Chapter 6: The Letters of Louis Charles Weasley

October 2016 ~ First Year

Dear Mum and Dad.

You'll never guess what, this is so unfair! Today VICTOIRE gave me and James a detention! I mean, I don't think it's fair having your sister being a prefect. She's bound to pick on me isn't she? We hadn't even done anything. Not much anyway. Anyway, I'm not suddenly going to start doing exactly what she tells me, just because she's a prefect. She only did it because I'm her brother, and it's not fair. Can you write to her and tell her she's not allowed to give me detentions?

Apart from detentions, Hogwarts is still great! We found out how to get down to the kitchens (actually Fred showed us) so now we go down there and get food all the time. We want to find the secret passages too, but no luck so far.

James wanted to be on the Quidditch team, but they already had everyone they needed. He was a bit upset. I don't know how he'd have played on it, seeing as first years aren't allowed to bring brooms.

The older kids are in Hogsmeade today. I wish we could go – it sounds really cool. Fred said he'd bring us some chocolate back from Honeydukes. James said he'd rather have stuff from Zonko's, but Honeydukes chocolate's supposed to be the best isn't it?

I'm borrowing one of the school owls to send this. It would be loads easier if I had my own, like Dom's got.

Love,

Louis

September 2017 ~ Second Year

Dear Mum and Dad,

Vic's going out with Teddy Lupin! I know you probably know that already, because James told his mum and dad, so they've probably told you. But isn't it weird? Sort of funny too. I can't believe they were going out all last year and she never told me! That's what Dom says anyway. Vic's being all weird about it though, she doesn't see the funny side at all. She just keeps telling us to go away when we make jokes about it. We're only having a bit of fun!

James got on the Quidditch team this year. I knew he would. He's a Chaser, like Dom. And Fred's on the team now too, so hopefully Ravenclaw won't beat us this year. Dom says they will, but obviously Dom would say that.

We got in a bit of a fight with this boy called Scorpius Malfoy yesterday. His dad's Draco Malfoy – you know, the one Uncle Ron told us about. Anyway, it wasn't really a fight, but him and James got in an argument because James teased him a bit and he couldn't take a joke. So he said some things, and James said some things, and I think James would have hit him if a prefect hadn't come round the corner. Al said he talked to Malfoy in Transfiguration and he wasn't that bad, but Al aways thinks people are OK. Rose doesn't like him either.

I'm still using the school owls. I know you said Dom only got her owl just before 4th year, but it isn't fair if I always have to wait longer just because I'm the youngest.

Love,

Louis.

February 2019 ~ Third Year

Dear Mr McDougal,

I'm writing to say I'm very sorry about what happened to your greenhouse last weekend. I mean, I expect you know that Professor Clearwater is making me write (I'm sitting in detention doing it now) but I really am sorry. I'd probably have written anyway. I know they mended the greenhouse, but I realise that you'd spent a long time growing all those plants, and that they can't be replaced very quickly.

The whole thing was entirely my fault. Well, actually, it wasn't – my cousin dared me to do it, but it was me who actually climbed on the wall. We never meant it to happen the way it did – it wasn't supposed to go near your greenhouse.

I expect you'll be glad to hear that I'm not allowed back in Hogsmeade again this term, and nor is my cousin. And that my herbology professor, who obviously appreciates greenhouses, is really angry with me, and he knows my parents so he'll probably tell them. So you don't need to worry about me not getting into enough trouble.

Anyway, I'm sorry about what happened, and about your special tomatoes that got spoiled. Just out of interest though, what was that thing with spikes that grabbed me round the ankle? I haven't told anyone at school about it, but the cut's turning a bit green.

Yours sincerely,

Louis Weasley.

January 2020 ~ Fourth Year

Dear Grandma and Grandad,

Thanks for the Christmas present. The jumper's great, as usual. James would probably be writing too, but he's in detention. Lily's here though, sitting on the sofa next to me. She's writing to you as well, I think, even though she saw you at Christmas anyway. She's wearing her jumper. And eating my Chocolate frogs. I'm not sure she's realised what she's doing. She's had about six.

The book on Muggle electronics was interesting too. Sort of makes me wish I'd taken Muggle Studies, but it's too late now. I'd really like to look at that Muggle radio you've got next time I come and visit though. I bet I could mend it.

We had a good Christmas in France, but it sounds like you had a bit more snow than us. There's plenty here now though.

I've just realised I'd better tell you why James is in detention or Grandma'll worry. It's nothing that bad. He just started a bit of a food fight at dinner last night. Rose isn't speaking to him because he started it by dropping a big treacle tart on her head, but that's nothing new. Rose not speaking to James, that is, not him dropping treacle tart on her head. He's never done that before. It was pretty funny actually, but Rose didn't think so.

Sorry about that line across the page. James came back and jumped over the back of the sofa I'm sitting on and jerked my quill. Lily's gone. She's in a huff because he trod on her letter, and because I told her to stop eating my chocolate frogs.

I'm going to stop writing now – James got out of detention early (it was in the greenhouses with Professor Longbottom) so we're going to go down to the kitchens.

Thanks again for the Christmas presents.

Love,

Louis.

End of April, 2021 ~ Fifth Year

Enclosed inside a birthday card.

Hey Vic,

Happy birthday!

Well, I heard you and Teddy are giving it another go. That was news to me, but I suppose I'm the last person to hear about things as usual. James says he doesn't know anything about it except that you two met up a couple of times at Easter, and that Teddy's suddenly learnt how to smile again. Lily says it's all because of her – something about a letter or something, but she wasn't making much sense.

So, I don't want to be nosy or anything, but what happened? Last thing I knew, we weren't allowed to mention his name in front of you.

Things are OK here. Gryffindor's got the final game against Ravenclaw next week, and if they win this, we've won the cup, so Jamie's all keyed up about it. He's keeping the team practising every single day before breakfast – I think some of them are just about reaching the point of rebellion. I heard Sapphie Jordan ranting about it to Rose.

Exams are starting in a couple of weeks. Fenella's stressing out. I'm a bit worried myself – I'm not like you and Dom, cruising through OWLs with whole handfuls of Outstandings. I'll be lucky if I get Es. Not that I really care, but they are piling the pressure on.

Vic, do you think it's OK to have secrets? Or is it better to be open about stuff? There's something I haven't told anyone, and now James has sort of guessed and won't stop going on about it, and I don't know what to do.

Love,

Louis.

P.S. You know how it's my birthday in June? Well, could you maybe hint to Mum and Dad that I'm now in Fifth Year, and have been wanting an owl for a really long time...

September 2021 ~ Sixth Year

Dear Mum and Dad,

Well, look at this! See how much better and easier it is, and how much faster I write to you when I have my own owl? Also don't give her a treat until she bows-I'm training her to do tricks, she loves it.

I've finally persuaded them to let me commentate the Quidditch! And I'm setting up a proper system, like they use at the international matches these days-you know, the kind that projects the commentator's voice into the stands, but not out onto the pitch so it's not distracting for the players. Plus, it means you don't have any problems with the people closest getting deafened, or the wind blowing the wrong way and people at the far end not being able to hear. Everyone gets the same volume. Professor Clearwater said it was completely unnecessary for school matches, so I'm working on it in secret.

I've been working on it all evening, and I think I've got the spells I'd need sorted out. It took longer than I thought though, and Fenella's just reminded me I've got a Charms essay due for tomorrow, so I'd better go.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Love,

Louis.

February 2023 ~ Seventh Year

Dear Dom,

Should I be offended that you never write to me except when you hear that shit's going down, and you want the details?

Okay, well yeah, what you heard is right, and James nearly got expelled for it, but didn't. Actually, I thought he was going to, because he was definitely on his last warning after the Veritaserum thing, but for some reason they decided not to. It was all a bit mysterious.

Parker's still in St Mungo's, but he's apparently okay, and the Malfoy kid's out of the hospital wing and seems fine. James is kind of in pieces over it, though-I've never seen him like this before. It's mostly because he's lost the Quidditch captaincy, and you know how important that is to him. Plus he's banned from his last match, which honestly seems kind of unfair. And he hasn't said this, but I think he's worried it might screw his career up-he was hoping he might get offers from some professional teams, but this could seriously put them off.

Angharad Jones is still off school too, though hopefully she'll be back before they have to play another Quidditch match. Rox is still kind of upset about it, though.

I'm not telling you about the other bit. Who told you about it anyway? It's James and Al's business, not mine, and it was last term and it's all over now, so forget it.

Oh, but I can tell you the bit about Lily- that has nothing to do with the rest. Last term there was some rumour that Lily was going out with Scorpius Malfoy, and Hugo told James, so James exploded, and he and Lily had a massive argument. It's sort of fizzled out now, and I don't think the rumour was actually true, but it was kind of hilarious.

So, good times overall. At least my final year's been memorable so far.

How are things with you?

Love,

Louis.

A/N: The references to Victoire and Teddy are, again, covered by Playing with Fiendfyre. To find out what secret Louis was hiding in his fifth year, see If You Were Gay (actually, that kind of gives it away, doesn't it?), and to make sense of the tangled chaos of the final letter, read House of Cards.

Next: Find out what kind of daughter Hermione and Ron would raise between them.