Bristol, England
August 2023


The wind swept over the mottled quilt of lush emerald and sunbaked gold grass on the day Henry Holbrook went to the park with his family one afternoon in his ninth summer. It had been hot that day, but the breeze carried with it enough of a chill to make things comfortably warm. There had been a time not all that long ago when he would come here with his grandparents to scatter peas along the shore of the pond for the ducks, then toss a Frisbee for their golden retriever, Rusty, while his grandad manned the grill and his gran read her book, but those days and those people were just memories now. Rusty was still around, though the auburn waves of his coat had begun to form a white patina along the flank and his joints were a bit tighter than they had been back then, so Frisbee was a hobby he spent less time partaking in before he had to lay down.

These days, or at least, this day, he had come here with his dad, his mum, and Rusty, during the three hour window between when Susan came home from her job at the paper and when Alan had to get ready for work himself. His older sister, Helena, was meant to be here as well, but with her recent advancement from primary to secondary school, she'd decided she had more of a chance to enjoy her summer holiday by spending the day with her friends, rather than hanging out with her annoying little brother and lame parents all the time.

And so, after helping his parents lay out the red and white gingham blanket, getting their loyal pooch fed and watered, and snagging a handful of grapes and a triangular half of a ham and cheese sandwich from the wicker basket for himself, he grabbed up the leash to take the old boy for a leisurely trot down one of the nature trails that wound through the towering oaks encircling the duck pond.

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| Location: Bristol, England | Date: August, 2023 | Word count: 437 |
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Summer days were little Frederick Buckley's favorite. Born and raised in Bristol, one might have expected the English boy to prefer cold, rainy weather, but it was precisely the brief stretch between June and August that delighted him the most. Still too young to have a strong opinion about the climate of his hometown, his preference was clearly shaped by the fact that, during the summer, Frederick spent more time with his parents and extended family. His father would take a few days off work, and his older cousins would return home from Hogwarts, joining him in making the most of the warm weather by spending entire days outdoors, whether in their own back gardens or at parks around the city.

On one such occasion, during a peaceful day at the Buckley family's cozy home, the three of them - Fred, Lydia, and Gareth - got ready for a short stroll through a nearby park. Taught from a very young age to behave properly, whether interacting in the wizarding world or with Muggles, Frederick acted naturally, as excited as any nine-year-old would be at the prospect of an outing with his parents. As soon as they arrived, a sparkle lit up Fred's blue eyes as he scanned the area. Even though he already knew the park well, there was always something new to discover: different people, unfamiliar paths, or little corners he had yet to explore. He was simply happy to be there.

It was difficult for Frederick to stand still for very long. While his parents walked at an easy pace along the main path, he ran ahead, only to stop a moment later and wait for them. Turning around, he waved enthusiastically, and they waved back with affectionate smiles. They kept up that rhythm until they reached a pond, the duck pond, where the birds swam and wandered about, completely indifferent to the bustle around them. His parents chose a nearby wooden bench and let Fred roam freely. He immediately dashed toward one of the ducks, startling the bird into spreading its wings and hurriedly flying away from the little Buckley.

With endless curiosity and boundless energy, the boy simply carried on as though nothing had happened, ready for his next adventure. A few seconds later, Fred spotted a boy about his age walking nearby with a dog on a leash. Without a second thought, he headed straight toward Henry and whistled to catch Rusty's attention. "Hey, champ!" Fred stopped in front of the pair, addressing the dog first. Then he looked up at Henry, greeting him with a friendly smile. "Cool dog! Can I pet him?"

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| Interacting with: @Henry Holbrook |

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| Location: Bristol, England | Date: August, 2023 | Word count: 348 | Speech | Thoughts |
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The small hand holding the tether instinctively tugged the strap taut and a second joined the first on the lead; that way - even with Henry's less-than-spectacular strength - Rusty had less of a chance of bolting on ahead. The boy's blue eyes snapped to the enthusiastic lad rapidly approaching him. And even though the golden retriever on the other end of that tether had a tail that was wagging a mile a minute and old-dog paws that were tippy-tapping and click-clacking against the pavement at a pace that belied its age - Henry was frozen in place, his mind racing and going nowhere fast.

He had friends of course. Well, Ben. But they'd been friends since they were in nappies. And Rin. But she was only in Bristol on rare occasions, and they'd more or less bonded over being a bit odd sometimes anyhow. Otherwise, most of the other kids stayed away from him once they learned he was sometimes a little different. His gaze traveled over the other boy's face, searching for a read on the situation. He's smiling, ok, brilliant. Normally that's good, right?

Henry forced his lips into a facsimile of a smirk, shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. The sound of Rusty's claws scraping the rough gray path combined with the sheer joy the dog seemed to have at the concept of a new person to be best friends with coaxed his fake smile into a genuine one. If Rusty likes this bloke, he can't be all bad, can he? Eventually it dawned on Henry that he needed to say something before the silence became unbearably awkward.

"My name's Henry. This is Rusty, and he's a sweetheart, so he'd love getting even more pets than usual. Are you new in town? I don't recognize you from school." He walked closer so the other boy could pet Rusty, then crouched down as well, rubbing the dog's back, "My mum and dad packed a picnic basket with sandwiches and fruit and stuff. If you're hungry, I mean."

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| Interacting with: @Frederick Buckley |

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| Location: Bristol, England | Date: August, 2023 | Word count: 525 |
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At first, before closing the distance between himself and Henry and his dog, Frederick thought he noticed a hint of hesitation from the other boy. The thought crossed his mind faster than the speed of light, though, because the smile Henry offered him seemed genuine enough that Fred never hesitated to continue approaching. In truth, even if Henry's signals had suggested otherwise, he probably would have kept going anyway. Frederick had always been the sort of boy who gave in to his curiosity.

Crouching down in front of the dog, he watched as Henry knelt as well, listening while the boy introduced himself and shared the name of his furry companion. Frederick was delighted to hear that the dog enjoyed being petted and wasted no time scratching Rusty behind the head and around his ears. "Hi, Henry! Hi, Rusty! My name is Frederick, but everyone calls me Fred." Still busy tickling the sides of Rusty's ears, Buckley looked up at Henry more carefully. "No, I've always lived here," he continued, answering the boy's question. "My mum teaches me at home. She's here too, along with my dad. Look!" Pausing his affection for the dog, Fred pointed toward his parents, who were sitting on a wooden bench a few yards behind him.

To him, being taught at home had always seemed perfectly natural, something common among his wizarding relatives, and when it came to school, the only one he knew was Hogwarts. Remembering one of the lessons his mother had taught him, he quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, since he wasn't supposed to talk about the magic school with just anyone. Standing back up, the nine-year-old looked at Henry again before glancing around as though searching for something. "Where are your parents?" This time, Frederick was the one who hesitated. The idea of having a few sandwiches sounded wonderful, but another lesson his parents had drilled into him was that he wasn't allowed to wander out of their sight when they were away from home. "I think I should ask my parents if I can join you." He scratched the top of his head with his right hand, uncertain.

While waiting for Henry's reply, Frederick turned his attention back to the dog, rubbing both hands along Rusty's back. Thinking out loud, he shifted his gaze between Rusty and Henry. "I don't think my parents would mind, actually. But it's better to ask, right? My mum can be a little strict, but she's really nice. My dad is too. You should meet them later!" And with that, he kept chatting away, thoroughly entertained by the dog. Back at the Buckley house, they had an old cat that had been with his parents since their Hogwarts days, a cat who preferred napping to playing with Fred, a brown owl with a rather questionable temperament, and a handful of garden gnomes in the backyard. None of them, however, could compare to a fluffy Golden Retriever like Rusty, who was now receiving all the pent-up affection and energy the young Buckley had stored up from never having such a cuddly companion at home to hug and play with.

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| Interacting with: @Henry Holbrook |