Chapter 12-Weeks to come, Dumbledores plan
After the rocky first day of classes, the Potters and their new friends began to settle into a routine of going to classes, studying together in the library and at the end of the day, have tea at together at the Ravenclaw table. During that time, Dumbledore had finished his final stage to his plan to get Harry interested in the Philosophers Stone, to which he recruited the help of Ron Weasley (to accept the duel) and Draco Malfoy (to challenge Harry to a duel), meeting them separately of course.
The Saturday to come in the 3rd week of September was to be a long one, as the teachers began to increase the level of difficulty of the classwork and frequency of the assignments, so all the first year students had to use their weekends to tie up loose ends in the work and for the small majority: start them (Ron and Draco). When Saturday came, the Potter study group had got up early and packed their work in to their bags, before heading to breakfast, which was when they sat a the Hufflepuff table and after that they all headed for the library, where they claimed the largest selection of tables, piled their work on it and then went in search of reference books.
While the group studied, they were being observed by 2 separate figures, each having the opposite expression on their faces: the younger figure with red hair and freckles was watching with a frown of confusion on his face thinking, 'Why are they doing schoolwork? It is the weekend there is enough time during the schooldays to do schoolwork!' not realizing that the assignments are for the whole time at school weekends included and the other figure was: Professor McGonagall, who had notice the group when they entered when she was brushing up on her own classes subjects, because you never know when you could forget a small detail and with a sigh, she thinks, 'If only certain people were as dedicated to their studies as this group is,' referring to the other watcher and how he is so far behind in his assignments that Minerva is needed to have a word with his parents.
Turning from where she collected her research material, Minerva then head to check out desk, where the librarian: Madam Pince and checked out her selections. After leave the library, Minerva headed for her office and entered the spacious office, which had even more space than before the time she purchase the new modernized jarrah wrap-around office desk, when she had finished introducing the Potter boys back into the wizarding world. The new desk had an extra side-effect of allowing Minerva to gain enough room to purchase a pair of single seat lounge chair in black piped red leather and a matching jarrah coffee table.
Deciding the matter of Mr. Weasley was the most important, placed herself in her new desk chair, pulled out a self inking quill and a piece of parchment, then wrote:
[Dear Molly Weasley,
I am writing this letter regarding your son (not Fred or George): Ronald Weasley, lack of commitment to his schoolwork and weekend assignments, of which he is now 3 weeks behind in and it continues to grow.
I have also received several complaints of bullying by Ronald Weasley that has me concerned for the safety of the other students and many see him as a bad child.
In this regard I wish to meet with you and your husband, about having a private tutor set up with payment threw the Hogwarts fund and speaks to Ron about them.
You're Regards,
Minerva McGonagall: Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor.]
As soon as the letter was finished, a ball of white fire burst forth and Harry's phoenix Hedwig had appeared in her office, startling the Professor and then Hedwig landed infront of her, cocking her leg which already held a letter addressed to Ginny Weasley at the Burrow. While holding out her leg, Hedwig gave the look of, 'I am going that way anyway, and I'll take yours with me to save an owl,' to the Professor and she fastened the letter in place, before letting Hedwig flame travel away.
In the backyard of the Burrow, moments later Hedwig appeared in another ball of white flames and swooped into the kitchen window of the house, where she startles the occupant out of her tasks. Inside the Burrow, Molly Weasley was washing the dishes from breakfast, thinking about the events that had past, most specifically the revival of the Potters and the impact of the Bugster threat, which led to the revival of the Potters in the first place, before her thoughts interrupted by an owl like phoenix swooping in threw her Kitchen window, making her jump and hold a hand to her chest.
Calming her self down, Molly looked more closely at the bird and found that it was Hedwig, the familiar of Harry Potter and she was holding out a leg that was holding two letters. When Molly was fully calmed, she relieves the burden from the owl-phoenix and called, "Ginny you have mail from Harry," while noticing the second later was addressed to her and in a very familiar handwriting.
After Molly's proclamation, the sound of rustling and foot steps came thundering in, before the called individual appeared at the staircase and then in a blink of the eye Ginny took her letter, then returned to her bedroom. Chuckling at her daughter, Molly then opens her letter from McGonagall and read the letter, as she did Molly began to radiate disappointment, 'Oh Ron, what are you doing? You'll never get anywhere if you don't do well in your classes,' she thinks, as a new arrival jumps out of her thoughts again.
This time it was her Husband, whom had come home for lunch, due to a slow day at the office and when he saw his wife's face, Arthur asked, "Molly what is wrong?" looking up at her husband Molly answers, "Minerva sent us a letter, she wants to talk to us about Ron's commitment to his studies!" while passing the letter to him.
Back in Hogwarts, Dumbledore had gotten wind of the letter to Molly and Arthur, and was concerned, as if they feel the need to, they can remove Ron from Hogwarts long before he can enacted their plays for Harry, but he found he could not stop the letter as it was delivered by a mysterious snowy owl-like phoenix of unknown origin (Harry's Phoenix: Hedwig) and could not retrieve the letter before it was posted, with the best he can hope for was to be present in the meeting. While in the Hogwarts Library, the Potters study group had swelled further to include the now returned from Hogsmeade 3rd threw 7th years Ravenclaws, as a couple had still work to do and it was a chance for the older students to help the younger students.
(A.N. Dumbledore never saw Hedwig with Harry to much and believes that: Hedwig and Crow [Johns Raven like Phoenix] are wild and just looking for a place to roost for the come months of winter, occasionally doing mail deliveries for any who wish them to.)
3 hours after the study group had swelled in size, the librarian madam Pince had come up to them and said, "Right you lot, books away and pack up, it is almost time for dinner," as the group had requested for her to alert them of when dinner was almost ready. Later on in Minerva's office where she was cross referencing a lot of 6th year assignments, most of which were handed to her rather quickly and had her thinking, 'Cheating,' and, 'sabotage.'
Dinner was the usual affair with: the study group all sitting at one table, talking and joking around. Looking on the group was the headmaster himself, as he sees the hard work he put into creating the rifts between the houses come crumbling down and unbreakable bond forged in it place. But the headmaster was not the only person to be watching: Draco and Ron were watching as well, thinking of ways to break this group.