Eye of newt, check. Earth from a freshly buried grave, check. Dried man tooth, canned is better but that’s so dear since the tariffs. Elspeth checked and rechecked her grocery basket. All morning she’d felt off, like a loose thread in a tapestry. She was forgetting something important but what she had no idea. She paid Mr. Mephistopheles and tipped his raven for minding her broom.

Basket under her arm, Elspeth zipped out of parking towards to the post office for a delivery. After nearly colliding with a trio of flying carpets, she decided to shelve the rest of her chores. Grandmama always said get out before you’re thrown out. It was time to head home and begin again tomorrow. She slipped her broomstick to cruise control.

Landing on her porch, Elspeth’s ride jolted to a halted. Dumped on her front steps, Elspeth came face to face with a six year old girl, sleeping on her porch swing.

“What the hell?”

The little girl popped awake in surprise.

“Aunty Elspeth, it is I Celestine. Mother has a thing in Ibiza. She said she sent you a scroll. Collect.”

“What the helly hell? Sorry for my language, sweetie. That sounds like something Hex Anne would do.”

Elspeth hadn’t seen her sister since her third wedding. Celestine was a toddler then. She could see her sister as a child in her niece’s serious face. The girl buttoned her coat and collected her oversized suitcase.

“You know what great-Grandmama always says. Could you drop me at the bus station? I’m heading to boarding school on Tuesday but I can arrive there early.”

Elspeth threw her arms wide. Pensive, The girl looked down at the idling broom and the spilled ingredients.

“Fiddlesticks! You my little pumpkin are always welcome to my home and worthy of my time. Your mom not so much. We will have a fantabolus weekend and I will bring you to school myself. Tell me your heart’s desire, Tiny.”

Celestine leaned into her aunt’s embrace. After a minute she melted returning her aunt’s hug.

“May I help with your invisibility potion? I’m wizarding on a third grade level. And I haven’t accidentally turned anyone into a toad for weeks.”

“I could see you were ahead of the curve. I was accidental toading well into my middle school days. Now hand me that trunk and collect my ingredients, pumpkin. Let’s get the cauldron hot.”