Dear mother and Father,
It is my first official day away from home and despite the hustle and bustle of the Burrow I miss you both dearly. The Burrow in the most interesting place I ever saw in my life. Uncles George and Ron say its nothing compared to Hogwarts but I find it almost hard to believe. Allow me though to start with an account of yesterday.
Uncle Harry drove me here in a regular looking station wagon. I however am learning nothing here is as it would seem. We had barely got to the corner of the street and there was a slight jolt. Then all of a sudden we were outside of a quaint little village known as Ottery st Catchpole. Charming name and an equally charming village.
Just outside town is the Burrow itself. It's a small house, or started out as one, but the rooms are stacked one on the other on the other. Mrs. Weasley (Whom everyone has taken to calling Mother Weasley) welcomed us with open arms and a wondrous supper. She didn't serve courses mind, but it was the most entertaining meal I've sat to thus far.
Kevon, Devon and James all say I talk weird. Albus said as much as well but I suspect he was only going along with the other boys. I found an unlikely ally in Hugo however. He says he dosn't care what the other boys think. He, along with Rose and of course Lily have befriended me quickly. More surprising though, is Soli. Solange Lupin.
Her parents are Theodore and Victorie. Victorie is another Weasley cousin. Her father Bill is Uncle Harry's eldest brother in law. He is married to absolute perfection Fleur Weasley. She really is inhumanly beautiful, even if she is French. I'm not sure how Lupin fits in but he seems to have grown up with the Weasley clan.
Victorie and Teddy got married the summer before last and have a 3 year old daughter. I did the math and I'm almost sure she isn't fully legitimate. But she is the absolute sweetest little girl. She follows me almost everywhere and the twins have taken to calling her Shadow. But really I'm flattered. When I met her she had a turned up nose and long blonde hair, but half an hour later she looked like me in duplicate. The same green eyes and red hair. She's kept this guise for a while now. I brought the matter up to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny lest it was some prank pulled by the twins and James. But they seemed unconcerned, so I'll try not to worry about it.
Devon, Kevon and James are trouble makers. 'New marauders' they call themselves, which leads me to wonder who the OLD marauders are and what happened to them. Albus is nice but he follows his brothers lead which causes us some trouble. Fortunately (and quite a surprise) Rose is equal to any mischief they concoct. Aunt Ginny says she could probably be worse were she to put her mind to it. Rose is exceptionally bright, like her mother by all accounts, that would be Aunt Hermione.
She came a little bit later than everyone else, (held up with work; something about Gnomish rights.) but she was still five minutes earlier than the appointed time to arrive. She isn't what one would consider strictly pretty- not like Fleur- but she has knowledge and confidence and a strong driving force. Her parents are both dentists, in fact she's the first witch of her family that she knows of. We bonded quickly over that and I feel a great anxiety has left me.
She's letting me borrow quite a few books. (Uncle Ron says its typical Hermione would keep all her old school books.) First and foremost a very interesting read called Hogwarts, a history. This school is quite old. 'Steeped in mystique and culture'. I will confess the first time I read that I did giggle quite a bit. The Legend of the Chamber of Secrets was interesting. A monster left behind to purge the school of unworthy students, like myself. I was confident that I would be fine as it was mere myth until Rose and Albus assured me it was true.
Fortunately the monster exists no more, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny some how got into the chamber itself and destroyed the thing. Uncle Harry doesn't talk abut it and Aunt Ginny seems to not remember it too well.
When I asked she said she recalls that it happened and that she was there but at the same time she wasn't there really. I do hope they will explain it more to me in time.
Charlie Weasley is coming tomorrow. He lives and works in Romania, training dragons. Dragons father! Can you believe it? Uncle Ron was telling me about Uncle Harry battling a horntail, but they tell so many strange stories about him I almost can't believe half.
The room they set up for me is lovely. From my understanding it was Aunt Ginnys room growing up. They put in new curtains and sheets of course. Rose said something about new paint, but what really caught my eye was a picture hanging on the wall. It moved! On its own, not just a trick of the light or optical illusion. The girl in the picture got up and walked! And the mirrors will talk to you! Actually talk! The one in my room thinks I have lovely eyes. But it's seen a great many redheads.
There were gnomes in the garden the other day. The cousins showed me how to de-gnome the garden but quite personally I'm fond of the little dears. Soli likes them too, but she can throw them the farthest. Cousin Fred, (Uncle George's oldest son) says it's because she s so small, she builds a lot of momentum.
I noticed when I ask Uncle Harry about his childhood, living with you and Grandmother and Grandfather, he clamps shut and everyone kind of looks at me like I said something wrong. This I don't understand in the least. I know I am not as smart as Rose but I can see something is off here. You never mentioned Uncle Harry before 'the letter incident' and Uncle Harry hardly talks about his life with you. Something happened, didn't it? Was there a fight? An argument? I think Father; I am old enough to understand. If I'm to be trapped in the middle of some family feud I would at least like to know what it's about. It is unfair to pull your children into the middle of your arguments and not tell them what it's about. I am here surrounded by this wonderful huge family who have folded me into their midst but I still feel there is a barrier. Help me to pull it down.
But I must go now, the Cousins are promising me a thorough education in Quiditch.
Most Sincerely
Del (They call me Del here, I love it)
