Chapter 3: Hogwarts Letters
A few days after the wedding, Grimmauld Place was nearly empty of inhabitants. Bill and Fleur had originally planned on remaining in London to be with Mrs. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasley had insisted the go on their honeymoon, and so they had finally conceded to leave for Spain for a week.
Hermione had returned home (to the Bells’ house, where the Grangers had been staying since before Easter, for safety purposes), so she could spend some more time with her mother and father before the school term began. Katie had decided to return home as well, to fit in some extra studying before beginning her Trainee Healer program, but had promised to return to Grimmauld Place before Harry left for school.
Other than the few Order members coming and going on business, the only people still at the house were Harry, Ron, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy and Mrs. Weasley.
“Hogwart’s letters arrived this morning,” Percy said promptly as Ron and Harry sat down at the table for breakfast.
“Where’s Mum?” Ron asked, taking his letter from Percy rather lazily.
“She’s having a bit of a lie in,” Charlie said, tipping some sausages onto Ron and Harry’s plates. “Mind you, once she wakes she’ll go mental because we didn’t wake her up…”
“But she deserves a rest,” George said, sitting down next to Ron and grabbing about five pieces of toast.
“She was quite upset, yesterday,” Percy said. “She stopped by the Burrow to collect some things, and it brought back some memories, I think.”
“I hope she feels better,” Harry said, opening his letter and finding the usual letter accompanied with a book list.
“Did any of you see the Daily Prophet this morning?” Fred asked.
“No, why?” asked Charlie.
“Front page story “ a Death Eater was found killed…”
“Who was it?” Harry asked quickly.
“Oh, someone new, I think “ Folger Williamson. He wasn’t known as a Death Eater, but he had the Dark Mark, and he was wearing the hood and all…”
“Maybe it was some innocent bloke who they dressed up and marked to frame him, before killing him…” George said.
“Doesn’t sound very likely “ he was probably just a Death Eater who upset You-Know-Who and got himself killed for it…” Charlie said.
There was a loud clatter as Ron’s knife and fork both hit the table. Harry looked across at him, to see him gaping at his Hogwarts letter.
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked him.
“I’m “ I… they “ ” Ron stammered.
“Oh, stop being dramatic and spit it out…” said Fred, whacking Ron across the head.
“That hurt!” Ron snapped.
“Well, what is it? “ get on with it!” George said eagerly.
Ron’s eyes scanned the letter again as though trying to be sure he’d read correctly, and then looked around at his brothers and Harry.
“I’m Head Boy…” he breathed.
The kitchen went completely silent “ it seemed even the simmering bacon had gone quiet with shock. Everyone looked to one another, then back at Ron, then to the letter. Nobody said anything, and nobody moved. Harry was quite sure that nobody was even breathing. Ron moved his hand slowly to his thick parchment envelope, and turned it over “ and out fell a shining badge with ‘HB’ engraved in shining gold letters.
Suddenly the silence of the kitchen was overtaken with a deafening roar of cheering and applause.
“That’s brilliant, Ron!” Harry shouted, louder than he had intended.
Charlie was singing, and thumping Ron’s back with his hands in a congratulatory manner. Percy was simply ecstatic, and looked beyond words, but was clapping so emphatically, Harry thought his hands might fall off any second. Even Fred and George were ecstatic; each were shaking Ron’s hands as they danced around him in a circle, spinning him in circles as they did so, joining in Charlie with his singing.
When the celebration died down, Ron looked at Fred and George disbelievingly.
“You’re not going to make a laugh of me over this? You’re not disappointed?” he asked dubiously.
“What? Are you kidding “ we’ve matured over the past couple of years, Ronald!” Fred said, feigning offence.
“Besides “ Mum will be overjoyed… this will make her day. No “ her year!” George said. “This is exactly what she needs. Splendid work, little brother!”
At this point, Percy shoved Fred and George out of the way to shake Ron’s hand.
“This is excellent, Ron “ simply excellent,” he said; he looked a little teary-eyed.
“Did you just shove us?” Fred asked, looking at Percy as though for the first time.
“Excellent progress, Perce “ simply excellent!” George exclaimed, taking Percy’s hand and shaking it emphatically.
Harry approached Ron and clapped him on the back.
“Congratulations,” he said. Unlike two years ago when Ron had received his Prefect badge, Harry felt thoroughly overjoyed that his best friend had received the Head Boy title.
“This is unbelievable…” Ron said. “And Mum “ George is right, Mum will love this…”
“And just wait until Hermione finds out…” Harry told him, grinning.
Before Ron could respond, the kitchen door flew open and Mrs. Weasley came in, looking quite angry indeed.
“What is going on here?” she snapped. “There is absolutely NO REASON FOR YOU TO MAKE SUCH A RUCKUS!”
“I’d bet you a thousand galleons you’re wrong on that Mum…” Fred said, grinning at his mother.
Mrs. Weasley turned her deadly stare to Fred, and his smile vanished as he jumped a few feet away from his mother. George shoved Ron forward.
“Mum “ ” Ron started.
“Yes, Ronald Bilius?” she asked through her teeth.
“I’m Head Boy.”
Mrs. Weasley seemed to have frozen and stopped breathing in quite the same manner that the others had when the news was announced. Her eyes narrowed momentarily, as she looked at all her sons and Harry, as though trying to figure out if they were joking. They smiled earnestly back at her; Charlie nodded.
“You’re “ you… my Ron… is Head Boy?” she said, her eyes getting misty.
“Yeah…” Ron said.
What happened next was certainly not what Harry had expected: Mrs. Weasley began to jump up and down. Her flaming red hair bounced as she grabbed Ron and continued to jump about ecstatically. She then began to sob as she took off running in circles about the kitchen, looking quite overjoyed, indeed. After a few laps around the table, she grabbed Ron again, and jumped up and down some more. Fred, George, Harry, and Charlie exchanged grinning looks before joining Ron and Mrs. Weasley in a huge bouncing group hug. Percy looked at them, quite shocked, but before he could decide what to make of the situation, Charlie and George grabbed him and pulled him in with the rest. After a minute of happy jumping, they stopped, quite breathless, and grinning madly. Percy looked a bit flustered, but he too couldn’t help but smile.
“So, when will be throwing the party?” Harry asked.
“I think we should wait for about week,” Mrs. Weasley said. “The Order is supposed to be quite busy until Friday…”
“Alright then “ well, I’ll have to go write Hermione,” Ron said, dashing from the kitchen.
Mrs. Weasley looked down and realized she was still in her nightgown.
“Goodness me,” she said. “I’ll have to go upstairs and change “ and then we’ll all head to Diagon Alley and get your school things…”
With that she ran from the kitchen, eyes still brimming with tears of joy.
Almost a week later, a day before Ron’s party which, after receiving an owl from Hermione announcing that she had been chosen Head Girl, was actually now officially ‘Ron and Hermione’s’ party, Bill and Fleur arrived back from their honeymoon in Spain. Fleur greeted Mrs. Weasley with a huge hug, while Bill, with twice as many freckles, stumbled through the front door carrying twice as much luggage he and his new wife had left with.
“Ronald! We were delighted when we received your owl. What wonderful news!” Fleur said. “Congratulations “ oh, you must be so proud Molly! And ‘Ermione is ‘Ead Girl, no?” Fleur asked.
“Yeah…” Ron said, giving his sister-in-law a hug, too. “And nobody’s happier about it than she is…”
“I shall be sure to tell Charlotte the good news,” Fleur said mischievously. “In the meantime, I want you and ‘Ermione to look after Ella at ‘Ogwarts.”
“Oh “ is Gabrielle going to Hogwarts, then?” Ron asked.
“Yes, my mother and father are moving to England in a few months, so they thought it best she go to ‘Ogwarts,” Fleur said. “She was supposed to be starting Beauxbatons this year, but she is much more excited about this…”
“So, following in my footsteps then, Ron?” Bill said, after finally putting the luggage on the floor.
“You’re not the only Head Boy in the family,” Percy said.
“Yeah “ well you were following in my footsteps, too, Perce…” Bill told him, grinning.
“Bill and Fleur have arrived?” Fred called, as he stepped of the bottom step of the stairs.
“Excellent,” George said, coming behind him. “I suppose you’ve brought us presents?”
“Nice to see you too, George…”
“How was Spain?” Mrs. Weasley asked.
“Oh, it was very nice,” Fleur said. “Though, I ‘ad to stay inside a lot, because the sun was very bright, and it was too much for my delicate skin…”
“But we had a great time,” Bill said. “And, George, you can stop eyeing the bags… we brought gifts…”
-
“RON! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”
Hermione flung herself across the threshold of Grimmauld Place and straight into Ron’s arms. When she finally let go of Ron, Harry noticed that she had her new Head Girl badge pinned onto her blue jumper.
“Hermione “ you don’t think you’re being a bit too enthusiastic about this?” Harry asked bemusedly, as he held the door open for the Grangers, Mr. Bell, Libby Bell (Katie’s older sister), and Katie “ the last of whom he greeted with a kiss.
“How have you been?” he asked her.
“I’ve been missing you,” she said.
“I missed you too…” Harry said. “I suppose.”
“Excuse me?” Katie asked, raising her eyebrow.
“I’m just joking,” Harry grinned. “Of course I missed you.”
“Perhaps one day you might not have to miss me…” Katie said slyly.
“And what’s that supposed to “”
“Isn’t it wonderful, Harry? Who’d have thought that both of us would be chosen “” Hermione interrupted them, her face shining with joy.
“Well, I’d say you were a shoe-in from the moment you walked through the Entrance Hall,” Ron told her. “That didn’t come as a surprise, at all…”
Harry glanced at Katie and mouthed ‘later’.
“Well, I certainly wasn’t surprised you got it, Ron,” Hermione said matter-of-factly as they headed for the kitchen.
“Funny, Hermione…” Ron said, his ears turning pink.
“No, really “ These positions are chosen according to intelligence, leadership qualities, behavior, and moral fiber. Out of all the other seventh year prefects, you’re the one whose shown outstanding courage and the ability to lead your peers “ the Quidditch team for example… and then there’s your grades, I mean, despite your lack of academic drive, you did above average on your O.W.L.’s, and you’ve improved steadily over the last year…”
“Alright, Hermione,” Ron cut her off. “We get it…I’m an amazing well-rounded human being. And I here I was thinking that you fell for me because of my devilishly-handsome Weasley looks…”
“Well, that too,” Hermione grinned. “But I certainly hope that’s not why Dumbledore gave you the position.”
Harry laughed as he opened to the door to the kitchen, and the group of them went inside, where they were greeted by a din of cheers and applause.
“Three cheers for the new Head Boy and Girl!” Percy said pompously, and for once, everyone heeded him.
“Give her a kiss!” Fred shouted.
Ron and Hermione blushed, but didn’t hesitate in doing good on the request. A camera flashed as Ron gave Hermione a quick kiss on the lips, pulling away with a nervous glance at Mr. Granger, and everyone cheered again.
“Oh, Ron, dear,” Mrs. Weasley said. “I forgot to ask you “ what do you want?”
“What d’you mean?” he asked.
“A present “ to congratulate you…”
“Oh…yeah…”
Harry knew that money was no longer a concern for the Weasleys, and Ron now had the opportunity to ask for anything he’d ever wanted. But Ron didn’t ask for anything “ He just looked at the glowing Hermione and at the smiling faces of Harry and the Weasleys, looking more content than Harry had ever seen him.
“Don’t worry about it, Mum “ I already have everything I want…”