So, here it is: an extra long chapter to make you happy!
I would like to thank my reviewers – you made me so happy! You reading my stuff is appreciated!!!

Chapter 5

Mystery revealed and knowing what to do

Rhiannon was shocked her mother had lost track of time. This was so out of character; Rhiannon didn't quite know what to do. That and the fact she had eaten about ten or twelve chocolate biscuits, made her sick to her stomach just thinking about dinner.

She got up from the sofa and looked out the window. Some younger students were playing Quidditch. She saw aunt Rolanda blowing the whistle and faintly heard the shrill sound from afar. She leaned out of the window and her wand dropped. She could see it falling on the ground near the tree and raced out the room to retrieve it.

When she found her wand, it was bruised and battered. The unicorn hair core was thankfully still hidden by the strong oak exterior. The walnut tip was hanging by a thread and Rhiannon eyes filled with tears. Carefully, she picked the broken wand up from the ground. Little pink and purple sparks flew from the walnut tip and a tear dropped on the splintered handle.

How often had her father told her how special her wand was? Didn't Mr. Ollivander himself say that it was an exceptional wand? Weren't all her classmates jealous of it? Why had she been so reckless? Rhiannon couldn't believe what had happened and misty eyed she slipped back to her dormitory.

Sitting on her trunk in front of her bed, she thought how she could possibly heal her wand. She couldn't go and see aunt Poppy – healing a human body would differ greatly from a magical item. She stared at the wand, lying on the covers of her bed. Suddenly, she saw a little mended piece, exactly where her tear had fallen! She softly stroked the spot and a purple spark flew from the tip. Purple, as it had sparkled when her father had taken her to get it! Carefully she kept stroking the wand and found it mending, ever so slowly. The splinters melted back together and finally, even the tip morphed back into the other wood.

She picked up her wand and slowly gave it a swish and flick. She tried a few simple spells: wingardium leviosa and accio. They worked! Ecstatically she placed her wand in her pocket and went downstairs to check the library for books on the medicinal uses of ginger.

Though it was nearly eight thirty, the library was full of First years, looking up information on Transfiguration. Letting her eyes slide across the backs of the books on the shelves, it took Rhiannon about fifteen minutes to find a book on medicinal uses of herbs and spices. She took it from the shelf and sat herself down at the emptiest table available.

Medicinal uses: Medical research has shown that ginger root is an effective treatment for nausea caused by motion sickness or other illness,45 and also contains many antioxidants. Powdered dried ginger root is made into capsules for medicinal use. Modern research on nausea and motion sickness used approximately 1 gram of ginger powder daily. Although very effective against all forms of nausea, PDR health officials do not recommend taking ginger root for morning sickness commonly associated with pregnancy, though Chinese women traditionally eat ginger root during pregnancy to combat morning sickness. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (compiled by health professionals and pharmacists), states that ginger is likely safe for use in pregnancy when used orally in amounts found in foods. Ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as "stomach settlers" for generations in countries where the beverages are made. Ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the United States in the past. Research has also found ginger to be a powerful antioxidant. Ginger has also been shown in research to have a regulatory role in the natural inflammatory response of the body. In India ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.

Rhiannon picked up a 'copy-quill' and a large piece of parchment and copied the section. After she put the book back on the shelf, she went downstairs to the kitchens. She was peckish.

The house-elfs were all around her.

"Miss Rhiannon, Miss! It has been a long time you come visit us!" a very old-looking elf squeaked when she entered the kitchens.

"Indeed it has been a long time, dear Izzy! I was wondering if you would be so kind to make me a sandwich and a cup of cocoa."

"Izzy will make Miss Rhiannon a sandwich! Tuna and cucumber, like as when you was little, Miss Rhiannon?"

Rhiannon nodded. "Please Izzy, that would be lovely." She waited for Izzy to give her a plate and a steaming cup of cocoa.

"I'll be taking this up, thank you all very much!" Rhiannon opened the door, quickly looked left and right and went up the staircase to her mother's chambers.

Careful not to drop her snacks, she knocked, waiting for her mother to answer. Instead the door was opened by her father.

"Pops! Mad-Eye here?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes twinkling like mad.

Hers were met by equally twinkling eyes.

"No. A house-elf told us you were on your way up." Albus opened the door widely so Rhiannon could pass. She found her mother on the sofa, drinking tea, holding her favorite book.

"Hello darling!" she said when Rhiannon gave her a kiss.

"I know what I want and I know what you meant." Rhiannon said cryptically.

"Sit down, dear." Albus pushed his daughter on the sofa. "Glad to hear you have found what you want. Your mother told me that only this afternoon you didn't know what to do."

"That is true, but that was before I dropped my wand out of that window and I mended it myself. I thought that was rather special. I am seeing Mr. Ollivander tomorrow."

Rhiannon put her empty mug on the table.

"You mended your wand yourself?" Minerva looked very puzzled; Albus eyes were large in surprise.

"Yes. I am sure you can do it too." Rhiannon chewed on her sandwich.

"No, we can't." Minerva answered, quietly.

"Well, I am glad you are looking into it, dear. How about some chocolate biscuits for dessert." Albus tempted.

"No, thanks Pops, I had a few too many when I was listening to Mum this afternoon… speaking of which. I did some research."

Minerva sat up a bit straighter, a smile clinging around her lips.

"You started to eat ginger against nausea."

Minerva nodded and started to explain.

"The summer of '49 was exceptionally warm. Your father and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in Cornwall, where we had rented a small cottage. Your father had delicious food and lovely rosé-wines floo-ed in and we enjoyed ourselves immensely, taking long walks on the beach dancing in the moonlight and enjoying each other's… company…"

Rhiannon made a face.

"One day you'll find out for yourself!" Minerva quipped and moved on, "the sea, the sunshine and the feel of utter relaxation did make me forget a few little things that I normally took great care over.

When your father and I went back to Hogwarts, where we used some old chambers Headmaster Dippet had used with his wife before he was Headmaster. Albus went back to teaching and I worked on Headmaster Dippet's correspondence. Everything went well. I befriended Rolanda and Pomona. I knew Poppy because she had been in my year and I relied on them heavily when I found out what had happened that summer holiday."

"You were pregnant, weren't you?" Rhiannon's eyes were shining.

"Obviously, since you were born in May 1950." Albus piped up.

"Albus, shush." Minerva shut her husband up, whose facial expression made Rhiannon laugh loudly.

"Anyway, when I found out I was having a baby; I was over the moon with joy. Until the most vicious kind of morning sickness kicked in. I hope that is something you won't experience…" Minerva stopped talking and looked into the distance.

"Poppy told me that Chinese women use ginger against their upsets, so I gave it a try and found it worked very well. Your father was very accommodating, bringing me ginger snaps, ginger ale and all sorts of foods using ginger."

"And you stayed addicted to it even after I was born?"

"Yes. That is all there is to it. Me liking ginger."

Rhiannon stared at her mother. "Is that the reason why I don't have any brothers or sisters? Because you didn't want to be that sick ever again?" she asked very quietly.

"Of course not! Don't be silly! I had wanted for you to have brothers and sisters. But because I got a teaching job here, I thought it very unwise to come to Defense Against the Dark Arts classes heavily pregnant. You have no idea how many spells go wrong… I was scared something might happen."

Rhiannon nodded. Changing the subject entirely, she said:

"Could one of you come with me to Ollivander's tomorrow?"

Epilogue

Rhiannon went to college and Mr. Ollivander kept to his word and hired her the day after graduation. Being the only one in England who could mend wands, she became an instant hit with costumers in Diagon Ally. Mr. Ollivander didn't only appreciated Rhiannon for her 'healing'-abilities, but also, because she was very picky, he was happy she could get him much wanted unicorn hairs.

That was why he wasn't too pleased with Rhiannon when she fell in love with Anthony Reed-Lewis… They went out together and Rhiannon knew he was the one who would stand by her until her dieing day.

Rhiannon Reed-Lewis turned the corner. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She waited, still a bit on the look-out for students, though she was now 27 and the students wouldn't have recognized her anyway. The door opened and a surprised exclamation came from the older woman's throat.

"Rhiannon! What are you doing here?!" Minerva enveloped her daughter.

When Minerva let her daughter go, Rhiannon walked past her mother and sat down on the sofa. "Pops here?" she asked, knowing that a Saturday would usually mean her parents would spend the day together.

"Zonko's for his weekly doses of sherbet lemons, Ice Mice and other things I don't approve of…"

Rhiannon laughed loudly. "He'll be pleased when he comes back and in a very good mood! I'd sure fancy a cup of tea, Mum…"

Minerva transfigured a candle in a cup and poured her daughter some tea. Rhiannon bend over to pick up a biscuit from the little plate, that was already half empty.

Minerva looked in surprise as her daughter took a bite of a ginger snap, then, her eyes went misty and she hugged her daughter fiercely.

"Wait! Mum! You're choking me!"

So… Are you satisfied?