Chapter 2 - The letters of Victoire Ginevra Weasley
September 2011 ~ First Year
Dear Maman and Dad,
This is a better letter than the first one because I wrote that on the first night and I didn't have anything to tell you except being in Gryffindor.
So now I've been here two weeks. It's great, like you said, Dad! I'm sure Beauxbatons would have been nice too, but I'm glad I'm at Hogwarts! I like most of my lessons, except I don't like Potions and Herbology much. Don't tell Professor Longbottom I said that-I know he's your friend and I do like him a lot, that's not why I don't like the lesson. It's not why I don't like Potions either, the teacher is quite nice. But I don't really like getting covered in mud and plants and things, and the potions ingredients are gross and smell bad. I said that to Teddy, and he looked at me like I was really stupid, and said what was wrong with getting a bit dirty? So I'm trying to like Herbology more, but I still don't really see why he likes lessons like that so much. I like Charms the best. It's nice and clean and I'm good at it.
I've made loads of friends, but my best friend is called Tamsyn Golightly. She's Muggleborn so she doesn't understand a lot of things about Hogwarts, so I'm helping her. I don't need to help her at lessons though. She's really good and sometimes she helps me. It's only with things like understanding real money, and knowing the rules of Quidditch and stuff. I told Teddy that, and he said I didn't even know the rules of Quidditch properly, but that's not true-I DO!
I don't think Teddy really wants me to be in Gryffindor with him. I keep trying to talk to him and he tells me to go away. I don't know why, because his friends quite like me, at least Persis does. I went down to see Hagrid with him yesterday, and he was really angry about it and said I was tagging along, which I think isn't fair because Hagrid's my friend too.
Anyway, Tamsyn's waiting for me, so I'm going to go now.
Love to Dom and Louis.
Lots of love,
Victoire
October 2012 ~ Second Year
Dear Dom,
It's funny, when I'm at school I almost miss you. Never mind, you'll be coming to Hogwarts next year too.
How are things at home? I hope Louis isn't driving you completely mad.
Next time you're in Diagon Alley, can you buy me one of those peacock quills everyone's getting? I really want one, but it's no use asking Mum and Dad, they'll say it's a waste of money, because they're quite expensive. I've sent enough money for it though. I don't want one of those cheap ones-get me one of the big ones with glittery bits on the actual quill.
Yesterday somebody put Whizbang fireworks in the trifle at dinner. Luckily I wasn't sitting near any of it. It was really funny, it exploded everywhere. I think maybe Teddy had something to do with it, but he wouldn't tell me, even though I kept asking him.
I'm going to duelling lessons now. I don't like it very much, because if your shield charms aren't good enough, the other person gets you with their hex. But it's important to know I suppose, and I am learning a lot of new hexes! I'll tell you them when I get home.
Don't forget about the peacock quill!
Love Vic
January 2014 ~ Third Year
(Translated from French)
Dear Pépère and Mémère,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write to you. Thank you for the Christmas present. It's very cold here in Scotland, with lots of snow, so the fur coat you gave me is really useful. We had a lovely Christmas. It would have been nice to see you, but it was great to be back at the Burrow too-it was sort of their turn, after two years of us coming to France! I hope you had a nice one too, with Tante Gabi and everyone.
Yesterday some fourth years (including my friend Teddy-you know, Uncle Harry's godson) started a big snowball fight on the Quidditch pitch. I ended up joining in, even though I didn't really mean to, because someone threw a snowball at my head.
Anyway, I'm sending you a photo I took of the mountains with the snow. It's really beautiful, don't you think? You should come and visit one day.
We went to Hogsmeade today. That's the wizarding village closest to Hogwarts. They arrange visiting days for it, but we're not allowed to go until third year. It's really great there-they have the best sweet shop ever! Maman told me that in Beauxbatons everyone's allowed to go out of the school into town, even the first and second years. Is that true? Last year I would have wished they did that here too, but this year I'm quite glad they don't-it's nice to be a third year and allowed to go.
How's Tante Gabi? Has she got a big bump now? I can't wait for the baby to be born. I hope it's at Easter, so I can come over straight away. It won't be fair if everyone else meets the baby before me and Dom, just because we're stuck at school. Anyway, give her my love.
Lots of love,
Victoire
March 2015 ~ Fourth Year
Dear Louis,
Well, it was nice to get a letter from you, although I have to admit I was a bit surprised. Obviously, I stopped being surprised when I got to the list of things you want from Zonko's. Why can't you get them from Uncle George? I thought his were supposed to be loads better than Zonko's. Or have Mum and Dad stopped you doing that? Well, I'll get them for you when you send me the money. Sorry if that seems a bit distrustful, but I'm not actually sure you've got that many galleons, and I'm not just buying you presents.
Anyway, it was nice to hear from you, although you really need to work on your spelling. And your handwriting. There were bits I could hardly understand. Like the bit about you and James last weekend. I thought it said you blew up Gringotts, but I'm pretty sure I'd have heard about it already if you'd done that. Talking of James, has his broomstick come down from the ceiling yet?
Give my love to Mum and Dad, and send me those galleons if you actually want me to buy you anything.
Love Vic
January 2016 ~ Fifth Year
Dear Maman and Dad,
Sorry if this is short. I have about three different essays to write, and I really need to start on my OWL revision timetable too. I only just scraped an O on that Transfiguration essay I did over Christmas, so I'm a bit worried about it now. Anyway, we all got back to Hogwarts all right, obviously, and everything is fine. Do you think Aunt Hermione would mind if I wrote to her and asked her a few things about my Muggle Studies homework?
Can you please stop Louis sending me stupid things by owl? The other day it was a ridiculous hat that sang really loudly whenever anyone touched it. And today he sent a bunch of fireworks that exploded when the owl dropped them on the table. I doubt if he actually meant to risk hurting anyone, but I got into trouble for it, and it's quite embarrassing. I don't want to get him into trouble, but I really want him to stop, and I've tried just telling him and it hasn't worked.
I'm not sure why you said you were worried about me in your letter. I'm fine. I know I was a bit emotional at Christmas, but I was just worried about OWLs. And I don't know what Dom's been saying, but you honestly don't need to worry. I'm just a bit stressed, and yes, Teddy and I had an argument, but come on-we always argue. It's not a big deal.
Better go, or I'll never make a start on all this work before bed.
Love Vic.
September 2016 ~ Sixth Year
Dear Teddy,
It was lovely to get your letter. I really mean that. I miss you. It isn't the same without you here. I don't have anyone to shout at.
No, seriously though, I really do miss you. I keep expecting to walk into the common room and find you there. I went down to see Hagrid the other day, and then I felt bad, because I hadn't really gone to see him at all, I'd gone to remind myself of you.
Bad news though-Mum and Dad say we're going to France for Christmas this year, so I'm not going to see so much of you. I kind of wish we could tell them, but then I think about all the fuss and the freaking out, and everyone talking and asking about it, and I really don't want to go there yet. Why is our family just so bad at minding their own business?
I think you were right about it being a good thing you're not at school, though, even though it's so horrible without you. James and Louis are annoying enough as it is-we wouldn't be able to spend a second together with them around.
They've been at the school three weeks, and they've already managed to flood the third floor boys' toilets, by some combination of bad spellwork and toilet paper in the plugholes. We worked out it was them, because a couple of the Hufflepuff prefects were going in to use the bathroom, when this kid called Annabelle Carson started screaming blue murder right outside the door. Well, obviously they stopped to help her, and it turned out she had a spider down her back, inside her clothes! What with all the screaming, they said they were there about five minutes before they finally shook it out onto the floor. And then they turned around, and there was water coming under the door of the toilets.
PUNCHLINE: Annabelle Carson, along with her twin brother, and Nancy Belby's little sister, has buddied up with James and Louis, and (they admitted this when we started prodding) it was Adam Carson who dropped the spider down her neck in the first place. She let him do it, because she isn't scared of spiders at all, but (this is a direct quote) 'we had to have a real spider, because otherwise it would just have been a lie'.
Well, I just hope she manages to teach James and Louis a few morals, because they've never seemed to have any issue with telling lies.
It would almost be funny if I wasn't a prefect, and if they weren't always so rude when I try to tell them off. At least I can give them detentions, which makes me feel better anyway.
I'm glad you've found a job, although is it really what you want to be doing? What happened to working with animals or teaching? You can do more than work in a bar, Ted.
I really miss you.
Love Vic.
September 2017 ~ Seventh Year
Dear Maman and Dad,
Please calm down. I'm sorry we didn't tell you. It hasn't been going on that long, honestly! And it wasn't that we were trying to keep it a secret, it was just that we were waiting for the right time to tell you. Did you tell your whole family the second you started seeing each other?
I'm seventeen. And you've known Teddy since he was a baby. We know what we're doing, and there's nothing to freak out about. So now we've got it all out in the open, can we just forget about it? It's bad enough with Louis singing stupid songs about it every time he sees me. And anyone would think James had never seen anyone kissing in his life before. I'm Head Girl, and at this rate, nobody's going to take me seriously!
I hope you have a lovely time in France next week, anyway. Send my love to everyone, and give Sylvie a kiss from me.
Lots of love,
Victoire.
P.S. I really am sorry we didn't tell you. We honestly wanted to, but it was just never the right moment. I hope you're not really angry. I think it's kind of serious with me and Teddy. I hope it is.