Birch Manor - The Saturday

Mary led Anna to the small potions room. "My is in here, and she's happy about this place," Mary said. Anna looked at Mary, but restrained herself and only thanked Mary for showing her the way.
Mary ran off and Anna slowly opened the door. The room looked so much like the old Potions room at the Unicorn Farm, that Anna first thought she had gone back in time. Even the silver stirring rods on the shelves, and the cauldrons lined up below the table were the same.
But it was My behind that table, not Tähti. My looked up and recognized Anna at once. She smiled and put down the book.
"Hello Anna,"  My said, "what a pleasant surprise. I am trying to find uot how that broom awakenig potion is made. It's a long time since I did anything this complicated.
"Helge should have come here instead of me," Anna said.
"Is Helge here?" My said. "Great! He and I worked together so well at the Farm, I miss him." My turned red. "Sorry, I did not want that to sound as if I'm not happy you're here, because I really am. But with potions you're not as big a help as Helge or Monica would be."
"I know," Anna answered, "I'll go looking for Helge if you want me to. Do you know why Monica and Olav left? I looked forward to seeing them here, they are always so busy when I see them in Oslo."
"They were homesick," My said. "They have their party business to attend to, and their family.  They are busy as you said, and Monica called them homebodies."
"That was a true word. Let me see. Who's helping you here?"
"These two are Nora and Markus, my eldest grandkids, and their mother, Estrid, who's a darling, but unfortunately not a witch. Then Susan's oldest grandsons. The oldest is called Helgi, and his brother is Andres. Then  it's ... " My took a few steps to the big, white sink, where an elderly woman was cleaning a small cauldron, totally absorbed in her scrubbing. She gently tabbed her shoulder: "Erm. sorry, I forgot your name. Anna has arrived from Helsingborg, she's to be our potions master, and she'd like to know us all."
"I'm Elanor. My mother is Ida ... whom you know as Lis," she added as she saw My's confused face.
"Old habits die hard," Anna said smiling, "pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." Elanor said. I have heard so much about you old apprentices that in my mind you are all larger than life. But you do look like a human being."  
"And I am," Anna said smiling at Elanor, "and right now a happy human being. Now I'll go find that wayward cousin of mine and then we'll return an get that potion made like in the good old days."
"Great!" My said, and after Anna had closed the door behind her, My bade everybody take a break until Anna returned with Helge. "I an going to study the recipe once more,"
My settled down with the waterlogged book at the desk in front of her, and Elanor returned to her scrubbing. Estrid asked Nora and Markus to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything edible as yet. They left with Helgi and Andres tagging along. Then Estrid went over to Elanor: "Elanor, I know you're Lis' daughter, and My has told me she was a proficient scribe, I think you should leave the scrubbing to me and go help My decipher that old book!"
"Thanks," Elanor said, "It is a long time since  anyone asked me to exercise my skills and I was afraid to ask."
"The only stupid question is the one not asked!" Estrid said and took the scrubbing sponge from Elanor's hand.
Elanor and My had made good progress with the transcribing of the recipe and the small cauldron was spotlessly clean when the children arrived. Helgi carried a basket laden with steaming hot buns and tantalizing smells rose from the bowls and plates and ewers that Anders, Nora and Markus carried. They placed everything on a table in the back of the room, as far away from magical ingredients and cauldrons as possible. They were quick learners, and My was a good teacher.
"Mommy!" Nora said, "the kitchen was overtaken by ... Gnomes, I think."
"Gnomes?" Estrid said. "Even though I have seen more incredible things the last couple of days here, than in the rest of my life, I still do not believe in cooking Gnomes, and I doubt the results would be as enticing as this."
"Let's eat," My said, "and then you can tell us of the Gnomes while we eat."

***

While they ate, Nora, Markus, Anders and Helgi told about their visit to the kitchen.
"We went down to the kitchen," Nora said, "and it was filled with smoke."
"Nice smoke," Anders added. "It made me feel totally hungry. And then we looked for Heidi or Lis or Tage, but we could not find them."
"No, they were not in the kitchen at all," Markus said, "but there were these here Gnomes. They were small, even shorter than Helgi."
"Yes, Even shorter than me, and the lady-gnomes had long hair in beautiful braids." Helgi said.
"How did they dress?" My asked.
"Old-fashioned like," Nora said, "colourful skirts, and petticoats, like for our school theatre."
"Yes that's right, just like as for our theatre!" Markus said, "And the male ones were dressed in short trousers and long stockings, And ... what's the word ... waistcoats?"
Like fancy jackets with buttons but  no sleeves?" Estrid asked and Markus nodded energetically having taken a large bite of his bun, he chewed frantically and swallowed. "But boy, can they cook!"
My looked out of the window, lost in thoughts, then she returned to the present: "They are not Gnomes," she said in a dreaming voice, as if still lost in the past. "I dare bet that they are Nisser," she said. "Finnbogi must have found them at last. At Unicorn Farm, we had Nisser cooking for us, It was the best food ever, and they were small, childsized, but grown ups. And some of them were stuffy. If you did not treat them with due respect, mainly the older ones, you were served unpalatable food and drink."
"Whew, I'm happy we remembered our good manners then," Nora said. "We remembered to say 'Please', and 'Thank you', all the magic words."
My started laughing. "Magic words indeed," she said. "Nisser are cagier with their cooking secrets, and more particular of how they are spoken to, than any person I ever knew. I dare bet some will not be happy with their lunch today."

***

They were almost done eating, and sat nibbling at the delicious buns when Anna returned with Helge.
"Hello Anna, And nice to see you, Helge," My said standing up. She shook Helge's hand and looked at him. "You have grown," she said matter of fact, "
Helge smiled tentatively at My, "I'm pleased to be here, pleased to be able to help and generally finding the world a better place right now. And I'm even more pleased to see that you have something nice to eat, Knud showed me around, and as we reached the kitchen, that's where Anna found us and abducted me. We were surprised to not find Heidi, Lis and Tage there with their family doing the cooking. Instead some Nisser had taken over - and not all visitors were happy over what they found in baskets and jugs."
"Sit down and eat some of these delicacies before we begin," My said. "Preparing for hard work is best done by eating and talking! You eat, I do the talking."


***

Helge sat down. He looked around, and all the others looked back at him. Estrid said: "I have scrubbed the small cauldron, it's clean as clean can be. Any more things that needs a scrubbing now I am at it?"
"Yes, actually," My said. "Elanor and I found that this recipe calls for some other rarely used utensils. Elanor could you show Estrid where they are hidden, while I bring Anna and Helge up to date with what we discovered. And if you could have those four nuisances help you find the ingredients, we'll be ready to brew the potion in next to no time."
"Will do," Elanor said, "Come on, Estrid, Let's leave the brainy ones to their thinking, and let's do the hauling around."
As they crossed the yard, they could see that they were not the only ones hauling and moving things around.
An obstacle course for broom racing was taking shape in the meadows, and chairs, benches and tables were placed for spectators and judges to sit on.
They returned, laden with old utensils and bottles, bags and bundles of strange ingredients for the potion. As they returned, My and Helge barely looked at them. My just pointed at the counter and Helge nodded appreciatively at Estrid, who began scrubbing the grimy utensils.
Soon after Anna returned with her hands full of herbs, leaves and flowers. "I do admire what Susan and Knud had done here," she said, "this garden is as well stocked as you could only wish."
"And so are the store rooms," Elanor said. " I think we found everything."

A bit later My and Helge aroused from their murmurings and put them all to work:
"Elanor, can you measure half a litre of plain water from the tap?" My asked, and Elanor took the measuring jar and filled it with plain water.
"This potion calls for tap water," Helge said, "as far as I remember this is very unusual."
"It is," My agreed. "This one is one of only two or three recipes to do this."

Estrid suggested that she, and Nora and Markus went to get the brooms. "it will be quicker than carrying the finished potion to the brooms, and by the way I think some of them are still in the big crate they came in.
"We'll come too," Andres said. "Looking at those two brewing, is not fun, and I know where the crowbar is!"
"Invaluable knowledge, I agree," My said "Off you go. Helge, Elanor and I can handle this."
Helge and My gave Anna and Elanor short, but clear instruction, they cut, counted and dumped strange ingredients into the spotlessly clean smallest cauldron. Then Helge carefully picked up the equally spotless wooden spoon made from ancient oakwood, and scrubbed by Estrid; he stirred thoroughly and vigorously while My said some basic incantations. And suddenly the potion changed colour to a bright, almost golden yellow.
"This is it!" My exclaimed, while Helge just nodded.
Anna and Elanor looked into the pot and Elanor said: "It smells adventurous."
"That's a good description," My said nodding, and Helge smiled a tentative smile, which made his face much nicer.

The four kids and Estrid arrived pushing a parcel cage overflowing with brooms.
"Oh, this smells good," Andres said. "I feel like doing something big!"
"Now," My said. "Now it's time to get those brooms anointed and awoken. But first, Estrid please do me a favour and open the window before we begin flying as well. We have learned a lesson here. Don't brew flying potions with the doors closed."
 Estrid opened the windows wide, and My and Helge handed out paint brushes and showed how to anoint the brooms. Quickly they found the easiest way of doing it, Helgi and Nora, the two oldest and tallest took the brooms from the cage, Anna stood with a broom in each hand while Andres and Markus painted the potion on them and My and Helge spoke yet another incantation over each broom. Finally Estrid and Elanor carried the brooms to the other door. Soon Elanor whispered a hasty message to Estrid, and left to return with Martine and Fiona.
They made happy noises upon seeing the brooms and soon had them all up and flying. It was a sight to see, the brooms followed Martine on her broom, and Fiona walking ahead down to the meadows like so many ducklings in a row.
"Oh, I feel sad for Monica and Olav. Those two home birds!" My said. "They would have loved seeing this."

***

Finally the brooms were all ready, the racetrack was cleared, lunch had bean eaten here, there and everywhere, and if anybody was hungry it was their own fault for having forgotten their manners when talking to the Nisser. Nothing really terrible had been handed out though, only bland sandwiches and bitter tea.
Martine was the one starting the races. The first races were simple, all the grandchildren able to fly were sent off five and five after approximate size and prowess. The winner of each group were given a ssmall prize and  set to race against one another. It came as no surprise to anybody that Emil, Fiona's oldest grandkid won the race with Marit and Jans grandkids, Mads and Mikkel who were identical twin, sharing the second place.

Then it was the childrens' turn, grown up men and women in their late twenties, thirties and fourties, none of them having sat on a broom for more than a few, inadequate weeks were tried the same way as their children had been. Of course once again one of Fiona's progeny triumphed. Stine, her youngest daughter, won the race, only just beating Trine, her older sister and mother of Emil. Number three was a big surprise, Susan and Knud's youngest son, Peter, who no-one even had thougth of betting on. Otto, Fiona's equanimous and nice, non magical husbond almost lost his voice from cheering him on.

After a break, where the Nisser served wonderful cakes and tea and coffee even better than Knud's best, the apprentices stood ready at the starting line.
My, Fiona, Marit and Jan opened the race with Fiona as the logical bid for a winner, and she lived up to the expectations, leaving all the rest behind even if Marit did her very best.

Next up were Susan, Knud, Helge, Finnbogi, and Tage. Finnbogi and Tage quickly took the lead with Susan and Helge far behind and Knud fighting a loosing battle to keep up with the two in front. In the end Finnbogi overtook Tage, who as a gentleman let him pass and win.

The third heat held a couple of surprises. Lis, Heidi, Rósa, and Anna were expected, but two more stood ready at the line, Martine and Aamu, shakingly holding on to her broom and supported by her husband Uwe and Daniel, her son. Only Uwe, Daniel and Susan knew that she had decided to accept her magic, and had touched Susan's old skirt only hours before the race.
Estrid swung the flag, and off they soared. First Finnbogi had the lead, then Anna went up and over him in a fine racing maneuvre, then Rósa did some sneaking up and were in front, until Aamu, having found her old form overtook her shortly before the finishing line. All stood up clapping and yelling, and then Martine showed her style and stamina.
Aamu was overtaken by only a couple of inches on the line. All clapped and shouted even louder and Helge and Knud yelled and rung a bell to bring order in the chaos once again.
Uwe, Daniel and Aamu were embracing, and Susan and Anna helped Martine off her broom.
More cakes and hot drinks were consumed before the final race.

Fiona, Martine and Finnbogi inspected their brooms, wiped down the handles and made ready for the final battle.
"Finally," Martine said with a warm smile, "Finally I get to see if still have it in me. Don't hold back. Let the best man win!"
"I only wish Sif and Elvin were her as well," Finnbogi said.
"Then you would not have stood a chance," Fiona said, looking a Finnbogi with a challenge in her eyes.
"You're probably right, but I would gladly lose every race forever to have them here," Finnbogi said.
The defiant glitter died in Fiona's eyes. "So would I ," she said. "And Veronika too."
"Get ready!" Helge called and they grasped their brooms and went to join Martine at the starting line.
For the last time that day Estrid svung the flag and Fiona and Finnbogi swung theirl legs over the brooms, Marit loosened the grip on Martine's broom, and as Estrid dipped the flag they went off.  It was the best broomrace ever flown in Denmak, it was close, very close for a long, long time, but then Martine's mastery and experience told and she slowly, inch by inch went in front. She turned and twisted the broom in her hands, ending up with the straws in the same position, that had earned Fioan the victory at Unicirn Farm. Too late Fiona realized what Martine was doing and emulated her. But her extra speed burst came too late, and Martine passed the finishing line just before Fiona overtook her.
"You won!" Foina said, "faoir and square. I forgoit that trick you taught me... "
"And I remembered," Martina said smiling and leaning onto Markit's shoulder.
The ceremony was everything a ceremony of this kind should be, festive, friendly, funny and not too long. They ate, drank and celebrated far into the nigth. Martine took her leave at around ten o'clock. she was tired after the day's celebrateions, and wanted her beauty sleep.
Aamu was the center of much attention, almost everybody wanted to hear how and why she had decided to accept her magic again. She told the story of the portals, and repeated Daniel's words of magic books over and over and each time ended by adding that she wanted to live as normal a life as possible, only with magic. Continuing as a librarian in Schiltach, leading reading circles and baking German cakes. Uwe, her husband, sspent much of the evening in the company of Eyvind Haugen and Otto Sørensen, Hilde and Fiona's non magic husbands.  

***

Next morning, as breakfast was served, Martine did not show up. Susan went and looked for her. She lay in her bed, a sligt smile on her face and both hands clasped around the small gold medal from yesterday's broom racing. Susan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to wake her up, but pulled back immedialely. Martine's shoulder was cold to the touch and stiff. Susan felt for a pulse, and was not surpriced not to find any. She then found a small mirror on the bedstand and hold it up to Martine's face. It did not mist, not even the tiniest bit.
"She's dead." Susan said under her breath, "May God have mercy upon her soul." She looked back at Martine. "At least she died happy."

Susan went down to the hall where almost everybody else were having breakfast, She told Helge, Knud, Fiona and My who sat together at a small table about what has happened.
"Do we have to call for an ambulance and so on?" Susan asked, "she is very obviously dead and has been for long, probably since yesterday evening."
"Don't you have a house doctor?" Fiona asked. "Then call him," she said as Susan nodded.
"Her, it's a woman doctor," she said and rose. "I'll go and call her. No need for a grand alarm I think. We keep to our normal ruse, Reunion, Harry Potter theme, and so on."
Susan returned very fast: "The doctor agreed to come over and do what has to be done - this includes writing a death certificate. It seems not to be a very complicated matter. I'm relieved about this, we do not need more drama!  ... And I saw Martine's face ... she died happy, smiling, clutching her medal."

The doctor came, and Susan told of the reunion turned familiy gathering, the magic, Harry Potter themed week, and showed her to Martine's bedroom. The doctor examined her, and turned to Susan. "Who's her next of kind, and can you provide me with the CPR number, address, full name and so on?"
"I don't know of any family," Susan said according to truth. "She was our teacher at the 4H school - the one we're havng the reunion for - and we found her two years ago looking for old pupils, not really expecting to find any of the teachers, for our 25th jubilee. She comes from Norway, but has lived in Denmark for over 30 years. When we found her, she was at a home in Funen, and we had just bought this big place, so she moved into the gartner's old house. She needed help, but not much, and even if it was a good home, a real home with a garden and a family was way better."
Susan had risen while she talked and now opened a drawer and handed the doctor the relevant papers.

The doctor sat down at Martine's table and filled out the death certificate. "At 82 we need no autopsy or anything. It was most pprobably a heart failure or a massive bleding in the brain that killed her. I can see the tell tale signs. But I take it you want her body stored in the mortuary until you can arrange a burial?"
"That would indeed be practical," Susan said. "How do we arrange for that?"
"I do," The doctor said. "An ambulance will arrive later today for her body. You may wash or dress her if you like, but she looks so happy. And holding that gold medal."
"Yes, one of our pretend games of magic," Susan said "She won our broom racing contest yesterday."
"You do not sound sad," the doctor added. "Are you?"
"No ... yes .. err" Susan said. "I'm going to miss her, terribly so even. She was old, wise and always cheerful. Like a super grandma. But she has had two busy, filled years here, she died happy, without suffering, without growing weak and frail. It's not a bad way to go, I think."  
"No, it's not," the doctor agreed. "I'll leave one copy of the certificate here with you - you'll need to show it to the ambulance folks, to the undertaker and so on. I'll take the other copy and do what have to be done digitally when I am back in the clinic. Then she'll be legally dead. You'll have to search for any family of hers. An add in the relevant Norwegian paper will do."
"Thank you," Susan said. "May I see you out?"
"Please," the doctor said and smiled. "This is a wonderful place you live in."

***