Ginny had always thought that the Department of Magical Transportation was run by a rather hopeless lot and in all her years as a sports journalist for the Daily Prophet she had encountered a plethora of cases that the Department had covered up in regards to criminal broom flying and not to mention their willful ignorance towards illegal Portkeys being used to smuggle magical goods and products internationally.
Yet despite all of that, she found herself waiting for the officials to brief her on her Ancient Age Flying Test.
After the Broom Regulations Reforms of 2059, all wizards above the age of a hundred of fifteen were now required to take the test if they wished to continue flying their brooms, when previously the age had been a hundred and sixty years. The reform had come quick after Sadie Phillips, a senile old witch, flew over a Muggle town in Devon and crash landed onto the streets as a result of her erratic flying only for the pictures of the whole incident to be captured on strange Muggle devices by the name of cellphones.
Thinking of just how had she ended up here, Ginny simply sighed. The Department was notorious for their inability to maintain proper records and handing out flying permits to seniors, the thought of which worried Ginny because she simply couldn't imagine a world where she couldn't fly her Nimbus.
She was now older than Dumbledore ever had been, her hair mostly grey with a few wisps of red, wearing a hairnet to keep her coif in place.
Over the years, Ginny's warm smile never faded and now whenever she did smile, her face was lush with laugh lines and a healthy sum of wrinkles which she felt incredibly lucky and proud to have earned. Though after years of having played for the Holly Head Harpies and her job as the sports editor for the Prophet her legs had worn out and she almost always needed a cane to walk around.
All this while her beauty never dulled over the years.
Clutching the handle of her cane, she saw and realized that most wizards and the witches in the room who were applying for the test were all far older than her, most of them in their hundred and sixties and accompanied by their children or um, grandchildren.
The officials hadn't yet returned and just as the wait got even more excruciating, Ginny's attention turned toward a rather familiar face who was being wheeled into the room by a young girl.
The Malfoys were never the sort of family who would mingle with those they considered beneath them but over the years Draco had done plenty to alter that mindset especially after his father's fall from grace.
They still had that air of aristocracy about them but their biases against Muggleborns were comparatively far tamer now, so when Draco nodded in acknowledgement at Ginny, she was a bit taken back and decided to return the nod.
Not a single word was spoken as both Malfoy and Ginny took to their seats.
Oh, just how people change!
The young girl, who if Ginny were correct, was most likely his great-granddaughter.
Ah yes, the math would be about right.
With the typical blond Malfoy locks, the young girl seemed to take after her great-grandma Astoria in everything else. With the wait becoming more insufferable by the second, she simply stood by Draco over his wheelchair, rubbing her great-grandfather's shoulders to comfort him and occasionally playing with his hair just to keep him engaged, all while not speaking much at all.
Fliers were now being distributed to all the candidates reminding them of the general guidelines while flying in their later years.
Knowing just how incompetent the Department was, Ginny simply rolled her eyes as she put on her thick glasses, knowing fully well that they'd do little to properly regulate it all.
Guideline No. 12: It is advisable that seniors keep their brooms' speeds at less than 45KPH at all times to avoid the risk of a heart failure.
Guideline No. 37: Wearing incontinence briefs is recommended while on a broom as pelvic muscles may weaken due to flying.
Guideline No. 55: Always carry a Remembrall with you so you do not forget your destination and end up crashing in Muggle habitats.
Ginny recalled Hermione's struggles with her incontinence which was one of the major reasons she had stopped using a broom and by extention Harry too, who was now forbidden by his wife to take up flying, much to the old man's agony.
Elsewhere, Draco struggled to get up from his wheelchair as the young girl helped him make his way inside.
Ginny leaned heavily on her cane, slowly making her way in too, her hand on her back as announcements were being made on just how important it was to pass the test given that Apparation and Portkeys weren't suitable for the elderly.
A young witch sat by the desk asking for the candidates' names so she could verify their records though Ginny was sure that the Department surely must have messed up a thing or two in hers and that was if she were lucky. A more likely scenario was that her records simply didn't exist.
"Ginny Weasley, dear," the old lady said.
To Ginny's absolute shock, not only did the record exist but was also very accurate. Everything from her age to that one flying violation she had committed when she was eighty-seven had been properly listed.
Woah, um, okay!
Ginny simply thanked the girl by the desk and moved on, her eyes still fixated on her record.
Once she had calmed down, she made her way in for the first trial with Draco joining in several moments later, heavily relying on support from his great-granddaughter.
The trials were to be held on a vast open field and just as Ginny entered she saw several officials zooming past on their brooms casting charms all over the fields.
"Salus Rete," all of them shouted as a silvery-white wisp emerged from their wands as they raced from one end of the field to the other on their brooms, their wands pointed toward the ground with the wisps casting a sort of magical safety net to protect the elders from hitting the ground should they fall off their brooms during the trials.
The first trial sought to check if the eyesight of the applicants was in order and just how far they could see in case and quickly dodge in case something was headed right their way. Ginny put on her glasses and kicked off on the Ministry-supplied broom, hating every second of it because she considered the rusty old thing a complete travesty compared to her Nimbus back home!
Ginny effortlessly cleared the trial, dodging all sorts of magically conjured hurdles including a flock of ravens, flying cars, unmounted brooms and even a rushing horse carriage coming her way. She was the first who had cleared it as most other applicants had ended up colliding and crashing down to the magical safety net, the cries and gasps from the children and grandchildren swelling more and more each time someone fell.
Maybe it was that she was a professional Quidditch player in her youth or maybe just that she was the youngest of the elderly lot!
Draco's sight wasn't too bad for his age but his slowness simply meant it was difficult dodging at the precise timing but in the end, he did manage to pass the trial.
Once the first trial had ended, the second commenced almost immediately. This one intended to test just how long it took for the applicants to cover the entire field whilst confining themselves to the speed limit of 45KPH in place for all elderly wizards.
Ginny had always thought the law was stupid because she could easily handle speeds far surpassing the prescribed limit and be just fine but oh well, the Ministry was the Ministry, was it not?
Once she passed the test, violating the speed limit law and racking up a fine was the first thing she intended to do!
Once she was done circling the entire field and passing the trial, she saw that the young spectators had realized she once played for the Harpies, all while they were charmed by just how well the old lady could handle herself on the broom.
Each candidate that passed the first trial managed to clear the second one with relative ease which meant that now all that was left was the final one and the easiest of them all; a hearing ability test.
Harry would fail this one, for sure!
The hearing test had been deemed important by the Ministry because hearing against the wind was already a task and could prove fatal if proper attention was not paid.
Ginny was now utterly spent, both mentally and physically, and decided she could use a drink or two once she was done with this ordeal so when she finally was handed her permit after the tests, she couldn't possibly be happier but before she could, Draco called after her.
"Weasley!" he yelled, pushing himself forward on his wheelchair, the young girl following her great-grandfather.
Ginny didn't quite know how to react to that, she hadn't seen nor spoken to the man in years.
"This is Sofie, my, erm, great-granddaughter and uh, she was wondering if she could get an autograph of yours-," but before he could finish, "-I'm a huge fan of yours ever since your days with the Holly Head Harpies," the young girl said breathlessly.
This was most unexpected, Ginny thought but of course, this was indeed a pleasant surprise!
"Hey there Sofie..." Ginny said, her smile warm and welcoming.
The young girl then proceeded to tell her all about her fascination with Ginny's career and accomplishments not just with the Harpies but also during her time as the sports editor for the Prophet.
Ginny was genuinely touched by the girl's zeal and enthusiasm, taking an instant liking to the girl. Sofie then Accioed a picture of Ginny's during her youth from Malfoy Manor which the old lady gladly signed with a blowkiss etched in ink along with her autograph.
Th girl who had been so quiet when she had first entered the room was now suddenly raving as she thanked Ginny a million times over with the old lady deciding to let her in on some of the stories from her youth and tips for Quidditch which only made Sofie squeal in delight even more.
"I would hope to meet you soon again, darling," Ginny said, planting a kiss on the young girl's cheek before inviting her for tea the very next week to which she happily agreed.
Ginny once again shared a smile with the girl and nodded at Draco as they took her leave.
There, that was pleasant!
The old lady was in a rather jolly mood as she headed down to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink before inevitably deciding against it once she had actually reached the place, instead hoping to check out some brooms at Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Flashing her Ancient Age Flying Permit, she bought for herself the new Starsweeper, pleased with its sturdy build and unmatched speed. Truly happy, the old lady headed from the busy main street to a nearly empty alley intending to make off with her new broom but before she could, "Hand over all of them Galleons, old woman," a young voice gravelled.
As Ginny turned around, she saw a young man of about twenty, dressed in rags, teeth reeking of a foul smell and hair disheveled, raising his wand at her.
"Don't make me do this, young man," Ginny sighed, her wand casually raised.
"Just hand over that purse of yours 'long with that broom and I'll let you go," he croaked.
Oh, this young moron!
Ginny simply rolled her eyes as she cast a Bat-Bogey Hex at the fool who erupted before tossing him a Knut, "get a shower, young man," she said, smirking.
As the lad yelled to be saved from the swarming bats right out of his bogeys, Ginny kicked off her Starsweeper, soaring into the sky, fully intending to earn her first violation and break that stupid speed limit the Ministry had prescribed for the elderly.
(Next Update will be out in a few hours!! Got the entire weekend free so you can also expect a new chapter for the main fic!)