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Author: Grandma Kate Story: Ginny's First Year at Hogwarts Rating: Everyone Setting: Pre-OotP Status: Completed Reviews: 5 Words: 32,456
The Harry Potter Universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing the characters for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. The weather turned cold as November turned into December at the Burrow. Molly had long ago harvested all the vegetables and put Freshness charms on them. She'd hung the last of the autumn flowers up to dry for winter flower arrangements. She'd nearly finished knitting all of the Christmas jumpers and was looking forward to their trip abroad. It had been terribly cold up in the mountains of Romania last Christmas so both she are Arthur were looking forward to being in exotic and warm Egypt. The first week of December, Arthur took their birthday and Christmas gifts for Charlie into the Ministry and used the International Post. Molly had included a couple of pounds of the Christmas Blend of Moonsickles Coffee since she knew it was Charlie's favorite. She wished she could send him a Gingerbread Latte but thought that if he dunked her triple ginger cookies, the taste would be the same or even better. If Percy did not send his weekly note, Molly and Arthur would have no news of their children at Hogwarts. Molly put aside his letter so that Arthur could open it when he got home from work. Arthur read the latest letter with interest. Dear Mum and Dad, I imagine that you are getting excited about your trip to see Bill. We have all signed up for staying at Hogwarts. Ron told me that he's glad that he is going to be here so that Harry Potter will have someone to hang around with. Harry is pretty much ostracized by the students from the other Houses. Even some of the Gryffindors think he may be the Heir of Slytherin. Fred and George treat it as a big joke and pretend to be his attendants but I think they are keeping an eye on him so no one will try to harm him. Ginny is still very tired looking. She spends a lot of time in her room sleeping or working on her class assignments. I am going to encourage her to come with me to a special interest group that is starting next week. She might not want to duel herself, but watching her classmates might make he feel more like a member of a group. Our weather has been dark and cold but so far we have had no snow. I hope we get some for Christmas. I have one more essay to write tonight, so I will close this off. Sincerely, Percy 'Oh, I had hoped that Ginny would have settled in by now,' said Molly with a worried look as she set the table. I hope that she is keeping warm. Remember how she used to get colds that hung on for weeks?' 'It sounds like Percy is looking out for her. She and Ron were so close, I can't imagine that he isn't including her in whatever he and Harry and their friend that is a girl…' 'Hermione,' supplied Molly. 'Yes, Hermione,' agreed Arthur. 'Whatever they are doing, I am sure she is being included. I hope she is not trying to do too much.' ***** Molly and Arthur were leaving for Egypt the morning of Tuesday, December 22 so Arthur took all the parcels for the children at Hogwarts to the Ministry Post on the day before. Besides the usual hand-knit jumpers for each of her sons and Ginny and Harry, she sent plum cakes with little cards that had 'Jack-Be-Nimble' printed on them. Hedwig arrived with a parcel from the children just before they left. The note with it was from Ron. Dear Mum and Dad, We are really going to have a white Christmas. We've had a blizzard since last Wednesday that's just beginning to let up now. They even had to cancel all our outdoor classes for two days. Percy said that we should borrow Hedwig to send your presents because she's strong enough to fly in this wind. Me and Harry and Hermione are working on a sort of extra-credit project so we're glad to have no classes to go to. Some people are really scared of Harry because they think he's the Heir of Slytherin just because he can speak Parseltongue. He didn't even know he could talk to snakes because he only did it once before and kind of forgot about it. Ginny does not like Fred and George joking around that he is looking for his next victim. She really freaked out when a student that she knows got Petrified. And the Gryffindor ghost, too. And someone is killing roosters. Weird! Percy told me to write because he is busy with the other Prefects. We all hope you have a good time visiting Bill. Maybe we can go next time. It has to be warmer there than it is here. Love, Ron Molly packed and unpacked her trunk again when she put the parcel from the children in it. She hoped all this petrifying business at Hogwarts ended soon. She had many questions about what was happening there. How could they keep the school open if students were somehow turning to stone? Why were some students blaming Harry Potter? What a thing to have happen during Ginny's first year! She remembered reassuring her that nothing would harm her when she was worried about the troll last year. Perhaps she was not as safe as they had thought. Oh, dear! Arthur did not seem as worried about the children at Hogwarts. As he cuddled with Molly the night before they were to leave for the International Portkey Station, he told her not to be so concerned. Her little ones had left the nest and would do just fine. ***** The trip to Egypt was a long one. Molly and Arthur could not get a direct Portkey to Cairo so had to stop in Florence, Italy. Even thought they could not leave the station, they promised each other they would return to that lovely city. Bill was waiting for them at the Cairo station. After hugs all around, he took them out to dinner in a neighborhood café'. Molly was glad it catered to Westerners because she'd been afraid that they'd have to sit on the floor to eat. Bill looked older and had a tan that contrasted with his slightly bleached hair. It was still long enough for a ponytail. As Molly looked him over, she saw that he had a dragon fang earring. He asked her how she liked his birthday present from Charlie. Molly was noncommittal but inwardly cringed. She wondered if Charlie also had one pierced ear. Bill's flat was plain but clean. He had expanded his study into a bedroom with a queen-size bed. His desk and bookcases and piles of paper took up half the room but it was certainly big enough to stay in for a week. 'I've waited to decorate for Christmas until you came, Mum. I know how much you like to get in the spirit. I'm giving you the Celestina Warbeck Christmas album as an early present.' Bill was obviously pleased to have both parents visiting. 'Let me know if there's anything I can get you. I have to go in to work for about an hour tomorrow morning, so you can have a lie-in if you want to. Then we can see some of the sights.' ***** Molly and Arthur slept surprisingly well for being in a strange bed. They took Bill up on his suggestion about having a lie-in but Molly decided that she'd make Bill the Full English Breakfast he had been dreaming about on one of the mornings they were visiting. He did appreciate a good breakfast. Bill arrived home around ten and asked his parents if they were interested in going to see some of the Muggle tourist spots. Molly said she wanted to do some shopping and Arthur said they both wanted to see some pyramids and the Sphinx. Arthur especially wanted to see what only wizards could see. Bill suggested that they do some shopping in Cairo today and start out for the Giza Plateau in the early morning. They could ride horses once they Apparated there. Molly had promised her Witches and Stitches group that she would bring back fabric for at least one quilt, so they went to a bazaar by the Nile named Wekalat Al-Balah. She was overwhelmed with the variety and got some good bargains since Bill had become an excellent haggler. Arthur was fascinated by the display of Muggle auto and motorcycle parts down one alley but didn't know what he could use them for. He was very tempted by the flying carpet he spotted with the Muggle ones but thought better of that, as well. No sense getting into more trouble. After they purchased lunch from a street vender, they went to the huge bazaar, Khan el-Khalili. Molly bought a divided skirt for horseback riding, some things she could use to decorate Bill's flat for Christmas, and some tee shirts for her children. She rather hoped they would all come back to this shopping area sometime. That night they went out to dinner with some of Bill's co-workers and got some tips on what to look for at the three pyramids and the Sphinx they would be seeing the next day. They were advised to plan to Apparate back to Bill's flat mid day for a nap and to prepare for Christmas. Many of Bill's co-workers were bringing food to share on Christmas Eve. Molly would have companionship to listen to her favorite singer. Early the morning of Christmas Eve, Molly, Arthur and Bill Apparated to a secluded spot by Mena House, a Muggle hotel quite close to the pyramids at Giza. Bill suggested that they rent horses to travel to the Sphinx and the three pyramids they would be seeing. Bill added a cushioning charm to the saddles so they would be more comfortable. When they drew near the Sphinx, Bill told them its history. Since they were magical, they could see what it had looked like before the wind, humidity, and Cairo smog had caused it to deteriorate. They left their horses being held by some local boys and walked to the huge paws. The sun was just rising and they noted that the Sphinx seemed to be looking right at it. They could see passages under it clearly and asked Bill if they were visible to the Muggles. He said that three of them were but that the other two were visible only to Wizards. Unfortunately, none of them led anywhere interesting. They spent only a short time at the Sphinx and rode on to the three nearby pyramids. Bill told them that on Boxing Day he would be able to take them to the dig he had been living at while breaking the curses. They could see quite a bit more there even though it was a much smaller pyramid. Molly and Arthur were getting a bit sore from riding around so were glad to go back to the secluded Apparation place and return to Bill's flat. All three of them took a nap before Molly started decorating with the beads and bangles she got at the bazaar. She made a tall pyramid out of beads by using a sticking charm on the ceiling and conjured some fairy lights so that it twinkled. Arthur arranged the chains of bangles around the tree shape so that they looked like ornaments. Molly had brought many shrunken cakes and biscuits but decided that she'd cook a roast to add to whatever their guests were bringing. Bill expanded the flat and the balcony to make more seating places and set out bottles of butterbeer and wine for his guests. Bill's friends enjoyed spending Christmas Eve with him and his parents. One of the young women had tears in her eyes when Molly played the Celestina Warbeck Christmas Special. 'Just like being home with my Mum,' she said. Some people left early enough to go to Midnight Services but Molly, Arthur, and Bill were tired from all the fresh air and horseback riding. Molly used several spells for relief of muscle aches and pains and brewed up a Dreamless Sleep potion for Arthur and herself. Sleeping late on Christmas morning sounded like a good plan. Molly, Arthur, and Bill ate a Full English breakfast Christmas morning before they exchanged presents. Charlie had sent warm fuzzy slippers to all three of them and Bill commented that they'd be useful on trips to see him in Romania or to visit England in the winter. Percy and Ron sent assortments of sweets. Bill was very glad to get several packages of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans because they kept so well, whereas chocolate melted in the Egyptian heat. Fred and George sent Bill some items from Zonkos that he quickly put away. Molly and Arthur were surprised to get Filibuster fireworks from them. Bill said that they could set them off that night to celebrate Christmas. Ginny has embroidered their initials on a handkerchief for each of them. Molly was glad she had not made a rooster like the one she gave her for her birthday. Arthur set off the fireworks that night after dinner. 'It's just like having the twins with us,' he said. Molly nodded, thinking of all of her children in Romania and at Hogwarts. Bill hugged them both as they watched the fireworks display. The next day, Molly and Arthur Apparated with Bill to the isolated tomb that he had broken the curses on. They enjoyed seeing some of the hidden chambers but Bill would not let Molly into one of them. He told her that it would break her heart to see what was in it. They Apparated back to Bill's flat for a nap before they went in a car to the Muggle Sound and Light tour of the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx. Arthur said it was better than a Muggle Rock Concert, although he had to admit that he'd never been to one. ***** There was time for only one more trip to the big bazaar in Cairo before Molly and Arthur had to head home with more belongings than they had come with. They hugged and kissed Bill at the International Portkey station. Molly cried at leaving her oldest child, but was thankful that they had a direct route back to London with no stopover. They were very weary when they arrived at the Burrow. 'We need some sleep in our own bed,' said Molly as she dropped her trunk and parcels. 'We can expand what we brought home tomorrow.' Molly and Arthur climbed the stairs arm and arm. ***** When the Monday episode of Days of Destiny ended, Dominic Meath, Sr, an announcer with a deep resonant voice began talking about a new show that was starting on the Wizarding Wireless after the first of the year. It was called Bedside at St Brigid's and was supposed to be a behind the scenes look at a great teaching hospital in Ireland. Molly decided she should listen to the new show, just in case Ginny decided to become a Healer.
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