Chapter 7: The Letters of Rose Catherine Weasley

September 2017 ~ First Year

Dear Mum and Dad (and Hugo),

Me and Al are in Gryffindor. And James is a liar – he said he said you have to spend a night in the Forbidden Forest for the Sorting. I didn't believe him anyway, obviously. And I wouldn't have been scared if I had. But anyway, he was lying. Sapphie Jordan's in Gryffindor too, so I think we'll be friends.

I beat James and Louis, and Fred too, because I got a detention on my fourth day. James is really annoyed. Also, I got the detention because I punched a boy called Dannicus Urquhart in the nose and made it bleed, but I was only standing up for myself like you told me, Mum. He threw a mushroom right into my potion and completely ruined it, and then he laughed about it afterwards. Plus he's a Slytherin and he's friends with Scorpius Malfoy.

Did anyone in the family ever get a detention on their fourth day at Hogwarts before? Did Uncle George? He never told us he did, so have I beaten him too?

Lessons are okay. My favourite's Defence Against the Dark Arts. We had a flying lesson today, but I had to sit out because I wasn't feeling well. Don't worry, I was okay by lunch. I don't know why Jamie goes on about it all the time, I don't get what's so great about flying and Quidditch. Sorry Dad.

Lots of love, Rose.

November 2018 ~ Second Year

Dear Runt,

No, you can not play in the den. No, I will not tell you what the password is. It's my den. I know it used to be the HQ, but it wasn't your HQ even then, it was mine, Al's, James' and Louis'. We just let you and Lily join in sometimes. And it isn't the HQ any more anyway, because we've disbanded the Musketeers. It was only fun before James and Louis started Hogwarts and turned into prats. Which means it's just mine, because it's in our garden, and James and Louis aren't allowed inside any more, and nor are you, not when I'm not there. Okay? And there's no point trying to break in without the password. There are booby traps on the entrance.

Love Rose

January 2020 ~ Third Year

Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm so angry with James, I could kill him, I honestly could. He decided (for no reason at all, I wasn't even talking to him) to use a hover charm to drop a treacle tart on my head at dinner. I hadn't done a thing to him! At least, not since last term. I can't believe him sometimes. Of course, he thought it was hilarious (he has the sense of humour of a six-year-old) and so did everyone else in the hall. Even Sapphie and Emmy laughed. Of course, I threw a bowl of trifle at him, so it started a bit of a food fight. James was the one to get detention though, because he admitted he started it, which would have been one good thing, if they hadn't given him one with Uncle Neville, so of course he got out of it early. Idiot (James, not Uncle Neville).

I have to admit though, that the latest thing him and the rest of the Chimp Brigade (I don't really include Fenella in that, because I like Fenella) did was a lot funnier. Mum, you might want to look away now, you won't appreciate this, but Dad will, so I'm going to tell you anyway. Yesterday, they charmed the chalk in every classroom to write rude things about the Slytherins on the blackboards, over and over again. Some of the things were very rude.

The professors took ages to work out how to undo it, and then the last insult got stuck on the Transfiguration board. I had Transfiguration – with the Slytherins. We had to sit through the entire lesson with this big chalk message on the board. It was brilliant! Not that that means I've forgiven James of course.

But you should have seen Malfoy's face!

Oh, and Hugo might need a new pair of shoes. He went and accidentally transfigured one of his into a soup bowl. (I'm almost impressed, I doubt if he could have done that on purpose.) And then Louis tried to help him turn it back, and managed to vanish it completely. Talk about incompetence.

Lots of love, Rose.

October 2020 ~ Fourth Year

Dear Gran and Grandpa,

Well, I promised to write to you, so here you are.

Hope the owl didn't scare you or anything. Oh but it won't have done – I forgot, you must have got letters from Mum by owl all the time when she was at school. Did it give you a shock, the first time? Or did you already know that letters came by owl?

I'm by myself in the common room just now. Well, not by myself, there are quite a lot of other people here, but my friends have all abandoned me. Sapphie and Emilia are both on the Quidditch team now, so they've got practise. You do know about Quidditch, don't you? I know mum's not a fan so she might not have talked about it much – I'm not really a big fan myself. But you can't have had Dad for a son-in-law for however many years without at least hearing of Quidditch.

And my other friend Helena is in the library because she has a Muggle Studies test tomorrow. It must seem a bit weird to you, that we study Muggles, doesn't it? Mum wanted me to take it, because she says I don't know enough about the Muggle world. But I manage just fine when I come to stay with you, so I think I'm okay. Anyway, I have to concentrate on other subjects if I want to get into the career I'm aiming for.

Anyway, hope you're okay. I'm fine, and Hugo sends his love.

Love Rose.

April 2022 ~ Fifth Year

Dear Mum and Dad,

We had our first meeting today about careers and choices for next year. And I think I've decided what I want to do. I've been thinking about it for a while.

I want to be an Auror. I haven't talked about it, because for a while I thought I didn't want to, in case people said I was just following in your footsteps or something, Dad. But after today, I've realised I really do want to do it, so I don't care what anyone says.

I know it's really tough to get in, but I think I could do it. I'll manage Potions, Charms and Defence against the Dark Arts without a problem. I'll have to work quite hard at Transfiguration, but I think I can do it. Are you okay with it? You don't think Uncle Harry will say he doesn't want to take me, do you?

No more news.

Love Rose.

October 2022 ~ Sixth Year

Dear Dad,

Is it true what Hugo's saying? That Meri was actually attacked walking back from Hogsmeade? And it's an Auror investigation? He said he had to give a statement or something, because he was one of the people who saw Meri last.

If he's given a statement about everything that happened on Hogsmeade day, and you and Uncle Harry have read it, that's hilarious.

But seriously, what's going on? Is it connected with the attack on that Muggle kid last month? I hope Meri's okay!

Love Rose.

January 2024 ~ Seventh Year

Dear Mum and Dad,

Thanks for the Howler, Mum. Much appreciated. A lot of other people seemed to find it funny anyway.

Who told you anyway? Was it Lily or Hugo? But honestly, this is why I didn't tell you myself, because I knew this would be how you'd react. It's ridiculous. Anyone would think I'd joined the Dark League or decided to drop out of school or something.

It's only a tattoo. And I'm nearly eighteen; I'm old enough to do what I want to my own skin. I understand that you don't like them, Mum, but at the end of the day, nobody's trying to make you get one. And I'm not going to regret it. If I do, I'll get it magically removed, but I won't. You're reacting as if it's some sort of stupid teenage rebellion thing. I promise you, it's not. I got a tattoo because I wanted one, and I like the design. Roxy drew it for me. You never know, you might even like it when you see it.

Actually, scratch that. I doubt if you will.

But I doubt if Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny would react like this if it was Al. You two need to loosen up.

I got my latest Transfiguration result back by the way, and it was an O, so it looks as if the Auror thing's still a possibility, if I can keep that up. Any news on my application, Dad?

Love Rose.

A/N: Again, the events of Rose's sixth year are explained in House of Cards. And her career as an Auror features in Choices and Inheritance.