Only Half-Weasley
Chapter 4
A/N: I hope you're all happy because this is another long chapter! I was thinking of stopping half way through, but then the better of me said, "I don't like it when other authors do that!" So, here we go! I hope you enjoy it and thank you to the people who reviewed on Chapter 3: Mean Titan, Dauby, MiKaYGiRl, Beckisoup, and Frodo Freak 2! I appreciate it a lot and you will all get brownies once this story is over!
"Mum, why do you have to wear your hair like that?" Holly asked as the two were driving to King's Cross station. Much to Holly's dismay, these last two weeks had flown by pretty quick and before the young girl knew it, she was saying good-bye to all of her school friends.
Ginny glanced quickly at Holly's curious face and then averted her eyes back to the road. "Don't you want to look like your mother?" Ginny asked good-naturedly, feeling that her blonde hair was really a good change from the usual red.
Holly still wasn't convinced, though. "You have never had blonde hair in your life, Mum. Why are you starting now?"
The stop light in front of them suddenly turned red and Ginny slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of them. "I have my reasons, Holly," Ginny told her seriously, trying recover from the sudden jolt. "Not one wizard has recognized me in twelve years. Why do I want to be recognized now? It would give my mother a heart attack."
"Your mum?" Holly asked excitedly. "You mean I have a grandmother that I never knew about? Why haven't you told me?"
"You never asked," Ginny answered shortly. "Alright, here we are. Are you sure you have everything? If you do need anything, just send a note with your owl. It's much more convenient that way."
Holly nodded and jumped out of the car. When the mother and daughter reached the barrier that would lead them to the Hogwarts Express, Ginny pulled Holly to the side. "I know that going to this school is going to be strange for you, but just give it a try, Ok? You'll do just fine," Ginny encouraged with a smile and then lowered her voice. "If anyone asks you who your parents are, it might be better if you don't mention my name at all."
"Why, though?" Holly said with a confused look on her face. "Why all this secrecy and hiding and stuff? Are you running from the police?"
Ginny laughed nervously. "No, nothing like that! There are people at Hogwarts that know me. I think most of them believe that I am either gone for good or dead."
Holly still looked skeptical. "But wouldn't you want to them to know that you aren't dead?"
"Holly, if you are not happy at Hogwarts and want to go back to a regular school, I don't want the wizarding world chasing after me. This would be a big step for me and I'm not going to live in another world without you," Ginny explained.
Holly nodded silently, but she seemed to have taken in more than Ginny thought. "Alright, now let's get moving. You have a train to catch," Ginny urged, nudging Holly towards the barrier. After Holly had gone through, Ginny grabbed the trolley and followed her with her trunk and owl.
The train was as magnificent as Ginny remembered. There were still a couple minutes before departure and children running around everywhere, trying to get their things on the train and say good-bye to their parents. Ginny could recall another time when she was a little girl kissing her parents good-bye before leaving on that same train, but that had happened so long ago. That chapter of her life was long over.
Ginny helped Holly lift her trunk onto the train just as the train whistle warned everyone that it was about to depart. "Bye, Mum," Holly embraced her own mother and let a tear fall down her cheek. This would be the first time in the little girl's life that the two would be separated for this long period of time. "Don't be too lonely without me!"
"Bye, Holly!" Ginny answered. "Have a good term!"
The train began moving away from the station and Ginny waved at her daughter until the train was out of sight. Sighing, she turned around and bumped straight into someone. "Oh, excuse me! You!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Me? Oh, it's you again!" Hermione laughed. "How's the nose?"
Ginny put a hand to her nose and laughed when she realized that it was still in tact. "Still there, I guess," she said quickly, trying desperately to get away.
"You sound familiar…did we go to school together?" Hermione asked, eyeing Ginny's features.
Ginny fingered her wand as she wished very hard that she could change her features really quick. "Possibly," Ginny answered, slowly making her way to the barrier. "I did go to Hogwarts. Well, I better go. Bye!"
"Bye," said Hermione sadly and turned to her husband who had been chatting with another school friend. "Such an odd woman. You'd almost think that the world was after her or something."
"Yeah, strange people," said Ron, who was obviously not paying very much attention to her.
Hermione sighed at her husband's ignorance and stared long and hard at the barrier where the woman had disappeared. Why did she look so familiar? Where did they meet? "Hogwarts," Hermione said uncertainly. "It had to be Hogwarts."
Holly moved down the isles with her owl in one hand and her trunk in the other. Students were pushing all around her and taking up compartments right and left. After twenty minutes of frustration, she finally found a compartment with only three students in it that looked about her age.
"Can I join you?" she asked shyly.
The first boy, a redhead with a ton of freckles, shrugged while the brown-haired boy next to him nodded. "Sure, take a seat," he said in a friendly tone.
Holly smiled gratefully and with the help of the two other boys, she put away her trunk and owl. She took a seat next to another boy with pitch black hair. "I'm Holly Miller," Holly introduced herself.
"A muggle-born?" the boy next to her with a laugh.
"A what?" Holly asked confused.
"Cut it out, Aaron," the brown-haired boy scolded. "So what if she's muggle-born? Our mum is muggle-born." The brown-haired boy indicated the red-head next to him who was glaring at Aaron with the same annoyed expression as the boy next to him.
Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah well, your mum fought through the war with Harry Potter. Muggles had no idea wizards even existed," Aaron defended himself.
"Um, what's a muggle-born?" Holly asked curiously.
"It's a witch or wizard born to what we call non-magical folk- you know, people who aren't wizards," the red-haired boy explained. "Oh, I'm Daniel Weasley and this is my twin brother, Michael. You're a first year, aren't you? We're first years, too."
"Yeah, this is my first year," Holly confirmed, "but I don't think I'm a muggle-born. My mum is a witch."
"Then why don't you know anything?" Aaron replied harshly.
Holly shrugged and was just on the verge of tears when the twins both stood up, aiming their wands at Aaron. Just the sight alone made Holly want to laugh out loud. "Aaron, if you say another word," Michael threatened.
"We're going to hex you into oblivion," Daniel continued.
"With a hex that our muggle-born mother taught us!" Michael said with pride.
Aaron stood up angrily and grabbed his trunk. "You know what? Even if your parents are famous, you two aren't any better than muggles. I don't need to hang out with scum." Aaron stormed out of the compartment before even Michael could cast a good hex.
Michael shoved his wand back in his pant's pocket and sat back down as if nothing exciting had happened. "Well, that got rid of him. I wish we had done that earlier- we could have gotten rid of him sooner!"
"Yeah, him and his stupid pure-blood family," Daniel agreed while sitting back down next to his brother. "Just ignore him, Holly. He's no better than scum himself."
A million questions were raised in Holly's head, but none of them seemed to be worth asking. She didn't want to appear stupid in front of them. They were obviously children more acquainted with the magical world than she was.
"So, you're mum's a witch? Did she go to Hogwarts, too?" Michael changed the subject.
Holly nodded. "That's what she told me. My dad isn't a wizard, though. He was a doctor. Am I still a muggle-born, then?"
"No," Daniel answered. "You're a half-blood. Don't worry, though- some of the greatest people in the wizarding world are half-bloods. Harry Potter himself is a half-blood! You'll do just fine."
"Do you really know magic?" Holly asked, eyeing Daniel's wand in his hand.
Daniel put his wand back in his pocket. "No, not really. Mum refuses to teach us anything. She keeps telling us that we're not allowed to use magic. Dad would teach us, though, if he had time. He's always busy at the ministry."
"Uncle Charlie was going to teach us a few tricks, but Mum caught him," Michael added gloomily. "It would have helped, but we don't really need it."
"You saw how Aaron was out of her faster than lightning. Our parents are famous and people think Michael and I are just as great or something," Daniel added.
"Not as famous as Harry, though," Michael commented. "He's a legend."
"He was going to be our uncle," Daniel continued. "Uncle Bill told us that he was head-over-heals for our aunt, but she ran off and the family acts like she's dead. We've never met her. How cool would that be to have Harry as our uncle?"
"He's already our godfather," said Michael. "He's our parents' best friend and practically family already. He doesn't need to marry our non-existent aunt."
"It would still be cool, though," Danny mumbled.
"Why would it be cool?" Holly asked.
"Because he's cool!" Daniel exclaimed. "He's great at Quidditch, he got rid of You-Know-Who, and he's considered one of the most powerful wizards in the world!"
"Who did he get rid of?"
Michael and Daniel gaped at the blonde girl sitting across from them. Finally, Michael snapped out of his shocked spell. "Sorry, Holly, I keep forgetting you don't know much about the wizarding world. Funny, though, since your mum was a witch. Didn't she tell you all about this?"
Holly shook her head. "She hasn't said much. She's always been so secretive and now I feel so stupid!"
"That is funny," Daniel replied. "It's alright, though. There are plenty of muggle-borns who don't know much about our world. You'll catch up quick enough."
"But who did he get rid of?" Holly persisted. "You never told me."
Daniel passed a dark look to Michael. "You tell her. The story still gives me the willies."
"Alright," Michael agreed. "It all started fifty years ago…" Michael continued the long story about Tom Riddle who then became Voldemort and was later defeated by Harry Potter. By the time Michael was finished, the Hogwarts Expressed was almost to its destination and the three were hurrying to get their robes on.
"Amazing," Holly breathed when Michael finished and she had gotten her robes on. "My mum knows him."
"Of course she does," said Daniel. "All witches and wizards know Harry. Like Michael explained, he's famous."
The train came to an abrupt stop in and Holly nearly fell headfirst into Daniel who was standing across from her. The scramble to get out of the crowded train and onto the platform was difficult, but Holly managed to get off without getting too hurt. However, she lost both Michael and Daniel by the time she stepped off the train.
"First years! First years over here!"
Holly heard the high-pitched voice above the crowd and shoved her way to a sharp-looking, middle-aged woman who was holding a lantern high in the air and seemed to be the source of the commotion. "First years! First years over here!"
After several minutes of listening to her horrible, crackling voice, about forty first years were led down to a fleet of rowboats at the edge of a vast lake. Holly was herded into one boat with three other first years that she didn't recognize while she saw Michael and Daniel at the opposite side of the shore getting into a rowboat with two other students. She dearly wished she was sitting with them again, but as soon as she was seated, the rowboat took off into the lake. Holly looked around her curiously to see how they were moving, but no one was doing anything! It was almost like the boat was rowing itself!
"It's magic," a girl next to Holly breathed.
The world was pitch-black and freezing cold around the blonde-haired girl and she couldn't decide where she was. The sky was dark gray with clouds and the water as black as the air surrounding her. While on the train, Holly had guessed that they were in the middle of the wilderness, but why would there be a school so far away from civilization?
Half way across the lake, Holly noticed the gigantic castle that they were heading to. It was on the edge of a cliff above the lake and the reflection from the lights sparkled on the water. The castle grew bigger as the fleet of rowboats approached it and soon enough, the first years were piling out of the rowboats and following the woman with the lantern up a pathway up to the front doors. The doors opened and there stood a man about six feet tall with black hair. Holly immediately recognized the man as the one who broke her nose at the pub. What was he doing here?
"Professor, I have the first years," the woman said to the man.
"Thank you," the man answered and motioned for the first years to enter the front hall. Holly looked around in awe at her new environment. It was warm for one thing, but it was beautiful! Chatter could be heard coming from one of the other doors, but the man led the group of students into another quiet room across the hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," the man greeted the students with a smile. "Many of you know me, but for those of you who don't, I am Professor Potter and your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. In just a minute, you will enter the Great Hall and will be sorted into houses. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." Holly could have sworn he had spat on the last word, but she also had sneezed at the same time. "Alright, follow me."
Holly waited for Michael and Daniel before following the professor. "Professor Potter?" she asked excitedly. "I've met him before!"
"You have?" Daniel answered, "Well, then, that's Harry Potter. He's also the guy that sent you your letter, don't you remember? He's the Deputy Headmaster here." Holly thought hard until she remembered her mother mentioning him a couple of times. That seemed like such a long time ago!
Inside the Great Hall, four long tables were filled with students all turning their heads to watch the first years march down the center isle. At the front of the hall was another table filled with staff members and in the center was an older woman just as sharp as the one Holly met at the train station. The woman's eyes were not staring at the students, though, but at a three-legged stool that Holly hadn't noticed before. The stool was holding a battered-looking hat that seemed to catch everyone else's attention quickly as the room became silent. To Holly's astonishment, the hat not only began to talk, but it sang!
Oh look at you young first years!
How frightened you all look
To see a hat speaking words
Better than any famous book!
But I am just a small sight
Of all that you will see
As you continue Hogwarts
You will see better things than me!
For those destined for Hufflepuff,
You will meet great friends.
Your hard-working classmates
Will be there to the bitter end.
For those who find Gryffindor
A house full of their own,
You'll see a world full of courage
And your bravery will be known.
For those who see Ravenclaw
As a house worthy of entrance,
Your intellect will surpass all others,
And your brain will be a greater sense.
To those who enter Slytherin,
Your cleverness exceeds
To help you achieve great ends,
And accomplish great deeds.
So now you must be wondering
To which house will you go?
None of the teachers will tell you
Only one in this room can know.
I see what's in your head,
What your heart's great desire,
And if you put me on,
I will put you in the house you aspire.
As the song ended, Holly's body was glued to the ground in shock. Not only was a hat talking to her, but it seemed to be talking to her, too! No wait, it couldn't have been talking to just her. There were forty other first years in this room- maybe everyone was feeling the way she did? Holly shivered at the thought. This was just getting creepy.
"When I call your name, please come forward and put the hat on. Once it announces your house, please take a seat at that table. Azar, Jordan!" Professor Potter called out and a boy will curly brown hair walked shyly to the stool. After a several moments while sitting on the stool with a hat on his head, the brim of the hat opened and called out "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bennett, Emily!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"So, what house would you want to be in?" Michael whispered to Holly between rounds of clapping.
"I don't know, how about you?" she returned.
"We'll probably be in Gryffindor," Daniel muttered on her other side. "Our whole family was in Gryffindor."
"Gregory, Michelle!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Jordelli, Alice!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Leedom, Ryan!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"I don't know," Holly whispered back. "What do you think would be a good house?"
"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Michael mumbled. "You seem like a Ravenclaw girl, though."
"Miller, Holly!"
"Good luck!"
Holly jumped and her heart began to race loud and fast. She felt Daniel and Michael nudging her and when she finally began to take steps of her own, she found herself in front of the stool and being forced into it by another hand. In another second, the hat was plopped onto her head and she waited.
"Ah, an intelligent one, you are!" a small voice echoed in her head. "You have plenty of potential and your mind is very well developed. You are a studier, aren't you? But you won't find your true friends among those in Ravenclaw."
"What?" Holly thought.
"No, you will not be happy in Ravenclaw. You are more like your mother than you think. You had better go to GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word was blasted into the hall and the hat was whipped off her head. Professor Potter helped her up and pushed her to the Gryffindor table where the crowd was cheering excitedly. She sat own, feeling a bit relieved and a bit confused. What did the hat mean, 'she was more like her mother than she thought'? She had always considered herself to be more her father's daughter!
"Nott, Aaron!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Roberts, Devon!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Sullivan, Emma!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Tyron, Bryce!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Several more names later, the last two students that were standing were-
"Weasley, Daniel!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Weasley, Michael!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor crowd erupted in applause louder than for any other student. Holly clapped along with everyone else as Michael and Daniel joined her. "I guess you're not a Ravenclaw girl, after all," Michael laughed.
"Yeah," said Holly. "I guess I'm not."