CHAPTER ONE: BEFORE THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
The Great Fortune Tellers of the Century by Aisha Shafiq
Divination is one of the most mysterious and imprecise branches of magic, and its users are difficult to find. Only women have the gift of predicting the future; of course, it is usually inherited through bloodlines. There are families whose women were powerful seers, but they became extinct as they lost the purity of blood that characterized them.
A pure-blood witch may have more or less magical power than a half-blood or a witch of muggle origin, but it is well known that only a pure-blood can inherit the Inner Eye and master it completely. It is a complete mystery of magic how the inheritance system works. The gift passes exclusively through the paternal line, but it is the witches who possess it.
The Trelawneys are a great example; their women were amazing psychics, but the last confirmed one was born many years before what is written in this book. Cassandra Helena was the last great psychic of the present century, born in the Trelawney family. Since she was a child, she could predict the future. She married a cousin from the same family as hers, but she only had sons, of whom only one had children, with a Muggle-born woman, and since then her divination has become extinct in that family.
The Weasleys are another case; their women have always had the gift, and they were the most powerful of all. They could divine the future by any method, and some could even do it with the past, but for a couple of generations no woman has been born in that family, and it is not known if the next Weasley girl possesses the inner eye.
Most women with the inner eye never married; most men found the burden of their gift too heavy; and those who did usually married within their own families to preserve the strength of the gift. For women, it was too much to know about their future, and they chose a life alone where they did not have to be tormented by the fate of their children and husbands.
o-o-o-o
The Weasley family had never forgotten the power their women usually inherited, even if the rest of the wizarding world seemed to have. Despite the impoverishment of their lineage, there were some family items that the Weasley family still kept, jewelry passed down to daughters who did not marry, and several unique books that the women of the family had written on divination to guide. their descendants in art.
Ginevra Molly Weasley was born on August 11, 1981, as the first woman in her family in seven long generations (more than 200 years), a surprise for her parents and also her greatest joy. Arthur Weasley had never expected to have a daughter, a girl of his flesh and blood; he had assumed, like many, that his family was cursed and incapable of producing any witches. Molly Weasley, née Prewett, was more delighted than surprised; it had always been her deepest hope to have a daughter, although she had reluctantly accepted by marrying her husband that she might never have one.
They were both amazed, and of the six siblings of the newborn, only one, the youngest, was a little reluctant towards her, and that was only out of childish jealousy. Despite the girl's other older siblings, she became her favorite baby.
Bill, the eldest, only knew her for a little less than a month, since that year she entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but when she returned at Christmas that year and in the following vacation periods, he was always willing to take care of her. and play with his sister, with whom he had great affection. It was through the summers they spent together and the photos of her that her parents sent him, that he truly knew and loved her.
Charlie spent two full years watching over his baby sister, as the eldest son in the house was mainly responsible for helping his mother with household things, which included taking care of his sister; she was already nine years old after all. He had many younger siblings and had long ago overcome jealousy over his parents' attention, so the attention focused on the baby of the family didn't bother him; after all, he had never been the spoiled one...
Percy was five years old when his parents brought a new baby into their home. In his short life, he had already seen three babies, so he wasn't interested—not really—until he noticed that this particular baby was different. He couldn't remember a mother being so careful with one of those little ones. Furthermore, after the speech his mother gave about how it was her brothers' responsibility to keep her younger sister safe, he began to care for the baby more closely. In later years, all the people who knew Percival Ignatus Weasley were surprised to learn that this cold and arrogant man adored and protected his sister so much, the girl he played with all the time when he was a child. After all, he spent six years being the only one of the brothers who took an active role in her life; he was the one who taught her to read and who read her the stories that her mother bought; he was the one who made sure that she learned to behave at the table and in public; it was his hand that she held when they left the house; and it was to his bedroom that she ran when she had nightmares at night.
Fred and George were four years old when a new baby arrived. The babies were annoying; they cried all day, but at least she didn't follow them around all the time like her little brother. The first time they realized that their sister was different was when they tried to play an innocent prank on her (they had just taken some old stones from their mother's watch and placed them in a circle around Ginny) and their mother discovered them; they had never seen her. heard her scream so much, not even when they pinched Ron to make him cry; they didn't hear her scream like that, not even when a year later they turned Ron's teddy bear into a spider. She was her sister, and not because she was a child, she was special to them; no, they didn't take her into account until she grew up and they realized that she could be fun and useful when making jokes.
Ron was just over a year old when his sister was born; in later years he could never remember it, but then the irritation he would always feel towards her was born. He loved her, of course; she was his sister after all. But it wasn't fair; she was special simply for being born a woman, while he never stood out at anything with so many male siblings doing everything first. Despite everything, he was the one who gave her the nickname that everyone would know her by until she started using her full name; he thought that Ginny sounded better than Ginevra.
Little Ginny grew up at the Burrow surrounded by family affection and warmth, with her parents caring for her and her older brothers protecting her. She had a happy childhood, although with many confusing moments that made her feel bad, like the time she was 3 years old and her mother yelled at her and scolded her, crying while she said that she was a princess. She could sometimes perceive things that her family couldn't, from great things, like when she felt like she was going to be given something, to horrible things, like when she cried all night in Percy's bed, with her parents coming every moment to calm her down, the day before the death of her beloved kitten, who drowned in the pond after accidentally falling.
Ginny began the habit of sleeping with another person in her bed. She hated being alone; it was what she feared the most. The most horrible visions she had had were when she was alone. When she slept with someone, those visions were positive, good, and beautiful. That would happen in the future; that was the first time she dreamed of a girl so similar to her that she could very well have been her twin, except for her appearance: taller than her, with even paler skin, and without any freckles. staining the pure canvas that was his skin, with blue eyes, but with the same shape as his, with the shape of almonds, with a long and straight nose, and hair of a vibrant red, so red that it seemed fake, but so beautiful that it could only be true. She also dreamed of other children, playing together under the protective gaze of the girl, who grew more with each dream until she was a beautiful young lady.
Another of her recurring dreams was being in a great court as if she were a princess or a queen, where everyone revered her, or when she dreamed of nights that made her blush and die of shame. She never dared to tell her mother about this last specific dream; something about her told her that she wouldn't be as happy to hear that as she was to hear her talk about dreams of children playing and laughing under her protective gaze. her.
The only one in his family who had no problem sleeping with a kicking girl in his bed was Percy, but the night of August 31, 1987, was the last time he would be able to do so for 10 long months. She clung to his older brother as if her life depended on it the last night, she spent with him.
o-o-o-o
For as long as Ginny could remember, her parents always believed her when she told them that something would happen, that she sensed it, and of her brothers, only Ron made fun of her when, according to him, she "started her show," but even he listened when she was warning him about something.
That year, the train would take her greatest comfort. Percy would be leaving for his first year at Hogwarts. Ginny was devastated by the future absence of her beloved older brother; she wouldn't see him for months. When the nightmares came at night, she would have no one to turn to.
The next day, when Bill, Charlie, and Percy left, she cried while running after the train, then she also cried in her mother's arms and later in her bed, feeling so alone and full of fear.
The visions that were confused with nightmares began again. First, she tried to take refuge with Ron, who almost pushed her out of her room the first night, annoyed by her screams that did not let him sleep, so she went to take refuge in his bed. His parents.
Her mother spoke to her on the fourth day she tried to sleep with them, telling her that she was already a big girl and that she couldn't sleep with her parents all the time, that she should be brave and that her family would never allow something bad to happen to her, and that it was forbidden for him to sleep outside his bed from now on. All Molly Weasley achieved with that speech was that her daughter would never again dare to seek comfort in her mother's arms.
Ginny held on for a couple of nights, despite her fear and the terror she felt once she was alone. Although she was only six years old, she was too proud to seek comfort in her brother who had unceremoniously kicked her out of her room, or in her mother who thought that her fears were something childish and stupid. That night, she had such a horrible nightmare that she woke up without screaming. She was so terrified that only hot, silent tears could come out. She sought comfort in the only room she had never entered, that of her fearsome twin brothers. They had never done anything to her. hurt, but I was very afraid of them, and only Ron was less friendly than them.
When she entered the room with two beds separated by a trunk, she hesitated, preferring to approach George; he was the kinder of the two and was less likely to reject her. She approached her bed with fear but confidence and slipped between her brother's sheets, suddenly hugging him and crying against her belly, waking the boy. George was confused at first; a small lump next to her was stuck like a limpet to her belly, wetting her clothes with tears. He could only hug her, trying to console her, when he realized that she was her sister. Her little girl's moans also woke up Fred, who looked at her with concern; the twins had never seen firsthand how she dealt with her nightmares.
The next morning neither of the twins said a word about what had happened. Ginny knew that she could trust them not to say anything to their parents, afraid that her mother would scold her again for acting like a little girl. Since then, an understanding between the three arose. The next night she returned with the twins, but this time Fred pulled aside her sheets, inviting her to sleep with him. That habit continued for several weeks, with Ginny sleeping alternately with her twin brothers, thus putting an end to her nightmares again.
o-o-o-o
Molly was proud of her little and beloved daughter; she was so brave, facing her fears. She didn't like having treated such a little girl harshly, but she had to learn to face her fears; no nightmare could be that bad. That day she woke up happy. It was Friday, and it was her birthday. Her husband got up and hugged her and gave her a kiss of congratulations. Then he went to work before dawn, going so early so he could return before noon and celebrate with his friends and children.
She went to wake up her daughter to help her cook and teach her how to make a cake. Finding her room empty and her bed untouched, it seemed as if no one lived there; her favorite stuffed animals, her story books, her new blankets, a gift from her last birthday, even the precious silver hairbrush, a Prewett heirloom, were absent from her daughter's simple dressing table.
She ran to look for her with Ron, opened the door to his youngest son's room, and found him sleeping alone in the messy bed. When she didn't find it, she left her room and looked for it in Percy's room. Maybe her girl had had a nightmare and she took refuge in the room she always wanted to be in, but she wasn't there either.
Only at the end did he look for her in the twins' room. The scene that followed was something she would wholeheartedly regret for years to come.
She didn't want to scream and scare her girl, but she couldn't help but get angry when she saw her sleeping in her brother's bed, with her new quilt covering them, her stuffed animals on both beds and her things on the table in the room mixed naturally with those of the twins. Ginny had been sneaking into that room for quite some time, and he had tricked her. Her screams of anger woke up the three brothers, who were terrified to see her mother so angry.
George froze as he watched his mother yank his sister out of bed, yelling at the twins and scolding Ginny. His sister began to cry uncontrollably, and she bellowed for Percy, even waking up Ron, who came over to hear the scandal that had occurred so early.
Molly felt ashamed of herself at that moment; she couldn't believe she had lost control of her character like that. She let go of her daughter's arm and saw, horrified, that her pulling had left grotesque red marks on her pale skin. Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to hug her little girl to calm her down and ask for forgiveness. When she tried to touch her, Ginny screamed even louder and rushed to Fred's bed to get behind him and close her eyes.
–Percy! Come, Percy! – Ginny continued shouting as she hid behind Fred. Molly tried to approach her daughter again, but with each attempt, her daughter's screams increased.
Mom, it`s better to let her calm down than talk to her. George finally said this as he got up and stood in front of his mother. Molly was too embarrassed to refuse, and she simply nodded at her son and left the place, while behind her the bellows of her daughter diminished until only sobs could be heard asking for Percy.
Arthur arrived in the afternoon to find his twins hiding with Ginny in their room and his beloved wife crying in their bed. When Molly explained everything that had happened between tears, he finally managed to calm everyone down and made Ginny smile again and calm down; however, later, the atmosphere cooled down again.
-Pumpkin, it would be better if you apologized to your mom; you scared her when she didn't find you and you disobeyed her, and although she regrets having hurt you, you should never have disobeyed in the first place. George observed her sister's expression, first the surprise on her face, then her eyes twitched and crystalline with the tears that she was fighting to come out of her while he turned to her twin brothers as if seeking protection. The twins just avoided his gaze and stared at the floor, both of them were too young to defy both parents so openly. Then, to the surprise of the twins, the 6-year-old's face emptied of all expression, and she only looked at her mother and father, uttering words of apology in a clear and firm voice.
Molly and Arthur only looked at each other, clearly concerned by this attitude, but not daring to say anything else to their daughter. Molly smiled shyly and cupped her baby's stiff cheek as she told her that she loved her.
The girl before that day would have smiled and returned the words while hugging her.
But this new Ginny only nodded—without removing her mother's hand, but without seeking her contact.
She never consciously looked for it again.
o-o-o-o
That year passed slowly, with the only daughter in the family showing her best behavior; she was reading and studying all the time, but she stopped going out, and she stopped accompanying her mother when she cooked.
She never looked for his brothers again.
Every night, before going to sleep, he put a sock in his mouth and tied it with an old T-shirt, muffling his screams and cries. She spent every night in fear and terror, crying alone in that room that had become her only haven. Little by little, she managed to stop anyone from going through that door, and little by little, even Molly stopped entering the room, almost without realizing it.
Her parents were worried, but they didn't know how to talk to that little girl, so they did the wisest thing they could think of: they found her a friend.
Right in that same town lived another family of wizards, the Lovegood's, Arthur met Xenophilius at Hogwarts since they belonged to the same Muggle study club, and Molly had a good impression of Pandora, who was the sanest of that marriage.
Both women began a quiet friendship, and when Molly considered that she could trust Pandora, she told her about her daughter's situation. Pandora was very interested in her since one of her interests was fortune telling, and even before Molly could say anything else, she offered that Ginny could spend the afternoons playing with Luna. Both girls were so lonely that they would be happy to be together.
Ginny immediately hit it off with Luna; she was even able to talk to her about some visions she had, and Luna believed everything; she didn't question her, she didn't judge her, and she didn't give her terrified looks like the rest of her family did. Also, in Pandora, she found what she would have liked to receive from her mother; she never told her how disappointed she was, she never forced her to do things she didn't like cooking, and she never criticized her for sharing some vision or dream she had seen.
In Pandora, she found an adult she could trust and love.
She finally found a remedy for all her anguish.
And then, the day finally came when Percy returned. When she saw him, she went towards him and hugged him with a tenderness that she now only felt for Luna and Pandora.
They returned to the burrow and returned to the routine before her brother left. Ginny slept peacefully again, hugging her beloved brother, and this time her mother did not interfere, not daring to destroy her daughter's happiness.
The days of vacation at the end of the school year flew by. She returned to smiling with Percy, playing with Charlie, and having fun being carried by Bill on his shoulders. She visits the Lovegood house almost every day.
Since it was a holiday and all his brothers were there, Bill would soon be going to his last year at Hogwarts as Head Boy, and he was especially melancholy because then he would go to India to begin his training as a curse breaker. Charlie was going to return for his fifth year, and he was excited because he had just been named captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, and that year would be his OWL exams.
She even had a birthday party—a proper one; it was her seventh birthday. Her mother was very superstitious, and that specific birthday was celebrated in a big way. Her father had reluctantly agreed to have a party at Aunt Muriel's mansion; normally, her family did not like receiving charity from anyone.
They even invited the Lovegood's to the party, with only Xenophilius absent due to his search for another mythological animal.
She was in the large garden of the mansion, surrounded by her family and guests; only the proudest pureblood families refused to attend, despite the temptation. But the vast majority attended, although Ginny wasn't fully aware of it at that moment. Young purebloods were rare, and none of those ancient families would want one of them to end up marrying a Muggle-born or half-blood, which was why, at the age of seven, the girls were given a big party to show them off in front of those families as a future prospective daughter-in-law, so that she would meet other pureblood children and begin a friendship that could later end in marriage.
Arthur hated all that spectacle and parading his daughter around like she was a cow for sale, but Molly was a Prewett, a proud family member of the sacred twenty-eight. Molly Weasley would never be a blood purist; her kind and motherly heart had taken care of that, but she respected the ancient traditions of her bloodline, and not even her husband could change her mind about some things, including the social aspirations of his only daughter.
If Ginny marries a half-blood or a Muggle, she will never object to such a union, but if she wants to marry a pureblood, then her parents' actions could affect her. If she was not presented to society at that age, no pureblood family would take her into account for her children when she was a young lady ready for marriage.
Ginny was standing in front of her birthday cake, marveling at so many gifts and celebrations, when suddenly everything became too bright and vivid, her saliva thickened, and her skin suddenly began to become sensitive, the wind doing terrible damage. Suddenly she saw her uncle Billius falling while he put his blistered hands to his throat, as if he were trying to breathe. She observed, in disbelief, the horrible marks that the man had all over his body. He looked like the ghoul that lived in the attic of his house.
She couldn't help but start screaming like she was possessed, calling for Percy as she sobbed, cowering on the floor. The next thing she knew, she was in the arms of her older brother; he was murmuring soothing words in her ear and caressing her back in a circle, like when she had those horrible nightmares that would drive her to sleep. go to her bed.
When she became conscious, she found herself in an ostentatious room, with the sun languishing in the window. She was alone, and she felt an immense headache; she felt like her skull was being split in two. As any seven-year-old girl would do, she began to sob and moan, and her mother entered, followed closely by her father and Percy. Her mother began to comfort her, but she only sought her brother's arms, terrified by what had happened. Comforted to be in Percy's arms, she told them everything she had seen, with only Uncle Bilius looking at her in disbelief.
Ginny couldn't stop shaking; this had never happened to her; it was always just sensations, not visions. Besides the nightmares that she only vaguely remembered; she had never seen anything so horrifying.
The party ended early, and the families who attended promised to be discreet, but they took into consideration little Miss Weasley. It had been so long since there were psychics that they were not sure if it was a good or bad thing to be associated with them through marriage.
o-o-o-o
The next few days her parents treated her normally, but without mentioning what had happened at the party, until a week later, Uncle Bilius died in a fire caused by a cursed fire. That day, Bill and Charlie saw her with a little fear, but at a glance from her mother, they approached her and caressed her head, smiling sadly at her. Fred and George just ignored her resentfully, as if it were her fault; they loved her uncle very much, and they had the same humor as hers. Ron looked at her with fear and yelled that she was a freak, but after her mother scolded him, he apologized, and he only gave her occasional resentful glances, as if he wanted to be the one in the middle of all of her attention. she.
Percy didn't change with her, he was the only one who always acted the same, formally and correctly, if he weren't her favorite, she would laugh at him for his… pompous attitude. But he was the only one whose behavior towards her was constant, without changing his affection and attitude towards her.
And with his departure, she was only left with the constant company of Luna and Pandora.
English is not my first language, if you please you can correct the text.
