I woke a few minutes before seven.
I hadn't set an alarm. I simply opened my eyes, looked at the dark ceiling, and remembered what I had to do today.
The Wizengamot.
I rolled onto my other side. The hearing wasn't until ten, and thanks to Anunu, I didn't have to worry about trains or taxis. I could get some more sleep.
For the next few minutes, I listened to the wind outside. Eventually, I decided that if I wasn't going to fall asleep, I might as well get up.
I washed, dressed, and checked the folder we'd prepared the previous evening. The documents were there. So was the summons.
21 December 1992, at 10:00 a.m.
Courtroom Ten.
Not a single word had changed.
Pity.
Anunu was waiting in the dining room. When he saw me, he pulled out a chair and gestured towards breakfast.
"Good morning, Master Oliver!"
"Morning, Anunu."
I sat down. He poured the tea, then glanced at the folder I'd placed on the next chair.
"I've got everything," I assured him.
He nodded, though he looked as if he would have liked to check again.
Evelyn sat in the portrait beside the door. Her knitting lay in her lap, but she wasn't holding the needles.
"Good morning, darling. How did you sleep?"
"Well enough. I just woke up too early."
"Are you nervous?"
"A bit."
She nodded.
"That's normal."
She didn't try to tell me I had nothing to worry about. I appreciated that.
I'd eaten a few mouthfuls when she spoke again.
"Oliver, are you planning to go in those robes?"
I looked down. Dark trousers, a shirt, and ordinary wizarding robes. All clean and perfectly respectable.
"What's wrong with them?"
"Nothing. If you're going to a bookshop."
I put down my fork.
"It isn't a party."
"I know. You're appearing before the Wizengamot."
"Exactly."
"All the more reason to dress appropriately."
I examined the sleeves again. They weren't torn or stained.
"Do you think they'll be judging my clothes?"
"They'll certainly notice them."
I sighed.
"I should have come down for breakfast later."
Laughter came from the next painting. Richard looked me over from behind his book.
"He looks perfectly normal."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
"I didn't say appropriate."
I looked at him. He smiled and returned to his reading, leaving me without my only potential ally.
Evelyn turned to Anunu.
"Do you remember the dressing room in the west wing, beyond Elias's old rooms?"
"Yes, Mistress Evelyn."
"There should be a long, dark box with a metal clasp. Elias kept his dress robes in it."
My hand stopped halfway to my cup.
"My father's?"
"I bought them for him years ago. Would you look, please, Anunu?"
The elf vanished.
For a moment, I stared at the spot where he'd been standing.
"I didn't know there was a dressing room there."
Richard lowered his book.
"I'd be very surprised if you'd already found every wardrobe in this house."
Anunu returned before I could ask how many there were. He carefully set a long box on the table.
Evelyn smiled.
"That's the one."
I moved my plate aside and opened the clasp.
Inside lay a neatly folded set of robes. The fabric was a deep navy blue, almost black in the dimmer light. Fine silver embroidery ran along the collar and cuffs, only catching the eye when I moved the cloth.
I ran my fingers over it. Soft, but heavier than I'd expected.
"They're nice."
"I'm glad you like them."
I lifted them out of the box. They unfolded almost to the floor.
I looked at the sleeves.
"Grandmother, I think my father was a little taller than me."
Richard snorted.
"A little."
"Put them on," Evelyn said.
"I'll look like a child who's stolen his father's clothes."
"Oliver."
I knew that tone.
I took off my everyday robes and slipped my arms into the new sleeves. The fabric covered my hands, and the hem dragged along the floor.
"Well, there you—"
A faint tingling spread across my shoulders.
The sleeves began to shorten. The fabric shifted around my shoulders, settling against my frame, while the hem rose from the floor. There were no folds or bunches of spare cloth. After a few seconds, the robes stopped moving.
I held out an arm.
The cuff ended exactly at my wrist.
"Oh."
Richard grinned.
"Indeed."
I inspected one sleeve, then the other.
"A Fitting Charm?"
Evelyn nodded.
"You could have told me."
"I could."
She looked very pleased with herself.
I asked Anunu for a mirror. He brought a tall one and stood it against the wall.
The robes fitted perfectly. They didn't make me look older, but I certainly looked more presentable than I had a few minutes earlier.
I adjusted the collar.
"What did you buy them for?"
"A formal gathering. Elias insisted he didn't need anything so elegant."
"I understand how he felt."
"Yes. Our conversation was rather similar."
I smiled, then looked at my reflection again.
My father had worn these robes.
These very ones.
I brushed my thumb over the silver embroidery. I wondered how old he'd been. Whether he'd stood in front of this same mirror, trying to convince Evelyn that his usual clothes would do perfectly well.
"Did he wear them again?"
"Several times," she replied. "He always complained before leaving. Then he usually forgot they'd bothered him at all."
I looked at her in the mirror.
She was watching me with a warm smile.
"You look very handsome, darling."
"Thanks, Grandmother."
Anunu stepped closer and smoothed a small crease at my shoulder.
I had to admit she'd been right.
I wasn't going to say it too loudly, though.
At a quarter past nine, I stood in the entrance hall with the folder under my arm.
Frederick appeared in the portrait beside the stairs. His gaze settled on my robes.
"I remember those."
"Grandmother found them."
"Elias wore them to family gatherings. He usually looked as though he'd rather be in the library."
"I'm beginning to understand him better."
Frederick smiled, then glanced at the folder.
"Do you remember what we discussed?"
"Don't invent answers I don't know. Don't try to prove I can do everything myself."
"Good."
"And keep your opinions about stupid questions to yourself," Richard added from the next frame.
"I remember that part too."
Evelyn was waiting in the portrait by the door.
"You don't have to answer immediately. If you don't understand something, ask them to explain."
I nodded.
She watched me silently for a moment.
"Good luck, darling."
"Thank you."
Anunu held out his hand. I adjusted my grip on the folder and took it.
The house vanished with a soft crack.
We appeared in the Ministry Atrium, a little away from the main thoroughfare.
Wizards passed us on their way to the lifts. Two officials were discussing an open folder beside the fountain, and a witch emerged from a nearby fireplace, brushing soot from her robes.
I'd been here over the summer while sorting out the family's affairs. Back then, I could look for the right office without worrying about who would be waiting on the other side of the door.
Today, I was carrying a summons.
I approached the information desk.
"Good morning. I'm looking for Courtroom Ten."
The older wizard behind the desk asked for the document. He read it, pausing at my surname, then handed it back.
"Lift to Level Nine, then down the stairs. Please report to security first."
I thanked him and headed in the direction he'd indicated.
As we passed the fountain, I glanced at the golden statues. The goblin and house-elf were gazing up at the wizards with an admiration that seemed rather excessive.
Anunu was looking at them too.
"What do you think?"
He tilted his head.
"A lot of gold, Master Oliver."
"True."
"Anunu doesn't know why so much gold is standing in water."
I smiled.
"Neither do I."
Two visitors were waiting at security. When my turn came, I showed the summons and handed over my wand for registration.
The guard placed it in the device on the counter. A strip of parchment emerged a moment later. He read it, returned my wand, and looked at Anunu.
"Is the elf with you?"
"Yes."
"Will he be attending the hearing?"
"I'm not sure. He'll probably wait outside."
The guard nodded and pointed us towards the lifts.
I put the documents away. Anunu fell into step beside me.
The lift gradually emptied until, on Level Nine, only the two of us stepped out. We found the stairs and went down.
The stone walls and cold air made this part of the Ministry feel more like old dungeons than the offices I remembered from the summer.
A witch sat beside the door marked Ten, documents resting on her knees.
She looked up.
"Mr Peverell?"
"Yes."
"You're early. Please sit down. We have a few formalities to attend to."
I took a seat on the bench. Anunu stood beside me.
The witch introduced herself as the hearing clerk, checked my summons, and opened her folder.
"Will anyone be assisting you during today's proceedings?"
"Anunu came with me."
"I mean with procedural matters. A representative or adviser."
"No."
"In that case, independent assistance is available to you for the hearing. Accepting it does not appoint a guardian or restrict your right to present your own case."
I looked at her more closely.
"What would they do?"
"Explain the procedure, help organise your documents, and, with your agreement, speak on your behalf."
"But I can still answer for myself?"
"Of course."
I considered it for a moment.
Arthur knew far more about the law than I did, but he was at home. I saw no reason to turn down help from someone who could actually come into the courtroom with me.
"All right. I'd like that."
She noted my answer.
"Please wait here."
Margaret Venn arrived a few minutes later.
She wore dark green robes, her hair tied back, and carried a small folder under one arm. She introduced herself, shook my hand, and sat beside me.
"I understand the summons only arrived yesterday."
"Yes."
"And the Ministry's full application?"
"I haven't received it."
For a moment, her face gave nothing away.
"Very well. We'll start with that. Do you have the documents concerning the estate?"
I opened my folder.
She went through the copies efficiently, without rushing. She paused at the Founders' Act.
"An up-to-date text."
"Arthur told me to check that the provisions were still in force."
"Arthur?"
"A portrait of one of my ancestors. He was a member of the Wizengamot."
She looked at me, then returned to the document.
"I see. You've also brought information about the running of the house."
"We spent most of yesterday on it."
"That will be useful."
She explained that if the application contained requests I hadn't had an opportunity to prepare for, she could ask for a recess or an adjournment. She didn't promise either would be granted.
I preferred that to being told everything would be fine.
"Has the whole Wizengamot gathered because of me?" I asked.
"No. A designated panel will hear your case."
"At least that's fewer people."
"Still enough to make speaking clearly worthwhile."
I smiled.
Margaret closed the folder.
"Your main concern is retaining the right to live on the estate. Have I understood correctly?"
"Yes. I'm not claiming the guardianship issue is settled. I just don't want to go back to the orphanage."
"Good. We'll keep that in mind. You don't have to defend every decision you've made to argue that point."
I looked at her.
"Even leaving the orphanage?"
"You can explain why you left. That doesn't mean you have to convince everyone there was no other way."
Before I could answer, the clerk approached and told us we could go in.
I stood.
Anunu immediately did the same.
"Will you wait here?"
"Anunu will wait."
I nodded and followed Margaret.
The courtroom was larger than I'd expected.
Stone walls rose high above the floor. Tiered benches lined both sides, occupied by a dozen or more witches and wizards. Below them were seats for the people involved in the hearing.
My chair had been placed where everyone could get a good look at me.
Of course.
Margaret indicated the seat beside it, at a small table where she could lay out the documents.
I looked around again and spotted Dumbledore.
He sat to one side, apart from the panel hearing the case. When our eyes met, he inclined his head.
I returned the gesture.
I wasn't sure why his presence surprised me. I knew his position in the Wizengamot. Still, I was used to seeing him at Hogwarts, and here he seemed different.
More formal.
I sat down. The chair was hard.
Apparently, my father's robes didn't come with a charm for that.
Across the room, an official in navy robes was arranging papers. He glanced at me, then returned to his conversation with the witch beside him.
The older woman seated at the centre of the panel called for order. The conversations died away.
"I open this sitting of the Wizengamot on the twenty-first of December, nineteen ninety-two. The matter before us is an application by the Office for the Supervision of Underage Wizards concerning the care and place of residence of Oliver Peverell."
I confirmed my name, age, and school.
Then the presiding witch turned to Margaret.
"Ms Venn, you are assisting the minor during today's proceedings?"
"Yes, with his agreement. Before we begin, I wish to note that the summons was delivered only yesterday, without the Ministry's full application."
"Your objection will be recorded. You will receive the application before we proceed."
The clerk brought over a copy. The presiding witch gave Margaret time to read it, then clarified one further point.
"The Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, has previously been involved in discussions concerning this matter and will provide information today as a witness. He is therefore neither presiding nor taking part in the decision."
Dumbledore calmly nodded.
Margaret slid the application towards me and pointed out the key passage.
A return to the supervision of the previous institution until guardianship was settled.
The orphanage, then.
I wasn't particularly surprised.
The Ministry representative spoke calmly.
He didn't raise his voice or behave as though I'd tried to overthrow the wizarding world. He described my departure, the September meeting, and the lack of an appointed guardian.
"The Ministry does not dispute ownership of the estate or the rights arising from succession," he said. "Our application concerns a twelve-year-old wizard without anyone authorised to make decisions requiring a guardian's consent."
He moved one of the pages.
"According to the information provided, a house-elf and portraits of his ancestors reside in the house. They offer assistance, but none can serve as a legal guardian."
Everything he'd said so far was true.
That irritated me.
It would have been much easier to listen to someone talking complete nonsense.
"This includes certain medical decisions. The ability to transport a child to hospital does not establish who may legally act on his behalf. We seek his temporary return to the institution's supervision pending the outcome of the guardianship proceedings."
He sat down.
The presiding witch consulted the papers.
"Has the Ministry established any immediate threat to Oliver Peverell's health or life on the estate?"
"No specific threat has been identified. We are raising the risk arising from the absence of legally recognised care."
"Do you dispute that he has food, adequate maintenance, and access to help?"
"No. The available information indicates that his material needs are met."
She noted the answer and turned to me.
"Mr Peverell, please present your position."
Margaret leaned towards me.
"Start with why you want to live at home."
I stood.
For a moment, I wasn't sure where to look. In the end, I settled on the presiding witch.
"I'm not claiming I have a guardian. I know that still needs to be resolved. But I don't agree that I have to return to the orphanage because of it."
"Why?"
"Because I have a home and a family on the estate."
The wizard to her left looked down at his papers.
"You mean the portraits?"
"Yes."
"You understand that they are not living people and cannot replace a legal guardian?"
I wanted to tell him I'd heard that several times already.
"I understand."
He waited, so I continued.
"But they help me every day. Frederick teaches me magic. Arthur and Edmund helped me prepare the documents for today. Joseph helps manage the finances. I talk to them and ask about things I don't understand. Anunu looks after the house and can get help if I need it."
I ran my fingers along the edge of the folder.
"I'm not saying I do everything myself. I don't."
The presiding witch made a note.
"And your grandmother?"
I looked at her.
"You also mention her portrait in these documents."
"Evelyn. Yes."
"What role does she play?"
I thought about how to answer without making it sound silly.
"I can go to her. About something important, or just to talk. She notices when something's wrong."
I left it at that.
The presiding witch nodded and moved to her next question.
"Why did you leave the orphanage without permission?"
"At first, I only visited the estate. I went back at night. Then I started spending more and more time there."
I remembered those evenings. Books left in the library, a conversation interrupted because I ought to be leaving, and returning to a room that held fewer of my things each time.
"In the end, I was really only going back to sleep. I wanted to stay at home."
"You knew your place of residence had not been formally settled?"
"Yes."
There was no point pretending I'd left by accident.
"Why did you not arrange for a guardian to be appointed first?"
"I asked about the options. I was told I could find an adult wizard willing to take on the role."
"And you did not find anyone?"
"I don't know anyone I'd want to trust with those decisions. I didn't want to choose someone at random just so they could sign documents."
Margaret asked to speak.
"The absence of a candidate does not amount to a refusal to cooperate. My client is twelve. It is hardly reasonable to expect him to find a suitable person and carry out the entire process himself. The Ministry has resources he does not."
The presiding witch noted the point.
A witch in burgundy robes leaned forward.
"Mr Peverell, do you believe you can make every decision concerning your life independently?"
"No."
"In what matters do you need help?"
"Things I don't understand. That's why I prepared with my family and accepted Ms Venn's help."
She glanced at Margaret, then back at me.
"But you understand the difference between receiving advice and obtaining consent that only an authorised guardian can give?"
"Yes. I'd like us to solve that problem. I just don't understand why I have to leave home to do it."
She wrote down the answer.
This time, no one immediately asked another question.
The presiding witch allowed me to sit. Only then did I notice how tightly I'd been gripping the folder.
I relaxed my hands.
The Ministry representative asked to put further questions to me.
"Did you return to the orphanage the day before yesterday, accompanied by a Ministry employee?"
"Yes."
"Did you subsequently leave the institution?"
So they knew.
"Yes."
"Without obtaining permission?"
"Yes."
The official moved a sheet of parchment.
"Did you inform our employee of your intention to leave?"
"No."
"Why not?"
My first answer was: Because he didn't ask.
It was even true.
But I doubted it would help me in this room.
"I expected him to try to stop me. I wanted to return to the estate."
Margaret made a note beside the application.
The official addressed the panel.
"This second departure is an additional reason for urgency. The minor is aware of his position and, despite previous warnings, continues to change his place of residence on his own authority."
For once, I had no particularly amusing comment.
The presiding witch looked at me.
"Do you intend to leave the institution again if you are ordered to return?"
For a moment, I could already picture the familiar room, the unopened trunk, and Anunu appearing beside the bed.
That answer definitely wasn't fit to be spoken aloud.
"I'd first want to understand exactly what the order required."
"If it required you to return to the orphanage?"
I hesitated.
"I'd want to use whatever means were available to challenge it. That's why I'm presenting my case today."
She watched me for a moment.
"You are entitled to pursue the available remedies. But please remember that disagreeing with a ruling does not, in itself, excuse you from complying with it."
"I understand."
Margaret didn't look at me, but she put down her quill.
The official returned to his seat. He didn't look like someone who wanted to punish me for his own enjoyment. More like a man who'd had an open case for months and needed a decision that would let him do something about it.
I could understand that.
I just didn't want that decision to send me back to the orphanage.
"Professor Dumbledore."
I looked up.
The presiding witch had turned towards the headmaster.
"Please describe the arrangements you made with Oliver Peverell before the Christmas holidays."
Dumbledore stood.
"We spoke on Thursday evening. Oliver confirmed that he intended to spend Christmas at his family's estate. We agreed that he would write on arriving home and every other day thereafter."
He looked at me.
"I have already received the first letter."
Good.
Hedwig had done her job.
"Does this mean you have undertaken responsibility for his care?" the presiding witch asked.
"Not in a legal capacity. I am not his guardian, and our agreement does not change that."
"What, then, does it involve?"
"Regular contact during the Christmas break. If the letters stop arriving and I cannot establish whether Oliver is safe, I will check on him personally."
"Have you visited the estate?"
"No."
"So you cannot confirm the conditions there?"
"I can speak only to the information I have received, and to the pupil I know."
The presiding witch asked for his assessment.
Dumbledore took a moment to choose his words.
"Oliver is capable, curious, and independent. He is also sometimes inclined to consider his own assessment of a situation sufficient grounds for action."
Thank you, Professor.
"But he can listen and reach an agreement. Our recent conversation is an example of that."
"Do you support his immediate return to the orphanage?"
"I believe his situation needs to be settled. I am less convinced that moving him would, by itself, resolve the problems raised."
He folded his hands in front of him.
"We should also recognise that Oliver has found family support he did not previously have. We cannot treat this simply as a change of address."
I looked at him more closely.
The presiding witch asked when pupils would return to school and about the arrangements at Hogwarts. Dumbledore answered plainly, without trying to present our agreement as a solution to every difficulty.
When he sat down, our eyes met again.
I gave him a small nod.
I didn't know whether his words would be enough. But it was good to hear that he understood why home mattered to me.
Margaret stood to make her closing statement.
"The Ministry has identified a genuine problem. We do not dispute the need to settle guardianship. We dispute the necessity of this particular measure: immediate removal to an institution."
She indicated the documents before her.
"The Founders' Act grants an heir the right to reside in the family seat. It does not confer full legal capacity, but it does require any restriction of that right to rest on more than age alone."
The presiding witch listened without interrupting.
"No neglect or immediate danger on the estate has been established. The Christmas break is short. Afterwards, Oliver returns to Hogwarts, and during his time at home, he is maintaining regular contact with the headmaster. That does not replace a guardian, but it should be considered when assessing the need for immediate intervention."
Margaret paused briefly.
"I ask that the application for compulsory removal be refused, and that the question of guardianship be considered further once specific proposals have been presented and the minor has had an opportunity to respond."
The Ministry representative maintained his application. He pointed out that my repeated departures made consistent supervision difficult.
I didn't deny it.
The presiding witch asked whether I wished to add anything.
I stood once more.
"I'd like a solution to be found. I'm not opposed to that."
I brushed my thumb over the silver embroidery at my cuff.
"But I don't want to leave home before we've tried to find another way."
"Thank you, Mr Peverell."
I sat down.
This time, I truly had nothing more to say.
We went out into the corridor while the panel deliberated. Dumbledore left the courtroom too; the clerk stopped him by the door with a document.
Anunu sprang up from the bench.
"Master Oliver?"
"We're still waiting."
He studied me closely, then shifted aside to make room.
I sat. Only now did I realise how stiff my back had become.
Margaret went to speak with the clerk. For a while, Anunu and I sat in silence.
Then he produced a small parcel.
"Anunu made something to eat."
He unfolded the napkin. Inside were two sandwiches.
I looked at them and laughed softly.
"You thought of everything."
His ears lifted proudly.
I took one. I was hungrier than I'd realised.
Behind those doors, people were discussing where I ought to live. I sat on a cold bench, eating a sandwich made by the elf who'd spent the morning making sure I hadn't forgotten anything.
I wondered whether any of them could see how strange that was.
Margaret returned before I'd finished the second sandwich.
"They're ready for us."
I handed the rest to Anunu and stood.
The presiding witch waited until we were seated.
Dumbledore returned to his chair at the side of the room. The panel members had documents laid out before them.
"The Wizengamot refuses the application for Oliver Peverell's immediate compulsory return to his previous care institution."
For a moment, I didn't move.
Then I slowly let out my breath.
The presiding witch continued.
"This does not mean that his care arrangements are considered properly settled, nor does it confer full legal independence."
I glanced at Margaret. She gave a slight nod, encouraging me to listen.
"The circumstances presented do not establish a need to restrict immediately the right of residence granted by the Founders' Act. Consideration has been given to the material conditions, the assistance available, the short remainder of the Christmas break, and the agreed contact with the headmaster of Hogwarts."
She turned a page.
"Once the break ends, the minor will return to school and its supervision. This allows further arrangements to be considered without imposing the measure sought today."
So I could go back.
Not for one evening. Not to pack my things.
Home.
"The Ministry is directed to gather further information and present specific proposals concerning guardianship, legal representation, and medical decisions. These materials must be made available to the minor sufficiently in advance for him to respond."
This time, Margaret made a note.
"A further hearing will be scheduled for the summer holidays of 1993, in view of the longer period away from school. Preparation of the case is to continue in the meantime. Should significant new circumstances arise, the Ministry may apply for an earlier hearing."
The presiding witch looked up.
"Pending a further ruling, Oliver Peverell may reside at his family's estate during school holidays. No new guardian is appointed today, and the status of his property remains unchanged."
The Ministry representative wrote something on his copy.
He didn't look pleased, but he didn't object.
"Mr Peverell."
I straightened.
"Yes?"
"We expect your cooperation as this matter proceeds. Today's ruling does not mean your earlier unauthorised departures were an appropriate way to resolve the problem."
"I understand."
"Please take future correspondence seriously."
"I will."
She studied me for a moment, then announced that the ruling would be issued in writing and closed the hearing.
Only then did I lean back in my chair.
Margaret began gathering the papers.
"You can go home."
"I caught that part."
She smiled.
"The rest is worth remembering too."
"I'll remember."
I stood and offered my hand.
"Thank you for your help."
"Keep all the letters you receive. And show your family the ruling when it arrives."
I nodded.
Near the exit, I caught Dumbledore's eye. He was speaking to one of the witches, but paused.
"Have a peaceful Christmas, Oliver."
"Thank you, Professor. And thank you for today."
He smiled faintly.
"Remember the letters."
"I will."
This time, the reminder didn't particularly annoy me.
Anunu stood as soon as the doors opened.
I spoke before he could ask.
"We're going home."
For a moment, he stared at me as though making sure he'd heard correctly. Then his ears rose high.
"Anunu has everything ready!"
"I know."
I held out my hand.
He took it at once.
A few seconds later, the stone corridor vanished, and we were standing in the entrance hall. The green garland hung beside the stairs. A fire crackled in the drawing room.
I put the folder on the small table.
Only then did the relief really sink in.
Evelyn appeared in the portrait beside the drawing-room entrance.
"Oliver?"
"I can stay."
Her face lit up, but she waited for me to come closer.
"Tell me."
"They refused to send me back to the orphanage. The Ministry has to prepare proposals for guardianship. The next hearing will be in the summer, unless something significant happens before then."
Richard stepped into the next frame.
"So we have some peace for Christmas?"
"I hope so."
Frederick appeared a moment later and asked about the written ruling. I explained that it would be sent to me.
"Then we'll show it to Arthur and Edmund," he said.
I nodded.
For now, I really didn't want to open the folder again.
Evelyn glanced at my robes.
"How were they?"
I looked down. The fabric still fitted perfectly, despite almost two hours in a hard chair.
"Very good."
I ran a finger along the cuff.
"Can I keep them?"
Evelyn smiled.
"Of course, darling."
"Thank you."
Richard watched me with amusement, but said nothing.
I was grateful for that.
Anunu announced that lunch was ready. I left the documents on the table and headed for the dining room.
The Wizengamot hadn't solved every problem. We would return to the matter in the summer, and I would probably receive plenty of letters before then.
But today, I'd come back where I wanted to be.
I kept my father's robes on for lunch.