Come Home
Dear Percy,
You only left a few hours ago and already I feel like you've been gone forever. I keep going into your room and looking around at it. I've memorized the few things that you left behind - your picture, a dirty pillowcase, that Gryffindor lamp that Bill gave you when you were twelve. You also left your old prefect badge, and I've pinned it to the paper, because I don't think you forgot it on purpose.
I'm already afraid that I'm going to forget what you look like, or what you smell like. I can't remember what you usually sounded like, I can only remember the sound of your voice shaking my bedroom floor. I can remember running down the stairs and into Ron, who was standing at the bottom.
Mum hasn't stopped crying and Dad went out for a walk before dinner. He hasn't come back yet. Fred and George aren't talking or anything - I went by their room on the way to yours. Ron is in the cellar, and I think he's just in shock. Bill found me in your room and left in a hurry; I think he started to cry when he saw that you didn't bring your lamp.
And me? I don't know if you care, but I'm crying too. This is awful, Percy. Please come home. Come home soon.
Love, your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
I know it's only been a day since my last owl, but I can't stand this anymore. I slept in your room last night, I couldn't help it. Seeing Pig without any reply at all hurts, I guess. Maybe I'm in denial, but I keep hoping you're going to walk in any minute now and give me a big hug like you do after I used to have nightmares. Bill went to get groceries because Mum hadn't thought to. She didn't sleep last night, and cried instead, I could tell because she had black circles under her eyes and red around the rest of them. I don't know if Dad came back last night, but he still hadn't when I went to sleep. Ron was the one who woke me up; they'd searched the rest of the house but no one, not even Fred or George, could stand to come in your room without danger of crying.
I don't know why you're doing this to us all. I can't believe that you honestly think all the awful things Minister Fudge is saying are true. You know Harry, Percy! They're making him out to be some sort of madman! After all he's been through, he doesn't deserve all this disbelief. He saved my life, Percy, and I don't think you remember or understand that. If not for him, I would have been dead. And you know what happened in his first year - he stopped Professor Quirrel from getting the Sorceror's Stone. You can't deny any of that. He saved all of us, and he risked his life for us, and you question his credibility. I'd thought better of you. I thought you were reasonable.
And Dumbledore - how could you believe what they're saying about him? How could you? He's the one who's held up the Wizarding World for years now, he fought Voldemort in the old days.
Charlie sent Mum an owl. I don't know what it said, but she started crying again when she read it. I don't think an hour's gone by since yesterday afternoon that she hasn't cried. You're tearing us apart, Percy. I don't understand. Please write to me. I'm afraid for you. You could be a target now that Voldemort's back, whether you believe he is or not.
You said yesterday Dad's got no ambition. Well, I guess that's why he wasn't in Slytherin House, isn't it?
Whatever else you may belive, however cold you have become, I love you always. Come home, Percy, please, before something terrible happens.
Your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
I slept in your room again last night - I guess that's just going to be the way it is from now on. Dad came back just this morning. We're leaving the Burrow. I can't tell you where we're going, but I guess you know where our loyalties lie, even if yours aren't the same. I'm packing the last of your things, but I guess the lamp will have to stay. Dad woke me up this morning, and he hasn't spoken a word except, "Pass the salt, George," since coming back. We had eggs this morning, and Mum started crying again, because she made one too many. Dad ate the one that would have been yours - it was even in your style, poached with no salt and just a touch of sugar on the top. I've always thought that was odd, but Dad ate it just how it was.
When I found out your lamp wouldn't fit, I had to go around to see if anyone else had room. George and Fred almost did, but they were afraid it would break. I haven't seen either of them cry, I think they're just angry at you for doing this to us. In all honesty I can't blame them. I could be angry, but I'm not. The Sorting Hat thought about putting me in Slytherin for the ambition I had then. It didn't, though, because it thought I was more a Gryffindor. It thought you were more a Gryffindor too, Perce.
When I asked Bill if he had enough room for the lamp in his things, he burst into tears.
Please write to us, Percy. Please. I love you, always.
Your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
If the Minister of Magic wants you to put a Locating Charm on this letter, you're welcome to. It won't work. Nothing will. We're here in secret and every letter has to be charmed, and anyway, I always send the letter from outside so it can't track. I've begun to wonder whether you even read these, or whether you throw them into the fire as if they were poison.
I thought you like Cedric, Percy. I really did - I mean, he was only a year younger than you and he was very kind, and polite. Remember in your sixth year how he helped you resolve that argument in the halls? You told me about that, positively beaming that someone else in the school cared about order. Cedric Diggory, you told me his name was. Percy, he trusted Harry.
I can't tell you who is or isn't in the house, but I can tell you that we all wish you had never left. I wish we were still at home too. Then there could be a chance of you coming home. Now there really isn't, Perce, and I'm starting to lose hope that you will before Voldemort attacks. Trust me, Percy, that's going to be soon, and he's going to do it by trying to take out the leaders. Be careful, Percy, please, for my sake.
I wish you'd write back, just once, just a few words of acknoledgement that I'm still here. Without that, I'm not even sure that I am.
I love you.
Your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
You only left a few hours ago and already I feel like you've been gone forever. I keep going into your room and looking around at it. I've memorized the few things that you left behind - your picture, a dirty pillowcase, that Gryffindor lamp that Bill gave you when you were twelve. You also left your old prefect badge, and I've pinned it to the paper, because I don't think you forgot it on purpose.
I'm already afraid that I'm going to forget what you look like, or what you smell like. I can't remember what you usually sounded like, I can only remember the sound of your voice shaking my bedroom floor. I can remember running down the stairs and into Ron, who was standing at the bottom.
Mum hasn't stopped crying and Dad went out for a walk before dinner. He hasn't come back yet. Fred and George aren't talking or anything - I went by their room on the way to yours. Ron is in the cellar, and I think he's just in shock. Bill found me in your room and left in a hurry; I think he started to cry when he saw that you didn't bring your lamp.
And me? I don't know if you care, but I'm crying too. This is awful, Percy. Please come home. Come home soon.
Love, your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
I know it's only been a day since my last owl, but I can't stand this anymore. I slept in your room last night, I couldn't help it. Seeing Pig without any reply at all hurts, I guess. Maybe I'm in denial, but I keep hoping you're going to walk in any minute now and give me a big hug like you do after I used to have nightmares. Bill went to get groceries because Mum hadn't thought to. She didn't sleep last night, and cried instead, I could tell because she had black circles under her eyes and red around the rest of them. I don't know if Dad came back last night, but he still hadn't when I went to sleep. Ron was the one who woke me up; they'd searched the rest of the house but no one, not even Fred or George, could stand to come in your room without danger of crying.
I don't know why you're doing this to us all. I can't believe that you honestly think all the awful things Minister Fudge is saying are true. You know Harry, Percy! They're making him out to be some sort of madman! After all he's been through, he doesn't deserve all this disbelief. He saved my life, Percy, and I don't think you remember or understand that. If not for him, I would have been dead. And you know what happened in his first year - he stopped Professor Quirrel from getting the Sorceror's Stone. You can't deny any of that. He saved all of us, and he risked his life for us, and you question his credibility. I'd thought better of you. I thought you were reasonable.
And Dumbledore - how could you believe what they're saying about him? How could you? He's the one who's held up the Wizarding World for years now, he fought Voldemort in the old days.
Charlie sent Mum an owl. I don't know what it said, but she started crying again when she read it. I don't think an hour's gone by since yesterday afternoon that she hasn't cried. You're tearing us apart, Percy. I don't understand. Please write to me. I'm afraid for you. You could be a target now that Voldemort's back, whether you believe he is or not.
You said yesterday Dad's got no ambition. Well, I guess that's why he wasn't in Slytherin House, isn't it?
Whatever else you may belive, however cold you have become, I love you always. Come home, Percy, please, before something terrible happens.
Your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
I slept in your room again last night - I guess that's just going to be the way it is from now on. Dad came back just this morning. We're leaving the Burrow. I can't tell you where we're going, but I guess you know where our loyalties lie, even if yours aren't the same. I'm packing the last of your things, but I guess the lamp will have to stay. Dad woke me up this morning, and he hasn't spoken a word except, "Pass the salt, George," since coming back. We had eggs this morning, and Mum started crying again, because she made one too many. Dad ate the one that would have been yours - it was even in your style, poached with no salt and just a touch of sugar on the top. I've always thought that was odd, but Dad ate it just how it was.
When I found out your lamp wouldn't fit, I had to go around to see if anyone else had room. George and Fred almost did, but they were afraid it would break. I haven't seen either of them cry, I think they're just angry at you for doing this to us. In all honesty I can't blame them. I could be angry, but I'm not. The Sorting Hat thought about putting me in Slytherin for the ambition I had then. It didn't, though, because it thought I was more a Gryffindor. It thought you were more a Gryffindor too, Perce.
When I asked Bill if he had enough room for the lamp in his things, he burst into tears.
Please write to us, Percy. Please. I love you, always.
Your sister,
Ginny
Dear Percy,
If the Minister of Magic wants you to put a Locating Charm on this letter, you're welcome to. It won't work. Nothing will. We're here in secret and every letter has to be charmed, and anyway, I always send the letter from outside so it can't track. I've begun to wonder whether you even read these, or whether you throw them into the fire as if they were poison.
I thought you like Cedric, Percy. I really did - I mean, he was only a year younger than you and he was very kind, and polite. Remember in your sixth year how he helped you resolve that argument in the halls? You told me about that, positively beaming that someone else in the school cared about order. Cedric Diggory, you told me his name was. Percy, he trusted Harry.
I can't tell you who is or isn't in the house, but I can tell you that we all wish you had never left. I wish we were still at home too. Then there could be a chance of you coming home. Now there really isn't, Perce, and I'm starting to lose hope that you will before Voldemort attacks. Trust me, Percy, that's going to be soon, and he's going to do it by trying to take out the leaders. Be careful, Percy, please, for my sake.
I wish you'd write back, just once, just a few words of acknoledgement that I'm still here. Without that, I'm not even sure that I am.
I love you.
Your sister,
Ginny