A lizard skittered through the underbrush. With a barely-visible flick of his wand, Gellert transfigured it into a tiny kitten, fluffy and wide-eyed and unsteady on its spindly legs. It made straight for Ariana, who squealed and scooped it into her arms.

"Albus, look!" she cried, holding it aloft.

It was a scene out of a picture book: the beautiful young girl in her garden, sunlight transforming her strawberry curls into a halo. All that was missing was a rainbow.

"Let's go inside," Gellert murmured. Smirking, he slid an arm around Albus's waist. "I've Imperiused it to keep her entertained."