Fairy Tales

Chapter 8: Arabian Nights

"Arthur, come down here, please. You've received a very official looking envelope, and the owl is waiting for a reply," Molly called up the stairs worriedly, looking fearfully at the letter. She hoped that it was not terrible news.

"I'm here, I'm here. Please, don't worry! I'm sure everything is all right. It's been very quiet this summer at work, and none of the children have got into any mischief," Mr. Weasley uttered calmly. Then, looking closely at his wife, he asked, "Have they?"

"No, of course not, Arthur. You would've known if they had."

He picked up the envelope and turned it over, examining it carefully. "It seems okay, and doesn't look dangerous, but please step back while I open it." Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Weasley recognized the owl that had delivered the package, so it never hurt to be cautious, especially after what had happened with Ginny last term.

He gingerly slit open one side of the envelope and pulled out an official looking document. As his eyes skimmed the page, he gasped, and with a trembling hand, reached over and tugged a chair out from under the table, shakily collapsing into it. He couldn't catch his breath, even long enough to tell Molly what the letter said, so he passed the document to her.

Fearing the worst, she grasped it, and began to read. Her reaction was a carbon copy of her husband's, except for the tears in her eyes. Even knowing that the children would be downstairs soon, and that their behavior would scare them, didn't release them from their shock.

They just sat there in utter silence, staring at each other across the table, the letter forgotten in Molly's hand. Positive that someone was playing an elaborate prank on them, Mr. Weasley just couldn't figure out who would have the resources for this detailed a joke.

The children found them still sitting there in shock a few minutes later, when they came down to breakfast.

With a worried look around, George checked out the kitchen door, while Fred gently removed the letter from his mother's hand, and started reading it aloud.

Mr. Arthur Weasley
The Burrow Kitchen
Ottery St Catchpole
Devon

Dear Mister Weasley,

Every year, the owners of the Daily Prophet try to return some of our earnings to the public. We have tried many different contest and-or giveaways and the best received by our readers has been the Annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Draw.

Therefore, it is with great delight that I can inform you, Mr. Weasley, that you have won the Grand Prize in our Annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Draw. This year's prize is seven hundred Galleons.

I am sure that you will want to take delivery of your prize as soon as possible. To obtain your winnings, please come to the Daily Prophet's business office, which is open between the hours of eight a.m. and five p.m., Monday through Friday. If necessary, we will make special arrangements to accommodate you, should you not be available during afore mentioned hours.

Please visit me at a suitable time to receive your winnings.

Sincerely,
Victor Knut Golden
Chief Financial Officer, Daily Prophet

By the time Fred had finished reading, there were five more shocked Weasleys sitting around the table.

Arthur was the first to shake off the astonishment the announcement had caused him. Merlin that was a small fortune. He had never worried about money, there had always been enough, not plentiful, but enough for the necessities of life. His wife and he believed that family, love, happiness, and friends were more important. "Well Molly, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Arthur. Just stunned. That is a lot of money. How did this happen? Did you enter a contest?"

"No, I didn't. I don't have any idea how we won. Did one of you children enter me in anything?" Arthur looked at each of his children, who were all shaking their heads. "Well, hopefully, all our questions will be answered when I go to see this," he picked up the letter and read, "Victor Knut Golden. I will make an appointment as soon as possible."

After scribbling a reply, saying that he would be in touch, and sending the owl on its way, he said, "Now, I'm late for work, so I need to get going. Molly, I'll let you know when I find out something." He rose and, after kissing his wife, Apparated to the Ministry with a quiet pop.

With the exit of their Dad, pandemonium broke out around the table, as the children all started talking at once. Everyone was too excited to wait for a lull in the conversation. Fred and George were doing a jig around the table. They grabbed their Mum to dance with her when she rose to turn the burner on under the kettle. She felt that they all deserved a warm cup of tea. Breakfast could wait for a little while as she thought that they were too worked up to eat anyway.

As the noise in the kitchen grew to a deafening roar, Mum decided it was time to bring a little order to her children. "All right, children. Please stop. This isn't getting us anywhere, and I can't even hear myself think, let alone all of you speak. Relax for a moment, and gather your thoughts, while I finish brewing the tea. Then we'll talk."

Molly passed around the tea and joined them at the table. Looking to her right, she nodded at Ginny, and said, "To keep some sort of order to this discussion we'll start with Ginny and go around the table. Please be respectful of each other and don't interrupt."

Ginny, with her bright red hair braided and her honey brown eyes reflecting the seriousness in which she took this question, spoke quietly. "Mum, for the first time ever I get to be first, only I have no idea what to say. I'm happy the way things are. Why not just place the money in our Gringotts vault and forget it? I have enough to deal with right now and need to spend a quiet summer here with my family. Don't get me wrong, I would love new robes, and things like that instead of second hand ones, but right now it just doesn't seem important." She looked at Ron as if to say 'your turn'.

Ron reached over and squeezed her hand in understanding, as he knew some of what had happened to her. Then, with a look around, he said, "I don't know about you guys, but I could really use a new wand. I can't cast any spell correctly with my broken one. I appreciate that it's my fault it got broken, I shouldn't have taken Dad's car, but I think I suffered enough having to use it all last year. Those slugs were awful. And really that is the only thing that I need. George, you next."

"I'll say what we're all thinking. This is brilliant, and Mum, you and Dad deserve it, but as long as we're dreaming, I would wish for a new broom. Our Cleansweep Fives are the slowest brooms on the House team. It would be amazing to have a newer one." He nodded at his twin and grinned.

Fred grinned back, and he took a deep breath. He had been listening and everyone was being so serious. He thought this would be an excellent chance to lighten the mood. "The way I see it, we should throw a party and have some fun. We are all sitting here with long faces, as if this were a bad thing. Dad just won a small fortune! Ginny wants to ignore it; Ron wants a wand, which, if he's to go back to school, he's going to need anyway. George, even you sound practical; you only want a broom. Let's do something fun."

"That would be such a waste. Fred, why don't you grow up?" Percy said. "Mum and Dad deserve something nice. We didn't win anything. Dad won the Galleons. Why are we trying to spend it, especially on such trivial things?"

"Percy, I said to be respectful towards each other, and that was quite rude. As for the rest of you, a party is definitely out, Fred. Dad and I know you need a new wand, Ron, and we have already decided to get you one. George, it seems to me that your Cleansweep Fives are just fine, they are still quite good brooms." Molly was suddenly tired of this subject. Money just wasn't as important as her family. What Ginny had said earlier was bothering her, and she felt the need to have a chat with her daughter. "Now it's time for you boys to go de-gnome the garden, and there had better not be any left when I come out to inspect it."

The speech did not mention Ginny, but none of the boys wanted to bring this to their Mum's attention and, seeing the look in her eyes, they rose obediently and headed out of the door. When their Mum looked like that, they were even afraid to remind her that they hadn't eaten yet.

As Ginny started to follow them, her Mum asked, "Honey, will you wait for just a few minutes? I would like to talk with you."

She returned to her seat and looked inquiring at her Mum. "Alright Mum, what did you want to talk about. Have I done something wrong?" She waited anxiously. She could not think of anything she had done lately that would have landed her in trouble. Since returning home from Hogwarts, she had been keeping a low profile, and spending most of the time in her room.

Although Dumbledore had suggested that they didn't force Ginny to talk, and that Ginny would come to them when she was ready, Molly thought that a conversation was necessary. He felt that it would be best if they waited for her to approach them. However, she had heard whimpering coming from her room at night, and she looked so troubled. "Sweetheart, I don't want to pry, but you don't look like you're getting enough rest. Would you like to talk to me about something? Are you worried about something? Or someone?"

"No Mum, not really. I am still having nightmares about last term most nights. They wake me up and then I'm afraid to go back to sleep." Ginny didn't know if she was ready to talk about that time yet. She wasn't sure that her Mum could handle everything that had happened.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry. Why haven't you said anything before now? It's been almost a month, and I wanted to let you come to me, but I think you need to talk to someone about this."

"You and Dad were wonderful about the whole episode, but I knew you were both disappointed in me. I didn't want to bring it up. I wanted to just forget it." Tears welled up in her eyes. "The nightmares are so appalling, Mum. I can hear Tom, bragging repeatedly about how he is going to murder Harry, and I see it happening. I know that it didn't, but I can't wake myself up! Every time I close my eyes, I'm afraid I'll see him dead again!" The tears started falling as she sobbed.

After finally telling someone about her horrible nightmares, she actually felt better, just knowing that she wasn't alone with her dreams. She knew that they weren't real, but while submerged in the nightmares she had trouble remembering that Harry had survived. They were so vivid. She could see and even smell the blood that had drenched his robes.

Mrs. Weasley was stunned, as this was the first time Ginny had spoken about what had occurred in the Chamber of Secrets. Albus had told them she needed rest and not to push her to relive the trauma from the incident. Arthur and she had talked about the problem, and decided to try and walk that fine line between giving her the space she seemed to need, while coddling her to let her know that she was loved, safe, and secure at The Burrow. Maybe they had all been wrong. Maybe Ginny needed to talk about it, to get it out and cauterize the wound.

"Ginny, honey, I will check with St Mungo's and see if I can pick up a Dreamless Sleeping Draught, but they are highly addictive so they might not dispense any for a child, especially as you were given some at Hogwarts less than two months ago. I'm so sorry you thought you had to go through this by yourself. As for us being disappointed in you, you are wrong, Ginny, so wrong about that. Your Dad and I both realize that Tom Riddle had used you, and that it wasn't your fault. We didn't press you with any questions because we were hoping that you would forget more quickly if you didn't have to discuss it. That's our mistake, and I apologize for not talking to you sooner."

"Mum, I'm so sorry about the entire thing. I tried to throw the diary away once, I did, but instead of destroying it, somehow Harry got it. I was worried Tom would tell him everything I had written about him, so I stole it back. He had seemed so nice, but the entire time he was planning to use me as the bait, to lure Harry down to the dungeon and kill him. I'm afraid to trust my judgment about anything right now. I told him he was my best friend, and I thought he was, but he was so evil."

"Good people can often be deceived by evil. You just never believed that someone you cared about could be lying to you. You have trust in people, which is a good thing, Ginny. Most people are trustworthy. You just came across one who wasn't. That doesn't mean that you stop trusting everyone, just that you look a little closer at their motives before you give of yourself fully."

Her Mum reached over and gave her a very long, very tight hug. Then she looked at the clock and realized that she had sent the boys outside to do chores without giving them any breakfast. Not one of them had complained. "Oh goodness, your brothers must be starving. I'll get brunch on the table, if you'll go call them, please."

In the five minutes it took her brothers to wash and gather at the table, Mum had magically whipped up huge stacks of pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup, scrambled eggs and bacon, fried tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and another enormous pot of tea.

When brunch was over, Mum said, "I have to go on an errand this afternoon, and I expect you all to be on your best behavior. I will probably be gone about an hour, so please try not to destroy the house while I am gone. In fact, the garden still needs weeding, so there's plenty of work to do. Please straighten up the kitchen while I go and get ready to leave."

Rising from the table, she ascended the stairs to her room, deep in thought. She planned to stop in and see Arthur first to discuss what she had learned from Ginny this morning, and then go to St Mungo's to discover what, if anything would be helpful to stop her nightmares. She had been so worried about Ginny that she had forgotten about the prize money.

Molly came down dressed to go out to find a note from her husband on the table. He had an appointment at two p.m. with Mr. Golden, and wanted her to join him for lunch, if possible. After letting the children know that she would be gone longer than she had earlier planned, she Apparated to Diagon Alley to meet her husband at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. From there, they would walk to The Daily Prophet office.

Spying Arthur waiting, although she was a few minutes early, Molly exclaimed, "Oh, Arthur, I'm so glad we'll have a chance to talk away from The Burrow. I'm so distressed! Ginny finally opened up to me this morning about her feelings since the incident at school. I knew she hadn't forgotten about it, but I thought she was doing a little better. It turns out she's not sleeping because she's still having nightmares about Tom."

"You mean Tom is still able to control her?" he questioned with concern.

"No dear, these are about what could have happened. Let's order and then I'll tell you everything."

They dined quietly while they talked over what to do about their daughter. Until Molly visited St Mungo's and spoke with a Healer, they really couldn't decide on a plan of action. They were too worried that whatever they did would make things worse.

Leaving The Leaky Cauldron, they walked hand in hand towards The Daily Prophet building, still deep in discussion. When they entered the offices, Mr Golden's secretary quickly escorted them to his comfortable waiting room.

Arthur was flabbergasted that the receptionist had recognized him, as if he were important. This had never happened to him before, and he grinned abashedly at his wife, who in turn winked at him.

A tall, distinguished wizard entered the room with an apology on his lips. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. Please forgive me. If you will step into my office, we will take care of our business quickly, as I'm sure you have questions." He ushered them through to a spacious room with deep red carpeting and comfortable leather chairs around a huge oval table. "Can I get either of you anything before we start?"

Arthur looked questioningly at Molly, who shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Okay. Mr. Weasley, as I said in my letter, you have won the Grand Prize in this year's Draw. It is worth Seven Hundred Galleons. Any questions?"

"Well, actually, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but could you explain the selection process? We don't remember entering a contest, and my children stated they hadn't either."

"Of course not. Every time someone bought a paper this past year, his or her name went into the pool. Out of over ten million entries, your name was drawn. Any other questions?"

Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shook their heads. They were still in awe of winning.

"Good. Well then, here is a bank draft for the money. Would you like me to accompany you to Gringotts, or would you like to go at your leisure? I assure you that everything is in order." He then handed the draft to Arthur.

"I think we'll let you get back to work and go by ourselves." After standing, Mr. Weasley shook hands with Mr. Golden and he and Molly left.

As they strolled towards the bank, their conversation returned to their daughter. Molly needed to leave soon if she wanted to keep her appointment with the Healer in fifteen minutes, and Arthur really needed to return to work. Therefore, on the steps of Gringotts, they split up and Molly Apparated to St Mungo's.

The Healer questioned Mrs. Weasley carefully, as she needed as much information as possible to make an informed diagnosis. Usually she would have wanted to talk with the patient, but after hearing about Ginny's nightmares and what had precipitated them, she suggested three things to change, to be done immediately, if possible.

First, Ginny needed a couple of nights' complete rest, so she gave Mrs. Weasley enough Dreamless Sleeping Draught for a week. However, she explained that she was only to dispense the draught for three nights in a row. Then she should observe Ginny for a few nights to see if the nightmares returned. If they did, she was only to administer a single dose at a time, as necessary. After seven doses, if she was still having nightmares, the Healer would need to admit her, as they would have to try stronger potions.

Secondly, Ginny needed a new diary or at least to keep a journal. This would help her to focus her thoughts before bed and to help her to understand what had happened. She needed to talk about what she could remember and discuss it in depth. This would not be easy for Mrs. Weasley, but it was necessary. Her dreams were her unconscious self, trying to handle her feelings and fears. Ginny needed to understand the problem on a conscious level so she would stop dreaming about it.

Last, if possible, she needed a complete change of scenery. Not by herself, though. She needed her family around her. Maybe the entire family could go on holiday somewhere she had never been before. A new and exciting place might help her relax while she healed. However, she needed the safety factor of having her complete family around her, so if they could not all go, then they should all stay at home. If they stayed home, the very least she would need would be to redecorate her room, so that it had a different feel about it.

Molly thanked the Healer, and Disapparated back to Diagon Alley. She went immediately to Flourish and Blotts to buy the diary.

Because she knew that her husband was also worried, she popped into his office to fill him in on the way home. They decided that the entire family should go and visit Bill in Egypt. They thanked Merlin for their sudden windfall, which would make the trip possible.

She then returned to The Burrow to find Ginny and tell her what the Healer had said. They would need to make plans to set aside time for talking quietly.

That evening at supper, Arthur made their big announcement. "Your Mum and I have decided we could all use a holiday. We will be taking a Portkey, first to Romania to pick up Charlie, and then on to Egypt to visit Bill for a month. We will leave in a week, as there are a few things on my desk that I must take care of first."

"I want all your summer schoolwork finished before we leave. You won't have as much fun if it's hanging over your heads while we're away," said their ever-practical Mum. "Why don't you children start on it right now?"

Dear Diary,
I'm rather frightened to be writing in another diary, but the Healer told Mum it would help, so here goes. I will try anything to get rid of these nightmares, and I'm tired of seeing Harry dead in my dreams. Although I know that they're not real, they certainly seem real when I'm in the middle of one.

It's exciting that we're going to Egypt. I haven't seen Bill in ages. I wonder if he's changed? I hope not, because I loved him just the way he was.

The following day, her Mum called her downstairs and explained that she felt the hour after lunch would be the best time for their talks. "I would like to begin today, Ginny. I know we're all going to be busy for the next week, but I feel that this is more important than clean and darned socks."

Ginny smiled at her Mum's comment. "But Mum, I have a lot of school work to do."

"I know! Does this mean you don't want to talk to me?"

"No, I just know how much needs to be handled before we go. I didn't want to take too much of your time."

"You know that you are much more important than any chore I might need to do. Besides, we need a break. We've been working non stop all morning." Smiling, her Mum waved her towards the kitchen door. "Come on, let's take a walk around the orchard and let this beautiful sunshine warm us."

Ginny shrugged and fell into step with her Mum. She wasn't sure what they would discuss. Her Mum really wouldn't understand why she had written in the diary. Her Mum had never lacked confidence and always knew what was the correct thing to do. She glanced at her, wondering how to open the conversations. "Mum, I don't know where to start."

"That's okay. There isn't really a starting and stopping place. Just begin wherever you're comfortable. There's no need to stress about this, Ginny."

Ginny scuffed her shoes through the grass as they walked under the trees in the orchard. When they came to the open field where they usually practiced Quidditch, she began to talk. "Mum, do you remember last summer when I had such a terrible time because I was so afraid of Harry?"

Her Mum nodded, but didn't speak, so Ginny continued. "Well, you knew I wanted to get to know Harry and that I said I loved him. When we all got to school, I thought we would just magically be friends. But, of course, that didn't happen."

Her Mum stopped and looked at her. "Ginny, we discussed this. I thought you knew that becoming friends would take time and a lot of work. It just doesn't happen overnight." Sighing she continued to walk.

Ginny thought back to how naïve that girl had acted. To believe friendship was that easy. "Yes, we did. I just didn't realize how much work and time it would take. Anyway, we were now at school, but Ron seemed to only have time for Hermione and Harry, and Harry didn't ever see me."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry."

"About this time, my new diary started writing back to me. I was homesick, lonely, and a friendship with Harry seemed so far away. Tom cared, he understood my fears, and he pretended he was also lonely. He was the perfect friend. Kind and caring, and he wanted to be my friend. He was a dream-come-true for me. He made me feel as if I were important."

Her Mum had started crying when Ginny began talking about how alone she had felt. "Oh love, I didn't know how you were feeling. Why didn't you send home an owl? We could have come for a visit, and maybe eased your worries a little bit."

She hadn't meant to make her Mum cry. Worried, she tried to ease her mind. "It wouldn't have helped. By that time, I was under his spell. He had asked me to keep him a secret, and I trusted him. I don't remember much about the attacks, just large blocks of missing time. It wasn't until the night he had me enter the Chamber that I could recall any of my dreams. And you pretty much know what happened then."

There was a lot more Ginny could have said, but the look on her Mum's face told her that this was enough for today. If they truly planned to talk each day, she could take her time with the story and use her diary and dreams to work through some of the darker aspects of what had happened to her before she talked with her Mum about it.

The week flew past with everyone scurrying around to finish last minute chores. The students completed the various essays assigned by their professors. Besides their walks, Molly had used the time washing, mending, folding, and packing the clothing for their trip, while Arthur spent every available minute at the office, clearing his desk. Finally, the evening before their departure, even Molly was satisfied with their accomplishments.

With a tired smile, she attached the luggage Portkey to the stacked trunks and activated it, to send them ahead. Bill had assured her that he would take care of their living arrangements. Now she would be able to relax.

As she thought back over the last week, she sighed heavily. Ginny had taken the Draught for the prescribed days and she looked and acted so much better. Even with the additional activity to get everything ready for their trip, Molly had been able to set aside an hour each day to talk quietly with her. Together they had continued to take leisurely walks around the area, letting the serenity of nature help with the healing process.

They had talked about everything under the sun. In the beginning, her daughter had been hesitant to discuss some things. But during the week, she had really opened up. No subject was off limits, and because of this, they had become closer than they had ever been before. Molly promised herself that these sessions would continue, even in Egypt, as they were good for both of them, and she was happy with the improvement that she could see in her daughter.

Tomorrow was the day of their departure and, as they didn't want to waste any of their holiday time, they were planning to leave at dawn. Therefore, it would be an early night at The Burrow.

Her husband gently woke her the following morning early so she had time for any last minute emergencies that would need her expertise. As Molly went downstairs on autopilot to start some porridge and get the tea on, her husband continued around the house rousing their children.

In a very short time, they were sitting around the table, the Weasley children's eyes wide in anticipation and excitement. They had wolfed down breakfast and, with everyone helping with cleanup, they were soon ready to leave.

"Okay Weasleys, gather around. Is everyone touching the Portkey?" With six happy nods, Arthur activated the Portkey for the first leg of the journey, "Portus Charlie", and with a jerk behind their navels, they were traveling swiftly to Romania to pick him up.

When they arrived in Romania, Ginny, Ron, and the Twins managed to fall amid a tangle of arms and legs. Arthur steadied his wife so that the ones rolling around on the floor would not trip her up.

Percy looked on disdainfully, without a thought of actually helping anyone to his or her feet.

"Hi, everyone." Charlie hugged his Mum and Dad before assisting his little sister up off the floor. "Everybody all right?" With plenty of laughter, all confirmed they were fine and ready to travel on to Cairo.

The Weasleys gathered around the Portkey again, which had become even harder to do this time, with the addition of Charlie, but they managed, and in the blink of an eye, they were in Bill's apartment in Egypt.

Bill had magicked three extra bedrooms into his flat, and he had already levitated their trunks into the correct rooms. After greeting his family, he suggested that they take the morning to settle in and get comfortable, as there would be plenty of time to explore, and he showed them around their temporary home.

In an effort to make his parents as comfortable as possible, he had duplicated his Mum and Dad's room from The Burrow, knowing that they would appreciate the normalcy of being home away from home. His five brothers were sharing a large airy room. He knew this would give them time for bonding and the space for lots of pranks, games, and just being boys.

Ginny would be in a boudoir straight from the Arabian Nights. He had gone all out to make hers as different from her room at home as possible. The four-poster, windows, and veranda doors were all draped in light green lace, and the painted walls were a slightly darker shade of green. Tucked into nooks and crannies were potted plants, to resemble a small shady glade, just waiting for her to come along and sprawl on the piles of plush pillows thrown haphazardly around. He hoped the room would beckon to Ginny to come, daydream, and leave all her worries and cares at the door. One entire wall was glass, with a tiny balcony for relaxing that held a table and two chairs that would be just perfect for afternoon tea. The balcony overlooked a courtyard that surrounded a beautiful fountain carved to look like a group of dancing Genies, while water splashed out of their lamps.

Ginny and her Mum gasped with pleasure when they saw the room, and on the spot decided that they would spend the time usually reserved for their walks in this oasis of serenity that Bill had created for her. "Bill, this room is wonderful. Thank you, so much," Ginny gushed, after she had caught her breath. Her Mum pulled him into another hug with tears in her eyes.

"Your welcome, Sweetheart. I wanted to do this for you. I love you and want you to get better," he answered as he caught her up for her own hug.

Dear Diary,
Wow, I cannot believe this room. Bill really took a lot of time to make it practically perfect. Even the color reminds me of Harry's eyes. I'm going to really enjoy spending time in this beautiful room. I have really outgrown my pink bedroom at The Burrow. I wonder if Mum will let me change it now that I'm almost a teenager.

How could anyone have nightmares in a room like this one? Tom Riddle will be the furthest thing from my mind each night with this lovely room to sleep in. I will probably dream about Harry each night with the walls reminding me of his eyes, but they could not be bad dreams in this place.

The following morning, they all agreed that the first order of business would be a visit to Giza to see the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. Knowing that most of his siblings were too young to Apparate, Bill had borrowed a ten seat flying carpet for their transportation while in Egypt. This banned form of transportation in England was causing quite a bit of excitement between the Weasleys, and would keep the family all together while they traveled.

When he had told them his plan, the Twins were eager for their first carpet ride. Therefore, Bill unrolled the rug. His Mum couldn't believe the vivid reds, vibrant greens, and rich golds, all in a beautiful flowered pattern. Bill explained that someone in Persia had taken the wool and dyed it using natural processes. They would have boiled onionskins in water to make the gold dye, immersing the wool after the water had cooled. The red wool had been soaked in undiluted pomegranate juice, while the green dye was from good old-fashioned grass, added to boiling water, after being ground in a mortal and pestle. Then the dyed wool was carded, spun, threaded on a loom and hand tied, before being enchanted to fly. It still looked new and felt plush and soft to the touch, although the carpet was quite old.

When his entire family had settled comfortably upon the rug, he spoke the incantation 'Wingardium Leviosa Carpet' and the Persian carpet rose and glided out of the balcony door. The rug was guided using hand movements and flew very fast. At the altitude they were flying, all that was visible were kilometres of gently rolling reddish yellow sand dunes.

The sun beat down on them, sapping their strength, and causing a drained lethargy amongst the visitors as they traveled high over the desert, until Ron noticed a triangle shaped building in the distance. "Look. What is that? Is that where we're going?" he asked while pointing excitedly.

Bill nodded, and soon the carpet was coming in to land gently on the sand. As they stood up and looked around, they were in awe at the sheer size of the Great Pyramid that towered above them. After the heat of the sun while they were flying, the air felt decidedly cool in the shadow of this enormous building. Where they had landed the Sphinx wasn't visible, but they knew that it was right around the corner.

"Okay, you guys. This isn't the place to clown around. Many Muggles have activated wards placed here ages ago by some very powerful wizards. We believe we have found all of them, but still, every now and then a Muggle trips another one. If you thought Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex was bad, wait until you see what some of these curses did to the Muggles who activated them. It is fascinating but dangerous. Does everyone understand? All right. Follow me, and pay attention."

With that speech, Bill led the way to a hidden door, and used his Gringotts identification, which would allow them access. The floor gently sloped down towards the center of the pyramid.

When they arrived at a side passage, Bill asked, "Would you like to head for the King's Chamber or finish looking at this one first? The hall at the end of this passage was never finished and we're not sure what it was to be used for, but the hieroglyphics on the walls are quite interesting." The family consensus was to finish this passage before moving on, so they continued down into the earth.

The tunnel opened out into a room with hieroglyphics on all four walls. Bill explained to his family that the curse breakers were still translating them, and hoped that when they were finished, they would find the answers of how to find the vast treasure hidden here. The Weasleys spent all afternoon looking at the walls. Fred, George, and Ron had asked about receiving a finder's fee for discovering the treasure. Bill had conjured Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny comfortable chairs, and provided snacks when he realised that his brothers would be spending the majority of their time in this room. Bill gave them the time they wanted, but after six hours, even the Twins seemed discouraged, for now, and ready to give up.

Back tracking, they turned into the fork that would lead them to the finished chambers. The tunnel took them up into the heart of the pyramid. The Grand Gallery was divided into two parts, the upper and lower. In the lower section of the Grand Gallery, another opening led off to the left, which Bill told them had been named the Queen's Passage and which in turn led to the Queen's Chamber.

Because they had spent so many hours in the unfinished chamber, it was getting late, so they decided to just take a quick peek and return later to explore. The Twins asked to return because they especially wanted a chance to study the hieroglyphics again, but the treasure had waited this long, and would have to wait even longer.

Although not struggling with Muggle jet lag, because their journey was almost instantaneous, the travel, even by Portkey and flying carpet, had been draining and with the heat of the desert, they needed to recharge their bodies. Most people rested during the unbearably hot afternoons of the desert. Even using Cooling Charms, they were listless and drained. They climbed wearily aboard the flying carpet and soon were back at Bill's for a light snack and a few hours rest.

Her Mum thought this would be a perfect time to talk with her daughter. They entered her room and settled onto the huge pile of pillows. At first, she could tell that her Mum was rather uncomfortable sitting on the floor amid a pile of multi-colored pillows, but after a while, she had relaxed and seemed to enjoy the feeling.

"Mum, this place is fantastic. I am so glad we were able to come. I have missed Bill so much. It has been over two years since he has been home. He looks so grown up."

Her Mum nodded. "I know, Ginny. He makes me feel so old."

"Mum, you're not old."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Is there anything specific you wanted to discuss today?"

Serious now, because she knew this would upset her Mum, Ginny told her what was on her mind. "Mum, I've been thinking about Tom."

"Oh Ginny, why? Have the nightmares returned?" her Mum asked worriedly.

"No, but I wondered if there was a way to close off a portion of my mind. To trap him behind a wall or something?"

"Hmmm… Well, we could try, but it won't happen overnight."

Ginny sat up, prepared to try anything. "Let's try now! How do I do it?"

"Are you sure you're not too tired to start this today? It is very difficult."

"Yes, please. At least for a little while."

"Alright! Close your eyes, Ginny, lie back down, and get comfortable. Now, visualize my jewellery box on my dresser at home. Do you see it? It's made of walnut and stands about sixteen centimeters wide, ten deep and six wide, with a very tight lid. Don't open your eyes, just nod if you can see it. Okay! Now, flip open the lid and use your mind to force him to get inside the box. When he's all the way in, just close the lid."

With a fierce look of concentration, Ginny fought the memory of Tom in her mind. He was prancing around taunting her with how weak she was, but she was just as determined for him to be gone. "Wow, Mum! I could actually see him moving towards your jewellery box. He wouldn't get in, besides he wouldn't fit as he was too big, so I couldn't close it."

"It will take a little practice. You might need to let the box become bigger, at least until you have him confined. Then over time, make the box shrink, with him inside, until the box just winks out. We will add this exercise to our routine each day."

"That was remarkable. I can't wait to try again."

"Love, just don't stress about it too much. Remember, once he is in the container, no matter how large it is, he is still confined and he can't force you to have nightmares."

"I won't, Mum! Let me try one more time, please." Ginny again closed her eyes and a look of total absorption settled across her features. Her Mum watched as various expressions crossed her face; hate, distress, determination, until finally one of peace settled and stayed. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled happily at her Mum. "He's in it, and the lid is closed."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you, my dear. I really expected this to take longer. He was a very strong wizard, but this proves just how powerful a witch that you are."

Their conversation quietly changed into relaxed snores as the restful room worked its magic and they both slipped into a much needed, peaceful sleep. In Ginny's dreams, she spent time with the smiling emerald-eyed boy who had protected and saved her. His hair was mussed as usual, and although he was a very powerful wizard, he was always gentle with her. They talked about Riddle, and he repeated that he could not hurt her anymore, now that he was gone. He told her how badly the Dursleys were treating him that summer, and how he wished he were at The Burrow with them. They would all be together soon, because school was less than a month away.

She didn't remember ever having a dream like this before. It seemed that Harry was truly there in her mind, and that they were talking, not just her daydreaming about him. When she woke, she pulled out her diary and put down her thoughts.

Dear Diary,
What an interesting dream I just had about Harry. Maybe it's because of the color of this room, but I actually felt that he was here with me. We have never talked about how the Dursleys treated him before. I hope they're being nicer this summer. Maybe Dad should Apparate back and make sure he's all right, because this dream was weird. It was wonderful though to sit and talk with him, and I didn't blush once. In real life, we've never had the chance to just sit and chat.

After writing about her strange dream in her journal, Ginny went to find her brothers. When she caught up with them, she found that Ron had used Errol to send a Pocket Sneakoscope to Harry for his birthday. Ron said that he hadn't wanted his best mate not to receive a present, something that had happened too many times already, but he wasn't even positive Errol would make it. Because Ginny had also been worried about disappointing Harry, it was an easy promise to make when he asked her to keep Errol's trip a secret.

The Weasleys spent four wonderful weeks in Egypt, sightseeing and enjoying family time. The family had even had their picture taken in front of the pyramids for The Daily Prophet. Ron sent the newspaper clipping to Harry and Hermione, with an invitation to for them to join the Weasley's in London, if they could make it.

The Twins and Ron spent every available minute looking for the lost treasure. Percy had visited and studied how the Egyptian Ministry of Magic worked, as he had stated that he planned on being the youngest Minister of Magic one day. Charlie had Apparated back to Romania early, as his holidays were only two week long. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley spent a few romantic nights eating out by themselves. Everyone kept Ginny busy, and Mum and she had kept up with their talks, but her favorite time she spent quietly in her beautiful room writing in her journal, and daydreaming about a certain dark haired, green-eyed wizard.

It was time to return home, as school would be starting soon. Percy had received a letter telling him he was Head Boy, and he wore his Badge everywhere after that. They needed time to purchase their Hogwarts supplies, the students had received their book lists, and Ron needed to find a new wand at Ollivander's. Mum and Dad said they had decided to stay at The Leaky Cauldron, and spend the rest of the summer break in London.

Dear Diary,
I hope that Hermione and Harry are able to join us at the Leaky Cauldron when we get back to England. It will be great to see them both. I am looking forward to school.

All too soon, before the Twins or Ron could decipher the ancient writing and find any treasure, Mum had them all packed up and had Portkeyed their trunks back home. After saying goodbye to Bill, the family quickly followed their luggage.

Ginny was very excited about going home, but she would miss Bill and Charlie. The time spent in Egypt had been beautiful, enlightening, and had restored her faith in herself. After all the talk and work she had put in with her Mum, she felt that she could put Tom in her past. Focused on her future, which was at Hogwarts, she was looking forward to this next term.