Mamori was sprawled on the living room floor, idly flipping through "Hogwarts: A History" for the umpteenth time that summer. With just a few weeks left before he'd be boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time, excitement and nerves had him constantly reaching for anything school-related. He was so engrossed that the familiar pop made him jump, his elbow knocking against his brand new wand box.

He didn't even need to look up to know who it wasᅳ Grandma Gwendolyn had materialized in their kitchen. Again.

It was always when Mum and Dad were out, as if she had some sort of magical sensor for their absence. Mamori peered over his book, watching as his grandmother, Gwendolyn Ashworth, casually strolled into the living room, a cookie from their jar held delicately between her fingers.
"Hello, darling," she said airily, barely glancing at him as she perused the bookshelf. Her eyes lingered for a moment on Mamori's scattered Hogwarts supplies.

Mamori suppressed a sigh. "Hi, Grandma. Um... did you need something?"

But Gwendolyn was already plucking a book from the shelfᅳ a common history text about the Second Wizarding War. Mamori frowned. He was pretty sure she had that exact same book at her own house. Actually, he was certain most wizarding households owned a copy.

"Just borrowing this, love," she announced, waving the book as if it were some rare treasure. She took another bite of the cookie, crumbs falling onto her elaborately embroidered robes. "Excited for Hogwarts, are we?"

Mamori nodded, feeling a splash of confusion and curiosity intertwine within him. "Yeah, can't wait. Did you-"

But he never got to finish his question, because Gwendolyn gave him two quick spy-worthy looks to confirm a secret message and then pop! Vanished into thin air, leaving only the subtle scent of vanilla behind and some scattered cookie crumbs.

Mamori sighed and fell back onto the carpet. He was torn between looking forward to Hogwarts and wondering what the hell his grandmother was pulling. This vanishing act wasn't anything new, and he knew it sure as hell wouldn't be the last. What in hell's name did these strange drop-ins accomplish, he wondered?

His mind drifted to the stories his mother had shared of Gwendolyn Ashworth. Seven marriages. Twelve children. A virtual army of grandchildren. It was either something out of a fairy taleᅳ or perhaps a cautionary one.

Mamori tried to imagine what it must be like, being part of such an enormous, sprawling family. He pictured the sea of faces at family gatheringsᅳ half strangers despite sharing blood? How many of his aunts and uncles even knew who their fathers were? Most of them carried the Ashworth name: a testament to the complicated web Grandma Gwendolyn had woven.

His thoughts drifted to his mum, who'd opted for a cozy trio instead of a crowd. Given the mayhem of her childhood, who could blame her? Mamori had always caught a whiff of... unease from his mother when Grandma came up. As if Gwendolyn's quirks might be catching, like dragon pox.

As bizarre as Grandma was, to Mamori, it was inevitable that one would feel a slight twinge of sympathy. All those marriages, all those kidsᅳ yet none ever seemed all that near to her. Is that why she popped in so randomly? Is she just... lonely?

He pictured Grandma Gwendolyn in her house, surrounded by the history books she had pinched from people and eating some cookiesᅳ probably not as delicious as the stolen-from-their-jar ones. It made him kind of sad.

Mamori sat up, brushing cookie crumbs off his new robes. Maybe next time Grandma appeared, he'd try to talk to her more. Ask her about her adventures, her many marriages, the stories behind all those children. After all, wasn't that what a good wizard was supposed to do? Show kindness, even to the quirkiest of relatives?

He grinned to himself, imagining the look on his mum's face if she came home to find him and Grandma Gwendolyn swapping tales over a plate of pilfered cookies. It would probably be worth it just to see her expression.

Returning to "Hogwarts: A History," Mamori noted that he found himself looking forward to Grandma's next surprise visit. Who knew? Maybe there was a method to her madness after all. And if not... well, at least life with Gwendolyn Ashworth as a grandmother was never, ever boring.

Plus, maybe she had some wild stories about her own days at Hogwarts. With seven marriages under her belt, sure enough her school years were interesting. Mamori made a mental note to ask next timeᅳ if she stayed long enough to answer.

He pondered which house he would be sorted into, and whether it would be the same as Grandma Gwendolyn's. Was there a house for the delightfully odd? If so, she was sure to have been its star pupil. The thought made him smile as he turned another page, mind filling with questions about Hogwarts, houses, and the mysterious witch who had been his grandmother.