CHAPTER SEVEN: Educational Decree Number One
Ginny fell asleep thinking of the boy whom she later learned as Narcissa Malfoy's son. He was the one he saw that day at the market who bought multiple boxes of Chocolate frogs. According to what Bill said right in front of the Floo, getting involved with the likes of them is bad news. Her young mind couldn't understand what that meant. What are they really like? Why does she need to avoid them?
She woke up the next morning at dawn like she always does and went to the loo to groom herself for another day of tending to her crops. It was just her luck the day before that she discovered the existence of pink lettuces. They looked very pretty in the photo she saw at the stall. She hopes she can grow them without any problem. When she was just about to descend the stairs, she heard her parent's voices. She knew something is wrong just by hearing their tone. She took a few more steps down and carefully avoided the creaky step and sneaked near enough to hear them. A few months ago and she wouldn't have done something like this. Eavesdropping is wrong. George and Fred say otherwise.
"Dad, I have a sister," Bill said, aghast. "Everyone I know at Hogwarts has younger sisters or younger cousins who are witches. They can't do this! The headmaster won't allow something like this to continue, right?"
Ginny flinched when she heard glass shattering.
"This is an obvious step back for the British Wizarding Society," Percy added. "An obvious waste of resources. The imbeciles." Percy tsked.
Molly, her mom, sniffed. Ginny realized her mother's crying and that they're talking about her.
"Technically, Ginny will still get magical education," said Charlie in a small voice. "Just… not at Hogwarts."
Ginny froze. The only thought in her mind was that she must've heard wrong. It's every magical children's dream to attend Hogwarts how can she suddenly be not allowed to?
"Ginny's still young, we can still change this," said their father. "We have years to rally other wizarding families. I bet Xenophilius will jump right in at the idea."
Ginny took a deep breath before making her presence known. From the foot of the stairs, she met her family's worried and guilty expressions. In their ire, they've forgotten she always wakes up before sunrise.
"I'm not allowed to go to Hogwarts anymore?" she asked and bit her lip to stop it from trembling. It was Percy who got to her face. He lifted her and tucked her on his hip. "Perce, is it true?"
"Come on, Gin," Percy started shushing her when he saw her eyes swell with tears. "Don't cry."
Ginny dropped her head on his shoulder. She knew she's soaking Percy's shoulder with tears but she couldn't help it. Everybody goes to Hogwarts. Her brothers always talk about Hogwarts. Charlie said that she can fly freely at Hogwarts. Bill told her the other day about this awesome rune pattern he learned at Hogwarts the last semester. Percy talks of the abundance of knowledge resting at the Hogwarts library almost every day during vacation and that he cant wait to go back. The twins are already excited to go and Ron, too.
"Is it because we don't have the money to send me there?" she asked and her mother's sniffles grew stronger. She couldn't see them. She lifted her head and looked at her parents. "I will plant more crops! I will save more money. Please, dad… Mum…"
Arthur and Molly have always dreamed big for their children. They have done their best to provide them all the love and care they deserve even though they are not exactly well- of. And now, the couple was just not ready to witness their only daughter's first heartbreak this young.
"It's because you are a girl, Gin," said Charlie. "It isn't mum and dad's fault."
Confusion. Once again, Ginny couldn't understand. Is it because she's still too young to understand the complexities of adult workings? Or is there something wrong with her?
She may not have noticed when she stopped crying but something fell into place inside her head. She learned something today. Like that day she met Narcissa Malfoy, she experienced another reality of the world.
She didn't have money then to buy her mom Wisteria Blooms. This time she just learned that she will not get the education she thought she's entitled to.
She sighed. She stared at the tomatoes she's about to harvest and thought of the incident in the living room that morning. The lesson was the same.
She needed money so she started farming. Now, she wants a proper education. She just has to study. By herself.
"If you want something done, do it yourself," she whispered. Only the gnomes hiding just behind the fence heard her. "You can't get anything for free."
In Molly's quest of doing something for her daughter's soon to be lacking education, she decided to check their collection of books at the shed. It was then that she finally found out someone's been borrowing her household spell books and there's only one person she has in mind that would do such a thing. She was torn between feeling proud and horrified. She informed her husband about it. Arthur then decided to check his shelf of muggle contraband books his squib cousin's been sending him and found out it's near empty. They came to realize that Ginny and Percy are stealing their books. Now, they couldn't help but wonder what else in their household they don't know about. Thus, they decided to summon their eldest child.
Bill found himself standing inside the shed, both his parents in attendance. He was asked several questions he didn't want to answer. With a Weasley heirloom in the room that could tell if someone lies, he had no choice but to sing. . His parents also made him list down his siblings' strengths and weaknesses and, as an afterthought, their hobbies.
If Bill noticed something in his parents' eyes, he didn't voice it out. Still, he was sure he didn't like what he saw.
Bill wasn't the least bit surprised a family meeting's been called forth. His siblings were flabbergasted, though especially after learning what it was all about. After confirming everything he told his parents, Arthur and Molly announced a change in house rules much to the twins' dismay. Bill had tattled and there were punishments handed out.
Charlie's flying privileges had been revoked.
Percy was devastated when his business and accounting muggle books had been confiscated.
Fred and George's self-made toys were taken.
Ron's eating habits and lack of reading skills had been thoroughly reprimanded.
And Ginny's been banned from flying and all household chores. And was explicitly instructed to stay put.
Percy didn't like it and for the first time in his life, he talked back to his mother and lashed out. He informed them both how sick he is of being poor and that, just because they're the parents doesn't mean they get exclusive rights in shouldering the family's problems. He also told them that if he could help, he would. Percy said that he had no say in being born to a poor family. But the family had no right to make him stay poor forever and that if his parents won't do something about it, then he will.
Molly and Arthur's anger was abated when they saw how a tear-stained Ginny took Percy's hand in a gesture of support. They know they're breaking their children's hearts so much today but they have no choice. The Educational Decree was just the first. Trouble is brewing and Minister Riddle is at the center of it all. The couple will have to prepare for the worst and if it meant setting some ground rules just because of a hunch then, that's absolutely fine. It's either tears or blood. They'll choose tears anytime.