A/N: Ok, so who is totally shocked that I already have the new chapter up? I'm shocked; my hand's in the air with all the rest of you shocked people. I just had a break from homework, so I felt drawn to write about my dearest friends. So, what does the letter say? Read on, friends, read on.
The letter trembled in Mrs. Weasley's hand. The four youths eyed one another, each willing the other to speak. Mrs. Weasley's expression was not grief-stricken or angry, just very peeved. Though she had been nearly normal earlier at lunch, not mentioning the trio's trip to Godric's Hollow, Harry knew that no one was anxious to draw attention to anything that may somehow lead round to the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would not be immediately completing their education. Silence stretched thinner and thinner. Mrs. Weasley seemed to be oblivious to their presence, and when Hermione could bear it no more, she gave Ron a not so gentle nudge in the ribs.
"Ow! What was that for?" Ron said loudly.
His mother didn't even look over; her eyes remained frozen on the parchment. Hermione rolled her eyes and jerked her head towards Mrs. Weasley. Ron shook his head in short refusal of what Hermione was goading him to do. She fixed him with a glare and he glared right back until he heaved a great sigh and turned towards his mother.
"Mum?" he questioned slowly, "Is everything…all right?"
Mrs. Weasley gave a start and looked up to see the four standing about the kitchen. She looked pointedly at Ginny and said with a reluctant air,
"Ginny, dear, this concerns you. Rubbish, in my opinion."
She handed the letter to Ginny, and Harry leaned in to read over her shoulder. Ron and Hermione crossed the threshold, Ron standing next to Harry and Hermione next to Ginny as they all read the letter. Harry felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he read,
To the Parents and/or Guardians of Underage Witches and/or Wizards,
In light of the difficult times ahead and following recent and significant tragic events, it has been made evident that severe action must be taken to protect the youth of our community. Therefore, a new and perhaps temporary law has been passed to better the safety and security of our young witches and wizards. With parental consent, witches and wizards may be given the option to use magic outside of school at the minimum age of fourteen. This can only be done with the agreement of the underage witch/wizard's parents and/or guardian. The witches and wizards who have been given this privilege will be subject to the same laws as those who are Of Age, although it should be made clear that these subject are still UNDERAGE. Their parents/guardians still wield the control, but we at the Ministry feel that if they are given the option to be able to defend themselves should the need arise, there will be far less tragedies to fend with in the hard times to come. Forms are included for parents of witches and wizards between the ages of fourteen and sixteen.
Sincerely,
Rufus Scrimgeour
Minister of Magic
Harry finished reading and saw that Hermione and Ginny had already completed the letter and were communicating silently. Ron continued to read and the knot in Harry's stomach tightened. The foreshadowing of tragedies to come did not help his mental well-being, that was for sure. He felt somewhat comforted that Ginny would be able to defend herself legally should any trouble arise at Hogwarts this year, but the idea that Rufus Scrimgeour, admittedly one of the least intelligent people Harry had ever had the displeasure of meeting, could see the horrors that would surely occur through this war did not comfort Harry at all. Ron looked up and he glanced at Harry. The four of them all exchanged looks that said the same thing, as their gazes were inexplicably drawn to Mrs. Weasley, who was hammering about in the kitchen, washing and scouring muttering to herself. Would she allow Ginny to be able to legally use magic?
"Unbelievable! What a ridiculous notion!" she muttered.
Ginny seemed to take control; after all, this concerned her.
"Mum," she said in a placating tone, "It's not so ridiculous."
Mrs. Weasley turned around. The brush she was using to scrub the pot in the sink continued to move methodically in circles. Mrs. Weasley eyed Ginny and said,
"What do you mean? Of course it is! Fourteen year old witches and wizards should not be allowed to use magic outside of school! They aren't ready for it!"
Ginny drew herself up to her full height; it made her taller than Mrs. Weasley, but not by much.
"I seem to recall that Harry wasn't old enough to face what was in the Triwizard Tournament at fourteen. It was meant for seventeen year olds, wasn't it? And look, he came out of it! He surpassed those who were older than he was!"
Mrs. Weasley smiled and spoke kindly,
"Ginny, dear, of course he did, but he's special. We all know that. Those were different circumstances."
Where Harry knew Ginny's temper would begin to boil, he was surprised to see her face fill with a sort of sadness as she perched herself on the end of a kitchen chair. This was not what Harry expected and clearly Mrs. Weasley had expected a loud fight as well because she sat down across from Ginny and waited with a curious expression. She didn't know what to expect any more than Harry, Ron, and Hermione did. The three grouped together to watch Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.
"Mum, I know you don't want to sign this. And I understand why, really, I do. But, you still control what I do and where I go, Mum. I'm not coming of age earlier; this just allows me to use my magic if I need to. What if…what if Voldemort,"
Mrs. Weasley shuddered, but Ginny continued,
"What if he came after me, Mum? I need to be able to defend myself without having any reservations. Even if it's not Voldemort. I have a feeling the Slytherins are going to get pretty nasty this year, and if we aren't allowed to watch our own backs, it's going to be rough."
Ginny finished, looking anxiously at her mother. Mrs. Weasley's thoughts were clear on her face. She was afraid of losing her last child. She no longer had any legal say in what any of her other children did, but she could still exercise some control over Ginny. Harry stepped away from Ron and Hermione to sit next to Ginny. He was going to take a big risk, but he wanted Mrs. Weasley to sign those papers. So he took Ginny's hand on the table and looked at Mrs. Weasley,
"Mrs. Weasley, it's very important that Ginny be able to legally use magic outside of school. See, now that we're together, and even if we weren't, Voldemort would know…well he'd be able to tell…" this was much more awkward to explain to Mrs. Weasley out loud than it had been in his head. Ginny gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and he took a breath and continued, "He'll know how much Ginny means to me, Mrs. Weasley, and he'll come after her in any way he can. She needs to be ready at all times."
Harry finished and wondered at his own pretentiousness. He couldn't believe he had just sat there and not only told Mrs. Weasley how strongly he felt for her daughter (something he thought he'd never do) but he also presumed to tell her how to do her job as a mother.
He could feel Ron and Hermione waiting as anxiously behind him as he was sitting next to Ginny. Ginny seemed surprisingly calm, however. Mrs. Weasley looked back and forth from the parchment to Harry to Ginny and said with a deep release of breath,
"Very well, I'll sign them, but Ginny, you are only to use magic to defend yourself, is that understood?"
Ginny untwined her fingers from Harry's and walked around the table to envelope her mother in a hug.
"Thank you."
Mrs. Weasley chuckled a bit and said,
"I guess I'm just trying to hold on too tight to what's already gone, hmm?"
Ginny pulled her mother into a standing position and hugged her even more firmly,
"You've got four children right here, Mum. We all need you."
She turned away with tears in her eyes and said with an embarrassed laugh,
"Get on with you lot! You were off somewhere, so get to it! Don't let my blubbering stop you. Oh, and Ron, dear, when you find that you've said something terribly misogynistic, just apologize. It makes for a much quieter house."
Hermione looked pointedly at Ron as if to say,
"Ha, you're Mum's on my side."
And she grabbed Ginny by the hand and they walked arm in arm out towards the orchard. Harry saw Ron turn red with anger at being told off my two women for the same thing, and Harry laughed, clapping him on the shoulder,
"Stop while you're behind, mate."
Ron trudged along after Harry, none too happy.
After allowing the girls to defeat them once or twice, Harry and Ron found themselves in Ron's room staring at the wall with bemused looks on their faces.
"I don't get it," Ron's bemused voice floated over to Harry who had his eyes fixed to the ceiling as he laid on his back on his bed, "Really, they get angry when you beat them, and then they yell at you when you let them win! Do they actually know what they want out of life?"
"You've got me," Harry answered, "Although after I apologized and said I'd never underestimate Ginny again, I was off the hook. You, however, had to keep arguing and you're still in trouble."
"Well, she's got to make up her mind! I can't read it, now can I?"
Harry chuckled.
"Just go down and apologize, mate. I'm bored, and I don't want to spend dinner listening to you two snipe at each other."
Ron sighed and moved heavily from his bed. Harry waited a few moments and then started after him down the steps. He figured he'd given Ron enough time to apologize. As he approached Ginny's room, however, he saw Ginny listening at the small crack she'd left open. Not that she needed to. Harry could hear Ron and Hermione without leaning in.
"Are you kidding?" Harry asked tiredly, "Do they ever give up?"
Ginny looked up at Harry and smiled,
"I think this is fun for them, Harry. Don't ask me to explain it, but that's why they do it. They like to fight."
Harry shook his head.
"Personally, I'd rather not fight for the heck of it."
Ginny grinned even wider,
"Good, I don't like it much either. Ooh, they're really getting into it now."
"Ron, I just don't see why you feel the need to give me special treatment just because you want me to feel good about my abilities! Don't you think I excel enough in other things that you don't have to do me any favors?" Hermione spoke shrilly.
"Oh that's just perfect, Hermione! You complain about losing and now this! I don't know what you want from me!"
"You're not supposed to be happy about losing, Ron, but that doesn't mean you let me win! That undermines me, do you understand? No, of course you don't! When would you ever consider someone else's feelings instead of what's going to make it easier for you later? You thought to yourself that if you let me win, you wouldn't have to deal with me later."
"And that worked brilliantly, don't you think? Then, I promise, Hermione this will be the last time I try to do something that scrapes at my pride just to make you happy!"
"Oops," Ginny giggled. And sure enough, Hermione fired up,
"Your PRIDE! That's what all of this is about! You made some huge sacrifice because you had to lose to a girl. So your pride got hurt, boo hoo, Ron!"
Ron made a noise in his throat of deep frustration,
"Nothing is ever good enough, Hermione! You're so frustrating!"
"Oh I'm frustrating! What about-"
The room went silent. Harry and Ginny looked at each other in concern. It was as if someone had turned the volume off.
"Should we look in?" Ginny asked worriedly.
Harry nodded and they gently pushed the door open, Harry had his hand in his pocket ready to pull his wand out. The sight they were met with did make Harry want to curse something, but Ginny gave a laugh at the sight of Hermione and Ron snogging.
"Oh, that's just the way it should be," Ginny said as Hermione and Ron pulled apart, "Solved the argument, did you?"
Hermione blushed and opened her mouth to speak when a loud, triumphant whooping noise came with the slamming of the front door. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked curiously at one another, formed an unspoken agreement to walk downstairs to see what the commotion was.
A/N: OK, it was short, but I updated within mere DAYS not weeks. So, you can probably predict who was making the whooping noise and why, but this chapter was basically setting up very important (and probably predictable) things that will occur later on. Thanks again to my pal Macca for helping me with the Ministry interference. Thanks sweetie, I greatly appreciate it. Please review!