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Author: Grandma Kate Story: Ginny's Fifth Year at Hogwarts Rating: Everyone Setting: Pre-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 6 Words: 44,208
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. Bold Face Type indicates a direct quote from Chapter Seventeen, A Sluggish Memory, or Chapter Eighteen, Birthday Surprises, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. A/N: This story is told from Molly's Weasley's point of view and parallels Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the summer after it.
On the final day of their Christmas holiday, the children ate one last lunch with Molly and went up to get their trunks and animal cages. … Harry, Ron, and Ginny lined up beside the kitchen fire to return to Hogwarts. The Ministry had arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to the school… Arthur, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur were all at work. Molly dissolved into tears at the moment of parting. Admittedly, it took very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnip… 'Don't cry, Mum' said Ginny, patting her on the back as Molly sobbed into her shoulder. 'It's okay…' 'Yeah, don't worry about us,' said Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, 'or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?' Molly sobbed harder than ever as she enfolded Harry in her arms. 'Promise me you'll look after yourself…. Stay out of trouble…' 'I always do, Mrs Weasley,' said Harry. ' I like a quiet life, you know me.' She gave a watery chuckle and stood back. 'Be good, then, all of you…' Harry stepped into the emerald fire and shouted, 'Hogwarts!' Ron followed him immediately. 'Don't forget to write and tell me that you arrived.' Ginny gave Molly one more kiss and stepped into the fire, saying 'Hogwarts!' Molly stood looking sadly at the fire as it died out and then smiled as she remembered their expressions when Ginny caught Harry as he tripped coming out of the fireplace when he arrived at the Burrow. Molly summoned the sheets and towels from the attic where Ron and Harry slept and from Ginny's room and the bathroom that the children used. She set the laundry cauldron for normal soil and started the lunch dishes washing. She felt bone tired even though it was only late afternoon. She wondered if she had time to lie down and rest her eyes before she needed to start dinner. There was enough soup left from the children's lunch so she decided that she could afford a short nap. When Arthur arrived home that night, the house was dark and quiet. He very nearly panicked but smelled the soup and decided that Molly must be nearby. She had been doing too much for weeks and not getting restful sleep because she was so devastated by Percy's callous behavior and the outrage it caused the rest of the children to feel and act upon. He tiptoed up the stairs and found her sleeping peacefully on top of their quilt. He silently covered her with a small blanket and went down to help himself to soup. On Tuesday morning, a school owl arrived bringing a letter from Ginny. Molly thought she must have written it the night of the first day back in classes. He took off as soon as he'd had an owl treat and some of Errol's water. Dear Mum and Dad, I hope you are feeling better, Mum. Traveling by Floo is certainly faster than the Hogwarts Express. Ron had already picked up Harry before I landed on Professor McGonagall's carpet, so I didn't get a chance to catch him again. I wonder if he will ever get used to Floo landings. Ron's silly girlfriend is driving him bonkers. All she wants to do is snog! Hermione is disgusted with him and Harry acts like he would rather be somewhere else when they are around. I think Harry's lonely and needs a friend. The big excitement for Ron and Harry and Hermione is that they can take Apparition Lessons next month. They are for twelve weeks and it costs 12 Galleons. It's a good thing that they offer them in the year between O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s because the students in that year aren't all bleary-eyed from revising. Harry has to go to Professor Dumbledore for all sorts of extra lessons so he's really busy. I hope he's getting enough to eat and is sleeping better than he was at The Burrow. We both used to get up for cocoa many nights. It was so good to be home and to be able to ask you for advice. I know you're right about my problem and I will try to 'turn down the heat'. Dean liked the hat and was pleased that I was wearing the hair clip he gave me. He'd be more fun to be around if he didn't want to take care of me. I miss you both. Love, 'I didn't realize they spent so much time together in the night,' mused Molly. 'I wonder how long it will be before…' Molly stopped and laughed at herself. 'Lily and I were quite the conniving mums, thinking we could pair up our babies before they were out of nappies.' Arthur was pleased when he read Ginny's letter but he teased Molly a bit about being 'The Advice Mum', saying that maybe she could get a job writing a column for The Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly. She said that she'd rather do a talk show on WWN like his friend Florian Gardener. January was unusually cold with several days of snow or sleet so Molly stayed close to home. She and Corrine practiced dueling twice a week and they both went into Diagon Alley to meet Kate Wallace for lunch on Wednesday of the third week. Kate had pictures of all six of her grandchildren who lived in the United States. One of the granddaughters had finished Marin Magical Academy and was going to Uni at Stanford, which had a few Magical Departments. Molly wondered if Hermione's parents would insist on something like that for her. Kate also had some interesting news about Molly's two favorite programs. She told Molly that the rebroadcasts of Days of Destiny programs would finish at the end of this week. Molly tuned in to listen to the first new episodes of Days of Destiny and Bedside at St Brigid's on Monday morning. Apparently they had not yet found a replacement for the young actress who played both the evil twin Lyla and the good twin Smyla because Lyla was still bound and gagged in the water taxi on Days of Destiny and could only grunt in response to questions; while Smyla had developed a minor case of Aphasia on Bedside at St Brigid's and could not talk. However, she could still understand what was said to her and write one-word answers to questions so her prognosis was good. Molly continued to be concerned about Percy. She suggested to Arthur that he ask Bill to invite him to celebrate his father's birthday but Arthur flatly refused. 'He needs more time, Molly,' he said sadly. 'You-Know-Who will have to take over his whole department before he can admit that he has been wrong about Harry and Professor Dumbledore.' Molly reluctantly agreed that he was probably correct. She decided to have a brunch for Arthur the Sunday after his birthday so that Bill and Fleur and the twins could come. Apparently, both the couple from Gringotts and the proprietors of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were busier than ever this month and found it hard to come to the Burrow more than once a week. Pig brought a very short note from Ron on the afternoon of the last Monday before the end of January. Dear Mum and Dad, I'm sorry I haven't written but I've been studying extra hard. I spend a lot of time in the library. I need twelve Galleons to take the Apparition Lessons. It's going to be every Saturday and I want to pass it first try. Harry and Hermione and all the other people in my year are going to take it, too. Love, Molly took twelve Galleons out of her 'Rainy Day Fund', which she kept at the bottom of the biscuit tin on the top shelf in the kitchen, and put it in a pouch to give to Arthur to put in the Ministry to Hogwarts post tomorrow so Ron could pay for his extra class on the first of February. An extra strong International Postal owl pecked on the window the afternoon before Arthur's birthday. He carried a parchment addressed to both of them and a very small box that said DAD. Molly opened the letter and read it so she'd know whether to give it to Arthur tonight when he came home or hold on to it until his real birthday tomorrow. Dear Mum and Dad, Has it already been nearly six weeks since Christmas? My how time flies when you are taking care of dragons! I haven't thanked you for my birthday and Christmas presents but they were all appreciated and used immediately. My pen pal Kathleen (she likes it when I play on words) found this in a Muggle bookstore and thought Dad would like it. It is called a Book Light and you can clip it to the outer edge of a book and see to read. It works on Muggle batteries so I have enclosed a couple of extra ones. I guess it could be made to work with "Lumos' but I know how Dad loves batteries. What should I get Bill and Fleur for a wedding present? The big event is happening in just six months. I bet you have everything under control, Mum. You always do. Love, Molly tucked the letter and small box into her apron pocket to save for the next morning and started thinking of a way to hide her rather large present overnight. She had scrimped and saved out of her household budget for four years and ordered Arthur one of the reclining chairs that he had admired so much in Nic Meath's television room. It was scheduled to be delivered this afternoon. She could put it in the sitting room and Disillusion it if she could think of a way to keep Arthur out of that room tonight so he wouldn't bump into it. Finally, Molly smiled with an expression that made her resemble her twin sons about to pull a prank. When Arthur arrived home that night, the house was dark and Arthur thought that Molly must have had a tiring day. Then he noticed daisy petals making a trail across the kitchen and up the stairs. Intrigued, he followed them to the door of their bedroom. When he opened the door, he found Molly sitting on a blanket spread on their bed. She was already in a dressing gown and had a picnic spread out on the bed. 'Arthur dear,' she said sweetly. 'I thought you might want to celebrate your last night of being forty-six. Would you open the bottle of wine?' The dinner was delicious and the pudding course featured a container of Muggle whipped cream under pressure. It was amazing how much fun a couple could have with such a common food. Arthur never thought to question why Molly kept him upstairs and out of the sitting room all night. Molly let Arthur have a bit of a lie-in the next morning while she made him his favorite breakfast, Eggs Arthur. When she did go back up to wake him, she made him promise not to look in the sitting room until after he had eaten the poached egg on ham on a crumpet The morning of Arthur's birthday Pig arrived with a scroll with a drawing that Ginny had done. When Arthur opened it, he showed it to Molly. It showed Ginny walking with and then waving good-bye to what looked like Ron, Harry, and Hermione, along with a dark skinned boy and a blonde girl. She went to the library while they went to a huge room full of hoops. The bottom of the drawing said, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! Molly gave Arthur Charlie's letter and the small box that he had sent. Arthur was very happy with the small light with extra batteries. 'This Kathleen of Charlie's is very thoughtful.' Molly smiled and told him to keep his eyes closed while she led him into the sitting room. She told him to open his eyes when they were right in front of his new lounger. He was surprised and delighted but teased her about 'having her way' with him last night just to keep him from seeing his present early. Bill and Fleur were the first to arrive at the brunch on Sunday. They were carrying a bag of croissants. 'Zheze are for our breakfast,' said Fleur with great pride. 'Zhey are from my parents for zheir new family.' Bill beamed at her. Molly took the bag of croissants and put them on a platter as the twins arrived. She had made a pot of Wake-up Wizard coffee and was surprised that the twins drank some along with Bill and Fleur. 'We eat breakfast at Moonsickles half the time,' explained Fred. 'Their hot chocolate is not as good as yours, Mum!' said George. They had a delightful time eating and watching Arthur open presents. Bill and Fleur had brought him a fine white Muggle shirt with ruffles. 'Eet will make you look even more 'andsome at the wedding,' said Fleur. Fred and George gave him a Muggle back massager with many extra batteries. 'You and Mum can take turns massaging each other's back,' said Fred. 'Or wherever,' said George. Both twins laughed at making their parents turn Weasley red. ****** February had a mixture of very cold windy days and some that were wet as well. Only a few were unusually warm and pleasant. Molly and Arthur went into Florian Gardener's shop and got some flower and vegetable seeds to start growing on the sink counter under Molly's Grow Light. The ground in the garden beds was still not thawed enough to turn over. The twins suggested that they go to the watch shop in Diagon Alley to get Ron a top quality watch to commemorate his coming of age. They said that they wanted to contribute to the cost of it because their joke shop was dong very well, especially with their Owl Post division. They went with them and got a Merchant Discount so Molly and Arthur could afford to buy Ron a heavy gold watch with odd symbols around the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands. It was even nicer than the ones that they had bought for the twins nearly two years ago. Ginny sent Hedwig with a very short note just a few days before Ron's birthday. Molly opened it and read it after she smoothed Hedwig's feathers and gave her a treat. Dear Mum and Dad, I don't know if I am going to survive my O.W.L.s year. Hermione has helped me a lot but it is still impossible to do everything that the teachers want us to. Now they have cancelled the Hogsmeade visit that we were supposed to have on Ron's birthday. It's because of what happened to Katie Bell. She's still at St Mungo's. I am not too upset about not being able to go because I don't have as much fun there as I used to. Ron is trying to break up with his girlfriend but she is so dense she hasn't caught on. I guess people see and hear what they want to. I am worried that Harry isn't getting enough sleep but he's doing very well in Potions now that he has another teacher besides Professor Snape. Love, Molly made Ron a cake and sent it in with Arthur along with his coming of age watch. She was sure he would be happy with both presents. The night before Ron's birthday Molly and Arthur were cuddling in bed after using the massage wand on each other, Molly said wistfully, 'I wish we could be with Ron on such an important birthday. He's nearly the last of our children to come of age.' 'Do you want to Apparate to Hogsmeade and try to see him tomorrow?' asked Arthur. 'No. Remember they've canceled the Hogsmeade trip,' answered Molly. 'I just wish I could see how his eyes light up when he opens that very nice watch.' 'We can both imagine how happy he will be,' said Arthur. 'We've seen each other happy many times.'
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