Saturday, 25th October 2025

The Daily Prophet was the embodiment of organised chaos and the Sports Department was no exception. Both the British and Irish Quidditch League and the Eastern European Championship had their playoff matches on the same day. Which meant the analysis of its match needed to be in for the next day's Sports special or she would never get home. It was rare that Ginny was the one to work late and if it were any other day she would not care. But Ginny had a Halloween party to get to, her own, and she would be damned if some slow typing junior reporter who didn't understand deadlines would make her late to her own party. Ginny could have waited in her office, which she had tried to do but the lack of anything to write or approve had frustrated her even more. So she chose to sit and wait out in the office. She wasn't sure who's chair she had taken and to be honest she didn't really care. A number of her reporters were standing against the wall, she suspected they were scared to move when she was in such an obvious mood. The sound of typing was taunting her with each and every stroke. It was reminiscent of a clock tick ticking away at her patience. Maybe she should have waited in her office.

Ginny impatiently glanced around the room and heaved another sigh, her fourth of the last ten minutes. The junior reporters and even the other senior reporters in the room were trying desperately to avoid her gaze. She checked the wall behind her for the time, a number of clocks telling the times for various places around the wall covered the wall. Ginny was starting to believe that time was in fact going backwards or at the very least slowing down because surely it was more than two minutes since she last checked. If it were any other evening she probably would not be so frustrated for a missed deadline. Ginny usually expected her more tenured reporters to pull a stunt like this and certainly not when she has made it explicitly clear that she had somewhere to be.

'MacNeil I need that article two hours ago.' Ginny tried to say in her most calm and as even a voice as he could muster,

'I'm working on it ma'am.' Avery MacNeill said from his desk two cubicles over from where she was sitting. Ginny gritted her teeth,

'Do not ma'am me. I set a deadline and I expect it to be met. It, like all other articles, needs to be reviewed before it goes for publication.' Ginny said through gritted teeth.

Lucille Cortair who had been hovering at the cubicle next to Ginny, and had been trying desperately to ignore, stepped forward.

'Potter, if you have somewhere to be i can review and edit it before its sent to publication.' She said sweetly.

Ginny turned to face her. Lucille was still smiling but it didn't quite meet her eyes. Lucille was her star reporter for interviewing Quidditch players. If she wasn't so good at her job she would have her stationed at least one continent away from her. However, Ginny did not appreciate insubordination and being competent at one's job could only get you so far.

'Cortair, I am the Sports Editor of the Daily Prophet. I hired you. I promoted you. And I can just as easily fire you.' Ginny said with an insincere smile. She then turned to the rest of the office. 'I set a deadline. I want it met.' She turned back to face Lucille again. 'I do have somewhere to be but I need to review the article before my name signs off on it. Understood?'

'Yes, ma'am.' Lucille said and ducked her head. Ginny felt her eye twitch. She hated being called ma'am.

'I'm finished.' Avery shouted from behind Ginny.

Ginny stood up and motioned for Avery to follow her into her office. Lucille hurried to join them.

'Can I get you a coffee, Mrs. Potter?' Lucille asked as she rushed into Ginny's office behind the two.

Avery set the paper down on her desk. Ginny sat and grabbed a spell-checking quill to review the piece.

'You can leave, Cortair.' Ginny said dismissively, without looking up. MacNeill was thankfully a promising reporter with few grammatical errors in his pieces.

'As in, home, right? I'm not …' Lucille said trailing off.

'Yes, home.' Ginny raised her head to look at Lucille and raised an eyebrow. 'Unless you want me to change my mind about that?'

Perhaps Ginny should have felt guilty for the panicked look that crossed Cortair's face as she hurried to exit the office and grab her things but she had called her ma'am. Ginny hated that word. Ginny tapped her wand at the paper and all the minor edits fixed themselves on the parchment and arranged itself into its spot on the Sports section of the following days Daily Prophet.

'Okay, Good, MacNeill. Send the sports draft up to publication.' She said, handing him the stack of parchments. Ginny stood to grab her coat and bag.

Avery flicked through the pages and looked up at her disappointed,

'I'm on the second page.' He whined.

Ginny reached forward and patted his cheek.

'You're lucky I didn't cut it completely.' She said.

Ginny walked out of her office and paused at the front doors of the office that lead to the stairs. She turned to face the half empty office, Lucille Cortair was hiding behind the tall figure of Roman Nott.

'Okay, people. To reiterate, I am out of office tomorrow. I do not want a whisper of an owl. For any breaking news, contact Percival Rook. For any emergencies, stop and ask yourself 'Is this really an emergency? Can Rook solve it? Then contact Rook. If your answer is still yes, then and only then contact me. See you all Monday.'

Ginny turned on her heel and walked out the door towards the stairs. There was an elevator between the fourth floor sports office and the main lobby but Ginny made it a point to always take the stairs. It was entirely to do with trying to get her steps in each day and nothing to do with her irrational fear of elevators. In fact Ginny would not even call it a fear, more of a healthy distrust and scepticism for the mechanisms involved with a moving tin coffin of death.

Ginny apparated by an abandoned mill, just down the lane from the Potter residence on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. She checked her watch as she walked through the doors of her house. It was six o'clock. Six was late for Ginny. Especially considering she had been at the office since half seven that morning. Harry greeted her in the hall when she was storing her coat and bag in the storage closet under the stairs. Harry was already dressed in his Halloween skeleton costume with an apron over top. Ginny had argued that the skeleton outfit was a bit too on the nose. Harry had argued back that she could match him and wear a black veil. Not often did Ginny get to wear her black veil and so that was all the arguing she needed.

'Well, welcome home, love. Isn't someone married to the job?' Harry joked.

Ginny shook her head at him and held up two fingers to him in a peace sign.

'Two Quidditch matches, Harry. Two.'

Harry laughed and leaned forward to kiss her.

'Oh, and the Cannons lost their star keeper.' She added.

Harry tilted his head to the side.

'Can they really call him a star if he's let in every goal for the last three years?' He joked.

'No, Harry. They've lost him. As in they don't know where he is. Oh and Krum announced he's retiring.'

Ginny followed Harry into the kitchen which had been entirely transformed with spooky decorations, complete with food and drink stations on both the table and kitchen island.

'About bloody time. He's older than me. Wait, didn't he do this already?' Harry asked as he poured some wine into two wine glasses for himself and Ginny.

'Ageist.' Ginny quipped, as she accepted the glass of wine. 'Yes, dear, he's retiring. Again. From coaching this time. He was the head coach for the Bulgarian national team for the last what? Nearly ten years. I mean, I have a theory on that, off the record, but I want to wait and see what comes from it.'

Harry muttered something to himself and pointed his wand toward the hallway at the entrance of the house. More festive decorations floated off the counter and made its way toward the hallway.

'Oh, I might have the facts on that one, off the record of course.' Harry said with a wink to Ginny.

'Of course.'

'Okay, I have picked up all the desserts from the bakery. Hannah is bringing the mead and more of the elf-made wine. I've also gone round to Diagon alley and got a crate of fire whiskey.'

Ginny followed what he was saying and mentally went down the checklist in her head.

'The music, Harry.'

'Actually, Angie said she had this new Wiz-sound Player that Freddie bought her. The sound's supposed to be incredible, at least according to George. She said she'd call by early and bring it.'

'Oh, perfect. So I've just got to get dressed and then we're ready.'

Harry grabbed a covered plate from the kitchen island and handed it to Ginny.

'Eat, Ginny, please. James dropped over the chicken pies earlier.'

'Oh Merlin, I forgot about that;

'Well we did invite your brother. I wasn't about the risk of bodily or property harm. Now eat and go get dressed. I've handled it.'

'Oh alright,' Ginny said and went with her plate of food to get dressed in their room.

If there was one thing that Ginny and Harry knew how to do, it was to throw a party. They had thrown some of the most memorable events over the years. The New Years bash of 2018, Molly and Arthur's 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2018 and who could forget James Potter's 17th Birthday? Ginny's sitting room ceiling certainly couldn't. She still wasn't sure how exactly the red wine got on the ceiling when she had only bought mead and fire-whiskey.

Ginny had stood by the door with Harry greeting her friends and family but after half an hour the white elf-made wine had gone warm in her hand and she decided anyone else that arrived could let themselves in and come find her to say hello. Abandoning her husband, she went off in search of a more festive drink. Harry had mentioned a 'ghouls cauldron' drink that Hannah had concocted, and boy could that woman make one tasty cocktail.

'You did such a wonderful job at the decoration, Ginny.' Hermione said as she hugged Ginny, intercepting her before she reached the kitchen island. Ginny could see a replica cauldron on the counter and guessed this was it. 'Where ever did you find the time?'

'Ha! Good one.' Ginny laughed as she sidestepped Hermione to ladle herself a glass of the drink. 'Harry did everything. I just had to turn up.'

'Ah, that explains why I'm still waiting on the Holloughby report.' Hermione said with a raise of her eyebrow.

'Procrastination at its finest. Want some, Hannah made it?'

'Oh why not.' Hermione said as she grabbed one of the goblets for Ginny to ladle the drink into. 'Ooh it's peppery.'

'Mmm. She's done it again.'

'Oh Merlin, Gin, it's been so long since we've had an "adults only" get together.' Hermione said, taking a long drink from her goblet.

'I think our kids would take offence to not being considered adults.' Ginny replied with a laugh. Across the kitchen an individual, who Ginny suspected was either Luna or her husband Rolf, waved at her in greeting. They were dressed in a very realistic and accurate portrayal of an Occamy complete with wings and scales. An individual dressed as a Demiguise accompanied them. Definitely Luna and Rolf, Ginny thought.

'Well, when Rose stops acting like a petulant child, I'll stop treating her like one.'

'No luck on that front then.' Harry's voice said from behind her.

'Harry! Love the party.' Hermione said with a smile, then upon seeing Harry's skeletal costume her smile fell a little. 'Interesting… costume choice. Just when exactly should I be expecting that report?'

Harry chuckled.

'Monday. Evening, promise. I took holiday leave. Merlin knows I have enough hours banked.'

'Well, it must be the apocalypse. You, Harry, taking holidays? Quick, where's the press?' Hermione said in fake-shock.

'And without my nagging too.' Ginny joked, lightly poking Harry in the chest.

'Well to answer your question, Harry. It's better. as in we're not arguing everyday.'

'Oh, that's good.' Harry said, nodding to her words.

'Well, because Ron kicked her out of the house.' Hermione finished matter-of-factly.

Ginny furrowed her eyebrows, though she doubted her expression was obvious with all her face paint. 'Oh well, now, that's …' She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. In all the arguments she had had with James and Albus over the years, neither she nor Harry had ever thought it prudent to kick them out of the nest.

'Our sex life is great now, though.' Hermione said cheerfully and clinked her goblet against Harry's.

'I did not want nor need to know that.' Ginny said, she grimaced at the image but managed to hold back a gag. She patted Hermione's shoulder. 'I'm going to leave now, Hermione. We'll talk later once that… imagery is gone from my mind.'

Ginny shook her head as she walked away, leaving Hermione and Harry to talk about Hermione's active sex life. Ginny shuddered as an unwanted image of her brother and sister-in-law came to her mind. She didn't care how long they had been married and Merlin, she was grateful to have all her nieces and nephews but Ginny did not want to ever think too hard about her brother's and their sex lives. Ginny caught a flash of blue scales out of the corner of her eye and thought of approaching either Luna or Rolf to say hello but then saw it was her brother, Ron who they were talking to and quickly backed away.

'Ow.' A male voice said from behind her.

Ginny whirled around, she had heels on and hadn't even realised she had stepped on someone.

'Oh, I'm so sorry.' She looked up at the tall figure that seemed to have various green balls on every inch of his person complete with boils and small spikes.

'I did tell you to wear the steel capped ones.' Hannah said from beside him. She was shaking her head at the green figure. Hannah was dressed in an ornate dress, and had a small tiara with a veil on her head. 'I told you there would be heels.'

Neville laughed and shook his green head.

'What exactly are you supposed to be, Neville?' Ginny asked. What was with everyone doing their best to repulse her this evening?

Neville stood back and showed off his costume.

'I'm a Mimbulus mimbletonia, obviously.' He said proudly. Ginny smiled and nodded her head.

'Oh, yes. Obviously.' Ginny could not for the life of her recall what a mimbulus nimble-ammonia was. Something plant related, she guessed.

'I've never heard of it either, Ginny.' Hannah said from beside her.

'No one paid attention in school, I swear.' Neville muttered.

'Oh thank Merlin.' Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. 'You're a princess, Right?

'Yes, I went for a whole medieval thing. The kids had me watching this muggle show and the clothes were so incredible. And you know it actually had some interesting visuals for the dragons, not too far off.'

'Oh was it any good? Harry keeps on to me about watching one of those muggle shows. I think his cousin recommended something to him about dragons over the summer.'

'Oh it was brilliant, wasn't it Neville?' She turned to look at her husband, who looked a lot like he was sulking at the lack of recognition. 'Shocking ending though. Like, disappointingly so.'

'Oh no, I hate that.'

'Anyways how are you? What's new and exciting in the Potter world? Oh, I heard Vic and Teddy got engaged. How wonderful!' Hannah exclaimed with a smile.

Ginny thought about all the appointments she had been to with Harry over the last few months and all the treatments he had endured. How much easier life would be to just tell everyone. But Harry was adamant that he didn't want anyone bar the family knowing, he didn't want to be treated any differently than he already was. Besides, was a party, let alone a Halloween party, the right place to do so?

'Yes, yes so exciting.' Ginny said as she plastered a smile on her face. She imagined the skeletal face paint would hide any scepticism in her expression. She noticed her husband was in earshot of her and raised her voice slightly. 'Did you know Harry knew and kept it from me since the Christmas before last?'

'Oh, Merlin.' Neville mumbled.

'Get out.' Hannah said in disbelief.

'Mm hmm.' Ginny nodded.

Harry approached the trio and rolled his eyes.

'In my defense I was sworn to secrecy.' Harry said to Neville and Hannah, trying to plead his case.

'From your wife?' Ginny questioned.

'No, you should have seen the poor lad. He was so terrified. And he insisted on proposing in front of the whole family.' Harry said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

'Oh I don't envy that.' Neville said. Ginny imagined his face would have looked green even had he not had green paint all over him. 'You couldn't give me any amount of money to go through that again.'

'Really? I loved our engagement.' Hannah said, affronted.

'Yeah because you were the one getting proposed to, weren't you?' Neville quipped, causing all four of them to laugh.

Ginny was in her element when hosting a party. She felt like the social butterfly she was in her youth. She had been the media's favourite when she had been with the Harpies simply for her ability to charm a room. She was almost certain she had got speaking to the majority off her guests at least once she was eyeing a golden bedazzled figure that had been a later arrival to the party.

'Kingsley, what a … bright costume.' She said.

In person she could see that there were golden rays that were reflecting from his face. Accompanied with the reflective wizard robes, it was altogether dazzling.

Kingsley chuckled in his deep voice.

'You should see Amara's outfit.'

'Oh no I haven't, what's she dressed as?' Ginny asked as she tried to see Kingsley's wife in the crowd.

'The moon.'

'Brilliant and you're the star. How is she after the whole Monet thing?'

Ginny imagined his face would have darkened had he not been so brightly lit up. As it was a stern expression fell across his face.

'About as well as can be expected. If you ever feel like calling, you're more than welcome. I don't know which of you would need the distraction more.'

Ginny looked at him quizzically at his words.

'Harry told me about, well, everything.' Kingsley said quieter than before, as he leaned in closer to her. ' How are you doing?'

'Oh you know. Treatment once a month, he's miserable for a few days after and then he's like, well he looks like he does now.'

Ginny looked out into the room and found Harry easily. He was twirling Luna (who was the Occamy from earlier) around the sitting room to the song while she laughed.

'You know a friend of mine who used to work in the Bulgarian ministry got it? But it was, well it was too late.' Kingsley said as they watched Harry and Luna.

'Yeah that seems to be the consensus.' Ginny said, it was hard to imagine he was so ill only a week prior when he was dancing so enthusiastically tonight. 'I don't know what to think just taking it month by month. Because when he's great, well you wouldn't think anything is wrong.'

'What could be wrong, Weasley?' Oliver Wood said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and squeezing her in a half hug. She thought she felt her bones crush slightly. Oliver was dressed in his old Puddlemere United kit.

'Oliver, glad you could come.' He released her from the hug and she rolled her shoulder.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world. Saw you at the Harpies friendly with the Bats last month.'

'If they perform like that in the league they'll be in good standing. You know, I reckon they could win it all if Green performs like that all year round. Not biased of course.

'Of course.' Oliver said with an exaggerated wink.

'How are Scotland set for the World Cup next year, Wood?' Kingsley asked the Scottish head coach.

'Oh mate, you know it's so hard to know but I think they actually stand a fair chance. However, I saw one of the English teams' training matches and do nae get me started on that. Wales are looking good though. Are yous going to any of the matches?' Oliver asked.

'I think Amara wants to go to one of the South Africa games, but we'll see how everything's going ...' Kingsley said, trailing off into thought. Ginny gave him a gentle elbow. 'Oh and I'll try to get tickets for an England one, hopefully they don't get knocked out too early.'

'Aye they're playing Bulgaria, now they're muckered now that Krums retired and Volkov has been out on injury for most of the year. So England might stand a chance. What about you, Weasley?'

'Yeah, we'll probably get to some of them, depending on how everything is going on here, of course.' Ginny replied.

'Why is there some quidditch thing happening next year that I haven't been told about?' Oliver asked, looking at her quizzically.

Ginny realised her blunder and hurried to explain.

'No, not just Harry does get so busy at work.' She explained, avoiding his eye by looking out onto the room.

'Well, if you think the head of DLE is bad don't let him go for Minister for Magic.' Kingsley said good naturedly. Ginny gave him a look of thanks.

'No, I think Hermione has that one handled, thankfully.' She replied.

'Have you tried these mini chicken pies?' Ron interrupted, a plate stacked high of the mini pies in each hand. 'They're incredible. I've had like seven.'

Bothe Kingsley and Oliver slipped into the crowded room with a wave.

'No not yet but watching you digest them isn't really selling them to me.' Ginny said, looking at her brother in mild disgust.

'Did you make them?' Ron asked. Ginny felt a crumb bounce off her forehead.

'not a chance. Harry picked them up from town. I heard Rosie's flown the nest?' She said crossing her arms and raising her blacked out brows.

'More like shoved out of the nest.' Ron looked around and then leaned in slightly to Ginny. 'Here, were you talking to Albus?'

'About?'

'Rose.'

'No. And I was only flooing him, what was it? Yesterday morning when he was back at the Jordan office.'

Ron looked over each shoulder, then leaned in again.

'Her and Malfoy broke up.' He whispered.

'WHAT?' Ginny shouted.

Several people nearby turned to look at them

'Shh.' Ron said, covering her mouth.

Ginny swatted his hand away from her.

'What do you mean just told me.'

'I know what I said but she hasn't told Hermione yet, so shut up will you?' Ron whisper-yelled.

'Merlin's beard. Do you know why she broke up with him?' Ginny asked. Rose and Scorpius had started dating in their sixth year much to both of their father's disappointment. It really seemed like they were the real deal.

'I think it was the other way round if I heard it correctly, Gin.' Ron replied and ate another pie from his plate.

'So Rose told you.'

'Yeah it was hard to make it out through her tears, though.' Ron said with a smile.

'Ronald!' Ginny said sharply and smacked him hard on the arm.

'Ow! What?'

'You could look a little less overjoyed at your daughter's heartbreak.' Ginny said

'Look if I thought kicking her out would have broken them up, I would have done it a lot sooner.' Ronald said and ate another pie.

'So where's she living?' Ginny asked. 'I thought if she was living away from your place she'd have moved in with him.'

'No, she's living with that Maisie Fawley one.'

Ginny made a face.

'Oh no. If she's anything like her father, Merlin help Rose.' Ginny said with a shake of her head. 'He works at the Daily Prophet. Thankfully not in the sports department. Absolute knob, so he is.'

'Well I don't know the daughter but if the rumours are true the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Anyway, how are all your brood doing? Albus still away?' Ron said.

He set down an empty plate of pies and grabbed a goblet from a tray that was meandering its way around the room.

'He's back next week. And he's off until after Christmas then. Oh did I tell you? James and Margy moved in together.' Ginny said excitedly. She was so happy that James had found someone that made him happy.

Ron made a face and took another drink from his goblet.

'Oh… lovely.' Ron said. Ginny whacked his arm again, though not as hard.

'Oh you're not listening to Harry's gossip are you. You know what he's like when he gets something in his head.' Ginny argued

'In his defense when he's had these feelings in the past, he's usually been right.'

'Who's been right?' Angelina asked from Ginny's left.

'Harry.' Ron said.

'At being a moron.' Ginny finished.

'Now, now. I won't hear any slander about my first investor.' George said as he threw an arm around Ginny's shoulder.

'And what, exactly, is he right about this time, Ron?' Angelina asked.

'He's just not James' girlfriend's biggest fan.' Ginny said to the newcomers.

'Okay, no. I don't get that one little bro.' George said from beside Ginny.

Angelina made a face.

'Eh, I kinda get it.' She interjected. She took a pie off of Ron's plate.

'What do you get?' George asked, confused. He release Ginny to lean his elbow on Angelina's shoulder.

'I don't know she just … she rubs me the wrong way or something.' Angelina said with a shrug.

'Really?' Ginny asked, confused. 'How does she rub you the wrong way?'

'She's too … I don't know, she seems too serious or something.' Angelina said.

'Okay now that I can understand.' George said, nodding at his wife.

'Too serious? You got that from the one time you met her?' Ginny asked incredulously.

'Three times actually.' Angelina corrected. 'They called by the shop one day, and then myself, Katie and Alicia were out for drinks and we met them in the Witches Stoop in Diagon Alley one night. Anyways, what about her?'

'Her and Jamie moved in together apparently.' Ron replied, raising her eyebrows.

'Well aren't they moving fast!' George said goofily.

'Well they have known each other for over a year. I don't know, I guess it makes sense to them.' Ginny argued.

'Aw, I can't believe our babies are that age where they're starting their own lives and families.' Angelina said with a sad smile.

'Okay hold on now. Let's get one thing straight. I did not say James knocked her up.' Ginny interjected. George and Ron laughed.

'Who's knocked up?' Harry asked, joining the group.

'No one.' Ginny said sharply, glaring at the three around her. 'Although there might be a few knocked out. You know it's been too long since I've used my bat-bogey hex.'

'I think my wife could use a drink. Excuse us.' Harry said and put his arm around Ginny and steered her away from the group as they laughed.

Harry led them back to the kitchen to the near empty cauldron that Hannah had prepared. He ladled out two goblet's full for them.

'How are you feeling?' Ginny asked. She narrowed her eyes at him to see if he was trying to hide any symptoms. He handed her a goblet.

'I'm good.'

'Don't over do it.' She warned, accepting the goblet.

'I'm fine Gin. Really.'

'Okay if you say so.'

'I was just speaking to Hermione.' Harry started.

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

'Apparently I have to go to the Ministry Christmas Ball this year. I tried to pull the sick card but no dice.'

'Potter you're hosting parties you're clearly able to go to one measly ball.' Ginny laughed at her husband's aversion to public events.

'Okay, well, if I'm forced to go, then you most certainly will be accompanying me.' Harry argued.

'Oh, I don't know I might be busy that day. You know I think there's a big game on or something.'

Harry raised his eyebrow at her

'You don't even know when it's on.'

'December is always busy for me Harry, you know this.' Ginny said patronisingly with a smile.

'It's in November,' Harry replied.

Ginny's smile fell. Ah crap.

'Lovely. Can't wait.'