Thick Of It

The boys were sprawled out across the grassy park, their bikes leaning haphazardly against a nearby tree. The warm London sun filtered through the leaves as they unwrapped their lunches, swapping snacks and teasing each other like a pack of overgrown kids. Jason leaned back, chewing thoughtfully on a sandwich while the others dug in.

Josh: [wiping his brow dramatically] "Blimey, I didn't know the Muggle world could be this much fun!"

JJ: [grinning] "Yeah, mate. That bike thing goes pretty fast. Almost thought I'd end up in Hogwards at one point."

Simon: "But not as fast as a broomstick. Let's not get carried away."

Tobi: [groaning] "And they leave you dead tired. My legs feel like they've been cursed."

Vik: [snickering] "What did you expect? There's no magic to power these things. It's all brute strength—emphasis on strength, JJ."

Jason: [raising his sandwich in a toast] "But admit it, boys—it's pretty cool.

Ethan: [nodding] "Yeah, honestly, I didn't think I'd have this much fun when JJ asked me to come along."

Harry: [curious] "How did you lot even get these bikes? You didn't know the first thing about them last year."

Harry Lewis: "Jason. He dragged us to some dodgy secondhand market. Proper shady place. I half expected a cursed goblet to fall into me."

Josh: [laughing] "Mate, it was eerily similar to Knockturn Alley. Thought I'd see Borgin and Burkes pop up any second."

Ethan: [eyes lighting up] "You've been to Knockturn Alley?"

Josh: [nodding] "Yeah, my dad took me once when I was younger. Creepy as hell, but fascinating."

Ethan: [suddenly quiet] "I wish I could've gone. My dad ."

The air grew a little heavier as Ethan's tone shifted. Simon, turned to him.

Simon: "Why didn't he, mate? Too busy, was he?"

Ethan: [quietly] "My dad... he died in the war. He was an Auror. Killed fighting You-Know-Who."

The group fell silent for a moment, a mix of respect and sympathy in their expressions. Ethan forced a small smile.

Ethan: "Anyway, thanks, Harry. You saved us all by defeating him."

Harry: [awkwardly] "Don't thank me. I didn't even know what I did."

Vik: "He was just a kid, Ethan. Can't hold him to that."

Jason: [firmly] "Kid or not, Harry, you're the one who did it. Maybe you should start believing in yourself a bit more."

Harry: [shrugging] "I don't know. It still doesn't feel real sometimes."

Jason: "No need to be so gloomy about it. Just accept people's thanks, mate."

Josh: [grinning] "Yeah, listen to Jason. The guy's making sense for once."

Harry: [smiling faintly] "Alright, alright. Thanks, I guess. But I still don't think Voldemort's really gone."

JJ: [looking alarmed] "Don't say that, fam. You're scaring me now."

Jason: [shrugging] "Who do you think was behind the mess the past two years? The bloke's like a bad penny."

Tobi: [wide-eyed] "Are you saying You-Know-Who was involved in all of it?"

Harry: [nodding] "Yeah. Jason's right. He's not completely gone."

Ethan: "Do you think he'll come back?"

Harry: [firmly] "No. And even if he tries, we'll stop him again."

Jason: [smirking] "That's the spirit. We'll handle him, Harry. No worries."

The boys continued chatting, their conversation shifting to the upcoming school year.

Harry Lewis: "Forget school. I'm all about making the most of this holiday. No books."

JJ: "Same here. This whole bike thing's been brilliant."

Simon: "I'm thinking of practicing for the Quidditch team. Time to step up my game."

Ethan: "Isn't Jason already on the team?"

Jason: "Was."

JJ: "What happened?"

Vik: "Remember Jason's debut? That whole drama with the senior chaser? Yeah, it got messy."

Harry Lewis: "Oh, mate. That sounds rough."

Jason: [shrugging] "I said if he played, I wouldn't. Didn't go over well, and we lost the rest of our matches."

Simon: "If Jason had played, we'd have won the House Cup for sure."

Jason: [grinning] "Maybe next year."

Harry: [playfully] "Don't count on it. Gryffindor's got this in the bag."

Jason: "Oh, we'll see about that, Potter. This year, it's Ravenclaw's turn."

JJ: "Nah, mate. Hufflpuff's taking it this time."

Josh: [laughing] "Good luck with that, JJ."

The boys burst into laughter, their spirits high as they finished their lunch and climbed back onto their bikes, ready to take on the rest of London.