CHAPTER 53: FULL CIRCLE

LOCATION: Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

TIME FRAME: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Epilogue" (One year after the events of the previous chapter)

Jimmy O'Bannon swallowed against the lump in his throat as he looked at Robert's trunk sitting on the bed. He didn't think today would be this hard. He wondered if his parents felt the same way all those years ago when first went away to the Salem Witches Institute.

Now it's my son going there.

He swallowed again. He thought of all those times when he had to leave his family during road trips with the Bruins, sometimes for as long as two weeks. Now it was Robert who was leaving them, for nearly three months. The next time they'd see him would be for Christmas Break.

The lump in his throat grew. He swallowed again.

O'Bannon made a final check of his son's trunk, making sure he had everything. A pile of cards and letters caught his eye. He reached down and picked them up, smiling as he read through them. So many people wished Robert good luck his first year at Salem. He read over the cards from his parents and Mireet's parents. Harry and Ginny Potter also sent him their best wishes, as did Ron and Hermione Weasley.

And they have kids starting at Hogwarts this year. In fact, Albus Potter and Rose Weasley were probably just pulling into the train station at Hogsmeade right about now.

He, Mireet and the kids also sent them cards wishing them the best of luck.

He went through the pile. The Potter children – James, Albus and Lily – sent a picture of themselves holding up a sign with a crude drawing of a stick figure walking up a path toward the Salem Witches Institute. The sparkling gold words at the bottom read, "Good luck at Salem, Robert."

He came across another letter, this one from Dean and Luna Thomas and their children, Castor, Calliope and Harold. Luna included a hippogriff feather since, according to her, "They bring good luck."

He read through more cards and letters. Daedalus and Kyon Drunkenmiller. Michael and Cho Corner. Even Mireet's sister, Monique, had sent a letter wishing Robert well. O'Bannon gave a half-smile. Even after all these years, Monique had never warmed up to him, and she wasn't as close with Mireet as they probably should be, but at least she didn't take any of that out on Robert and Elysee. He had to give her some credit for that.

He dropped the letters back in the trunk, closed it and levitated it out of the bedroom.

"Elysee, stop fussing," he heard Mireet say from their daughter's room. "We need to get going."

O'Bannon walked past and saw Mireet helping Elysee put her shoes on. He smiled and shook his head. Even at five-years-old, Elysee looked so much like her mother.

"Everything's packed." He nodded to the trunk floating behind him. "You all set?"

"In a moment . . . There! Oui. We are ready."

Mireet helped Elysee off the bed. They headed downstairs to the living room, where Robert waited with the rest of his luggage, bouncing from one leg to the other. If O'Bannon didn't know any better, he'd think his son was doing the potty dance.

"Are we ready? Can we go now?"

"Oui. I just had to help your sister get her shoes on."

Robert's eyes narrowed at Elysee. "I better not be late because of you."

Elysee gave him a pouty face.

"We're not gonna be late," O'Bannon said. "We've got plenty of time to get to the pier. And be nicer to your sister. You're not gonna see her again till December." The lump returned to his throat.

Robert frowned. "Yes, Dad."

They loaded everything into the SUV and headed into Boston. Robert spent much of the trip asking O'Bannon all sorts of questions about Salem. What were the best subjects? Which ghosts were cool and which ones were "wankers?"

"Robert." Mireet, sitting in the passenger seat, whipped her head around to stare at their son. "Where did you learn that word?"

"Um . . . uh, Un . . . Uncle George," his voice tailed off. "When we were in England last year."

Mireet sighed harshly. O'Bannon kept his eyes on the road, pretending to ignore the scene. He thought about the best wishes letter from George and his wife, Branwen, the one that had a sample of the latest Skiving Snackboxes. He and Robert made a pact that they would not tell Mireet about that gift.

The questions continued as they neared Boston Harbor. Did Salem have that point system that Hogwarts did? When would he get to cast a patronus, and what would his look like? Could he try out for the Quidditch team as a First Year? That was followed by the question, "You don't mind if I play Quidditch instead of hockey, do you, Dad?"

"Son, you play whatever sport at Salem you want. Besides, your mom was a heck of a Beater back in the day."

"Cool. Maybe I'll try out for Beater."

Mireet smiled. O'Bannon swore he saw her eyes glisten. He couldn't be sure since she turned to stare out the passenger window.

After they found a space in the Harbor parking lot, the four proceeded to a plain wooden building with a single door that had a sign with one word. CONDEMNED. Two familiar figures stood next to it.

"Grandmom! Grandpop!" Robert and Elysee sprinted over to O'Bannon's parents and hugged them.

"I didn't know you guys were gonna be here," Robert said.

"Well I have to see my grandson off to Salem, don't I?" Mom said. She cupped Robert's face and kissed the top of his head. "Good luck, sweetie. You be careful."

"I will, Grandmom."

Dad came over and clasped O'Bannon's shoulder. "So, does this bring back any memories?"

"Yeah, lots. Except you and Mom were a lot more nervous about me going to Salem for the first time than Robert."

Dad shrugged. "Well, you'd think after nearly thirty years we'd be used to everything in the Wizarding World."

O'Bannon smiled. He recalled a time when he feared his parents would despise the Wizarding World, after seeing the toll the war had taken on him.

That's all in the past now.

He grabbed hold of the loose knob and pushed open the rickety wooden door. They all walked into pitch darkness. Seconds later they emerged outside, staring out at a wooden pier lined with old-fashioned light poles. Sitting in the water was a large, slender ship with masts of blue and silver. The center mast displayed the outline of an owl's face with a red letter "S" in the middle. Underneath were words written in fancy script.

SALEM WITCHES INSTITUTE. EST. 1695.

"Whoa. Cool." Robert stared with wide eyes at the Salem Schooner.

O'Bannon took a breath, the salt air filling his nostrils. He, too, gazed at the big wooden boat, remembering all his trips to and from school on it.

Now Robert gets to ride on it. And in a few years, Elysee, too.

"C'mon." Robert jumped up and down. "C'mon, let's go."

They loaded Robert's stuff onto a trolley and headed toward the schooner. Along the way O'Bannon ran into some of his former classmates like Ursa Oberlin and Dante Marshall, who were also sending their children off to Salem.

"Doesn't seem like that long ago when we were on that boat, huh, Jimmy?" Dante said.

"You got that right, man."

As they continued walking down the pier, they noticed a knot of people gathered around one of the lampposts. A smile grew on O'Bannon's face. "I see you guys all beat us here."

Artimus and Jenna Rand turned and greeted them, along with their two strapping sons, Hector – a Fifth Year now – and Trajan – a Fourth Year.

"Are you excited, Robert?" A squat girl with short dark brown hair bounded over to him.

"You bet I am." He beamed at the third Rand child, Deirdre, now in her Second Year.

"You're gonna have so much fun," she told him. "You're not gonna believe all the stuff you're gonna do your First Year in Transfiguration and Charms. And then there's Potions . . ."

"Yeah, so long as you don't blow up the classroom like this one did." Trajan snickered and nodded at his sister.

"Shut up." Deirdre sneered at him.

"It was a simple mistake," Hector said. "The amount of ground Tillypok Leaves for a Cut-Healing Paste is very precise. Being off by even a fraction can ruin the potion."

"Thank you, Hector." Deirdre smiled at her brother.

"Or it can ruin a classroom," Trajan chimed in.

Deirdre scrunched her face at him.

"Just remember, Robert," a short witch with curled dark hair that fell to her shoulders walked up to him, along with a slender man with brown hair and a mustache. "Your first trip to Ovenderburg, you be sure to stop by my store to say hi . . . and buy a game. I do give family discounts, and you count as family."

"I will, Aunt Sam." Robert nodded to Jenna's younger sister, who together with her husband Don, owned a magical gaming store in Ovenderburg. "Thanks."

"You know I'll come by to see you." Trajan smiled at Samantha.

She turned around and gave her nephew an exasperated look. "I know you'll come by, Trajan, since I'm always having to fix the figurines for your miniature Quidditch game because you're too rough on them."

"I know, but look at it this way. I keep you and Uncle Don in business."

"Heh!" Don chuckled. "With all the business you give us, we'll be able to retire before we're thirty-five."

"Okay, nobody panic!" A familiar voice shouted. "We're finally here."

O'Bannon turned around and saw a grinning Jared Diaz strutting toward them in his Indiana Jones leather jacket and fedora. Tasanee, walking next to him, rolled her eyes, though she did give a faint smile.

Behind them came the rest of the Diaz clan. Ratana, now a Fourth Year, Miguel, a First Year like Robert, Esteban and Oriana with their youngest son Francisco, a Third Year. He also spotted Rodolfo, holding hands with Holly Juniper. Holly Diaz, now. He shook his head when he noticed the bulge in her stomach. At times it seemed hard to comprehend. The same little girl he looked after in the Appalachians nineteen years ago was now married and pregnant.

Finally he saw Irving Diaz, holding hands with a slender witch with gray-black hair. He smiled, as he usually did when he saw Jared's father with Cybele. Married five years now, Cybele, like Irving, had lost her spouse during the war.

Another one of us who's come a long way. His chest briefly tightened when he remembered that night in Thailand when Mr. Diaz, still despondent over his first wife's death, nearly jumped off the roof of the hospital Jared had been taken to when he overindulged in the Daydream Charm.

"Jimmy." Holly beamed as she approached him.

"Hey, sweetheart." He hugged her and kissed her cheek. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, but this pregnancy." She shook her head. "You won't believe the mood swings I go through. And Merlin's beard, I eat and eat and eat."

"Yeah, but you've got me to provide you with a never-ending supply of tissues and cauldron cakes." Rodolfo put an arm around Holly's shoulder. She smiled wide and leaned against him.

A warm feeling spread through O'Bannon. Thank God Holly had said yes when Rodolfo proposed to her. He couldn't have asked for a better husband for his surrogate daughter than Esteban and Oriana's son.

"Robert!" Miguel strode over to him.

"Hey, Miguel." The two boys high-fived one another. "You ready for this?"

"Heck yeah." Miguel patted his pants pocket. "I can't wait to use this wand. Too bad our first two classes are Herbology and History of Magic. No wands." He scowled. Then his eyes lit up. "But maybe I can go see Uncle Cesario or Aunt Adelaide and get them to fix my schedule."

"First of all," Tasanee said, "When you are at school, they are not Uncle Cesario and Aunt Adelaide. They are Headmaster Infante and Professor Infante. Second of all, just because they are the headmaster and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher does not mean you can use their positions for your own benefit."

Miguel frowned. "Yes, Mom."

"That also applies to you, Robert," Mireet told him.

Robert's jaw dropped. "I didn't even say anything."

"No, but I suspect you thought it."

O'Bannon chuckled to himself before he caught sight of Rosa and Xavier Weidepol walking toward them. Actually, Xavier walked. Rosa waddled.

Damn. Is she even bigger than the last time I saw her?

"Aunt Rosa!" Robert rushed over to her and hugged her. Miguel was right on his heels. "What are you doing here?"

"What, I'm supposed to miss both my god-children heading off to Salem for the first time?"

"We are glad you could come." Mireet hugged her, then looked down at Rosa's enormous belly. "How are you doing?"

"Ugh! Twenty-three more days before I pop this kid out of me. Merlin, I'm so ready. I feel like a whale."

"Yeah, but you're the most beautiful whale in the world." Xavier planted a kiss on her cheek.

Rosa scowled at her husband. "Oh, that makes me feel so much better."

"I wouldn't put too much stock into the exactness of your due date," Jenna said. "Deirdre was born two weeks early. And this one . . ." She smacked Trajan on the arm. "I carried him around for three extra weeks before he decided to come out."

"Aw, c'mon, Mom. Like that's really my fault."

"Yeah, well who else do I have to blame?"

Laughter went up from the group.

They continued to talk, imparting advice to the younger children, and imploring the older ones to keep an eye on them.

"C'mon," Miguel groused. "We're not babies any more."

O'Bannon was listening to Xavier tell him how his ex-wife Haley had finally relented to let him see his son Priam for a little while when he heard a young voice behind him say, "I'm telling you, Dad. That's him."

"It can't be, Josh. How could it be?"

"I'm telling you, Dad, it's really him. Go on. Ask him if you don't believe me."

O'Bannon glanced over his shoulder. A man in his mid-thirties with receding brown hair and a paunch started toward him. Next to him, pushing a trolley, was a skinny young brown-haired boy. O'Bannon's eyes widened when he saw one of the items sticking out from the trunk.

A hockey stick.

The man neared him, a nervous look on his face. "Um, excuse me. I don't mean to intrude, but my son is a Muggle-born, and he swears you look like this famous hockey player, and I . . ." The man's brow furrowed. He tilted his head, as if studying O'Bannon's face closely.

"So does this hockey player have a name?"

"Um . . . yeah. Jimmy O'Bannon. He plays for the Bruins. You . . . you look just like him."

"Well, that's probably because I am him." He stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

The man's face lit up with surprise and glee as they shook hands. "Oh, um, Larry. Larry McGreevy. And this is my son, Josh. Wow, I can't believe it's really you. We've watched you play for years. So you're the father of a Muggle-born, too?"

"Actually, I'm the Muggle-born."

"No way!" Josh blurted. "You're a hockey player and a wizard? Cool."

"Josh here's been playing youth hockey since he was five. I couldn't believe it when they told me this magic school has a hockey team, too."

"Well, we can thank a couple Muggle-borns back in the fifties for that. I played hockey when I was at Salem. Blazenrowe Hall."

"Sounds cool," Larry said. He then lowered his voice and stepped closer. "I just hope playing hockey there gives him a chance to make friends. Josh had a tough time in elementary school. He had some accidents, you know, with magic, and the other kids thought he was weird."

O'Bannon nodded. "A lot of Muggle-borns go through that. But I might be able to get the ball rolling." He turned around. "Robert. Miguel."

The two boys hurried over. "Larry, Josh. This is my son, Robert, and his friend, Miguel. Guys, that's Josh. He's a First Year, too, and a Muggle-born."

The two boys said "hi" to Josh, who responded in kind.

"Say, why don't you two do me a favor? Why don't you guys share a cabin with Josh on the trip to Salem, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," said Robert.

"No problem," Miguel added.

O'Bannon smiled. Pride flowed through him when he noticed that neither Robert nor Miguel hesitated before they answered, or acted like this was an inconvenience.

We raised ourselves some good kids.

"Hey, thanks a lot, um, Mister O'Bannon." Larry shook his hand.

"Ah, it's Jimmy."

"Okay . . . Jimmy. Thank you so much for doing this. I mean, this whole Wizarding World thing, it's just a lot to take in."

"Well, to be honest, I happen to specialize in Wizarding-Muggle relations. So does my wife and my friend Artimus over there. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to talk to us. My parents, too. They're over there, and they probably had the same kinds of fears and concerns when I first left for Salem."

"Great. I think I'll do that. Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Soon the servant elves appeared, whisking away the students' luggage, and of course, complaining about their tips.

Some things never change.

And that's when it happened. Tears stung the corners of O'Bannon's eyes. This is it. He's actually leaving.

He held his tears in check. Mireet didn't. Nor did Tasanee. They both hugged their sons tight, telling them they loved them and to be careful and to behave.

"No, don't go, Robert!" Elysee bawled and wrapped her arms around her brother. "I don't wanch'you to go!"

Robert groaned and patted his sister on the back. "Um, yeah. I'll miss you, too."

She still hugged him and cried.

"Um, okay, c'mon. Geddoff." Annoyance spread over his face.

"Elysee, come. Your brother must leave."

"No, no, no! Don't let him go, Mommy! I'm gonna be lonely."

Mireet pried Elysee off Robert, then hugged her as she continued to cry. "I know, precious." She stroked her hair. "I'm going to miss Robert, too."

O'Bannon walked over to his son and clutched his shoulder. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will, Dad."

"And remember, if you have any problems, you can always talk to Mister or Mrs. Infante, or Trajan and Hector, or Ratana. Or you can always owl me and you mother, okay?"

"Yeah. Got it."

O'Bannon smiled, swallowed against the lump in his throat, and hugged Robert. A manly hug, like the kind he shared with his teammates after they scored a goal.

They watched the children march toward the Salem Schooner, waving good-bye and wishing them good luck.

Twenty minutes later, the ship slipped its moors and headed out into Boston Harbor.

O'Bannon walked out near the edge of the pier, watching the boat grow smaller, trying to feel confident that he and Mireet had done well raising their son, that he was ready for what lay ahead at Salem.

We did. I know we did.

He sensed other people next to him. He glanced over and found Jared, Rosa and Artimus had joined him.

"Hey, what was that Muggle saying you told me?" Jared asked. "'It's deja'vu all over again.'"

O'Bannon furrowed his brow. "What?"

Rosa chuckled. "I think I know what he means. Remember way back when, when another Muggle-born hockey player boarded the Salem Schooner with kids named Diaz, Rand and Infante. Well, Diaz and Rand, anyway." She rubbed her stomach. "This kid has to wait a while before sailing on that ship."

"Heh!" He smiled. "Basically, life just came full circle for us."

"I just hope they have a better time at it than we did," Artimus said.

"They will." O'Bannon nodded, eyes still focused on the distant shape of the Salem Schooner. "We helped make sure of that."

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you to everyone who has read the saga of my OCs and shared their triumphs and tragedies. Your support of these stories is greatly appreciated.

So is this truly the end for this batch of original characters? To be honest, there are other writing projects for me to tackle. My own original works, and I also would like to craft some fan fiction stories in other universes. As they say, a writer writes. As for Jimmy and the gang, who knows? There might be some one-shots I come up with, or maybe I do something with the next generation. I also want to one day go back to the story that started it all, "The Puck Drops Here," and turn that into a multi-chapter story to really detail Jimmy's time at Hogwarts.

Speaking of which, when I wrote "The Puck Drops Here" three years ago, I did it as a fun little project, just to throw an American into the world of Hogwarts. I never imagined Jimmy and his friends would take on a life of their own and weave themselves into the wonderful tapestry of the Harry Potter fan fiction universe. Funny how writing works out like that.

Again, thank you for your readership. For those of you who have only read "In The Grip Of Darkness Parts I & II, feel free to check out the quartet's other adventures in "Air Of Disharmony," "Dark Horizon" and "Midnight's Blood."