Entry Eleven
The Auror trainees were given the past week off. Harry went to spend a few days with Teddy. I volunteered at the joke shop. I can't call it George's shop; it's both he and Fred's dream. I can't call it Fred and George's shop either. Referring to it that way almost feels like I'm in denial that Fred is dead.
George debated whether to keep WWW open after Fred died. In the end, he realized that it was the best way to keep Fred alive. Percy helped him with the shop for while, almost as an act of penance, I think. We all pitched in from time to time to keep it going. It took a year for Mum to manage trip there. She was so happy to see Fred's dream still alive and work appreciated. It seemed to help her cope with his death. I think it helped all of us.
Working at WWW is an adventure, to say the least. George has a habit of not telling his employees about anything new in the store. He lets us find out on our own, which usually leads to some type of amusing event that delights the customers.
George sent me to work in the Hogsmeade shop for a couple of days. He said that he didn't have time to check in. He doesn't visit that store much. He actually strays pretty far from the Hogwarts area in general, not that anyone blames him. He does host demonstrations of products on Hogsmeade days.
The Hogsmeade shop is much smaller than the one in Diagon Alley, though just as loud. You can see it from far down the road. It specializes in items more desirable by students. Many of the Hogwarts students came by this week before returning home for the summer holiday.
It was during such a visit that a display holding bottles of love potion was broken.
I hate that product more than anything in the store. I go out of my way not to touch the stuff. Harry, the traitor, told George and Fred what happened when I was given the stuff in sixth year. Every since then, they used me as a testimony to its effectiveness.
A group of five graduates was gathered around the shelf arguing. Why they were arguing and not celebrating that they were done with Hogwarts I don't know. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but one was knocked into the shelf and broke it. Love potion spill everywhere. Now this type required hair of the person you wanted the victim to fall for. Well, as rotten luck would have it, one of mine was on the floor and five students were stumbling towards me like idiots. Fortunately, George had a cabinet in the back for just such accidents. It took a lot of time, but the students were sorted out, charged for the damage and kicked out.
Not before one of them grabbed my hand and commented on how my eyes were like the sea after a storm.
Signing off
Ron Weasley, leader of the "Abolish Love Potions Campaign"