Disclaimer: Characters and Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling, not me, no matter how much I want them to.

A/N: This is my first published fanfic. Just a one shot that popped into my head whilst reading Professor Dumbledore's notes on the story 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'.

'Mum, Dad! Come here quick!'

Hermione Weasley looked out of the kitchen window apprehensively. She had been washing the dishes the muggle way, as her mother had done, when she had heard her son scream from the garden. Expecting the child to have gotten into a fight with his sister or fallen into the mud, Hermione was a little surprised to see Hugo alone kneeling over something in his hands. Putting down the plate and dish clothe she made her way over to the back door. It was a warm spring evening and the door was wide open. Sticking her head round the frame she spotted her daughter, Rose, run over from the swing where she had been sat reading.

'What's the matter peanut?'

She called. Peanut was the affectionate nickname that Hugo had been given after his father, Ron, had seen the muggle baby scan for the first time and likened his son to a peanut.

'Just come quickly its really really important!'

He yelled. He sounded as if he were about to have a panic attack. Hermione made her way out into the yard and turned back into the house to call out to her husband.

'Ron, come quickly I think there's something wrong with Hugo!'

She heard clattering in the next room but continued to run towards her children. As she approached she saw that her daughter had her arm around her brother. Rose turned her head towards her mother with tears in her eyes. This seemed to send Hermione over the edge. Speeding up Hermione finally reached Hugo and knelt down beside him.

'Hugo honey, what's wrong? Tell mummy what happened, where does it hurt?'

She was about to start checking Hugo for cuts and bruises when Ron arrived, out of breath and looking panicked.

'What happened, what's going on?'

'Daddy, Hugo found something!'

The look of relief on Ron and Hermione's faces spoke wonders. Realising for the first time that Hugo had something in the palm of his hand, Hermione looked down. Hugo was holding what looked to be a tiny baby bird. Ron knelt down on the other side of his daughter and peered at the tiny creature. Seeing the look on her children's faces Hermione immediately understood. Ron on the other hand still looked a bit bemused.

'Is it...dead mummy?'

Hermione took the small bird in her hands and looked at the expectant faces around her. Hugo, with his knee's dirtied from kneeling in the dirt, his eyes wide and hopeful, next to him Rose had withdrawn her arm from around Hugo and had her arms wrapped around Ron's neck, her face turned toward Hermione, her wild red hair blowing in the wind, tears still glistening in her eyes with a lost look on her face. Ron kissed Rose on the cheek before meeting Hermione's gaze.

'I'm sorry peanut'.

Hermione whispered. Hugo took the bird back into his hands and shocked Hermione by smiling.

'But that's ok! You can use your wand to bring him back to life Mummy! Daddy says you can do anything! Rosie, go and get mummy's wand quickly!'

'Oh good thinking Hugo! We can use magic! Mum is your wand still on the kitchen table?'

Rose unhooked her arms from her Dads neck and ran inside. Hermione looked to Ron for help; they both knew that they would have to explain death to their children one day. Rose and Hugo of course knew about the death of their uncle Fred but weren't old enough to fully understand what dying really meant. Rose ran back out of the house and gave her mother her wand. Hermione took the wand and opened her mouth. But no sound came out. Both Hugo and Rose were looking at her, waiting. Hermione looked to Ron once more, who decided to take over.

'Rosie, Hugo.'

He looked between his children before clearing his voice and continuing.

'You see, the thing is, your mum can't bring the bird back to life'

Their faces fell.

'But why not? You always say that mummy can do anything! Is it something only you can do? I'll go

fetch your wand Daddy!'

Rose made to run inside again but Ron stopped her.

'No sweetie, I can't do it either. Nobody can.'

Ron paused, trying to find a way to explain it better. Hermione hadn't managed to find her voice so Ron hoped he was doing a good enough job.

'You remember mummy reading you the story of Babbity Rabbity and her cackling stump?'

Both children nodded vigorously. Babbity Rabbity was Hugo's favourite bed time story, whilst Rose preferred the muggle tale of beauty and the beast.

'Well you remember how Babbity was sat in the bush whilst the king tried to perform magic? And the king tried to bring back the witch hunter's hound, Sabre, back to life and Babbity didn't even bother lifting her wand?'

Hermione smiled slightly, it was genius for Ron to explain death through a children's story. Rose walked back round to her father and sat on the floor next to Hugo. Hugo looked back his mother, who gave him a gentle smile, before turning back to his father.

'That was because Babbity knew that no matter how someone try's, no magic can raise the dead, you remember that part of the story?'

Rose and Hugo nodded sadly; they seemed to have thought that that part of the story was just that, a story, made up. The conversation was starting to sound very morbid and so Hermione decided to step in.

'You see, that dog didn't want to come back to our world, he was too happy in his new world, where he got to chase cats everyday and eat as much as he liked whenever he liked. He was happier in his own perfect world.'

'So Uncle Fred didn't want to comeback because he was having too much fun in his own world?'

Rose asked innocently, looking her father in the eye. Ron simply nodded, he still found that speaking of his brother made a lump rise in his throat. Rose wrapped her arms back around her father's neck.

'So you can't bring the birdie back?'

Hugo asked his mother.

'I'm afraid not peanut'

Hugo nodded solemnly.

'Can we bury him?'

Hugo whispered as a tear ran down his face.

'Don't worry Hugo; he's in his own perfect world now, he's happy'

Rose reassured her brother and smiled at him. Hermione waved her wand and a small hole in the ground appeared with a small mound of earth next to it. Hugo placed the small bird into the hole and sprinkled the loose earth back on top of it. Hermione laid a daisy on top of the grave and gave Hugo a cuddle.

'Come on, let's go inside, and I'm sure mummy will make us all some hot chocolate and read us a nice story.'

The small family stood up and brushed themselves off. Ron walked over to Hermione, kissed the top of her head and put his arm around her waist.

'Ok, so what story do you guys want mummy to read to us?'

'Babbity Rabbity!'

'Beauty and the Beast!'

Rose and Hugo yelled simultaneously. They both turned to each other, Rose with her hands on her hips in a Grandma Weasley fashion.

'No! Mums going to read Beauty and the Beast, you always get your way because you're the youngest!'

Hugo crossed his arms and the tip of his ears went bright red.

'That's not true! You always get your way because you're a girl! She's going to read Babbity Rabbity!'

The two Weasley children continued their argument as they walked back to the house, whilst their parents followed, sniggering. Somewhere in the distance, a bird song could be faintly heard.