating camera, and approached the television, pulling out a cable to connect it.
Mor had been living in a house full of Muggle devices for quite some time, so she had learned perfectly how to use each and every one of them. She picked up the remote control, aimed it at the TV, and pressed "play."
The screen flickered to life, showing the most recent recordings. In them, the children were playing in the backyard while she could be seen in the background, fast asleep from exhaustion. The little ones were reenacting a scene from The Hero and the Demon King.
Mor couldn't help but smile softly as she watched them forget their lines or change them in a comically dramatic way.
She fast-forwarded the video a little, until reaching the moment the two ran back into the house… and then vanished through the Floo Network.
In the recording, the children appeared in Hogsmeade, laughing as they bought piles of sweets. Lia, behind them, was dutifully paying for everything.
"It seems they forgot to mention they bought sweets without permission," Mor said, raising an eyebrow. "They'll have to brush their teeth very well before bed."
The children, still sitting in the corner, exchanged nervous glances. Mor gestured for them to come closer, granting them a small amnesty.
Overjoyed, they hurried to her sides, sitting down with those bright, innocent faces that could melt even the coldest heart.
"We were looking for a minion," Harry explained, pointing at the television. "But everyone was older, and we thought minions had to be our age. Later we realized they didn't."
On the screen, the two could be seen walking through Hogsmeade with their arms full of candy, stuffing everything into Harry's little magic pouch. He always carried his with him, while Percy usually lost his and ended up leaving it at home.
Then, the camera showed them approaching the enchanted fireplace, its small green flame marking the connection to the Floo Network.
Mor turned up the volume, fully focused.
"AVALON," said Percy in the video.
Immediately, both were swallowed by the green light, which this time stretched longer and brighter than usual—like a glowing tunnel. They hadn't noticed it themselves, but the camera captured everything clearly. Seconds later, the children appeared somewhere else—a place full of ruins. They wobbled dizzily, trying to regain their balance, as the device panned across the entire area.
Mor's eyes widened in pure astonishment.
"See? We said it right," Percy exclaimed proudly.
"And we also found a minion," added Harry, grinning.
Mor didn't take her eyes off the television. Her face showed a mix of shock, disbelief… and a growing tremor in her lips.
"It can't be…" she murmured under her breath, staring at the ruins and the landscape spreading out on the screen.
The children kept exploring the island, and each time the camera revealed a new area, Mor's expression shifted—surprise, wonder, nostalgia—like someone witnessing memories she never thought she'd see again.
"Wait," she suddenly said, her voice trembling. "Did you say you found a minion there?"
"Yes. Right there," Harry replied, pointing at the screen.
Mor followed his finger… and then she saw him.
The knight stood among the ruins. His figure was clear on the recording, and his smile—a calm, almost familiar smile—seemed to pierce straight through Morgana's heart.
The remote slipped from her hand, freezing the video on the exact frame of the man's smile.
A tear rolled down her cheek, then another. Thousands of memories crashed through her mind: a small boy running with a wooden sword, growing little by little, always with that mischievous smile, following her everywhere… calling her "Mom."
Mor covered her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs, but it was useless.
"He was there… all this time, he was there," she whispered with a trembling voice. "All this time…"
"Aunt Mor?" Harry asked nervously, seeing her cry. She—who always seemed unshakable—was trembling, fragile, completely human.
"Mum!" shouted Percy, running off to find Sally with his heart pounding.
Harry stayed beside his aunt, not knowing what to do. Then, following a pure instinct, he wrapped his small arms around her.
Mor looked at him through her tears and, unable to resist, hugged him back tightly.
Sally came rushing into the room, Percy right behind her. The sight froze her in place for an instant: Mor—the powerful, mysterious witch—was crying uncontrollably.
"Mor, are you okay?" she asked carefully, moving closer to embrace her.
"He's there… alone… for so long…" Mor managed to say between sobs.
Sally looked toward the television, where the young man's kind smile remained paused on the screen. Then she turned back to Mor and pulled her into a stronger hug, trying to steady her.
Percy joined in as well.
For the first time in centuries, Morgana—the dark witch, the terror of countless tales—was openly weeping.
Harry and Percy exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing. Whoever had made their aunt cry was going to pay for it. They both looked toward the fireplace with determination.
Sally noticed Mor gradually calming down, so she went to prepare some tea to help her relax.
When she returned, Mor had already released Harry. She smiled softly at both boys—a tenderness she rarely showed—and turned her eyes back to the screen with quiet melancholy.
"Here, I brought you something to help you calm down," said Sally as she entered the living room with the tray.
At that exact moment, a flash of green light—much larger than usual—filled the entire room. Mor turned instantly. The flames in the fireplace went out abruptly.
Sally felt panic rising in her chest. She knew that if something had gone wrong with the Floo Network, it could only mean one thing—the children…
"It's all right," said Mor, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing will happen to them. I think I understand what's going on."
Her expression softened, a mixture of relief and sorrow flickering across her face.
"He would never hurt them," she added with a sigh. Then, with a faint, bittersweet smile, she murmured, "They… can go there."
Sally looked at her uncertainly, though she had long since learned to trust her. Even so, she couldn't help the lingering worry in her chest. After all, Mor had said that place didn't exist—and yet, her children had just found a way to reach it.