Chapter 15: Family
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After left my trunk, and followed Ginny, we played for a few hours, and I told her some stories from my time as Anakin on Tatooine.
Naturally, I told her everything as a supposed story that combines fantastic and futuristic elements. I also embellished it a bit; after all, I didn't want to scare her.
Yes, there are too many things from my life on Tatooine that an innocent little Ginny shouldn't know... although I was her age at the time or even younger... but oh well, that doesn't matter.
Ginny listened in amazement to the whole story I told her about distant worlds, spaceships, robots...
When Mrs. Weasley called us for dinner, Ginny was reluctant to go downstairs because she wanted me to keep telling her about Tatooine, the many legends there were, the technology, the different planets, and their living beings...
Yes, maybe without thinking too much, in my rant about my life as Anakin, I had created for Ginny a story that was too detailed, interesting, and entertaining using my previous world along with the entire galaxy.
Seeing how animated and attentive she was to the story, I doubted that from now on, she'd let me avoid talking more about the subject.
Well, my mistake for wanting to remember that time with a child, but I won't lie; I liked being able to share it with someone other than Master Qui-Gon, even if it was in the format of a fictional story and Ginny had no idea that it was all really my experience as Anakin.
Still, telling these things made me remember so much that I missed...
"Um... Ced?" Ginny asked, derailing me from my thoughts.
I blinked and looked at her. "Hmm?"
"Are you okay?" she asked, noticing that I had been silent for too long, not paying attention to anything else but my memories and thoughts.
"Yeah, I am. Come on, let's go eat; I'll continue the story later, alright?" I said, maybe lying a little, as thinking about all this did affect me a bit. But seeing her nod quickly with a happy smile on her sweet face as if she had already obtained the best toy possible was enough to make me want to keep telling her more of this "story" at another time.
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Arthur arrived just in time for dinner, along with all the other Weasley redheads.
As always, Mr. Weasley was dressed in his work clothes; I had rarely seen him without them. The poor man seemed exhausted after a long day, but that didn't stop him from coming over and greeting everyone with a warm smile.
Yes, Arthur was always like this, and I hoped he never really changed. He didn't stand out much in the crowd, but he always made himself known when necessary. He was a man of soft-spoken and mostly calm demeanor, although he certainly became very enthusiastic when talking about the Muggle world or Quidditch.
"It's so good to see you all," I quickly greeted the group of redheads who had arrived to receive a similar greeting in response from all of them.
"Hi Dad!" Ginny happily greeted next to me, completely ignoring her brothers.
Even Mrs. Weasley focused only on greeting her husband. Instead of an audible greeting, she gave Arthur a warm smile as they hugged and kissed.
Then Arthur focused solely on warmly greeting his little, pampered, and only daughter, and my stomach seemed to twist a little as I remembered that Shimi, my mother as Anakin, used to greet me and treat me in a similar way. Fortunately, this was something I had grown accustomed to over time, as it sometimes happened that I remembered my past as Anakin when I saw their affectionate interactions.
And you can say whatever you want about the Weasleys, but no one can deny that they are a simple but very affectionate and warm family.
Although my dad was kind of similar..., yet it was more a matter of me being his only son and heir, which made him proud of me almost to the point of always wanting to put me on a glorified pedestal.
And my mother, although I knew she loved me and would do whatever was best for me, couldn't change the simple fact that she wasn't one to show much affection, something that was quite different from my mother on Tatooine.
Still, I loved them both. But I couldn't help but think of or miss Shimi Skywalker, especially when I saw things that reminded me of my time with her.
"Arthur, dear, let's get you fed," Molly said as she led Arthur to the head of the table.
After that, and as always, the twins wasted no time upon arriving and seeing me; they instantly started chatting and joking with me.
Naturally, Mrs. Weasley didn't allow them to get too out of control during dinner.
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Eating was always fun at The Burrow. The twins always loved playing pranks on their brothers while Mrs. Weasley scolded them, and Arthur acted as a mediator, although most of the time he practically ignored the situation. It was only when Molly gave him a stern look that he intervened.
I found it both amusing and somewhat depressing to see how this lively family interacted. It made me want to have siblings with whom to joke, fight, play, laugh, argue, and even annoy, as the twins did at every opportunity.
Ginny was constantly complaining about her two hyperactive and annoying brothers, but I knew that no matter how much she didn't admit it, she had a lot of fun with the antics of those two natural comedians.
And as much as the twins constantly teased the "spoiled mama's girl," I also knew how much they cared for their little Ginny.
-End Cedric's POV
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After eating, Arthur and Cedric said goodbye to the rest of the Weasley family and headed off to the USA.
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- Magic Fifth Avenue, New York, United States
- December 15, 1988
At the entrance of Magic Fifth Avenue stood an enormous wooden door that seemed tailor-made for Trolls to pass through. This massive door was located in an alley at 77th Street at Fifth Avenue Muggle and was enchanted in such a way that only magical individuals could see it. It was known as the entrance that separated the magical community of New York from non-magicals.
Above this door, in golden letters, was written: "Welcome to Magic Fifth Avenue."
The district of Magic Fifth Avenue was filled with magical shops selling all kinds of magical items, from talking mirrors, floating lanterns, magic purses and trunks, omniculars, reminders pen-flyers, magic clocks, to potions, antiques, flying brooms, flying motorcycles, and magic books.
There were also many food stores selling all kinds of magical sweets and other foods.
The district was bustling with wizards and witches of all ages. Other magical beings could also be seen shopping and strolling through the businesses at half-past seven on the evening of December 15th.
Most of them walked through the shops, browsing and buying things, while others struggled to sell their rare and unique products.
Even various cleaning workers could be seen patiently leafing through the New York Magic Daily as their enchanted brooms cleaned the cobblestone streets of litter. It was clear to anyone watching that these workers had no interest in their jobs; after all, why clean the streets now when thousands of people were constantly passing, taking away trash and leaving it for them to clean again?
A group of black magical cars, Buick Regals, had stopped next to the gigantic gate at the entrance to the magical district. They were waiting for the numerous members and professionals who had come to represent the different magical communities attending the meeting on the misuse of Muggle artifacts shortly before 9 pm at MACUSA headquarters in the Woolworth Building.
Some of them wore wizard robes, while others wore all sorts of strange clothing that was likely typical of their countries.
But what they all had in common was that they had to go to the meeting in a few minutes, probably considered one of the most boring in the magical world.
The first representatives began to arrive shortly before 8 pm.
Once the first representatives arrived, the entrance began to fill up as more and more members and professionals hurried to appear at the location.
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Chapter 16: Magic Fifth Avenue
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At quarter past eight, the entrance to Magic Fifth Avenue was filled with foreign magical representatives. As usual, as they arrived, they gradually made their way to the various black magical cars.
Two of these foreign wizards were a young man with brown hair and gray eyes, along with an older man with red hair, tall and of a large build. Both were wearing gray robes and were standing at the entrance, chatting and observing the commercial district of Magic Fifth Avenue.
Unlike most foreign magical representatives, Arthur Weasley had no other companion besides the young Cedric Diggory, who was only 11 years old and was visiting the USA for the first time.
"Wow, and here I thought Diagon Alley and Atena's magical district were impressive enough," commented Ced, rather surprised by what he was seeing.
His sharp eyes scanned Magic Fifth Avenue for several minutes as he tried to take in all the details of the place amidst the crowds that obstructed his view.
He wanted to cross and explore the whole place, but he stopped, knowing that there was no time for that now, so he contented himself with looking at as much as he could from a distance.
"It's very different from Diagon Alley, don't you think so, Cedric?"
"Yes, even though both are very lively, they have no comparison..."
Arthur just smiled at Cedric's enthusiasm and let him continue to observe the surroundings for a few more moments.
Finally, when Cedric had finished examining the surroundings for a while, he felt a hand on his shoulder guiding him toward one of the black magical cars by the door.
He grabbed one of the handles of his trunk, placed it in the car luggage rack, and then got into the car with Arthur. He hadn't realized how close it was to 8:30 in the evening until he got into the car.
Cedric was already aware of the time difference between England and New York, but he still hadn't paid much attention to the time since he arrived.
Setting aside his curiosity about the many things he wanted to learn about this place, Cedric focused on talking with Arthur during the journey about the first session of the meeting that would take place at the Woolworth Building today in a few minutes.
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-MACUSA, Woolworth Building, New York
While Arthur went to the meeting in one of MACUSA's rooms, Cedric took the opportunity to explore the public access areas of the vast and imposing complex, covered in gold, emerald, garnet, and black.
Cedric had studied the history of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, which was the magical body responsible for governing the magical community of the United States of America. He knew that they were inspired by the Wizards' Council of Great Britain, which preceded the Ministry of Magic when creating MACUSA.
For the formation of MACUSA, representatives from magical communities throughout North America were elected to create laws that would watch over and protect American wizards.
Currently, it was led by a president, unlike the No-Maj Congress of the United States, which Cedric had heard was divided into a House of Representatives and a United States Senate, while MACUSA was unicameral.
And yes, here they used the term "No-Maj" to refer to non-magical humans instead of "Muggles."
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After spending a few hours exploring all the areas he was allowed to enter, Cedric finally met up with Arthur, who had already left the meeting room.
Although the man didn't seem to be in good spirits, his face looked tired and frustrated, as if he had suffered a major setback. His body moved slowly, as if he were only dragging himself with the little strength he had left, while he released strong and continuous sighs from his mouth.
"Complicated?" Ced asked, already knowing the obvious answer.
"The usual, everything ends up going nowhere, too many wizards, and their communities are extremely conservative, making it difficult to reach a mutual agreement on anything," Arthur replied with a tired smile, shaking his head. "But let's not talk about that now. Tell me, what do you think of MACUSA?"
"Well, it has its similarities with the Ministry of Magic, but they seem to have many more policies and specialized sectors for coexistence with other magical beings and even with Muggles," Cedric replied, who had seen the British Ministry of Magic several times while accompanying his father or mother on various occasions.
"Yes, there are many things I've wanted to replicate in the Ministry, but sadly, most of my proposals are usually rejected or postponed indefinitely…"
"That's because the Ministry is still infested with the belief in blood purity and clings to outdated customs."
"Hmm, you know, in reality, many are just comfortable and don't like change. You know, wizards like to follow traditions and customs, and many have a deep-seated prejudice that despises Muggle culture"
"My family follows traditions, but that doesn't mean they uphold the old idea that blood purity is above everything, nor are they as conservative as to avoid beneficial cultural progress."
"Oh, I know, I've known Amos for a long time. And believe me when I say that if there's one thing we both learned, it's that we should respect some traditions but also create new ones…" said Arthur, and Cedric couldn't help but remember hearing that same phrase about creating new traditions from the twins.
Naturally, the twins' idea of new traditions involves adding entertainment and a touch of madness to the magical world.
"Now, things sadly aren't as easy; there are too many interests and benefits that no one in the Ministry wants to give up... it's complicated, and over time, you'll understand what I mean," Mr. Weasley sighed and then smiled kindly. "Come on, let's head to the accommodation they've assigned me. You know, they tend to be quite welcoming, although, don't tell my kids, or they might kill me for not bringing them here too."
Cedric knew he was just changing the subject, but he didn't mind and continued with the new topic of conversation. After all, he knew it was a complicated issue that not even his parents could fully explain; there were too many things involved that affected the situation.
That's how Ced and Arthur spent the rest of their time, talking about the amenities that MACUSA offered, and Mr. Weasley also told Cedric about some of the things that were proposed and discussed during today's meeting.
And needless to say, Cedric was quite interested in the various topics that were discussed because they seemed like such simple and common-sense things, but apparently, for wizards and witches, they were the strangest and weirdest things of all.
Arthur even told Cedric that at some point, he had proposed giving some brief courses to wizards on appropriate attire for use in Muggle society, but few countries accepted this, so the option was quickly discarded. However, in some countries, such as the USA, the proposal was taken up to some extent, and MACUSA offered short, fast, and free courses for those interested in learning more about how to blend properly into the Muggle environment.
On the other hand, the black magical car assigned by MACUSA was the one that took them to and from the Magic Fifth Avenue district where they would be staying during these days in New York.
In reality, the area where the accommodations were located was beyond the shopping district, where you had everything from small houses to huge mansions.
And generally, there were several inns where foreigners would usually stay.
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When Ced and Arthur returned to the district, they noticed that it was still filled with wizards and witches of all ages.
The two passed the shopping district, only to arrive at the area where most upper-class magical society of the USA stayed.
This area was filled with Manors side by side that belonged to the most powerful and wealthy families in the magical world.
You could also see several luxury inns that were the official stopping place or hostel for wealthy wizards, high officials traveling to the country, or people of international fame and importance.
MACUSA had its own complex where they prepared accommodations for the different guests they had, and Mr. Weasley had been given a key to freely enter one of these during this time.
MACUSA's complex was quite elegant yet simple, painted in white with gray and matte blue parts. It stood out for its impeccable presentation and service, something that Ced and Arthur greatly appreciated. You could be a foreigner, but they treated you perfectly.
And the residence assigned to Mr. Weasley had all the comforts, as well as being extremely spacious. You could even pay extra for other special services...
Something that Arthur Weasley clearly didn't do. Such comforts were already a rare luxury in the life of a Weasley, so he was more than content with everything they provided.
Now Cedric understood perfectly why Arthur had explicitly asked him not to mention any of this to his children...
Yes, they would all go crazy if they knew that their father was in a place like this.
Cedric couldn't help but laugh softly at the thought of the twins' faces if they knew….