POV of Ariana Prewett
The next morning, I was jolted awake early by a rooster crowing at half-past five. Ginny, clearly accustomed to this, sprang up immediately, wide awake. She wished me a good morning while rummaging through her wardrobe for clothes.
"Morning," I mumbled sleepily, forcing myself to leave the cozy warmth of my duvet. Having lived in the city all my life, I wasn't used to being woken by anything other than an alarm clock or other people. As I got dressed, I noticed Ginny's grin.
"What?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
"Nothing," she replied. "I was just thinking you'll get used to country life soon enough. We feed the chickens before breakfast, you know."
Once outside, I was grateful for my thick winter jacket and Gryffindor scarf, as the cold was bitter. Fortunately, feeding the chickens didn't take long with both of us working, and we were soon back in the cozy, warm kitchen, warming ourselves by the fireplace.
"Hey, Ariana?" Ginny asked.
"Yes?"
"Is it true that there are ghosts at Hogwarts?"
I couldn't help but smile; it was clear Ginny wasn't nearly finished with her questions about Hogwarts.
"Yes, that's true," I answered. "There's Peeves, of course, the poltergeist who often plays tricks on students. But each house also has its own ghost."
"So Fred and George weren't making up Nearly Headless Nick?" she asked curiously.
"No, he really exists. He's very helpful if you ever get lost. The Bloody Baron, Slytherin's house ghost, however, is someone you'd rather not encounter too often. In my opinion, he's quite frightening."
After breakfast, where we enjoyed pancakes Aunt Molly had prepared, we were tasked with readying my cousin Charlie's old room for him and Bill. The two were expected to arrive at the Burrow by evening, and we needed to have their beds made up by then.
As I was fitting a pillowcase, my curiosity about my two older cousins got the better of me, and I asked Ginny about them.
"Bill is my oldest brother," Ginny began. "He currently works as a curse-breaker for Gringotts in Egypt. He moved out several years ago, right after finishing Hogwarts. Charlie is two years younger than Bill and has been working at a dragon reserve in Romania for the past two years."
She continued, "You might have heard about Charlie at Hogwarts. During his school days, he was a legendary Seeker and Quidditch Captain. After graduating, he turned down an offer to play as Seeker for the British national team, saying dragons interested him more. Oh, and they were both Prefects in Gryffindor, and Bill was even Head Boy."
I recalled Parvati and James once mentioning their Quidditch Captain told them that Charlie Weasley was the last really good Seeker Gryffindor had. Their words now took on new meaning.
As Ginny recounted these details with casual ease, I found myself in awe. The two eldest Weasley sons had clearly set an impressive standard. It was no wonder Percy was so ambitious! Yet Percy, too, was undoubtedly on the right path; he was already a Prefect, and I had no doubt he would achieve great things as well.
I felt a surge of pride for my cousins, despite not knowing all of them yet. Their success proved that background didn't determine one's achievements, which I found admirable.
The Weasleys were undeniably among the poorest wizarding families, largely because my uncle would never trade his job for a better-paying position. Instead, he pursued his work with a passion I had never seen so vividly expressed in anyone else. His love for his role in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was palpable!
I deeply respected this attitude, as it reinforced my belief that financial gain paled in comparison to the joy of doing what you love.
The Weasleys had long since proven that they could manage with little money, and after all, two of my cousins had already moved out, so they had likely already been through the most financially difficult times. Besides, from now on they would also have access to the money from my parents' vault. I knew they would only use as much as I needed, but if things got tight for them, I would make them take what they needed. It was the least I could do for them after they had taken me in so spontaneously.
After lunch, Ginny, Ron, Fred, and George showed me the nearby village. It was an ordinary Muggle village whose inhabitants had no idea of the Burrow's existence. But as I quickly noticed, the village wasn't the most exciting part of the area. They also showed me "Stoatshead Hill," a small mountain behind the village, and a clearing surrounded by tall trees near the Burrow.
Fred and George raved about playing Quidditch in the clearing when their older brothers arrived. I still couldn't quite warm up to brooms, but I decided to watch them play for a bit.
We had been out for a long time, so it was already half-past 4 in the evening and dark when we returned to the Burrow. In the kitchen, my aunt greeted us and scolded us for not letting her know we'd be out so long; she had already been worried. Besides, she urgently needed help preparing dinner, as it wouldn't be long before Bill and Charlie arrived.
Ginny and I helped Aunt Molly cook by chopping vegetables and assisting with the sauces, while Fred and George were sentenced to peeling potatoes, and Ron was tasked with setting the table and tidying up the kitchen a bit.
The twins, in particular, seemed quite unhappy with their assigned task and kept complaining about why they or Uncle Arthur couldn't just magically peel the potatoes. Only when they were threatened with always having to help with cooking if they didn't quiet down did they fall silent. They knew very well that their mother would follow through on her threats.
It was just before 6 PM, and dinner was almost ready when there was a knock at the front door. Since Aunt Molly was busy at the stove, Ginny opened the door and greeted her big brother with a fierce hug. The young, stocky man lifted her up laughing before carefully setting her down after a while.
"You've grown quite a bit since last time. Lifting you up was somehow easier then than now," he joked before briefly hugging his mother and then greeting the twins and Ron. Only when he reached Ron did he notice me and smiled kindly.
"Hi, I'm Charlie. So you're our dear cousin Ariana?"
I nodded in confirmation, whereupon he also hugged me in greeting. It felt as if this hug lasted a bit longer than with his brothers. When he finally let go of me, it occurred to me that he was so much older than I was that he probably still remembered my parents and me as a baby. I strongly suspected that this also prompted the words he now whispered so softly that only I could hear them:
"I can hardly believe we finally have you back..."
I had the feeling he wanted to add something, but we were interrupted when the doorbell rang again. Charlie now opened the door for his big brother Bill, who was a bit taller than Charlie and of a rather lanky build.
Bill, too, greeted his siblings before noticing me and introducing himself kindly. Without hesitation, he hugged me briefly and assured me how happy he was to see me.
The mood at dinner was very cheerful. When Fred and George weren't making jokes, Charlie talked a lot about his work at the dragon reserve, which, from the sound of it, was anything but safe, and Bill reported on his life in Egypt. I could tell how much my aunt would love to visit Bill in that country. However, I also noticed that although the country fascinated her, she was sad that her two oldest sons lived so far away.
The evening passed in a flash, so Aunt Molly sent us to bed much too early for my taste.
