It was clear to Leah and Rachel that their mother had been crying when
called to fetch these "guests of the Headmaster," but they dare not ask any
questions.
"Ms. Weasley, thank you so much for doing your old Headmaster a favor. If you could do me a favor and take my guests to Gryffindor Tower, I would be eternally grateful," Dumbledore requested. Ginny eyed the two girls with some suspicion, and then wiped her red eyes. She knew that they were staring at the dark patches near her eyes. She knew they knew that she had been crying.
"Leah, did you happen to bring your wand with you?" Dumbledore questioned as Rachel climbed off his lap.
"No, I, uhhh, I was not in possession of it when we arrived at Hogwarts," she replied, mentally kicking herself AGAIN for not having her wand near her when Rachel was sick.
"I see, well, you will just have to make do during the duration of your stay. After all, it is not unheard of for a witch to be without a wand for an extended period of time. It will be an adjustment, Leah, but I trust your genes will make you QUITE capable." Dumbledore smiled a grandfatherly smile at her, reminding her of Grandpa Arthur.
"Don't worry, Leah. I do fine without a wand. If I can do it, I'm SURE you can do it. You're a really good witch, according to Daddy and Mummy - just as long as you don't turn Daddy into a ferret," Rachel whispered.
Dumbledore's smile got just a touch bigger. "I think your little sister knows your abilities a little better than I do. Just try to refrain from turning her into a miniature ogre. Ghastly things they are." Leah laughed out loud. So he knew where their father had found them, he probably even knew what their father had been doing at the time! "Well, Ms. Weasley, thank you again. Professor McGonagall shall give you all no problems tomorrow morning as I have notified her of. . . current events."
With parting goodbyes, the trio left in search of Gryffindor Tower, Leah and Rachel following their sixteen-year old mother. Leah could not believe this was happening - just earlier today she had been babysitting her little sister on her break from Hogwarts. And now she was at Hogwarts, 13 years in the past, before her conception, standing behind this girl who did not know she was their mother.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Ginny started, suddenly remembering her manners. "Is this your first time here?"
"Umm. no," Leah answered honestly. "I have been here before." Ginny shot her a look that asked Why am I playing tour guide if you've been here before? Leah caught herself. "Briefly." In some circles, a year is a brief period of time, Leah reassured herself. "Rachel, though, has never been here. And I'm Leah, in case you didn't catch that in the office."
"I gathered that much." Ginny stared at Leah. "Redhead, huh? It is very rare to see a redheaded student that is not a Weasley."
I am a Weasley! shouted Leah internally, but calmly responded, "Fancy that. We are few and far between."
They approached what Leah recognized as the Gryffindor Tower and the Fat Lady in the pink dress. "Miss Weasley, you have returned quickly. Is everything satisfactory with Professor Dumbledore?"
"Yes, thank you," answered Ginny curtly. "These two girls, Rachel and Leah." She looked at them. "I am sorry, I did not catch your last names-"
"Ma-" Rachel started, but Leah's ever present hand came across to clamp it shut.
"Professor Dumbledore told us it would not be wise for us to advertise our last names. Rachel and Leah will do just fine," Leah finished, releasing Rachel from the bear grip that silenced her.
"Rachel and Leah here will be staying with us for an indefinite period of time, in accordance with the Headmaster's wishes. We are allowed to give them the password," Ginny informed. "Amadora Lecturna!" The painting swung forward, revealing the Common Room. They crawled in, taking in the bright fire and the scarlet interior.
"Welcome to Gryffindor Tower. Your beds are to the left - the girls' tower. We have two free beds in there-" Her eyes brimmed with tears again. The rest of the words came out rushed."We have two free beds in there, which you are absolutely welcome to use for the time being. Two in the girls' tower, two in the boys tower. Make yourselves at home. And seeing as how you do not have any robes, Leah, you can use some of mine, if you want, you know, to fit in. They are bit worn, so I won't take it personally if you want to use someone else's instead. Rachel, I do not know what we are going to do about you." The tears spilled downward. She sat down in the chair situated in front of the large fire. Rachel followed. Draco often said she was sensitive to everyone's pain.
"What's wrong?" asked Rachel. Ginny looked startled. Rachel looked at Leah. "She looks how Dad did when we tricked him with Uncle George's play wand." Her attention returned to Ginny. "What's wrong? Why surprised?"
"It has been a long time since anybody asked me how I was doing." Anyone but Malfoy, Ginny modified internally and shuddered. "Everyone has been preoccupied with their own sense of loss." The little girls exchanged confused glances. "Hogwarts has suffered a great loss recently. Well, not recently, a few months ago. They keep telling me I should be over this. but look at me." She laughed sardonically, wiping the tears away from me. "Still crying.
"During the summer holidays, the Great War heated up to unknown proportions. You-Know-Who gained power that he had never even dreamed of during his heyday in the 70s. The first people to go fight were these two stupid, stupid little boys - two inexperienced wizards too big for their britches - who went to go defend all that was good in the wizarding world. They were brave and so eternally stupid at the same time." And as if talking to herself, she went into a whisper. "I miss them so much, Gods, I miss them.
"We lost ten in that first battle, a few I was close to - this really smart, really sweet girl, Parvati Patil . . . My Prefect brother Percy, too smart for his own good" - she laughed disconnectedly again, reliving old memories -"if you asked me, but oh what a great Minister of Magic he would have made. And my brother Fred, twin of George. Pranksters they were. Share an egg, share a life, my mum often said of them. Then, the little boys, my bumbling, wonderful, prat of a brother Ron and my best friend in the whole wide world, Hermione Granger, intelligent and beautiful and, Gods, everything I ever wanted to be. And the third of their gang, Harry Potter. I'm sure you've heard of him. The Boy Who Lived - he was saved from Voldemort once, but could not withstand him again."
Their mother had never talked about this period in her life, although Leah and Rachel were very aware of SOME loss that their mother had suffered during her sixth year. Their father had been known to curse Harry Potter in his grave whenever their mother was reminded of him. The name of Potter still lived on the lips of the wizarding world, but never in the Malfoy or Weasley households. She wondered how her father could neglect to tell her of this close connection to the great Harry Potter.
"And I'm stuck here. Of all the Weasley kids, I am the only one left in Hogwarts - in the Weasley house. The one that didn't go because her older brothers wouldn't LET her. The Coward That Lived! That's irony for you."
"Ms. Weasley, thank you so much for doing your old Headmaster a favor. If you could do me a favor and take my guests to Gryffindor Tower, I would be eternally grateful," Dumbledore requested. Ginny eyed the two girls with some suspicion, and then wiped her red eyes. She knew that they were staring at the dark patches near her eyes. She knew they knew that she had been crying.
"Leah, did you happen to bring your wand with you?" Dumbledore questioned as Rachel climbed off his lap.
"No, I, uhhh, I was not in possession of it when we arrived at Hogwarts," she replied, mentally kicking herself AGAIN for not having her wand near her when Rachel was sick.
"I see, well, you will just have to make do during the duration of your stay. After all, it is not unheard of for a witch to be without a wand for an extended period of time. It will be an adjustment, Leah, but I trust your genes will make you QUITE capable." Dumbledore smiled a grandfatherly smile at her, reminding her of Grandpa Arthur.
"Don't worry, Leah. I do fine without a wand. If I can do it, I'm SURE you can do it. You're a really good witch, according to Daddy and Mummy - just as long as you don't turn Daddy into a ferret," Rachel whispered.
Dumbledore's smile got just a touch bigger. "I think your little sister knows your abilities a little better than I do. Just try to refrain from turning her into a miniature ogre. Ghastly things they are." Leah laughed out loud. So he knew where their father had found them, he probably even knew what their father had been doing at the time! "Well, Ms. Weasley, thank you again. Professor McGonagall shall give you all no problems tomorrow morning as I have notified her of. . . current events."
With parting goodbyes, the trio left in search of Gryffindor Tower, Leah and Rachel following their sixteen-year old mother. Leah could not believe this was happening - just earlier today she had been babysitting her little sister on her break from Hogwarts. And now she was at Hogwarts, 13 years in the past, before her conception, standing behind this girl who did not know she was their mother.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Ginny started, suddenly remembering her manners. "Is this your first time here?"
"Umm. no," Leah answered honestly. "I have been here before." Ginny shot her a look that asked Why am I playing tour guide if you've been here before? Leah caught herself. "Briefly." In some circles, a year is a brief period of time, Leah reassured herself. "Rachel, though, has never been here. And I'm Leah, in case you didn't catch that in the office."
"I gathered that much." Ginny stared at Leah. "Redhead, huh? It is very rare to see a redheaded student that is not a Weasley."
I am a Weasley! shouted Leah internally, but calmly responded, "Fancy that. We are few and far between."
They approached what Leah recognized as the Gryffindor Tower and the Fat Lady in the pink dress. "Miss Weasley, you have returned quickly. Is everything satisfactory with Professor Dumbledore?"
"Yes, thank you," answered Ginny curtly. "These two girls, Rachel and Leah." She looked at them. "I am sorry, I did not catch your last names-"
"Ma-" Rachel started, but Leah's ever present hand came across to clamp it shut.
"Professor Dumbledore told us it would not be wise for us to advertise our last names. Rachel and Leah will do just fine," Leah finished, releasing Rachel from the bear grip that silenced her.
"Rachel and Leah here will be staying with us for an indefinite period of time, in accordance with the Headmaster's wishes. We are allowed to give them the password," Ginny informed. "Amadora Lecturna!" The painting swung forward, revealing the Common Room. They crawled in, taking in the bright fire and the scarlet interior.
"Welcome to Gryffindor Tower. Your beds are to the left - the girls' tower. We have two free beds in there-" Her eyes brimmed with tears again. The rest of the words came out rushed."We have two free beds in there, which you are absolutely welcome to use for the time being. Two in the girls' tower, two in the boys tower. Make yourselves at home. And seeing as how you do not have any robes, Leah, you can use some of mine, if you want, you know, to fit in. They are bit worn, so I won't take it personally if you want to use someone else's instead. Rachel, I do not know what we are going to do about you." The tears spilled downward. She sat down in the chair situated in front of the large fire. Rachel followed. Draco often said she was sensitive to everyone's pain.
"What's wrong?" asked Rachel. Ginny looked startled. Rachel looked at Leah. "She looks how Dad did when we tricked him with Uncle George's play wand." Her attention returned to Ginny. "What's wrong? Why surprised?"
"It has been a long time since anybody asked me how I was doing." Anyone but Malfoy, Ginny modified internally and shuddered. "Everyone has been preoccupied with their own sense of loss." The little girls exchanged confused glances. "Hogwarts has suffered a great loss recently. Well, not recently, a few months ago. They keep telling me I should be over this. but look at me." She laughed sardonically, wiping the tears away from me. "Still crying.
"During the summer holidays, the Great War heated up to unknown proportions. You-Know-Who gained power that he had never even dreamed of during his heyday in the 70s. The first people to go fight were these two stupid, stupid little boys - two inexperienced wizards too big for their britches - who went to go defend all that was good in the wizarding world. They were brave and so eternally stupid at the same time." And as if talking to herself, she went into a whisper. "I miss them so much, Gods, I miss them.
"We lost ten in that first battle, a few I was close to - this really smart, really sweet girl, Parvati Patil . . . My Prefect brother Percy, too smart for his own good" - she laughed disconnectedly again, reliving old memories -"if you asked me, but oh what a great Minister of Magic he would have made. And my brother Fred, twin of George. Pranksters they were. Share an egg, share a life, my mum often said of them. Then, the little boys, my bumbling, wonderful, prat of a brother Ron and my best friend in the whole wide world, Hermione Granger, intelligent and beautiful and, Gods, everything I ever wanted to be. And the third of their gang, Harry Potter. I'm sure you've heard of him. The Boy Who Lived - he was saved from Voldemort once, but could not withstand him again."
Their mother had never talked about this period in her life, although Leah and Rachel were very aware of SOME loss that their mother had suffered during her sixth year. Their father had been known to curse Harry Potter in his grave whenever their mother was reminded of him. The name of Potter still lived on the lips of the wizarding world, but never in the Malfoy or Weasley households. She wondered how her father could neglect to tell her of this close connection to the great Harry Potter.
"And I'm stuck here. Of all the Weasley kids, I am the only one left in Hogwarts - in the Weasley house. The one that didn't go because her older brothers wouldn't LET her. The Coward That Lived! That's irony for you."