Chapter 2

Who knew muggles could be so exhausting?

Certainly not me, and the three days where they have been at my house have been the longest I have ever experienced.

The only consolation is that Ms. Brown decided not to come and to walk across the barrier, lose her memory and return to her normal life. I couldn't even imagine having to deal with that embarrassment now. It's not as if I care about her being older, just that it would be weird considering she was my superior those few days ago.

But these muggles. All I want to do is sleep in my final days of vacation, but no I have to keep telling them about Hogwarts and all that jazz. It's truly killing me slowly, shouldn't people who save an entire planet be allowed to take a nap?

But I was excited today, today was the first time I got to see the Weasleys after almost a month of not being able to visit them in preparation for the battle.

Tonight we were gathering at our house for the Weasleys to be introduced to the muggles before school began so that they would at least have the five Weasleys currently at Hogwarts to help them along and not just me.

But even more exciting, the Professors were coming tonight.

We figured we might want to introduce them to them in advance so it won't be too exciting for them the first day. Not that probably at least seven Weasleys along with Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Lupin, Hagrid, Burbage, Hooch and Sinistra wasn't overwhelming on its own, just less so when they don't have to deal with the stares of the Hogwarts students on them at the same time.

Anyway, while the muggles are downstairs mingling with Professors McGonagall and Sprout who arrived early to assist and bring some ingredients for special platters tonight I get ready.

I stood in front of my mirror, I decided to dress up a little for tonight, at least, more than I usually dress up.

I wore a dark green pleated skirt that stopped right above my knee, a black and white striped shirt hung loosely in a box shape around my torso.

I through on my brown ankle booties and then put on my silver bar necklace Mrs. Weasley got me for Christmas last year.

I gave myself a once over, checking that there were no loose pieces of hair trudging themselves from my bun at the nape of my neck and straightened out my brown ribbon that was tied tightly under it.

Then, floating up from the floor below me was my mother's voice.

"Solvey the Weasleys are here!"

I turned to my door and raced out, not before closing it tightly behind me. Then I turned and raced down the steps just in time to see my second family come through the door.

But with not only the ones I thought I was going to see, all of them.

At the sight of the two oldest Weasley children I leapt forward to greet them.

"BILL CHARLIE!"

I think the hush that had come over the crowd at the newest additions only served to amplify my scream throughout the room. But I just couldn't help it as I pulled the two oldest Weasley boys to me. My two oldest brothers really.

"I didn't know you were coming!"

"Neither did we really," Charlie said as he hugged me tightly.

"Yeah we both just happened to get off because of the celebration!" Bill says, backing back towards where Mrs. Weasley is standing.

I look curiously at her, I didn't know we had a celebration coming up.

"What celebration?" I can't help but notice Mrs. Weasley's eyes going wide.

"You didn't hear dear?" I shake my head, "The ministry has declared tomorrow an international holiday, in commemoration of you and your fifteenth birthday!" I can't help but stare at her.

First, I had completely forgotten my birthday was tomorrow, completely forgotten that tomorrow was August 31st, and that in just two days I would be brought on the train to Hogwarts to celebrate a new year with exciting new challenges ahead.

"Solvey, honey?"

I wince at my mother's voice, "Sorry, with all this excitement I actually forgot it was my birthday tomorrow."

'I figured, and there is another surprise," I look inquizitive at my mother, "Ganon Dragonshard is coming."

At that my eyes open wide, Ganon Dragonshard is the Ambassador of Magic, the same position as the Minister of Magic, but in Denmark. And he was coming to see me. Me, of all people.

"Do you really mean that, I get an international holiday and the Ambassador of Magic, what did I do to deserve this?"

"You mean other than defeat the Dark Lord?" Fred's sarcasm is never missed.

"I mean, I don't deserve all this, I killed someone and I'm getting recognition?"

"Honey, you deserve more than a holiday, you deserve the world." Mrs. Weasley was always so sweet, even if I didn't deserve this.

I couldn't believe it, and all of a sudden I was swept into a chair by Charlie who saw how suddenly I had swayed on my feet and put me in a chair before I completely collapsed.

But then there was a knock on the door. A light but powerful one. We all looked towards the door and my dad went to go answer it, as the only muggle in the room I can imagine he felt like he needed to help.

And when that door opened I couldn't see who it was, but I could hear.

"I heard it was someone's birthday."

I turned towards the speaker. The speaker I knew very well.

The crowd parted like something on a muggle television show and I saw him, standing to his full height in his beautiful robes and a twinkle in his eye.

Dumbledore.

My mouth opened, but no sound could come out to express my shock of him showing up, he was practically in hiding from the ministry because they didn't approve of sending me in to go against the Dark Lord.

But now he was here.

"Professor."

Merlin, I sounded stupid.

"I can't believe you're here."

Dumbledore looked at me with an amused look playing on his features. Like he knew all my secrets and wanted me to tell them, he probably did actually.

"Well here I am. Happy birthday." With that he thrust a gift into my hands, which I barely was able to grasp before my mother took it from my hands and put it with the others, which I was just noticing, piled up on a table.

"Guys this is all too much."

"Oh quiet, now I think I hear a few more people coming."

With that I was pulled back into the roll of mingling and introducing everyone who came through the door. First came Hagrid, who I should have explained ahead of time, in fact I did mention him briefly yesterday to a few of my classmates but they still seemed a little shocked at the enormous man who stood before them. Then came Hooch, Burbage and Sinistra, who's presence wasn't shocking to the muggles except when I explained Madam Hooch taught us how to fly on brooms.

"You really do that?" Lauren asked me, her eyes sceptical.

"Yeah, we even have professional broom sports, the most popular being quidditch, I explained quidditch to you yesterday don't you remember?" My mind went back to the conversation we had yesterday sitting on the porch in the back overlooking the back gardens of my home where with the help of a charm from my mother I was sometimes able to practice my skills on summer days.

"Yes, you didn't say it was on broomsticks though." Her voice was getting a little flustered. I could tell she has been having a hard time processing all of the information that has been happening.

Though, that's not my problem anymore.

Professor Lupin arrived next, apologizing for the absence of his counterpart, who was homebound due to an injury from his previous mission.

"Why is Padfoot always so careless?"

Lupin gave me a sly smile, "Please we both know the answer to that question."

I laughed hard as there was another knock on the door. And it was opened to reveal Professor Flitwick, I greeted with polite conversation. Surprisingly the muggles didn't mention his height, but I guess they've been taught not to treat muggles with dwarfism odd, so I guess this is one muggle lesson I'm grateful for.

And just like that there is only one Professor left to come. The only one I'm not as excited to see.

But the polite conversation between everyone went on for awhile, then about five minutes later I feel a hand on my lower back. I turn my head to see the owner and reveal one of my best friends with a worried look on his face.

"Are you okay? You look like you could yak."

"I'm fine. I'm just over excited I guess."

"Well it's not like you don't have reason to be excited."

But did I? "I guess. I hope Snape gets here soon. I want to see the look on his face, the papers this morning had the potion recipe I made in it, and he thought I was worthless at potion making."

"Well you are."

"Shut up."

With that Fred chuckled and turned back to his mother and asked her when supper was getting started, for which she boxed his ear and said not until all the guests were there.

Speaking of, suddenly sharp three knocks reverberated through the sitting room.

I stood a little straighter. This was it, the moment I was waiting for. My dad made his way over to the door and opened it.

Behind the door stood the last professor scheduled to come. A hush fell over the room as he entered. He held a gift in his hand, and let me tell you, Severus Snape was the last person I expected to get me a birthday gift. But as he handed it to me he looked me straight in the eyes.

"Exceptional work Ms. Pederson."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and immediately I let go of any resentment I was holding towards him.

"Thank you Professor."

And with that I turned and conversation started again. I looked over at Fred, currently talking with Lupin and his mother, he shrugged as did I. Definitely not the conversation I thought would occur when he worked through the door.

As I looked around and saw the mingling of muggles and wizards alike I can't help but smile at the progress being made. This is what killing Voldemort means, that I can bring muggles into this world and know that they will be safe.

Well, safe until my fellow Slytherins catch wind of this, and in these few days I'm surprised I haven't gotten an owl or two about it yet.

Well, school is always the opportunity.

Today was the day. My birthday was the one day a year where I didn't wake up at six a.m. to a blaring alarm, but to an owl gently nudging at my face to wake me up with an early present from my Dad. The one day a year in which he used the magical communication to send me a package without the assistance of my mother.

With a small thank you and treat for the owl I send him off and turn to the package. It was small and unmarked, so I rip open the brown paper to find a small necklace. Upon further inspection I see it has a latch, and when I open it I find a picture of me and my Dad when I was about four, a muggle picture. I always love this one. Most of the picture was cut out to fit in the small lacy heart, but you could see me and my Dad looking at each other, he had just told me the story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier and I immediately fell in love with idea of being the paper ballerina and he waltzed me around the living room. My cheeks were flushed and I looked at him as though he was the only person I would ever love.

And when you're four years old and your mother is at work more than she's home, he was.

A few stray tears found there way down my cheeks as I stood up.

I get ready for the day, putting on my best outfit and my new necklace then head down for breakfast. Finding an assortment of my favorite muggle breakfast foods and a very special guest looking at them curiously.

Suddenly I slipped into my first language, "Ambassador Dragonshard! You're here!"

At my voice the Ambassador to Magic stood and move two steps forward to embrace me.

"Of course. A young talent from my own country saves an entire race. If I did not show up I would be simply ignorant."

The young man of only 45 looked at me with a similar twinkle in his eye to Dumbledore, but a bit more mysterious. I remember running around his office as a child, just before we moved to England and he was promoted to the head of the Government.

"Yeah, I mean with the publicity alone."

"Of course, and the muggle program you are spearheading, I just had to come to see for myself how muggles were reacting to all of this."

Speaking of, there were no muggles in sight. Ganon seemed to notice my glance around as a question to their whereabouts.

"Your mother has them outside helping with gnome disposal, says it would be help with her giving your staff off for the holiday. And while on the subject, happy birthday."

He, too hands a tightly wrapped package in my hands, "Thank you. This all is way too much."

His smile twists into a mischievous grin, "Solvey one day I hope you will understand the gravity of what you have accomplished. For now I hope you will accept the gratitude of the world silently." With a nod of his head he heads to the back yard, where I can only assume my mother is watching the muggles chace around garden gnomes with little success. I don't even know how gnomes know which homes are magical or not, but with so many days of chasing them in the summer sun when we first moved here, I think London gnomes are more mischievous than Copenhagen ones, and when my father turned down a staff of muggles to protect the integrity of my mother and I when we came, the gnomes moved in.

The house elves sure kept fit chasing them around all the time with me.

At this moment I can only stare at the package in set it down on the table. Then I grab a few pancakes from the center of the table, along with some raspberries from a small dish and a glass of orange juice and head outside to the porch.

I almost drop the plate in my hand when I walk outside.

It is quite possible everyone I have ever met is in my backyard.

The Weasleys, Lovegoods, Diggorys, and Malfoys are all here, along with a few of my Mom's colleges from the Ministry and Lupin and Black. And upon further inspection Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were in a small conversation group with Ron.

I can't help but run to hug my favorite professor I didn't see yesterday, who I now noticed had a black eye and a bandage around his hand.

"Padfoot, what did you do?"

"I'm a badass member of the Order of the Phoenix, I got my hands dirty for the cause."

At that Lupin elbows him in the ribcage and he lets out a little whimper.

"Fine I fell down a flight of stairs." I start to laugh, and the others around me join in too. Black turns a deep shade of red and smiles down at the ground, and at that Lupin puts his hand in his and I walk away smiling at the pair.

I then go and find my dad.

When I finally find him in a discussion with Luna about Canada's state of affairs to do with India I interrupt their conversation apologizing to Luna, but I can tell my Dad is greatful to get out of there.

"Thanks, I still can't decide if I like her or not." My Dad whispers when we are far enough away from the girl.

"You do, she's just different." When he starts laughing and nodding his head I reach up and touch the chain around my neck, "This is beautiful. Thank you."

My Dad smiles at me, "Anything for my little angel. Do you remember that day."

"Yeah, when you danced with me after telling me about the Paper Ballerina."

"Still one of my favorite memories." We both smile at this and I reach up to hug him. "You'll always be my Angel, remember that."

"How could I forget?"

And with that we walk back towards the party and I forget everything that occured only days before as we break a pinata, eat cake at ten in the morning, and sing and play both magical and muggle party games.

For now, life is good.