Spells and Spiders
~*RW*~
Hermione had been greatly weakened by all the excitement and motion of the last few days. She took to sleeping most of the day, and none of the Weasleys would allow her to leave, even though she knew she was imposing on them.
"As long as you're not eating, it's okay," said Ginny jokingly. Fred, Angelina, and George were frequent visitors, though the twins no longer lived in the Burrow. The wedding was in August, only two months away, and they were holding it in the back garden. Ron hoped that he and Hermione wouldn't have to get married there, but that was still a ways off. They were delaying it until their financial background was secure. Right now, neither of them had a job or any extra money, so they had to either wait or depend on their parents. They chose wait. Ron knew his parents didn't have the money, and Hermione knew her parents had spent so much on her during the past several months when she had been sick.
They talked about this while Hermione was just getting up the next morning. She wasn't really tired, just physically exhausted. Ron was waiting for breakfast, the smell of bacon frying tempted him.
"Ron!" his mother called from a few flights down. "Breakfast is ready!" Ron asked Hermione to join him, but she wasn't at all hungry and declined. When Ron came back upstairs, she had fallen asleep.
"So much for not being tired," he said.
Ron had a few chores to do. He unpacked his trunk, de-gnomed the garden, and started to sort through old school papers deciding which might be useful to him later. He had finally decided that none were worth saving, and had a huge stack of papers to take outside and burn, when he heard a tap on his window. Pig must be back from his night hunting. Ron set the papers down on his bed, and looking into Pig's cage, saw his grey runt of an owl flying around madly behind the bars.
The tapping wasn't Pig. In fact, Ron thought as he opened the window, he hadn't ever seen this owl before. It was a brown barn owl, nothing spectacular, but it had a large envelope in its beak. The owl didn't wait - as soon as Ron took the envelope, it flew back out again. But before Ron could even open the envelope, it came back.
"What do you want?" Ron asked. Maybe it could smell the owl treats he hid under his bed. Ron looked at the owl. It was the same type of owl, but obviously not the same exact one. It was holding yet another huge envelope, somewhat like the first. He took this one, too, opened it, and started to pull out the piece of parchment.
* * *
"Hermione!" Ron called, bursting through the door to her room. "Look what I got in the mail today!" He held out a long piece of parchment, which she took and started to read.
Dear Mr. Weasley,
Congratulations on your high score on the NEWTs and your graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are writing to offer you a position as assistant in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. This position pays top dollar, leaves room for promotion, flexible hours, and a chance to participate in international tournaments and sporting events. We are particularly interested in you because you have an excellent record as Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
Please think about joining our crew. We look forward to your acceptance owl.
Sincerely,
Ludovic Bagman, Head of Department
"Wow, Ron!" Hermione gasped. "A top job at the Ministry. I bet your mom's happy!"
"You bet," Ron replied. "But that's not all. Read this!" He shoved another letter into her hands.
Dear Mr. Weasley,
Congratulations on your high score on the NEWTs and your graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are writing to offer you a position as assistant in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. This position pays top dollar, leaves room for promotion, flexible hours, and a chance to meet and interact with members of the magical community around the world.
Please think about accepting this position. We look forward to your acceptance owl.
Sincerely,
Percival Weasley, Head of Department
"Two? Which offer are you going to take?"
"Neither. I don't think I could stand to work for Bagman or Percy for very long."
"Neither? Well, Ron, you're going to need a job sooner or later."
Ron smiled mysteriously, then held up a short stack of papers. "These are all the owls I got this morning, asking me to come work for various places." Hermione took the stack and began to read through the letters. Each letter was almost identical, except for a few word changes and the different head of departments. Finally, she reached the end of the stack, a letter from the people at the Department of Magical Transportation, who said they would offer him a position as head assistant if he passed his Apparating test on the first try.
"There are so many!" Hermione exclaimed.
"If you think this is a lot, you should wait till you get home and see how many are waiting for you."
"How are you ever going to decided which department to join?"
"I've already decided. I'm not joining any of these," Ron said casually. "I saved the best for last."
Dear Mr. Weasley,
Congratulations on your high score on the NEWTs and your graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am writing you from the Aurors' Academy in London to extend a special once-in-a-lifetime offer. We only accept one hundred new students per year from all over the country, but your 112% on the NEWTs impresses our selection committee, and we are willing to train you as an Auror.
"An Auror?? Wow!"
"Keep reading," Ron instructed, grinning.
Most job offers you are receiving now from the Ministry of Magic are for positions that can be started right away. Aurors also work for the Ministry, but work in a separate building with very little contact with anyone in other departments. Though it is a Ministry job, being an Auror is a very dangerous and complicated career, so one year of training at our Academy is required. You will be learning such subjects as how to recognize poisons and spells, catch Dark Arts criminals, and solve real-life cases.
The Auror's Academy is usually only open to students of age nineteen or older, however, for you we are willing to make an exception. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are at large and must be caught, so we need as many new trainees as we can find. Our Academy generally charges tuition of 15,000 galleons-
"Fifteen thousand galleons? You'll never be able to come up with that much…"
"Stop interrupting and just read the letter, will you?"
-but we are willing to pay your full tuition to come and train with us for a year. The term starts in September and lasts until June, like a regular school year. Please consider our offer; we believe you have many times demonstrated the qualities we find in our best Aurors.
Sincerely,
Gudgeon Post, Head Auror
Hermione sat in stunned silence. "Being an Auror is really risky. I don't know if I like the thought of you running around after Dark wizards all day long."
"Oh, come on, Hermione. That's all we ever did at school, and that was without training. Once I go to the Academy for a year, I'll be really good. Then you won't have to worry. And Aurors get paid quite a bit of money."
"Oh, I suppose. But you'll be careful, won't you?"
"Of course. But you don't have to worry yet. I won't be going on any missions for another year. I'm going to go respond right now! Imagine me, an Auror! No one in my family has ever done that before!"
* * *
Ron told all of his relatives about his letters, and for once, everyone was proud of him. None of his older brothers could overshadow him with this - they had never done it before. In a few days, Hermione felt well enough to go home, but she promised she would be back in August for the wedding. Ron and Ginny wrote her letters, and she wrote back to them. She was getting better and stronger.
Meanwhile, Ron had the whole summer ahead of him. Auror school wasn't going to cost him any money, but he wasn't going to be making any money, either. He needed a summer job so he could get enough to buy new school supplies, and save up for the future.
All of his family members offered him jobs. Both his father and Percy asked him to become temporary assistants in their departments. Charlie wanted him to come help him train baby dragons. Bill wanted him to teach him how to break curses in old tombs. But the offer Ron liked best was Fred and George's. Fred was busier than usual, trying to get his wedding in order, so Ron took some shifts at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He had to stock the shelves, run the register, and sometimes he was even forced to try out the products. But the pay was good, and Ron got to see lots of his friends from Hogwarts. The store had been successful since it had first opened; there was even talk of buying out Zonko's.
The rest of June and July passed swiftly. August and the wedding approached, and Ron had to take even more shifts to cover Fred, who had to keep running around to buy last minute items. Ron didn't really mind; after all, the more he worked, the more money he made, and the sooner he would be doing the same thing.
The Friday before the wedding, Fred had the day off and Ron and George were alone at the shop. It was a slow day, sunny and humid, so that no one wanted to leave their houses. They had thought about closing the shop that day (it was already closed the entire weekend), but George was having lunch with the owner of Zonko's. At 11:30, George left, and Ron was manning the shop by himself. Fred and George had been trying to convince Ginny to work for them all summer, but she had instead taken a filing position at her father's office. She believed that it was only fair for her to contribute to the family income since she was one of the only ones left. Ron was paying for his own school supplies, so why couldn't she? Ron sighed. He wished she were here now. He was bored and lonely, and waiting for three o'clock, when he could finally call it quits and go home.
The bell on the door chimed, but Ron didn't look up. George couldn't possibly be back yet, and no one came in and to the register that fast. They were happier left to browse on their own. He was trying to catch up his summer assignment he had received by owl in July, along with his acceptance. He was so caught up in the book, Unsolved Magical Mysteries, that he hardly noticed anyone standing at the counter.
The person didn't like being ignored, and next, Ron heard a very loud clearing of the throat. Still not looking up, he grumbled, "Can I help you?"
"That's a pretty lengthy book you're reading, Ron," Hermione said.
Finally, he looked up, then, glancing cautiously around for other customers and not seeing any, jumped over the counter. "Hermione!" he exclaimed. "You said you weren't coming until after dinner!"
"I'm sorry," she said. "I was ready, and a train was leaving at 10:30."
"That's why you should learn to Apparate."
"I know how."
"Then take the test and prove it."
"I'm not ready yet."
"Oh, come on, it isn't that hard. You just leave from the target, Apparate to this building and Apparate back. What's the big deal?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll take the test next week. You can take me. Anyway, you're unhappy that I came this early?"
"No! Of course not! I'm glad to see you." He showed her with a kiss.
"So are you working or studying?" she asked.
"Both, I guess. There's no one here, if you haven't noticed."
"I noticed, but I'm surprised you did."
Ron tapped her lightly with his book.
"Wow, Ron, what are you doing?" George asked, coming in through the back door. "Abusing your fiancée?"
"Ha, ha, George," Ron said.
"Anyway, it's nice to see you, Hermione. Ron, want to help me? We need to open some more boxes of Blasting Balloons."
"Great," Ron muttered. Last time he had handled those, he had ended up almost catching his hair on fire. "Hermione, mind the shop, will you?"
Hermione took Ron's chair behind the register (although she went around the counter instead of over it), and the boys headed into the storage room.
"How'd it go with that guy from Zonko's?"
"He won't sell," said George, somewhat angrily. "But once we send out that last shipment of Dragon Stix, we'll have enough to open another shop down in Hogsmeade. Then he'll be sorry and out of business."
They opened the boxes without mishap; then Ron joined Hermione at the front of the store while George went to shelve the balloons.
After what seemed like an agonizingly long three hours, the three headed back to the Burrow, where they were immediately forced into helping set up. Everyone went to bed both exhausted and excited.
* * *
The wedding day came. People were flying in and out of the house like chickens with their heads cut off. Meanwhile, there was a struggle for everyone to take a shower in the two bathrooms, and Mrs. Weasley dropped a cake face down on the just-cleaned kitchen floor. But by the time people started to show up, the floor was once again spotless, everyone was outside, dressed, and clean, and all the preparations were in order.
The Johnsons had a very small family, and the Weasleys, of course, had a very large one. One of Angelina's cousins was the ring bearer, and another was the flower girl. The wedding actually reminded Ron very much of Percy's, which was strange because Percy and Penelope were very different people than Fred and Angelina. The only noticeable difference was that Percy's had been inside on a very frigid day, and Fred's was in the garden, in stifling heat. By the time lunch was over, the new cake was half melted, and Ron's grandfather had practically passed out from heat exhaustion.
When the excitement of the day was over, Ron said goodbye to Hermione and her parents, and to Fred and George. School was starting the next Thursday, and he was done working. Now it was time to finish his homework, buy his supplies, and get ready for the toughest school year of his life.
